Auto Insurance - (also known as vehicle insurance, gap insurance, car insurance, or motor insurance) is insurance purchased for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles. Its primary use is to provide financial protection against physical damage and/or bodily injury resulting from traffic collisions and against liability that could also arise therefrom. The specific terms of vehicle insurance vary with legal regulations in each region.

Auto Insurance can cover some or all of the following items:

• The insured party (medical payments)
• The insured vehicle (physical damage)
• Third parties (car and people, property damage and bodily injury)
• Third party, fire and theft
• In some jurisdictions coverage for injuries to persons riding in the insured vehicle is available without regard to fault in the auto accident (No Fault Auto Insurance)

Different policies specify the circumstances under which each item is covered. For example, a vehicle can be insured against theft, fire damage, or accident damage independently.

Excess

       An excess payment, also known as a deductible, is a fixed contribution that must be paid each time a car is repaired with the charges billed to an automotive insurance policy. Normally this payment is made directly to the accident repair "garage" (the term "garage" refers to an establishment where vehicles are serviced and repaired) when the owner collects the car. If one's car is declared to be a "write off" (or "totaled"), then the insurance company will deduct the excess agreed on the policy from the settlement payment it makes to the owner.

If the accident was the other driver's fault, and this fault is accepted by the third party's insurer, then the vehicle owner may be able to reclaim the excess payment from the other person's insurance company.

Voluntary excess

To reduce the insurance premium, the insured party may offer to pay a higher excess (deductible) than the compulsory excess demanded by the insurance company. The voluntary excess is the extra amount, over and above the compulsory excess, that is agreed to be paid in the event of a claim on the policy. As a bigger excess reduces the financial risk carried by the insurer, the insurer is able to offer a significantly lower premium.

Compulsory excess

         A compulsory excess is the minimum excess payment the insurer will accept on the insurance policy. Minimum excesses vary according to the personal details, driving record and insurance company.

Vehicle classification

       Two of the most important factors that go into determining the underwriting risk on motorized vehicles are: performance capability and retail cost. The most commonly available providers of auto insurance have underwriting restrictions against vehicles that are either designed to be capable of higher speeds and performance levels, or vehicles that retail above a certain dollar amount. Vehicles that are commonly considered luxury automobiles usually carry more expensive physical damage premiums because they are more expensive to replace. Vehicles that can be classified as high performance autos will carry higher premiums generally because there is greater opportunity for risky driving behavior. Motorcycle insurance may carry lower property-damage premiums because the risk of damage to other vehicles is minimal, yet have higher liability or personal-injury premiums, because motorcycle riders face different physical risks while on the road. Risk classification on automobiles also takes into account the statistical analysis of reported theft, accidents, and mechanical malfunction on every given year, make, and model of auto.

Reasonable distance estimation
     Another important factor in determining car-insurance premiums involves the annual mileage put on the vehicle, and for what reason. Driving to and from work every day at a specified distance, especially in urban areas where common traffic routes are known, presents different risks than how a retiree who does not work any longer may use their vehicle. Common practice has been that this information was provided solely by the insured person, but some insurance providers have started to collect regular odometer readings to verify the risk.


Odometer-based systems
     Cents Per Mile Now(1986) advocates classified odometer-mile rates, a type of usage-based insurance. After the company's risk factors have been applied, and the customer has accepted the per-mile rate offered, then customers buy prepaid miles of insurance protection as needed, like buying gallons of gasoline (litres of petrol). Insurance automatically ends when the odometer limit (recorded on the car's insurance ID card) is reached, unless more distance is bought. Customers keep track of miles on their own odometer to know when to buy more. The company does no after-the-fact billing of the customer, and the customer doesn't have to estimate a "future annual mileage" figure for the company to obtain a discount. In the event of a traffic stop, an officer could easily verify that the insurance is current, by comparing the figure on the insurance card to that on the odometer.

Critics point out the possibility of cheating the system by odometer tampering. Although the newer electronic odometers are difficult to roll back, they can still be defeated by disconnecting the odometer wires and reconnecting them later. However, as the Cents Per Mile Now website points out:

As a practical matter, resetting odometers requires equipment plus expertise that makes stealing insurance risky and uneconomical. For example, to steal 20,000 miles [32,200 km] of continuous protection while paying for only the 2000 in the 35000 to 37000 range on the odometer, the resetting would have to be done at least nine times, to keep the odometer reading within the narrow 2,000-mile [3,200 km] covered range. There are also powerful legal deterrents to this way of stealing insurance protection. Odometers have always served as the measuring device for resale value, rental and leasing charges, warranty limits, mechanical breakdown insurance, and cents-per-mile tax deductions or reimbursements for business or government travel. Odometer tampering, detected during claim processing, voids the insurance and, under decades-old state and federal law, is punishable by heavy fines and jail.

Under the cents-per-mile system, rewards for driving less are delivered automatically, without the need for administratively cumbersome and costly GPS technology. Uniform per-mile exposure measurement for the first time provides the basis for statistically valid rate classes. Insurer premium income automatically keeps pace with increases or decreases in driving activity, cutting back on resulting insurer demand for rate increases and preventing today's windfalls to insurers, when decreased driving activity lowers costs but not premiums.


more info : about knowing auto insurance

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The Tango is an ultra-narrow electric sports car initially designed and built by Commuter Cars, an American company based in Spokane, Washington, that sells this car worldwide for $108,000.






Overview

The Tango is thinner than some motorcycles and may be small enough to legally ride side-by-side with other small vehicles in traffic lanes in some jurisdictions. Capable of seating two passengers in a tandem seating arrangement, it only takes up one-quarter of a standard parking space and is able to park sideways in many cases. One prototype vehicle has been produced by the company and was shipped to Prodrive in the United Kingdom in January 2005, where the design was refined for production models.

The first model is the luxury Tango T600, costing roughly US$108,000. Premium features partially offset the high cost of the early kit vehicles, which are outfitted with a leather-lined interior and a hefty Alpine sound system. The T200 model is expected to be eventually released at $40,000, while the T100 is expected with a $19,000 price tag. Both of these higher-production models remain to be developed and are awaiting funding.

While the vehicle appears unstable at first glance, its heavy battery pack and low ground-clearance combine to give it a center-of-mass only 11 inches from the ground, allowing for stable handling. About two-thirds of the 3,000+ lb (1360+ kg) curb weight in the prototype — comparable to a standard sedan — is taken up by the batteries, twin motors, and controller, mounted low in the frame. Production models are expected to weigh less, ranging from 2,200 to 2,500 lb (1,000 to 1,130 kg). Propulsion is provided by two electric motors. To extend its range, an optional generator cart can be attached to the Tango.[2


Progressive Insurance Automotive

Specification

• Width: 39 inches (~99 cm)
• Length: 101 inches (~257 cm)
• Weight: 3000+ lb (1360+ kg)
• 0–60 mph (0–96 km/h): 4 seconds [2]
• ¼ mile (0.4 km): 12 seconds @ over 120 mph (193 km/h) [2]
• Top speed: 150 mph (240 km/h) [2]
• Range: 40–60 miles (96–128 km) with lead-acid batteries. Over 150 miles with lithium-ion batteries.
• Batteries: 12 V * 19 Hawker Odyssey's or 25 Exide Orbital XCD's or Optima Yellow Tops. Lithium-ion battery options available for a premium of $25,000 to $45,000.
• Nominal Voltage: 228 V with 19 Hawkers, 300 V with 25 batteries, 250 V with lithium-ion batteries.
• Charging: 50 A Manzanita Micro on-board charger with Avcon conductive coupling. 200 A off-board charger under development.
• Motors: 2 Advanced DC Motors DC FB1-4001 9", one driving each rear wheel with over 1,000 lb·ft (1,400 N·m) of combined torque at low rpms. 8,000 rpm

sources : en.wiki

_SHANGHAI, China -- No matter how many times you visit an auto plant, the assembly line still appears to be a modern miracle. As body frames move slowly along the line, teams of workers bolt on parts in an intricate choreography. In a matter of minutes, metal, plastic, rubber and paint come together to turn a shell into a vehicle that rolls off the line under its own power. In the clean, highly automated facility, electric notes ring out every so often — a characteristic of the widely adapted Japanese Andon system.

1. Ferrari - the spirit of Ferrari began with Enzo Ferrari who was an advent racer. The foundation of Ferrari marked the start of a burst of a frenetic sporting activity. This spurred the creation of powerful, exotic cars that are characteristic of Ferrari today

Bugatti - a 21st century “harmony of design and technology.” The heritage of Ettore Bugatti is the heart of impressive technical design and exterior beauty. This can be seen in Bugatti’s signature supercar, the exotic Veyron. Ettore Bugatti sometimes made technical compromises for the sake of aesthetic integrity.

The Very Orange Roadster built for last year's Race of Champions will be on display through the 22nd at the Barcelona Motor Show in Plaza de España. The show coincides with the Spanish government's recent announcement of support for EV mobility: EV buyers are now eligible for up to a 6,000€ incentive. Go electric!

The Veyron features some great attributes like a W16 engine - 16 cylinders, which is equivalent to two narrow angle V8 engines mated in a "W" configuration. Each cylinder has 4 valves for a total of 64. The engine is fed by the turbo chargers and therefore, pleases your excellent driving quality. The steering wheel boasts about the 150 ms shift time. Driven by full automatic transmission, the car draws the wonder eyes.

The brakes are superbly designed to allow usage of cross drilled and turbine-vented carbon rotors, which draws in cool air for the inside engines. Each caliper in the car uses eight titanium pistons. The stupendous acceleration power between 50 to 194 mph, allows for repeated braking functionality without fade. The Bugatti company proudly claims that the car has the capacity to come to a standstill position from a breakneck speed of 400 km/h. Engineers have so delicately applied the braking system that, the car will not budge the least from its straight path, even if the driver lets go off the steering wheel off the car.

The record speed attained by the car is at the remarkable 407.5 km/h. At the least, the automobile can pick up a fast speed of 100 km/h (that is 60 mph) in only 2.5 seconds. However, the high speed compels the car to consume more fuel compared to the other cars at 40.4 Liter per 100 km. But when the car is in full throttle, then it burns 125 liter per 100 km.

The original Bugatti Veyron 16.4, which entered production in 2005, hits 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, does the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds and reaches its top speed of 252 mph in just 55 secs. It came after a long absence from the market for Bugatti and helped the brand reclaim its title as the ultimate performance car and reign supreme as the world’s most expensive production car.

The Veyron is named after Pierre Veyron, who won the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans while driving a Bugatti Type 57 with Jean-Pierre Wimille.

So, if you are ready to get on to the wheels then book your car today. A ride will be worth every penny in the world’s most expensive car.