Archive for May, 2011
The First True Production Model Porsche – The Porsche 356
Even though the Porsche 64 is considered by many to be the first car produced by the company it was really only a test car and was never built as a production automobile in fact only three were built. The 364 was built by Ferdinand and Ferry Porsche after design by Erwin Komenda while getting its engine modeled after the VW Beetle.
The 356 was offered in the beginning as a coupe a cabriolet and a roadster and before being taken off the market in 1965 it underwent several modifications. The models that were the most wanted were the Super 90 the Speedster and the 356 Carrera which often fetches over 150000 now. The original selling price for a Porsche in the latter 1950′s was only 4000.
Max Hoffman was the only Porsche importer in the United States back then and wanted a lower priced speedy version to market to Americans. So in 1954 the company manufactured the 356 Speedster with a removable windshield bucket seats and a very basic folding top. The Speedster production peaked at 1171 cars in 1957 and was replaced in 1959 by the Convertible model D which featured a taller and more practical windshield as well as more comfortable seating.
The original 356 was featured in many Hollywood films and now brings over 100000 at auto specialty auctions and through private dealers if you are lucky enough to find one.
Even though minor modifications were made to it the basic shape of the Porsche 356 stayed unchanged and its signature look was easily distinguished from others. The coupe and cabriolet editions were made each year until 1965 but the last 356 Roadster was made two years earlier.
In 1964 when Porsche introduced the popular 911 356 vehicle production was at 14151 and the company offered the 356 through 1965 as a lower cost alternative to the more pricey 911 which was twice that of the 356. Due to the complaining of customers that the price of the 911 was too high the company came out with the 912 which featured the cheaper engine of the 356 and it was sold until 1969.
Currently the Porsche 356 is a desirable and respected collector classic and was named on the top 10 list of the best sports cars of the 1960′s by Sports Car International. Today thousands of Porsche 356 owners carry on the tradition with well preserved vehicles that are driven on a regular basis.
About the writer: This article is written by Anna josephs writer of the website Best Cheap Used Car. This article is published only for the educational and information purpose.
Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive Scooter
Filtering through peakhour traffic on a Suzuki Burgman is akin to using a 20kg sledgehammer on a drawing pin neither is suitable for the job although theyll both complete the task.
But unlike the 20kg sledgehammer the 2008 Burgman 650 Executive has folding mirrors to make its design brief a little easier not the normal swivelling motorcycle items but ones that swing in electronically with the touch of a button. A gimmick? Initially I thought so but they actually do work.
There are plenty of other buttons to press on the Burgmans switchblocks too with the big Burger possessing an electronic sixspeed manual shift in addition to automatic operation activated by pushing buttons on the left switchblock. Its similar in operation to the electronic sequential shift found on expensive sports cars.
But the buttons dont stop there. Theres also a power mode button plus another button for raising and lowering the electrically adjustable screen. Yes buttons aplenty. But the Burgman isnt your normal everyday scooter.
Suzukis maxiscoot is really a touring motorcycle in disguise and in its latest Executive guise it has more features than ever before. For 2008 it gets ABS as standard a pillion backrest and an immobiliser system all for the same 12990 price as the 2007 model oh and those folding mirrors.
The Burgman is undeniably the king of the maxiscoots a point driven home at last years Dumb Dumber winter soire when a number of maxiscoots were unleashed in Australias high country.
The Suzi loves the open road and pampers the rider with unrivalled weather protection a luxurious saddle and a humungous 56 litres of underseat storage. There are also three goodsized compartments in the fairing plus it has excellent highspeed stability and the onboard computer keeps the rider abreast of fuel consumption 5.7L/100km around the suburbs and 5L/100km on the open road. With a 15litre tank this gives a range of 280km.
The Burgmans got the biggest engine in the maxiscooter category at 638cc the bulkiest bodywork the most kilos the most legroom the greatest number of tech features and the most buttons.
Speaking of buttons I cant really see any advantage in manual shifting as the Suzuki Electronically Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission SECCVT allows the Burgman to win most trafficlight drags. Set and forget is fine by me.
Theres a surprising amount of automatic engine braking on offer at slower speeds via the SECCVT such as when approaching traffic lights. Its a bit too strong for my liking but I soon learned to adapt.
Suzuki accessories for the Burgman include a Zumo 550 GPS for 1399 soft cylindrical tailbag for 139 an optional screen for 229 and a chrome front panel for 237.11 worth of extra bling.
The added bonus with the 2008 incarnation is that those gimmicky mirrors can be folded in for improved aerodynamics in any trafficlight drag then folded out 400 metres later to see the shocked look on the face of the HSV driver as you leave him/her eating Executive dust. Priceless.
About the writer: Having decided to take an indefinite career break Hugh is touring Australia in his ute and paying his way by writing freelance.
Stay Up To Date With Your Motor Insurance Policy So You Do Not Lose Out
Motorist are being urged to regularly check what their insurance policy offers so they can take advantage of all the benefits on offer and do not end up spending more than they should be.
Fully comprehensive policies offer a number of additional benefits on top of the things it already covers. Not only does this policy offer all the opportunities of third party and third party fire and theft cover as well as protection against loss or damage to the vehicle caused by someone else and cover for personal belongings that are stolen or damaged whilst locked in your car it offers additional benefits too.
However some benefits come at an added cost including adding a named driver to the policy and open driving which allows anyone to be insured when driving the vehicle with the prior consent of the policyholder.
No claims discount protection against fire and theft or for all claims can also be added but people may choose to opt for the stepback bonus protection scheme instead. This means that if a driver makes a claim for loss or damage of the vehicle they will only lose a part of the discount for example 20 per cent instead of the full amount.
It is also necessary that motorists consider the excess and is a clause included in most motor insurance policies. This means the policyholder has to pay the first portion of any loss or damage which is usually up to a few hundred euros.
Policyholders are unable to claim for amounts less than the excess. The higher the excess the lower the insurance premium should be so it is important motorists decide which is more important to them.
Other tips to remember are whether you have a full or provisional licence; it will affect the cost of premiums as will age and gender. The number of years you have been driving and any motoring convictions or penalty points are also taken into account and will increase the cost.
Another thing to remember is if you are switching your policy to a new insurer make sure you can transfer your no claims discount with you so you are not starting again from scratch.
If you possess a full five year no claims discount it can help to cut your premium by as much as 50 per cent.
About the writer: Rochelle Martinez Freelance Web Content Article Writer for three years. Some of her articles are about car insurance.