The Honda S2000 Sports Car

The Honda S2000 is a two-door sports car manufactured by the Japanese automobile manufacturer, Honda, between 1999 and 2009. The S2000 was created to celebrate the manufacturers 50th anniversary. This article provides some information about the Honda S2000, its history, changes to specification and why you might want to buy one.

At the heart of all Honda automobiles are their engines and the engine designed for the Honda S2000 is a very special one indeed. Created using lightweight materials, the engine in the early S2000 sport scars are capable of revving up to 9000rpm, producing around 240hp. The early cars used a 1997cc engine mounted front-mid for optimum weight distribution. The VTEC unit in the Honda S2000 means that below 6000rpm the car is quite docile while driving through town but once you get above 6k the car springs to life with an eagerness to head to the red line as quick as possible. In S2000 terms this means a 0-60 sprint in around 6 seconds! The engine is mated to a manual gearbox with no option for automatic.
The Honda S2000 sports cars are available with two designs. The AP1 chassis was introduced in 1999 and ran until 2004 when the AP2 design started manufacture.
The AP1 Honda S2000 had remote central locking, airbags, cassette radio entertainment system and an immobilizer. From 2002 the model benefited from a heated rear screen and 2004 models were available in GT spec with hard top. From 2004 the car has heated mirrors, LED tail lights and an upgraded alarm system.
The AP2 Honda S2000 has remote central locking, airbags, electronic brake force distribution and ABS as standard on the later models.
Options:
If you buy a S2000 then you'll be pleased with the array options which come as standard on a S2000. The S2000 has leather seats available in a variety of colours including some two-tone shades.
From 2004 the GT specification comes with a hardtop as well as the folding roof to help keep you warm in the winter months. The hardtop has a glass heated rear screen.
Of course, all manufacturers produce a list of optional extras for your car and the S2000 benefits from an optional spoiler for extra racy looks, front and rear protectors and extra speakers for the hifi.
Colours:
The Honda S2000 is available in Berlina Black, Moon rock metallic grey, Silverstone Metallic Silver, Lime Green Metallic; Royal Navy Blue Pearl; Neuburgring Blue Metallic; New Formula Red; Monza Red Pearl; Imola Orange Pearl and New Indy Yellow Pearl. Popular colours for the Honda S2000 are the Neuburgring Blue, Moon rock and Silverstone metallic silver colours. Inside the cockpit, the leather seats are available in Red, Black and Tan, or blue for the Neuburgring coloured cars. Two-tone red-black seats are also available.
Size:
The Honda S2000 is approximately 4100mm long by 1750mm wide.
Running costs:
If your looking for a low cost runabout then you probably should be looking elsewhere. That nippy engine earns the Honda S2000 an insurance group 20 quote! Take it steady on the motorway and you could get upto 35mpg though combined cycle will get more like 28mpg. Also road tax could quite easily be between £200-£400 at time of writing. Servicing costs aren't too bad
Prices
The Honda S2000 has been around for quite a long time now and there are many higher mileage cars around the £5k area. A good well cared for model can be had for around £8-10K for an AP1 spec or £12k plus for an AP2. Prices are representative at the time of writing. Honda has an excellent reputation for reliability so buying an older car shouldn't represent too much of a risk when compared with other options.
Alternatives:
Around at the same time as the S2000 was the Mazda MX5 and Porsche Boxster 2-door open top sports cars. The little Mazda is a fun car to drive with an almost classical style and look dating back to cars of the 60's. The Porsche boxster is a highly accomplished sports car at the lower end of the Porsche range.

Read More

The Chevrolet Cruze is Coming to America

The Chevrolet Cruze is finally coming to America! The Cruze has been on sale around the world for a year now, but the United States launch has been delayed by transmission problems and a recall for fuel supply pipes. The Chevrolet Cruze is actually a Daewoo developed compact. There are an amazing number of trims and packages for the Cruze especially for the US market. The Cruze will also be offered in a Eco model 40 MPG freeway version powered by a turbocharged 1.4 liter engine.

Some modifications had to be made to the car to hit that MPG goal. A lower front grille air shutter that closes at higher speeds was used. It improves aerodynamics and opens at lower speeds to optimize engine cooling airflow. The upper grille has more closeouts to also improve aerodynamics. There is a lower front air dam extension along with extensive use of under body panels and a rear spoiler. These all enhance the car's aerodynamics. The ride height of the Cruze was lowered to also improve the car's aerodynamics to help reach a higher mileage per gallon. The car also features 17 inch lightweight aluminum wheels to lessen the car's overall weight. It also has ultra low rolling resistance Goodyear tires.
The Chevrolet Cruze will not be available until the fourth quarter of 2010 but that hasn't stopped people from wanting the car. It's no wonder people want a high mileage car that can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 10 seconds with a manual transmission, and 9 seconds with automatic.
The Cruze models that are not Eco will be LS, LT and LTZ which start with a base 1.8 liter engine. A Cruze review called it an old school engine that ruins the experience. The LT and LTZ models are powered by the 1.4 Turbo engine with a small horsepower upgrade but a much better torque rating.
There is an RS appearance package for the LT and LTZ trim levels which bring unique fascias, rocker moldings, rear spoiler and fog lamps. The package also comes with an up level instrument cluster, chrome accent rings and opaque cluster bezels that allow the ice blue back-lighting to shine through making a sporty night appearance.

Read More

The New 2010 Suzuki Equator

The new Suzuki Equator will be debuted at the end of 2010 model year. The 2010 Equator will be powered by 4.0 liter V-6 engine that can produce power levels of up to 195 kilo watts at an angular speed of 5600 rpm and torque of 281 lb ft at 4000 rpm. The 2010 Equator pickup will be designed on similar lines of the Nissan Frontier, and 2010 Nissan Pathfinder.

The new engine will have the bore size of 95.5 mm, stroke of 92.0 mm and compression ratio of 9.7 with four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing and double overhead cam. The price range of the new model will be between $17,220-$30,000. The Suzuki Equator will be a midsize pickup truck that comes with all the basic safety and entertainment features.
The 2010 Equator pickup truck will be designed similar to the Nissan Frontier model. It will be offered in two different trim levels- crew cab and extended cab. Both the model will offer either the four wheel drive or the rear wheel drive configurations. The options for the engine will include 2.5 liter I-4 that can produce power up to 152 hp, 4.0 liter V-6 engine that can produce power up to 261 hp and torque of 281 lb ft.
The new equator model will be paired to either five-speed manual transmission or to the five-speed automatic transmission. It is expected that the I-4 and V-6 engines would be mated to automatic transmission. The maximum towing capacity of the next generation pickup truck will be 6500 pounds. The 2010 Equator will have the capacity to accommodate up to five passengers.

Read More

The Exciting 2010 Pontiac G6 3.6 Liter V6 Engine

Most car enthusiasts normally appreciate a couple different motor choices, but there are actually four 2010 Pontiac G6 engine options available which virtually ensures that there will be something suitable for all drivers. The most exciting, however, is the 2010 Pontiac G6 3.6 Liter V6 engine that puts out a powerful 252 horse power and claims 251 pound feet of torque. While it may not seem like a powerful engine, it can thrust the low weight vehicle forward with a zero to sixty time of just over 6 seconds. The fuel economy is still fairly impressive as well for such a powerful engine and is an estimated 26 miles per gallon on the highway and 17 miles per gallon in city settings.

The economy engine that is available is the 2010 Pontiac 2.4 Liter motor that has 164 horse power and 158 pound feet of torque. Even though most people are happy with the performance that it offers, the fuel economy is perhaps the most advantageous benefit of the 2.4 Liter engine. The estimated gas mileage is 33 miles per gallon on the highway and about 22 miles per gallon in busy city settings.
The smaller six cylinder motor is the 2010 Pontiac 3.5 Liter V6 engine that boasts a strong 219 horse power and 219 pound feet of torque. The estimated gas mileage is about 22 miles per gallon on the highway and 15 miles per gallon in the city.
The fourth engine choice is not one that many people select simply because it offers a very small boost in power. The 2010 Pontiac 3.9 Liter V6 engine only offers 222 horse power, but the fuel economy is much worse than the smaller 3.5 Liter V6 and the performance difference is virtually impossible to detect.
There are plenty of 2010 Pontiac G6 engine options, so most drivers should be able to find the one that makes them happy.

Read More

The 2011 Infiniti QX56

Infiniti will be letting loose a new sport utility vehicle later this year under the QX56 nameplate. The chassis and body for the QX56 SUV is all fresh for 2011. The last automobile had a price of $56,000 and the 2011 QX56 will cost about the same even thought there are many additions. Do people still want a large sport utility vehicle to buy? The Infiniti Dealer sales numbers point to a resounding yes!

Its impossible to overlook the redesigned QX56. There was nothing exciting about the former QX56. Its a good thing that the QX56 took some style from its kid brother; the FX35. Out front the fenders and hood hold wonderful contours which enhance the up-to-date xenon headlights. There are 20 inch rims that are standard and massive 22 inch aluminum rims with the Deluxe touring Package.

More muscle is never a bad thing and for 2011 the QX56 has 80 more horsepower. This power is produced via a 5.6 liter V-8 engine that can push out 413 lb-ft of torque which is enough to tow up to 8500 pounds. The engine of the 2011 Infiniti QX56 is much more sophisticated and uses direct injection which shoots gas right into the cylinder itself. The auto trans is top on the line and includes seven-speeds. Infiniti put this technology into the QX56 in order to raise the fuel economy numbers. The 2011 Infiniti QX56 should see over 13 MPG in the city and 20 MPG on the highway. This puts the QX56 at the top in the full sized SUV niche. Only the Cadillac Escalade hybrid matches the gas mileage of the QX56 but it costs a lot more. The up-to-date QX56 can go over 250 miles between gas stops and the tank holds almost 30 gallons of fuel.

There are 2 interior configurations available on the 2011 Infiniti QX56, they can carry 7-8 people depending. 2nd row seating room is supposedly best in class according to Infinti. Make sure to opt for the second row captains chairs. The riders in the back of the SUV also benefit from a center console. These passengers can be entertained by the numerous Televisions; and the extra room and air vents add to the comfort level. On the back of the front passenger seats there are dual 7-inch TV's. Impressive leather seating abounds in the QX56. Even with the extras, the fresh SUV is a bit lighter than the last one.

The QX56 has some really cutting edge innovations and options. This is the first automobile in which Infiniti has offered the Hydraulic Motion System. This is to keep the SUV straight while cornering. This system works by moving fluid from one dampener to another to keep the automobile steady. In fact this system makes the QX56 more stable in terms of body roll than the BMW 5-Series.

Infiniti stresses safety as is evident by the many advancements found on the QX56. Traction Control is a key feature in keeping sport utility vehicle safe from a roll over. The traction control system can split the torque between the wheels in order to send more strength to the wheels that need it. Infiniti has layered multiple sets of overlapping technologies to keep people safe. Infiniti has something called an advanced air bag system which has front air bags, side curtain air bags, and roof mounted air bags for roll overs. Infiniti's Intelligent Brake Assist checks the speed of the QX56 vs the upcoming automobile and/or object, then applies the brakes if a collision seems immanent. The QX56 comes equipped with an alarm system to notify the driver when the big sport utility vehicle swerves out of lanes. Intelligent Cruise Control uses radar to keep the same distance between you and the car in front of you. The blind spot warning alerts the driver ensuring safe lane changes.

Read More