Archive for July, 2010
Concept Cars: What Are They And Why Are They Popular?
In 1966 fanatics of comic superhero Batman were awed by the presence of the character’s legendary Batmobile in the Batman television series. That time people could not help but wonder whether the fancy car was actually existent. To the surprise of everyone the car was for real and was actually fully functioning. Alas the car was not marketed for mass production due to several limitations that include the overall design safety and feasibility.
The Batmobile was actually a Lincoln Futura designed and developed in 1954 by Ford Motor Company. The fancy and highly impressive car was in actuality a ‘concept car’. Many other concept cars had already been introduced prior to the popularity of the Batmobile. But the Lincoln Futura certainly paved the way for global car buyers to know more about the concept of such vehicles.
So what are concept cars? The special vehicles are prototypes of ideal cars that are showcased for public exhibition. For those who are not familiar with the traditions of the global car industry carmakers are constantly designing and making special cars to exhibit their ability and capacity to design and manufacture vehicles that would be highly useful and functional. Concept cars are conceptual in nature wherein car manufacturers work on their ideal and futuristic vehicle concept.
For so many times concept cars have prepared the market for the development and launch of similar car models. For example in the 1980s Porsche 989 was unveiled as a concept car that later on became the predecessor of a massproduced Porsche Panamera. In other cases concept cars highlighted special design and manufacturing situations like the case of the Volvo YCC a prototype designed in 2001 by a team comprising entirely of women car designers.
Usually concept automobiles remain just concepts. The vehicles normally do not go for mass production for several reasons. For one prototypes are made of exotic nontraditional and very expensive materials that making them for mass production would certainly be unfeasible. Some concept cars are made of materials that would never ever be useful for real cars like paper and carbon fiber. Another reason why concept automobiles remain just concepts is the fanciness and impracticality of designs and layouts. The original Batmobile for example could not be massproduced because driving the car would certainly be not effective and safe.
In traditional practice concept cars are unveiled to the market and are admired for their fanciness and freshness. But they will remain that way. Usually after the exhibition the cars are destroyed because they would not be useful. At times the car manufacturer would keep the concept car for public exhibition and museum purposes other than as a strategy to expand the list of company patents.
Concept cars most aficionados know are mostly not drivable. Although the cars might come complete with engines turbines and all other necessary car parts driving and operating them would always be nonfeasible. Mockups of fancy cars made up of clay fiberglass wax plastic and metals are also technically considered as concept cars.
People hope that in the future concept cars would be more than just concepts. These times some things do not remain impossible. More impressive cars are certainly lined up for the future and they need not be concept cars.
About the writer: Alex Baumm. As the modern global car industry continues to evolve car companies are expected to further embrace the advantage and usefulness of Concept Cars. Find more information on anything related to cars at our Car Forum.
Compare Your Car Insurance Quote
Before stepping into your car you need to ensure you have the relevant cover for your vehicle it is a legal requirement. Failing to do so can result in you stumping up a hefty fine points on your licence and in some cases you could face prosecution. With car insurance being compulsory for every driver it means there are thousands of policies out there which cost from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds.
With the car insurance market so big there are hundreds of companies offer the same type of cover for different prices so it is imperative to search around to find the cheapest quote out there. An average person could save up to a third of their cost by searching around.
You will need to be very careful when choosing the right cover as different policies cover different aspects of your situation. Some covers may not cover you if you drive your car at work or maybe if you drive another person’s car whilst others do.
Comparing quotes from the hundreds of car insurance providers out there can be a tedious task and information may be lost along the way. Comparison websites are a well known handy tool which enables you to search the main competitors resulting in you finding the cheapest most appropriate quote out there.
The results you obtain from comparison sites can be broken down so you can compare the entire quote against others making it less likely that you will be caught out.
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Compare car insurance quotes online to find the cheap car insurance quote for you. This is by far the most efficient method to save money on your car insurance.
Comfortable Travels Through Honda Shocks
Whenever your Honda vehicle goes over a hump you probably feel nothing more than a slight vibration. Dont be fooled; this doesnt mean that nothing else happens to your vehicle when it rides out a bump or pothole. When your Honda encounters a bump on the road springs compress under your Hondas weight to let the wheels move closer to your vehicles frame. After clearing the bump your car tends to bounce up and down due to the weight shift and the rebound of the springs. In your Honda however this bouncing effect is minimized by your Honda Shocks.
A Honda shock is a dampening structure that absorbs the released kinetic energy of the spring. After absorption Honda Shocks transform this energy into heat energy and gradually dissipates it through a hydraulic system. More than this a Honda shock is essential during acceleration deceleration and cornering because of its resistance to compression and rebound. For example when you accelerate weight is transferred to your Hondas rear. The rear wheels are pushed harder to the ground while the vehicles front end is nearly lifted off the road. In this case Honda shocks prevent your car from doing a backflip by resisting pressure in the vehicles rear while resisting the frames tendency to extend away from the front wheels. Honda Shocks also prevent your Honda vehicle from bouncing too much after clearing bumps and potholes. Without a Honda Shock your vehicles occupants are more likely to be uncomfortable on bumpy roads. You as the driver are also bound to have a hard time handling your Honda.
For regular motorists and offroad enthusiasts a Honda Shock ensures a smooth and comfortable ride over bumpy and rough terrain. For maximum driving comfort and ease replace any wornout or damaged shocks with new Honda shocks. If you are an avid racer you can even use adjustable aftermarket Honda shocks to finetune your suspension for optimal handling of corner entries and exits. Whatever your driving pleasure is you can enjoy it fully with Honda Shocks.
About the writer: Anthony Fontanelle is a 35yearold automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.
