Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Finding Your Best Deal By Using Car Auction Sites
Finding Your Best Deal By Using Car Auction Sites
Your old car just went to pieces today and you have very little money in your pockets. Perhaps you could look at the very limited selection at one of those local car dealerships that offer financing on a high sticker price made even higher by the interest rates they plan on charging you. You could go to the bank for a loan and beg the loan officer to give you some cash at a very high interest rate. You could do either of these things but you wish there was another option. Well, there are other options and they are called car auction sites.
How Do Car Auction Sites Work?
If you want to avail yourself of this great money saving opportunity, it may prove helpful to learn a bit about car auction sites first. Car auction sites offer a wide range of vehicle choices due to their very nature. The automobiles being auctioned are usually placed up for bid by individuals or small auto dealerships so prices can range from the no reserve car auction to items that have a preset price or at least some reserve on the car where the seller has the right to refuse to sell unless the price goes higher than his stated reserve price. Thus if a seller put a vehicle on an car auction site with a reserve of two hundred dollars and the highest bidder only bid one hundred ninety dollars, the seller would have the choice of selling the car for the one hundred ninety dollar bid or refusing the sale and relisting the car thru another car auction site.
There are a few things to consider before bidding on car auction sites as well. One major consideration is the location of the vehicle and the cost and method of shipping. The automobiles sold on car auction sites are located around the globe so pay close attention to where the car is located before bidding because all bids are considered final and legally binding as contracts and if you win the bid you will be expected to fulfill your contractual obligations towards the purchase.
Another consideration before bidding on car auction sites is the reputation of the seller offering the vehicle you are looking at. Car auction sites such as Ebay Motors have a great way of making sure you know the sellers reputation. Every buyer and seller on Ebay has a rating. It is generally considered a very good practice to buy from sellers who have high ratings and good feedback. This helps to insure that your experience with car auction sites will be a pleasant one.
Author: Mark Lindsay
http://www.articlesbase.com/autos-articles/finding-your-best-deal-by-using-car-auction-sites-107911.html
Read more!
How Do Car Auction Sites Work?
If you want to avail yourself of this great money saving opportunity, it may prove helpful to learn a bit about car auction sites first. Car auction sites offer a wide range of vehicle choices due to their very nature. The automobiles being auctioned are usually placed up for bid by individuals or small auto dealerships so prices can range from the no reserve car auction to items that have a preset price or at least some reserve on the car where the seller has the right to refuse to sell unless the price goes higher than his stated reserve price. Thus if a seller put a vehicle on an car auction site with a reserve of two hundred dollars and the highest bidder only bid one hundred ninety dollars, the seller would have the choice of selling the car for the one hundred ninety dollar bid or refusing the sale and relisting the car thru another car auction site.
There are a few things to consider before bidding on car auction sites as well. One major consideration is the location of the vehicle and the cost and method of shipping. The automobiles sold on car auction sites are located around the globe so pay close attention to where the car is located before bidding because all bids are considered final and legally binding as contracts and if you win the bid you will be expected to fulfill your contractual obligations towards the purchase.
Another consideration before bidding on car auction sites is the reputation of the seller offering the vehicle you are looking at. Car auction sites such as Ebay Motors have a great way of making sure you know the sellers reputation. Every buyer and seller on Ebay has a rating. It is generally considered a very good practice to buy from sellers who have high ratings and good feedback. This helps to insure that your experience with car auction sites will be a pleasant one.
Author: Mark Lindsay
http://www.articlesbase.com/autos-articles/finding-your-best-deal-by-using-car-auction-sites-107911.html
Read more!
A Few Words About Car Dealer Auctions
A Few Words About Car Dealer Auctions
Car dealer auctions are becoming quite popular today. They are a great venue for the average citizen to be able to find a good car at a very reasonable price. Car dealer auctions are also a very useful service for small used car sales operations as they can keep a constantly replenished stock of used automobiles that are often in very good quality or require a minimal amount of repairs to make them an easy sale to the car shopping public. Many dealerships will also make use car dealer auctions as a way of rotating their stock by auctioning off the cars that have been on their lot for an extended period of time and then buying new cars from the incurred profits.
Where Does One Find Car dealer auctions?
Car dealer auctions are a very easy thing to locate with the great wealth of information that surrounds us. Many times the local newspaper will have several listings for various car dealer auctions around the area. Just pick up the local paper and give it a good looking over, especially in the classified advertisements section and you will likely find a car dealer auction near your hometown. Special times of year, such as the holiday season or income tax return time, seem to bring car dealer auctions out of the woodwork as they try to boost sales for the year.
With the easy access to the Internet these days, why not take a peek at your favorite search engines result for car dealer auctions? With the popularity and ease of email, many car dealerships even offer an online auction and thus, many times, the search will lead to car dealer auctions that you can participate in with never leaving your home. Imagine sitting at your desk and buying a car while watching cartoons with your kid. Can you imagine any more efficient version of multitasking?
If none of these options strike your fancy, you could always ask around to find your local venue of car dealer auctions. The local new car dealerships can usually tell you if they plan on hosting any car dealer auctions in your area. After all, they really don't want to lose your business to someone else and every person attending car dealer auctions is a potential sale and profit for the dealership.
In closing, get out do some checking and you will find car dealer auctions near your home town. With just a small investment of time and research looking for car dealer auctions, you could save yourself a lot of money and find just the car you are looking for.
Author: Mark Lindsay
http://www.articlesbase.com/autos-articles/a-few-words-about-car-dealer-auctions-107949.html
Read more!
Where Does One Find Car dealer auctions?
Car dealer auctions are a very easy thing to locate with the great wealth of information that surrounds us. Many times the local newspaper will have several listings for various car dealer auctions around the area. Just pick up the local paper and give it a good looking over, especially in the classified advertisements section and you will likely find a car dealer auction near your hometown. Special times of year, such as the holiday season or income tax return time, seem to bring car dealer auctions out of the woodwork as they try to boost sales for the year.
With the easy access to the Internet these days, why not take a peek at your favorite search engines result for car dealer auctions? With the popularity and ease of email, many car dealerships even offer an online auction and thus, many times, the search will lead to car dealer auctions that you can participate in with never leaving your home. Imagine sitting at your desk and buying a car while watching cartoons with your kid. Can you imagine any more efficient version of multitasking?
If none of these options strike your fancy, you could always ask around to find your local venue of car dealer auctions. The local new car dealerships can usually tell you if they plan on hosting any car dealer auctions in your area. After all, they really don't want to lose your business to someone else and every person attending car dealer auctions is a potential sale and profit for the dealership.
In closing, get out do some checking and you will find car dealer auctions near your home town. With just a small investment of time and research looking for car dealer auctions, you could save yourself a lot of money and find just the car you are looking for.
Author: Mark Lindsay
http://www.articlesbase.com/autos-articles/a-few-words-about-car-dealer-auctions-107949.html
Read more!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Super Supercar: Mercedes-Benz releases more details on its SLR 722 Edition
Super Supercar: Mercedes-Benz releases more details on its SLR 722 Edition
It seems like enough is never enough for Mercedes-Benz these days. Case in point: the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition. The German automaker has made some 300 modifications to the base SLR McLaren, an already amazing car in its own right, in an effort to produce an even badder machine - a super supercar, if you will.
Mercedes says it is targeting the SLR 722 (the vehicle was first unveiled last summer with the automaker recently holding a premier for it in Dubai) towards the true car aficionado who appreciates and collects fine automobiles. It's aimed at not merely the ultra wealthy, but someone who understands Mercedes and its history. In a culture where even Paris Hilton is regularly seen at the wheel of a standard-issue SLR, the 722 helps separate the true megabucks enthusiasts from the Hollywood poseurs.
It all starts with the name. You can bet Paris wouldn't have a clue what 722 means, but she can be forgiven, you'd have to be a Benz historian to really know. The 722 designation is gleamed from Mercedes-Benz's historic 1955 Mille Migila victory with legendary British driver Stirling Moss and navigator/journalist Dennis Jenkinson in the cockpit of a 300 SLR. That year's now fabled Italian road race was won due to a combination of the sheer competence of the 300 SLR, the driving prowess of Moss, and the famous "toilet paper roll" navigation aid that "Jenks" invented and relied on to read his detailed notes on each twist, turn, and dip of the course. The 300 SLR wore the race number 722 because 7:22 a.m. was the team's assigned starting time.
But enough history. What exactly is improved on the SLR 722 Edition over the standard model? Well, virtually everything, and now we know all the details. The hand-built by AMG 5.5-liter V-8, with 650 horsepower on tap, features all aluminum construction, special cylinder wall liners, lightweight forged connecting rods and pistons, oil injection, a revised twin-screw supercharger and dry sump lubrication. The car's five-speed transmission has been programmed to optimize throttle characteristics for quicker shifts. The changes have lowered the 0-62 mph run to 3.6 seconds (versus 3.8 for the standard version) and heightened top speed to just north of 209 mph.
The suspension features extensive use of forged aluminum to add strength and reduce unsprung weight (the SLR 722 Edition is approximately 97 lbs lighter than the base SLR). The spring and damping rates were adjusted through testing on the road, track, and in the McLaren Formula One facilities in Woking, England. The result is a stiffer suspension that lowers the car 10mm over the standard model and reduces body roll by an impressive 20 percent. Poking out from behind the lightweight 19-inch forged aluminum wheels are massive 390 mm carbon ceramic brake discs developed by Brembo.
Perhaps most impressive is the amount of effort expended on making the SLR 722 Edition more aerodynamically efficient than its predecessor. Indeed, Mercedes claims that approximately 100 hours were spent in the wind tunnel developing a carbon fiber front splitter that increases downforce on the front axle by 128 percent, while reducing the drag coefficient. At the rear, small carbon wheel spoilers clean up the airflow around the rear axle, also generating downforce. Under heavy braking, an airbrake rises into the airflow to create additional rear downforce and aid in directional stability.
The interior too has been given the once over by Mercedes-Benz, resulting in leather and Alcantara upholstered seats, doors, and roof with contrasting "300 SL red" stitching. The steering wheel, handbrake lever and shift knob are covered in suede, carbon fiber is prevalent, the shift levers are now aluminum, and the number 722 has been embossed on the headrests and seatbelts. Even the instrument cluster has been redesigned with round gauges, a red background, and the addition of the AMG Racetimer function on the digital display.
Outside, a special crystal antimony grey paint finish is available to mimic the original 300 SLR's unique color and carbon fiber is not painted, but finished in clearcoat to allow the intricate weave to remain visible in reflection of the car's Formula One heritage.
Mercedes-Benz says that only 150 examples will be hand-constructed, making it more exclusive than the Ferrari Enzo. At last report, the 722, which has been available for sale in Europe since late last summer, was not heading across the pond.
Via mtt
Read more!
It seems like enough is never enough for Mercedes-Benz these days. Case in point: the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition. The German automaker has made some 300 modifications to the base SLR McLaren, an already amazing car in its own right, in an effort to produce an even badder machine - a super supercar, if you will.
Mercedes says it is targeting the SLR 722 (the vehicle was first unveiled last summer with the automaker recently holding a premier for it in Dubai) towards the true car aficionado who appreciates and collects fine automobiles. It's aimed at not merely the ultra wealthy, but someone who understands Mercedes and its history. In a culture where even Paris Hilton is regularly seen at the wheel of a standard-issue SLR, the 722 helps separate the true megabucks enthusiasts from the Hollywood poseurs.
It all starts with the name. You can bet Paris wouldn't have a clue what 722 means, but she can be forgiven, you'd have to be a Benz historian to really know. The 722 designation is gleamed from Mercedes-Benz's historic 1955 Mille Migila victory with legendary British driver Stirling Moss and navigator/journalist Dennis Jenkinson in the cockpit of a 300 SLR. That year's now fabled Italian road race was won due to a combination of the sheer competence of the 300 SLR, the driving prowess of Moss, and the famous "toilet paper roll" navigation aid that "Jenks" invented and relied on to read his detailed notes on each twist, turn, and dip of the course. The 300 SLR wore the race number 722 because 7:22 a.m. was the team's assigned starting time.
But enough history. What exactly is improved on the SLR 722 Edition over the standard model? Well, virtually everything, and now we know all the details. The hand-built by AMG 5.5-liter V-8, with 650 horsepower on tap, features all aluminum construction, special cylinder wall liners, lightweight forged connecting rods and pistons, oil injection, a revised twin-screw supercharger and dry sump lubrication. The car's five-speed transmission has been programmed to optimize throttle characteristics for quicker shifts. The changes have lowered the 0-62 mph run to 3.6 seconds (versus 3.8 for the standard version) and heightened top speed to just north of 209 mph.
The suspension features extensive use of forged aluminum to add strength and reduce unsprung weight (the SLR 722 Edition is approximately 97 lbs lighter than the base SLR). The spring and damping rates were adjusted through testing on the road, track, and in the McLaren Formula One facilities in Woking, England. The result is a stiffer suspension that lowers the car 10mm over the standard model and reduces body roll by an impressive 20 percent. Poking out from behind the lightweight 19-inch forged aluminum wheels are massive 390 mm carbon ceramic brake discs developed by Brembo.
Perhaps most impressive is the amount of effort expended on making the SLR 722 Edition more aerodynamically efficient than its predecessor. Indeed, Mercedes claims that approximately 100 hours were spent in the wind tunnel developing a carbon fiber front splitter that increases downforce on the front axle by 128 percent, while reducing the drag coefficient. At the rear, small carbon wheel spoilers clean up the airflow around the rear axle, also generating downforce. Under heavy braking, an airbrake rises into the airflow to create additional rear downforce and aid in directional stability.
The interior too has been given the once over by Mercedes-Benz, resulting in leather and Alcantara upholstered seats, doors, and roof with contrasting "300 SL red" stitching. The steering wheel, handbrake lever and shift knob are covered in suede, carbon fiber is prevalent, the shift levers are now aluminum, and the number 722 has been embossed on the headrests and seatbelts. Even the instrument cluster has been redesigned with round gauges, a red background, and the addition of the AMG Racetimer function on the digital display.
Outside, a special crystal antimony grey paint finish is available to mimic the original 300 SLR's unique color and carbon fiber is not painted, but finished in clearcoat to allow the intricate weave to remain visible in reflection of the car's Formula One heritage.
Mercedes-Benz says that only 150 examples will be hand-constructed, making it more exclusive than the Ferrari Enzo. At last report, the 722, which has been available for sale in Europe since late last summer, was not heading across the pond.
Via mtt
Read more!
'67 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2
'67 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2
Kathy and I made it home safely after an 18 hour drive out of ElPaso. Arrived 1 AM today and I still got to work in time for the poker game.
Jack (Flash) Gordon, our truck and trailer chauffer, didn't fare so well since he was a couple hours behind us, got caught in the storm and is still in Texas somewhere. He took the Shelby out to Russo & Steele, and he's bringing this back. Oh well. We had a great time, Drew and John treated us well and we're home safe but poorer.
Pat, Rich and Darren are still in school at Bondurant, and learning things they never new about cars. It's about time. We'll see if there really is a difference once they return.
I'll try to edit a synopsis of the week in the next couple of days for those who were not there and I promise you it's a lot more that what you saw on Speed Channel.
Via cli
Read more!
Kathy and I made it home safely after an 18 hour drive out of ElPaso. Arrived 1 AM today and I still got to work in time for the poker game.
Jack (Flash) Gordon, our truck and trailer chauffer, didn't fare so well since he was a couple hours behind us, got caught in the storm and is still in Texas somewhere. He took the Shelby out to Russo & Steele, and he's bringing this back. Oh well. We had a great time, Drew and John treated us well and we're home safe but poorer.
Pat, Rich and Darren are still in school at Bondurant, and learning things they never new about cars. It's about time. We'll see if there really is a difference once they return.
I'll try to edit a synopsis of the week in the next couple of days for those who were not there and I promise you it's a lot more that what you saw on Speed Channel.
Via cli
Read more!
