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Porsche Or Ferrari?

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:05:01 +0000

Porsche and Ferrari are German and Italian sides of the same coin, respectively.
Each represents a unique interpretation of the concept of a sports car. Both were founded by a dominant patriarch, both designs are more than 50 years old, both honed their craft in racing, and both possess engineering and styling integrity.
Whether they are on the track of Le Mans or on urban streets, the two brands have constantly been put head-to-head to be compared and contrasted. Even those motorists unmoved by sports cars associate these two names with both performance and style.
Take for example the methodical Porsche 911 Carrera 4S and the passionate Ferrari F430.
Both cars astonish the driver with their performance while successfully maintaining a respectable amount of practicality, but neither pretends to be anything aside from a sports car.

There are certain characteristics every modern sports car should possess. It must be started easily.
It must maneuver around town competently and politely. It must be able to, when demanded, blast along country roads.
It must, both in looks and performance, echo it”s roots on the racetrack while at the same time being perfectly safe on any road.
Since both cars meet and exceed these expectations with aplomb, and all the various intangible qualities are largely decided by personal taste, perhaps the easiest way to compare the two cars is by measuring the facts and figures.
One number that immediately impresses is the Ferrari”s lightning fast 4-second 0-100km/h acceleration. The new generation 4.3-litre V8 pushes out 368 snarling kilowatts, pinning the occupants to their seats.
While the Porsche”s acceleration also offers that amusement park ride thrill a super car should deliver,
it is 0.8 seconds slower at the 100 km/k mark. Of course such acceleration performance isn”t worth
much unless the cars also excel in the braking department, which both do. Each car comes with optional
ceramic discs brakes, allowing for impressive stopping.

In the engine department Porsche gains the upper hand. With its more refined motor, Porsche scores points for economy,
earning 18.3 liters per 100km while the Ferrari brings up a distant second with a mere 11.8 liters per 100km.
Both cars deliver the power through impressive 6-speed gearboxes and stay glued to the road with top rate
handling performance. Even if the space is somewhat limited, both the F430 and Carrera 4S offer great
interior comfort. Occupants won”t feel cramped or claustrophobic. Although Ferrarri sports an impressive
mix of suede, carbon fiber and aluminum, the Italians simply can”t answer the precision fit and finish
attained by the Germans.

Key elements for any super car are speed and silence. The car”s styling and stance draw buyers more than raw numbers.
True to its Porsche roots the Carrera 4S, despite the new proportions, is visually recognizable as a member of the 911 family. While it is certainly a great looking car, somehow the styling no longer creates the jaw dropping reaction that it once did. Even though traditionalists may insist that Porsche pay homage to its roots, the truth of the matter is that Ferrari F430 draws the attention and turns heads.

Regardless of whether the Ferrari F430”s stops you dead in your tracks with its appearance, the super car title must go to the Porsche Carrera 4S, which represents a more complete package.

By Joseph Davis
About the Author: Joseph Davis writes for several well-known online magazines, on shopping and products and product ideas subjects.

Source: www.isnare.com

Why Sports Cars Cost More To Insure

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 10:22:13 +0000

Have you ever wondered why sports cars cost more to insure than other types of car – even when the purchase price of the sports car is less expensive? If so, the following are the main reasons why this is the case.

Car Insurance Group Categories
While many of the factors that determine the make-up of car insurance quotes are not known, what is known is that insurance companies ‘group’ certain types of cars into categories.
For these purposes, insurance companies have groups ranging from 1 through to 20. Group 1 is the least expensive type of car to insure.
Group 20 is the most expensive type of car to insure. So, if you buy a Fiat Panda, you’ll be classed a Group 1 car driver. Buy a sports car, any sports car, and you are looking at being classed a Group 15 and above driver. Buy a performance sports car, such as a Porsche 911, and you’ll definitely be Group 20 driver!

Theft
Over 2 million car crimes happen in the UK each and every year. Aside from popular model cars, such a Ford, the biggest car crime category is sports cars! Have a soft-top convertible sports car, and the chances of it being stolen are red hot! So, even if you live
out in the countryside with no one else around for miles, you will still be seen as driving an extremely high risk car when it comes to car theft. With increased risk, comes an increased premium!

Accidents

Insurance companies are not charities – they’re in the business to make money. As such, they keep vast amounts of data and part of that data tells them that if you drive a sports car there is an increased risk you’ll be in an accident and that the accident will be more serious (and costly) than if you were driving a regular car. As such, the premium charge is going to be higher.

Under 30?

Unless you have just won the Lottery, if you are under 30 there are no appealing factors when it comes to insuring a sports car. Not only do the insurance company see the car you drive as being a high risk car to insure, but you as the driver are far more risky to insure as well. Consequently, car insurance premiums for those 30 years of age or under, driving sports cars, is probably the highest of all types of car insurance available in the UK today.

About the Author:

Joseph Kenny writes for the Loans Store and offer more information on personal loans and other loan topics available on site.

Visit today: http://www.ukpersonalloanstore.co.uk/

By Joseph Kenny Source: www.isnare.com

High Performing Auto Parts For The World’s Best Selling Sports Car – The Mazda Miata 2006

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:05:19 +0000

A risky venture in 1989 yet the shrewdest move for Mazda, this little Japanese roadster eventually chalked up 700,000 sales worldwide as it capped the Guinness Book of World Records world”s best-selling sports car. Mazda is now looking toward the 1 million mark with the third-generation, 2006 MX-5.

The 2006 Miata will make its debut in Canada this August, It will be called the MX-5 Miata for a year or two, but Canadians and Americans can look for the Miata name to disappear after that, unifying the vehicle as an MX-5 worldwide.

It will be wider and more muscular in appearance with a prominent front and rear fender
arches that recall the same style on the flashy RX-8; a more smoothly tapered nose and tail; the inboard placement of the headlights and taillights; and a particularly appealing revised grille.

The body structure is now 47 per cent more rigid, and has a lower center of gravity that should enhance handling. One unusual feature of the ”06 Miata is the convertible roof,
which, is a manually raised and lowered metal top. A stiffer unibody structure serves as the chassis foundation, with a double-wishbone suspension in front and multilink system in the rear. Larger front-brake rotors and 25-percent-stiffer calipers help extract optimal stopping distances from the four-wheel single-piston-caliper disc system.

Power is enhanced with its new 2.0-litre engine rated at around 160 hp and balance will be improved by moving the engine 135 mm rearward to create 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution.

A newly developed six-speed manual transmission will be available, along with
the standard five-speed manual. An available six-speed automatic transmission can be manually controlled by the shift lever and by steering wheel-mounted paddles.
For all of these technological wonders from Mazda, Partstrain offers the most
impressive line up of Mazda Miata Performance and Replacement Parts. Suspension, spoilers, front and rear fenders, tailgate, hoods, hubcaps, electrical parts, engine parts and many others are the best in the industry.

About the Author: Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.
These heavy duty and highly reliable parts are available at http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/MAZDA Online shopping for Partstrain”s top of the line Mazda Miata Parts reduces high maintenance cost for your vehicle.

By Jenny McLane

Source: www.isnare.com

Jaguar E-Type – Favorite Feline Of The Sports-Car World

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:57:54 +0000

It was pure lust on wheels. Jaguar”s voluptuous E-type had car enthusiasts” tongues hanging down to their knees when it was introduced. And to this day the car commands head-spinning attention whenever it makes the scene.

First conceived in 1956, the E-Type was originally intended as a replacement for the Coventry, England firm”s mighty D-Type endurance racers. Jaguar quit racing shortly after the E-Type”s development began, but work on the car continued nonetheless, culminating in a production road-going version introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March, 1961.
Offered as a two-seat coupe or convertible, it was an immediate hit.

Among the car”s revolutionary features was independent rear suspension, a first for Jaguar, at a time when almost all streetable sports cars still used a more primitive solid-axle setup. But the E-Type”s most compelling claim at the time was its speed. The car’s smooth aerodynamics and 265-hp 3.8-liter inline six allowed it a top speed of 150 mph – strictly the domain of race cars and ultra-pricey exotics back then. Although not cheap, the E-Type offered such thrills for far less money than similar-performing machines.

To ensure the E-Type’s continuing sales appeal, Jaguar gave the car a succession of changes over the years. The 3.8-liter six was replaced for 1965 by a 4.2-liter version that had more torque. The following year, a 2+2 bodystyle was introduced. In 1971, Jaguar launched the final iteration of the E-Type, powered by a 314-hp 5.3-liter V12. The last of the 72,507 E-Types left the plant in early 1975.

Today, experts invariably list the E-Type as one of the world’s most beautiful cars. Combine that appealing design with the car”s pleasing road manners and sporty smooth exhaust purr, and you’ve got one of the finest
sensory delights known to man.

About the Author:

David Bellm is a seasoned automotive writer and historian. His work has been featured in a wide variety of online and print publications.

For more articles on vintage sports cars, along with drive-test articles on today’s hottest performance cars, go to http://www.autiv.com/
By David Bellm

Source: www.isnare.com

Welcome to KitCarStyle.com!

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 22:40:33 +0000

Welcome to KitCarStyle.com This site presents news and info about many popular Kit car marques. We find kit cars, in particular roadster marques exciting – to drive and even to just look at. There are sections of this website devoted … Continue reading →

Super Exotic Sports Cars – What You Should Know, Before Spending Any Money!

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:00:34 +0000

Before we start, let”s define the term ”super exotic sports cars”. Sports cars, by definition are borderline racing cars; boasting powerful performance and sleek looks. Their prestige makes them expensive, and thus the domain of a select few. With reference to sports cars, the term “exotic” refers to vehicles produced in very limited numbers. This of course increases their exclusivity and by virtue of this, their value. Exotic sports cars will, in all likelihood, be built by smaller manufacturers or perhaps the super high-end vehicles will be created by some of the better-known car companies outside of the United States, as exclusive models.
Many exotic sports cars are the stuff of legend.The world’s fastest car, the McLaren F1, for instance is a well-known exotic. Although only around one hundred F1s were produced and the manufacturer is not a household name (outside of the Grand Prix circuits of course), the McLarens are coveted sports cars. All exotic sports cars are highly sought after and, as status symbols, are second to none in the sports car world.
But, assuming that you can afford it, is an exotic sports car for you?
It is easy to be seduced by the allure of owning an exotic sports car. Owning one can be very tempting. Amongst the purists, the cars themselves are often considered the pinnacle of design. Any enthusiast who has the means will tell you that when an opportunity to invest in an exotic sports car presents itself, resistance can be very difficult.

One should try and be objective about the proposition though. Before making such a major commitment, there are three factors you should consider.

Exotic Sports Cars Are Very Expensive
The cost of owning such a prestigious car, does not end when you part with the initial payment. Even if one can afford the initial asking price of an exotic (and not many can), one needs to be aware of the likely ongoing running expenses , which can be significant. The maintenance and repair of an exotic car is certain to be expensive compared to non-exotic vehicles and a buyer should attempt to discover what kind of costs he or she is likely to experience in order to keep the car in running order. There can be no cost cutting on parts for these high end vehicles.

Parts for prestige cars are likely to be in short supply, if they are available at all. The likelihood that the owners of exotic sports cars will need to have some parts custom made during their ownership of the vehicle is quite high. And the cost will be significant. This is especially true of older exotics, many of which will have been orphaned when their original manufacturer stopped making cars. Not only will this prove extremely expensive, one can also expect it to be time consuming as well. And, as time passes, the necessary investment will only become greater.

Your usual mechanic cannot be expected to be able to repair exotic sports cars. You will need specialized mechanics with specialized tools to be able to ensure that appropriate and professional repairs are carried out. Not only will such individuals be, in all probability much more expensive than your usual mechanics, you would be very fortunate if you found one in your town. You should expect to have to do a lot of traveling in order to find suitable mechanical help.

All too often a sports car buff will purchase an exotic, without though to the ongoing costs, and, as a consequence be completely unprepared to handle additional future expenses. A thorough planning of expected costs and the means to meet those costs would certainly be in order.

Reliability Of High End Vehicles
Even though an exotic sports car may represent the ultimate in performance, One cannot assume that it will also be reliable. This will hold particularly true for the older ”classic” exotic cars. As with any high performance machine, exotic sports cars can be quite delicate (temperamental) which will, in all probability, require that you, or someone close to you be regularly on hand to make the adjustments to ensure that the vehicle stays in operating order. Exotic sports cars are well known for the spectacular side of their performance when they running well. However, the other side of the coin is that they are notorious for being among the most temperamental of vehicles that one may encounter.

If you plan to run an exotic sports car on a regular basis, you should be prepared for the highs and los of motoring. The sublime feeling of driving a top car with top performance can often be forgotten if the same car stops and refuses to start many miles from any assistance.

The Drivability of Exotic Cars
Most owners of high performance cars will tell you that such vehicles take ”some getting used too”. Optimum performance comes at a price, and will depend very largely on the skill of the driver. So, if you are relatively inexperienced, then please do not expect to get the best out of your car straight away. This in itself could prove too frustrating for many potentials owners. One should also take into account the relative risk of driving a high performance cars whilst still inexperienced.
For those to whom the additional cost of time in learning to drive a prestige car optimally and safely is not an issue, an additional, problem arises in the adjustment of seats and pedals for example. Small things that are irrelevant in normal cars take on much greater significance when applied to exotic sports cars.
When considering the purchase of an exotic sports car, one must look past the romance and excitement of owning a legendary vehicle. There are real concerns and obstacles to be overcome before the full enjoyment and benefit of owning such a car can be achieved.

About the Author:

The article was written by Charlie Cory, who is the owner of Autos Inclusive. Autos Inclusive provides up to date news on all aspects of automobiles and motoring in general. http://www.autos-inclusive.com/exotic_sports_cars.html

Source: www.isnare.com