Super car Lamborghini and Sexy Girls

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Simon Cowell and his Bugatti Veyron

Simon Cowell was spotted valeting his Bugatti Veyron in Beverly Hills over the weekend. Even if you hate the guy it's pretty hard to say you don't like his taste in cars!

   

Source: celebritycarsblog.com

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5 Auto Repairs You Don't Need

There's a sucker born every minute, and possibly a new automotive related scam to go along with it. Everything from fuel line magnets to tornado air intake systems to protoplasmic generators have been pushed upon the hapless driving public at large since the birth of the automobile. Henry Ford himself became rich, but also enabled thousands of others to do the same selling worthless car products. For anyone other than an engineer or automotive mechanic, a vehicle is an inherently complex machine that's full of mysterious parts and systems. Let's walk through a few common types of auto repair that you probably don't need on your car. -Gas Savers: Unfortunately, scientists have actually NOT discovered a secret device that will save you hundreds of dollars in gas every year. This is one of the areas that not only will offer zero benefit, it may actually cause gas mileage to become WORSE. Magnetic devices actually have no ability to re-arrange gas molecules into a more combustible substance. Tornado vortex air intake systems that mix gas into a powerful cyclone also offer nothing. Due to increasingly stringent government regulations, vehicle manufacturers spend millions of dollars in research every year to improve fuel economy. If sticking a 25 cent fridge magnet to your fuel line actually worked, they would have been installed on every car years ago. If you're really interested in substantially increasing your fuel economy, Google search the term "Hypermiling" for legitimate ways. - Oil Additives Many people may remember a popular infomercial from the 1990's touting the benefits of a product called 'Prolong'. Among the highlights of this infomercial was a vehicle being driven around Los Angeles with (supposedly) no motor oil in the engine. Many oil additive products will make similar claims or boasts to extreme performance. Although some motor oil additives do offer a small performance increase, most are nothing more than glorified motor oil. Changing your oil as recommended by the manufacturer will keep your engine working perfectly with no need for expensive additives. -Engine Flushes A popular upsell at drive-thru oil change facilities. After opening the hood and doing the initial inspection they claim that the engine is full of sludge and deposits that they can see built up underneath the oil cap. They inform you that it can be fixed while you wait, for only $89.95. Unfortunately, these products often cause more harm than good. The can of quick engine flush is actually a strong solvent that sometimes loosens large chunks of engine gunk that can clog critical internal engine orifices. Even if the engine hasn't had frequent oil changes, it's better to stay away from flushes. -Fuel Injection Cleaning An expensive service often sold at the dealership level. Although this service can sometimes be helpful for dirty fuel injectors that are causing the engine to run poorly, it's best to skip it if the engine is running OK. Many dealerships tout this as something that needs to be performed annually, often at a cost of hundreds of dollars. Save yourself the money and pour a bottle of $5 fuel system cleaner in the tank once a year. -Transmission Flushes Modern transmissions are filled with hundreds of small components, sensors, and orifices. Running transmission fluid at abnormal pressure levels through the transmission to "clean it out" can actually cause more harm than good. It's important for the inside of the transmission to stay clean to perform correctly, but it's better to keep it that way by making sure to change the transmission fluid every few years. Also, many transmission flush machines use a "one brand fits all" generic transmission fluid that may not perform up to manufacturers specifications. When it comes to auto repairs, choose wisely! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5347147

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How to Choose Brake Pads

Let’s face it: the brake pad is arguably the most important safety feature of your car. The brake pad rubbing against the brake rotor is what provides the friction that slows your car to a stop. Most often nobody ever gives them a second thought unless the car isn’t stopping well or some sort of crazy noise is happening when stopping the vehicle. The type of materials that the brake pad is formulated from will directly affect stopping distance, rate of wear, noise level, and how much dust is created. It will also directly determine how often you will need to take your vehicle in for auto repair. Lets look at each type of brake pad materials in depth: Asbestos Brake Pads: The original brake pad material, due to asbestos ability to resist heat and making noise. Unfortunately, asbestos causes health issues (namely a form of lung cancer called mesotheliomia) and has been mostly fazed out over the last 30 years. Keep in mind though, brake pads containing asbestos are NOT banned in the US. Some brake pads still contain asbestos, so treat ALL brake dust with caution. Some brake manufacturers still sell brake pads made with asbestos, and the box will usually be labeled accordingly. Just remember, there are no labeling laws or restrictions. Organic Brake Pads: Made from organic materials such as glass, rubber, resins, and Kevlar. Low to moderately priced. Often softer than other brake pad materials which provides a quieter stop. Because of the softer material, these brake pads often wear faster and create higher amounts of brake dust. The materials that these are made of are more benign and don’t pollute the environment as much as other brake pads. Because of the design, organic pads aren’t suitable for heavier vehicles like trucks or high performance vehicles. Best suited for smaller vehicles that are driven modestly. Semi-Metallic Brake Pads: The most common type of brake pad found on vehicles sold in the US. Made of materials blended with small strands of metal, hence the name. Low to moderately priced. High durability - lasts longer than organic pads. Since metal is highly conductive of heat, the metal strands in the brake pad help pull heat away from the brake rotor and fiction surface, helping to keep the rotor from overheating. Unfortunately, because of the metal particles, the pad can wear away at the brake rotor more quickly than other types. Not the best choice for high performance vehicles, but suitable for most passenger cars and OK for heavier vehicles such as trucks. Ceramic Brake Pads: Good braking performance, wears well, and lightweight. Increasingly found on new cars sold in the US. So what's not to love? These pads are often expensive. Made from ceramic fibers with small amounts of metal filler. Good at dissipating heat even after repeated hard stops. Produces less dust so you don’t have as much wheel staining. Good for high performance cars that require frequent hard stops. However, for most drivers, the performance of ceramic brake pads isn’t worth the extra cost. Summary: Regular brake pads will offer a sufficient compromise between stopping performance, brake dust, and noise for most drivers. Spending over a $100 on a set of brake pads for a family sedan is probably a waste of money on needless auto repairs. Source:car-repaironline.com

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2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo Review

Awarded the title of "Auto Europa 2009" by the UIGA and the prestigiousEuro NCAP five-star ranking, the Alfa Romeo MiTo has proven that it is a success thanks to its clever combination of looks and performance, Italian style and technical excellence aimed at maximum driving satisfaction in total safety.

The Geneva International Motor Show saw the world debut of the new 2011 range of the Alfa Romeo MiTo, available for purchase across all the major European countries from April 2011.

Some of the new features include the introduction of the new metal-flake colour (aluminium and mica together) "Bronzo Metal" (bronze metal) with a bold shade and red hues, and two-tone interiors accomplished with brand new upholstery for the dashboard insert and door panels.

A new high-tech fabric has been developed for the seats, consisting of a smooth, compact elastic mesh yet at the same time fine and shiny like silk, emphasised by the electro-welded graphics with two-tone bronze and black double insert and the “breaked line” titanium sign teamed with the seams on the surrounds and the colour of the dashboard trim. These highly attractive contents emphasise the more elegant spirit of the model.

The model on display at the Motor Show presents this very stylish colour combination, in addition to the appealing 135 HP 1.4 MultiAir Turbo engine, teamed with the “Alfa TCT” transmission, which affords excellent performance levels (7.1 l/100 km in the urban cycle, 126 g/km of CO2 and 8.2 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h), data which are even better than the same engine with manual transmission (where the values are 7.4 l/100 km, 129 g/km and 8.4 seconds respectively). Mention must also be made of the on-board equipment, including the “Blue&Me-TomTom” portable navigation device fully integrated in the dashboard.

The “Blue&Me–TomTom” is much more than a portable satellite navigation device. It is a genuine infotelematic system which combines practical use with the complete integration with the vehicle's existing systems. It is the result of a partnership between Fiat Group Automobiles and TomTom, the European leader in portable navigation systems, and it exploits the versatility of the Blue&Me system.

Thanks to a practical 4.3” colour touch-screen and a simple and intuitive graphic interface, you can control the navigation functions, your telephone, media player and the information typically displayed only on the trip computer, such as fuel consumption levels and autonomy, as well as a real time indication to achieve the most efficient driving style.

The complete integration of the Blue&Me-TomTom is also a valid support for safety: the control of the features via the controls on the steering wheel and voice commands, the position at the centre of the dashboard which is easy to reach and visible, the electricity supply integrated into the support. Moreover, it can be transferred for other uses like any other portable device.

The “Blue&Me–TomTom” on the Alfa Romeo MiTo also offers “IQ route” technology, to find the best route considering the date and time of travel, calculated through a database that contains traffic information on a statistical basis.

Thanks to the TomTom Home web application customised for Alfa Romeo, further features will readily become available. These include the on-line updating of maps and "MapShare”, the large internet community with over 5 million registered users who can share information on maps in real time.

Compared to a normal portable satellite navigation system, the "Blue&Me-TomTom" also incorporates the exclusive “Car Menu” to let you display information on the car and all connected devices:

- “Fuel Efficiency”: real-time information on your driving style and suggestions for reducing environmental impact and optimising consumption by changing gear and accelerating appropriately to suit the nature of the route;

- All trip information on a single screen: distance travelled, consumption and range;

- Fuel reserve warning and directions to the nearest filling station;

- Points of interest, Alfa Romeo service centres and LPG filling stations;

- Management of the mobile phone connected to Blue&Me: dialling the number on the touch screen, call management, information, contacts and last call log;

- Browsing function for the media player connected to the USB port, making iPhone and iPod systems perfectly compatible.

The second car on display presents the "dynamic" spirit of the Alfa Romeo MiTo to the general public: the Swiss venue hosts a model featuring the “Quadrifoglio Verde”, a legendary symbol which over the years has identified some of Alfa Romeo's sportiest products. This exclusive trim level also presents new features with the 2011 range: first and foremost the new front surround under the badge which "widens" the lower part of the front, emphasising the impression of a car which hugs the ground.

The original version stands out for the new high-quality exterior “Quadrifoglio Verde” logos in micro brushed aluminium with the four-leaved clover in relief, situated above the direction indicators; the rear-view mirror casings, the headlight and taillight frames and the handles proposed with an exclusive satinised chrome material; a new sporty seat with a central part in Alcantara®, soft and velvety to touch, teamed with a brand new fabric which is highly resistant to wear; aggressive and highly sporty “totally black” interiors; the details of the two-tone (green and white) artisanal seams on the seats, steering wheel, hand brake lever and knob which are the perfect expression of the trim level's spirit.

There are also a few new optionals: the 18” alloy wheels with specific treatment and the sporty Sabelt seats with a wraparound backrest in carbon fibre made using innovative RTM (Resin Transfer Moulding) technology which teams high mechanical resistance with smaller dimensions and lightness, where the central fabric in Alcantara® stands out thanks to the Alfa Romeo logo, reproduced in an absolutely original way.

Last but not least, the MiTo MY 2011 also affords a new USB and AUX-in socket allowing you to connect your MP3 player directly to the Blue&Me system.

This exclusive version is fitted with the most powerful engine in the range, also awarded by an international jury as the “best new engine of the year 2010”, the 170 HP 1.4 MultiAir Turbo. Alfa Romeo has chosen to equip it with some innovative solutions that accentuate the model's outstanding qualities: road grip, agility, safety assist and a driving feeling are emphasised by an engine, which has one of the world's highest specific power values and a chassis worthy of a higher category. This engine's best feature is its outstanding weight/power ratio, which has always been one of the key factors behind Alfa Romeo's success on the road and the racetrack. It is at the top of its category with 6.7 kg/HP. At 124 HP/litre, this engine is also one of the world leaders in specific power.

This is a particularly important value because it proves the effectiveness of downsizing, aimed at producing high-tech engines to get better performance allied with sharp reductions in fuel consumption and emissions. Indeed, it is this latter area which provides the most surprising evidence of the technical level achieved: 4.8 l/100 km and 139 g/km of CO2 (in the extra-urban cycle) are closer to what you would expect from an economy car than a compact sports car that goes from 0 to 100 km/h in just over 7 seconds.

The MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde also affords the innovative “Dynamic Suspension”, a system which actively and continuously controls the electronic shock absorbers, developed by teaming the designers and road testers of Alfa Romeo with the latest engineering techniques from Magneti Marelli. So, using experience gained on the racetrack, the system allows the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde to excel even further in terms of agility and handling, giving it exceptional driveability and unparalleled safety. Without considering that the Dynamic Suspension system perfectly interfaces with the three different dynamic control settings of the Alfa DNA device (Normal, All Weather and Dynamic) which also controls the other systems that the car features, such as Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), steering, the Q2 electronic differential and the engine.

In short, the Alfa Romeo MiTo MY 2011 has a revamped image as a high-tech car while retaining its position as a sporty compact car capable of winning over customers who care for details and maximum driving comfort. It is not a coincidence that the high-performance engines in the 2011 range feature the brand new variable response shock absorbers, with by-pass valve, which improve comfort during strains due to roughness in the road, while keeping the vehicle's dynamic control untouched for driving satisfaction that beats the rest in its category.

In this way, the Alfa Romeo MiTo MY 2011 is confirmed the one-off “Energy Machine” that, in a length of just 4 metres, is packed with style, agility and technical excellence made for driving satisfaction. And “Energy Machine” is precisely the payoff of the recent campaign that highlights the model's character and fighting spirit, that breath-taking energy that transforms matter into excitement. The same concept is also voiced in the final slogan - "Breathing life into matter means turning it into excitement" - of the new commercial that sets it in centre stage together with the famous French DJ and composer Bob Sinclar.

The Alfa Romeo MiTo MY 2011 range offers 2 turbo diesel engines (95 HP 1.3 JTDM-2 and a 120 HP 1.6 JTDM with service intervals of 35,000 km), 4 petrol engines: the 78 HP 1.4 and 3 MultiAir engines: the 105 HP 1.4 and two Turbopetrol engines with 135 HP (teamed with manual transmission or with the “Alfa TCT” automatic transmission) and 170 HP.

Source: Alfa Romeo

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FEATURES: The Last Italian Design House

From the March, 2011 issue of Automobile Magazine

By Robert Cumberford

Photography by Andrew Yeadon

The Italian coachbuilding industry has been diminishing in importance and influence for a long time now, with disastrous consequences for the few well-known firms that have not simply disappeared. One might expect that prospects for the oldest of them all, Carrozzeria Bertone (founded in 1912), would be as precarious as for the others. And Bertone was indeed teetering on the edge a few years ago.

Production contracts had dried up as manufacturers took niche models into their own production schemes, design contracts were fewer as carmakers established their own internal design departments, and some brave efforts, such as BMW's semi-enclosed C1 motorcycles that Bertone assembled, simply didn't sell.

Folk wisdom in Europe holds that when an inspired, dedicated leader creates a family enterprise, the second generation often is able to perpetuate, even expand, the business, building on the solid base established by the founder, only to have the third generation, coddled from birth and never having had to work really hard, dissipate all that had been built up over the decades.

When Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone, son of founder Giovanni, died in 1997 at 82, his succession followed the classic European family business pattern: direction should stay in the family, and it should be male. Except the shrewd Nuccio and his charming wife, Lilli, had only two offspring, Barbara and Marie-Jeanne, both pleasant young women not particularly qualified for or interested in manufacturing, so it fell to the daughters and their husbands, the sons-in-law, to take on the almost inevitable task of slow destruction. Through mismanagement andmisappreciation of the industry and business climate, they came quite close to succeeding. Carrozzeria Bertone, the series-production factory, was lost, and some of the subsidiary businesses that the farsighted Nuccio had created were in difficulty. Italian newspapers followed the ugly drama attentively, and it was widely expected that it would all collapse.

Various vultures and scoundrels wanted to "save Bertone," if one were to give credence to articles appearing in Automotive News, but things were declining desperately. Press-release battles among different factions took place, and there was the sad spectacle of Bertone's not taking its traditional stand at the Geneva motor show in 2008, instead exhibiting a trumped-up and unconvincing BAT 11 concept at an off-site venue in the Swiss city. It seemed hopeless, and those of us who consider Bertone to be the finest and most innovative of all the Italian design houses feared the worst. Many of the best people moved on, concerned that the turmoil would end not just the fabled firm but also their own careers.

What ultimately counted, though, was the steely determination of Lilli Bertone. She had promised her beloved husband before he died that she would see the firm through to its one-hundredth anniversary. As a woman in her sixties, she had naturally called on her daughters, but when she saw disaster looming, she fought like a tigress to wrest control from the feckless, unqualified men who didn't understand what Nuccio had always told her: that the money in the bank he had so carefully saved did not belong to them personally but to the firm and its safe future.

So, at the 2010 Geneva show, Bertone was back with an absolutely astonishing concept car, one that in the tradition of the glory years was a complete running vehicle. The Pandion, executed as an homage to the 100 years of Alfa Romeo, was a perfect symbol of the resurgence of Bertone. In 2009, after years of squabbles and skirmishes, Lilli Bertone gained complete control of five companies carrying her late husband's name: Stile Bertone, Bertone Glass, Bertone Engineering, Bertone Energia, and Bertone ITC, the latter involved with the integration of electronics and communications technologies in the automobile.

She has also created the nonprofit Bertone Foundation, dedicated to the heritage of the firm and to supporting the work of young creative people, which had been the hallmark of Nuccio's career. He found and developed the abilities of Franco Scaglione, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Marcello Gandini, Marc Deschamps, and many other less-renowned designers, always giving them due credit. That each of these men, viewed retrospectively, did his best work under Bertone's direction says a great deal about his own taste and prescience.

Bear in mind that Bertone had collaborated with Alfa Romeo for seventy-five years, during that time having created thirteen fabulous Alfa concept cars and ten production models, several of which were series-built in Carrozzeria Bertone's own shops. The timeless Giulietta coupe (featured in my By Design column in January 2008) that put Bertone into full-scale manufacturing in the 1950s was the first of these.

Control finally achieved, Lilli Bertone put in place a new management team headed by CEO Marco Filippa, the respected management consultant brought in to "clean up the mess." She installed American expatriate Michael Robinson as head of design and recently made Sandro Colella, former marketing and sales director, managing director. Then she set out to make an unforgettable statement of intent and capability with the Pandion, which has no more production potential than did the dramatic Scaglione BAT cars in the '50s, but like those classics, it demonstrates imagination and capabilities. That it was conceived in October and shown at Geneva early in March is indicative of Bertone tradition and Lilli Bertone's determination to bring the house back into worldwide significance.

Talking about her plans for the company last summer at Pebble Beach, the elegantly presented Signora Bertone was alternately gently humorous -- "I don't worry about the future. I plan to live to 150!" -- and ferociously severe -- "My daughters have nothing to do with the company. Nothing!" She talked about her devotion to what Nuccio had created and her determination to see the firm continue and prosper in an industrial climate that is far different from that of the '50s, when Nuccio guided the firm from a small workshop making bodies one at a time to a full-scale manufacturer of complete automobiles. One thing that has never changed, she says, is that Bertone has no debt.

Fiat now owns the former carrozzeria factory buildings, but Lille Bertone holds the creative parts that matter, the aspects of the business that will continue to appeal to mainstream manufacturers: design, engineering, and prototyping. Having the ability to offer turnkey projects for all -- or any discrete part -- of a new-car development program on time and on budget is invaluable to car companies. They may well have all those functions in-house, but there will always be times when they are overwhelmed, and a safe, certain, and reliable partner will save months and millions during those programs.

As design and brand director Michael Robinson says, success is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Clients that were left adrift when Italdesign-Giugiaro was swept up by Volkswagen were delighted to find that Bertone was back at full capability just as they needed its services. With clients all over the globe, Bertone now seems to be assured of not only achieving its centennial but also continuing far into the future.

Bertone's Greatest Hits Blazing Beauty and Bizarre Brilliance.

1952: The Abarth 1500 was the first design by Franco Scaglione for Bertone. Bought by Packard, its divided backlight inspired the 1956 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket and the 1963 "split window" Corvette.

1953: The Alfa Romeo 1900 BAT 5 was the first of the spectacular Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica series that was completed only a couple years ago with the unlovely BAT 11. This first BAT established Bertone's reputation for audacity.

1954: The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint coupe was meant to exist in a series of only 1000. This car put Bertone on the map as a serious production carrozzeria; 34,000 were made over twelve years.

1957: The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale prototype aerodynamic coupe led to limited production in 1959. Before it was canceled in 1965, 2652 were built.

1961: The BMW 3200CS -- of which only 597 coupes were built, along with the one-off convertible pictured here-showed stylist Giugiaro's work to great advantage and added to Bertone's luster.

1964: The Alfa Romeo Giulia Canguro one-off concept was beloved by almost all the world's car designers. It was perhaps the very best Bertone-Giugiaro collaboration.

1966: The Lamborghini Miura was one of Marcello Gandini's first projects at Bertone. It was the first of many almost-incredible Lamborghini production and concept models.

1968: The Alfa Romeo 33/2 Stradale Carabo concept car was only 39 inches high. A startling iridescent green, it remains one of the most striking concept cars of the past fifty years.

1970: The Lancia Stratos Zero was even lower than the Carabo, at 33 inches. Nuccio Bertone used it as a road car from time to time, believe it or not.

1971: A peak of exotica for Bertone, with both the Lambo Countach shown at Geneva and the rationalized Lancia Stratos put into production.

1972: The Fiat X1/9 was a Bertone tour de force, carried through to production despite enormous resistance from Fiat engineers, who did not have Nuccio's dedicated enthusiasm.

1994: The Bertone ZER (zero emission record) used lead-acid batteries and took a number of records, including the flying kilometer at 189 mph. It was another example of Bertone being ahead of the curve.

Source: issue of Automobile Magazine

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Volvo S60

Source: youtube.com

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