The World's Ten Fastest Cars

The world where auto enthusiasts thrive is filled with variables that to outsiders would mean nothing at all. Terms like rpm, 0-60, 0-100, 100-0, horsepower, torque, and the likes may seem unfathomable for those who live outside this realm. But what everyone knows about is speed. When it comes to cars, the faster your car, the better it is.

While manufacturers tagged their vehicles with top speeds of so and so, it is really hard to find the fastest cars just by looking at the numbers supplied by their makers. That is where the acceleration from a standstill to 60 miles per hour or 100 kilometers per hour is checked. By testing different cars for their acceleration, it is possible to rank the fastest cars in the world today.

These are list of the ten fastest cars in the world. The cars considered for the test, of course, excludes the concept on one-off cars due to their unfair advantage.

Coming in at the tenth place is the Lamborghini Gallardo. The Gallardo is Lamborghini’s “entry-level” car, if you can consider a pricey car such as this to be an entry-level car. The Gallardo is the first car to be equipped with the massive Lamborghini V10 engine which produces as much as 520 horsepower. The engine gives the Gallardo a time of 13.65 seconds going from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour.

Translated to 0-60 mph, the Gallardo’s time is 4 seconds. This makes the Gallardo even faster than the Murcielago.

Taking the ninth spot is the Porsche 911 Turbo. The 911 has been making waves in the supercar arena since its introduction in 1964. For its length of tenure as a mass produced car, the 911 has undergone a lot of changes which have made it faster and faster year after year.

While the Porsche 911 produces only 480 horsepower, it uses its integral drive system which reduces wheel slipping which means that limited power is wasted. The 911 achieved a time of 12.5 seconds in the 0-100-0 test.

The Caterham CSR260 sits at the eighth position. The CSR is the latest installment from supercar manufacturer Caterham Cars and it is the most modified vehicle from the sports car manufacturer. While its 2.3-liter engine produces only 250 horsepower, it has a relatively low weight which gives the CSR a time of 11.95 seconds to speed to a hundred kilometers per hour from a standstill.

The CSR’s weight is only 555 kilograms which gives the car an astonishing mass to power ratio of 0.5 horsepower per kilogram.

The seventh fastest car in the world is the Pagani Zonda. This mid-engine sports car is made by the Argentinean car manufacturer Pagani which is currently based in Italy. The company produces about 25 Zondas every year. Its powerplant is of German origin which makes the Zonda truly an international car.

The Mercedes AMG 7.3-liter V12 engine that it carries provides horsepower that is equal to the weight of the CSR in kilograms. With 555 hp, the Zonda can cruise to 100 kilometers per hour from a stationary position in just 11.8 seconds.

Another Porsche made it to the list of the ten fastest cars in the world. This time, the Porsche Carrera GT takes on the sixth place. The Carrera’s engine is a huge 5.7-liter V10 engine capable of rocketing up to speeds of a hundred kilometers per hour from a standstill in just 11.6 seconds.

One factor for this vehicle is the fact that the Carrera is made out of lightweight carbon fiber material which allows the Carrera to accelerate at such a short time span.

The fifth spot went to the McLaren F1 LM. This car is one of the most unique in the world of sports car. McLaren built only five of these fast cars in honor of the five McLaren F1 GTR’s that won the famous Le Mans in 1995. The car created to become the fastest although it only landed in the fifth spot but its time of 11.5 seconds from a standstill to a full 100 kilometers per hour is truly amazing.

Its engine, a BMW gold-plated V12 engine, can provide a whooping 627 horsepower with a maximum speed of 240 miles per hour.

The fourth place is occupied by the Ferrari Enzo. The Enzo is the fastest Ferrari of all time and it is only fitting that it should be named after the founder of the world-famous Italian car manufacturer. The Enzo timed in at 10.9 seconds after the acceleration test. The uniqueness of the Enzo is made possible by the fact that there are only 399 Enzos produced in its entire history.

The third fastest car in the world is probably the most unusual in the list. The Ariel Atom, which is made by the Ariel Motor Company based in Somerset, England, combines the chassis and the body of the car. In fact, the chassis of the Atom is its body. The Atom weighs less than the CSR at 456 kilograms and its Honda Civic Type-R engine is aided by a turbocharger to produce 300 horsepower propels it to 100 kilometer per hour from a standstill in just 10.88 seconds.

Coming in at a close second is the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. This is sports car differs than most of its contemporary due to the fact that its interior speaks of luxury, not only of performance. Sports cars usually have limited features but the Veyron provides good comfort for two occupants. Weighing in at almost two tons, the Veyron is the heaviest of the cars in the list.

With its W16 engine or 2 V8s mated in a “W” position capable of producing 1001 horsepower, the Veyron completed the 0-100-0 test in just 9.9 seconds. That amount of power will surely test brake pads such as EBC brake pads to their limit.

Rocketing to the first place and claiming the title as the fastest car in the world is the Ultima GTR. The GTR is the handiwork of Ultima Sports Ltd based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England. It completed the 0-100-0 acceleration test in just 9.4 seconds beating the Veyron by just five tenths of a second making it faster than the Veyron.

Bugatti Veyron need to be own!!

50 years after Ettore Bugatti's death, Volkswagen used its magic wand to resurrect the legendary firm, and to say the least, the German carmaker did a mindblowing job.

Motorsports enthusiasts will instantly refer you to the mythical Bugatti Royale from the 1930s, a colossal and majestic masterpiece, sold at such a prohibitive price that only three people were able to afford to buy it at the time. The Royale turned out to be one of the most rare and prestigious automobiles of all times, but despite record-breaking performances, its endless and fairytale-like silhouette became above all a symbol of unequivocable luxury able to make any Rolls Royce look like your everyday sedan. Instead of trying to match the Royale's incredible legacy, re-Volkswagen decided to look for inspiration in Bugatti's racing history to design the Veyron, rightfully using the name of the famous driver who won at Le Mans in 1939 behind the wheel of a Bugatti Type 57.

One quickly runs out of superlatives when trying to describe the Bugatti Veyron. I'm not even sure if one should use the word "car" to refer to such a monster. Endowed with absolute power and a daunting maximum speed, the Veyron looks and sounds like it just came out of some impossible future inhabited by gigantic gas pumps.

We got to drive this exceptional vehicle for a few miles in the parking lot of a San Diego country club. It's easy to feel intimidated by this incredible machine, so we carefully and promptly handed it back to its official tutor, French race car driver PierHenri Raphanel.

The Veyron is unbeatable. Its wide and massive shape sets it aside from other supercars such as the sleek Mercedes McLaren SLR or the angular Ferrari Enzo. But the real thrill comes from the Veyron's unrivaled performances: with an engine delivering 1001 hp and a top speed neighboring 250 mph, the new Bugatti flies over the road like a rocket in the morning sky. The Veyron goes from 0 to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds, which is no less than a second faster than a Ferrari Enzo. Pedal to the metal, you can reach 200 mph in little more than 15 seconds. This is a first in the field of street-legal vehicles, and you would have to steal a Champ Car to have a chance to catch up with the Veyron. To be frank, at the end of the day, I still wouldn't put a dollar on you.

Revolutionary techniques were involved in the making of this 21st Bugatti. In order to gather the 1001 horsepower needed to establish a new automotive legend, Volkswagen has designed an 8 liter W16 engine by mating two narrow-angle V8s. Peak torque is 922 lb/ft at 2200 rpm No less than four turbochargers garnish this frenzied powerhouse and engineers had to come up with a special seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to allow for all this wild energy to be transferred to the road. Needless to say, fuel efficiency was never an issue in the process, and you'll be delighted to learn that the Bugatti Veyron has given a new meaning to the term gas-guzzler by settling for a little more than 2 miles per gallon at top speed. In this configuration, the tank would go from full to empty in less than 12 minutes. All kinds of rumors are surrounding this unbelievable ride: pushing hard on this monster will make a set of tires last about 125 miles

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New Porsche Carrera GT 2007

The Porsche Carrera GT with its streamlined complete bodywork speeds up like a world-class runner on the road. This high-performance Carrera GT with technology of the future sports a V10 engine allowing for more than 600 horsepower and a lay out of burning edge technologies letting in a ceramic composite clutch and brakes below its carbon-reinforced body. Porsche claims that the Carrera GT can skip from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds. This is not just your ordinary racing car, yet it is amazingly quick as lightning. Second gear stints to an suggested 82 mph, third gear is adept at 113 mph, and fourth speeds up to 143 mph. But with the Carrera GT, and an ameliorated shift to Fifth gear revs at 170 mph. And maximum yet very satisfying sixth gear quickly runs to 7000 rpm. The Porsche Carrera GT 2007 takes you from zero to gone.

The quickest and the most expensive A-one car ( approx. $484,000) is the Porsche Carrera GT 2007. Amidst the super cars, its unparalleled features are its 5.7-liter, 605-horsepower V10 engine, and its monocoque chassis with Porsche-patented engine and transmission mounts cleared of carbon-reinforced plastic and the foremost use of a ceramic composite clutch. To lower the car's center of gravity, the clutch diameter was belittled. Its race-bred suspension and aerodynamic package plies secure and unchanging move at speeds of up to 205 mph (330 km/h). The Carrera GT sports the panoptic use of lightweight materials, such as magnesium for its significant wheels and the frames of its exceptional sport seats. The Carrera GT is a perfect; Porsche has done something spectacular in designing a new transversally mounted transmission.

Porsche Carrera GT ‘s chassis and suspension is based on the engineering of the Porsche GT1, the automobile that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1998. Porsche engineers did not forget to consider the driving comfort when they accommodated such racing-bred systems for this super car. The Carrera GT uses pushrod suspension with double-track control arms at all four corners to give the Carrera refined response & behavior of racing cars.

Lotus Elise

The new Lotus Elise with good looking and high performance sports car developed by the Lotus Company. When the first Lotus Elise was released, it received a lot of attention for its remarkably low weight and striking design. The first Lotus Elise hit the marked in September 1995. Today, there are two main types Lotus Elise available for the car enthusiast: Lotus Elise Series 1 cars and Lotus Elise series 2 cars.

The creator of the first Lotus Elise was named Max David and worked from London. The founder of the Lotus Company, Colin Chapman, had always dreamed about a car that combined extremely light weight with superb performance, and Max David took these dreams to heart. The remarkably low weight of the Lotus Elise is what makes fantastic performance possible even with a modest engine. The shape of the Lotus Elise has been created with dynamics and driving purity in focus.

The first Lotus Elise weighed no more than 1500 lb (680 kg). Driving this car is amazing, due to its remarkable ability to accelerate, brake and corner. The weight of the first Lotus Elise can be compared to the Porsche Boxter, which is considered a low-weight sports car and still weigh almost as much as two Lotus Elise cars - 2756 lb (1250 kg). This means that while the 1997 Porsche Boxter requires and engine output of 201 bhp (149 kW), the Lotus Elise works brilliant with only 120 bhp (89 kW).

Toyota Lexus GS300: Venerable Luxury with Durable Toyota Parts

Combination of Toyota and Lexus with High equipment levels and meticulous quality and refinement have been the formula for building and maintaining the Lexus. It embodies a fresh design approach, re-engineered from the ground up.

Dominated by a long cabin with steeply angled front and rear glass, the windows allow plenty of light into the well-organized interior. The Rear passengers get plenty of legroom – the wheelbase has been lengthened by 50mm – and large quarter-windows.

The GS300 Sports at $95,000 includes climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, auto headlights and wipers, reversing camera and steering wheel audio controls. The Sports Luxury model tested here adds satellite navigation, a sunroof, intelligent cruise control, parking sensors and an excellent Mark Levinson stereo system.

Operating full time, the GS300's all-wheel-drive system features a planetary gearset and a wet, multidisc clutch to couple the primary drive wheels, at the rear, to the front. The standard torque split is 30/70 front to rear, but the system's electronic brain can vary that to 50/50, making its judgments based on various driver inputs such as throttle angle and steering angle, and vehicle data such as wheel speed and yaw rate

Every GS has three variations of a new close-ratio six-speed automatic transmission, each designed for optimum performance with their respective GS applications. One of the smallest and lightest gearboxes of its type, it includes a sequential manual shift mode, with gear changes made via a lever in the center console. An outstanding feature of the car is the all-wheel-drive system. The more slippery the road, the more pronounced is its advantage over conventional two-wheel-drive systems.

The car has an all-new 3.0-liter DOHC 24-valve aluminum V-6, which replaces an iron-block straight six of identical displacement. With Toyota's VVT-i variable-valve-timing system operating on cams, plus direct injection, plus a formidable 11.5:1 compression ratio, the new six generates 245 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque, compared with 220 of each for its predecessor. The new V-6 is bolted to an equally new six-speed automatic transmission, featuring manumatic shifting and an electronic brain that does a good job of avoiding excessive hunting, particularly in uphill runs.

Options include: a steering-sensitive Park Assist system; DVD navigation system and rear backup camera; one-touch open/close moon roof; ventilated front seats; power rear sunshade. It also has an eardrum-pounding, wallet-smashing Mark Levinson audio system, its 11 channels of sonic wash flowing through 14 speakers, Rain-Sensing Wiper package that includes adaptive front lighting and headlamp washers (standard on the GS 430); a rear spoiler; and all-season run-flat tires.Luxurious amenities, exquisite quality, and remarkable technology—these are all the things that make up a Lexus. Partstrain likewise strives to preserve these qualities in delivering only the best Toyota Replacement Parts, Performance Parts, OEM and Aftermarket Parts.

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Buying a New Sports Car - Twelve Tips To Avoid Financial Sticker Shock

There are nothing that can compare to the thrill of driving a road-hugging high performance sports car. Instant steering response. Power at the exact nanosecond you ask for it.

Then, if you have one of the sexier models, you’ll attract attention on the road, filling up, and in the shopping mall parking lot.

Yes, you can pretend you’re driving the Autobahn with the wind blowing your hair. But beware of state troopers just waiting for an “arrest me red” entry on their ticket issuing track record.

Before You Fall In Love . . .

Before you step into that showroom and fall in love, consider the following practicalities:

1) How much do you want to spend? $20,000? $30,000? Or more?

2) What’s the tradeoff between performance (power) and gas mileage? Higher performance usually equals less gas mileage.

Does the vehicle use premium gas? Right now, the difference between premium and regular is 20 cents per gallon. At 20 miles per gallon and 15,000 miles per year, the cost differential is $150.

3) What about reliability? Some upscale models cost considerably more to maintain and have a higher incidence of repair costs. Would you appreciate paying $125 just to diagnose the problem when the check engine light comes on? Or paying $70 for an oil change?

4) In a climate where snow and ice are winter realities, do you want to drive it year round? Or store it over the winter?

A rear wheel drive sports car is impractical for winter driving. A front, all-wheel, or 4-wheel drive sport car can be driven in snow and ice, if you use all-season tires. If the little devil comes with performance tires, you will want to buy all-season tires (and possibly rims) for winter driving. Add another $1500 to the price of the car for the right tires and rims.

Do Your Homework . . .

5) Once you’ve decided price, performance, gas mileage, reliability, and practicality for all-season driving, get on the Internet. Here you can compare models and pricing and read reviews. Google “buying a new car” or “new car prices” and several sites will pop up.

Another source is Consumer Report (the new car issue) where your criteria will be easy to find. Red dots are good. Black dots are not. Most American car dealers consider this issue of Consumer Report a nightmare because it favors foreign car models, especially Asian cars. However, as explained in the newest version of this report, American car manufacturers are catching up.

6) Find out what you should pay before stepping into a showroom. Dealers will offer below invoice prices even on some sports cars because of rebates, dealer incentives, and dealer returns when they make a sale.

7) Remember the incidentals. Yes, you have to pay to transport the vehicle from the manufacturer. Yes, you have to pay for options. And remember the sales (and sometimes luxury) tax.

The Driving Experience . . .

8) Unless you have driven the exact model and year you want to purchase, step into the showroom and test drive the car. Driving the previous year’s model is unacceptable. If the dealer lures you into his web and asks you to test drive an earlier model, RUN out of the show room. You’re wasting your time.

9) Pick at least 2 different road types for test driving. The winding, hilly road is one road type. Road hugging capabilities are tested here. If the car is standard, smooth-shifting is another test. A car that cuts back after you release the clutch is NOT smooth shifting.

The highway is another road type. Make sure power is sufficient to handle entrance ramps and merging with traffic. If you get an instant response at highway speeds, the car is a possible winner.

Closing the Deal . . .

10) If you like the car, get the dealer’s best quote. Then, find at least one other dealer to give you another quote ON THE SAME CAR. If you don’t like the car in the test drive, you probably won’t like the car – ever. Move on to the next model.

11) When you decide on a car, call your insurance company and find out what the vehicle will cost per year. And don’t choke on your coffee when you hear the amount – you can shop around.

12) Estimate how much the real estate taxes will be on the car, especially if it’s a high-priced model. This could be another financial shocker!

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Famous Sports Cars - The Legendary Toyota AE86

Perhaps the most popular 1980s sports car to come out of Japan was the Toyota AE86. Often known as the Hachi-Roku, which means eight-six in Japanese, the sports car became incredibly well liked especially after its appearances in the Japanese manga and anime series called Initial D. The Toyota AE86, which was first introduced in 1983, is also famous for being the last small, rear wheel drive coupe.

The car came in two different body styles, the Levin and the Trueno. They were essentially the same thing, with the only difference coming in the shape of its headlights. More variations between the two models later came in 1986, when Toyota changed the tail lights and hatchback styles as well. The cars produced before this change were commonly called "Zenki", which is Japanese for "early period". Toyota AE86 cars made with the new changes were called "Kouki", which unsurprisingly means "latter period" in Japanese.

The sports car was also very popular at car shows and was used in various racing sports, particularly circuit racing and rally driving. Even now, after it has been discontinued, the car remains popular in rally circles and club races. The car was particularly adept at cornering, especially when it was going downhill. As a result, this made it a very common car for mountain pass street races in Japan, known as hashiriyas. The sports car was light, quite powerful, easily modifiable and balanced very well. Keiichi Tsuchiya, the legendary racer in Japan known as Dori-Kin, or "drift king", had also used the car. In fact, with the Toyota AE86, Keiichi Tsuchiya popularized the sport of drifting. To this day it is still popular in drifting competitions because of its fantastic cornering and early association with the sport.

The Japanese manga and anime series, Initial D, also sparked a new interest in the car among automobile and drifting fans all over the world. The car remains so well received that it has been featured in the high-selling, realistic videogame racing series Gran Turismo. Because of its recent attention, the resale value of the car has increased.

The car was originally released in North America under the Corolla name, which stood for "crown of a flower" and came out in 3 different versions. It was also fairly popular in North America, as one version known as the GT-S stayed in production until 1991. The AE86 sports car was also released in Australia under the name Sprinter, but unfortunately, it did not sell so well because the stock engine was poor. However, many Australian car enthusiasts switched the engine and it has been stayed popular for rally and track racing due to its good handling.

Even though it has been over twenty years since its release, the legendary car is still highly regarded among car enthusiasts due to its wonderful handling and drifting abilities. It continues to gain fame years later since it has been featured in many different car shows, cartoons, games and television series. Since it was also the last of its kind and was used by the legendary drift king, Keiichi Tsuchiya, it looks like the Toyota AE86 is here to stay and drift for years to come.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Honda NSX - High Performance Mediocrity

Observing the Honda NSX, I can't help but to see something that is not given much credit for what it had achieved before its termination in 2005. The mid engine NSX Type R has been proven on the tracks and winding roads of Japan while almost putting names like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche to shame. Even though this machine will lap any circuit around the same time or even faster than the rest of these cars, it has been banished from the automotive world due to its low number of sales in the market. The big name European sports car manufacturers must have been shocked to tears when they heard that a Honda that was handcuffed to the 280hp Japanese regulation was running along side or in front of their 400-550hp monsters.

Despite its many wins on circuit over the more expensive high horsepower rivals, the car received little gratitude from the consumers. Maybe buyers really don't care about a pure sports car's actual capabilities, but something else that touches them. Why do people see such a car like the NSX to be mediocre? Why are they willing to spend three times the amount of money on something that can be technically considered inferior? Maybe people just don't want to show off a car to their buddies that has a six cylinder with under 300hp. I mean, would you rather roll up in something with a roaring twelve cylinder showing others how far you have come in life, or have to show people videos of the NSX R spanking the world's top super cars in order for them to believe it. Judging from the small amount of NSX sales and the answers to the question, "What's your dream car?" it seems that if the public does not respect a manufacturer for creating a super car, then they might as well not even waste their time and money doing so.

When companies like Honda, Toyota, or Nissan try to build something that will shock the world with overall driving performance going for over $60K, they have to realize how difficult or impossible it is for a non enthusiast to turn their head to even look. Cars like the Subaru WRX STI and Mitsubishi EVO that can be comfortably financed for about $35K are big sellers because of those under the age of 30 that generally are not in the super car market. The difficulty to attract the mature, established, deep pocketed consumer goes for companies where around 80% of the vehicle lineup are in the under $30K category. Your masterpiece will surely not be praised by the people unless they can look at the font emblem and see something that touches them with its meaning and rarity. A Honda emblem is not going to reach the hearts of most people that can afford a super car, but a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Porsche badge will be sure to do the trick.

So why does a company like Ferrari attract the heart of the buyer that can attain three NSX s for the price of his new F430 while still having some pocket change? I feel that since the majority of Ferrari's efforts go into racing, they are seen as an edgy and more focused car manufacturer. Honda and Toyota on the other hand seem to have their efforts working towards high quality everyday cars that you will be sure to see on your next outing to the mall or grocery store. For nearly a century now, most of Ferraris profits from their production cars go into their competition machines that continue to excite and stimulate the racing fans. Showing thanks to the consumer for their contribution to the continuation of their dominance in racing, Ferrari awards them with a glimpse into their personal legacy by adding technologies such as F1 paddle shifting, countless carbon components, and a bone chillingly responsive V12 power plant into the purchased production car. Honda on the other hand uses racing as a PR tool to sell more production cars. This means that if racing has no advertising effects in order to sell more cars, they will simply just stop racing. This opposite approach is more of a business tactic to deepen the pockets of the manufacturer instead of a fund for a true passion.

Now that the NSX is gone I believe that Honda is going to attempt to release something that will also give the buyer a feeling of what a race car is like. Even though the NSX R was without a doubt fast and racy, it lacked some modern competition car amenities like clutch less paddle shift, oversized wheels, electronically controlled engine and suspension settings, and idiot proof traction controls. The release of the Nissan R35 GTR into the United States next year should be the ultimate test to see if Americans can truly accept a Japanese super car. If no one bites on this highly engineered machine, with its near 500hp, electronically controlled differential and suspension settings, paddle shift, and unmatched performance, I can see Honda throwing in the towel for the super cars.

Even if the NSX is gone with its shoes empty, Honda still has sporty models like the S2000 and the high performance Civics to continue evolving. These cars should continue to provide sufficient excitement for the shallower pocketed car fanatics that seem to be a rising breed throughout the world. Such loving and hardcore enthusiasts will use their cars for all they're worth, giving the manufacturer the gratitude and compensation it deserves. With the tuning world also exploding, some of these fanatics may save up and tweak the affordable rockets to be as fast as the expensive super cars anyway while adding their own personal touch in the process. Companies like Honda, Toyota, Subaru, and Mitsubishi should realize the amazing things that they have accomplished with their vehicles that attain very high performance/price ratios and try to keep the scene alive every year with new models keeping true car lovers coming back for more.

Aspiring Automotive Journalist: Nick Zema (22)
Senior at SUNY Farmingdale
Soon receiving a B.A. for Automotive Engineering/Automotive Management

Right now I am living in New Jersey and going to school in Long Island to attain my degree in order to get my foot in the door to the automotive industry, where I aspire to land something in publication. I have worked at a Bicycle Shop here in NJ as a service manager for 6 years. I have recently been attending track events, auto crosses, and Time Attack Competitions on the weekends driving my Nissan 240 SX sponsored by Motions Auto Works.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Zema

Acura - Luxury Cars For Everyone

Acura, a clutch of five different models of Japanese cars, the Acura RL, the MDX, the TL, the RDX and the TSX mentioned in order of pricing. The RL, the TL and the TSX are sedans whereas the other two are SUVs. Each of these models has its own variants depending on their features. The cars have a marked resemblance to the Honda, on which it is based. Though Japanese, practically all of them have an American flavor, the TL and the RDX are built in Marysville, Ohio and the engine for the MDX at Anna, Ohio.

The MDX is a Canadian built one, built at Alliston, Ontario. The standard Acura MDX the RL and the TL editions and their variants feature the technologically advanced, lightweight all-aluminum alloy constructed 2.4 lt., 24 valve, SOHC VTEC® V-6 engine which electronically controls the valve timing. The Horsepower of these cars are 300, 290 and 258 respectively. The RDX and the TSX are powered by 16 valve DOHC i-VTEC® engine of 2.3 lt. & 2.4 lt. capacity and capable of delivering 240 hp and 205 hp respectively.

In the transmission arena, all the standard cars in the series sport Automatic 5 speed Sequential Sport Shift, Shift and Grade Logic Controls to ensure that the driver is in full control while traversing either plain, uphill or downhill terrains. The option for converting this basic configuration to either the 5 Speed Manual or to the 6 Speed Auto or Manual is also available. The manual mode comes with Paddle Shifters.

The safety elements of the Acura cars are simply exceptional. They comprise of the standard mandatory air bags. In addition, most of them are fitted with the Tire Pressure Monitoring System(TPMS), the Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD®) and the Anti-Braking System(ABS) as standard equipment. The more advanced ones offer more safety with the use of P235/45 R1793W Bridgestone® Potenza RE030 High Performance Tires in the TL Type-S Model. LATCH, the safety device for children and (OPDS) - the apparatus for monitoring the position of the occupant are also available in some of the pricier models.

Comfort has not been given a back seat in the Acura and all of them have very comfortable driver and passenger seats. Ergonomically finished Dashboards facilitate easy monitoring of the vehicle's performance. Both simple and advanced GPS linked Climate Control Systems are offered depending upon the model chosen. The interiors are aesthetic a and easy on the eye.

The systems available for in-car entertainment, leaves practically nothing to be desired. The standard music system is the Acura 360-watt Premium Sound System with AM/FM & XM® Satellite Radio, 6-disc in-dash CD changer and 8 speakers. A more sophisticated system presented in the costlier RDX, MDX and TL is the Acura/ELS Surround® Premium 10-speaker Sound System with 6-disc in-dash CD, DVD-Audio, MP3, WMA and DTS® changer, Dolby® Pro Logic® II and AM/FM tuner. Both of them deliver an exceptional aural experience which is better heard than read of.

The offered communication apparatus is the Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® wireless telephone interface with phonebook exchange in all the vehicles except the TSX. The Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition and the AcuraLink^TM Satellite Communication are optional devices.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Oliver_S._Daniel