Quick Cash Auto Blog

A new car company, Miami-based Vehicle Production Group, has emerged, with its first offering being the MV-1, a car completely designed with disabled persons in mind. Instead of past vehicles that have been modified to accommodate the disabled, the MV-1 has actually been designed using the Americans with Disabilities Act as a guide from the start.

The new vehicle is considered the first to be specifically designed for those with disabilities. Some features in the vehicle that have been designed to accommodate disabled persons include:

• A sliding door that allows more room and maneuverability than a door that opens out

• A ramp that has been built into the vehicle

• Wheelchair restraints that have been built into the vehicle

In the past, these features have been available in vehicles, but only as aftermarket modifications to existing vehicles.

The MV-1, which stands for “Mobility Vehicle One”, will be manufactured by AM General in its Mishawaka, Indiana plant. The vehicle was originally designed as a commercial vehicle that would allow taxi drivers and public transportation outlets to offer vehicles to transport disabled customers, but has since been revamped to be sold as a consumer vehicle for personal use. Vehicle Production Group worked on the design for four years with financial backing from venture capital firm Perseus before revealing the final product.

There are approximately 10 million disabled persons in the United States that require a modified vehicle, with 4 million in a wheelchair. Citing the 1.5 million modified vehicles on the road today and the need for more of such vehicles, Vehicle Production Group hopes to sell 12,000 of their MV-1 model in 2012.

The MV-1 is currently offered for sale at a limited number of dealerships across the country, with an MSRP of $39,950. According to the Vehicle Production Group, this is twenty percent less than aftermarket modified vehicles.

Although the model does not offer hand controls, it is an aftermarket modification that is available. With the look and handling of an SUV and the accommodations of a full size van, the MV-1 allows disabled persons to purchase a vehicle without requiring aftermarket modifications.

American car manufacturer Ford announced its plans to further contribute to the alternative-energy movement by offering solar powered vehicles starting in 2012.

SunPower, a California-based company specializing in the manufacture of solar panels, will be partnering with Ford in the development and sale of their solar powered electric vehicle. The company is looking forward to assisting Ford with breaking into the electric vehicle market, which it expects will give it an advantage in the currently very competitive solar power market.

The solar panels will be sold with the all-electric 2012 Ford Focus that is expected to hit markets in late 2011. The power generators will be used on the roof of a driver’s home and will be used to generate the electricity needed to charge the electric version of the Ford Focus. Solar panel units will be installed by a professional, and will be both available at Ford dealerships and in Best Buy stores. The generators are expected to retail for approximately $10,000, although consumers will also have the option to lease them from SunPower.

Government fuel efficiency standards have gotten much more strict and require car manufacturers to increase fuel efficiency drastically by the year 2025, when vehicles must adhere to an average miles per gallon of 54.5. Due to these new regulations and the increasing popularity of alternative fuel, Ford has felt the need to push further into the alternative energy market. The car manufacturer aims to have electric vehicles make up one-fifth of all their new vehicle sales by the year 2020, and believes that the partnership with SunPower will help them achieve this goal.

SunPower estimates that their solar power generator unit that will be sold in conjunction with the Ford Focus will allow consumers to generate enough electricity to drive their electric vehicle 1,000 miles per month. This is approximately the average mileage driven by individuals in the United States every month, so the unit should provide all of the energy needed for consumers to drive their vehicles.

At this time, Ford has not yet released any pricing information for the all-electric Ford Focus. The vehicle is expected to hit the market sometime in November 2011.

It is true, the words “luxurious” and “affordable” may not be paired together very often; some would even argue that these words could create some type of oxymoron scenario when used in the same sentence. However, the 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is being touted as both luxurious and yet affordable. Maybe it is best if the price is laid out on the table first so that no one out there gets false hopes that they will be cruising around in a new BMW for what a Kia Spectra costs. The all-new 2012 BMW M Coupe has a price tag of just over $47,000. While it is painfully clear that $47,000 is not chump change, it is important to take a closer look into why the M Coupe can still be considered affordable on some levels.

There is no doubt that a car with a price tag verging on fifty grand is a little steep for many car buyers, however, the price is reasonable when compared to previous BMW coupe models. The M coupe was first debuted in 1988 with a sticker price of a little more than $34,000. By adjusting for cost of living, inflation, and other financial factors, $34,000 in 1988 is roughly equivalent to $63,000 today according to figures compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. So when compared to previous models of the Coupe, the 1 Series M is quite a bit more affordable than ever before.

While affordability may be a relative term that is contingent on individual buyers’ perspective, the luxury portion of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe should not be understated. So just what will $47,000 get buyers in the moderately priced luxury segment? The 1 series M coupe features a 3.0 liter twin turbo inline 6 cylinder engine with a 6 speed manual transmission that can push out 335 horsepower. The Coupe can go 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph. The M coupe has sporty seats, easy to handle steering wheel, navigation features, a Dynamic Mode that delays electronic interferences, and has beautiful 19 inch rims that really make the car pop.

The quality that BMW is known for is something to carefully consider when shopping for similar vehicles. BMW is well known for great quality and comfort in their automobiles. In addition, BMW has a respectable record for overall crash test ratings, safety features, and fuel efficiency. Overall, the 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is affordable when compared to other top luxury brands as well as to previous BMW models and the features show that buyers really get a lot for their money.

Most people in today’s society have become accustomed to hearing automakers’ attempts at clever or witty names for vehicle models. There have been many successes over the years that have become mainstays in the automobile industry such as the Chevrolet Cavalier, Honda Accord, or Toyota 4Runner. There have also been vehicles dubbed with flashy names that helped skyrocket their success like Ford’s Mustang and Chevrolet’s Corvette.

While there have been successful naming efforts by automakers the world over, there have also been numerous flops. Some of the names that car companies have used over the years range from embarrassing to awkward to almost painful to hear. While many of the cars that were wrongly named have long been forgotten, and for good reason; it can be fun to remember what famous, successful, and wealthy automakers once thought were clever and strategic names for car models.

Many car names that have been used seem to be feeble attempts at a certain cuteness that usually involved an awkward spelling to the real world and sometimes even the creation of an entirely new word. A few names that spring to mind are the Chevy Lumina, Oldsmobile Futuramic, and the Dodge Mirada. Even as this is written, the spell checking feature for my word processor is working overtime to try to make sense of the string of letters that were just put together in the previous sentence.

Beyond bad decisions to create a new spelling or fake word for the purpose of naming a car model, automakers have made many other questionable decisions in naming cars. The Acura Legend, for example, may have been the most boring sedan ever made. Other cars like the Suburu Brat simply scream bad advertising. Can you think of anyone who wants to drive around in something that kids are called when they whine about something?

Some of the worst car names ever were sad attempts at making consumers believe that their social, political, or economical status would somehow change by driving a particular car. The Ford Aspire is a great example of this but all people aspired to do was to own a different car. The Lincoln Versailles somehow never made its drivers part of the French royal family and the Dodge Diplomat has yet to launch anyone’s political career.

There are other cars in the hall of shame for having horrendous names, cars like the Ford Pinto, Suzuki Cappuccino, Daihaitsu Naked, Dodge Swinger, and the Chevrolet Citation should all be stricken from the annals of car naming history. So remember, the next time you are driving around in your appropriately named automobile consider yourself lucky. After all, you could be cruising around in a Honda Life Dunk or a Nissan Homy Super Long.