About Kia Motors

The Kia motor company has the distinction of being South Korea's oldest car company. Kia did not start out as an automobile manufacturer at all. Kia actually began in 1944 as a manufacturer of steel tubing and bicycles. Originally called the Kyungsung Precision Industry it changed its name to Kia when it began producing motorized vehicles such as motorcycles, trucks and cars.

Today Kia Motors is a subsidiary of Hyundai KIA Automotive Grove and is South Korea's second largest automobile manufacturer. Its CEO is Chung Eui-sun and has its headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. Kia Motors also maintains a presence in the United States as Kia Motors America and on October 20, 2006 broke ground for its first United States assembly plant in West Point, Georgia. Kia Motors has enjoyed tremendous success on the European market and is currently the fast growing car company in the United Kingdom.

The name Kia was derived from the Sino-Korean word ki, which means to come out, and the word a which means Asia. Translated it means to arise or come out of Asia or rising out of Asia.

Starting in 1986 Kia entered a partnership with Ford to produce several Mazda based vehicles for sale in South Korea and to be exported into other countries.

Kia officially arrived in the United States in 1992 however; it would be 1994 before the first Kia's would be sold in the United States. The first ones were available at four dealerships in Portland, Oregon. The first Kia models to be sold on the United States were the Sephia to be followed shortly by the Sportage.

Kia suffered tremendous loses in 1997 as a part of the financial meltdown experienced by Asia during that time. The company was forced to file bankruptcy and was acquired by Hyundai Motor Company. Because Ford had owned a portion of Kia since 1986, it also tried to acquire the company however, Hyundai was able to outbid Ford and Ford lost all but it's previously owned interest in the company.

Today Kia Motors has reorganized and now offers vehicles through 640 dealerships throughout the United States. Kia has enjoyed a fair amount of success in the North American market and in 2008 recoded its 14th consecutive year of increased U.S. Market share.

Kia has enjoyed quite a bit of success in the European market as well. It began importing cars to Europe in 1991. The Pride would be the first model to be offered there and proved quite popular with buyers. Kia maintains a presence in Europe as well. The Kia Motors Europe group is the European sales and marketing division of KIA Motors Corporation. It is now located adjacent to the Messe in Frankfurt, Germany.

Kia Motors has been in the European market for just over 16 years. Kia has certainly come a long way since its first offering of just one model. Today, Kia has expanded through midsize and full size sedans to the larger SUV's. The Sportage, Kia's SUV has been popular across Europe since its launch and with the introduction of the Sedona, the cheapest full-size people carrier in the United Kingdom, it is difficult to image a slowdown for Kia anytime in the near future.

About the Author

Ronnie Tanner is a contributing writer at SW Engines. He writes about purchasing used Kia Engines as a cost effective alternative to costly car purchases.

Jerusalem Pizza #1

Jerusalem Pizza, a famous local kosher pizza joint, is doing a very cool thing. They are auctioning off the rights to pie #1, post-Passover, with all proceeds going to a local food bank. As of this writing, the pizza is worth $200, but I would expect it to go a bit higher by close on Tuesday. Auction link.

The 2009 Toyota Prius

If you are looking for dynamic styling, advanced technology, spacious interior, and true fuel economy, then check out the Toyota Prius. The Toyota Prius, an intermediate sedan, is powerful, accommodating, efficient, and responsive. You could almost say it is a dream to drive, as it moves stealthily along the roadways.

The Toyota Prius comes in two models, the Prius Hybrid, and the Prius Hybrid Touring, both featuring the Toyota Synergy Drive. The basic model, Toyota Prius has a 1.5 liter 4 cylinder - 110 @ 5000 HP / 82 @ 4200 torque engine and price out for around $22,700.00, although it has several purchase incentives available that can save you some additional cash.

The Toyota Prius features, based on the 1.5 liter 4 cylinder, basic model, includes front wheel drive, 6 speed automatic transmission, solid rear disc brakes, anti-lock braking system (ABS) power assisted, electronic brake force distribution (EBD), brake assist (BA), front ventilated disc brakes, electric power steering, all season radial tires, temporary spare tire, 8 way power adjust driver's captain seat, power lumbar support and heated, 4 way passenger seat adjust, 60/40 fold down rear seat with center armrest, remote release in cargo area, cloth seats with leather seat surfaces, wood grain trim, chrome door handles, air conditioning, dual zone climate control, tilt and telescoping steering column, am/fm/cd/mp3/wma/xm satellite radio, in dash 6 disc cd changer, auxiliary input jack, 6 speakers, cruise control, power window and power door locks, smart key system, front center console box, front seat back pockets, front and rear cup holders, and 19" aluminium alloy wheels, wheel locks, power adjust heated mirrors, variable intermittent wipers, windshield de-icer, halogen headlamps, fog lamps, advance air bag system for drivers and passengers, 3 point lap and shoulder belts, anchors for child restraints, child protector rear door locks, and many more. . .

So, next time you are looking for a great car to roar the open roadways and transport your loved ones safely on vacation or to your neighborhood school, check out either model of the Toyota Prius, at LemonFree. You will be glad that you did!

Dan is a automotive enthusiast and is part of the development team that runs the website LemonFree Used Cars.

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

A Quicker Than a Porsche Boxster?

There are certain things in life that will always catch you off guard. It's these little surprises that often make life worth living and I would strongly suggest embracing them. Often the mundane aspects of everyday life get on top of us and can weave a bit of disillusionment. That said, when something comes along that completely alters your perceptions, it makes you sit up and take notice...maybe even take stock of your life. Anyway, I'm waffling now, let me explain what has white-washed me with this existentialist guff.

It begins with a day at the races; a track day at Oulton Park in the North of England. In time-honored test driving tradition, me and my colleagues take as many vehicles to these events as possible and review as many as possible in a short space of time. We squabble over who gets the glory of driving the Lamborghini Gallardo (my colleague wins), who has the distinct pleasure of driving the Golf R32 (I win) and finally an argument over who drives what in a 2 lap race between a Porsche Boxster and a Honda S2000. After I draw the shortest of two straws, my colleague chooses the Boxster (naturally) and I trudge despondently to the S2000.

As we rev at the starting line my thoughts are obviously negative; driving skills aside, no one would expect a Honda S2000 (at least £5,000 less than the Porsche) to keep up. As the flag is waved I put my foot to the floor and hope for the best. This is where things went against expectation.

Not only did the Honda S2000 scream off the line with more aggression than the Boxster, within the first left-hander it had about a 25 feet advantage on the Porsche and held itself perfectly, neatly kissing both the inner and outer rumblestrips from entry to exit of the corner. After this first corner I started laughing hysterically. Essentially, what I was driving was a wolf in sheep's clothing; a beast dressed as your Gran.

I won the two lap race as convincingly as I started it and as a result feigned my win as a total triumph on my abilities as an exceedingly good driver. In my heart I knew that my success was entirely dependent on the S2000's unexpected and frankly harrowing performance on the track.

It's not only quicker than the Porsche Boxster, it's a lot cheaper. So bear that in mind next time you're drooling outside a Porsche dealership.

Pete Ridgard is a writer and a car enthusiast. Here he discusses the power and performance of the Honda S2000 - Successor to the NSX.

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

The Galileoscope

A team of astronomers went to work to come up with a low cost telescope kit, that kids could put together to learn about how telescopes work, and then use to observe the night sky. The result is the very cool looking Galileoscope, which costs only $15 individually, and reportedly has pretty good optics. For example, they used lens designs which reduce chromatic aberration, something that Galileo did not have in his day.

There is a short video about it here:


Here is another

What's best Subaru Impreza o Mitsubishi Evo?

The first Mitsubishi Evo arrived in 1992 and the Subaru Impreza quickly followed it one year later. From that moment on, these two cars became arch rivals who would frequently lock horns both on the tough stages of the World Rally Championship, and in the pub bragging stakes as the debate raged over which was better, the Impreza or the Evo.

On paper both these cars seemed identical; both had 2 litre turbo charged engines, both had permanent four wheel drive and through the many variations that followed both grew increasingly more conspicuous wings, spoilers and flared wheel arches.

No matter which one of these Japanese road rockets you eventually favoured, the general consensus of opinion was that for a single lap of the race track the edgy Mitsubishi Evo was considerably more fun. However for the drive to and from the track you would stick with the more comfortable, but just as capable Subaru Impreza.

Sadly whilst both the Impreza and Evo were born to compete on the demanding gravel, tarmac and mud strewn roads of the word rally stage, both manufacturers have now withdrawn from the competition, and the kudos and respect that it once drew has been lost. After all, where else could you see your favourite car win a round of the world rally championship at the weekend, and then use the very same version for your Monday morning commute.

As their rallying glory days start to slip in to the past, Mitsubishi and Subaru have now released new versions of their fabled road cars in the shape of the Evo X, and the Subaru Sti. However, is the era of the four door supercar eater starting to pass? Especially now as the front wheel drive hot hatch seems to be making such a resurgence.

Whilst Mitsubishi has continued with the four door saloon theme, Subaru has bravely branched out and made the new Impreza a hatchback. Time will tell whether this has been a wise move, however from their powerful xenon headlight bulbs at the front to their high winged spoiler at the back, both cars still look ready to take on a rally stage, and more importantly both cars have the performance and handling to humble more exotic machinery.

Sadly the motoring press has not been too kind to either of these new versions, with many believing that previous generations of both the Evo and Impreza offered more involvement and driver enjoyment. This problem has been compounded by the new range of hot hatches from Ford, Vauxhall and Renault, which offer similar levels of performance for a lot less fuss.

The latest Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evo are still incredible cars, however they no longer have the field to themselves and as car manufactures seek to economise further on their production, we may start to see these niche models disappearing.

Jo Alexander writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote but should be considered professional content.

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

About Audi RS6

The car industry in today's world is filled up with so many hot cars that we cannot turn down. You have sports cars and high end luxury cars that offer you everything you have ever wanted. Never be for would we have ever imagined that any car maker out there would be able to take luxury and combine it with a sports car. Seriously, did you ever think this was possible? Well, Audi sure has proved us wrong on that one. As they have released their cars, we are coming across many high performance sports cars that are also comfortable, not to mention safe. Take the Audi RS6 as an example, it has that sporty look, yet it is still a high end luxury car.

When you look at the Audi RS6, you are going to come across one soaped up car as it has a V10 engine. For those of you that are not familiar with V10 engines, this is top of the line as you have V4, V6 and V8. Finding a V10 engine is a bit on the rare side, especially if you are looking into some of the other cars, other than Audi's. We believe the Audi RS6 is one of the most powerful cars that have ever been made during its time. When it comes to the use of power, you are going to find that it is a smooth ride. You will not experience that "rough" feel like you would get with some of the other sports cars out there.

The Audi RS6 takes power and puts it in a whole new category. This is one of the most powerful sedans that Audi has ever designed, not to mention being one of the most powerful four door cars that you will come across. When it comes to those station wagons, there is no denying that the Audi RS6 will be taking the spotlight from it all. As far as the transmission of this car goes, the Audi RS6 Avant has a Tiptronic transmission, which is top of the line. It also comes with the ever so popular Audi Quattro, which is all wheel drive. The S6 is able to take you from zero to sixty in 5.1 seconds, which we admit, is not too bad at all. However, the new RS6 is expected to go from zero to sixty in only four seconds. Also, you will not have to worry about a speed limiter as this car will not be coming with one. This means the car will be able to go beyond one hundred and fifty five miles per hour, but you should make sure you stay safe. Driving at these speeds is dangerous and deadly, but we are sure you know this already.

As you are looking for forums on the Internet, we highly recommend you looking at the Audi RS6 forum as the author states it is one of the best forums you will find.

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