What’s family estate car doing in this supercar league? Call it an Audi-Porsche and you will be a little nearer the mark, just like a Sierra-Cosworth or a Vauxhall Lotus Carlton. Audi commissioned Porsche to develop the already fast 80 Estate S2 into the fastest ever production load carrier. The S2 had been the previous flagship of the 80 range, boasting 230 bhp form its turbocharged 2.2 liter five cylinder 4 valve unit and a six speed gearbox with four wheel drive; that gave it a maximum speed of 145 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 6.2 sec. but with a little Porsche magic for the new RS2, power is upped to 315 bhp, the maximum goes to 160 mph and the 0-60 mph time comes down to just 4.8 seconds.

A larger turbo charger, high lift cams and a free flow exhaust system coupled with revised fuel injection were responsible for the power increase of 37 percent to a remarkable 141 bhp/liter. It certainly goes like a supercar and can hold most Ferraris and Porsche to 100 mph; it will outdrag just about everything up to 30 mph, reached in just1.6 seconds, thanks to its four wheel drive grip, first gear has been strengthened too!.

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When it comes to capturing the market of cars we can plainly see a lot of hot competition going on in the market. When the word capture is used companies have to take care of factors such as stock units, safety of the car, performance, family integration and last but not least a reasonable price tag. One can not even think of getting near the market if the price tag of their product is not reasonable and that the company does not have the ability to provide many units to the market. Some times manufacturers might face the problem that they make a car too expensive and when they fail to impress the customers they might waste all the research and development money in one go.

When the word market is taken we have to consider it as a market consisting of middle class people because in comparison we would find out that they happen to be at least be 90% of the market. The line of super cars and luxury vehicles are not enough to get people in your hand because many might not be able to buy them and preferably would get their hands on something more an average car.

When speaking of the current market one of the great manufacturers that has taken its rise from Japan and now is getting ready to dominate the world of cars is Honda. Now it is also very interesting that along with the traditional family cars Honda is also releasing sports cars as well too. Speaking of family cars one of the greatest presentations which has rooted from Honda and has also gotten into other areas of the planet one of the name that stands out prominently is the Honda Civic. Getting its first production in 1973 the Honda civic has been improved quite a lot too.

Now recently we witnessed the birth of another civic in the Honda family. The new civic has revived the true pride of the civic trademark. The front fender has been changed from a round fender which was used in the civic 2005 to a new one featuring air intakes along with a sporty appearance. The lights have been changed and now the civic features lamp lights along with LEDs too. The tail lights have been changed and now the civic has more of some retro lights at the back. The indicators have been reallocated and attached to the side mirrors which in accordance with the look make the civic look more deadly. (more…)

Tesla Roadster Electric sports car*

If a new hybrid car is in your future you will no doubt be interested in checking out what Government Incentives are available for new Hybrid cars purchases. There are many 2009 hybrid cars that qualify for a government tax credit as well as a list for 2010.

IRS tax credits can go as high as $3,400 for a 2010 Ford Fusion or a 2010 Mercury Milan hybrid. Credits go down to $1,550 for vehicles like the 2009 Saturn Vue, 2009 Saturn Aura and 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. It’s also important to check the phase out period. These credits start phasing out after the manufacturer has sold over 60,000 eligible cars dropping to 50%, 25% and finally no credit.

You can find vehicles that qualify for IRS tax credits from a number of manufacturers including Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, and Toyota.

While not related directly to hybrid cars, the Senate passed a new bill today (H.R. 2346) to give incentives to get rid of your old car in favor of a more fuel efficient car even if the new car is not a hybrid. The “cash for clunkers” program will reward car buyers for choosing a new car that gets at least 4 miles per gallon better than their old car. For trucks, sport utility vehicles, and minivans a 2 mpg increase will get an incentive of $3500, if you get something that gets 5 or more mpg higher the incentive increases to $4,500. This program is outlined as part of the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act

Now, if your standard hybrid car is a little too tame for you, perhaps you would like to go with a pure electric sports car like the Tesla Model S from Tesla Motors. (more…)