3 ultimate japanese automakers

:
Japan has been producing automobiles for almost as long as America, to the surprise of some. As the American automobile industry has changed, so has Japan’s. To this day, however, Japan still has the highest concentration of automakers of any country on earth: nine to be exact. Three, however, are real standouts producing not only high quality vehicles but reaching well beyond Japan to all corners of the planet. Let’s take a look at the top three and how they are impacting the North American market.

Toyota – As the largest of all Japanese automakers, Toyota ranks only second to General Motors in global production. Toyota vehicles were first introduced to the North American market in the 1960s and were, at the time, widely panned by critics as being too small and inferior in quality. By the late 1970s, Toyota quality levels began to exceed the industry standard. Today, some consider Toyota the benchmark by which all car lines are judged; the company’s Lexus line of luxury vehicles and Scion brand of youth oriented vehicles are also leaders in their respective classes.

Honda – The only thing Honda lacks versus Toyota is size. Still, when you compare Honda vehicles with comparable Toyota models, Honda holds its own. The first Honda, a Civic, was introduced to the North American market in 1971 and was soon followed by the Accord as well as the Prelude. Routinely, the Accord battles Toyota’s Camry for the top spot in U. S. car sales year in and year out, while the Honda Odyssey battles the Toyota Sienna for the highest quality minivan [Chrysler’s minivans still are the best sellers]. Acura is Honda’s luxury car division which has also competed successfully with Toyota’s Lexus line up.

Nissan – Toyota and Honda are the only two fully independent Japanese automakers left in the world today as Nissan has since ceded control to Renault, France’s largest automaker. The first Nissans to hit the North American market did so in the 1960s under the Datsun model name. By the early 1980s the Datsun name was jettisoned in favor of Nissan and today the Nissan name is equated with some of the highest quality cars on the road. In the late 1980s Nissan launched the Infiniti division, a maker of luxurious cars that routinely battles with the likes of BMW, Lexus, Acura, Cadillac, and Mercedes as a top provider of opulent vehicles.

So, there you have it. Three top Japanese brands that have made a name for themselves. You may not own a Toyota, a Honda, or a Nissan, but you have to give credit where credit is due: all three automakers are proven leaders in a highly competitive and every changing industry.

Car dealers

Automobile dealers are the bridge between automobile manufacturers and consumers. Car dealers are primarily engaged in retailing new cars, sport utility vehicles, passenger cars and cargo vans. New car dealers employ 9 out of 10 workers in the automobile industry. Along with vehicle sales, car dealers provide and perform other activities such as repair services, selling used cars and selling replacement parts and accessories. Large dealers are a one-stop shop for customers who wish to buy, finance, and service their vehicle. Used car dealers specialize in used vehicle sales and account for 1 out of 10 jobs in the industry.

Sales of new cars, trucks, and vans tend to depend upon changing consumer tastes and the price of fuel. The popularity of the manufacturer’s vehicle model and the intensity of competition with other dealers play a vital role in the sale of a car. Consumers are also highly sensitive to the cost of financing. Automotive dealers are more likely to offer generous incentives, rebates, and financing deals during sluggish periods to maintain high sales volumes and to reduce stocks.

According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, new vehicle sales account for more than half of the total sales proceeds at contracted new car and new truck dealers. These sales generate additional revenue in other departments of the dealerships. By putting new vehicles on the road, dealers count on after-market additions, repairs, and service for added revenue.

Leasing a car or truck is one financing option for consumers. Leasing services have grown in recent years to accommodate changing consumer-purchasing behavior. As vehicles have become more expensive, growing numbers of consumers are unable or reluctant to make a long-term investment in a new car or truck purchase. Car dealers are a key resource for manufacturers who use them to establish brands and motivate customers to purchase their automobiles.

Honda bumpers prove to be great

Most people do not realise how effective your Honda bumper can be. And you probably do not even think twice about them. However it would be beneficial to you if knew how great they were. Why? So that you can appreciate them more. You might think they do not have much of a purpose, but you are wrong my friend. The Honda bumper provides you with a lot more than you think.

Honda bumpers are shock absorbers. If and when you ever have any kind of accident, collision or crash, they can help save your life. You may not think they are an important part of the vehicle, but they are. They can decrease the amount of damage to your car during an accident. The bumpers shield the front and rear areas of your vehicle. And as great and interesting as that sounds, your bumpers are not actually considered safety devices. How weird is that?

The Honda bumpers are manufactured in many types of materials. Some of these materials include aluminum, steel, plastic and rubber. Don’t forget you can always have custom built bumpers if that is what you wish. Having your Honda painted, designed and what not can drastically change the look of your car. Whatever you desire can be yours. So you can be styling and be more safe at the same time.

If you want to purchase some bumpers you can always check out Auto Parts Online. They have many parts and products for every thing your Honda needs. They can even give you great deals on the bumpers and any of your future purchases. So go check them out, they can save you bundles. And they will help keep you safe at the same time. Who ever knew that something like bumpers could do all that?

Chemically improving your gas mileage in your car

What if you could actually improve your gas mileage significantly (5-20%)? Not have to alter your driving habits? Not have to install any extra questionable parts on your car? What if it were as easy to do as 1-2-3?

Well, it is.

For years Big Oil has offered three or so different grades of gas octane 87 regular, 89-90 premium and 91-94 super. These grades are actually based upon a 100 octane scale where the cleanest burning, most ideal fuel was propane (clean burn fuel). But the scale never took into account arromatic petrol compounds and derivatives which can actually surpass the 100 octane mark, some as high as 115-130 octane.

So the object here is to get the engine running the cleanest burning fuel possible, leave less soot and deposits in the combustion chamber and on the valves, clean the injection system, or in older cars the carburetor, not hurt emmisions systems, not void our warranty, and, in the end, get increased gas mileage and increased engine life. Wow, thats a lot. It really isn't, though.

In recent tests it has been proven that arromatic petroleum distillates, alcohol (methyl alcohol), ether, acetone, and toluene can and will do all of these. That is to a point. If you make the fuel mixture too rich you can actually do the opposite. The ideal mixture found that was easiest to obtain and handle was 1-2 ounces of acetone per full tank (acetone can be found at your local hardware store or paint supply shop). This was tested on everything from 4-8 cylinder gas engines to big Cummings diesel engines. The range in increase of fuel efficincy was 5-20% and the average being 9%. It was found if you used 3 or more ounces per tank ful results were the same or worse than without the acetone - the mixture was too rich.

The effects of the acetone were then tested on the fuel line components themselves for resilience and it was found that unlike methyl alcohol (racing fuel) it did not have a caustic effect. Acetone will have a etching effect on paint, plastic headlight lenses, etc... Spills should be wiped up immediately.

So, to make the story short and get straight to the point, if you wanted to add an average of 9% fuel efficiency to your vehicle and do it for less than $.50 per fillup - its as easy as adding 1-2 ounces acetone per tankfull. Thats it - the only problems are Big Oil doesn't want you to know how to save on gas and you may still void you warranty as they now test for gas additives like acetone.

Also, one last note, acetone or any additive that makes your engine more efficient and burn cleaner is better for the environment - less emmissions.

Lune de miel en mer

Il est loin du temps du Titanic, avec sa carapace majestueuse, sa luxure, son confort, ses services а bord! Dйtrompez vous, les paquebots de croisiиres existants de nos jours ne font que reprendre l'idйe du Titanic, avec des matiиres plus simples mais d'avantage confortables et fiables. De plus, l'idйe des jeux dйjа prйsente а bord du Titanic a йtй reprise а bord de la majoritй des bateaux avec la mise en place de salles de casinos et leur fameuses tables de craps pour des parties pleines d'йmotions et s'amuser lorsque le bateau reste en mer.

Nul bateau ne peut vous кtre recommandй plus qu'un autre du fait que cela dйpend entiиrement de vos goыts, de vos attentes et de votre objectif, culturel ou romantique. La destination dйpendant йnormйment de vous, le bateau amarrй pour cette croisiиre l'est donc йgalement. Pour cela, les listes ne seraient кtre complиtes.

Les navires les plus connus sont les suivants:

1) Voyager of the seas:

Destination les Antilles. Ce paquebot est le plus grand au monde, et nous faisons grand usage de l'espace disponible. Vous y trouverez plus d'activitйs et d'expйriences que vous ne pouvez imaginer. Un mur d'escalade vous attend pour pouvoir pratiquer votre souplesse et votre rйflexion et dйcouvrir l'ocйan sus un angle nouveau. Au dйpart de Miami, des escales sont prйvues а Nassau, Saint Thomas, San Juan, Labadie, et deux journйes en mer avant un retour au lieu de dйpart. Dйcouvrez йgalement la fameuse patinoire oщ vous pourrez boire un bon chocolat. La vie nocturne y est йgalement de mise: les boutiques, les cafйs et autres animations du s'ouvrent а vous. Danser jusqu'au bout de la nuit au Jesters, une boоte de nuit entraоnante rйpartie sur deux йtages.

2) Jewel of the Seas:

Mis en service en mai 2004, le Jewel of the Seas est caractйrisйs par l'allure innovante des super yachts. Il possиde un design avancй avec ses grandes surfaces vitrйes dans les espaces publics et des ascenseurs de verre donnant sur l'ocйan. Au choix, voyagez sur ce paquebot autour des Caraпbes ou dйcouvrez l'Europe Transatlantique. Le "must" des Caraпbes vous attend aux escales de Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Georgetown, et en mer. Pour les amoureux de l'Europe, des escales inattendues vous permettront de dйcouvrir Oslo Copenhague et Hambourg sous un jour nouveau, ou encore, toute la Scandinavie, ses fjords et la Russie grвce а des visites а Harwich, Oslo, Copenhague, Stockholm, Helsinki, Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, et Tallinn.

3) Explorer of the Seas:

En route vers les Antilles. Ce paquebot, regroupant les caractйristiques du Voyager of The Seas, vous plongera dans un profond dйpaysement au choix, de la Floride au Bahamas, aux Caraпbes, au Mexique, ou encore au bermudes. Vous pourrez, le temps d'une escale, dйcouvrir aussi bien Fort Lauderdale, Labadie, Ocho Rios au Mexique, que Miami, Belize City, Costa Maya, Cozumel, et Georgetown pour dйcouvrir le charme des Caraпbes.

4) Monarch of the Seas:

De taille йquivalente а la Statue de la Libertй, ce paquebot vous offre la libertй de vous lever avec le soleil, la libertй de laisser les enfants en sйcuritй grвce au programme pour les enfants а bord. Ce paquebot vous laissera rкver au travers de ses croisiиres sensationnelles au Mexique. Dйcouvrez les villes de Los Angeles, San Diego, Ile Catalina, et Ensenada en cinq jours. Cinq jours de dйpaysement garantis.

Famous ford flops

:
American automakers sometimes take the brunt of the criticism for producing models that are ugly, useless, or even downright dangerous. Ford has had its share of beasts through the years in addition to several winners including the current Mustang for which demand cannot be met. For the fun of it let’s take a look at some of the Ford models that have been derided down through the years.

Model T – What?! How can the car that introduced mass production make the list? Well, the car was fine, but Mr. Henry Ford’s statement, “…you can have any color you want as long as it is black” has been attributed with the rise of General Motors [who gave its customers a choice in colors] which eventually dethroned Ford as the top automaker in the world. No, the Model T was fine, but Mr. Ford’s marketing strategy was not.

Edsel – In September 1957, Ford launched a new division – Edsel – and introduced to America one of the weirdest looking cars. Sporting a “horse-collar” shaped grille – some equated it with a toilet seat – the Edsel line was hyped by Ford and rejected by consumers wholeheartedly. Expecting to build 200,000 Edsels in its first year of production, only 63,000 were built. Other “radical” aspects of the Edsel included a “floating” speedometer that glowed upon reaching a particular speed and an awkward push button transmission with controls attached to the hub of the steering wheel. Even with a quick makeover completed in time for the next model year, the Edsel limped along only to be pulled one month after the third model year vehicles were released.

Pinto – Hey, even I owned one! With a 2.3L inline four cylinder paired with a 4 speed manny tranny, the Pinto was Ford’s answer during the 1970s to the onslaught of Japanese cars flooding the market. The compact rear wheel drive coupe, three door hatchback, or wagon sold fairly well until disaster hit: the revelation that the Pinto’s gas tank was capable of exploding during a rear impact scared buyers away. Mercifully pulled after the 1980 model year; replaced by the popular Escort.

Mustang II – Ford tarnished the Mustang name during the 1970s with this forgettable and ugly model. Resembling a bloated and stretched Pinto, the Mustang II was weak, poorly made, and a terrible competitor against its arch rival, the Camaro. All was forgiven by the early 1980s with the return of a newly designed Mustang. Today’s Mustang, on the other hand, is a sold-out success story as it took its styling cues from a Mustang of another era: the fastback cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Before you point your finger at Ford, don’t forget to recall some truly forgettable models, foreign and domestic. The Toyota Van was panned for its ugly styling and for having an engine that had to be dropped from the engine bay in order to do a tune up; the Chevy Vega – a Pinto wannabe; AMC’s Pacer – the Jetson’s car; the Suzuki Samurai and Isuzu Rodeo – flip over specialists; the Yugo – a thinly redone 1960s era Fiat; and countless other cars not worth the mention. You hope that automakers learn from their mistakes, but don’t count on it. Maybe in another generation we will see a truly forgettable Ford show up, but for now there isn’t one in the line up...hooray for that!