Automotive News

The original air-cooled VW Beetle had proved to be the perfect starting point for a variety of different automotive adventures. Throughout the 1960s Beetles were raced on road courses, on drag strips, and in the deserts. The simple yet rugged Beetle engine was capable of producing significant horsepower if carefully modified, and a whole tuning industry grew up to get more from the humble Beetle.

But VW owners were interested in more than just performance. They customized and sculpted their cars into shapes never envisioned by Ferdinand Porsche when he penned the original rounded form in the 1930s. Bug-ins were organized in every part of the country, as owners wanted to get together and share their Beetle experiences. In the early 1970s, with the Beetle’s replacement, the Golf, on the drawing hoards, one had to wonder if it could ever reach the same cult status.

It didn’t take long after the launch of the Rabbit/Golf before Volkswagen enthusiast began to discover the potential of the new car. Europeans were the first to benefit from increased performance with the introduction of the GTI in 1976, but Americans weren’t too far behind, getting the GTI in 1983.

The water-cooled inline four-cylinder engine in the Golf and Rabbit was light but robust and capable of significantly more performance than it developed in stock trim. It didn’t suffer from as many limitations as the air-cooled Beetle engine, and it was a conventional design that could be easily worked on by any local machine shop.

But the front-wheel drive chassis of the Golf/Rabbit was its real strength. Nimble and predictable, it soon found its way onto the racetrack, where its cars quickly earned a reputation as giant killers in much the same way the Mini Cooper had during the 1960s. A variety of shock absorber, spring, and anti-roll bar packages were soon made available from European and American tuners. The “stress bar”, a bolt-in reinforcement that helps prevent chassis flex under hard cornering was developed for the somewhat flexible first generation Golf; it has since become a staple of the high-performance tuning industry.

Since its engine, drivetrain, and chassis could be modified to produce a high-performance machine that would embarrass much higher-priced machinery, the Golf had reinvented the idea of the affordable sports car. By the time the second generation of Golf was introduced in 1985i, the VW name was firmly established in the minds of automotive enthusiasts who were looking for cheap thrills.

Although Volkswagen’s corporate financial fortunes were waning at the end of the 1980s, the company was hard at work on the third generation of the Golf and its sister, the increasingly popular four-door Jetta sedan. Known internally as the A3, the cars were introduced amidst a crisis in quality control within the company and especially at the company’s Puebla, Mexico, plant, but they managed to slowly fight their way into the market. Although this cost Volkswagen huge amounts of market share, enthusiasts soon recognized the potential of the third-generation Golf and Jetta and got to work improving them.

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Insurance offer power protection for you personal finances. Insurance can protect your finances against loss after a car accident, provide a future for your family in the event of your death and pay for many of your medical expenses in the even you become ill. Before you can obtain the insurance policy you are searching for, you must first know where to find insurance quotes.

Insurance comes in many forms, offering many different types of protection. Insurance policies can protect your vehicles, home and even your health. Not all forms of insurance are necessary for all individuals or families, and it is always important to know what you really need. Once you have decided your needs, it is time to go in search of the best policy at the best price.

A number of ways are available for obtaining life insurance. Many employers offer life insurance as part of a benefits package for employees. Life insurance can be purchased independently by contacting an insurance agent that sells the policies. Life insurance can also be purchased from online life insurance brokerages, as well as over the Internet directly from an insurance company.

Automobile insurance is not only a smart way to protect your finances, it is also required by law in most states. Automobile insurance can be purchased in a number of ways, including insurance companies, insurance agents, automobile insurance brokerages or even auto insurance online. Companies, agents and brokers can provide a number of car insurance quotes and show you the different coverage options available.

Health insurance is often offered to employees through benefit packages. For unemployed individuals, or those who work for companies that do not offer insurance, health policies can be purchased independently for individuals and families. Plans can be purchased directly from a company, or through a brokerage. Online brokers can provide quotes showing a wide range of coverages and prices.

Homeowners insurance helps protect you against damage to your home. It is often required by lenders, when home are financed. Homeowners can receive insurance quotes in a number of ways, including directly from insurance companies, from an insurance agent that represents a company and through independent brokers that sell policies for a number of insurance companies.

Renters insurance helps to cover the cost of your possessions in the even your rental home or apartment is damaged, destroyed or is burglarized. Receiving an insurance quote for renters insurance is simple, simply drop by the office of an insurance agent, or visit the website of a renters insurance company or a brokerage that sells policies for renters.

Today there are more ways than ever to shop for insurance quotes. The Internet is providing consumers with new options for finding policies and obtaining quotes. Consumers shop online, comparing policies and prices. Online insurance comparisons can be received directly from insurance companies, or from independent agents and brokers that sell policies.

Obtaining insurance coverage is a wise idea and a smart investment. Insurance helps to pay for damage, loss, illness or injury, protecting your finances from bills you might not be able to pay on your own. Obtaining insurance quotes is simple, and consumers have more options today than ever.

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One of the popular questions asked related to tax is “Can I deduct rental car costs on my income tax?”. Many countries impose massive taxes on rental cars. Rental car companies are becoming more infuriated with the increasing taxes imposed on their clients.

Unfortunately, it is not easy to avoid these taxes, according to the Coalition Against Discriminatory Car Rental Excise Taxes. In 43 of the United States of America, there are a total of 114 different local and state excise taxes for leasing and or renting cars. In the 1990s, there were only fourteen such taxes. The CADCRET was formed in order to track and fight the proliferation of taxes.

Residents of Maine blocked a new state tax-reform law that proposed a 10-12,5% increase in car rentals. The petition managed to put the increase on hold for a while at least. This is a great relief for business travelers in particular as well as rental car companies and corporate travel departments.

Some cities charge as much as 20% in car rental taxes and cost Fortune 100 companies upwards of $5 million per year.

Taxes are imposed in order for cities to close gaps within their budgets. This has not made the car hire companies excited at all. They do not want to be associated with tax collection and they have to charge higher prices to accommodate the taxes. Subconsciously clients blame the care and truck rental companies for this. 36 months ago 8 rental brands and the National Business Travel Association formed a group to lobby against the taxes. They also took it upon themselves to provide education for consumers.

In New Jersey there is tax reform passed that permits municipalities to impose 5 % excise tax when people rent cars. As it is car renters already pay a whopping $5 daily in the form of sales tax and state tax.

Don’t rent a car in Wisconsin as you will be expected to pay $18 every time you rent a vehicle. The money from this tax is supposedly used to assist in the funding of a mass- transit project. This would translate to a tax increase of in excess of seventy percent in Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine.

The lobbyist group also reports that in Michigan there is pending legislation that will, if passed increase taxes by a further $2.50 per transaction.

In order to find funding for rail projects in Florida. The people responsible for the law are fighting to increase the taxes by a further $2.00. This would mean the tax increases by 50!

The general consensus of these people who make the laws is that this tax is necessary and understandable. These sentiments receive fierce opposition for the coalition.

The recession has hit the states in America in a big way and the deficits in state coffers is horrendous to say the least.

It appears there is misappropriation of funds as when a project is complete then the money is used elsewhere. This explains some of the reasons that car renters are asking, “can I deduct car rental costs on my income tax?

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