Tom Brady Car Crash Matrix

Tom Brady’s car crash was “like a scene from ‘The Matrix’ ”.

The 33-year-old NFL player, who has nine-month-old son Benjamin with wife Gisele Bundchen, as well as three-year-old John from a previous relationship – was “scared out of his mind” after initially thinking he had hit a woman who was walking her dog when he collided with a minivan last Thursday morning, September 9.

He explained, “I was scared out of my mind. I swear to God. It was like ‘The Matrix’. When the cars hit, I saw all the glass kind of explode. Then I saw her go flying. I thought, ‘Oh, my God’ as we’re kind of skidding to a stop. I saw her go flying back.

“I’m telling you, when it happened, I didn’t even know what to do, because you’re just in shock. I was kind of sitting there in the car, looking around, trying to get my bearings. And then once I got home, then it really hits you.”

Luckily, the pedestrian was uninjured, but the star has praised the medics and fire crews who attended the scene of the crash

2010 VolksWagen Cars Beetle Bio-Bug Powered by Sewage Waste

Mohammed Saddiq, general manager of GENeco, has another idea, which would take something that's normally thought of as waste, and turn it into a way to power a vehicle. The prototype  2010 VolksWagen Cars Beetle Bio-Bug is powered by methane gas which is produced from human waste at sewage works. Another environmentally friendly car has been shown to the world today by Wessex Water in England.

2010 VolksWagen Cars Beetle Bio-Bug Powered by Sewage Waste. The Bio-Bug is a project from Wessex Water, a sewage treatment company in England. Now there’s Bio-Bug, a VW Beetle that runs on the methane gas generated at a sewage treatment plant, reports The Telegraph. Wessex Water, near Bristol, England, says that human waste from the toilets of 70 homes can power the Bio-Bug for a year.

2010 VolksWagen Cars Beetle Bio-Bug Powered by Sewage Waste

GENeco believes that more gas will be produced at its Avonmouth site when the company embarks on its latest green venture to recycle food waste. Mr Saddiq said: “Waste flushed down the toilets in homes in the city provides power for the Bio-Bug, but it won’t be long before further energy is produced when food waste is recycled at our sewage works.

At first glance, the Beetle appears to be a publicity stunt for GENeco, which owns a number of waste treatment sites in the U.K. But consider this: A single sewage treatment plant in Bristol, England generates 18 million cubic meters of biogas each year. The Bio-Bug squeezes out 5.3 miles per cubic meter of biogas. So just one sewage treatment plant could keep cars running for 5,400,000 miles each year, according to the British Daily Mail.

The Volkswagen Beetle dubbed the “Bio-Bug” was built for GENeco by UK’s The Greenfuel Company. The Bio-Bug’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine was converted to run on biogas and still hit about 114 miles per hour. However, the Bio-Bug uses regular unleaded gas to start, then switches over to methane automatically once it’s running. GENeco, a company owned by Wessex Water, supplied the equipment to treat the gas. “If you were to drive the car you wouldn’t know it was powered by biogas, as it performs just like any conventional car,” said Mohammed Saddiq, general manager of GENeco, in the release.

Mr. Saddiq explained that GENeco had been supplying treated compressed methane gas to generate electricity for the plant site and exported to the National Grid. The fuel for the Bio-Bug was surplus gas “we had available” and “we wanted to put it to good use in a sustainable and efficient way.”

The Bio-Bug was built by the Greenfuel Company, which specializes in converting gas cars to run on liquified petroleum gas.

2010 VolksWagen Cars Beetle Bio-Bug Powered by Sewage Waste

“The choice of car was inspired by students who took part in a workshop. They thought it would be appropriate that the poo-powered car should be the classic VW Beetle Bug because bugs naturally breakdown waste at sewage works to start the treatment process which goes on to produce the energy.”

Brilliant! Now, that’s a great marketing hook.

2010 VolksWagen Cars Beetle Bio-Bug Powered by Sewage Waste

Mohammed Saddiq, general manager of GENeco, has another idea, which would take something that's normally thought of as waste, and turn it into a way to power a vehicle. The prototype  2010 VolksWagen Cars Beetle Bio-Bug is powered by methane gas which is produced from human waste at sewage works. Another environmentally friendly car has been shown to the world today by Wessex Water in England.

2010 VolksWagen Cars Beetle Bio-Bug Powered by Sewage Waste. The Bio-Bug is a project from Wessex Water, a sewage treatment company in England. Now there’s Bio-Bug, a VW Beetle that runs on the methane gas generated at a sewage treatment plant, reports The Telegraph. Wessex Water, near Bristol, England, says that human waste from the toilets of 70 homes can power the Bio-Bug for a year.

2010 VolksWagen Cars Beetle Bio-Bug Powered by Sewage Waste

GENeco believes that more gas will be produced at its Avonmouth site when the company embarks on its latest green venture to recycle food waste. Mr Saddiq said: “Waste flushed down the toilets in homes in the city provides power for the Bio-Bug, but it won’t be long before further energy is produced when food waste is recycled at our sewage works.

At first glance, the Beetle appears to be a publicity stunt for GENeco, which owns a number of waste treatment sites in the U.K. But consider this: A single sewage treatment plant in Bristol, England generates 18 million cubic meters of biogas each year. The Bio-Bug squeezes out 5.3 miles per cubic meter of biogas. So just one sewage treatment plant could keep cars running for 5,400,000 miles each year, according to the British Daily Mail.

The Volkswagen Beetle dubbed the “Bio-Bug” was built for GENeco by UK’s The Greenfuel Company. The Bio-Bug’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine was converted to run on biogas and still hit about 114 miles per hour. However, the Bio-Bug uses regular unleaded gas to start, then switches over to methane automatically once it’s running. GENeco, a company owned by Wessex Water, supplied the equipment to treat the gas. “If you were to drive the car you wouldn’t know it was powered by biogas, as it performs just like any conventional car,” said Mohammed Saddiq, general manager of GENeco, in the release.

Mr. Saddiq explained that GENeco had been supplying treated compressed methane gas to generate electricity for the plant site and exported to the National Grid. The fuel for the Bio-Bug was surplus gas “we had available” and “we wanted to put it to good use in a sustainable and efficient way.”

The Bio-Bug was built by the Greenfuel Company, which specializes in converting gas cars to run on liquified petroleum gas.

2010 VolksWagen Cars Beetle Bio-Bug Powered by Sewage Waste

“The choice of car was inspired by students who took part in a workshop. They thought it would be appropriate that the poo-powered car should be the classic VW Beetle Bug because bugs naturally breakdown waste at sewage works to start the treatment process which goes on to produce the energy.”

Brilliant! Now, that’s a great marketing hook.

41 killed in Iraq car bombs

BAGHDAD - A SERIES of apparently co-ordinated car bombs targeting police across Iraq on Wednesday killed 41 people, including women and children, one day after the US military confirmed a major troop reduction.

In Baghdad, a suicide car attacker blew up his vehicle at a police station in the northeastern suburb of Qahira, killing 15 people, including two women, two children and two police, and wounding dozens, security and medical officials said.

The attack in the mixed Sunni and Shiite neighbourhood took place around 8 am (5:03 pm S'pore time), according to an interior ministry official who gave the toll.

In an equally lethal attack, a car bomb at a passport office in Kut, 160 km southeast of Baghdad, killed 15 people, including at least 10 police, and wounded 45 people, most of them police, Lieutenant Ali Hussein told AFP.

A series of car bomb attacks in five other towns and cities raised the nationwide toll to 41, and almost 200 wounded.

A spike in unrest over the past two months has triggered concern that Iraqi forces are not yet ready to handle security on their own, and with no new government formed in Baghdad since a March 7 general election.

Quick Tip: Summer Car Rental Tips

You should also try to rent from off-airport locations, which tend to be cheaper, especially on the weekends, and pre-pay when you book the rental to get a discount.

What about insurance coverage for your rental? Will the credit card you have give you the coverage you need?

Credit Cards and Car Rental Insurance

All the major cards offer you some form of secondary coverage. If you get in an accident, you file a claim with your auto insurance company and the credit card will cover most extra charges, including deductibles that you need to pay. However, there are many exclusions.

Europcar Australia

Europcar is one of the Australia's largest car rental companies and has over 110 locations in our car rental network including major airports and cities throughout Australia.

To make your rental experience as easy and safe as possible, Europcar provides key information that will help you when driving in Australia.


Europcar is a reliable and affordable car rental company, offering great car hire rates for a vast variety of vehicles.

If you need to speak to Europcar directly.

Eurpocar is one of the world's largest car rental companies, with hundreds of locations across Australia and many new ones opening regularly. Car Hire Adelaide continues to be the biggest depot in South Australia and offers a wide range of vehicles for your convenience. Europcar is a trusted Australian name and will make your next car rental an efficient and suitable one.

Top 10 Back to School Cars

The approach of a new school year often necessitates the start of a new (or used) car search. Choosing a ride that will make everyone happy - students, parents, friends, prospective love interests -- is as easy as finding a car that's at once affordable, reliable, versatile, fuel-efficient, safe, tech-savvy, fun and expressive. Piece of cake, right?

To lend a helping hand, every year we put together a list of the Top 10 Back-to-School Cars - five new, five used. New cars offer all the latest and greatest safety and technology advancements and a full warranty. Used cars typically deliver more car for the money. Each has merit.

In choosing the new cars, we considered everything available with a New Car Blue Book Value under $18,000. For the used entries, we narrowed it down to 2005 model year and newer vehicles that had a Kelley Blue Book Suggested Retail Value of less than $12,000 (with base-level equipment and average mileage).

This year, we mixed new and used together, and ranked them 10 to 1. Click through to see which cars made the list, and which one we crowned the best of the best back-to-school rides.

Kelley Blue Book Used Cars

Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc., began as the Kelley Kar Company, a Los Angeles-based car dealership, in 1918. The dealership was founded by Les Kelley, an Arkansas-born businessman who started the dealership with three used Model T Fords and one employee, his 13-year-old brother Buster.

In order to obtain inventory, he began circulating lists of cars he wanted to acquire along with the price he was willing to pay for them. The price lists quickly became a trusted standard among Los Angeles area banks and car dealers.


In 1926, he published his first Kelley Blue Book, a guide to used car values. The service was primarily regional until the 1940s. In the years immediately following World War II, a large number of returning serviceman and the pent-up demand caused by four years of wartime rationing caused a huge spike in the demand for cars. Since most car companies had yet to retool from wartime production, the price of used cars skyrocketed. During this time, Kelley Blue Book expanded to become a nationwide automobile appraisal guide.

Kelley Blue Book steadily expanded its scope over the years. New-car appraisals were added in 1966. In the years following, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and mobile home appraisal guides were added to company's list of services.

Kelley Blue Book guides were primarily trade publications until 1993 when a consumer edition of Kelley Blue Book was launched. The company began its website service in 1995 and has become one of the most visited automobile related sites in the Internet. Kelley Blue Book does not provide its methodology and sales data used to generate pricing valuations.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS Sport

The 2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, convertible version of the Eclipse coupe. The Spyder provides a similar driving and ownership experience to the coupe that means sleek styling, four-passenger seating, a powerful available V6 and a reasonable amount of comfort. With the Spyder in the reasonably priced convertible segment, Mitsubishi has taken a unbiased approach. With quick and sporty two-seat roadsters on one end of the range and four-seat family-sedan-based convertibles on the other, the Eclipse sits comfortably in the middle. During the previous years, the Spyder's closest competitors have been changeable cars such as the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang. The Spyder has been available for all Eclipse generations except the first, and has occasionally dropped out of existence as new generations of the Eclipse debuted.

Car Parts

Car repair and refinishing can be an expensive hobby. Whether you fix the cars of family and friends, or have a clunker that you want to turn into a head-turning show car, you have to put out a fair amount of money to buy car parts. What follows, though, is a step by step method of finding inexpensive car parts to help keep your hobby in budget.

1. Put an advertisement in the classifieds of a local newspaper or local penny-saver paper that you are looking for fellow car enthusiasts to team up with to find inexpensive car parts. Give your name and number and tell them you're looking to form a club.

2. When the car enthusiasts respond your advertisement, tell them your idea: that you form a discount car parts club so that you call can save money by filling the minimum purchase order on bulk car part purchases. Get a list from them of the parts they need to fix their cars, and add it to the list of parts you need.

3. Go online to an inexpensive or wholesale car parts site by typing "cheap car parts" or "wholesale car parts" into the search line of your browser. Many of these places have a minimum order of only a couple hundred dollars (or sometimes even less!) So you shouldn't have any problem filling the order. Sometimes, these minimum order quantities mean you also get free shipping and warranties on the parts!

4. When the parts arrive, call the car enthusiasts in your discount car parts club and have them pick up the order and drop off the payment payment. They'll be surprised at how much they saved and you may be able to get another order from them.

2011 Infiniti Cars M35h Sports Sedan The "Driver's" Hybrid

The “driver’s hybrid” from Infiniti, the M35h sports sedan, will introduce world-first steering and braking technologies when it goes on sale in the USA and Europe in 2011. The company calls the M35h a "driver's hybrid," with innovations in both steering and braking technologies designed to blend fuel efficiency with driving feel. As the first in-house hybrid from Nissan/Infiniti, the M35h is pretty unassuming. Indeed, although the test cars we drove in Japan were covered with decals advertising their gasoline-electricness, small “hybrid” badges on the production models’ front fenders will be the biggest powertrain giveaway once the cars arrive stateside next spring.

The Infiniti’s single electric motor is located between the engine and automatic transmission, in place of a conventional torque converter. The 67-hp motor is connected to the crankshaft via a wet-plate clutch. This allows the M to use its 1.3-kWh, 340-volt lithium-ion battery pack for electric-only propulsion at speeds up to about 60 mph as long as the driver keeps throttle application below 20 percent.

The 2011 Infiniti sports sedan M35h uses a 3.5-litre petrol V6 and a 68 PS (50 kW) electric motor for propulsion while power is put to the ground via a seven-speed automatic gearbox. The brakes are similarly designed primarily to suit sports sedan buyers’ needs, but at the same time contributing to the lower carbon footprint of the M35h, low CO2 champion of Infiniti’s all-new M Line sports sedan line-up.

Central to this is its one motor/two clutch system. The first clutch is installed between the naturally-aspirated 3.5-litre V6 and the electric motor, which is embedded within the automatic transmission. The electronically controlled clutch allows the full decoupling of the V6 when the car is in electric drive and power regeneration modes. Decoupling the V6 reduces mechanical drag and boosts the efficiency of the electric motor.

Aided by an exceptionally fast charge/discharge response from the lithium-ion battery pack, the result is a hybrid that’s electrically powered for more of the time, and at higher speeds, than conventional hybrids.

Infiniti’s sports sedan first hybrid, the M35h is the low CO2 star of the all-new M Line which also includes petrol and diesel models and which is the first M ever to be sold in all of Infiniti’s 34 world markets.

 2011 Infiniti Cars M35h Sports Sedan The "Driver's" Hybrid

Among the Infiniti M’s many other claims to fame are the world-first Blind Spot Intervention (BSI), state-of-the-art Forest Air climate control and Active Noise Control, while comfort and luxury are taken care of with double-piston dampers and the availability of semi-aniline leather in the spacious cabin.

Extensive details regarding these two innovations are available in the press release and Inifiniti said it will sell the M35h sports sedan on all of their 34 world markets. M35h sports sedan sales start in spring 2011, depending on market.

Enterprise Rent-a-Car Buying 500 Nissan LEAF Battery Electric Vehicles

The next time you need to rent a car, why not drive a battery electric vehicle to your final destination?

Enterprise Rent-a-Car has announced it is purchasing 500 LEAF vehicles from Nissan Motor Company for over $12 million.

Beginning in January 2011, the zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) will initially be available only in select cities – Phoenix, Tucson, Knoxville, Nashville, San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle.

The LEAF can be charged using a standard 110-volt outlet or commercial charging station. In November, Enterprise plans on installing charging stations at select rental locations. The car rental company plans on offering other electric vehicles as they become available.

Although the estimated base price of the LEAF is over $32,000, Enterprise will receive a $7,500 federal tax credit on each battery electric vehicle. Consumers may also be eligible for tax credits and incentives. The Nissan LEAF will be available for purchase nationwide by the end of 2011. According to reports, about 17,000 people in the U.S. have already placed orders for the new LEAF.

National Car Rental

National Car Rental is a rental car company based in Clayton, Missouri. National was founded by 24 independent rental car agents on August 27, 1947. It has grown from 60 locations in the United States in 1947 to over 2000 locations worldwide as of 2005.

In 1996, National acquired the Canadian fleet and operations of Tilden Rent-a-Car.

National is owned by Enterprise Holdings, which also owns Alamo Rent a Car and Enterprise Rent A Car.

On August 1, 2007 Enterprise Rent-A-Car assumed control of Vanguard Automotive Group. It was purchased from Cerberus Capital Management



In 1987, National launched the Emerald Club, a membership-based express rental program aimed at speeding upctions for business and leisure travellers. Emerald Club membership has three tiers: Emerald, Executive, and Executive Elite, where the higher tiers are reserved for those who rent most frequently from National. Members have the ability to earn credits each time they rent that can be used to earn free rental days.

At some US locations, members bypass the rental counter and proceed directly to the rental lot, where they can choose their own car. Emerald level members who reserve a mid-size car are directed to the Emerald Aisle, where they are allowed to choose any designated car, all at the mid-size rate reserved. Executive and Executive Elite members are directed to the Executive Selection lot, where they can choose from full-size or higher class cars for the price of a mid-size. Members with reservations for other car classes (e.g. compact, SUVs) are directed to the appropriate section of the lot (usually a row in the parkade) where they can choose from within that class.

Enterprise Rental Car

If you’re trying to save the earth but still can’t stand the thought of using public transportation on your next trip, give Enterprise car rental a call. Besides offering to pick you up, they’ll also sign you up for an electric vehicle. The rental car firm plans to offer up plenty of Nissan Leaf cars starting early next year.

By January 2011, the rental car company will have signed the papers on 500 of the eco-chic cars, and eventually they’ll thrown down the cash to get some other alternative vehicles from other manufacturers. We’re thinking that means the Chevy Volt, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Unfortunately the new cars will only be available in certain markets, so you might have to plan your trip accordingly to experience the new technology. Phoenix, Tucson, Knoxville, Nashville, San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle all seem to be getting the green light for these new cars.

Even though we won’t be declining the eight types of optional insurance until next year, preparations for the electric cars will begin this fall, as Enterprise will start installing charging stations at select locations. Let's just hope that we'll actually be able to afford to rent one when they finally become available.

2011 Infiniti Cars IPL G Coupe With New Performance

Nissan's luxury division has unveiled the 2011 Infiniti IPL G Coupe, with new performance coupe, and for those that want to see the car in the flesh should attend the 60th edition Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The first production vehicle from this group, the 348-horsepower 2011 Infiniti Performance Line G Coupe. It joins the Infiniti line of performance luxury vehicles at Infiniti retailers nationwide in December. Infiniti is heading down the road already strafed by the likes of BMW's M division, Mercedes-Benz' AMG sub-brand, and Audi's S and RS offspring, with a new performance badge dubbed IPL.

The IPL G Coupe's enhanced performance comes from the synergetic effects of three technology areas – engine tuning, dynamic tuning and sound quality/acceleration feel tuning. Engine performance modifications were selected not only for increased horsepower and torque levels, but also for acceleration feel and exhaust sound without compromising fuel economy or noise standards.

The IPL G Coupe's advanced VQ37HR 3.7-liter V6 engine management system has been recalibrated through air-fuel mixture and ignition timing optimization, raising the maximum horsepower output point to 7,400 rpm (from 7,000 rpm). To obtain a natural acceleration feel, the torque curve from low revs to the maximum torque point (5,200 rpm) was tuned for linearity. As a result of both the exhaust system and engine management changes, the IPL G Coupe generates 348 horsepower – an increase of 18 horsepower over the non-IPL models – and 276 lb-ft of torque (+6 lb-ft).

For better handling and road grip the 2011 Infiniti IPL G Coupe also comes with a stiffer suspension, upgraded brakes with ventilated discs on all 4-wheels plus aluminum-alloy 4-piston brake calipers at the front and 2-piston opposed rear calipers.

"When you drive the IPL G Coupe, the first thing you notice is the surge in sound and acceleration feel. The inspiring swell of sound is in complete harmony with the acceleration feel as engine speed increases," said Poore. "The sound is clean and inspiring, adding to the fun-to-drive sensation provided by the 348 horsepower under the hood.

2011 Infiniti Cars IPL G Coupe With New Performance

The closest G to the IPL in today’s lineup is the G37 Sport, which comes similarly equipped to the new IPL G Coupe and starts at $41,275 with a manual transmission. The IPL has more standard features and the more powerful engine, which leads us to believe that it will wear a price tag just north of $46,000 when it goes on sale in December.

2010 Volkswagen Cars Up! Lite Diesel Electric Hybrid Concept Car

The Up Lite concept car is the harbinger of Volkswagen's new small car platform that should bear fruit in the form of a production Up Lite as early as the second half of 2011. The Up! Lite concept car ontinues the Volkswagen strategy of offering high-tech and high-end quality in all of its vehicle classes, making progress affordable for every car driver. The Up! Lite was designed to be a versatile vehicle that makes trips into the city, commutes to work and naturally long trips as well significantly less expensive and more eco-friendly.

The new concept car, based on Volkswagen’s New Small Family (the Up! models), incorporates a variation on the two-cylinder TDI hybrid powertrain from the L1 concept car unveiled earlier this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. This small turbo-diesel hybrid possesses a small physical footprint--being much smaller than the VW Golf--and a super small carbon footprint, reaching an astronomical 70 US mpg fuel economy on the EU testing cycle. Volkswagen staged  the world premiere of the Up! Lite concept car at the LA Auto Show.

Naturally, on the Up! Lite there is nothing lacking in comfort or safety. ESP is on board, airbags are on board, ample space is on board, highly advanced information and control features are on board, and it is good to know that occupants are enclosed and protected by a highly innovative safety frame of aluminium, steel and carbon fiber.

The Volkswagen concept car has a top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) and accelerates to 100 km/h in a respectable 12.5 seconds (0-60 mph in 12 seconds). The Volkswagen Up! Light with its extremely efficient engine might be the perfect example to exemplify this. Ultra light (less than 700 kilograms / around 1,500 pounds) it achieves a mileage of 2.44 liters for a 100 km (70 MPG).

The centerpiece of the Up! Lite powertrain is the newly designed 0.8 TDI two-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with a power of 38 kW / 51 PS. Furthermore, the electric motor (10 kW) – designed as a pulse start module (starter, alternator and E-drive) – also reduces the load of the TDI, provides added propulsion (boosting) and works to recover kinetic energy (regenerative braking). During boost phases – e.g. in a quick passing maneuver – the TDI and E-motor combine for a total power of 48 kW / 65 PS. Incidentally, a version of the TDI used in the Up! Lite was also used aboard the L1 concept car that Volkswagen presented in September at the IAA Motor Show in Frankfurt.

2010 Volkswagen Cars Up! Lite Diesel Electric Hybrid Concept Car

In two of its operating phases, the hybrid drive of the Up! Lite was designed to operate without any TDI propulsion at all. First phase: In so-called coast-down, activated by the driver taking his or her foot off the gas pedal (car coasts, TDI engine is shut off). Second phase: Over shorter distances, e.g. in residential areas, the E-motor can power the Up! Lite all by itself. In this case, a lithium-ion battery supplies the energy. Since it is capable of pure electric driving, the configuration is classified as a full hybrid. Shifting work is handled by a 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) like the one used in the new Polo. Moreover, the Volkswagen is equipped with a Stop-Start system.

Cars

If you're unimpressed by BMW's own M-Sport styling packages for the new 5-Series saloon, Hamann Motorsport's has launched its new tuning program for the midsize luxury sedan with an assortment of aero parts, chassis upgrades and interior enhancements.

For the car's looks, Hamann has readied a bodykit that consists of an adjustable front lip spoiler, new front bumper trim with built-in daytime running LEDs, sculptured side skirts, a rear apron with an integrated diffuser, a not so elegant boot lid spoiler and for those that don't mind going overboard, an additional roof spoiler.

Rental Car History

Whether you've traveled to an unfamiliar place or just needed a replacement while your car's in the shop, chances are you've had to rent a car at some point in your life. Rental cars have a long and storied history that's closely tied to the history of the automobile industry and America itself. As times have changed, so have rental cars - and they remain a crucial part of the automobile industry to this day.

The true beginnings of rental cars are unknown, but many believe that the first true rental car agency began with the Model T, the first mass-produced automobile. Allegedly, the first rental agency belonged to a Nebraskan man named Joe Saunders, who would rent his Model T out for ten cents a mile. Saunders used a mileage meter to determine how far his car had been driven. The legend goes that Saunders' first rental went to a traveling salesman who wanted to impress a girl on a date.

Whatever the case, Saunders definitely had the first massively successful car-rental agency. By 1925, his business had rental agencies in 21 states. However, the Great Depression led to many people no longer needing rental cars, and Saunders went bankrupt.

While Saunders was establishing his business, a man named Walter Jacobs was also starting his own Model T rental service. Jacobs fared far better than Saunders. He eventually sold his business to Yellow Cab owner John Hertz. Hertz' company was then bought out by General Motors. Today, Hertz Rent a Car is the largest rental car company in the world.

Rental cars suffered from a bad reputation during the Prohibition period, as many believed they were used to transport criminals. After Prohibition was repealed, the rental car industry enjoyed a better reputation, and expanded considerably.

Car Loans

Refinance car loans make it doable for you to repay your automotive loans currently in existence. View it as a mortgage refinancing. However, they are a quicker and easier process than a refinance mortgage. Your loan provider helps to pay off the loan that you currently owe and your car's title will then transferred to the mortgage bank. Most everyone looking to refinance an existing car loan is doing so to reduce their monthly payments.



Some look to refinance as a way to build equity faster and get out of debt. When you apply and refinance an auto loan, you can negotiate the terms with your new lender. Do you want to extend the term and lower the payments substantially or are you more interested in lower that rate and getting it paid off quicker. That is up to you to decide. Each consumer's circumstance is different. Some even look to refinance as a way to finance in an extended warranty to cover any unforeseen repairs that may crop up. Most lenders will allow you to finance these ancillary products into your new loan. Some even offer other products to inquire about such as GAP insurance or other insurance products.

If your goal is to have access to a smaller payment, you definitely want to lengthen the time period that is left on your existing loan. This could possibly increase the APR which you pay for in total. Simply do the numbers and discover exactly where the biggest opportunity is to you. You will be surprised how a small decrease in your rate or small increase in term will make on your monthly payments.

It will be useful to remember that refinance car loans have grown over the past few years and are sought after today by many. Be sure to check around with several lenders to ensure the best deal for you. Finding and choosing an online lender is the best route to go for you. It is fast, easy and hassle free. You can find more information about car loans and refinancing online at OpenRoad Lending.

2010 Peugeot Cars 308 Millesim Special Edition

The British division of Peugeot announced today it will expand its 308 range by adding a special edition to the lineup that celebrates Peugeot’s 200th anniversary: the Millesim, after unveiling the 207 special edition wearing the same name. There will be four models available powered by VTi petrol and HDi diesel engines.

Model Range On-the-road Price Combined MPG CO2 Emissions :

308 Millesim 1.4 VTi 98 £16,245.00 43.46 149    

308 Millesim 1.6 VTi 120 £16,745.00 43.46 155

308 Millesim HDi 90 £17,495.00 62.70 120

308 Millesim HDi 110 £18,245.00 62.70 120

The Peugeot 308 Millesim comes equipped with a free Nokia 5230 smartphone with Satellite Navigation and in-car mounting kit, 16 inch alloy wheels, Sports front grille, Sports rear bumper. The Peugeot 308 Millesim also features USB and Bluetooth connectivity, special badges and various other styling accents. Other features offered as standard include ABS, EBFD, EBA, ESP, driver airbag, passenger airbag, side airbags, curtain airbags, remote control central locking with deadlocks, electric front and rear windows, radio / single CD player, air-conditioning and front fog lights, among others.

For the petrol versions, the 308 Millesim is equipped with Peugeot’s class leading VTi petrol engines. Two engine options are available, a new Euro 5 1.4 litre 98 bhp, or a 1.6 litre 120 bhp version. Both engines benefit from Peugeot’s particularly innovative VTi technology which improves the engine’s overall efficiency, significantly reducing fuel consumption (particularly in phases of partial load) and, therefore, CO2 emissions. For HDi diesel versions, the 308 Millesim is powered by Peugeot’s 1.6 litre 90 and 110 bhp engines, both acknowledged for their driveability, performance and low running costs (62.7 mpg in the combined cycle and zero vehicle excise duty). An additive based diesel particulate filter system (FAP) is fitted as standard on the HDi 110 bhp engine.

The 308 Millesim benefits from Peugeot’s extensive experience and the latest technological advances to ensure safety of the highest order at all levels. A five star EuroNCAP rating is combined with the standard fitment of: ESP, six airbags, five three-point inertia reel seat belts with a “fasten seat belt” warning system, front and rear head restraints designed to limit whiplash, three Isofix mountings to accommodate a child seat – one at the front and two in the rear outer seats and an electrically operated child safety system which simply and safely locks the rear doors and disables the electric rear windows.