Fast Cars - The American Muscle

n the 1960s there was a class of cars introduced to the world known as muscle cars. These cars were sleek and sporty and contained a powerful engine. Most of these cars boasted a V8 engine which was geared for speed. As these cars were produced the manufacturers were in stiff competition with each other. As each manufacturer tried to out do the other, we were led into an era of some of the fastest cars of our time. With no thought to gas and fuel efficiency, Americans seemed to be having the time of their lives. Their cars were fast and eye-catching, both on the road and on the race track. Racing stripes and flashy decals made a statement about both the car and the driver. It seemed the flashier the car the more desirable.

At a time when the luxury automobile was the king of the road for the married set, the younger crowd wanted something smaller, faster, and sportier. The Shelby Mustang and the 440 Roadrunner are two of the fast cars which were built to satisfy the desire for high performance and speed. There were many more fast cars to come. Camaros, Chargers, GTOs, and Firebirds all tried to pack as much punch under the hood as was possible. Corvettes offered speed and sleek style, but they also had a high price tag. Most of the other high performance cars offered a price that was affordable to the average working class people.

The Fuel Effect

During the 1960s and 70s auto manufacturers were riding high on a wave of speed and performance. Then we entered an era where we were told gas was in short supply and we were destroying the ozone with our extravagant auto emissions. We reluctantly let go of our fast and sporty cars and took to the streets with a V6 and even a V4. Gas mileage and cheaper insurance costs forced the fast cars onto the race track and off the roadways.

The desire for speed will be with us always. We will probably never again see a time when speed and high performance engines are sold for the every day street car but we can get a glimpse of these cars at the raceway or at vintage car shows. The baby boomers were around to see these cars at their inception and they still carry a torch for them today. Many will spend a small fortune to restore one of these original fast cars back to their former splendor.

The Mercedes Benz GL-Class

The Mercedes Benz GL-Class cannot be compared to any other make on the market. It is only fair to compare the Mercedes Benz GL320 to its other version the Mercedes Benz GL450. Both of these models fall in the light truck category and offer seating capacity for 7 passengers. Their pricing is also similar but the Mercedes Benz GL450 gives you more power for your money. The Mercedes Benz GL320 CDI SUV is equipped with a 3.0-liter 24-valve V6 diesel engine that outputs 215hp at 3,800rpm while the Mercedes Benz GL450 SUV comes equipped with a 4.6-liter 32-valve V8 engine that outputs 335hp at 6,000rpm. The difference is quite noticeable when gas mileage is taking into consideration. The Mercedes Benz GL320 gives consumers 20mpg in city driving and 25mpg of highway driving while the Mercedes Benz GL450 allows drivers only 15mpg of city driving and 19mpg of highway driving. With gas prices increasing everyday, gas mileage can make all the difference in your decision making process.

Mercedes Benz has been well known for providing consumers with the best technology available in all of their models and luxury has never been more important. The Mercedes Benz GL-Class is proof that SUVs can be functional as well as extravagant. The Mercedes Benz GL320 and GL450 offer drivers and passengers a luxurious space with identical interior features that include full leather seating surfaces with heated front seats, second row split folding bench seats for ultimate cargo capacity, genuine Brown Birdseye Maple wood trim located on center floor console and doors, electronic trunk closer with a fully automatic power lift-gate, retractable cargo area cover, cruise control, and privacy tinted glass on side and rear windows. These and many more luxury features place these two models on the top 10 SUV list time and time again.

Identical safety features have also been included in the Mercedes Benz GL320 and Mercedes Benz GL450 beginning with the anti-theft alarm system that includes alarm, anti-lift sensor, interior monitoring and engine immobilizer and just in case your vehicle does get stolen, these models also include a tele-aid vehicle theft tracking system that can locate your vehicle immediately. The side guard door beams were designed and crumple zones were designed to keep you and your passengers safe should either of these two models be involved in an accident.

For your peace of mind, Mercedes Benz also included one of the best limited warranty packages in existence today. Your Mercedes Benz GL320 or Mercedes Benz GL450 will be covered for 48 months up to 50,000 which ever comes first. Both of these models will also come with 24-hour roadside assistance which continues throughout the life of the vehicle regardless of mileage or ownership transfer.

The Mercedes Benz GL-Class and its amazing GL320 CDI SUV or the GL450 SUV has taken the industry by storm. Every detail and addition on these two models was engineered with the utmost function and comfort for the consumer. No expense was spared including the diesel engine of the Mercedes Benz GL320 CDI which is way ahead of the competition in technology and efficiency. Test drive one today and experience the quality and care Mercedes Benz is proud to offer buyers of today and tomorrow.

Copyright 2007 - All rights reserved by Dana Stephens.

Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright, and ALL links remain intact and active.

Dana Stephens is a freelance writer for several online publications and websites. For more auto reviews, tips, and special financing information on the the Mercedes GL320 and GL450 or other Mercedes luxury vehicles please visit our website today.

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exotic cars

They are flashy. They are fast. And they are very, very expensive. They are the exotic sports cars, the ultimate icons of speed, style and money. Exotic sports cars are built using cutting-edge technology and designed from a purely aesthetic point of view. Hence, they often ignore considerations of fuel economy and practicality in regards to storage, seating and their design and operations. As a result, they are either made-to-order, or manufactured in limited editions, sparing no costs. Only a select few can afford these exotic cars.

These T-Rexes of the motoring world can boast of engines that run on massive outputs of power, anywhere from 500 to 660 horsepower. Ferrari’s Enzo, its latest limited-edition offering, tempts the sports-car lover with its promise of Formula 1 experience. With acceleration from 0 to 60 in as little as 4-5 seconds, these exotic cars are in a league of their own in terms of pure power and performance. Plush interiors and exclusive accessories make these cars sought after by car collectors all over the world.

While exotic cars are at the very pinnacle of the auto aristocracy, they should only be bought after careful consideration. These supercars not only burn a hole in your pocket when you buy them, they are equally expensive to maintain, requiring specially trained mechanics for repairs, custom-ordered spare parts and gallons of fuel for optimum performance. They are delicate, and can be troublesome when the smallest part malfunctions. These beauties must be handled with extra care, as their tremendous power can go wrong in the hands of an inexperienced driver.

Nevertheless, they are the stuff that car legends are made of. The exotic car brands that have become legends over time have included Italian manufacturers like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Maserati; German companies like Porsche and Mercedes-Benz; the English carmaker Bentley, and American stars like Ford, Aston Martin and Dodge.

Sports Cars provides detailed information on Sports Cars, Exotic Sports Cars, Classic Sports Cars, Sports Cars for Sale and more. Sports Cars is affiliated with SUV Vans

Ferrari

Ferrari, just the name gets me excited! Drawing Ferraris is something I have done since many years back and I never get tired of it. For me drawing a Ferrari is like physically experiencing the car as if it was right there in front of me. I learn more about the lines of the car and see lines that I would normally not notice when just seeing a picture of a Ferrari.

My favorite Ferrari to draw is probably the Enzo or the 250 GTO, both very different cars from different eras. Doing a Ferrari Enzo drawing is always exciting, because this car is so extreme and looks like no other. And because of the sharp edges it makes it a very challenging car to draw. While a Ferrari 250 GTO drawing is very hard to draw correctly because of the beautiful curves this car has. Then again the reward of pulling it off is totally worth the frustrating hours getting those lines right! A Ferrari F40 drawing is also very special to do, this car is so raw and its always a challenge to get that rawness to come alive in the drawing.

My best advise on how to improve your car drawings is simply to spend more time on them. For example if you are not fully satisfied with the front lights, don’t just continue with the drawing and hoping that the lights will get better by some magical touch! No, look at the lights and don’t give up on them until you are fully satisfied with them, then move on to the next part of the car drawing.

If you love Ferrari you should get your favorite pencil and sit down with a clean sheet of paper and just relax and start sketching your favorite Ferrari. Don’t give up to quickly, just focus on the general shape of the outward lines of the car and you will soon see how the sketch is becoming better. Remember patience is the key to success when drawing a Ferrari.

Lukas Niklasson is the associated editor to the website http://www.autodrawings.net. It is a website that focus on car drawings of all sorts. It get updated regurarly with new drawings and interesting information regarding car artwork.

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Porsche 911 gt3

Hey I found you a new car that I think you might really like there. The new 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is here and it is unbelievably fast. The street version is the Type 997 and yes you want one. Two famous Porsche race teams are buying one to run in this years Le Mans Series in America.

Apparently, the competition is already worried about it all. The competition has also come out with some fast racecars and now Porsche is responding with a major channel check and raising the stakes. Porsche looks to school Ferrari this year and a few others as well on the track and this very much pleases Porsche owners World Wide.

Porsche’s new car has made the test of time with 12 hours at Sebring and one 24-hour session at another track. The 911 Street Version is very similar in design to the Carrera 4 but has wider rear fenders and sits lower to the ground. The wheels are two-inches wider for even better stability and with a little extra weight this helps the car sit nicely into its center of gravity.

The aerodynamic body is just about 6.5% more efficient and the ride is about 11% more stiff, but the handling is a noticeable difference. So, I thought you might like one in midnight blue or bright yellow. Meanwhile lets see how the race version does this year at 24-hour Daytona and 24 hours at Le Mans this coming season?

BMW 335i

NEW ORLEANS - It's hard to imagine a better way to welcome spring than a long road trip in BMW's sleek and powerful new 335i hardtop convertible. Unless you happen to be in the rear seat.

Despite their beauty and luxury, BMWs are not about the passengers. They're about driving fast and well, as the 335i reminded me every minute of a two-week trip that carried me from late winter in Michigan through Appalachian thunderstorms and into a fragrant spring in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Prices for BMW's new 3-Series convertible start at $43,200 for a 328i powered by a 230-horsepower, 3.0-liter straight-six engine. The 335i features a 300-horsepower twin-turbocharged version of the same engine and a base price of $49,100.

I tested a 335i with a sticker price of $56,450. That gave me pause as I loaded my road kit -- tools, flashlights, rope, first-aid kit -- into the small 9-cubic-foot trunk. My duffel bag was too big to fit in the trunk when the roof was stowed. The 32-inch bag and a brace of new CDs filled the back seat. Not that there is room to sit back there anyway.

By the end of my road trip, though, I was convinced the 335i is the best car and best value among performance four-seat convertibles.

The sticker price included an array of options most drivers probably could delete and never miss. The $1,300 sport package -- tires, wheels and suspension upgrades -- and the $1,275 six-speed automatic transmission will probably appeal to many buyers, but features like a $1,550 package that includes auto-dimming mirrors, compass and integrated garage-door opener or the $1,400 active steering system work well but are dispensable.

The 335i convertible competes mainly with Audi's $46,950 A4 3.2 convertible, the $54,900 Mercedes-Benz CLK 350 convertible and the $64,455 Lexus SC 430.

The 335i is BMW's first hardtop convertible, and the hardtop won me over as I drove through a chilly, blowing rain from Michigan to the Alabama state line. The BMW was quiet and toasty warm. The car was also extremely stable on wet roads, despite its optional performance tires.

Jasmine and honeysuckle filled the air as I passed Hattiesburg, Miss., and dropped the top for the final run into New Orleans. The top opens and closes quickly and quietly, and wind noise was minimal as I drove past fields full of unused house trailers the government bought but never delivered to flood-ravaged New Orleans.

The combination of a clear sunny day and an empty stretch of highway running through the Delta also provided the first opportunity to test the 3.0-liter twin-turbo six-cylinder's performance.

The power is marvelous and immediate, giving the 335i the response of a big V8 but delivering 27 mpg in a long, fast, highway run.

The engine roars to life at the push of a button and settles down to a sweet rumble the rest of the time. The two small turbos -- one for the rear three cylinders in the I-6 engine, another for the front three -- spin up to speed like lightning, making the small engine's impressive 300 horsepower easily available and blasting the car forward.

Even more impressive, the two turbos and BMW's variable valve timing make all 300 pound-feet of torque available from 1,400 rpm to 5,400 rpm. That extraordinarily broad torque range translates to head-snapping thrust whether you're leaving a stoplight or knifing into the passing lane before the long bridge that carries Interstate Hwy. 10 across the Irish Bayou east of New Orleans.

The 335i is the first German car I can remember that can hold more cups than people, as a mocha-latte stop in Louisville revealed. The 335i runs on premium gasoline; I run on caffeine and sugar. Six cupholders is just right. Danke schön.

The 335i accelerates blindingly, brakes brilliantly and hugs corners so well that my driver's license wouldn't have survived to the Indiana state line without something to keep the car in check.

The sport-tuned suspension can be bone-jarring on buckled roads like those around Detroit -- or New Orleans, where flood-fueled sinkholes badly eroded pavement that was barely level before the levees broke.

Give the 335i a smooth surface and a fast curve, though, and the car is in its element like a blues player hustling for bucks on Frenchman Street, outside the French Quarter.

The BMW dug into the soaring bridge and fast curves across the Mississippi in Algiers as I headed downriver to Lower Plaquemines Parish, a narrow strip of land dominated by oil refineries, citrus groves and rubble from the flood.

While the convertible's performance is exciting, its styling is a bit bland. BMW's dramatic styling theme, with sharp creases running into audacious scoops in the bodywork, still looks good, but the convertible is, if anything, a slightly toned-down version of the 3-Series sedan. That's particularly true when the top is up, perhaps because the tight clearances for the moving roof panels precluded a daring design.

It looks great with the top down, though, and the 335i convertible is such a pleasure to drive that the thrill was still there as the excellent stereo serenaded me all the way home, from the birthplace of the blues in the Mississippi Delta to 8 Mile Road in Detroit.