The New Lexus Hybrids

Many of the world's largest car manufacturers have experienced sales slumps since the global economic decline, yet some remain more optimistic than others.

Japanese giants Lexus are currently experiencing their worst sales period in their 20 year history, yet they aim to combat this slump by selling 25,000 new Lexus hybrid vehicles a year in the US alone as they really do believe in their product.

They have it all to do though as due to the rapid decrease in US gasoline prices, demand for hybrid vehicles - powered by an electric motor and a gas or diesel engine - has obviously dipped.

This isn't good news for Lexus, or indeed their parent company, Toyota, who pioneered hybrid technology with the first mass produced hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius - along with the Lexus marque, the Japanese giants have seven hybrid vehicles on the market.

Of course, Lexus should be praised for continuing their pursuit of eco-friendly perfection, and let's hope for the good of the globe that more people revert to greener cars, but with the current economic downturn, many people have more pressing priorities in terms of expenditure.

Buying a new Lexus is not at the top of most peoples' priorities list, many UK buyers in a position to take advantage of the new Government scrappage scheme will be looking at lower end vehicles, though sales predictions of new Lexus vehicles are relatively high in other countries as well as the US.

Hybrid vehicle sales are on the increase in Japan - a notoriously difficult market to make any headway in over the last 20 years - and with two new Lexus hybrid vehicles entering the market, they will most certainly appeal to the higher end of the market

One thing is for sure though, if the economy begins to pick up, both in the UK and especially in the US, the new Lexus hybrid models will be a popular choice with those seeking an eco-friendly, yet luxurious and stylish vehicle.

The aim of Lexus to combine their engineering and design expertise with the latest in hybrid technology looks sure to prove a winner, even if the sales target of 25,000 units seems a bit steep given the current market conditions.

With this combination of motor design excellence, Lexus will have no problem riding the current economic storm and look set to lead the hybrid revolution - something that must be embraced for the good of the planets in years to come.

About the Author

Thomas Pretty is a motoring journalist with many years of experience writing about the car industry. Find out more about new Lexus at http://www.inchcapelexus.co.uk/

Humorous Beginnings of Lamborghini

Most companies originate because a person or persons has an inspiring vision that they've pursued most of their life. Then there are those companies that are founded on stories that would make great films. The origins of Lamborghini certainly fall into this category.

Lamborghini is, of course, the exotic sports car company in Italy. The company has made famous brands ranging from the Countach to the Diablo GT. They are beautiful cars as one has come to expect from the Italian tradition of exotic cars design. The origin of the company, however, is something entirely different.

Ferruccio Lamborghini created the car company bearing his name. He was not by nature a car designer. Born in 1916, he was an industrialist know for manufacturing heaters and tractors. In fact, Lamborghini tractors are still sold today. Regardless, he was very successful and this soon led to some serious wealth. He started buying sports cars. As his wealth increased, so did the quality of cars he bought.

Ferruccio eventually started buying Ferraris. He was a big fan and owned three of them. The only problem was he kept having clutch problems. He eventually went directly to the source to discuss the problem - Enzo Ferrari. Enzo, of course, created the Ferrari brand and line of cars. Imagine the scene - the two individuals responsible for starting Ferrari and Lamborghini having a conversation.

This epic conversation did not go well. The conversation quickly became an argument. All indications are Ferruccio accused Enzo of poor workmanship while Enzo accused Ferruccio of being an inferior driver. Ferruccio couldn't let that stand. Upon returning to his home, he decided it was time to teach Enzo Ferrari a lesson. He would build a car better than the Ferrari.

The rest, as they say, is history. Ferruccio gutted one of his tractor factories and hired two former Ferrari engineers to design the car. The result was the beautiful Lamborghini 350GT. Built in 1960, it topped out at 150 miles per hour and was generally considered the best car of its time.

Passion burns bright, but does not burn long. The promising start for Lamborghini failed to evolve into a long term success. The company has been near bankruptcy numerous times. Ferruccio finally sold off his company in 1973. Since then, it has been owned by an odd group of individuals and companies, including Chrysler for some time, before Audi finally purchased and stabilized the company.

Lamborghini is once again producing beautiful cars that few can afford. Audi has brought stability to the company. Ferrari is definitely more successful these days, but that doesn't mean Ferruccio Lamborghini won't win out in the long run!

Dirk Gibson is with DCJAutoParts.com where you can find more Lamborghini info.

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

The Ford Capri

Not too many cars enjoy a forty-year run, but the Ford Capri is turning forty this year, and that's something to be celebrated. Sure, it's not manufactured anymore but that doesn't mean that it's not still very popular. People still have them, and they drive them a lot. There are clubs for the Capri, too, and several dealers are having parties and other events to celebrate the car. It was a muscle car, and it had an iconic place in car history, mostly in the seventies.

The sixties and the eighties enjoyed it, too, but it wasn't as big in those particular decades as it was during the seventies. That's really the place that it has in the history of the motor car - as a seventies muscle car that big, tough guys liked to drive really fast. It made them cool, apparently, and a lot of them have kept these cars, re-purchased one for a dash of nostalgia, and passed them down to their children. It's helped to keep the Capri popular, like some other cars that have also enjoyed long-term manufacturing runs and didn't die out even when the company stopped making them.

The idea that dealers are so interested in these cars is a great one, because it means that the people who enjoy them and who still appreciate them can see these cars officially celebrated at a dealership instead of only seeing them honoured in backyard and block parties where Capri owners get together to swap stories and talk about how they feel about their cars.

These are fun, too, and will no doubt take place, but they aren't the same as gathering at a dealership to formally recognize the Capri and the place that the car has created for itself in motoring history. The types of events that will be taking place will depend on the dealers, of course, because everyone has a different idea of what constitutes a party. Ford might also have specific criteria for its dealerships, but whatever is done it promises to be a good time for the dealerships and the people who love their Ford Capris.

This article was written by Tom Sangers on behalf of Foray Vans who offer the Ford Ranger.

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