carcrazed

Road accidents… deaths… These are the things that kept on flashing in my mind a while ago after reading an article from autochannel.com. From the results of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2006 Traffic Fatalities and Injuries Assessments, it’s very alarming when we hear something about such kind of details. It is super bad news! It’s quite alarming and if you try to think about this kind situation, it feels like weakening, right?

That’s why the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) is calling all drivers and motorcyclists to be aware of these situations. We can possibly prevent these things from happening if we try to follow the rules and be a responsible driver. Forget all about Subaru aftermarket parts first and try to follow these reminders from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation!

“The overwhelming number of motorcyclists who wind up in single-vehicle crash statistics are there because they aren’t following basic but important safety precautions when riding. And fewer than half of all riders have taken any kind of formal training course. We also know that car drivers and other motorists are at fault a majority of the time in multiple-vehicle crashes that involve a motorcyclist. We have life-saving messages for everyone, whether they are behind the handlebars or behind a steering wheel,” said Tim Buche, the president of the MSF.

“All of these are all doable, real-world actions that will cut down crashes and fatalities right now,” Buche continued. “Above everything else, it’s about the human element, the attitude, the mind-set that motorcyclists and motorists have, and the choices they make out there on the road.”

For motorcyclists, the MSF has five critical messages:

• Get Trained and Licensed – Take an MSF RiderCourse and get licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Visit www.msf-usa.org, or call (800) 446-9227.
• Wear Protective Gear – Wear proper protective riding gear – all the gear all the time – most importantly a helmet that meets Department of Transportation standards.
• Ride Unimpaired – Never use alcohol or other drugs when riding.
• Ride Within Your Limits – Don’t ride faster or longer than your abilities allow.
• Be a Lifelong Learner – Regularly return for refresher rider training courses to brush up on skills and knowledge.

For car drivers and other motorists, the MSF says:

• Look Out for Motorcyclists – Use your eyes and mirrors to see what’s around.
• Don't Be Distracted – Hang up and drive, put down the food, the pet, the personal grooming gear, the MP3 player, and the reading material and save it for later.
• Give Two-Wheelers Some Room – Don't tailgate or get too close.
• Use Your Turn Signals – Signal your intentions. It's also the law.
• Keep it in the Car – Don’t throw trash out the window, and secure cargo that can fall out on the road and become a deadly hazard.

17 Kum & Go stations in more than twelve communities from Iowa will cut down the price of B2 biodiesel by ten cents per gallon staring today June 18, 2007. This will start from 8 in the morning until noon. The single largest promotion for biodiesel is expected in the upper Midwest which is entitled “Biodiesel Appreciation Day”. This event was acknowledged by a group of environmentalists and politicians that aims to stop the nation’s obsession with petroleum.

"While ethanol makes a lot of headlines, especially here in Iowa, biodiesel has become the sleeping giant of biofuels," said Jessica Zopf, an environmental health coordinator for the American Lung Association of Iowa. "Iowa produces 225 million gallons of cleaner-burning biodiesel a year, which can significantly reduce harmful tailpipe emissions when used in higher concentrations. Buying a two percent blend biodiesel may be a small step, but it is a vital beginning on a path toward cleaner air, greener fuels and less dependence on petroleum."

Select Kum & Go stations participating in the Biodiesel Appreciation Day include:

• 2801 E. 13th, Ames
• 1950 Princeton Drive, Grimes
• 510 Mortensen Road, Ames
• 715 Lang Creek Avenue, Grinnell
• 108 Isaac Newton Drive, Ames
• 1116 E. Nevada St., Marshalltown
• 920 White Birch, Ankeny
• 1453 Co. Highway G76, New Virginia
• 825 N. Ankeny Road, Ankeny
• 5970 Morning Star Court, Pleasant Hill
• 01 E. Highway 92, Bevington
• 209 E. Main St., St. Charles
• 725 NW 86th Street, Clive
• 4585 156th St., Urbandale
• 400 SE 14th Street, Des Moines
• 308 University, West Des Moines
• 01 N.1st, Grimes

Let’s keep those cool Subaru Impreza parts or that cute VW Beetle parts  for the meantime because this is a car-crazed section so I guess you wouldn’t mind if I share and make some reviews about a vehicle that “drives” me crazy? Yeah, I know you’ll love it as much as I do.

Anyway, going down to business, what would be your ideal car? Of course, we all want the best there is. In line with the “best vehicle”, I can give you one that will surely suit your tastes. I present to you, the 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander! This vehicle is the best definition for power and class! Talk about 220 horses in a MIVEC V6 engine, a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) and the best standard features are all brought out by this one of a kind SUV.

The Outlander ’07 has everything you want and has things you have never imagined before. Just get in, get going and get out! The Outlander is always ready to go the extra mile just like all want to do! Boundaries? No limits! The Outlander never considered tough roads as a hard task. This ride takes you to its maximum auto performance… never lets you yawn for a second!

Power comes with great security! With the best safety features, all you have to worry is fishing on your day-off. These safety features include: Advanced dual-stage front airbags with occupant seat position sensors, Side-impact head protection curtain airbags, front seat thorax side airbags, Anti-lock braking system (ABS) with EBD, electronically controlled 4WD system, active Skid Control, active front seat headrests, head impact absorption roof and pillar trim, tire pressure monitoring system, three-point seatbelts and head restraints for all occupants, height-adjustable front shoulder belts with pretensioner, Anti-theft engine immobilizer, Anti-theft security alarm system, Child safety locks (rear doors), RISE body construction (64km/h OBD), LATCH system (Lower Anchor and Tethers), front pedestrian impact crumple zones and the anti-trapping auto up drivers power window. Whew! Safe enough?

Comfort… superb! Check out some of the 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander interior features!

 Manual air-condition climate control
 Automatic air-condition climate control
 Micron air filtration
 Rear heater floor ducts
 Urethane steering wheel w/ silver accent 
 Leather wrapped steering wheel w/ silver accent
 Leather wrapped shift knob
 Leatherette wrapped parking brake handle
 Premium fabric seats (suede-style knit and sporty mesh fabric)
 Fabric wrapped door armrest
 Leather seating surfaces (high-quality leather with perforated leather)
 Leatherette wrapped door armrest
 Power driver's seat
 Heated driver/passenger front seats
 Front seat sliding and reclining adjuster
 Fully-flat seating function (1st, 2nd row)
 Driver's seat height adjustment
 Driver and passenger side visor/vanity mirrors
 Seatback pocket (driver's side)
 floor center console box with slide-adjustable armrest and cup holders
 650-watt Rockford Fosgate® 6-CD/MP3 player w/ 9 speakers, digital sound processor, SCV+EQ, and SIRIUS satellite Radio With 6-months pre-paid subscription service  
 SIRIUS Satellite Radio "ready" pre-wire

To Infiniti and beyond! This line is very much related to our subject matter today. That’s right! It’s all about Infiniti cars and the company. Infiniti’s development has grown larger as they embrace an additional scope in their market. Next stop: China! Days ago, a new door has been opened for Infiniti’s dealership which I believe will help climb their way to new heights. The first Infiniti dealership in China was already launched at Shanghai Yongda Infiniti. This marks the first authorized dealership for the international luxury auto brand in the country of the Great Walls! The inauguration of the brand new Infiniti dealership envisions China Market’s big responsibility for the global progress of the Infiniti brand.

"The China business is crucial for Infiniti's global expansion and the smooth implementation of Nissan Value-Up," said Yasuaki Hashimoto, Corporate Vice President of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., who took part in the grand opening ceremony with Yukihisa Kayashima, President of Nissan (China) Investment Co., Ltd, Mr. Cai Yingjie, Vice President of Yongda Group, and Mr. Xu Yue, General Manager of Shanghai Yongda Infiniti dealership. During the opening ceremony, the ritual of key delivery was also held for Infiniti's first car owner.

"Infiniti has been well received in the marketplace thanks to its vibrant design, exhilarating performance, modern luxury experience and premium quality, as well as its Total Ownership Experience customer care philosophy," said Yasuaki Hashimoto. "Infiniti's worldwide customers are innovative, ambitious and successful people. We are also expecting many of the same kind of customers in China. Cumulative Infiniti global sales have so far topped 1,100,000 units. Today, we are so excited to see that Infiniti has taken a major step forward in China. We hope that Infiniti can achieve great success in this market."

One of the brand’s latest customer care ideals is the Total Ownership ExperienceTM which aims for the satisfaction of new Infiniti vehicle owners. Various comparisons shows that Infiniti has a lead over its competitors when it comes to quality and performance.

"All Infiniti dealerships will be built based on Infiniti Retail Environment Design Initiative (IREDI), Infiniti's unified global standard. We believe that our dealers will be able to bring the greatest satisfaction to customers through their commitment to the Total Ownership Experience philosophy – even exceeding the expectations of luxury customers," said Mr. Kayashima.

Hyundai is moving along full blast this year by bringing the best quality cars on its range today. Hyundai cars were disregarded before, but now, we can’t find any reason to deny them because they are just too great to be true! Hyundai cars came back this year with a statement tagged in every vehicle they launch that I bet says. “It’s about time!” Yes, probably it’s about time we give credit to Hyundai cars.

One of the premium cars being offered by Hyundai is the 2007 Azera. This model was first introduced way back 2006. The Azera was Hyundai’s secret weapon that outperformed big time competitors like the Toyota Avalon. The Azera became a swift strong seller and it has proven itself as one of the top cars today by earning second place in its segment in the 2006 Initial Quality Study by J.D Power and Associates on its launch as a Hyundai flagship model. Thus, the Azera became one of the certified premium cars in the industry today. Parts and styling can be ranked equal to Ford Mustang parts and Subaru Baja parts.

Let’s check the standard features Azera has to offer which I got from their reliable site www.hyundainews.com:

• Power assisted front vented disc/rear solid disc brakes
• 4-channel/4-sensor ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) w/ EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution)
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• Traction Control System (TCS)
• Panic Brake Assist
• Driver and front passenger advanced airbags
• Front and rear passenger seat-mounted side-impact airbags
• Roof-mounted side curtain airbags (front and outboard rear    passengers)
• Occupant Classification System (OCS)
• Front 3-point seat belts w/adjustable shoulder belt height 
• Front seat belt pretensioners and buckle pretensioners 
• Rear 3-point seat belts
• Rear seat ISOFIX lower child seat anchors 
• Child seat tether anchors, 3 in parcel shelf
• Front dual active head restraints 
• Childproof rear door locks
• Power window lockout button
• Impact-sensing auto door unlocking
• Remote keyless entry system w/alarm
• Shift interlock system
• Front crumple zones 
• Hood buckling creases and safety stops
• Rear crumple zones
• Bodyside reinforcements
• Energy-absorbing steering column 
• Air conditioning, non-CFC w/dual automatic temperature control, rear ducts, air quality control system
• Ash trays, front illuminated & dual rear
• Assist Grips
• Black interior (with contrasting gray stitching)
• Deluxe carpeting    
• Carpeted floor mats 
• Cigarette lighter and/or secondary power outlets (2 front, 1 rear)
• Clock, digital
• Defoggers, electric rear window defroster w/timer 
• Deluxe center console w/dual-level covered storage
• Rear seat center armrest w/dual cup holders, retractable
• Rear coat hooks
• Rear ashtray and dual cup holders 
• AM/FM Stereo/CD/MP3
• AM/FM Stereo/cassette/6-CD changer/MP3 
• 10-speaker into 8-location Infinity audio system including subwoofer
• 6-disc in-dash CD changer
• Steering wheel audio controls with seek up/down feature 

It’s not the C4 explosive that I’m talking about – it’s the marvelous car from Citroen; the C4 Picasso! It is definitely explosive when it comes to class, convenience and styling. In short, it’s the bomb! The C4 Picasso was launched following the booming start of its brother, the 8-seater Grand C4 Picasso. Citroen continues to bring the best MPVs to the market with its latest addition of the C4 Picasso included in its range.

This explosive newcomer has all the hot stuff and advantages of an MPV. Standard MPV features include a premium cabin and boot space and a superior driving position together with all-new features naturally packed to the visiospace concept vehicle: an exceptional marginal visibility and light, convenient modular styling, organized interior legroom, and the maximum levels in onboard comfort – all these are being provided by the C4 Picasso.

The C4 Picasso is also a fun-to-drive exciting vehicle and show offs surefooted roadholding and handling performance.

The vehicle is available with four high-performance engines of your choice which are economical on fuel and is very friendly to the environment:

• Petrol engines include the 127 bhp DIN 1.8i 16V unit mated to a manual 5-speed gearbox, along with the 143 bhp DIN 2.0i 16V with the 6-speed electronic gearbox system.
• Two diesels, both built-in as customary with a particulate filter (DPFS), of which the 110 bhp HDi DPFS matched to a 5-speed manual gearbox or the 6-speed electronic gearbox system, and the 138 bhp HDi DPFS with the 6-speed electronic gearbox system or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Two diesels engines are available too and both are built-in as standard with a particulate filter (DPFS). The 110 bhp HDi DPFS is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox or the 6-speed electronic gearbox system, and the 138 bhp HDi DPFS comes with the 6-speed electronic gearbox system or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.