Among the most important things to check periodically are brakes. Most people will only have them checked during an MOT, but just because they’re safe at the time of testing doesn’t mean they’ll be safe 11 months later.

There is a significant risk of brake wear if you use your vehicle on numerous short journeys rather than fewer long journeys. If you’ve noticed a grinding noise or the vehicle pulls to one side, these could be signs that a brake replacement is required.

By asking a garage to check your brakes, they’ll look over your pads, discs and the breaking system to ensure they are safe for the roads. The garage will advise on the current performance of your brakes. If they are not performing to the minimum legal requirements or are likely to fall short of this benchmark in the near future, a brake replacement will be needed.

Brakes that are performing at their most efficient level can save lives – including your own and that of your passengers – so it’s not something to take lightly. The same goes for other parts of your vehicle, so it is important to have a regular car service.

If you’re putting off having your car checked because of the potential costs, it may be a false economy. By sorting out minor problems early, you could be stopping them from turning into bigger, most costly issues.

It was kind of like a windmill with the drive attached to gears and the gears to wheels. Years later, the famous artist and sculptor Leonardo da Vinci came up with a brilliant design which was basically a mechanically driven tricycle that had to be mechanically driven and steered by tiller, with a differential mechanism placed in between the two rear wheels.

The very first functional ‘car’ was made in the 1678 by a Catholic priest, Father Ferdinand Verbiest. Legend goes, he built a steam powered vehicle for Chien Lung, the Emperor of China at that time. However, this has never been confirmed. In fact, it seems doubtful as to whether this vehicle was anything more than a working model, owing to the fact that the first steam engine (by Thomas Newcomen) was built only in the year 1712. Regarding Thomas Newcomen’s brilliant invention, it was an engine with a piston and a cylinder. Nothing like it had ever been seen before.

The engine used steam in the form of a condensing agent in order to create a vacuum, following which,, with a walking beam overhead, one could lift water by pulling on an attached rod. Let along portable, the gigantic new steam engine was not even under any pressure, but it was merely a boiler that was open and had been attached to the cylinder through pipes. But everything changed in the year 1765. A man named James Watt came up with the first ever steam engine that was pressurized. It turned out to be extremely efficient and more importantly, it was way more compact than the erstwhile Newcomen steam engine.

It wasn’t much longer after Watt’s invention that two men, Nicholas Joseph Cugnot and M. Mrezin came up with the very first vehicle that was self-powered A replica of this vehicle can be seen today at the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers in Paris.

2. Alfa Romeo 8C Competition

The Alfa Romeo 8C Competition is an excellent car overall.

It has the Maserati’s Quattroporte engine which has been enlarged to 4.7-liters. Check out these jaw-dropping stats: 444 HP at 7,000 rpm plus 347 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm and a 7,500 rpm red-line. Awesome, to say the least.

3. Aston Martin DBS

The Aston Martin DBS gained much popularity thanks to its appearance in the Bond movie ‘Casino Royale’. The DBS has a 6.0-liter V12 motor which packs a powerful 510 HP at 6,500 rpm and 420 lb-ft of torque at 5,750 rpm. Also included is a limited-slip differential.

4. Dodge Viper SRT10

If there’s one thing to be said about the Viper, it is that this vehicle is one of the most visually stunning and most recognizable sports cars in the USA. The Viper SRT10 packs a wallop with a 600 HP V10 engine, displacing 8.4 liters, and 560 lb-ft of torque.

5. Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe

Possibly Porche’s best designed car yet, the 911 Carrera Coupe is a rear-engine, rear-drive sports car. What makes it go is a 3.6 liter flat six-cylinder motor that provides 325 HP at 6,800 rpm and 274 lb-ft of torque beginning at 4,250 rpm. This baby does 0-60 in a blazing 4.8 seconds.

6. Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG

Thanks to the AMG-designed 6.3 liter V8, the CLS 63 AMG is a 4-door coupe with not just style, but also power. With the engine comes 507 HP plus 465 lb-ft of torque. The new exhaust installed in 2009 makes the V8 roar louder than ever.

7. Pontiac Solstice GXP

The Pontiac Solstice GXP, a high-performance sports car has an Ecotec 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine that is turbocharged. The engine, providing 260 HP, can mate with a 5-speed automatic transmission or a close-ratio 5-speed manual one. Suspension is standard performance. The GXP also has 18l polished aluminum wheels.

8. 2009 Audi S5

The name ‘Audi’ commands enormous respect amongst automobiles, and the new S5 coupe lives up to that reputation. The stats – a direct injection 4.2 liter V8, producing 354 HP with 325 lb-ft of torque. Engine placement is behind the front wheels which allows for improved weight distribution between axles. A sporty car in the truest sense of the term.

9. Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage coupe is the company’s least expensive model and the smallest too. Its engine is a 4.3 liter V8 (naturally aspirated) and it gives 380 HP at 7,000 rpm and 302 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm. This one’s been called the ‘baby Aston’ but is anything but babyish.

10. 2009 Maserati GranTurismo

The 2009 Maserati GranTurismo commands awe and respect the world over, and not without good reason. The 4.2 liter V8 owns the road with 405 HP at 7,100 rpm plus 339 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm. Beat that!

The Volkswagen Golf R comes in at .10 on this list. With a turbocharged 2.0-liter motor, the Golf R has 256-horsepower, goes from 0-62 in 6.4 seconds and drinks 21% less fuel than its predecessor, the R32. Set to arrive in German VW showrooms towards the end of this year, 2010 should see the entry of the VW Golf R into the American car market.

9 – Ford Grand C-Max

You’ll have to wait till late 2011 for the C-Max, because that’s when it’ll get to America. It is a compact 7-passenger van which is  t only fun in terms of driving, but also has really well-done interiors and its style is, overall, unique. Don’t be surprised if you’re offered a turbocharged EcoBoost motor as an option when it finally comes to the U.S.

8 – MINI Coupe Concept

The MINI Coupe Concept, many say, is inspired by the John Cooper Works turbocharged 1.6 liter engine with 211 horsepower plus torque worth 192 lb-ft. The Coupe’s raked windscreen and aluminum roof contribute toward reducing weight and increasing downforce.   back seats – standard for a sports coupe. The MINI Coupe is technically speaking, still a concept car, but it’s mostly going into production before 2012.

7 – Volvo ReCharge Concept

Making its debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the electric Volvo ReCharge can draw power from any standard household electrical outlet and it can drive almost 100 km on a single charge, thanks to its individual wheel-mounted electric motors. Don’t worry about when the ReCharge runs out of juice – there’s a 1.6-liter Flexifuel four-cylinder motor that’ll allow you to keep going.

6 – Bentley Mulsanne

Coming in at number 6 on this list is the Bentley Mulsanne. The reworked 6.75-liter engine can give 505-horsepower plus 752 lb-ft. of torque. It’s an ecofriendly car, reducing CO2 emissions and boosting fuel eco my by 15%, thanks to its variable displacement system. Elegant interiors, but that’s a given – it’s a Bentley after all. 126 color options and a premium sound system by Naim, and all this, in the range of $200,000.

5 – Porsche GT3 RS

A race-car through and through, the Porche GT3 RS has a 3.8-liter motor with 450-horsepower. Shortened gear ratios along with titanium exhaust and a lightweight Li-ion battery make the car a demon on the race-track. Also included is a Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system, and re-sculpted aero bits plus a wider front track help in improving downforce. Going on sale in Germany in January 2010, its base price is 122,400 Euro, which works out to $180,185.

4 – Audi R8 Spyder

The Audi R8 Spyder is a ther car that doesn’t fail to impress – an Audi Quattro all-wheel drive system powered by a 5.2-liter FSI V10 that provides an awe-inspiring 525-horsepower & 390 lb-ft. of torque. What brings down the R8 Spyder’s weight is a fully automatic cloth top and also many featherweight carbon-fiber composite body panels. 4.1 seconds is how long it takes for this beauty to accelerate from 0-62 mph, and 313 km/h or 194.49 mph is its top speed.

3 – Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

The true heir to the famed 300 SL Gullwing, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, this car has an AMG-built 6.2-liter V8 which grants 571 horsepower with 479 lb-ft. of torque. The motor is connected to a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission by a carbon-fiber shaft. The lightweight nature of the car coupled with the powerful engine means that the SLS AMG can get from 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds, topping out at 196 mph. It’ll go on sale sometime in 2010 and is expected to be priced at over 155,000 Euros.

2 – Lamborghini Reventon Roadster

The Lamborghini Reventon is an angular hypercar built on the LP640 platform and has a limited-run of only 20 copies. The Reventon Roadster, get this, will have less than 20 copies made. A convertible built upon the LP670 SV, the 670-horsepower 6.6-liter V12 can go from 0-62 mph in only 3.2 seconds with a blurring top speed of 212 mph. The price, of course, is quite high – about 1.15 million Euros or $1.7 million, but you k w what they say – you get what you pay for.

1 – Ferrari 458 Italia

At last, the number one car in this top-10 list – the Ferrari 458 Italia. A beautiful vehicle by any standard, the 458 Italia has a 570-horsepower 4.5-liter V8. The motor has a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, and with a chassis made of aluminum, the dry weight of the 458 Italia is slightly over 3000 pounds. 0-62 mph is achieved in 3.4 seconds with a mind-blowing top-speed of 202 mph.

1. Bugatti Veyron $1,700,000.
The Bugatti Veyron is the costliest and fastest legal street car available, going from 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds with a top speed of more than 253 mph.

2. Lamborghini Reventon $1,600,000
The Lamborghini Reventon is an extremely powerful car and lives up to its price-tag, accelerating from 0-60 in just 3.3 seconds, and its top speed is 211 mph. It is also very rare, with only 20 units ever built.

3. McLaren F1 $970,000
The five years old McLaren F1 owns the road with a blazing top speed of 240 mph, going from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds. An astounding supercar by all standards.

4. Ferrari Enzo $670,000
Say ‘supercar’ and ‘Enzo’ comes the response. The Ferrari Enzo’s top speed is 217 mph, with 0-60 in 3.4 seconds. It’s not that rare but limited nonetheless, with only 400 units ever made.

5. Pagani Zonda C12 F $667,321
Ranked as the 5th fastest car in the world, the Pagani Zonda C12 reaches its top speed at 215mph+. This speedy Italian car revs from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds.

6. SSC Ultimate Aero $654,400
This is the fastest street car in the world that’s still legal to drive, owing to its top speed of over 257 mph. This baby does 0-60 in only 2.7 seconds.

7. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo $555,000
Born in the U.S.A., the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo supercar blazes with a top speed of over 248 mph, going from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds.

8. Koenigsegg CCX $545,568
The Swedish-built Koenigsegg CCX is the 4th fastest in the world. It has a top speed of more than 245mph.

9. Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren Roadster $495,000
The Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren is a GT supercar. What’s unique about it is that it holds the title of being the fastest car with automatic transmission, going from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and topping out at over 206 mph.

10. Porsche Carrera GT $440,000
Finally, number 10 on the list. The Porsche Carrera GT supercar has dynamic stability control and zooms from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and achieves top speed at 205 mph+.

This is a 2-seater that might just take your breath away. It has a mid-engine 2 seater and has a Toyota-built 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine with 189 HP in the base Elise and 218 HP in the Elise SC. The car has 6-speed manual transmission and ABS is standard, along with power-windows, remote power door locks and air conditioning.

The Aston Martin DBS, on the other hand is the car made famous by none other than Bond himself, in his flick Casino Royale. The DBS has a 6.0-liter V12 motor which packs a powerful 510 HP at 6,500 rpm and 420 lb-ft of torque at 5,750 rpm. Also included is a limited-slip differential. The Maserati GranTurismo is respected and revered the world over, and why not! The 4.2 liter V8 owns the road with 405 HP at 7,100 rpm plus 339 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm. Dodge Viper SRT10 is well-known in the looks department, and no less in the power. It is one of the most visually stunning and most recognizable sports cars in the USA.

The Viper SRT10 packs a wallop with a 600 HP V10 engine, displacing 8.4 liters, and 560 lb-ft of torque. Whereas, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competition is an excellent car overall. It has the Maserati’s Quattroporte engine which has been enlarged to 4.7-liters. For statistic buffs, here is dope that could leave you spell bound- 444 HP at 7,000 rpm plus 347 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm and a 7,500 rpm red-line. The Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe is possibly Porche’s best designed car yet. The 911 Carrera Coupe is a rear-engine, rear-drive sports car.

What makes hearts beat faster is a 3.6 liter flat six-cylinder motor that provides 325 HP at 6,800 rpm and 274 lb-ft of torque beginning at 4,250 rpm. This one can do 0-60 in a just 4.8 seconds. For those, whose style is sports cars, the Pontiac Solstice GXP, a high-performance sports car has an Ecotec 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine that is turbocharged. The engine, providing 260 HP, can mate with a 5-speed automatic transmission or a close-ratio 5-speed manual one. Suspension is standard performance. The GXP also has 18l polished aluminum wheels.

Dirt can be accumulated easily after a short run and the car chassis need to be clean regularly. As well, for one more reason to maintain nitro powered cars is the proper way of tuning them. Nitro cars have to work maximum speed and top conditions with very low consumption of fuel. With right tuning, these cars are to overheat. In comparison of electric power cars, cars those are powered with battery may attain a run of approximately 10 minutes tops and then the batteries requires to get charged again; while nitro cars may be driven for long duration.

In nitro powered cars, there are four different parts as well as special nitro fuel, the high horsepower engine, the tuned exhaust pipe and the air filter can get replaced. These parts should be cleaned and checked up regularly as if these materials are ignored; probably the mechanical wear could occur.

One protective safety measure gets into difficulty. Nitro cars are more apt to difficulties with other Nitro cars because of the power and speed during acceleration. It is significant to know first the precautions concerning Nitro cars prior to actually test them. Normally, Nitro cars need more attention as they demand a lots of maintenance; however, you can assure its performance too if handled carefully.

For several years, car manufacturers has used the concept of ‘regular service’, for the maintenance schedule of a car. It has been seen that car usage greatly affects the maintenance schedule of a specific car. The user manual provided by manufacturer gives particular guidelines, concerning the schedule that the owner of the car have to follow consistently. Schedule of a maintenance is a purpose of a car usage and therefore will be varying from one car to another. There are websites available which gives you helpful tips and inputs on car maintenance. There are number of websites which provides ‘Online Organizers’ too to help in keeping track of your car maintenance schedule in an perfect condition.

1. Maintenance after 3000 Miles : It is recommended to change engine oil and filter after 3000 miles. Air filters, Brake fluids, tires, fan belts and hoses should be tested frequently.
2. Maintenance after 5000 to 10,000 Miles : Wheel balancing and tire rotation should be made after every 5,000 to 10,000 miles. It will guarantee a even wear and tear of tires extend their life.
3. Maintenance after 15,000Miles : To improve the fuel efficiency of your car it is recommended to change air filters after every 15,000 miles. Fluid and brake pads have to be checked and replace if necessary.
4. Maintenance after 30,000 Miles :  To check the transmission fluid level at this stage is recommended. The manual provided to car owner will be having directions of on draining and replacing the fluid.
5. Maintenance after 50,000 Miles : To examine the coolant overflow tank for checking that if it requires top up or not.

Following the tips given above will ensure you a safe and smooth ride.

BMW has a tough competition with Mercedes, Lexus, Infiniti and Audi from long time trying to be better then each other. So these companies work hard to improve there quality of product by adding new features in their vehicles. By introducing new engine technology, innovative belt features, automotive parking facility and many other features, all automobile company compete with others. In 2009 automobile world modified a lot so cars in 2009 have all these features and more.

BMW introduced two car models of 7 series in 2009. 750i model and 750Li model is latest model of BMW. BMW 7 series 750i have speed limit 0 to 60 miles in 4.9 seconds while 750 Li can cover 0 to 62 miles in 4.6 seconds. 750i have twin turbo V8 engine so it is supposed to good for fuel economy. And 750Li have twin turbo charged V12 engine to produce more power in vehicles. BMW 2009 has not introduced totally new model but they updated and refaced their previous model with good features. So today BMW is giving tough competition to the other automobile companies like Ford, Audi, Lexus etc.

BMW is the most joyful driving car among all sedan cars and having good interior design, excellent reliability so BMW 7 series is best choice in cars. BMW 7 series car are well engineered and equipped as per today’s need for driving. This series have a superb capability of steering. This integrated new technology called Integral Active Steering in which rear steering turn in and out side helping to reduce car turning circle and assist steering at lower speed. The Attractive point in this model is high standard and constructed with strong material and highlighted door handles. There are four types of engines available in BMW series, but most buyers prefer to choose 3 liter diesel engine. With 0 to 62 mph in 7.8 seconds this engine powered car achieve maximum 143 mph speed and have six speed automotive gearboxes for speed up. With each BMW model three year warranty is provided. BMW try to give nice look and sporty look to their products to create a unique style suitable to the today’s personalities.

Lexus redesigned each and every part of car especially for its luxury convertible model. Lexus IS 250c is a Luxury Convertible car which looks sportier than its previous models. The doors, sharper angles and lines give a dashing look to IS 250c. Lexus expecting to catch slightly younger market by promoting IS 250c. Its designing is high quality, finishing with leather seats and aluminum pedals. An impressive 12 stereo speakers are added standard. But the model design is the roof down, gives more comfortable and enjoyable drive. Lexus IS 250c provides a secure ride with smooth and folding roof feature. The steering is relatively light to handle if it has proper handling.

The technology for this car used is a 2.5 liter V6 engine. Because of convertible feature the weight of the car is quite more so the ratio of speed little slow. But this can be improved by taking car in right gear. Normally speed of Lexus IS 250c is 22 mpg while Lexus claims 30 mpg speed. It covers 0 to 60 stroll per 8.4 seconds.

Specification if Lexus IS 250c are:

1. Engine Layout is Front Layout.

2. Having RWD transmission 6 Speed automatic and a manual shift capability also.

3. 2 door body having 4 seats arrangement, convertible top. Aluminum folding hard top safe for harsh driving

4. Front suspension is double Wishbone suspension while right suspension is multilink.

5. Engine used is Gasoline V6 engine. Displacement is 2.5 liter and horse power is 205bhp.

6. Having speed sensing air flow system for climate control. Climate control system is good for high speed driving.