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:: When it comes to customizing your car, there are going to be numerous options to choose from. As a matter of fact, you are going to find that you can really do anything at all to your car, as long as it is within regulation. This means that you are going to want to do some research before you make any big adjustments.
The reason behind you customizing your car is to make it unique. You want to make your car your own because when you drive down the street, you don’t want to be lost in the crowd. On the contrary, you want to make sure that you have a special ride that expresses your own personality, so an easy way to do this is with custom made number plates.
When you are deciding on number plates, you are going to want to think about the numbers you would like, as well as the design. If you are continually customising your car, you will want to be sure that you choose the design of your plates after making some larger decisions about the colour and style of your vehicle. An important decision with regard to numbers and design is to make sure that they express your personality in the way you want because this is your car after all, therefore you will want to be sure that you appreciate the style and design, so don’t just choose something that is popular because these are just trends and will disappear in time. Instead, you want to find something that is unique to you.
When you are shopping around online for a company to make your number plates, you will more than likely find that there are a number of scam artists out there. You will probably realise a lot of companies are going to offer ‘too good to be true’ deals and free goods, but you really have to be cautious with companies like this for the simple reason that they often give away free offers because they are usually hiding the poor quality of their plates. Instead, you want to be sure that the number one priority of the company you choose is not to impress you, but to ensure you leave a satisfied customer.
In other words, when you are shopping online for number plates, ensure that the website where you place your order is concerned with quality, are prepared to do the job to your total satisfaction, and that they are not going to try to make you save money or offer free gifts when you could end up with plates you’re not going to like. You need to be sure that you get exactly what you have in mind, an important aspect of any contract, especially when you are shopping for plates online.
Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Graham-Baylis-2897/number-156559.php
:: Do you ever wonder how you can get white teeth? Or how celebrities have those ideal smile? Now as I researched on having these ideal white teeth, I encountered a term, bleaching. I thought bleaching was just for creating clothes white or for laundry, but I was wrong. Bleaching is really a technique for the teeth to turn out to be whitened via its natural color; nevertheless, the other term whitening means it’s how we whiten teeth by taking off dirt and debris. Bleaching is really a chemical utilized to whiten things, as mentioned on the above. But no matter what term a person use, it still means the same thing, having white and perfect teeth.
When we talk about bleaching and whitening it comes to our mind that both words are various in some way, but both techniques are somehow alike, both uses the exact same ingredients and also the exact same procedure. The procedure is known as oxidation. This procedure removes stains into tiny bits of particles that are simple enough to clean the hive on the enamel. Dental bleaching is typical within the field of dentistry. This procedure is essential to us because it can eliminate stains coming from cigars, food along with other pigments. We can usually search for the proper bleaching technique in the web, but nothing beats the traditional bleaching gel and toothbrushes. Now the very best way to clean those teeth would be the proper toothbrush.
There are kinds of toothbrushes nowadays, the manual toothbrush, the rechargeable toothbrush, the sonic, the chewable and the children’s toothbrush. The most preferred would be the manual toothbrush because it’s affordable. The best one that I can suggest would be the sonic, which is the most latest and recent kind of toothbrush. Now having the right bleaching paste or gel, I’m sure you’ll get those white teeth you’ve wanted.
Now there are different types of rechargeable and sonic brushes in the market, I’ll give you an overview of some of these brushes and their advantages and disadvantages.
Braun Oral-B Professional Care 3000 – this is really a rechargeable toothbrush. It has 3 modes which will assist give you get those natural white teeth; the daily clean, sensitive and polish mode. Generally for this tooth brush you are able to get those teeth cleaned in 3 weeks and it also removes plaque. The components of this brush has charging stand, 2 brush heads, 1 sensitive brush head and 1 pro bright brush head. Disadvantage, it’s really pricey.
Philips Sonicare Flexcare- this is really a rechargeable toothbrush. This brush has a programing mode where you set the time. It gives a clean brush for your teeth, you will find 3 modes and 2 routines obtainable and is simple to use. There’s also an indicator that tells you if it needs to be recharged. It has a travelling pouch and has UV sanitizer to kill any germs that lives on the brush head. Disadvantage, it can feel ticklish and it’s pricey too.
Oral-B Pulsonic S15 Slim Sonic- this is a rechargeable toothbrush but the style looks manual. This has 2 modes in cleaning the teeth and has a timer feature. It can also remove stains. This brush comes with 2 Pulsonic heads which would mean you can easily interchange the head any time.
Braun Oral-B Triumph 5000- this is a rechargeable brush that has platinum rating from the British Dental Health Foundation. This brush has 5 modes and has an improved base for easier grip. It also has a feature called SmartGuide where it communicates wirelessly to a remote and displays how hard or soft you brush. This new feature SmartGuide gives you visual feedback on how you brushed, how long you brushed and the pressure you used when brushing. Disadvantage, it gives time for you to get used to it when you just switched from a manual brush.
Braun Oral-B Pulsonic SmartSeries- this is a rechargeable toothbrush with the SmartGuide feature as mentioned above. The brush also looks like a manual brush but this brush can naturally clean and whiten teeth by peeling off stains caused by food and cigars. This brush has a light indicator that would tell you if you’re brushing too hard. This brush has 5 modes to pick on and also has a 2 minute timer. Disadvantage, it has battery issues and the booklet that comes with it can be confusing. It’s a little bit pricey too.
In summary, I suggest getting these new sonic or rechargeable toothbrushes since it makes it easier for consumers to brush their teeth; it does all the cleaning automatically; it has pressure indicators; it thoroughly cleans and removes stains; it has different modes in effective cleaning ; it whitens teeth and does gum massage too. After 3 weeks of usage, you won’t stop smiling and laughing for having those dazzling and white teeth.
Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Andrew-Scherer-8708/bleaching-173217.php
The 2003 version of the Honda S2000 recently won a comparison test (" ," August 2003) among such leading lights as the Porsche Boxster, BMW Z4, Nissan 350Z Touring, and Audi TT roadster. In case you hadn’t noticed, some of those cars are newer than the Honda is.
We have more bad news for those guys. There’s a revised S2000 coming their way as a 2004 model, and it features a ton of improvements designed to neutralize the few criticisms we had about the old car.
Chief among these are changes to the engine to make the S2000 more flexible at low- and midrange revs without dulling the tumultuous rush at motorcycle-engine speeds that is this car’s trademark. Honda did this by increasing the stroke by 6.7 millimeters, thereby bumping displacement from 1997 to 2157cc.
Both VTEC cam profiles were reconfigured, the compression ratio was raised a 10th (to 11.1:1), and the redline was dropped from a strident 8900 rpm to a merely maniacal 8000 rpm. The redline illuminates as a shifter light on the tidy new instrument cluster and then allows another 200 rpm before shutting off the fun.
The result is the same peak output of 240 horsepower, but developed now at 7800 rpm instead of 8300 rpm, and a stronger torque supply that starts and peaks earlier, with 162 pound-feet at 6500 rpm instead of 153 at 7500. Sure, the longer stroke dictated the lower redline, but piston speeds are actually lower in the new car at redline than in the old one. The ’03′s pistons whiz at 4906 feet per minute at 8900 rpm, whereas the ’04′s slugs rip along at just 4761 feet per minute at 8000 rpm.
With the same horsepower, the ’04 car runs similar 0-to-60-mph and quarter-mile times but aces the ’03 model in the 30-to-50-mph and 50-to-70-mph top-gear passes, running 8.8 seconds versus 9.9 and 7.9 seconds versus 9.4, respectively. That’s quite remarkable, particularly since sixth gear in the new S2000 is actually now two percent higher. (First through fourth are four percent lower, for better acceleration, with fifth just one percent lower.)
Along with the gearing revisions is a change to carbon-composite synchronizers, allowing the use of double-cone rings where there were triples, and singles where there were doubles, lightening engagements and smoothing the whole process. It was a pretty magnificent gearbox before, so you can imagine how slick it is now. Think snick-snick with a dab of Vaseline.
Because certain owners had discovered inappropriate vehicle rotation at the point of disappearing talent, Honda set about revising the chassis for better at-the-limit stability and more progressive breakaway characteristics. The front suspension wears stiffer springs and retuned shocks, and the rear axle gets softer springs and a smaller anti-roll bar, along with reduced bump-steer responses and a lower roll center.
We didn’t think there was much wrong with the previous car’s handling, but this one got around the Bragg-Smith racetrack at Pahrump, Nevada, at least as quickly as its ’03 forebear, and with a pleasing lack of body roll or power oversteer to boot. (New readers note: That’s when your right foot mysteriously steers the rear axle.)
Larger 17-inch wheels with bigger-cross-section, lower-profile tires aid the new suspension setup. They’re Bridgestone Potenza RE050s: 45-series 215s in front, 40-series 245s out back; and if you’re squealing these tires out on the public road, well, you should be grateful for the new, stable chassis. We couldn’t run skidpad tests because our usual venue had just been resealed with shiny, slippery black goop, but we’d guess a 10th or two up on the ’03 model’s already respectable 0.92 g.
Honda’s latest S2000 carries too many changes and upgrades to mention here, but they include revised front and rear styling and light treatments; new interior design with scalloped door panels for better passenger space and a new console with two cup holders; optional XM satellite radio and headrest speakers; body rigidity enhancements; oval exhaust tips; new noise- and vibration-quelling engine mounts and suspension bushings; and a silver-color audio-system cover.
Best of all, though, is the fact that you can now cruise the freeway in sixth gear and cut a swath through the antidestination leaguers without even downshifting, at about the same price as before.
How cool is that?
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/03q4/honda_s2000-short_take_road_test
When Toyota moved upmarket in 1989, it created a whole new luxury-car division. We all know the result of this ambitious move: Lexus is now the bestselling luxury automaker in the United States, one with real cachet.
So when Hyundai decided to demonstrate its newfound self-confidence with the introduction of the Genesis in 2008, we wondered if the Korean automaker would do a Lexus. Or
could . After all, the Hyundai brand does come with some flimsy baggage, which was hardly the case with Toyota in ’89. The first car Hyundai exported to the U.S., in 1986, was the Excel (sedan and hatchback). Its strong suit was its cheapness, an approach that came back to haunt the company when the appalling quality of its cars became apparent.
Until very recently, Hyundai was still regarded as a cheaper alternative to the likes of Honda, Mazda, and Toyota. What first changed that perception was the
, which vaulted Hyundai from being a last-place player in mid-size-sedan comparison tests to a midpack player.
Hyundai (and sister company Kia) has upped its game significantly since then, spending lavishly on better interiors and powertrains, lagging behind now only on driving dynamics, if anything. Even so, it is still a surprise that the Genesis wears standard, run-of-the-mill Hyundai badges rather than a new badge that befits its step up in luxury.
Just as we did with the LS400 in the first year Lexus began its line of luxury cars, we decided to subject the Hyundai to more than the usual length of our long-term test to evaluate the seriousness of its ambitions. In the case of the LS400, we doubled the then-standard 30,000-mile test to 60,000 miles. With the Genesis, we have decided to publish this 40,000-mile progress report, then follow up with a final summary at 100,000 miles, when Hyundai’s generous powertrain warranty expires. (Well, that 10-year or 100,000-mile warranty applies to the original owner. If the car is sold, it’s five years or 60,000 miles.)
Just like that first LS400, the Genesis offers a lot of car for the money. Powered by a brand-new 4.6-liter V-8 and riding on a new rear-drive platform, the Genesis offers horsepower and interior space that rival vaunted machinery from the likes of Mercedes, BMW, and, yes, Lexus, at a base price that’s considerably lower. Our 375-hp Genesis makes only seven fewer horses than the Mercedes-Benz S550, but its current base price of $40,300 undercuts that of the S-class by $52,175. It is $25,955 cheaper than the Lexus LS460, offers more interior volume, and has just five fewer horsepower.
Our test car arrived with the $4000 Technology package added to an already sybaritic list of features that includes full leather trim on the seats, the doors, and the dashboard. The package offers a rear backup camera, HID headlights, a cooled driver’s seat, navigation, and a 17-speaker Lexicon surround-sound system that is an improvement over the standard 14-speaker deal. This ran the price to $42,000, which has since risen to $43,800 for a Genesis
optioned this way.
It’s clearly a real value, and it looks handsome and understated. But how much luxury-car credibility does the Genesis have, lacking, as it does, things such as a three-pointed-star hood ornament or a kidney-style grille?
According to some in the Car and Driver nerve center, this Hyundai doesn’t have much in common with the princely Germans. Some initial comments in the logbook were scathing, referring to the buttons and switches as “definitely bargain-basement.” A well-known believer in the quality of German cars (Quiroga) said that the steering-wheel-mounted buttons had “something cheap about them.” He went on to say, “This [car] is a dumber idea than the
—and at least the Phaeton was a great car and a great basis for a Bentley.”
Nonetheless, anyone who in fact spent a lot of seat time in the Genesis warmed to it. The engine is terrific: smooth, powerful, always eager to please. With a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.3 seconds and the ability to run the quarter-mile in 13.8 seconds at 104 mph, the Genesis is quicker than both the S550 and the LS460. This is Hyundai’s first-ever V-8, and it seems almost miraculous how well it measures up—from a standpoint of power output and its noise, vibration, and harshness levels—to its more exalted rivals. Had GM or Ford turned out an engine this good on their first attempts, we’d have proclaimed those companies worldbeaters. However, there were complaints about the throttle tip-in being too abrupt.
The interior is comfortable and cosseting and remarkably spacious. This writer schlepped his family of four across country with seemingly everything on board except a 50-inch plasma TV, and there was hardly a complaint from the back-seat riders. (Well, except to ask when we were going to arrive at our destination, to which the universal answer remains, “When we get there.”) Our VW Phaeton lover later wrote: “Growing on me. Comfortable, quiet, reasonably refined. A nice Lexus clone.”
The electronic gizmos work very well. The rotary control for the navigation, audio, and Bluetooth is easier to operate than some of the systems from German automakers, although there were gripes about the iPod interface and the way that the navigation system demands a street name before one can enter the city.
A more fundamental problem is the car’s ride quality. The Genesis handles decently—if you haven’t been exposed to German luxury cars. But the trade-off for decent body control and steering—it bests what’s offered by Lincoln and Buick—is impact harshness that borders on the unacceptable, especially on Michigan’s frost-heaved roads.
Throughout its first 40,000 miles, the Genesis was generally reliable, suffering only two significant problems, neither of which left us stranded. The first was dealer-related. After the 15,000-mile service—a routine oil and filter change—the Genesis disgraced itself by soiling not one, but two pristine driveways with oil spills. A visit to a local dealer revealed a “faulty O-ring,” which we think was due to a technician forgetting to remove the O-ring from the cartridge-type filter housing and then adding a new one on top, which caused the filter body to not seal properly.
The other problem was the sound system twice going mysteriously silent. The first time was on my cross-country drive. I immediately called the Hyundai public-relations office—would you want to drive thousands of miles without a radio to drown out the rear-seat whining?—and was put in contact with a technician who talked me through the reboot process. Apparently the radio can get stuck in Bluetooth mode and refuse to play any audio. The same problem occurred later, at 26,467 miles.
Over this 40K run, the Genesis required attention every 7500 miles, or five routine services that cost a not-so-routine $605 in total, plus $856 for a new set of tires after 35,000 miles. That’s luxury-car money. (Remember our long-term ’09 Jaguar XF [
]? Its four services cost $667.) The Hyundai’s 15,000-mile service was the most expensive of the five, at $204. A word of warning: Our dealer obfuscated about service packages that may cost more on an a la carte basis than the maintenance recommended in the owner’s manual. Unusual for a
Car and Driver long-termer, and fulfilling the expectations of the luxury-car buyer, the only other charges were for swapping winter and summer tires. The Genesis averaged 21 mpg, which lines up with the EPA’s ratings of 17 mpg city and 25 highway.
After 40,000 miles, nothing had fallen off the Genesis, nothing serious had broken, and it hadn’t quit on us even once. The leather looked as if it had been subjected to 40,000 miles of hard use, but the cabin held up well nonetheless. A few creaks and groans could be heard inside over harsh impacts—otherwise, the car has fared well and still looks good.
So the Genesis isn’t a Mercedes and lacks the stellar ride, handling, and refinement of an S-class, but it’s a superior vehicle in the $40,000 bracket, making front-wheel-drive-architecture cars such as the Lincoln MKS and Cadillac DTS look like also-rans. Beware of any automotive pundit who tells you this Genesis is superior to a BMW 5-series, but keep in mind that it does provide plenty of features and ability for five figures less than a base 535i. The Genesis is a smart luxury buy, particularly at a time when conspicuous consumption is out. But we’re still not sure how many people will think of Hyundai as a luxury brand in the future, in the way that they do with Lexus right now.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/09q3/2009_hyundai_genesis_4.6-long-term_road_test_update
Introduction Ford and Chevrolet are the only U.S. companies that still build their own full-size vans—the
is a rebadged Mercedes-Benz van. Of the two domestic vans, the Chevrolet Express and its sister ship, the GMC Savana, are newer designs than are the
vans.
The GM vans drive like, well, vans, but they do offer a decent ride; subdued noise, vibration, and harshness; and a variety of excellent powertrain choices compared with the competition. Like the Ford E-series, the GM vans are available in a dizzying array of configurations from baseball-team hauler to delivery van to school bus. GM even offers cutaway (cab only) versions that can be converted to shuttle buses and recreational vehicles. Unlike the Ford vans, the GM vans can be had with all-wheel drive in a regular-duty passenger version. Three different versions from regular duty to heavy duty (regular-duty 1500, mid-level 2500, and heavy-duty 3500) are available in both cargo and passenger versions.
Chevrolet offers five gasoline engines in the Express and one diesel engine. The base engine in nonpassenger Express vans is a 4.3-liter V-6 with 190 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Two versions of a 4.8-liter V-8 are also exclusive to the commercial set—one with 258 horsepower and another with 279 horsepower. Regular-duty (1500 series) passenger-hauling Expresses get a 5.3-liter V-8 (also available on cargo vans) with 301 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. A 6.0-liter V-8 with 323 horsepower and 373 pound-feet of torque is standard in 3500-series heavy-duty passenger vans and optional on cargo versions. Heavy-duty cargo vans can also be equipped with a 6.6-liter turbo-diesel V-8 with 250 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.
The only major competitors to the Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana are the Sprinter and the E-series.
Verdict The Express and the Savana stand out in the full-size-van segment owing to the excellent powertrain choices, relative refinement, and available all-wheel drive. They offer a stupefying array of options in the commercial version. The passenger-hauling versions aren’t as intimidating to equip, and they stand apart from their competition thanks to a decent amount of refinement.
What’s New for 2008 For 2008, the big news is an all-new interior for the Express. The interior makeover includes a new steering wheel and new materials for the cloth seats, headlight switch, HVAC dials, radio, window switches, and instrument cluster. A revised passenger-side airbag is also new.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/08q2/2008_chevrolet_express_gmc_savana-review