2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring

The 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring is a full featured car, offering plenty of space. Unfortunately, that space came at a premium price: weight. Tipping the scales at nearly 3100 pounds might cause some automakers to consider introducing a beefy 4 cylinder or even a lightweight 6 cylinder engine to the mix. Unfortunately, these options in turn increase overall weight, which is why Hyundai tapped their tried and true 2.0L DOHC inline-4 cylinder for the job.

Some call it the little engine that could, but Hyundai officially refers to it as the Beta II. Hyundai's Beta II engine can deliver 132 hp in PZEV tune or 138 in its general arrangement, both at 6000 rpm. Horsepower comes on strong at approximately 3200 rpm and pulls strong almost all the way to the red line. Torque figures produced by Beta II-powered Hyundai Elantra Touring editions are even more impressive, with the full 136 foot pounds available to the front wheels at 4600 rpm, but nearly 80 percent of that torque available well before the 3000 rpm line is crossed on the tachometer.

It might be easy to conclude that the engine is all about brawns, but the opposite is actually true. Instead of being all about raw power, the engine is actually an incredibly refined engine, featuring smooth variable valve timing, and computer-adjust manifolds. Additionally, the 2.0L engine that sits under the hood of the new Elantra Touring is also very frugal with its use of fuel and produces very low emissions. Hyundai did not see fit to make any updates to the engine found in the 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring, but that as mostly because they hit the nail on the head the first time and did not need to make significant refinements. After all, the old express tells the wise not to fix what is not broken.

History of Alfa Romeo Cars

Any car enthusiast worth their salt will know the Alfa Romeo brand, but do you know how they got to be one of the world's most important car manufacturers? Founded one hundred years ago in Milan, the Alfa Romeo brand has recently celebrated its centenary on June 24th 2010. It all began in 1906 when the French car firm Alexandre Darracq decided to join forces with Italian investors and create the Societa Anonima Italiana Darraca (SAID), the roots of the famous brand. Initially the company planned to manufacture their vehicles in Naples, but the site was changed to Milan and a factory was established there instead. A new company began as an offshoot of the business and the manufacturers created the Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, which would become known as A.L.F.A. The 24 HP was the first break out into the market, designed by Giuseppe Merosi.

With World War I drawing resources elsewhere, the ALFA factory submitted to a cessation in production for three years, recommencing in 1919. Italian entrepreneur and engineer Nicola Romeo became the new director in 1915 and oversaw the war effort, producing munitions in place of motor vehicles. When car production started up once more, Romeo changed the company title to Alfa Romeo and released the first model under this new brand: the Torpedo 20-30. The car company entered a golden age, producing high-class racing cars as well as consumer road vehicles. However, in 1928 Nicola left the firm and Alfa struggled to retain its position.

In1932, with government assistance, the Alfa Romeo brand was rescued and they took control of the company's direction. Under the government of Mussolini, Alfa Romeo became the national car manufacturer but in World War II the factory was badly hit by bombers. Previous production of luxury cars turned into mass-production of popular models. But following the war, Alfa Romeo managed to retain pole position as a leading vehicle at the Grand Prix. In the 1960s it developed the GTA (Gran Turismo Allegerita) which won the Sports Car Club of America's Trans-Am championship. Despite falling into further financial struggles in the 1970s, the Fiat Group created a new company to manage the production of Alfa Romeo under the Alfa Lancia Industriale S.p.A. Since February 2007 the company has been part of this group, but part of the Fiat cohort since 1986.

10 Interesting Facts About Rolls-Royce

New York, Paris and London chauffeur services use them and the rich and famous love them. The Rolls-Royce brand is synonymous with prestige and luxury and when you think of one of their cars you cannot help but associate quality.

For such a well established brand there are still many facts that most people are un-aware of.

1. Did you know Rolls-Royce should always be written with a hyphen in the middle to reflect both the founders' surnames?

2. Charles Rolls and Henry Royce founded the company over a hundred years ago in 1906. Incidentally a photo of the Charles Rolls and Henry Royce was never taken of them together.

3. More than six out of 10 Rolls-Royce cars ever sold are still roadworthy. The oldest still on the road is a 1904 10hp owned by Thomas Love Jr. of Perth, Scotland.

4. One of the first Rolls-Royce cars to be developed was the Rolls-Royce 10 which stood for 10 horse power. This was sold for £395.00 back in 1904 and is equivalent to £32,000, only 16 were made.

5. The mission and objective of the car manufacturer set out by the founders as a company was to provide a tangible transport alternative to horses and trains. When the company was first created the horse and carriage was still the main mode of transport.

6. Arguably the most famous Rolls-Royce car model is the Silver Ghost, 6,000 were originally made and the Ghost part of the name signified the quietness of the engine. The success of the Silver Ghost led Rolls-Royce to open a second factory in Springfield, Massachusetts but closed down after 10 years because people in the USA preferred the British made cars.

7. The Rolls-Royce R engine is the only engine to obtain land, air and water speed records.

8. The famous Rolls-Royce emblem was designed by Charles Sykes and is called the "Spirit of Ecstasy" and no two figurines look the same. Incidentally Henry Royce disliked the figurine stating it ruined the cars lines.

9. The famous car manufacturer actually stopped manufacturing cars in 1971 after the company was crippled by the development of the RB211 jet engine. The company restarted manufacturing of their cars when they were taken over by various other firms such as Vickers, BMW and Volkswagen.

10. Nowadays this famous car manufacturer which is now owned by BMW is as strong as ever and makes cars which are shipped all over the world. In 2009 they sold 1,212 Phantoms to the rich and famous including P Diddy, David Beckham and Simon Cowell to name just a few. A large amount of sales can be attributed to wedding and chauffeur companies all over the world buying their luxurious vehicles to hire out. You can find them in lots of major cities all over the world and many London chauffeur services provide Rolls-Royce phantoms for hire for up to £1200 per day.

Great Features For New and Used Cars

BMW has recently announced that its vehicles will be the first to feature internet access capabilities via an internet enabled mobile phone. This means you'll be able to look up whether the Great Wall of China really was built to "keep the rabbits out" while you're in your car.

Today, motor vehicles offer more features and capabilities than we ever thought possible. From the humble car phone beginnings, here are some of the most technologically advanced features you can find in new or used cars:

* Rear view camera - many models now offer rear view cameras that allow you to see behind the vehicle as you reverse. This can be an especially important feature for larger family vehicles that have substantial blind spots. Car owners also have the option to purchase and fit a camera to their current vehicle.
* Keyless ignition - in the 1980s, manufacturers began installing keyless entry on their vehicles - a remote controlled the boot and door locks. Today, many vehicles now include a keyless ignition system that allows a driver to operate the vehicle without needing to fumble around looking for the keys - you'll be less likely to lock yourself out.
* Safety features - advanced safety features including anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control have made modern vehicles safer to drive in a number of conditions. If you're purchasing a used vehicle with any of these safety features, do your own car check to ensure that all of these systems are functioning properly - warning lights on the dashboard are a bad sign and should be addressed immediately.
* Satellite Navigation - many onboard computers include satellite navigation systems to help you get around. Of course, satellite navigation units are available at most electronic retail stores so it's easy to fit out any vehicle with a system and take it with you if you decide to sell your car.

When it comes to features, keep in mind that many "extras" are now considered standard, especially in the used car market. Air-conditioning, ABS systems and power windows are just some of the features that can help boost the resale value of your used car. Of course, if you're in the market for a used vehicle, a REVs Check to ensure the car you're looking to buy is clear of debt is more important than any bells-and-whistles features.

The Plymouth RoadRunner

With the sudden emergence of the muscle cars in the market between the 1960s and the 1970s, car manufacturers produced muscle cars to help attract the market. The Plymouth Road Runner targeted the younger audience in putting a big engine in a cheap car to attract the demographic who could not afford the features presented in most cars during that day.

It was developed by the Plymouth division of Chrysler. The name originated from the cartoon character, Road Runner, which the company paid Warner Brothers $50,000 to use the name and likeness of that character for their own muscle car. Chrysler also paid $10,000 to develop the "beep beep" horn. Plymouth then began to develop a back to basics muscle car. Everything that was only related to the performance and handling was improved. The interior only had a basic bench seat. Only a few options were available such as power steering, front disc brakes, AM radio air conditioning and automatic transmission. This certainly was a muscle car packed with maximum excitement at a minimum price!

The very first engine put in the Road Runner was a 383 cid v8. A $714 option was also available for a 426 Hemi engine. The 68 model could blaze through ¼ mile of a track at 13.5 seconds. Which was quite a fast time for a low priced car. The Plymouth Road Runner was one of the best platforms to utilize one of the best engines at that time. The model was expected to only sell 2,000 units but by 1968, sales grew to 45,000. The only muscle cars outselling this model at that time were the Pontiac GTO and Chevy's SS-396 Chevelle.

Due to the success of the Plymouth Road Runner in 1968, Plymouth widened the consumer's choices. A convertible was added and also bucket seats were added as additional options. The decals were also now in color. 440 cid V8s engine was also available that provide Hemi-like acceleration for almost half the price. More than 82,000 copies were snatched by the consumers during this time. The Plymouth Road Runner was further improved and continued to be available in the market until its discontinuation in 1980