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Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Not Bad For A Number Two Driver

Did Red Bull Really Get The Results They Wanted?

With a touch of “understatement” Mark Webber fired both barrells at Red Bull management as he crossed the finish line of the British Grand Prix earlier today. The seven word statement summed up the the situation of the previous two days that had obviously been simmering since parts were removed from Mark’s car to be put onto his teammate’s car. The support team for Webber was also of the same opinion because they were seen waving the “old” front wing removed from Webber’s car at Vettel’s  mechanics.

The win at Silverstone takes Mark to 128 points in the World Championship,  just 17 points behind the leader Lewis Hamilton.  Hamilton was the only competition for Webber during the race, remaining close behind the race leader, but unable to overtake at any point. Silverstone was a track that Hamilton particularly wanted to win on because it would be considered to be his home track.

Mark Webber accepting the winners trophy

All Australia is proud of you Mark

The win, from second place on the grid, was relatively incident free compared with the death defying crash Mark had at his previous outing. At the first corner Vettel attempted to squeeze Mark to ensure he maintained his lead into the first corner but Webber was already in a position to take the corner and Vettel had to run wide into the rough where he got a punctured tyre. Only a safety car period allowed Vettel back into the race to gain some valuable points. Vettel is now in 4th place in the championship with 121 points, 7 points behind Webber.

Mark was seen speaking with Sterling Moss, the legendary 80 year old British racer, and this may well have been some inspiration for Mark to get the best start I have ever seen him perform. I have been critical in the past of Mark’s race start as it appears to me that he is slow to get the car moving and gives away about 4 or 5 positions before the first corner.

The winning smile of Mark Webber

The winning smile of Mark Webber

Martin Brundle made the comment before the start to “look out for the fun at the first corner” and it has been reported that Mark Webber said “You bet there will be some fun at the first corner”. I think Mark carried a lot of passion into this race and if he drives this well when he has the passion then maybe we need something to create this passion before each race. I am not suggesting to Red Bull management that they keep this silly bias towards Vettel going – there should be equality between the two drivers and the team concentrating on beating the McLaren team who may well take out the constructors championship and are still in good position to win the drivers championship.

After the race Mark said that he enjoyed the race and in partcular the good fight with Lewis Hamilton. In answer to a question about the first corner Mark said “I made a good start and I was very keen to make it my corner and it worked out well for me.”

My personal opinion is that Mark was bullied by Vettel at the start and managed to show that he would resist such tactics and Vettel went away and sulked for a sort time. Earlier in the season Vettel tried to bully his way past Webber and took them both off the track. Red Bull management should see this behaviour as detrimental to their efforts, as a team, to win the constructors championship. Also thre is this ridiculous situation where their number 1 driver appears to feel so threatened by their number 2 driver that he continually wants to jeopardise his chances of completing a race. This can only result in both drivers missing out on achieving the necessary points to win the championship and both of them are capable of winning this year.

Everything seems to be in the correct order here

Everything seems to be in the correct order here

Hey Mark, your fellow Australians are  proud of you and in particular I am very proud that you have now won your third race this season. I know that this is your year to win the championship, so keep a cool head in spite of team bias and let your ability take you to the winners podium.

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Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

Honda CR-Z Hybrid Breaks New Ground

The Ground Breaking Honda CR-X Is Soon To Be Released In Australia

Honda in the late 1980′s created a hot little hatchback that was similar to a four wheeled motorcycle and they called it the CR-X. It was a very popular sporty car that had a 1600cc VTEC engine that began screaming at you around 9000 rpm. The only thing people had against this sporty 3 door hatch, that was loosely based on a Civic, was the fact that it was very expensive for that time.

A design sketch of the Honda CR-Z hybrid car

Honda CR-Z looks like a more expensive sports coupe

In 2007 Honda proudly showed a concept car at the Toyota Motor Show that stunned the industry and the motoring public. This concept car has been toned down slightly and is now being produced as the CR-Z. It is a sporty hybrid that resembles the CR-X body shape and styling but there the similarity ends.

The CR-Z has a 1500 cc single overhead cam petrol driven engine that is linked to a 10kW electric motor that has a combined power output of 91kW and 174Nm. The transmission is a six speed manual gearbox that propels this dart shaped pocket rocket to 100km/h in just 9.8 seconds. The constantly variable transmission in the Honda Insight may well be available in the CR-Z next year.

Honda cr-z hybrid interior

The sleek interior of the Honda CR-Z hybrid

This 1500 cc engine in the CR-Z achieves petrol savings by utilising a valve shut-down system at low revs and the six speed transmission, a first in hybrid vehicles, with the assistance of the electric motor during stop/start further assists the fuel savings. Honda are pushing the “green” envelope by creating an almost competitive, game like driver education system that rewards drivers for economical driving and penalises for wasting fuel.

This eco-assist function challenges the driver to use less fuel. A dashboard display resembling a tree will grow leaves and flourish with consistently good driving while poor driving habits will cause leaves to wither and fall from the tree. On my test drive I was able to achieve fuel consumption figures of 5.0 litres/100km but was told back at the dealership that I had a lead foot.

There are three driving modes available by selecting a push button on an instrument pod on the left hand side of the sporty steering wheel. You can choose economy, normal or sporty and while I did try the others I fould that sporty gave me everything that I required in this great little car.

Honda CR-Z latest dashboard layout

Honda CR-Z latest dashboard layout

I found it a lot of fun to drive particularly when I had the engine in the upper rev range with the aid of the manual gearbox. Some of the fun aspects may be removed when the constantly variable transmission is introduced. I particularly loved the exhaust note from this remarkable engine and I could easily imagine that I was driving a much more expensive and more powerful machine.

Many people compare this vehicle to the Mini Cooper or the Alfa Mito and the CR-Z chasis is similar to the rigid chassis of the Civic type R. The overall weight of the CR-Z is 1140kg and this light weight certainly helps the handling and performance. Inovative use of aluminium in the front suspension has helped in keeping the weight of this vehicle down.

The distinctive looks and the sporty tone of this vehicle turn heads. The rear has similar looks to the CR-X, like it was chopped off as an afterthought. The interior is crisp, modern but functional and while the CR-Z is promoted as a 2 + 2 I certainly would not be able to get in the back but the additional space was useful to me for storage and getting my golf clubs into as well as all the shopping that my wife insisted on collecting while we test drove this vehicle.

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Thursday, May 13th, 2010

What You Need To Know About Government Car Auctions

Motoring Tips Guide to Government Car Auctions

 

When people decide to purchase a new vehicle which is affordable, they might not think of government car auctions, and they are missing out on an opportunity. The fact is government auctions offer a whole variety of items for sale and these not include cars but trucks, SUVs’, boats and other items, the prices that these items sell for can be quite low.

Where Do Government Car Auctions Get Their Vehicles?

Each and every month, there are car owners who are unable to make their car payments on time and thus their vehicles are repossessed by various financial institutions and end up at government car auctions.  This would also include vehicles which are seized as part of a tax settlement.

Interested in recent model of any car? Well government car auctions can have cars that you can bid which are only a year or two old. These cars can be in excellent shape and doesn’t need any major repairs and you could end up getting the car without paying a hefty price for it.

Vehicles that end up in government car auctions can also be due to government contract to purchase the vehicles to be used for various events.  Some of the cars would eventually end up unused so old police cars and other types of government vehicles are often replaced from time to time so rather than let the surplus vehicles go to waste, it is shipped of to government car auctions.

How Do You Find Government Car Auctions?

There are a few different ways that you can find auctions that you can take part in. Government car auctions can be advertised in local media as well as online. There are websites that you can visit that allow you to research different government car auctions that are taking place in your area.

If you sign up for an online government car auction site, you can use its huge database of car auctions listings happening around the country to search for what you want. Some of the better sites let you search by the make and model of the car and even other conveniences at your fingertips. Keep in mind that the image that you see on the website might look a bit different when you actually attend the auction.
Who Is Qualified To Bid In Government Car Auctions?

The good thing about public government car auctions is anyone who has a driver’s license can bid. Just make sure you have enough cash to pay for the car after you’ve won the bid and all should go well. The only concern you need to have is if the particular car auction is in another country, then you may have some additional paperwork to fill in afterwards. Some of the bidders that usually attend the auctions are car dealers looking for good bargains to stock up their inventory.

Government car auctions can be a great new experience for you when you want to purchase a new car that is cheap. By knowing your budget and not overbidding more than you can afford, you can be glad and walk away with something that you’ll like for years to come.


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Saturday, May 8th, 2010

Peace of Mind with Auto Movers


Motoring Tips guide To Transporting Your Vehicle

Auto movers have been revolutionizing and changing the automotive industry by providing us with a large conglomerate of options for transporting our cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles, boats, RVs and more. Have a boat or a piece of construction equipment? You won’t have a problem finding an auto mover to help you out with the transportation aspect. As it turns out, in recent years, auto movers have been popping up left and right in order to ensure that people only receive the best when it comes to the quality of the service that they receive.

It’s hard to believe that there was ever a time when, the term ‘car shipping’ seemed so foreign to many of us. Today, the opposite is usually true. If anything, it seems as if you cannot escape the fact that there are so many people out there who utilize the services and skills that reliable auto movers have been providing for decades. It seems as if no matter the quantity or quality of the vehicle you own, there is an auto transport company out there who is willing to help you out. With improvements such as instant rate quotes and online forms, potential prospects can now input your vehicle’s information and get a free instant rate quote back in a mere matter of seconds as opposed to sitting on a telephone for over an hour while you are transferred from person to person.

Because of this efficiency as well as the recent emergence of clear cut, easy to understand web design, more people are turning their attention towards auto movers as being a trusted source of information as well as transportation for all of their auto transport needs. Whether you are a college student who is getting ready to move to the other side of the country for the first time or someone who is preparing to purchase a brand new house for the first time, you will find that car shipping comes in handy. Not only this, but it would seem as if the overall affordability and efficiency with which the vehicles are delivered, makes vehicle shipping that much more attractive.


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Sunday, April 25th, 2010

Motoring Tips Presents The Top Ten Complaint Industries

Motoring Tips Found The Automotive Industry Overrepresented in The Top Ten

If we were to do a David Letterman Top Ten on the Industries that receive the most consumer complaints then the motor industry would fill three of the top ten positions. Position number 4 was the new car dealers then in position 7 came the used car dealers and following up in position 10 came the auto repair shops. According to the Better Business Bureau with 54,000 registered complaints this made the motor industry the “most complaint ridden industry last year”. With these statistics it is a wonder there is anybody willing to even consider putting themselves inthe position of looking to buy a new, or used, car.

Now in the interest of full disclosure I should clearly state here that my wife works in the industry and she is a well respected salesperson of after-market products. These products include the rust proofing, paint protection and fabric protection put on the car after the deal has been done.

The American Automobile Association’s Director of Financial Services Bill Gerhard said recently “Difficult times lead to creativity”. He then added “Advertising people will come up with sensational hooks in an attempt to get you into a motor dealership and once they have lured you there the salespersons goal is to sell you something – anything that will generate as much profit for the dealership as possible”

Motoring tips on avoiding scams in the industry

Some Dealerships present well and conduct business in a professional way

If you are in the market to buy a vehicle then it is a help to be aware of what the car salesperson is going to throw at you. At least, by being prepared, you will avoid the stress when a team of professional salespeople attempt to ambush you into purchasing. And once you have survived the sales process moving into the finance office to be greeted by a loan shark who wants to stitch you up completely.

So here are the SCAMS to avoid:

The Ambush:
There is no necessity for anybody to be involved in the sales process except you and the salesperson. If they involve the sales manager and the floor manager and the finance manager in the sales process you are being ambushed and pressured into buying. Just tell them quitely to “butt out” or you will go to their opposition.

The Confiscation:
Under no circumstances should you surrender the keys of your current vehicle until your deal is completed. Some dealers will make it their goal to capture the keys so that it is difficult for you to leave the premises when they start to apply the sales pressure. They might ask for your keys as collateral when you go for a test drive. Another ploy is they need the keys for the the sales manager to assess the vehicle for its trade-in value. Make sure, that if the dealing goes sour, that you can just get up and drive away.

Impending Doom:
Salesmen are taught how to introduce a crisis into the sales process so that unless you act right now the deal will not exist tomorrow. This process is called in the sales profession “Impending Doom” and make take the form of “I can only offer you this fantastic price for today – tomorrow the price goes back up to $54,000.” Or this is the last one left at this price and I have Mr Smith coming here at 4pm to look at this very car. These are all bullying tactics, albeit delivered in a very smooth and practiced speill, to get you to impulse buy. Do your research on the internet before you go to a showroom and know what you want and how much you are prepared to pay and if they can’t provide what you want then tell them so and leave.

Hidden Charges:
Examine the invoice carefully before agreeing to your finance arrangement. A common complaint is that items that were not requested on the vehicle are included in the final cost of the vehicle. These items may include things like my wife sells – alarms, paint protection, fabric protection and rust proofing. If you didn’t ask for these items then don’t pay for them. If you were forced into buying these items then walk away from the deal.

Bait and Switch:
A very common tactic is to advertise a popular car with a host of extras added at an unbelieveable price to attract a lot of people to the dealership. When they arrive they are told that that particular car was sold as soon as the dealership opened it doors but they have similar cars, without all the extras, at a much higher price. You have been conned to get you onto the premises and now the will bully you into buying from them.

Motoring tips when purchasing a motor vehicle

Now here is a car yard to stay well away from

One person in five (20%) of people leaving a dealership without buying a vehicle do so because of poor treatment, sales pressure tactics or silly pricing games. The motor industry is aware that over the next few years it is forecast that revenues will drop by around 25% and they are already stepping up their pressure tactics to ensure that they are ahead of the competition.

Women play an increasing part in the decision to purchase a vehicle with recent analysis suggesting that in 85% of all vehicle sales a woman has made the final decision. A smart dealership would ensure that the women feel comfortable throughout the whole sales process. They would abandon the bullying tactics and the high pressure sales and do everything in their power to ensure that the customers return to their dealership until the time of purchase. Even after the sale has been done they would continue the relationship with follow up calls because the networking of the local women can bring in more business to the dealership than any advertising campaign ever will.

In closing there was a movie made about 15 years ago now about the car industry and for many years I used it for training people how to sell. While the movie is very funny and entertaining the sales tactics employed are first rate and obviously a lot of first class research went into preparing the script. I recommend that anybody about to purchase a motor vehicle watch this movie called SUCKERS before venturing into the showroom. What was produced as a funny representation of the industry in the 90′s has now become the mainstream car sales tactics.

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