The mini was a very iconic car during the 60’s and early selling strongly up to the early 21st century (2000) when production was finally ceased. It was then replaced by the new Cooper. The Mini had many names during its long history, and it was marketed under Austin and Morris until it became its own company in 1969. The first car was produced in 1959 by the British Motor Company (BMC) its engines ranged from 850cc to 1275cc during its later years.

The original car was designed by Sir Alec Issigonis who wanted to give the mini a great deal of room for passengers and luggage. To save space the mini was designed with a front wheel drive layout leaving up to 75-80 percent of the cars chassis to be used for passengers and luggage; even though the chassis was very small car there was a lot of space thanks to this layout. The car was assembled in factories in Longbridge and Cowley as well as being built worldwide in many other countries such as Belgium, Australia and Spain due to its popularity with the global public.

The Mini was put into production because of the fuel shortage that took place in 1956. This meant that the UK had to introduce a program of petrol rationing. During its lifetime the car received three main updates from its original car (the Mark 1). They were the mark 2, the clubman and the mark 3. It also received modifications that changed the exterior of the car. They included variants such as pickups and vans.

There was also the Mini Cooper S that was hailed as a sportier or “racier” version of the original; these were extremely successful in rally events and won the Monte Carlo rally three times. This was mainly due to great handling and low weight, the Cooper S weighing just 617kg to 686kg. They were also quite successful in other forms of racing winning GTC 65 championship races. Many celebrities such as Niki Lauda and Steve McQueen famously owned Mini’s.

The new version was introduced in 2001 taking the mantle from the old model when production ceased. BMW had bought the rights to the company and started production of the new model. Due to the new ownership the Mini corporation changed its name to BMW Mini. Currently there is only one model in the range, with some variants such as the clubman and convertible. Also in 2008 the next generation of minis came out with new stylish and sleek looks that people wanted this was called the Mark 2.

The mini has been at the centre of some criticism with hardcore enthusiasts saying that the car does not follow the trend or principles the original car set. They complained that the car was too big and there was less room inside. BMW hit back saying that they had increased the safety and crash protection making the passengers inside less susceptible to injury in the result of a crash. They also stated that they incorporated new features such as air conditioning and emissions control that had to increase the size of the car.

The two main versions sold in the UK of the new version are the standard Cooper and Cooper S. The standard Cooper features a 1.6L engine that produces 120hp and has a 0-62 mph time of 9.1 seconds. The faster version the cooper S has a supercharged (and now turbocharged, mark 2) 1.6L engine that produces 175hp with a 0-60 mph time of 7.1 seconds and has an impressive top speed of 140 mph. From its humble beginnings the mini has become a modern, stylish and above all popular car.

Motoring expert Thomas Pretty looks into the history of the Mini from sixties icon to modern day styling. To find out more please visit http://www.coopermini.co.uk

When acquiring an auto insurance quote online, many individuals are concerned about giving out their personal data. This fear exists because they do not want that data to be used for purposes other than that of an auto insurance quote. That is a reasonable fear in the day and age when some companies collect a person’s information with the intention of selling it to a third party. However, not all companies do such a malicious task, but some may feel that there is no need to have to provide their personal information for something as simple as an auto insurance quote.

The truth is, there is a reason behind the need for such information, but, as stated before, there is concern amongst individuals about their information staying private. That concern is not at all outlandish, but a self-respecting company that really wants business from those seeking quotes from them will gain the respect of their prospective customers if they keep their information private. By not sharing information builds trust and will give an individual reason to utilize the insurance services that that company has to offer. An auto insurance company is not going to gain new business by violating that trust.

Building that trust

The trust is built the moment the prospective customer begins typing their information into the form fields on the website. They keep this information private for both you, the customer, and for their own well-being. They are not going to jeopardize the cost-saving method of providing auto insurance quotes online by sharing information with third parties. They would literally be jeopardizing their entire system, which would not be good considering the online quote system is how many insurance companies are acquiring their customers today. If they do not have an online quote system, then they do not have a working system to acquire new customers. It is as simple as that.

There is also the fact that they may acquire new customers, but could lose the customers if those individuals find that their information has been sold to third parties. Again, any self-respecting company is not going to shoot themselves in the proverbial foot by doing such a thing. Their business comes from providing auto insurance policies and not selling your information.

So is it safe?

Yes, it is safe to provide your information. It is necessary to make sure who the quote is being provided to, especially if you become a customer. Credit score will not be affected and sign-up is not automatic. A social security number should not be requested since there is technically no need for it just for a quote. Quotes are safe and free. Quotes also do not obligate an individual to take the insurance. The company is simply providing the prospective customer with a tool to make the best informed decision possible regarding which auto insurance is the best to fit their individual needs. There are no ulterior motives happening when receiving a quote. It is just a company wishing to form new relationships with customers and provide services that can make the customer very happy.

In the end, the auto insurance company has provided their quote, the customer has made a decision, and the auto insurance company acquires a new customer. That is their goal in providing the useful auto insurance quote tool online. They are certainly going to benefit more by having a new customer than violating the trust of those who seek them out and selling their information to strangers. This is one way a business can cause serious damage to themselves, so why would they want to do that? The point is that they wouldn’t.

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The Great Eastern Highway has been named Western Australia’s worst road for safety, with it topping the latest Risky Roads nomination list compiled by the RAC with the help of motorists.

It is closely followed by Reid Highway in second spot and Great Northern Highway in third.
The RAC’s Executive Manager of Member Advocacy David Moir said hundreds of nominations from across the state were received.

We’re calling on the State Government and road authorities to take notice of this list of risky roads and listen to the people of Western Australia” he said.

“Something needs to be done to fix these roads and make the entire road network safer for all drivers.”

The RAC received 560 nominations in it Risky Roads campaign identifying a total of 288 roads, two thirds of which were in metropolitan areas.

The sections of Great Eastern Highway singled out as the worst were mostly in the Belmont, Mundaring & Swan districts. Specifically in Mundaring were Great Eastern Highway intersections with Hardy Road and with Scott Street. The stretch of road between Kalgoorlie and Southern Cross was also highlighted as poor.

The top three concerns with Great Eastern Highway were an inadequate traffic light system, narrow road, lanes or bridges and vehicles travelling too fast.

Of all roads in the metropolitan area, Reid Highway was voted the riskiest road and the intersection between Reid Highway and Duffy Road was voted the worst intersection.

Reid Highway’s other top problems were narrow road or lanes, inadequate crossing or turning opportunities and vehicles traveling too fast. The road’s inadequate traffic light system was also highlighted.

South Western Highway was named as the worst road in regional areas, with the main concerns cited as dangerous curves and crests as well as narrow lanes or roadway.

Of all roads in regional WA, Bindoon/Moora Road up to Wannamal in the Chittering region was voted the riskiest section of road. The major risks identified were tight curves or blind crests and narrow road or lanes or bridges.

“It seems that people are more concerned with the design of roads and intersections rather than the road itself or its surrounding environment” Mr Moir said.

“Driver behaviour is also a concern, especially if the roads aren’t sufficiently designed to cope with peak hour or increasing traffic and overtaking vehicles.”

The State’s 10 riskiest roads according to motorists are:
1. Great Eastern Highway (notably Belmont, Swan and Mundaring areas); 2. Reid Highway (notably Stirling and Swan areas); 3. Great Northern Highway (notable Chittering area); 4. South Western Highway (notably Manjimup, Serpentine-Jarrahdale, and Dardanup areas); 5. Wanneroo Road; 6. Albany Highway (notable Canning and Albany areas); 7. Scarborough Beach Road;
8. Gnangara Road; 9. Roe Highway (notably in Forrestdale); 10. Brand Highway (notably in Gingin area).

The five worst roads in regional areas according to motorists are:
1. South Western Highway; 2. Great Eastern Highway (notably from Southern Cross to Coolgardie); 3. Great Northern Highway; 4. Brand Highway;
5. (tied) Albany Highway & Bussell Highway.

In the lead-up to the state election, the RAC will study the most nominated sections of road and work with the State Government and road authorities for improvements to bring those roads up to a suitable standard of safety.

RAC is a leading provider of car insurance, loans and road safety advice. For more information visit http://www.rac.com.au.

Warranties are perpetually a blessing and a pain when it comes to any major appliance, and cars these days are no different. Thankfully, with these new hybrid cars running around, the warranties on hybrids are typically better than gas-powered vehicles, and one reason is that you are paying so much more for them upfront, as well as the fact that manufacturers have enough faith in the actual value of hybrid cars, especially in the long run. To be blunt, the manufacturers don’t honestly think that the car is going to need repairs during the warranty period, because the parts are meant to last. That doesn’t always happen, though, and it’s important to look at what exactly you’re in for.

1. What’s Actually Covered – Okay, so, let’s figure out what’s actually covered in your warranty. For most standard warranties on hybrids, the actual battery pack, as well as the hybrid’s parts are under warranty for 100,000 miles or 8 years, and if you’re lucky, as far as 150,000 miles or 10 years. That depends on the state where you buy the car and live in, but either way, this at least covers when parts go bad for no apparent reason, or something happens to fail in a bizarre way. Even manufacturer defects are covered. Many other hybrids also have an additional warranty which is standard, giving you much of the same warranty coverage like a conventional vehicle, which is about 3 years.

If you’re lucky, you might have the power train warranty, which takes care of items like the engine, seat belts, airbags, and even the front-wheel and rear-wheel drives, and tends to last around 5 years. The major thing to look out for is that most warranties assume you’ll at least travel 12,000 miles, and that is per year. If you don’t actually take advantage of that, you’ll lose money and will be wasting the money you spent on your warranty.

2. The Really Fine Print – Okay, so, here’s the tricky and sucky part. Not everything is covered on your warranty, and so you need to be sure you actually take good car of a hybrid vehicle. Otherwise, when you suddenly forget to find a mechanic in the area, then that snowballed into forgetting to chance the oil for an entire year, well, you’re probably out of luck.

3. Should I Keep Going – The last question is to figure out if you even really think it’ll be worth picking up a hybrid and then getting the warranty in the first place. Thankfully, when you buy a hybrid, the extended warranty is a blessing, especially if that battery pack you’re expecting to last forever happens to fail right at the 100,001 mark. The hard part is that the extended warranty may cover your battery problem, but look out at how expensive it could be up front. The dealer, the type of warranty, and even information about yourself may be incredibly important in trying to figure out which warranty to get.

Thankfully, many of the extended warranties are actually worth the money. Just make sure not to go with dealer-specific warranties, non-transferable warranties, non-refundable warranties and any program that says you need to pay them right upfront. Also, be sure that if you buy a warranty, it’ll allow you to go to a licensed mechanic in your area, as the last thing you want is to find out that you don’t have anywhere to repair it from.

A word to the wise, though: While a warranty is a great safety net, there is a lot of fine print on what doesn’t get covered by the warranty so make sure to read it all.

Thomas provides information about hybrid cars and alternative fuel technology. You can learn more about hybrid cars at http://www.hybridcarchat.com and discuss hybrid topics in the forum.

You notice a missed call on your phone from an unfamiliar number and decide to find out who it was. What you don’t realise is that your return call is being diverted to a premium service for which you’ll be charged.

This is just one of many phone scams catching consumers out, and just one of thousands of scams costing Australians millions of dollars each year.

In another popular phone scam, a text message is received from an unknown number with a message that seems like it could be from a friend. If you reply, you could end up engaged in a message exchange for which you’ll be charged a premium rate – both for the messages sent and received.

Earlier this year the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) conducted a Fraud Fortnight campaign which aimed to raise awareness of consumer scams like these.

While many scams come to us bearing all the signs of being a fraudulent activity, there are many which still fool even the more cautious consumers.

Used car scams

Late last year the ACCC issued a warning to car buyers about fake used car advertisements appearing on automotive websites and online classifieds in Australia.

The advertisements are usually a copy of a genuine seller’s advertisement, with only the price and contact details changed. The price is usually well below market value with a claim that it is an “urgent” sale. This urgency is usually what leads to unsuspecting buyers making a commitment before they’ve even seen the car.

There are steps a consumer can take to help protect themselves against fraudulent activity and used car scams. When buying from a private seller, the RAC recommends that you check that the make, model and engine number detailed on the registration papers match the car. You should also check whether the car has been written off or stolen at any stage by calling the Department for Planning and Infrastructure. These simple checks could identify potential problems before the purchase has been made.

The RAC also advises private car buyers, when checking vehicles, to call the Register of Encumbered Vehicles (REVs) to find out if the car has any finance owing.

The ACCC continues to encourage anyone exposed to a consumer scam to report it immediately. They also advise consumers to treat unsolicited offers with caution and to always independently check offers that seem “too good to be true”.

For more information on buying a car and vehicle checks visit http://www.rac.com.au

Used auto parts, also sometimes known as aftermarket parts (due to the fact that they were removed from the market beforehand), are auto parts that have been utilized for some purpose before. They might have been used to effect repairs on other auto parts, come new with the car or been removed as part of a general overhaul, but the point is that they have been used in some capacity before. This used status usually results in a decline in the price of an auto part, but at the same time what many people are finding is that a decline in quality is not always a given.

Frequently, it is possible to find used auto parts that give you a much better quality to cost ratio than the new version of the same part. In conventional terms, one of the reasons that people knew this fact and never took advantage of it was that finding aftermarket parts that fulfilled those requirements was extremely difficult. The average residence probably didn’t even know where the closest yard was and even if they did, searching through parts in order to find a good used product would take time and energy that most people probably did not have.

As with most things, however, the internet really came along and changed things in a big way. People now do not need to worry about finding used auto parts in physical yards because they can now go online in order to find the same aftermarket parts. There are many websites online that can help you in this search, allowing you to find the particular used auto parts that you are looking for through an online search and then heading to the yard to pick them up. The searching is made simple by the internet and because you only have to spend a few minutes in the yard picking the part up, the whole process is made easier and a lot more cost effective.

Ultimately, if you really want to save a lot of money through the use of used auto parts, then you really need to incorporate the online element into the overall search tactics that you use. Consider for a moment the two different options that are available to you when you are searching for aftermarket parts. The first option is the one listed above regarding searching on the internet and then going to the yard to pick up the part, while the second option is the conventional method of searching through yard parts until you find the used auto parts that you seek.

With the first option, you pay in time and money for the internet service that you use as well as the drive to the yard. With the second option, you pay for a drive to the yard in money and then you have to pay a much larger time commitment in order to find the part you are looking for. There are no search fields in a yard and many of them do not carry databases that they will readily let you look through. With the lack of a catalogue, searching through a yard really becomes hit or miss. If you do it online, you should be able to locate the aftermarket parts that you need within a few minutes of conducting the very first search.

Ultimately, the best way for you to find used auto parts is to search for those parts online. Almost every single way to measure the ease or difficulty of something indicates this. Searching for aftermarket parts online and then picking them up from the yard when found is simply the best way to go.

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