The 2009 Audi S3 is now not only available with five doors, but also with seven speeds courtesy of the much anticipated S tronic twin-clutch transmission, which not only quickens shifts compared with the continuing manual version offered on their other cars, but also slows down fuel consumption. Standard equipment for the 2009 Audi S3 includes 18-inch parallel 5-spoke ‘S’ design alloy wheels and tires, ‘S’ body styling and interior detailing and ‘S’ sports suspension. Heated and Silk Nappa leather-upholstered sports seats and Xenon Plus head lamps with LED strip daytime running lights are also part of the package. Available to order from October 1st at an extra cost of £1,450, the super slick transmission takes OTR prices for the first ever ‘two pedal’ 2009 Audi S3 models to £28,920 for the three-door and £29,420 for the five-door Sportback. UK deliveries are expected to start in mid-December. Equipped with S tronic, the three-door 2009 Audi S3 can touch 62mph from rest in 5.5 seconds, 0.2 seconds quicker than the manual version with which it shares its governed top speed of 155mph. Equally impressively, S tronic actually boosts the S3’s combined fuel economy figure from 33.2mpg to 34mpg – a feat which the majority of conventional torque converter  automatic transmissions couldn’t match. As a result, CO2 output in the 2009 Audi S3 S tronic falls from 198g/km to 193g/km.

Advanced electro-hydraulic controls and the alternate use of two clutches enable the S tronic gearbox to deliver lightning fast automatic or manual shifts with virtually no interruption of the engine’s power delivery across its seven ratios, and to offer changes via steering wheel-mounted shift paddles for the first time in the S3’s nine-year history. The first of the two clutches serves the odd-numbered gears and reverse, and the second the even-numbered gears, so when the 2009 Audi S3 is being driven in third gear, for instance, fourth is already pre-selected in anticipation. As soon as the shift command is given, the first clutch is disengaged and the second engaged in just a few hundredths of a second, virtually seamlessly. Also faster reacting in this latest 2009 Audi S3 model is the renowned quattro four-wheel-drive system. Its central hydraulic multi-plate clutch now responds even faster when the engine’s 265PS and 350Nm need to be redistributed between the front and rear wheels to maximize stability and traction. The 2009 Audi S3 is now not only available with five doors, but also with seven speeds courtesy of the much lauded S tronic twin-clutch transmission, which is available to order from October 1st at an extra cost of £1,450. Equipped with optional S tronic, the 2009 Audi S3 and S3 Sportback cost £28,920 OTR and £29,420 OTR.

Every person’s budget is different and so is their level of tolerance for pain and suffering. As, you may see where this is going. No matter how much money you think you may save buying something used, all too often the desired result is less than expected, and unsatisfactory.

With the tremendous selection and competitive pricing available today for car body kits of every style and description, it would generally make little sense to risk everything else involved to save a few bucks on Eclipse body kits or any other body kit purchase.

What’s “everything else involved”? Well, your time for one. First of all it is very easy to search for a body kit online. Go to Google.com and type in “car body kits”. Check out a few of the vendors on the first page of search results. With a minimum of time invested you should be able to find what you want. Now, if you start looking around for a used kit, who knows how long it will take. Then, let’s say you find one. Where is it, how do you take a look at it? Do you really want to buy a used body kit sight unseen? So you have to invest time there.

Then, if you do buy it, the real fun begins. You get the thing and almost immediately you realize there are going to be problems making it fit your car. Maybe big problems. So, you either try to make it fit or you attempt to return it to the seller and get your money back. Or you try to make it fit, realize you can’t, and then try to return it and get your money back. Either way, good luck. Oh, and of course you can’t get your time back. No returns there.

Speaking of your money, there are costs beyond just the purchase of a kit, such as Civic body kits, itself. You either have to install it yourself, which at the very least requires an investment in materials and tools, if not a place to work, or you need to pay someone to do the installation. If you are now in this position with a used body kit, invariably the job will be more difficult and costly than if you had purchased a new kit manufactured for your car make, model and year.

All things considered, it makes sense to avoid used and buy new car body kits.

Looking for something slightly larger than a golf cart to tool around in?  Well you are the target buyer for Toyota's latest creation, the 09 iQ.  This teeny tiny 4 seater will be available this fall in Japan and European markets, so the US will have to wait for this glorified go-cart.

Although small in size the 09 Toyota iQ is big on safety features.  First it's all steel frame makes this baby weigh in at almost 1900lbs and sports a whopping 12 airbags, including the worlds first rear window air bag.

The 09 iQ is of course a hybrid, which will help Toyota meet it's goals of building 1 million hybrid vehicles a year by 2010.

EF9 2923 IM A HYBRID I RUN ON BEER AND BIKER PATCH    US $4.15

CADILLAC Escalade ESV EXT CTS STS DTS XLR SRX Hybrid V    US $5.99

Shift Racing Stealth Hybrid Off Road Blue Glove Lg NOS    US $5.99

Toyota has announced the development of a new safety feature, which will come as an option in their upcoming iQ vehicle.  The Rear Window Air Bag will act as a curtain to protect rear seat passengers from debris in the case of a rear end collission.

It's a world first from Toyota who wants to make side air bags and shield air bags 'standard' equipment on all new vehicles.

Rear Window Air Bags in iQ

The newest SUV from Volkswagen, the Touareg R50 is just MASSIVE.  We are talking meaty in a way that European cars and SUVs are not, we're talking this thing has more room than a modest flat for the majority of those blokes(How about some tea and crumpets? -ed).  Also, the Touareg R50 is capable of pumping out over 350 horsepower, so you know it's coming, and you know to stay out of it's way.

The sleek lines of the VW SUV make it righ at home amongst the city lights, which is good considering you probably dont' want to take this thing off roading any time soon.  The Touareg R50 is over $110,000 USD, which probably means you don't know what offroad is anyways.  Furthermore, the price of gas probably doesn't effect where you drive either.

Over 30 miles per gallon and a fairly potent 4 cylinder engine paired with a 6-speed transmission makes the 09 Aura a winner as far as I'm concerned.  Although it still kind of looks bland, as much of the Saturn car line up does, it fits the bill in terms of economy and luxury.

Reviews are pouring in that love the great buy that is the 09 Saturn Aura at less than $25,000.  The 09 Aura is getting extra marks in it's interior department due to it's mix of elegance and 'just enough' functionality.  Furthermore the double stitched and supportive seats fit perfectly for the reviewers who took it for a spin.

But where the 09 Aura gets the most praise is where the 6-speed transmission meets the 4 cylinder engine.  Instead of being clunky and jumping through only 4 gears under heavy acceleration, the Aura is smooth and precise.  The extra automatic gears gives the illusion that you are driving a much more sophisticated and expensive car.

The four-cylinder XR delivers. It hits 33 mpg on the highway -- outperforming the Camry and Honda Accord. It manages 22 mpg in the city, which seems a little low, but acceptable when you consider average mileage is in the high 20s.

09 Saturn Aura

Could it be true, will Chevrolet introduce the first hybrid light duty pick up truck in it's 2009 Silverado?  It looks like it will come to fruitition, with a 2-mode hybrid power plant the future of this truck looks promising.  A much more promising effort than was tried a few years ago with their 'mild' hybrid engine.

According to Chevrolet the 09 Silverado hybrid will be capable of going 30mph and tow up to 6,100 lbs without even starting up it's gasoline engine.  The half-ton pickup will feature a 6.0 litre V8 pumping out 330+ horsepower via a 2-Wheel drive or 4-Wheel drive transmission.

I'm stoked about the possibility of having access to hybrid technology that's actually usable, instead of a little casket on wheels.  Unfortunately, like all technology I'm sure it's going to be the early adopters that will pay the price.  Perhaps in another 10 years purchasing a hybrid pickup truck will be the norm and you can remember back to the first, the Chevy 09 Silverado hybrid.

I try to leave my politics out of my automotive blog, but this news story takes the cake.  Apparently a recent Lexus ad, displaying it's new RX 400h SUV hybrid, upset some environmentalists and got it banned.  According to those opposed to the advertisement it created an appearance that the Lexus SUV did not have an impact on the environment, or at least it was cleaner than it really was.

Banned Lexus Ad

The Advertising Standards Authority was responsible for removing the ad amongst a number of complaints.  The primary complaint was that the SUV caused 'little to no harm' to the environment, rather than just being a good choice in todays economy and environment.  Hell, after all this SUV hybrid goes above and beyond current standards, so I'm not sure why such a rash action on behalf of the ASA would be taken.

People who complain about stuff like this need to get out and get a job.  Seriously.

Wheel center caps can be one of the most frustrating parts of your car, they contribute to it's looks, are one of the easiest parts to lose or have stolen, and at one time were a burden to find.  However, with the creation of the internet there are now countless outlets for you to find that replacement center cap, so you will no longer have to ride around with just 3 or 2 or just on rims.

Adding to the mix are the large number of different wheel center caps, which not only range in differences between manufacturers but also what they are made of.  Not all rims center caps are plastic, so finding an exact match requires some research.  Check out the partial list below of the different wheel center caps that may be on your car or truck.

• Chrome Center Caps
• Alloy Center Caps
• Plastic Center Caps
• Custom Center Caps
• Aluminum Center Caps

As mentioned previously the make and manufacturer of your car will dictate which center cap you have as well.  Obviously there is a difference between Ford center caps, Chevrolet center caps, Mustang center caps, and Porsche center caps.

The benefits of buying a new or used center cap now are not limited to a cosmetic reason for yourself.  If you are interested in selling your vehicle, you can increase your asking price by simply spending a little money on center caps.  When buying a new cap I recommend using CenterCaps.net, simply because of their HUGE selection of over 1 million caps and reasonable prices.  Furthermore, most of the time you can get free shipping no matter how small or large your order is, as long as you live within the US.

A Line Wheel Center Caps    US $.01

2005 06 07 0809 Chevrolet 20 Wheel Center Cap    US $14.99

Subaru Forester Impreza Wheel Center Cap Caps 1    US $.01

Volvo Wheel Center Cap Caps 1 OEM    US $.01

Hummer Wheel Center Cap Caps 1    US $.01

Admittedly I'm a long time fan of Mercedes cars, even though they are out of my price range I've always had an attachment to their sleek stylings, especially any Mercedes Convertible.  In a word 'sexy' and in a description 'I'd like to find a moist spot on the car somewhere'.  But I'm not just talking about new Mercedes convertibles, I'm talking about aged classics with the drop top.

Below are some of my favorite Mercedes convertible pictures and what I aspire to purchase one day.

Mercedes Benz SL Class ARIZONA CAR MERCEDES BENZ 380SL CONVERTIBLE 2 TOPS NO RUST EVER    US $5,995.00

Mercedes Benz CLK Class CLK430 02 CLKCLASS CONVERTIBLE CD BOSE PREMIUM    US $100.00

Mercedes Benz SLK Class SLK350 APP 7K MILES CONVERTIBLE APPEAR PKG P1 HEATED STS LTHR    US $38,950.00