So here is how changing cabin air filter is done. Your own vehicle needs to change cabin air filter as indicated on the manual to enjoy cleaner, fresher breathing air. It will also do you a lot of favor in eliminating all air-transferred diseases like the infamous H1N1 viruses and the likes. Let this video help you do the task on your own and never spend money to hired help again. How to change cabin air filter is very easy and usually, new packs are provided with instruction. Even without those, this video will surely help a lot!

I never dreamed that race cars will work on tracks like the ones we have at home—electrically charged! But we are almost in the 21st century so everything can be possible. Look at ewolf, who knew it will look this good and perform just as well? Engadget dot com tells all….

There’s certainly no shortage of hurdles to cross in building a competitive, all-electric race car, with the weight of the vehicle (and requisite battery pack) being particularly high up on the list. While the folks behind this new E-Wolf e1 vehicle have indeed managed to get the weight down to an impressive 500 kilograms (or just over 1,100 pounds), they’ve also taken another somewhat unique step to ensure the performance is just right: limit the weight of the driver to 150 pounds. That, combined with a 110kW, quadripolar, liquid-cooled, AC induction motor, apparently allows the car to hit 0 to 100 km/h in less than five seconds, achieve a top speed of 230 km/h, and last a full 300 kilometers on a charge. Of course, it also costs €150,000 (or over $220,000), but it is apparently street-legal, and definitely won’t be mistaken for a Tesla Roadster.

Finally, Lambo’s first rear-wheeler after 10 years has set its tires on the grounds of Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy. The smack down 1970’s style of the 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni is really a dream come true to us enthusiasts and real lover of speed.

Sporting Ithaca green with horizontal white where the emblem is proudly set and a strip horizontal of gold runs on the middle and up, it will really sweep anyone off his feet. Quick specifications are DOHC 5.2 liters of V10 engine that unleashes as much as 542 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. At 3,042 pounds, this monster successfully lines up with the world’s supercars!

But there is a real reason for this 1970 style of supercar from the maker of the best supercars ever. That is Valentino Balboni, Lambo’s most faithful and hardworking test-driver of all time. In fact, Lambo claims ‘the only’ in their history. And this car, the 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni is his company’s gift to on his retirement.

I thought I saw this Bentley Arnage Red Label Turbo in one of Michael Jackson’s music videos, but I decided it was ridiculous. Finally, I found a reputed news site where the auction of MJ’s Bentley was being features. In fact, the item was treated more of a news. Well, who wouldn’t if what is on sale is a possession of as big a star as the King of Pop? Following the news, the man withdrawn his car from the list.

Self-confessed Michael Jackson fan is what I am, but I was not totally aware that MJ was a sentimental about his cars. In fact, there were several times his fleet of vehicles were agreed for an auction just to later retract them from the list. There was the Rolls Royce Seraph that was interior-designed by MJ himself with 24 carat gold, his Neoplan tour bus, and Harley Davidson motorcycle.

PORSCHE: Porsche Cayenne Diesel

The Porsche Cayenne Diesel is the other launched vehicle of Porsche this year. It will be powered with a 3.0-liter V-6, which was sourced from the upcoming Audi Q7 TDI. This powerful block is capable of unleashing 240 hp and over 405 lb-ft of torque. More than that power, this automobile’s best feature is its 9.3 liters per 100 kilometers fuel consumption. This figure can be converted into rating, which will be 25 mpg! It can also reach its crucial 0-62 time within 8.3 seconds, not bad for a highly fuel efficient car!

Watch for it as it hits its dealers’ showcases soon with starting price of 47,250 Euros (equal to $60,000 as per today’s current conversion). Porsche also thinks of making this model available outside the continent, say US and the rest. This will surely add more glamour and popularity not only to the model but also to the well-known European automaker.

PORSCHE: Porsche 911 GT3

The new Porsche 911 GT3 will hit its US dealers’ showcases in October and will be sold at $112,200. The great automobile will be get an increase of 20 hp to its already high 435 hp through its 200 cc displacement; from the ordinary 3.6 liters to 3.8 liters. It is also added with a VarioCam, an adjustable cam timing technology, to the exhaust and intake cams. The new performance boosted supercar is also tested to achieve its first 62 mph within the first 4.1 seconds and its first 100 mph in just 8.2 seconds. Overall, this new Porsche car will exhibit a top speed of 194 mph.

Found this Classy Cars & Canines Show press release and I just thought it was cool! I just don’t know if there are still automobiles that look like pooch or hound. I don’t even think someone will want that for a ride but who knows? Anyway, I have here the excerpt of the press release. If interested, you might want to contact the organizers or maybe, you can do the organizing yourself. Just don’t forget to invite me in the show proper LOLS

Does your pooch look like your Pontiac? Is your hound a dead ringer for your Hummer? If so, you don’t want to miss the chance to prove it to the rest of the world - or at least the Dallas/Fort Worth area!

The Classy Cars & Canines Show, set for June 9 at the Grapevine Mills Mall, will include a Best Dog/Car Look-Alike Contest in its festivities. The event, which runs from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., will also include a Best Owner/Dog Look-Alike contest and will showcase a wide array of cars - with all proceeds going to the SPCA of Texas. The winner of the Best Dog/Car Look-Alike Contest will walk away with a five-foot-tall trophy - something that’s sure to give them bragging rights and a conversation piece for years to come!

Sponsored by DFW Elite Auto Rental.com, the event will feature old, new, exotic, custom, pickup and special interest vehicles, and car clubs are welcome to participate. The show is open to any car enthusiast interested in participating, and the $20 registration fee goes directly to the SPCA of Texas.

“There are a lot of contests out there for dogs and owners that look alike, but you don’t find many where people can show that their dog and their car look alike,” said Ron Sturgeon, owner of DFW Elite Auto Rental.com. “This is a great way to have fun with our pets and our cars - and help raise money for animals that truly need our help at the same time.”

The Classy Cars & Canines Show, which will be in front of the AMC Theaters at Grapevine Mills, will include a number of awards for both cars as well. For the four-wheeled participants, awards will be given for People’s Choice, Best Modified/Race Car, Best of Show (1995 or newer) and Best of Show (1994 or older).

The event is open to both people and their pets. Dogs must be leashed and be current on vaccinations to attend. In addition to the cars, attractions will include the SPCA MAV (Mobile Adoption Vehicle), a 30-foot converted van with kennels. The air-conditioned MAV is a great place for pet lovers to meet new four-legged friends that are in need of a new home, so this is the perfect place to adopt a new family member. For a donation of $3 or a new dog toy, attendees can also enter a drawing to win a Drive Your Dream automotive tour from DFW Elite Auto Rental.com.

To enter a car in the show, contact Marissa at 817-838-7368 ext. 1; to become a sponsor and showcase your automotive or pet-related product and/or service, call Scott Throneberry at 817-320-2908. For more information on the SPCA of Texas, visit www.spca.org.

DFW Elite Auto Rental.com is headquartered at 5940 Eden in Fort Worth, and serves Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, as well as the DFW Metroplex with over 50 exotic and luxury cars, trucks and SUV’s. For more information and to see a complete inventory of available vehicles, visit www.dfweliteautorental.com, or call 817-838-RENT.

Care to join? Call and enroll your automobile now!

Photo & Info: MSNBC

Consumer Reports magazine is known for offering a list for ‘top picks’ in different cars and light trucks categories. This year, it comes up with something new: Best Car Value! This rating is intended to give the driving public with a list of valuable automobile according to its total cost within the first 5 years ownership. The criteria include fuel costs, maintenance and repairs, insurance costs, depreciation, financing rates, and taxes against its original price and its total reliability.

David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports’ auto test division stated that the additional rating was aimed to help every car customer settle for the best car in this time of recession. “We’re in a time where people are not buying the latest gizmo; they’re looking for a more practical car. Buyers are much savvier. They’re forgoing what they want for what they need,” is an excerpt to the actual statement of the senior director.

Every foreign automaker was asked to fill up five categories: small car, family car, hatchbacks and wagons, small SUVs and midsize SUVs. The results will also be tallied according to that categories but one will be chosen based on the highest score card. From there, they made calculations of which of the makes and models in every category will have the lowest costing and higher reliability. The results are basically tallied from the survey made to 1.4 million vehicle owners who had owned their vehicles within the last 12 months.

Among the contenders for the new rating were Ford Motor Co., General Motors (GM), Chrysler, and Chevrolet. Champion also disclosed that Ford was actually making better gains and greater reliability in their new models but are weighed down by their old truck models. That is the reason why the manufacturer was not able to take the award. GM was also on the right track, but is very inconsistent. That also made them undesirable automaker. Chrysler is not getting any better as of the survey so the maker was also eliminated from the list.

Chevrolet, on the other hand, was performing a lot better in surveys. In fact, it was named the ‘Top Pickup Truck in its class. Still, it did not beat the Prius in terms of the survey for reliability and crash test results. The Hyundai Elantra SE, on the other hand, was also named The Best Small Sedan in its class. The result was also based on the same criteria. For The Best Family Sedan, Honda Accord topped the list with the same criteria used in tallying results.

These results will surely guide not only the driving public to which vehicle will be best for them, but also the sales and market share of these automakers. Although the winners will surely have reasons to party, those who have not made it to the list will surely have all the reasons in the world to start making up for their flaws. Still, even with these results, some patrons of brands and those who have their own favorite in the line up of new cars in the auto scene will never be compelled to go for the best valued choices.

But for the average and young professionals who are really in need of vehicles as of this moment, they might have their minds changed and go for what will be best for them in the long term. Although that will be forced buying, if it will be best for them, then there should be nothing wrong to that. Besides, Consumer Reports Magazine is a notable and prestigious paper where biases are irrelevant. One advice I can give is to check on the other ratings from other magazines or award giving bodies for second opinion.

Palexpo Center has already closed its gates to spectators of the Geneva Motor or Auto Show that lasted for about 2 weeks, March 5 to 15 of this year. Still, the list of the exhibitors is yet to end. Now, I have here another batch of those that were showcased in the halls of Palexpo Center in Geneva. This list maybe the same list you will have to expect, come New York Auto Show but who knows what surprises these automakers may bring?

2010 Mazdaspeed3

Behind the 2010 Mazdaspeed3’s smiling face is Mazda’s familiar 2.3L turbocharged and direct-injected engine. Power is still sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission, albeit one with ratios that have been revised for smoother acceleration. Power in the European-spec car, known as the Mazda3 MPS, is unchanged, remaining at 256 hp and 280 lb-ft, good for 0 to 62 mph sprints of 6.1 seconds and a governed top speed of 155 mph. It also wears the same 12.6-in front and 11.0-in rear brakes, though Mazda has added electronic Brake Assist to the ABS and stability control systems.’

What are new with the 2010 Mazdaspeed3 are its Euro-V emissions standards, the world’s first single-nanotechnology catalytic converter. This even becomes more efficient with 26 mpg returned and combined on the Euro-cycle. This is actually an improvement of almost two mpg over the old car, despite the 0.01 increase in the drag coefficient. It was 0.31 before and now down to 0.32.

Maybach Zeppelin

Maybach is finally launching its new model Zeppelin, which they dubbed as the “absolute zenith in high-end luxury” sedans. This luxury car is based on the 57 S and 62 S, but exhibiting exquisite interior features and more powerful AMG-built V-12 engine. This new Maybach will be unleashing 28 more horses under the hood, making a top grand total of 640 hp. Aside from it is going to be an exclusive car with only 100 units for production in its entire production life, interesting features will be its world-first plexiglass sphere perfume atomizer that will cost around $5104. The sale of the 57 Zeppelin will start at 406,000 euro or $523,465 and the 62 Zeppelin at 473,000 euro or $609,850. Both have been made available since March 3 of this year.

2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe is going on sale right after the April New York Auto Show. It is expected to make a lot of difference with its 0.24 drag coefficient, leading Stuttgart to say ‘most aerodynamically efficient series production vehicle in the world’. Aesthetically speaking, the fast car will stand out with its new grille that features fewer, but beefier horizontal bars. It will also decline the use of the Mercedes tri-star emblem; instead, a bigger one will be embedded on the grille. The radiator opening also gets a narrower appearance, making it look a bit aggressive.

2009 Mini John Cooper Works Convertible

After the stunning and cool debut of the Cooper Convertible Minis in Detroit, a racing-derived 2009 Mini John Cooper Works Convertible is up in the Geneva Auto Show! The model got stiffer springs and dampers, bigger yet lighter 17-in alloys, stickier rubber, bigger brakes, and a more powerful turbocharged powertrain. The 2009 Mini John Cooper Works Convertible gets more air supply and extraction from its intake and exhaust system. This is intended to improve the operations of its direct-injected 1.6L four-cylinder. It also got a more robust twin-scroll turbocharger running at 1.3 bar of boost to get a maximum of 208 hp at 6000 rpm and 207 lb-ft at 2000-5300 rpm. It is claimed that this new model can hit 60 mph in 6.6 sec and goes its way to a top speed of 146 mph. All the while, it is achieving an EPA rate of 26 mpg city/ 34 mpg highway. As it is penned, the JCW will be available in six-speed manual transmission only.

Photo & Info: Auto News in Brief

If you are looking for the best brands in the auto market, all you need is Kelly’s Blue Book! It is the trusted source of reviews for all brands and makes of automobiles, especially of models being launched in the auto world. The resource also honors these automakers for bringing in ideas as well as creating real life useful machines on the road. Among its most prestigious awards is the Brand Image Award, which is given to an auto brand/s that make/s great impression to its patrons and the entire driving and riding public not only with a specific model level, but across its entire brand lineup.

Here are the actual awards and awardees of Brand Image as tabulated by Kelly’s Blue Book and kbb.com:

Brand Image winners:

Best Value Brand: Toyota

Coolest Brand: BMW

Most Family Friendly Brand: Toyota

Most Rugged Truck Brand: Ford

Best Performance Brand: BMW

Best Comfort Brand: Cadillac

Best Exterior Design Brand — Luxury: BMW

Best Exterior Design Brand — Non-Luxury: Nissan

Best Interior Design Brand: Cadillac

Best Prestige Brand: Mercedes-Benz

With Toyota, BMW, and Cadillac getting 2 wins for the 10 major awards, the three can claim that they topped this year’s KBB awards. Although it is basically consumers’ choices, let us peek on the entry models that made these awards possible:

Toyota

Toyota’s line-up of models has frequently come up in the finalists and awardees of the Kelly’s Blue Book and kbb.com. Among these are the Toyota Tacoma that has been dubbed as the best compact pickup to retain its best value 5 years from now. Then, there is also the Toyota Tundra that was named the best full-sized truck in its class. The 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid was also chosen as the best value hybrid crossover. All of these were based on the resale values as projected by Kelly’s.

Other considered models were:

4Runner, Matrix, Tacoma Double Cab, Avalon, Prius, Tacoma Regular Cab, Camry, RAV4, Tundra CrewMax, Corolla, Sequoia, Tundra Double Cab, FJ Cruiser, Sienna, Tundra Regular Cab, Highlander, Solara, Venza, Land Cruiser, Tacoma Access Cab, and Yaris.

BMW

BMW’s X5 also gave its manufacturer the pride of being the coolest brand and best performance brand among its competitors in Kelly’s Blue Book. The X5 is a second generation car that offers three-row seating that even bettered its already great appearance and functionality.

Other models considered in the final list were:

128, 135, 328, 335, 528, 535, 550, 650, 750, 760, Alpina B7, M3, M5, M6, X3, X5, X6, Z4, and Z4 M.

Cadillac

Cadillac CTS made it to the best comfort and interior designed car. These awards are just fit to the brand and to the model.

Other than the CTS, there were also more models entered to the final list. Among were: DTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, SRX, STS, and XLR.

Nissan also made it to the Best Exterior Design Brand - Non-Luxury class. Nissan 350Z, 370Z, Altima, Armada, cube, Frontier Crew Cab, Frontier King Cab, GT-R, Maxima, Murano, Pathfinder, Quest, Rogue,
Sentra, Titan Crew Cab, Titan King Cab, Versa, and Xterra are among the finalists.

Ford also landed the Most Rugged Truck Brand. Among its models in the finalists were: E150 Cargo, E150 Super Duty Passenger, E250 Cargo, E350 Super Duty Cargo, E350 Super Duty Passenger, Edge, Escape, Expedition, Expedition EL, Explorer, Explorer Sport Trac, F150 Regular Cab, F150 Super Cab, F150 SuperCrew Cab, F250 Super Duty Crew Cab, F250 Super Duty Regular Cab, F250 Super Duty Super Cab, F350 Super Duty Crew Cab, F350 Super Duty Regular Cab, F350 Super Duty Super Cab, F450 Super Duty Crew Cab, Flex, Focus, Fusion, Mustang, Ranger Regular Cab, Ranger Super Cab, Taurus, Taurus X, Ford Transit Connect Cargo, and Transit Connect Passenger.