200HP Civic Si Concept Points at Future Direction for New 2006 Civic Si Coupe

by: Jenny McLaneThe new Honda Civic Si concept made its world debut last February 10, 2004 at the Chicago Auto Show. The concept provided hints at the styling and performance direction of the new breed of Civic Si coupes to be introduced later this year.

This new production Civic Si Coupe will serve as the performance leader for the 2006 Civic model lineup which will be completely redesigned. The 2006 Civic will feature more emotional styling, enhanced performance, and the latest generation of "intelligent" i-VTEC engine technology. The new 2006 Civic lineup will include a 4-door Sedan, a 2-door Coupe and Si Coupe, an even more fuel efficient Civic Hybrid and a natural-gas powered Civic GX.

The latest Civic Si Concept marks the 20th anniversary of the Civic Si Legacy in the US. With a 200-horsepower, 16-valve, DOHC i-VTEC engine with an 8,000 rpm red line, mated to a close ratio 6-speed manual transmission, this new Civic Si further establishes its performance heritage. A helical-type limited slip differential that improves launch traction and cornering performance helps put all that power on the ground. Among the many performance features of the Civic Si Concept include 18-inch cast aluminum wheels, 225/40R18 high performance tires and 4-wheel disc brakes with large cross-drilled brake rotors and 4-piston Brembo calipers.

"The 2006 Civic Si Coupe will be the most powerful, fastest and fun-to-drive Si we've ever put on the street, and the Civic Si Concept sets the direction in terms of its styling, package and performance," said John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda. "It's part of a new family of Civic vehicles that build on the already class-leading values of the Civic in terms of safety, styling, performance and fuel efficiency."

The Civic Si Concept is designed to be an "Advanced Personal Compact. It features a sweeping rooflines and ultra-fast windshield rake that highlights the vehicle's one-motion profile, low, wide stance, and superior aerodynamic performance. The forward motion conveyed by the overall vehicle shape is further accentuated by a long trunk deck and a frontward sloping bumper. for better performance, the gap between the tire and the body has been minimized thanks to optimized wheel openings. Boosting further the Civic Si's sleek aerodynamic features are and side aero kit, rear deck wing and a lower rear bumper diffuser with an integrated center exhaust system.

The 2006 Civic Si Coupe will be the sixth generation Si, which first appeared as a three-door hatchback in 1986 with subsequent Civic Si models appearing in 1989, 1992, 1999 and 2002. The production Si will make its world debut at the 2005 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in November. The Civic Si Concept was designed at Honda R&D America's Los Angeles design center.

Meanwhile, Honda Civic and Civic Si parts can be purchased even in the comfort of our own homes. Dozens of sites offer excellent deals on Honda Civic Si parts that are definitely hard to miss. One of the best sites to purchase from is Parts Train. Check out www.partstrain.com and browse through the thousands of choices of Honda Civic Si Parts.

About The Author Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.jenny@partstrain.com

Ford’s Hybrid Car: A Giant Step towards the Reduction of Oil Consumption and Air Pollution

by: Jenny McLaneFord’s Hybrid Car: A Giant Step towards the Reduction of Oil Consumption and Air Pollution.

Today’s financial crisis comes as a main concern with the price hikes of main commodities and the tremendous raise in petroleum prices. More and more people—interest groups, government administrators, consumers and the industry are bothered by these. Since one cannot do away with transportation utilities, alternatives to the conventional gasoline engine are a current issue to both consumers and auto manufacturers.

The United States ranks as the world’s largest consumer of oil. Transportation is responsible for roughly 65 percent of petroleum use not to mention that it is likewise the major cause of air pollution. The Department of Energy sees the transitioning to vehicles which are fueled by less oil thereby yielding to higher gas mileage as the solution to the dependence on the already dwindling and too expensive resource that may lead to the reduction of pollution.

Hybrid cars are on the watch list. Several government leaders from all over America recommend the use of hybrid cars since they combine gas and electric fuel sources. Hybrid cars integrate a gasoline engine with both an electric motor and a powerful battery to continuously recharge and store energy therefore the configuration it produces allows less energy to be lost and holds a high gas mileage.

Practicality and technology speaks for the hybrids. Several manufacturers started coming up with their hybrid concepts to respond to the consumer and the present time’s call. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention, as Plato puts it. Ford is basically spurred by a sense of necessity, practicality, inevitability, and the reality that it is the ultimate relief to today’s downtrodden economy.

Ford Escape Hybrid is the very first vehicle to combine SUV capability with an outstanding fuel economy and low environmental impact. True to the qualities possessed by an SUV leader, Ford’s Escape Hybrid drives normally, performs superbly, and contains no compromise features expected of an efficient SUV.

"When we began work on Escape Hybrid, we made a commitment to delivering a no-compromise, authentic Ford SUV that's fun to drive, spacious, comfortable and capable, with substantially lower fuel use and emissions," said Mary Ann Wright, director, Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Programs, Ford Motor Company. "Mission accomplished! It's wonderful to see the vehicle we originally envisioned resonating so strongly with customers," she added.

Escape Hybrid has earned the highest fuel economy numbers for an SUV as certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with its 36 mpg city/31 mpg highway/33 combined in front-wheel-drive configuration; 33 mpg city/29 mpg highway/31 mpg combined for the four-wheel-drive model. It is certifiably a clean vehicle to run and operate producing 97% less hydrocarbon and oxides of nitrogen emissions than vehicles that meet the nationwide Tier I emissions standard. No wonder Ford Escape Hybrid has been named "North American Truck of the Year" for 2005.

Ford owners need not worry of their Ford aftermarket parts for it’s just a click away. Check out http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/FORD for affordable and the largest array of Ford auto body parts to choose from. Try it out and see for yourself the superior quality replacement and aftermarket parts catered by Parts Train. Why wait? Give yourself the enticing experience of shopping for nothing but the best!

About The Author Jenny McLane works as a Market Analyst for one of the country's leading auto parts distributors. She has been in the auto parts industry for over ten years now.jenny@partstrain.com

BMW and Clean Energy

by: Jenny McLaneBMW is committing its engineering resources to honing the technology that enables it to use hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels. Though the hydrogen concept has long been espoused and may be old news to many, the recent engineering and marketing breakthroughs for the proliferation of more hydrogen powered BMW cars is something new.

In the late 1990s, BMW was worried if its hydrogen fueled will actually gain a following despite its obvious environmental advantage. People have gotten used to the ease of driving through a gas station for refueling, that same comfort is not available with the hydrogen car. And though hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, energy companies will not be easy to convince to build hydrogen stations if the market is minimal.

But BMW’s dedication and commitment to educate the public against preconceived notions such as vehicular performance and safety has paid of. Several years after the company first brought the idea to the public, BMW reports of unprecedented record sales in 2004.

2005 brought more success to the Bimmer as its H2R reaped accolades and awards proving that it can perform at par with its gas-guzzling contemporaries.

BMW is the world leader in the development of hydrogen cars with internal combustion engines," said Tom Purves, chairman and CEO of BMW Group (U.S.). "We believe that in the output range above 140 horsepower, there is still no other clean, practical alternative to hydrogen.

"The H2R concept car is more than a mere exercise. We will offer customers a production car with a hydrogen combustion engine during the production period of the current BMW 7 series."

BMW owners can find BMW auto body parts at http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/BMW where an organized catalogue of the best quality BMW aftermarket parts is waiting to be perused. At Parts Train you will receive not just great products but an excellent customer service too. After 25 years in the biz, we have mastered the art of keeping our customers happy by providing them the lowest prices, the best BMW replacement auto body parts and service that is worthy of praise. Click on the link above and get a taste of the Parts Train shopping experience.

About The Author Jenny McLane works as a Market Analyst for one of the country's leading auto parts distributors. She has been in the auto parts industry for over ten years now.jenny@partstrain.com

Nissan Exchange Revolutionizes Car Parts Replacement

by: Jenny McLaneGood tidings to Nissan vehicle owners! The Nissan Exchange is here to revolutionize the way car parts are replaced. What exactly is the Nissan Exchange? Nissan Exchange is a new program designed to give Nissan owners the performance from brand new parts with the service tag of used ones. Nissan Exchange caters to two auto body parts exchange, the Nissan Engine Exchange and the Nissan Gearbox exchange. The concept of “exchanging”, meaning to trade an old part—say an engine, to be refurbished and brought back to life as a brand new product using genuine parts, has been around for decades. But Nissan takes it a step further by assuring prospective Nissan Exchange customers that only genuine Nissan parts will be used by professionally trained Nissan technicians and mechanics.

The Nissan Engine Exchange service remanufactures the engine according to the manufacturer’s specifications. This is done by subjecting the engine to a multi-level process of dismantling, cleaning, machining, identification and replacement of faulty parts, reconditioning and assembly. Each engine is stripped to expose its basic components and critical items such as pistons, bearings, thermostats and timing chains which will be manually inspected and replaced with new Nissan Approved Parts. With this extensive process, you can be assured of superior quality engine at par with brand new Nissan engine blocks. Only genuine, high quality Nissan approved parts are used in the Nissan Engine Exchange.

Following on the success of the elder Nissan Engine Exchange program, the Nissan Gearbox Exchange is also ready to service Nissan car owners. The same meticulous process is followed where every gearbox brought in is stripped down to its bare elements. Every gear box component from seals to bearings and gaskets are individually inspected by trained technicians who painstakingly scrutinize each piece and work to reassemble each part after meeting the manufacturer’s standard specs. With the Nissan Gearbox Exchange, every gearbox carries a 12-month warranty which is the same as the warranty for the brand new unit—a committed assurance to clients of quality service and products.

These programs rely on great Nissan parts to ensure its smooth sail. If you are in need of prime quality Nissan replacement parts, visit http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/NISSAN. At Parts Train, you can be confident that you get the best Nissan parts at reasonable rates. Having been in the industry for 25 years, Parts Train knows how to do its business. Shop at Parts Train and you’ll receive a hefty package of great customer service and excellent auto body parts at manageable prices.

About The Author Jenny McLane works as a Market Analyst for one of the country's leading auto parts distributors. She has been in the auto parts industry for over ten years now.jenny@partstrain.com