Author: Damion

Prospective automobile owners can boost their buying skills by exploring a variety of websites, including ConsumerPortfolioServices.com. They have a comprehensive database of tips, and their loan program is helping customers find suitable cars across the nation.

Here is an overview of their useful provisions.
Quick Loan Servicing

Consumer Portfolio Services, or CPS, heralds a new era of car financing. Eligibility extends to an unprecedented number of potential patrons, and the offers are uniquely generous and helpful. Funds are often transferred to clients immediately, and transactions are surprisingly rapid. They emphasize speedy access to important information at all times. Most programs are individualized based on a customer’s personal needs in the moment.
Efficient Debt Management

After the car has been acquired, paying it off has never been easier. The interface for debt repayment is beautifully streamlined for simple processing. They are considerate of every client’s financial situation and personal needs. Negotiation is rarely an issue, and customer service is truly cutting-edge. Because charges are assessed immediately, there are never any misunderstandings pertaining to the bill.
Dealership Connections

Consumer Portfolio Services makes lucrative deals with a variety of manufacturers and dealerships. As a result, they are able to extend vast promotion offers to their clients. Exclusive franchise discounts are given to members that receive funding through their services. These price cuts are sometimes massive, so car buyers cannot afford to miss them. Since the offers are not granted to the general public, only savvy subscribers have the opportunity to enjoy them.
Analyze Blue Book Value

One of the resources that has a legitimate connection with Consumer Portfolio Services is Kelly Blue Book. These objective market watchers keep track of industry fluctuations to affix a fair price to all vehicles. Factors change non-stop, so it is wise to constatly verify bargains with the official recorded provided by these guys. This will eliminate any chance of being ripped off or disappointed.
Compare and Contrast

It is nice to able to view possible choices side by side. A detailed analysis of specifications can be conducted automatically. The only action needed on behalf of a potential buyer is to make two selections. Once chosen, all of the details will be elucidated with remarkable insight and brevity.
General Advice

Another useful element of Consumer Portfolio Services is their gigantic collection of informative materials. They have published endless guides and articles to help car buyers make their final decision. Their tips are downright indispensable. Techniques range from searching methods to funding ideas. A lot of these approaches are fundamentally innovative, and the whole experience is phenomenally rewarding!
Start Driving Now

All other automobile companies require some sort of waiting period before hopeful drivers are allowed to hit the road in a shiny new ride. On the other hand CPS works to make sure every step is instant. The speed they operate at is astonishing and welcomed. There is no more need for patience when it comes to a car search. With the evolution of online database technology, reliable results can be gained within a matter of moments.
Final Note

No one should buy a vehicle without consulting CPS first. They make the entire process a breeze. It is hard to imagine how car buyers survived without them in the first place!

A Rough History
The American auto industry had been in decline for decades up to the 2008 financial crisis. Strong competition from traditionally well-managed firms in Japan and Germany, as well as new growth in emerging markets like Korea and India threatened American dominance in the automobile arena. Furthermore, American car firms face increasing costs of labor- auto workers in the States are unionized, and the unions have managed to negotiate increased wages and benefits for their members. This benefits the members of the union who can enjoy the increases, but makes it harder for the auto companies to make a profit.

All of this culminated in the shaky economy of 2008 and 2009, during which the American auto industry underwent a crisis. Major American firms like Chrysler and General Motors requested bailouts from the federal government. The government purchased billions of dollars’ worth of stock in American auto firms to keep them afloat. Eventually, both Chrysler and General Motors entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Recovery and Resurgence
The bankruptcies and bailouts allowed the American firms to restructure their debt, renegotiate the wages and benefits they pay to employees, sell off unprofitable brands, and rebuild their organizational structure. When the process was complete, all three of the major American firms- General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford- had drastically changed their company organization. This new “lean and mean” approach allowed the firms to cut costs and focus on profitability. They also concentrated on selling new, environmentally friendly lines of automobiles instead of the traditional big sellers, which were SUVs and light trucks. The general increase in energy costs in the 2000s has led to those categories of vehicle, which are less fuel-efficient, becoming more expensive to operate. Consumers have begun to value fuel efficiency more highly in cars, and the car industry has reacted by providing more of the fuel efficient subcompacts and hybrid vehicles and less of the gas-hungry light trucks.

The New Auto Industry
Gearing up to meet the changing demand, as well as rebuilding themselves to shed costs, has led the American auto industry into a new age of profitability. In the long, slow recovery since the 2008 crisis, the auto industry has been one of the few brights spots. In 2013, the industry sold over 15 million vehicles, far above the 2007 level of 10 million vehicles. This is a strong sign for the future of the industry- the contemporary economy of America implies weak consumer demand across a broad spectrum of markets, but the fact that consumers still exhibit strong interest in automobiles is a major plus. Automobiles are quite expensive, especially new. For automobiles sales to be rising at a time when consumer spending on many luxury or expensive goods is falling means that the new structure of the auto industry appeals to exactly what consumers want.

Of course, several challenges remain before the auto industry, such as oil prices due to instability in the Middle East. However, the fact that the industry is thriving in such a weak economy means that it should be strong enough to survive such challenges. The future looks far brighter for the American auto industry than it did in 2007.

Automotive design ideas can be imaginative, and sometimes they just make you want to smile. Here are a few concepts that show some original thinking by their creators.

cardesign

1956 Nash Metropolitan Astra Gnome by Richard Arbib

Richard Arbib created a design for the Nash Metropolitan that used integral luggage to give the tiny car the same luggage room as a large family car and replaced the roof with a transparent dome. After radically restyling the body along aircraft concepts and lowering the car, he added industrial aluminum panels to the sides, completing its transformation into a personal spaceship.

eRinGo Cycle Concept

Iranian 3D computer designer Mohammad Ghezel came up with this vision for an urban scooter. Around the center of its cylinder-shaped cockpit is a wheel that drives the bizarre contraption. At each edge of the cockpit, a slightly smaller diameter wheel serves to aid in cornering the machine. The concept is powered by electricity and has a set of controls for each of the passengers.

Kassou Concept Car

Coming in second in the Car Design News Contest for 2008, Nicholas Lee Dunderdale’s Kassou concept is bound to bring a smile. Looking something like a large freezer with an accordion grafted to the top and with bat wings on the sides, its roof will extend vertically to allow for more headroom. The three-wheeled futuristic streamlined box shape has an upright appearance, leading the observer to anticipate Dr. Who stepping out of the odd machine at any moment.

2021 Chevrolet Ngo

This car’s designer, Guatemalan Cristian Polanco offers a fresh take on a personal electric vehicle with a design resembling an insect. First presented at the Detroit Auto Show in 2011, the vehicle is designed with a forward-tilting canopy. Other innovations include four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering and a thermoplastic pod-style body.

Chevy Astro III

With a super-futuristic appearance akin to a Star Wars fighter craft, the 1969 Astro III perfectly fits the spirit of its time. The car used cameras for driver vision to the rear. The cockpit roof tilted up and forward to expose the interior of the car for easy entry and exit. Luke Skywalker would have felt right at home in this rig.

2003 Dodge Tomahawk

The Tomahawk was an over-the-top motorcycle powered by a 500 horsepower Viper V-10 engine. It was projected to go from zero to sixty mph in 2.5 with a top speed of nearly 300 mph. The Tomahawk’s menacing appearance, high-tech machined metal surfaces and steampunk styling would look right at home in movies like Death Race 2000, Mad Max and Rollerball.
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/dodge/2003-dodge-tomahawk-ar467.html

Aurora Safety Car

Nobody can keep a straight face when this thing rolls into view. It drives straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. It’s impossible to describe the styling any other way. Innovations such as foam bumpers, roll bars, and a special-shaped front that scooped pedestrians up like a train cowcatcher served notice that this car was serious about safety.

BMW’s 4219Eli

If you don’t smile when you see this car, you have a heart of stone. A four-year-old boy first had the idea for a 42-wheel drive SUV powered by 19 engines. Other requirements in the design envelope include a playroom and three sets of driver controls. Once the idea was mentioned by an uncle on a blog, BMW USA actually had their design department draw up a proposal to demonstrate what such a machine might look like.

Not every car design is a result of government mandates and the need for something more efficient. Sometimes the best designs arise from a simple need for expression, or a desire to feel good about things. These unusual designs are sure to please everyone on some level.

SUVs and crossovers have become increasing popular in the auto marketplace over the past few years. It’s important for consumers to understand the differences between these two vehicles in order to determine which vehicle is best equipped to meet the criteria currently under consideration. Sometimes the overabundance of choices can be overwhelming to the average consumer. The more informed the consumer is, the easier it is to find a vehicle that is an appropriate fit for a particular type of lifestyle. Crossovers came to be in order to distinguish a class of vehicles from the SUV. However, to this day, these two terms are often used interchangeably and viewed synonymously.

Unibody or Not?

Autoweek indicated that the general rule for differentiating between the two is to identify whether the automobile is on a unibody, commonly referred to as a car platform, or has a body on a frame, vehicles built on truck platforms. The crossover vehicles typically employ the unibody design. Unibody vehicles are constructed from panels of sheet metal that are welded together. These vehicles have a stiffer body and are more lightweight than the more conventional body-on-frame models because they do not need the solid steel support. However, unibody vehicles can’t tow the same amount as heavy-duty vehicles because they lack the sturdy frame.

SUVs

In contrast, SUVs are larger and feature a more truck-like design. SUV’s are equipped with the body-on-frame design that is used in pickup trucks and commercial work vehicles. More recently, some larger SUVs like Jeep’s Grand Cherokee and Ford’s Explorer are being designed with the unibody platform that is common in crossover vehicles. Autoweek views the crossover term as marketing language more so than anything else. Autoweek usually categorizes any vehicle that is similar to a truck as an SUV, in that it has substantial ground clearance, four wheel drive capability and a flat area for loading cargo. When the SUV’s design is more akin to a car, people often refer to the vehicle as an crossover.

New BMW SUV in black – wonderful figure revealed! 01/11/2009 – Geneva – Switzerland – Enjoy the ride of your life!

Crossovers

Crossovers started to become an effective marketing ploy when SUV sales began to decline due to increasing prices at the gas pumps. The perception of SUVs was also on the decline as well. The SUV proved to be too much, too expensive and too big for many consumers. Auto manufacturers used the term crossover to steer clear of the negative connotation that was outpacing SUVs. Crossovers were designed to appeal to the consumers that placed a higher priority on efficiency.
Some auto manufacturers choose to group crossovers and SUVs together on their website, while others choose to keep them listed as two separate categories. Many times auto manufacturers provide them in separate categories and listen them in some of the same groups as well. Market analysts in the auto industry have noticed that the differentiation between these two classes of vehicles is beginning to disappear.

2011 Black Suzuki SX4 Crossover i-AWD

Some analysts only separate the two types of vehicles when considering premium midsize or midsize vehicles. Many analysts just lump them together in a class under labels like “utility vehicles”. Some speculate that this could develop into a new generic type of reference to a vehicle, alongside trucks and cars. Regardless if the manufacturer is domestic or foreign, consumers will benefit from knowing how to differentiate a crossover from an SUV.

Most drivers qualify for standard car insurance policies, but those who do not are forced to purchase non-standard car insurance policies, which generally carry higher premiums. Insurance companies rate factors such as a driver’s age, driving record and credit report, among others, in determining what type of policy they qualify for and what premium will be charged. When one or more of these factors drives a person’s score so low, and conversely their risk much higher, they are forced to purchase a non-standard policy in order to obtain the necessary insurance coverage.

documents

Most commonly, drivers who need a non-standard policy have a DUI or other serious moving violation on their record. They are often notified that they must file an SR22 with their state of residence. Notification of the need for this form, which demonstrates to the state that you have adequate insurance coverage, is usually cause for an insurance company to cancel a standard policy. However, that is not always the case. Even if you have been notified that your insurance policy is going to be cancelled, it is a good idea to obtain quotes from several companies before purchasing a new policy. Insurance companies weigh the various factors differently, so it may be possible to get an affordable premium even on an SR22 policy.

police-car

Another common cause for being forced into non-standard insurance is a poor credit rating. Insurance companies view people who do not handle their finances well as being riskier drivers, and there have been studies done to support this theory. As a result, a very poor credit rating may disqualify a driver from standard insurance. The best way to handle this is to review your credit report, clean up any old debts and work to rebuild your credit score. If you are diligent about it, it won’t take long before your credit rating improves enough to move you out of non-standard insurance.

credit-rating

Less often, it is the type of vehicle you are driving that forces you to purchase a non-standard policy. Certain high-powered sports cars, antique and collector’s vehicles and some customized vehicles are seen as much riskier and more costly to repair when damaged. Some insurance companies simply won’t write policies for these types of vehicles. It can also be the case that a non-standard policy may be the most affordable for these types of vehicles.

Being informed that you cannot qualify for a non-standard insurance policy can be devastating, but it does not mean you cannot obtain adequate coverage. There are many insurance companies serving the non-standard market, so if you take the time to obtain several quotes, you should be able to find the right coverage at a price you can afford. Once you have the policy, take the necessary steps toward improving your insurance score so you can qualify for standard insurance coverage as quickly as possible.