Cars Lab

Archive for July, 2010

What Are The Choices When Looking For A Used Car

There are many different types of used Lexus that are on offer for a member of the public to buy. There are dealers across all of the UK that offer used Lexus at reasonable prices.

Considering Lexus is still a relatively new company there aren’t as many used Lexus as other car makes and this can sometimes still make it frustrating to find the Lexus that suits you. Many used dealers are offering cars from all the range in used deals.

These may include the following models:
GS 300 series GS 430 series IS series LS series RX series SC series.

This means that there is a wide range of cars to offer for the Lexus buyer and also for businesses and companies that are considering getting Lexus into their fleet of cars. With the increase of businesses using company cars there is a big market there at the moment.

With big car makers from Germany such as Audi BMW Mercedes and Jaguar Lexus have had stiff competition getting into the market but their bid to go green and use hybrid technology has opened many companies eyes. This influx of new Lexus business cars in their range has also improved the used market and many used car dealers are offering many of the IS and GS series which are in that market.

This means that a company that can’t afford a brand new fleet of cars can look to a used dealer for business type cars. And with Lexus showing off new technology in their cars with hybrid drive many businesses are choosing these to put in their fleet. Companies that can’t afford a new fleet of Lexus can go to a local used dealer and find many reasonably priced cars that are only a couple of years old.

This is because the new GS series are about 40000 pounds which is quite expensive compared to a BMW 3 series or Mercedes C class. But on the used market the price halves nearly with many of this series being priced at 25000 pounds. Based on prices of the relative 3 series BMW means that the GS series is very competitive and had a strong hold on the used car market.

With the hybrid drive and economical engines many businesses have chosen Lexus over the big German car makers due to their great fuel economy. This means that the company spends less money on the cars such as fuel and more on the business. Also because the new V8 engines fitted in the GS series are powerful there is no problem with cruising on the motorway or pulling away at lights as the V8 engine has a large amount of torque.

With Lexus reputation and popularity going up due to new technological advances it means that there are many more used Lexus on the market with many different engine choices as well as colour and model choices. This will suit the businesses that want these fuel efficient and hybrid cars in their fleet with the other big car makers from Germany and Britain as well as members of the public that just want to buy the car.

Due to Lexus growing everyday more and more Lexus will come onto the used market and in time there will be a great choice of all makes and models offering all the engine choices and colours.

About the writer:  Expert buyer Catherine Harvey talks to vehicle expert James Parker about what makes a used Lexus such a good deal.

Volvo Xc70: Redefining Crossover Formula

When the first XC model was introduced by Volvo it did not only etch immediate sales success it carved an entirely new auto segment. With the third generation of the crossover the Volvo XC70 intends to redefine the crossover formula by adding capability and more luxury features.

The allnew Volvo XC70 steps into the spotlight at the Geneva Motor Show with the original recipe intact yet refined by comprehensive changes inside out. In the said auto show the automaker proudly pulls the Volvo car cover off allnew XC70 to reveal new styling cues stirring technological applications and enhanced driving dynamics. The said fresh features increase the models ante to the next level.

The Volvo XC70 has retained its magnetic attraction. So far the current generation of the vehicle has reached around 40000 sales in its best year. “We had a winning concept from the very outset and we have continuously refined it” said Fredrik Arp the president and CEO of Volvo Car Corp. “The allnew XC70 maintains its tough capable attitude while at the same time growing more comfortable. Additionally our design team has given the vehicle a more elegant more luxurious look.”

Volvo armed with its 54year expertise in the manufacture of the wagon segment also introduces improved flexibility luxury and safety in allnew V70. “This segment has been our specialty ever since we invented it back in the 1950s” said Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp. “Our competitors can count on us remaining number one in the future too. In the allnew V70 rear passengers and luggage both ride in first class.”

Volvo is intends to unveil the allnew XC70 in China which is quickly expected to reach third place in the model’s sales statistics. “There is a considerable appetite for cars with pronounced attitude on the fastgrowing Chinese market. The Volvo XC90 is already very popular and we are convinced the allnew XC70 will play a significant role in our plans for continued fast sales growth in China” said Arp.

Arp added “Our successful XC range will soon be expanded with the new XC60. With three exciting XC models we will cover even more of the growing number of car buyers who want the very best of two worlds capable muscles and luxurious comfortable passengercar comfort. And it all began with the XC70 which has now become even more attractive than before.”

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive firm based in Detroit Mi. she is a native of the motor city and grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field.

Volvos New Design Direction Inspired By Barcelona

Barcelona a sophisticated and stylish city in Spain is more than just a tourist attraction. The warmth culture and feisty ambience of the city made every visitor long for a return. The Picasso Museum in honor of a famous artist could be influential to some especially to his fellow artists. Barcelonas elegance and artistic dexterity have attracted Volvos designers to come up with fabulous lineup that mirrors future auto design.

Barcelona is without doubt one of the most popular and exciting cities in the Mediterranean. It boasts enticing beaches rich history and culture that could be reckoned back over 2000 years. Everyone deserves to see the beauty and grandeur of this city. This is the inspiration that Volvo wants to achieve so the pool of design experts of the automaker imbibed the artistic and inspiring features of the city to its vehicle lineup.

David Ancona chief designer at Volvo’s Design Centre in Barcelona first visited the country in 1992 as a consultant with Seat. According to him Barcelona offers the kind of bustling pace diverse culture and nurturing of creativity that designers need to fuel their passion.

Ancona and his staff spend their days in an aweinspiring building in an astonishing city that takes design seriously from the architecture to the large limitedrun furniture industry to the mounting respect for its fashion industry and designers like the worldrenowned Balenciaga.

Ancona said It helps even when your employer is a couple of thousand miles away has a very different culture a different climate and a different aesthetic Swedish automaker Volvo. I was here both to visit the design centre and to try the new C30 a coupe Ancona describes as an “unapologetic” threedoor car.

Ancona thought the Mini and the A3 are beginning to suffer from overexposure perfectly positioning the Volvo C30. So there has to be something to divert the bandwagon and it has something to do with transforming the aging Volvo 960 parts into something fabulous in the present time.

The Volvos you see on the road are an amalgam of designs that originate here in California and in Goteborg Sweden. The original design interiors and colour for the company’s VCC concept originated here as did the first sketches for the C70. The front end came from here” Ancona divulged. “The rest just skewed too young” he added illustrating why it takes a village to raise a Volvo. “Designs always end up a blend. The senior managers all get together and do a walkaround looking very serious. We have been fairly successful the last couple of years. Part of our job is to supply management with enough things in the cookie jar that they can make a business case.”

Ancona admitted that the Barcelona office is “extremely influential. Our success has been in inverted proportion to our size. Ancona added The process starts with a designer searching for an emotional hook and hand drawing which to anyone with some life drawing background would look much like gesture sketches quick rough and spontaneous. They are exaggerated then we begin to bring it into realistic proportions.”

He continued From there a design is worked into Photoshop then goes to Alias modellers who work with the 3D design software. Then to Bunkspeed a visualization tool that takes an Alias model and assesses its proportions highlights etc. and is managed by a Playstation controller. Designers can use Bunkspeed which loads an Alias design in about 30 seconds to change colors virtually “drive” the vehicle change light sources to check out shadows etc. Before Bunkspeed it was ridiculous to me that within the industry visualization tools weren’t up to par with what you could do in your own living room.”

Among the three Volvo design studios in Barcelona is a “certain competitiveness but we’re all in the same game. The end product is the thing. We’ve all got enough confidence in senior management to make the right decision. You win some you lose some.” When asked whether Barcelonas influence is a liability the Volvo designer answered on the negative. “Particularly with prestige brands there is a strong brand identity and our designs have to have that. Our cars have that shortnose longtail feel of the S60 but we’re here to give our take on things so there has to be some leeway.” After a car design has passed design feasibility heavy engineering becomes crucial.

After the Volvo C30 is seen on the roads Ancona said Volvo may consider producing a sports car a la the RX8 or a sports car like the Volvo P1800. These future vehicles could just popped up out of nowhere.

About the writer:  Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive firm based in Detroit Mi. she is a native of the motor city and grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field.