Cars and Bikes

About 60 percent of the oil consumed daily by Americans is used for transportation, and about 45 percent is used for passenger cars and light trucks.

Cars and Bikes

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

Cars and Bikes

Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving safely in a pretty well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming ... WOW! What a ride.

Cars and Bikes

Natives who beat drums to drive off evil spirits are objects of scorn to smart Americans who blow horns to break up traffic jams.

Cars and Bikes

It takes 8,460 bolts to assemble an automobile, and one nut to scatter it all over the road.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Car classification




Cars may be classified by a number of different criteria; however, comprehensive classification is elusive, because a vehicle may fit into multiple categories, or not completely satisfy the requirements for any. This article details the most commonly used systems of classification. Where applicable, the equivalent Euro NCAP classifications are shown. Car rental companies often use the ACRISS Car Classification Code. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has another set of classification rules based on interior passenger and cargo volumes. A similar set of classes is used by the Canadian EPA. In Australia, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries publishes its own classifications.





Browse all post and see the world famous cars differs to each other.

Bikes



The all-new Aprilia RS4 is Aprilia’s first step away from the 2-strokes that made them famous. The RS125 2-stroke will still be sold (in Europe), but the emergence of this new 4-stroke 125 shows Aprilia’s direction for the future.




Everybody knows that 2-stroke engines can produce more power than a comparably sized 4-stroke. The RS125 can be tuned to around 33 horsepower, whilst the RS4 125 can only get to about 25 horsepower with a 180cc kit. The RS4 125 can’t replace the RS125 performance-wise, but it does benefit from a reliable torquey 125cc four-stroke engine that doesn’t need a rebuild every 10,000 miles. The RS4 125 is also more environmentally friendly using less fuel and oil compared to the 2-strokes.





Sports cars

This small-size vehicle class combines performance and handling. Sometimes inspired by racing vehicles, this class ranges from lightweight derivatives such the Lotus Elise and "average consumer" focused models such as the Mazda MX-5, to heavier and more powerful models such as the Dodge Viper.

Examples of sports cars:


Chevrolet Corvette
MG T-type
Porsche 911


Hot hatch





A hot hatch is a high-performance hatchback, based on standard superminis or small family cars with improved performance, handling and styling. Hot hatches are very popular in Europe, and originated from the original Volkswagen Golf GTI. In North America, sport compacts are usually sold as saloons or coupés rather than hatchbacks. The hot hatches are now expanded to large family hatchbacks, and is called as large hot hatch as these are larger than small hot hatches.




Sports saloon / sports sedan


These are high performance versions of saloons. Sometimes originally homologated for production based motorsports (touring cars) and like regular saloons, seats four or five people.





Examples of sports saloons/sedans:


BMW M5
Dodge Charger SRT-8
Ford Mondeo ST200





Examples of sport compact saloons/sedans:


Dodge SRT-4
Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Executive car




An executive car or mid-luxury car is larger than a large family car/mid-size car and a compact executive car/entry-level luxury car. They are usually very roomy, powerful and luxurious, making them more expensive than "standard" saloons. This also refers to the largest hatchbacks within the similar length in this class.
Examples of executive cars/mid-luxury cars:




Examples of executive cars/mid-luxury cars:


Audi A6



The Audi A6 is an executive car marketed by the German automaker Audi AG, now in its fourth generation. As the successor to the Audi 100, the A6 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany – and is available in saloon, and wagon configurations, the latter marketed by Audi as the Avant.
All generations of the A6 have offered either front-wheel drive or Torsen-based four-wheel drive – marketed by Audi as their Quattro system. Second and third generation A6 models have shared their platform with the company's Allroad models.


Jaguar XF


The Jaguar XF (type (X250) is a mid-size luxury car / sports saloon produced by British car manufacturer Jaguar. The car, which replaced the Jaguar S-Type, was launched at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show following the public showing of the C-XF concept in January 2007 at the North American International Auto Show. Designed by Jaguar's design director Ian Callum, it was a significant change to its predecessor.
The XF went on sale in 2008 with a range of V6 and V8 engines and customer deliveries commenced in March 2008.



A face-lifted XF featuring a revised front design more akin to the original C-XF concept car was announced at the 2011 New York Auto Show with manufacturing to commence from July 2011.


Mercedes-Benz E Class


The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive-size cars manufactured by Mercedes-Benz in various engine and body configurations. The E initially stood for Einspritzmotor, (German for fuel injection engine); a new feature in volume production vehicles at the time that the E-Class first appeared, with the E as a suffix to the engine nomenclature (e.g. 230E) in the 1950s. It was not until the launch of the facelifted W124 that the E was used as a prefix (i.e. E220) and the model referred to officially as the E-Class (or E-Klasse). At this time all Mercedes cars used fuel injection and the company felt it was not necessary to add this as a distinguishing feature. Due to the E-Class's size and durability, the cars also frequently serve as taxis in European countries. Older models like the W123 and W124 are used in Malaysia as inter-state taxis, and the W211 is used in Singapore as a taxi. Mercedes-Benz also offers special-purpose vehicles (e.g. police or ambulance modifications) from the factory.


Grand saloon


A full-size car is typically a four-door saloon(sedan). These are the most powerful saloons, with six, eight and twelve-cylinder engines and have more equipment than smaller models.

Examples of full-size cars:


BMW 7 Series


The BMW 7 Series is a line of full-size luxury vehicles produced by the German automaker BMW. Introduced in 1977, it is BMW's flagship car and is only available as a sedan or extended-length limousine. The 7 Series traditionally introduces technologies and an exterior design theme before they trickle down to smaller sedans in BMW's lineup.

There have been five generations of the 7 Series:

BMW E23 (1977–1986)
BMW E32 (1987–1994)
BMW E38 (1995–2001)
BMW E65/E66 (2002–2008)
BMW F01 (2009–present)



Lexus LS


The Lexus LS is a full-size luxury sedan that serves as the flagship model of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota. Four generations of the sedan have been produced, all equipped with V8 engines and rear-wheel drive, although since 2006 all-wheel drive, hybrid, and long-wheelbase variants have also been offered. The original Lexus LS 400, the first Lexus to be developed, was introduced as the premium marque's debut model in 1989. Subsequent redesigns included the second-generation LS 400 in 1995, the LS 430 in 2001, and the LS 460/LS 460 L series in 2006. A domestic-market version of the LS 400 and LS 430, badged as Toyota Celsior, was sold in Japan until the Lexus marque was introduced there in 2006. For the 2007 model year the fourth-generation LS 460 debuted the first production eight-speed automatic transmission and an automatic parking system. In 2007, V8 hybrid powertrains were introduced on the LS 600h/LS 600h L sedans.


Mercedes-Benz S-Class


The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a series of luxury sedans produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The classification was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116 S-Class, which succeeded previous Mercedes-Benz models dating to the mid-1950s. As the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the S-Class has debuted many of the company's latest innovations, including drivetrain technologies, interior features, and safety systems (such as the first seatbelt pretensioners). The S-Class has ranked as the world's best-selling luxury flagship sedan, and its latest generation, the W221 S-Class, premiered in 2006 as an all-new design. As in previous iterations, the W221 S-Class is sold in standard- and long-wheelbase versions; V6, V8, V12, diesel and hybrid powertrains are offered. All models built in Mexico or sold in the United States are only available in long wheelbase.
The name "S-Class" derives from the German word "Sonderklasse" of which "S-Class" is an abbreviation. Sonderklasse means "special class" (or rather: "In a class of its own"), and in automotive terms thus refers to "a specially outfitted car." Although used colloquially for decades, following its official application in 1972, five generations of officially named S-Class sedans have been produced. Past two-door coupe models of the S-Class were known as SEC and later S-Coupe. In 1998 they were spun off in a separate line as the CL-Class, however it will be re-designated as the S-Coupe for the 2011 model year

Hatchbacks

City Cars





A city car is a small automobile intended for use in urban areas. Unlike microcars, a city car's greater speed, capacity and (in perception at least) occupant protection are safer in mixed traffic environments and weather conditions. While city cars can reach highway speeds, that is not their intended use. In Japan, city cars are called kei cars. Kei cars have to meet strict size and engine requirements: engines have a maximum displacement of 660 cc and the car's length must be under 3400 mm.




kei cars


Kei cars, K-cars, or keijidōsha (軽自動車?, lit. "light automobile") (pronounced [keːdʑidoːɕa]), are a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to exploit local tax and insurance regulations, and in most rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is available for the vehicle. This especially advantaged class of cars was developed to promote popular motorization in the post war era. While successful at home, the genre is generally too specialized and too small to be profitable in export markets.


Microcar





Straddling the boundary between car and motorbike, these vehicles have engines under 1.0 litre, typically seat only two passengers, and are sometimes unorthodox in construction. Some microcars are three-wheelers, while the majority have four wheels. Microcars were popular in post-war Europe, where their appearance led them to be called "Bubble cars". A descendant of the microcar is the modern Smart Fortwo.
Examples of microcars





Examples of microcars:

Isetta


The Isetta is an Italian-designed microcar built in a number of different countries, including Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Produced in the post-World War II years, a time when cheap short-distance transportation was most needed, it became one of the most successful and influential city cars ever created. Because of its egg shape and bubble-like windows, it became known as a bubble car, a name later given to other similar vehicles, including the AMC Pacer.
The BMW Isetta was in 1955 the world's first mass-production 3-Liters/100km car.It was the top-selling single cylinder car in the world, with 161,728 units sold.


Messerschmitt microcar


The Messerschmitt KR175 bubble car (1953–1955) was the first vehicle built by Messerschmitt under its 1952 agreement with Fritz Fend. In concept, although not in actual design, it was an extended version of the Fend Flitzer invalid carriage. Approximately 15,000 were built before it was replaced by the Messerschmitt KR200 in 1956.


Subaru 360





The Subaru 360 was the first automobile mass produced by Fuji Heavy Industries' Subaru division. A number of innovative features were used to design a very small and inexpensive car to address government plans to produce a small "people's car" with an engine no larger than 360cc when most in Japan could not afford a car. The body size and the engine capacity were designed to match within Japan's kei car regulation. Nicknamed the "ladybug" in Japan, it was one of Japan's most popular cars, and among the smallest cars in the world to attract a significant following. It was a significant step up from microcars such as the Iso Rivolta Isetta as the first kei car that had four wheels and room for 4 passengers. 392,000 units were produced in Japan from 1958 to 1971. Production ended for the 360 and was replaced by the Subaru R-2.
The car's name was derived from the size of the 356 cc engine. In 1961 the 360 saw a competitor called the Mitsubishi 360, the Daihatsu Fellow in 1966, and the Suzuki Fronte in 1967.


Sunday, September 11, 2011

F1


Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which all participants' cars must comply. The F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix (in English, Grand Prizes), held on purpose-built circuits and public roads. The results of each race are combined to determine two annual World Championships, one for the drivers and one for the constructors, with racing drivers, constructor teams, track officials, organizers, and circuits required to be holders of valid Super Licences, the highest class of racing licence issued by the FIA.


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