Racing series for Ferrari owners

Racing series for Ferrari owners
by JONATHAN BLOCKER

Ferrari cars are usually purchased for investment reasons. And while this is likely true, what is also true is that many people buy Ferrari because they love to drive a sports car fast, it cannot be denied. If this describes your relationship to your Ferrari, and if you have had some race training and experience, then you might be ready to participate in the North American Ferrari Challenge Series for non-professional racers who are Ferrari owners competing in Ferrari racing against each other.

Ferrari selects a different model vehicle to feature each year of the Ferrari series. For this year, F430 Challenge with a booming 479 hp is the car of choice. The rules stipulate that the drivers compete for fun and in a sense of "fair play." It is not a jumping-off point for the aspiring race car driver; instead, it is an end unto itself. The Ferrari Challenge Series is sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association.

The series will also be host to the Ferrari Shell Historic Challenge. Vintage Ferrari racing is the hook that draws avid fans to the track to see these lovely vehicles. These races are open to unmodified Ferraris as well as race Maseratis built before the 1980s. They are also open to vintage Alfa Romeos that team Scuderia Ferrari raced during the pre-World War II years.

Several of the races in the series will also showcase Formula One vehicles under private ownership and the FXX, a special 800 horsepower prototype. On the same weekends of the Challenge series, Ferrari owners can participate in Ferrari Driving Clinics. Expert instruction is available to help you get the most out of your sports car, and you will spend time in workshops along with time behind the wheel of your Ferrari, with instructors providing tips to help improve your skills and get the most out of your vehicle.

These Challenge races for Ferrari owners are held all over North America. Florida, Virginia, California, and Montreal will provide race tracks that will host the events. They included the Homestead-Miami Speedway, the Infineon Raceway, the Virginia International Raceway, and Le Circuit earlier this season. Upcoming races will be held at the California Speedway and Laguna Seca in August. The Challenge series culminates in a World Finals, to be held in Italy in October. The best owners from Italy, Europe and North America bring their Ferraris together to compete for the glory of becoming the overall champion of all the series.

The North American Ferrari Challenge Series is open to the public, and they are allowed to visit the paddock area to look at all of the assembled Ferraris and take pictures.

Audi To Launch The Cleanest Diesel Technology

Audi To Launch The Cleanest Diesel Technology
by ANTHONY FONTANELLE

Audi AG will be launching the cleanest diesel technology in the industry. The Ingolstadt, Bavaria-based automaker will be putting the technology into series production from mid-2008.

The new TDI engines boast of ultra-low emission system that harmonizes superior pulling power and spontaneous performance of the current power units. As a result, unbeatably low emissions and superb fuel consumption figures are reached. The engines are designed to undercut the most stringent emissions standards that are to be enforced in Europe at some future time.

The latest TDI engines sees Audi reaffirm its headship claim in the arena of ultra-sophisticated diesel technology. As a fact, when the automaker started up a series of productions of the first passenger-car TDI engine in 1989, it etched a pivotal milestone in auto advancement.

The German auto manufacturer is determined to congeal its role in the industry as the pioneer of cutting-edge technology. To stress, Audi complied with the Euro 4 standard and the upcoming Euro 5 emissions limits years in advance. Eventually, Audi car parts have established a reputation for quality, performance, and style.

As for the automaker, the trendsetting TDI engine is a core element of its integrated technology strategy. “We intend to consolidate the status of the TDI as a highly efficient form of propulsion on a sustained basis. And in future we will be launching ‘e’ model variants designed for optimized fuel consumption in the high-volume model series – either in TDI guise or as petrol models with state-of-the-art TFSI technology,” said Rupert Stadler, the chairman of the Audi board of management.

“Audi is a trailblazer when it comes to diesel power. Since 1989, over 4.5 million cars have rolled off the production line with the highly efficient TDI technology under the bonnet. By equipping the R10 TDI sports prototype with this technology, we have just won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a diesel-powered car for the second time,” noted Michael Dick, a board member for technical development at Audi.

“The Audi R8 racing cars with TFSI petrol direct injection took victory on five occasions at Le Mans. We have been incorporating the key findings from the world of motorsport directly into series-production development,” he added. “By so doing, we are demonstrating how TDI and TFSI represent the ultimate in efficiency, driving pleasure and economy both on the road and on the racetrack.”

Currently, diesel fuel is the most commended in motoring. This is because the fuel delivers better driveability and mileage with less emission. It packs around 15 percent more energy per liter than petrol but it also comes at a cost of 15 percent more greenhouse emissions, reported Bangkok Post. However, with a 20 to 40 percent better mileage in a modern diesel engine offsetting the emission, you get less CO2 per distance traveled, the report continued.

In motorsport, diesel application has already come a long way. But the most remarkable success came in 1998 when BMW won the 24 Hours of Nurburgring with a 320d. More recently in WTCC, diesel-powered Seat Leon landed eighth place outright on its launch in Sweden. But the most famed success is the 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning Audi R10 TDI last year. The notable success was repeated this year.

Experts say diesel may find its niche in future WRC. According to them, the new generation Subaru Impreza with its first in-house diesel boxer unit may become one of the first contenders. In this weekend's WRC Rally Germany, four entries are diesel-powered BMW, Seat and Volkswagen. But before it reaches stardom in the auto industry, diesel has to overcome some hurdles.

General Motors Making A Comeback In Europe

General Motors Making A Comeback In Europe
by ANTHONY FONTANELLE

For years, Detroit automaker General Motors has incurred billions in losses. This is true not only in the United States but also in the European auto circle. Businessweek reported that the European arm of the Detroit automaker has lost over $4 billion in six years starting in 2000. But while the company has seen its market share dwindle, the second quarter profit that the company posted recently is a sign that the automaker is moving in the right direction as directed by their turnaround plan.

The company posted a profitable second quarter even with its sales in the United States auto market continue to be lower than their sales output last year. This trend has been going on for the better part of the decade. But outside the United States, General Motors is showing resurgence. In Canada, auto sales for the company continue to increase. The automaker though received the biggest boost in terms of sales from General Motors Europe.

New models from its German marque Opel has been received favorably by European car buyers. The Opel Corsa is one of the German automakers’ more popular nameplates. Apart from the Corsa, European auto buyers have also shown great interest in the Opel Antara - the nameplate maybe familiar to Americans as the Antara is where the design of the redesigned Saturn Vue came from. The Opel Astra is also a popular car in the continent. A rebadged version of this will come to the United States this fall as the Saturn Astra.

Opel, being a German automaker, can be expected to release vehicles that will suit the taste of European auto buyers. This, of course, translates to higher sales for the automaker. But Opel is not the only General Motors marque to have shown better sales performance in Europe. The Businessweek reported that the marque posted an increase of 34 percent in sales for the second quarter of the year. These two marques are playing key roles in expanding the reach of General Motors outside of North America.

While the second quarter profit for General Motors is indeed good news for the company, the issue being raised now is whether General Motors can continue their good performance. Auto industry analysts are saying that the automaker needs to keep coming up with vehicles such as the Astra, Antara, and Corsa to complement the existing lineup. With the market share of the company dwindling in the United States, it can also offer more European cars in its home market.

Unfortunately for General Motors, the twinning project that they have done with Saturn and Opel only works one way, or so it seems. Saturn is benefiting from its partnership with Opel. The redesigned lineup of the American marque as well as the improved auto parts such as Saturn timing chain and other powertrain parts have made it one of the fastest growing brands in the United States.

The reason for this is that more and more American auto buyers are being attracted by the European styling on the new Saturn auto models. Opel, on the other hand, will not produce American designed cars in Europe. But Saturn is helping Opel in another way by sharing the cost of developing platforms. This platform sharing relationship of the two General Motors marque has lead to cutting down costs for both of them. Lowering the cost of developing new models is also a key in the profitable second quarter of the automaker.

In order to continue what they have apparently started, General Motors need to come up with a good plan concerning the diversity of their marques’ lineup.

Issues concerning insuring a Ferrari

Issues concerning insuring a Ferrari
by JONATHAN BLOCKER

Ferraris are beautiful luxury machines that can make a great addition to your investment portfolio. Considered by vehicle connoisseurs as art on wheels, owning a used or new Ferrari puts you in an elite group of car enthusiasts. After making a large investment in one of the Ferraris For Sale, you will want to take the necessary steps to protect your expenditure; heading the list will be to procure appropriate Ferrari insurance.

How you will use the car is one factor that will come into play when you are purchasing auto insurance. A car that is used as a show piece and is rarely driven will demand a different rate from one that is taken out and driven on the open road. Some insurers also have requirements for garaging vehicles when they are not in use. Another aspect to consider is the age and gender of the driver. Insurance is based on risk and indemnity, and if you are in what the insurance company decides is a high-risk group, this will cause your rate to increase. For example, an experienced male driver with a clean driving record wishing to insure a $100,000 Ferrari with full coverage might expect an insurance premium in the $5,000 range. An older female driver with a similar record, experience and vehicle would typically pay less for the same coverage, because in general women drivers carry less of a risk to the insurer than do male drivers. The amount of experience a driver has, plus his or her driving record, will also factor into the insurance premium an insurer will offer you. The rarity of the particular Ferrari that you own will also play a part in the insurance costs incurred.

You might want to think about insuring your vehicle with an insurance company that specializes in collectible cars. In this way you will be dealing with agents that are experienced with auto insurance issues specific to Ferraris and other classic road vehicles, and they can offer you the specialized service that you will need. If you are a collector of rare or classic cars, you can often get a discount by insuring more than one vehicle with the same insurance company, so this is something for which you will need to inquire.

Belonging to an auto club for Ferrari owners can also provide a way to lower your insurance costs. Auto clubs can often offer discounts to their members because they are able to buy insurance coverage in bulk, essentially, and this helps drive the prices down, for the members' advantage. Discounts on insurance are also sometimes given to auto club members because they tend to be safe drivers that take excellent care of their prized vehicles.

Jonathon Blocker has worked with many well known Ferrari Dealers. As a Ferrari aficionado who is intimate with the history and variety of Ferraris, Mr. Blocker enjoys sharing his expertise on the family of Ferrari Cars, both new and collectible.

Coolness and Security- The only way that rocks

Coolness and Security- The only way that rocks
by TIM SAUNIER

I am 21 years old and live in San Diego. Everything could be so great. The weather is hot, the beaches are great and the girls are pretty nice. But there is just one problem, I need a hot car to get the attention of the chicks. Ok, the hot car is not the real problem. I have a BMW Z4. But the dents and scratches are hurting my chanceswith the ladies. I am not sure why, but the girls I do meet are not ok with a beat-up BMW; It's killing my chances. I thought girls liked dirty and venturesome guys like Bruce Willis and James Dean. But to be honest, my car is not Bruce Willis and I am not Demi Moore, who is responsible for the scars, if you know, what I mean. It has to be clean, pure and unique.
It is not cool to have scratches on the car. And there is the second problem:
How can I avoid the scratches and look cool. In summary, for 5 years I have been searching for the ultimate way to solve this dilemna. I am not willing to spend 15,000 bucks for my BMW without earning all the glory, prestige and, last but not least, the hot girls. As I told you, there are the hottest girls in my town and I shouldn't be the only one who has to flirt with Rosanne. No way!! But now I have the impression that everything will change. One week ago I saw a Car Bra which was really cool. It is a Colgan Carbon Fiber Finish Original and features a trendy woven pattern exterior for high-tech modern looks. I think it is the ultimate way to look really cool and avoid all the scratches. Of course I bought one and a few minutes later I wanted to go to a barber shop. Why? Remember! I had to search for an opportunity to save my car. There was no time for taking care of myself. I know that you could think now that this was the reason for my unsuccessful flirting with the girls. No way! As a guy it is cool to be dirty. Now I have the perfect combination. I look as cool as Bruce Willis and my car is well-tended like Demi Moore. I hope Ashton Kutcher will accept this reunion.

I ended up buying the Colgan Carbon Fiber Finish Original Car Bra.
- Tim Saunier

EGR valve: Key to smog-free Saturn ride

EGR valve: Key to smog-free Saturn ride

by ANTHONY FONTANELLE

The exhaust system of the Saturn engine is typically optimized for emission reduction. From the manifold of the Saturn exhaust system, a valve-controlled network of pipes called exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system connects to the inlet manifold and recirculates portions of the fumes that are going to be emitted. These gas are rerouted to the combustion chamber where the air and fuel mixture of the burn materials are held up and burned. Using the heat of the recirculated gas, the Saturn EGR valve enables the air and fuel mixture to burn easily. The process helps the engine burn the fuel and facilitates engine operation. With less work on the engine during combustion, the Saturn EGR valve lowers the amount of noxious gas produced in the burning of the fuel.

In normal Saturn engine combustion, the nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the air combine with the hydrocarbons in the fuel to form water and carbon dioxide, while leaving its nitrogen component unchanged. When they are released into the atmosphere via the Saturn tailpipe, the nitrogen reacts with the other two combustion byproducts and forms nitrogen oxide. The compound then picks up another oxygen and becomes nitrogen dioxide. In the presence of sunlight, it combines with other compounds like hydrocarbons and forms the noxious smog. By recirculating these exhaust materials into the intake manifold of the Saturn, the burn mixtures produce less materials that can turn into smog.

A Saturn EGR valve uses either the vacuum from the induction system or a signal from the computer to open the pipe network on the manifold and allow exhaust gas to reenter the burn fuel chamber. The valve is operationally opened by the vacuum to its control diaphragm. Some also require a certain amount of exhaust backpressure before they open. On newer Saturn makes, the EGR valve is electronically operated and uses one or more solenoids or a small stepper motor. The Saturn EGR valve remains open when the engine is warm and maintaining a constant speed. During exhaust emission, the valve closes the pipes to allow a metered amount of exhaust to flow back into the engine. The recirculated gas, which is hotter than the intake air, optimizes the fuel materials to lessen the combustion work of the engine, reducing underhood temperatures and curbing the formation of nitrogen oxides.