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Let’s make no bones about this; Volvo are never likely to produce a vehicle that will set hearts fluttering with excitement and anticipation. It is virtually impossible to imagine a James Bond film in the not-too-distant future where Q shows 007 to his new gadget-laden Volvo Diesel Estate. It is almost laughable to imagine a Volvo in any cinematic context other than possibly a dire independent Swedish film concerned primarily with the difficulties of livestock farming during Scandinavian winters. The Volvo range has never really appealed to me in a sensory manner; by which I mean I have never been able to picture myself getting excited by one, let alone sitting in one. If you find yourself parting with impressively large sums of money for a vehicle, you want it to enflame your ardour, set your pulse running and maybe even give you a shudder every time you start the engine. It never seemed remotely possible for the Volvo to be capable of this…until they unleashed the Volvo S80 out into the market.

The Volvo S80 is something quite contrary compared to what I was expecting when tasked with this article; I was expecting something dowdier, less elegant and considerably chunkier. What I was presented with was an example of automotive perfection.

The Volvo S80, when furnished with the full luxury specification, isn’t a cheap vehicle by any stretch of the imagination. At slightly less than £40,000 if it wasn’t a Very good car it would have to have been carved from Mount Olympus by naked, voluptuous maidens, overseen by Zeus himself. As it stands, it is an extraordinary vehicle that on initial impressions seems to outshine the various competitor models; the Volkswagen Phaeton and the Honda Legend included. There is, however, one competitor that would probably have something to say about this Scandinavian upstart. I speak, naturally, of the Jaguar XF.

A fully spec-ed Jaguar XF is around £15,000 more expensive than its Volvo counterpart, which is obviously going to push more people toward the S80, but Jaguars are infinitely cooler and more desirable than any Volvo ever created…and who can realistically put a price on that? The basic model Jaguar XF is a few grand less than the fully spec-ed  S80 and I can’t help but think that because of the social kudos and Jaguar legacy, the buying public are going to gravitate towards the Jag.

The Volvo S80 does make a very good case for itself though. It has one of the most luxurious interiors I have ever had the pleasure of planting my bottom in and all the gadgets James Bond could ever want (barring missile launcher and ejector seat, naturally), including collision detectors, infra-red windscreen and an outstanding stereo system, which outperforms my rather expensive home set-up by a country mile.

The engines are slightly disappointing in comparison to other available in the price bracket…and when I say “slightly”, I mean devastatingly. The 2.0 Litre petrol engine does 0-60 in a toe-curlingly embarrassing 11 seconds, which is frankly unacceptable for a car of this price and potential customer demographic. This car is going to be used by executives who probably have important meetings to attend, deals to seal and the S80’s acceleration will probably hold them up exponentially. Realistically you would expect the 0-60 time to be half of what it is. When you achieve 60, things get better: the engine is smooth, quiet and feels a cut above the rest (making it an excellent car choice for extended motorway driving). It’s just a massive disappointment that it takes what feels like a lifetime to get to a respectable speed.

In summary, the Volvo S80 feels and looks like an Executive’s Car, magnificently appointed with all the comfort and equipment to impress any driver. What it does lack is the engineering ‘oomph’ to match the aesthetic promise.

I really respect the Volvo S80, but I wanted to love it.

If you love the James Bond films and are fascinated by the gadgets that are involved like covert cameras, multi purpose watches or night vision goggles, then you will have to take a visit to Keswick.

A brand new James Bond gadgets, vehicle and collectible museum is set for opening on April 5th. The new museum features over 25 vehicles from the 22 films aswell as a wide selection of collectibles from the films, all of this has been collected by film fan Peter Nelson from Keswick.

The film fan said that he had been collecting the memorabilia quietly for over 20 years and now his collection of over 25 vehicles consists of cars, submarines, motorbikes and speedboats that were all part of the James Bond films including Diamonds are Forever and Die Another Day.

Some of the spy gadgets and vehicles have been donated by actors that stared in the 007 films, however, Mr Nelson also bought some of them, including the gun from the 1974 film The Man with the Golden Gun which he bought in an auction. This is just an example of the type of gadgets, collectibles and vehicles that will be shown at the opening of the museum.

Mr Nelson has said that his all time favorite Bond film is Goldfinger because it contains the Aston Martin DB5 which is rigged with gadgets and accessories that don’t come standard in the car.

The upcoming museum has already built up alot of attention, and from the above items it’s understandable. Many people from all over the globe including Australia and America have said that they will be visiting to see the vehicles and gadgets on display.

The grand opening of the museum will be accompanied with the unveiling of a statue of Albert Brocolli, the man who produced many of the Bond films. The set open date for the museum is the 100th anniverary of Brocolli’s birth.

So what’s the cheapest new Ford money can buy?  Pat on the back if you answered Ford Ka, shake of the head if you didn’t (the answers even in the article title!)  Yes after a staggering 13 years, the Ka is still going strong, but now it’s had a makeover…

To coin a well ploughed phrase ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ and to be honest despite its advancing years the old Ka didn’t look dated and still drove the wheels off the competition.I used to drive the Ka when I didn’t fancy taking my Triumph Spitfire for a spin and always found it a riot, with the 1.3 litre engine pulling a car that weighed as much as a bag of sugar along at a fair pace.  Even though it was bubble shaped it still handled well, even if the skinny tyres started to let go if you were overeager. 

It was a fashion accessory as much as a car, the type of item you’d find sticking its head out of a handbag rather than being topped up with oil.It was a cheap Ford too with new ones starting from an incredible £4,995.  Yes there was painted metal on the inside of the doors rather than sumptuous leather and ok the gear stick just stuck out of the floor like a van, with no attempted aesthetics, but it had charm.

So when I tell you the new Ka is a million miles away from this you’d be right to start worrying.  The first thing that strikes you is how grown up the new version is.  It’s still very funky but is essentially a Ford Fiesta that has been put in the wash on too hot a temperature.  This however is no bad thing as the new Fiesta is not only a great drive, but a brilliantly styled vehicle.  The Ka isn’t quite as pretty although without my glasses on I couldn’t tell the difference so it can’t be too bad.

To drive, the car is very similar to the new Fiat 500 – in fact it’s the same.  The reason for this is quite simple really; both the Ka and 500 are built in the same factory in Poland using the same parts.That’s correct, the new Ka isn’t a completely new and unique design after all.  Don’t despair though as partnerships are not necessarily a bad thing, just look at Starsky and Hutch or Tango and Cash.  The 500 is a hoot to drive and therefore so is the Ka, with it feeling every bit as nippy and fun around the city as a small car should be.

The interior is a massive improvement on the outgoing car, including a space-age centre console finished in silver and matching art deco door handles.  Even the gear stick now looks good as it protrudes from the dashboard, falling easily to hand.  The seats are firm but hold you in place well and the driving position is good unless you’re over six foot.  When you consider the majority of Ka ownership is women I don’t think this will be an issue.

One thing that will be however are the headlights.  For all the good in the rest of the car, it must be pointed out that they are dimmer than an asbo child with a pea for a brain.  On normal beam I had to keep checking they were on, when I switched to full beam the situation got worse as oncoming traffic kept flashing and blinding me to say my lights were too bright, yet the switch to full beam made no discernable difference from the driving seat.I had a similar problem with my current car and bought some high powered (but legal) replacement bulbs that have improved things significantly.  I suggest this is the first accessory you buy for the new Ka.

I feel I’ve put a dampener on the new Ka, but for it to remain a ‘cheap Ford’ in the current economic climate, GM had to be sensible and build it in collaboration with Fiat and unfortunately the headlights have slipped through the net.  No matter, the rest of the car is just as good (with a far superior interior) to the old Ka, just with a more grown up feel that does make the oldie look a tad dated when parked next to each other.  The 1.2 litre Zetec version costs £9,295 and returns an impressive 55.4mpg, resulting in a measly road tax cost of £35 for the year.

Just think with all that money you’ll save you can buy as many replacement bulbs as you like.

One way for an entrepreneur to benefit and to gain more is to always remember the golden rule of business: to buy low and to sell high. Gaining access to a lot of resources especially online resources, which offers very low prices is a good beginning to increase your profits.

There are several websites that lists government seized car auctions, land properties and other possible items covered under these terms. Since government and other financial institutions´ auctions are not always open to the general public, only those who are direct sources are certainly allowed to buy and bid from them.

That is why, for small-time entrepreneurs or starters in this buy-and-sell business, they are advised to make use of web sites which would sponsor and help them find and buy government seized properties and vehicles.

Here are some of the best sites where you could find the greatest deals and bargains.

Gov-Auctions.org – Government seized cars and property website. This site offers a wide variety of government seized properties, from high class cars, houses, up to surpluses of machines, furniture and office items.

GovernmentAuctions.org – The Official Guide to Government Auctions and Foreclosures. These site offers thousands of properties seized by the state and local government agencies.

SeizedPropertyAuctions.com – The Official Website of Federal Asset Recovery Services. This also has a wide collection of properties seized from liquidation open for auction such as art collection, jewelries, deposits from safe banks, antiques, furs, old coins, not to mention quality cars, boats, real estate, etc.

These government seized car auctions allows you to buy cheap used cars for as much as 70% off the current market value. However, as most of these cars are sold as is, it is essential you have some knowledge of cars so that you can determine the rough value of a car.

If you don´t have the experience or knowledge, it would be better to bring along a friend or a car mechanic to help ascertain the true value of a car.

If you are looking for the best government seized auctions to buy seized cars, i recommend Gov Auctions. Check out my Gov Auctions review and learn how to buy cheap used cars for as much as 90% off retail price.

With fuel prices getting higher every second and the effects of global warming are becoming more apparent by the minute, the need for a cheaper and more environmentally friendly fuel source is becoming clearer to motorists worldwide.

The idea of using water to power our cars is not a new one, although it has only started to gain popularity today because of the rising prices of oil. The technology behind using water to power automobiles is actually 90 years old, although a newer and simplified version has been perfected by the developers of Water4Gas, the newest solution to the world´s fuel problems.

The Water4Gas program uses a low-cost device which is able to convert water into HHO, a powerful gas which is more potent than gasoline, with a little help from the car´s battery.

HHO (2 parts hydrogen and 1 part oxygen) otherwise known as Brown´s gas or Hydroxy is more combustible and cheaper than hydrogen, which is one of the reasons why using Water4Gas can surely shave off a considerable amount off your gas bills.

Hydrogen is also easier on your engine because it burns cleaner and thus prevents carbon build-up. The engine also enjoys lower temperatures when water is used, compared to higher temperatures with gasoline.

Satisfied users not only boast about improved mileage with Water4Gas, hey also see that their cars perform much smoother and quieter with the system.

Water4Gas is not too complicated that you will need to go a mechanic to have it installed because it requires no modification in the car´s engine or fuel injection systems. If you are a backyard mechanic you can easily install the system at home. It can also be removed with just a few hours work.

The parts required to convert your car to run on water is not expensive either and can be brought in your local auto shop and even hardware stores such as radio shack.

If you want to improve your car´s performance, save on gas as well as live a more environmentally friendly life, try this system out. You´ll be doing your wallet, your car, and your environment a lot of good.

If you want to learn how to convert your car to run on water, check out my water4gas review. Learn how Ozzie freedom water4gas guide can help your car run on water and cost less than $200. Check out my water4gas review.

Having a hard time searching for a new car? Don’t want to rely on other people for the rest of your life trying to find a ride? Looking for a car with a good price can be a little draining. When it comes to looking for a car most people can’t go out to look for a car because they don’t have a ride. This is why you are trying to find a car quick in the first place.

Wonderfully, you don’t have to go out just to see whats available on market right now. You can just search on the internet for the types of car and price range you are looking for to narrow it down to just a few cars for you to go see. This way, you aren’t going to several different places. You won’t find yourself looking at several different car lots and places that have anything you’re interested in getting.

Are you looking for Used Cars For Sale By Owner? This is fine too. It’s now easier to find used cars for sale by owner when you use the Car Sale Hub. Just type in the city that you are looking in and it’ll show you all the available cars in the local area. Because you can find cars in the local area, you might not even need a ride to go look at them.

This site makes it much easier for you to get started with the search. It can get very exciting when searching for your car. Used cars for sale by owner are better to look for because you can get better pricing than you would at a car lot.

The Car Sale Hub makes it possible to search for tons of those cars located in your local area. You can do it all here on this site. Don’t even have to look at other sites.

Car Sale Hub is here to help you. If there’s a particular you want that’s located in your area, Car Sale Hub will show you. Start searching for the Used Cars For Sale By Owner on Car Sale Hub.

In many households, one of the items most people take great care of is their car, many of which are bought with car finance. They do MOT checks on their car regularly – sometimes more regularly then a health check on themselves. 

However, what many car owners fail to realise is that the paintwork on every car is very delicate and therefore they should take extra car when getting their cars cleaned on a weekly or monthly basis.

The next paragraphs will look at how you can protect you car’s paintwork when cleaning it.

The recommended tips car owners should follow are:

1. Clean the car manually using a bucket of hot/cold water with a car wash sponge or mitt using approved car cleaning products.

2. Always work your way down from the roof when washing the car and control the speed and pressure of the flow of water using a hosepipe. This will ensure that dirt particles are not blasted onto the clear coat of paintwork and therefore protecting the basecoat.

3. However, a powerful jet of water is required to clean the dirt under the wheel arch on your car but then the water pressure may need to be reduced when cleaning the tyres and rims. In order to protect the paintwork on your car further, try to polish it once a month and use a window cleaner to clean the windows.

4. Avoid washing the car at automated drive-through car washes as they scratch and damage the paintwork on your car. Avoid using the dishwashing detergents to wash the car because they could be damaging to the paintwork as they are designed to remove grease and therefore will not have the correct pH balance.

5. Avoid wiping or rubbing the dust off with your bare hands or a dry towel as this may ruin the paintwork. Always try to dry the car after washing it to retain the cleanliness and finish.

As you can see, cleaning your car might not be the most fun job for many of us but done correctly it can give you peace of mind as well as make your car glow in its natural glory. Your car should look brand new for longer because any scratches will be minimised with regular polishing of the car. Please ensure that you read the guidelines on the car polish products before using them and only used approved products.

The Vauxhall Corsa has seamlessly eased itself into the Great British consciousness by providing reasonably priced, stylish and ecologically sound motoring. In the small hatchback market, the target demographic is not often considered to be looking for a high performance vehicle; they are more interested in the MPG ratios and how much CO2 is leaking out of the exhaust. The standard Corsa fills this niche admirably and has become a consistent and popular seller throughout the country. Vauxhall, bless them, have had a change of heart with the Corsa’s regulation blueprints and have released a monster.

The Vauxhall Corsa 1.6 16V VXR takes the tried and tested styling of the more common Corsa and puts fire and brimstone under the bonnet. This car seems to be squarely aimed at those amongst us who not only want to get away from the traffic lights first, but want to rip the skin off any pedestrians who just so happen to be standing at a crossing.

I, like many people, learned to drive in a Vauxhall Corsa, so I was genuinely looking forward to revisiting the humble beginnings of my driving career. The Corsa model I was presented with was an entirely different beast to the 1.3 CDTi I used to chug down the dual carriageway in. The Corsa VXR has been modelled to look sportier; the bodywork looks like a rally car, the seats hug your contours and the whole affair seems to have much more of a snarl about it.

I was used to the Diesel Corsa 0-60 capabilities of around 13 seconds, so was ecstatic when I realised that the VXR model could manage it in half the time. When I say “pleasantly surprised”, I was actually whooping like an overly-excitable Orangutan.

The Vauxhall Corsa VXR may very well appeal to the rather unsavoury boy racers amongst us, but its appeal really deserves to be enjoyed by a considerably wider audience. The price range puts it in direct competition with the higher spec Ford Fiestas and the zippy Vauxhall makes a very good case for itself.

If you are looking for a car that can slap a smile on your face, I doubt you will have to look much further than the Vauxhall Corsa 1.6 16V VXR.

Are you going to take a break and go on that long awaited holiday.  Planning in advance especially air fare, hotel, and car rentals will pay off.  For car rental comparisons there are a number of websites you can visit to help you make an informed decision on which type of car to rent.  Many will also give you discounts and also reservations.

To help with your reservations there are several sites that will be useful.  You job is to find the sites that will give you the best car for the least amount of money.  Many things should be considered when renting a car.  To get the best rates you will need a good driving record, and it helps if you are a frequent user of that company. 

Not only is the Internet the fastest way to track down a rental car, but it is also the way that allows you to find the best deal that is available. Simply search rental car deals by airport or city location. There are a growing number of cheap car rental companies which allow you to compare in seconds.  If you can avoid the need for last minute deals, it’s always better to book in advance, to secure the cheapest rate.

If there is a problem remember that you can claim against your credit card company in any dispute if the car hire company have over charged you and will not deal with the issue.   There are so many terms and conditions, “non-refundable, non-modifiable and non-cancellable” come to mind when dealing with sites like Hotwire and Priceline. Many times that renters can get cheaper rates by going through the car rental companies directly, if they have access to a car rental discount code or coupon.

If you short on time you might want to consider a 3rd party website like an online travel agency.  They will do all the comparison shopping for you and book the dates, destinations, and find the best rental prices available.

Everyone desires to have the best possible rental car experience. Visiting car rental comparisons sites provides vacationers with access to hundreds of independent car rental agencies with thousands of locations throughout North America, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, India and Europe.

Even when the economy is good, there are many people who think about the environment and how they can further save money.  A major cost-saving measure is to buy a used hybrid car.  After all, as everyone knows, a car loses value from the literal second it is driven off the lot, making a reliable used car a sensible decision. While hybrids are more expensive, it is well proven that they pay for the extra cost in just a few years from increased gas savings.

USED HYBRID CAR FACTS

The difference in price between most used hybrid cars and used conventional cars is not as wide as it is between new hybrids and their new conventional counterparts. Opting to buy a used hybrid car that is only a couple of years old can save you a significant amount of money since the original owner will have suffered the initial depreciation of value.

The sole caveat is the reason why the price difference sorted itself out: the battery. Hybrid car batteries generally last between eight to ten years, before you eventually notice a decrease in performance. However, eventually those batteries will need to be replaced, and a new hybrid battery will cost several thousand dollars. This is an important consideration for anyone who intends to buy a hybrid, new or used, and drive it into the ground. Replacing the battery could cost as much as what you paid for the entire car at the time you bought it!

However, there are other ways that a hybrid car can save you money. They can increase overall fuel economy by as much as 50% compared to normal gas-powered cars. For example, The Nissan Altima hybrid gets 35 mpg in the city, while its conventional counterpart gets 23 mpg in the city. This makes owning a hybrid good sense for anyone who spends a lot of time on the road, especially in fuel inefficient city driving.

Finally, used hybrid cars are still environmentally friendly. The technology involved obviously burns less gasoline to do the same job, with emissions that regularly meet the requirements for Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (SULEVs).

Overall, purchasing used hybrid cars is a sound decision if you want to get around the high price tag for a new hybrid car. The same low emissions and gas savings rules apply to used hybrids as to new hybrids, so potentially a used hybrid will save a buyer even more money because they haven’t paid the hefty new hybrid mark-up. However, it is a wise policy to either get a used hybrid that is only 2 or 3 years old, to maximize the expected lifetime of the hybrid car battery.