Get a personalised car registration number

Having a personalised number plate may be one way to stand out from the crowd. If you are in the UK, I know the perfect place for you to find one. Northumbria Numbers carries a massive selection of private number plates on their site. Set up in 1995, the company specialises in private number plates.

Visit the site if you are looking ageless car registrations, prefix type registration numbers and current style number plates. Search on their database by typing in your name, initials, car make etc. I suggest you take a look at their bargain page as well, with genuine reductions on personalised number plates of up to 50%. The great news is that they will carry out all the transfer paperwork for you.

If you are interested in selling your private car number, they can also do that for you on a "no-sale, no-fee" commission basis. All you have to do is fill up a form on the site. Check out Northumbria Numbers for more information.

Fiat 500, Kia Cee’d and Peugeot 308 receives five stars in safety tests

The new Fiat 500 received five stars in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 35 points in a recent press release from Euro NCAP. Another car in the same supermini category - the Renault Twingo also did quite well, receiving a four-star result in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 28 points.

No child protection rating was available for the Twingo as there was not enough space to fit Renault’s recommended child restraints in the rear seats with the front seats set to Euro NCAP’s test position for adults.


The Kia Cee'd

Two cars in the small family car category also received Five stars in Adult Occupant Protection. The Kia Cee’d is the first Kia to receive 5 stars since Euro NCAP first tested this make of car in 2003. The Peugeot 308, received five stars in adult occupant protection and a higher result in pedestrian protection than the Kia Cee’d, with a three star score.

Click the following links for their full test results:

• Fiat 500
• Renault Twingo
• Kia Cee'd
• Peugeot 308

Jaguar's sporting luxury car - the new XF

The new Jaguar XFfuses sports car styling and performance with the refinement, features and space of a luxury saloon. It is undoubtedly one of the best looking models from Jaguar.

The XF will be available with a choice of six models and a range of four engines from the 2.7 litre V6 turbodiesel to a range of petrol engines culminating in the supercharged 4.2-litre V8 petrol with 416hp. All models feature Jaguar's proven six-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted 'paddles' for manual gear selection.

The new XF will be shown publicly for the first time at the Frankfurt International Auto Show on 11th September.

Here are some exclusive pictures:

New 2008 Honda Accord coming to the US soon

The new 2008 Honda Accord (the eighth-generation of assembled cars in America) will go on sale in mid-September in the US. Honda's flagship model has completely been redesigned with increased dimensions for a more spacious interior with an aggressive stance and muscular look.

It is powered by a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine which produces 268-horsepower. It comes with a new generation of fuel-saving Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®) technology and achieving a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV1) rating. The VCM system operates in six-cylinder mode for power and 4- and 3-cylinder modes for efficiency. Honda claims that this gives an EPA city/highway fuel economy rating of 19/292 miles per gallon for the Accord Sedan V-6.

The Accord is available in sedan and coupe body styles with 2.4-liter 4-cylinder and 3.5-liter V-6 engine choices. Available transmissions include a 5-speed manual (standard with all 4-cylinder engines), a 5-speed automatic (standard on sedan V-6 models, available with all 4-cylinder engines and V-6-powered Accord Coupes,) and a 6-speed manual transmission (exclusive to the Accord Coupe EX-L V-6 6MT).

2.4-liter, DOHC, i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine (Sedan LX, LX-P)
3.5-liter, SOHC, i-VTEC V-6 engine (Sedan EX V-6, EX-L V-6; Coupe EX-L V-6: 5AT)
3.5-liter, SOHC, VTEC V-6 engine (Coupe EX-L V-6: 6MT)

Interior
The larger Accord Sedan total interior volume of 120.0 cubic feet (+3.3 cubic feet compared to 2007) moves the EPA classification from the midsize sedan class to the large sedan class. The additional space is intended to provide "equal" seating comfort for front and rear passengers. Rear legroom of 37.2 inches (+0.4 inches) approaches the impressive second row legroom of the Honda Pilot SUV (37.4 inches). The wider interior (+1.5 inches) allows the front seats to be positioned farther apart to allow for a wide center console.

A zone styling approach separates operation-related instruments (top) and information-related instruments (lower). At night, the controls are further separated by color to distinguish between climate controls (aqua green) and audio controls (white). Classically-styled gauges for the speedometer and tachometer are perfectly round (instead of being truncated at the bottom). Steering wheel audio controls are standard on every Accord.

Redesigned front bucket seats are larger, and feature substantial lateral support to complement the Accord's sporting side. The fold-down lockable rear seatback increases cargo-carrying versatility; the sedan includes a lockable pass-through.

Three audio systems are available - all with MP3/Windows Media® Audio (WMA) playback capability and an auxiliary input jack. The standard system features 160 watts, a single-disc CD player and six speakers. A Radio Data System (RDS) displays information broadcast by participating radio stations that often includes call letters, station type and programming information.

The Accord Sedan EX and Coupe LX-S add a 6-disc in-dash changer. The premium audio system, which comes standard on Accord EX Coupe and Sedan EX-L models, has a six-disc CD changer, 270 watts total amplification and seven speakers including an 8-inch subwoofer. XM® Satellite Radio is standard equipment on all Accord EX-L models.

The latest-generation of the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with voice activation (available on EX-L) uses an 8-inch screen and an interface dial for user input. Features include the Zagat Survey™ guide for restaurants, nightlife, hotels and attractions. Navigation-equipped models also include Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®.

Exterior
Dimensionally, the Accord Sedan's overall length of 194.1 inches (4-cylinder models, V-6 models add 0.2 inches for front spoiler lip) is 3.0 inches longer than the 2007 model. The width of 72.7 inches is 1.1 inches wider, and the height of 58.1 inches is 0.9 inches taller. Even though the size is larger in every dimension, the vehicle's torsional rigidity has increased by 20 percent as a result of advanced body construction that uses 48 percent high-tensile steel - the most high-tensile steel by volume of any Accord to date. A significant benefit to the advanced body construction is that total vehicle weight increased only by approximately 5 percent despite the larger size, greater rigidity and added features.

The Accord Coupe styling radically breaks from the sedan with a uniquely aggressive image. Its long hood, sleek roofline and muscular lines suggest power and a heightened agility compared to the sedan. Dimensionally, the Accord Coupe's overall length of 190.9 inches is 3.2 inches longer than 2007 model, its width of 72.8 inches is 1.2 inches wider, and its height of 56.4 inches is 0.6 (LX-S) to 0.7 (EX, EX-L) inches higher. Compared to the 2008 Accord Sedan, the Accord Coupe is 3.2 inches shorter in length, 1.7 inches shorter in height and 0.1-inch wider.

Chassis
The Accord Sedan wheelbase of 110.2 inches is 2.3 inches longer than the 2007 model, while the 62.2-inch front/rear track is 1.1 and 1.0 inches wider, respectively. The Accord Coupe wheelbase of 107.9 inches is 2.8 inches longer than the 2007 model (track is identical to sedan). Ultimately, the suspension design with wider tire sizes, standard ABS and standard Vehicle Stability Assist is intended to enhance driver confidence and handling performance.

The 2008 Accord Sedan also comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers, or16- or 17-inch aluminum wheels depending on model. (The Accord Coupe has 17-inch aluminum wheels standard, with 18-inch aluminum wheels available on the Coupe V-6). The 17-inch wheels are the first for a four-cylinder Accord and the Coupe's available 18-inch wheels are the largest ever for a Honda car.

Safety
Also new for the Accord is an Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure that enhances frontal collision compatibility with vehicles of different sizes and bumper heights. Additional safety equipment standard to all Accord models includes Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), also known as Electronic Stability Control; side-curtain airbags; dual-chamber front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), active front seat head restraints, anti-lock brakes and more.

Additionally, the Accord has active front seat head restraints that are designed to help reduce the severity of neck injury in the event of a rear collision. Standard active safety features include VSA, a four-wheel disc anti-lock brake system (ABS) with brake assist and electronic brake distribution (EBD), front seatbelts with an automatic tensioning system and load limiters, and a pedestrian safety design in the front of the vehicle. Passenger-side seatbelt reminders and daytime running lights are also standard equipment.

FYI, the Honda Accord was first Japanese car assembled in the United States and this year, they celebrated the 25th anniversary of its manufacture here. The first Japanese-built Accord was introduced as a 1976 model, and by 1982 it was being manufactured both in Japan and in a brand-new automobile assembly plant in Marysville, Ohio.

For more information read the full press release.

Bumblebee auctioned off

Just got to know about this interesting piece of information. The real 1977 Yellow Chevy Camaro that stars as "Bumblebee" in the Transformers movie has been auctioned off on Ebay .

The winning bidder was someone with the nick, carshowjr who paid US $40,100.01 for the car.

The proceeds of the auction went to the Fisher House Foundation, which takes care of the families of the US military personnel and veterans.




Got the news from Leo Chiang's blog.

We want a garage!

Having a garage is a huge advantage. For one, you will not have to park your car by the road kerb like we do now. That will reduce your car insurance tremendously especially if you live in the UK. If your house has a garage than you might want to shop around for some garage accessories to equip your garage.

I know of a friend who has a hobby building his own furniture and he has an amazing garage fully equipped with machines and tools for the job. I know, people sometimes use the garage for other purposes as well.

Mitsubishi Galant Fortis launched

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation announcd the market launch of the Galant Fortis at affiliated dealerships throughout Japan yesterday.

It is the first new style sedan introduced by the company in Japan in in seven years. All models in the series have a 4-star rating for emission levels that are 75% below those required under Japan's 2005 Emissions Standards.

According to their press release, the Galant Fortis has been developed to a product concept that called for "a global sporty sedan that delivers high and well-balanced levels of safety, comfort and environmental performance."

This model is also the first one to employ a "new face" front visage that will be seen in othe Mitsubishi sedans to be introduced in future - an inverted-slant nose, traditional to Mitsubishi Motors sedans and incorporating a leisurely flowing engine hood line with good pedestrian protection, is combined with a trapezoidal grille.

The car is powered by a new compact and lightweight 4-cylinder 16-valve DOHC unit, with die-cast aluminum cylinder block and MIVEC variable valve lift and timing on both exhaust and inlet valves, which delivers superior emissions and mileage performance.

The powertrain uses a new 2.0-liter DOHC MIVEC aluminum block engine, which earns a 4-star rating for emission levels 75% below those required by Japan's 2005 Emissions Standards, mated to Mitsubishi's INVECS-III 6-speed Sport Mode CVT that delivers responsive power transmission while returning excellent fuel economy.

The engine is mated to Mitsubishi's INVECS-III 6-speed Sport Mode CVT that delivers responsive power transmission while returning excellent fuel economy. The 4WD models use the electronically-controlled 4WD system well-proven on Outlander and Delica:D5 which splits torque feed to the front and rear wheels as required to match different driving conditions. A dial selector allows the driver to switch between three drive modes: 2WD, 4WD AUTO and 4WD LOCK.

The Galant Fortis series comes in three major trim levels distinguished by external appearance and interior trim: EXCEED, SUPER EXCEED and SPORT.

- EXCEED: Entry grade with full-functionality and comprehensive convenience and amenity specifications.
- SUPER EXCEED - Uptown exterior and interior looks provided by: classy chrome parts (front under grille, headlight and trunk lid moldings); 16-inch alloy road wheels; leather/Granlux*3 seat upholstery; wood grain ornamentation panels; exclusive-design floor console; and high-contrast instrumentation.
- SPORT - Sporty bias with following as standard: Front and side airdams, 18-inch alloy road wheels and HID lights and front fog lamps that tweak up its aggressive looks; Sport suspension; paddle shifters; adaptive front lighting (AFS); cruise control; and steering wheel remote audio controls.
The SUPER EXCEED and SPORT trim levels are also available in NAVI PACKAGE versions which come with HDD navigation, rearview camera and other advanced features.

SPORT models ride as standard on 18-inch 10-spoke lightweight high-rigidity alloy road wheels shod with 215/45R18 tires (a factory-fitted option on SUPER EXCEED).

SAFETY FEATURES

• A high-rigidity platform with excellent impact safety performance and a revamped suspension underpin and support high levels of handling and response and safety performance.
• Safety features include a 7-airbag SRS system (driver and front passenger airbags, driver knee airbag, side and curtain airbags). The front occupant SRS dual-stage airbags which are deployed at one of two inflation pressures depending on the speed of the impact to provide the optimum restraining force and with the driver SRS knee airbag used on the Delica:D5. SRS side and curtain airbags are available as factory-fitted options on all models.
• Available as a factory-fitted option on all 2WD Galant Fortis models, active stability control (ASC) operates to prevent the vehicle from sliding on slippery surfaces as a result of sudden steering inputs.
• SPORT models comes standard with an adaptive front lighting system (AFS) in which auxiliary lights turn in the same direction as the steering wheel to increase the area of road illuminated and improve driver visibility at night. AFS is available as a factory-fitted option on other models.
• Rain-sensitive auto wipers that adjust wipe speed and interval to rain intensity and auto light control that monitors the intensity of peripheral light and turns the headlights on or off accordingly are factory-fitted options on all models.
• Adaptive front lighting (AFS) that improves the driver's field of vision at night
• Standard on NAVI PACKAGE models is a rearview camera fitted to the trunk lid that feeds a picture of the area behind the vehicle to the navigation system display.
• All models come standard with an engine immobilizer and security alarm to deter theft.
• The front seats are designed to mitigate injury to the neck while energy-absorbing trim is used to protect occupants from head injuries.
• The engine hood, front fenders and front bumper all employ impact energy-absorbing structures to reduce injury to and protect pedestrians.

OTHER FEATURES

• Another interesting feature is the cocochi-interior that includes a deodorizing clean air filter and odor-eating head lining that work together to reduce and suppress body odor, cigarette smoke and volatile organic compounds (VOC).This offers a very clean and comfortable interior space.
• The windshield and front door windows use solar control glass to reduce penetration of the ultra-violet radiation that causes sunburn.
• Standard on NAVI PACKAGE trim levels is the Mitsubishi Motors Communication System (MMCS) which comprises a 30Gb hard disk drive audio/navigation system with 7-inch LCD screen, 2,000-title music server and ultra-fast route search.
• The Galant Fortis series is available with a Rockford Fosgate premium sound system giving superior sound reproduction as well as paddle shifters that allow the driver to shift gears without taking his hand off the steering wheel.
• Available as a factory-fitted option on NAVI PACKAGE trim levels is the Rockford Fosgate premium sound system that was well received on the Outlander and Delica:D5. The system uses a 650-Watt amplifier and nine speakers to deliver awesome high-fidelity sound reproduction assisted by the use of acoustic and damping material to seal off openings inside the doors and turn them into speaker boxes.

For more information, read the full press release.

Link to pictures of some Korean vehicles

My friend Don who blogs at 'Binary-01' is in South Korea right now. He has taken a lot of pictures of cars there.

This is the picture of a Ssangyong Actyon. According to Don, the Actyon is supposed to be short for Active Youth.

Don't you think it looks great. The South Korean car makers are really coming up in a big way.

Check out more pics on Don's album here.

New Proton Persona

Malaysian car company Proton, launched a new model yesterday - the Proton Persona.

The new 1.6-litre Persona sedan will replace the Proton Wira (sold as the Proton Persona in the UK). the Wira has been the cash cow for Proton since it's launch 14 years ago.

Their site was down yesterday as well as today morning and was only able to get in just now. I still can't get into the Proton Edar site still.

When I first saw the spy shot pictures sometime back, to me it looked almost identical to their Gen 2- an elongated Gen 2 but I slowly noticed the differences.

Featuring the 1.6L 82kw (110bhp) Campro engine, the Persona is available in 5 variations, that will be available in five-speed manual (MT) or four-speed automatic transmission (AT) versions:
- 1.6 Base Line Model - 2 variants (AT and MT).
This variant is a Base model with 4 power windows, CD player and basic features.
- 1.6 Medium Line Model - 2 variants (AT and MT).
This variant is the Medium range model and has additional features from the Base Line variant, such as driver's airbag, alloy rims, foldable rear seats, MP3 player and electric door mirror.
- 1.6 High Line Model – (Only available in AT).
This variant is an extension of the Medium range variant, with features such as dual airbags, ABS, EBD and standard Captor alarm.

Customers will have a choice of seven colours, namely, Solid Red, Light Gold, Metal Grey, Tranquility Black, Iridescent White and Blueberry Tea. Solid white will be available from September this year.

Dimensions:
Overall Length: 4477mm
Overall Width: 1725mm
Overall Height: 1438mm
Fuel Capacity: 50 L
Luggage Volume: 430 L
Weight: 1180 - 1210 KG

I also learnt that one of the major complaints - the low headroom at the rear have been addressed.

Company Chairman Mohammed Azlan Hashim, forecasts sales of the Persona to reach between 30,000 and 40,000 units in the next 12 months.

I don't have more details or pictures at the moment. Will post them up when I do. I would really appreciate it if any one back in Malaysia could send me some pictures.

In the meantime, you can read what Paul Tan has to say about the car.

Radar gun site

The speed limit inside the University of Warwick campus is 20 mph and they have a traffic speed board to inform the drivers of their speeds. I was thinking to myself that I was a great idea to get drivers to reduce their speed if they were traveling fast. Would be much more effective than the normal speed limit signs. I assume that they were using a radar gun to find out the speed.

If you were interested in getting one, go over to Radargunsales.com, a sports and traffic radar gun site.


The 'Traffic Radar Speed Board' is a 10.5" dual color high intensity LED display. It flashes the speed in red to warn speeders while it is green for legal speeds. The different models all come with a 12 month limited warranty (6 month battery warranty) parts and labor covered.

They have so many different varieties of top quality Traffic and Police Radar Guns that should fit every budget. All of the products are made in the United States. Shipping is through standard UPS ground shipping and is free on all radar guns for delivery within the continental USA.

More new safety features from Nissan

I wrote about the anti drunk Nissan concept car. Well. here's a a video of the new safterly features being developed by them.

The 5 passenger Isuzu Ascender

The Japanese company auto company Isuzu, is mostly known for trucks of all sizes. It had been quiet for sometime now.

One of the best selling Isuzu models has been the Isuzu Ascender. The design was derived from General Motors' Envoy. And if you look closely, it does look similar to the Chevy TrailBlazer as well. The 7-passenger Ascender which was launched in 2003, replaced the Isuzu Trooper. The 5-passenger model was introduced later in 2004. The production of the 7-passenger model was stopped in 2007.

Even though the Ascender looks like the models produced by General Motor's, it's much cheaper than either than them.

The 6-cylinder 4.2 litre V8 engine pumps out 291 hp @ 6,000 rpm. The transmission features a 4-speed automatic with lockup torque converter (in 3rd or 4th gears) and overdrive. This Isuzu SUV is ideal for everyday commuting as well as the occasional road trips. Go over to their site to get a quote. They are now offering an unbelievable 7 years and 75,000 mile power train limited warranty.

Don with the Nitro T-Shirt

Don from Canada, was one of the winners of the Dodge Nitro T-shirt contest that I ran on my blog sometime back.

He finally sent me a picture of him wearing the t-shirt. He also informed me that he's buying a Nitro next year.

Go on over to his blog 'Binary-01' and say Hi!

American car companies not doing that great

David Welch asks "Why Detroit is Stuck in Second Gear".

It's quite puzzling considering that Japanese brands are doing OK over there. It's not even a case of cheap imports to the US anymore as the Japanese companies are building their cars for the US markets in plants over there.

Is it styling, after sales service or are they really cheaper than the American brands?

Nissan comes out with anti drunk car

Drunk driving is a leading cause of fatalities in road accidents. According to statistics provided by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), out of a total of 42,642 people killed in traffic accidents in the US, 17,602 or (41%) made up those killed in alcohol related crashes.

Despite all the warnings, all the high profile convictiions some people never seem to learn. One guy actually told me that he was more alert after drinking a glass of Whiskey taken neat. Yeah right! I won't be riding in his car anytime soon.

Won't it be great if the car prevented a drunk driver from driving.

As part of an ongoing program towards the prevention of drunk driving, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has come out with a new concept car featuring not one but multiple preventative features designed to help reduce drunk driving.


The technology was shown integrated on-board a production model Fuga sedan. This includes a number of sensors on the car and will even result in the immobilization of the vehicle if the car detects a drunk driver.

Read their full press release here.

Ford recalls 3.6 million vehicles

This is a voluntary safety recall involving speed control deactivation switch systems in Ford passenger cars, trucks and SUVs built between 1992 and 2003. This is in response to some reports of fires in some Ford Crown Victoria passenger cars.

Ford dealers will provide a quick repair to all affected vehicles at no charge to the customers starting in early October.

According to the Ford website, this repair will involve

the installation of a fused wiring harness into the speed control electrical circuit, or the replacement of the deactivation switch if it is found to be leaking.

I appreciate the fact that Ford is doing this whole sale recall voluntarilly, unlike other companies who carry out such actions only after there is a widespread public outcry.

Read the official news release here.