The 5 Best Engineered Cars

While the cars we drive to work and to the shops are themselves fine examples of automotive engineering, for the pinnacle of technical excellence you need to turn to racing and sports cars in their many forms. Check out five examples of the very best.

The Red Bull RB7 racing car. In the 2011 Formula One season, this was the dominant car, by far the best racing car on the circuit, winning both the individual driver's title and also the constructor's championship.

The RB7's achievements were the result of continual development and innovation such as the introduction of its exhaust-blown diffuser, the addition of floor holes and special electronic engine maps that squeezed every ounce of power from the car's 2.4 litre engine. Often these technical improvements had to be refined in the one to two week window between races.

The Bugatti Veyron Supersport. In just a few short years, with its stunning styling and awesome performance, this magnificent road car has become a legend. For those brave enough and with the space to do so, the Veyron can unleash a top speed of no less than 267mph, reaching the 60 mile an hour mark in just 2.4 seconds from a standing start. Recognised as the fastest road car ever made, to buy one of these phenomenal vehicles you would have to part with £1.6 million!

The McClaren F1 road car is widely regarded as the ultimate super car, eclipsing the likes of legendary names such as Ferrari and Lamborghini. It first went into production some twenty years ago and some say it is still the most beautiful car ever built. With a top speed of just 241mph it may not match the Veyron for pace, but with a price tag as high as £2.5 million, when it comes to cost it leaves the Veyron standing.

The Audi R18 e-tron Quattro is the first of a new breed of hybrid that is making inroads into the world of motor sport, this year winning the world's most famous endurance car race - the Le Mans 24 Hour. To achieve success in a race that can last for over 3,000 miles, Audi engineers and drivers have to balance the quest for speed with the careful management of fuel, tyres, engine, transmission and brakes.

The Citroen DS3 WRC may be the nearest amongst this list to the vehicle that you and I drive, but in the hands of its driver, eight time world rally champion, Sébastien Loeb, it's anything but. Unlike the other cars, which are designed to be driven on the road or flat race circuits, the DS3 has to combine speed, endurance and robustness to withstand the battering it gets from hurtling along narrow unmade forest tracks, being flung round hairpin bends, and the impact of landing after taking off over hump-back bridges!

Do Car Ads Create Distracted Drivers?

When out driving, the most important topic is safety. We leave in our vehicles with intentions of making it to or from without any harm to ourselves or others. Unfortunately, this not always the case. One of the top factors today that compromise safety are distracted drivers. But, does this include reading ads on cars?

The government agency distractiondotcom have set out on a crusade to limit the number of traffic crashes related to avoidable distractions. The source lists the following as the most common risk factors:

• Texting
• Using a cell phone or smartphone
• Eating and drinking
• Talking to passengers
• Grooming
• Reading, including maps
• Using a navigation system
• Watching a video
• Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

It also states that "sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind."

How does this relate to car ads? Well, think about what looking at an ad on someone's vehicle entails. Your looking at something designed specifically to entice you into contacting them about a product or service. The time it may take you to read the entire ad may take longer that 4.6 seconds. Not to mention, your going to probably try to save the contact information some kind of way so you can contact them about the product or service. Even if you don't write or type the information, whatever other means of recording it will still make you a distracted driver. So, you become a candidate for traffic crashes every time you read a car ad while drive.

News Flash, car ads are not meant to be read by drivers! Just as all the other things on the above list can be performed while the car is sitting still, so can reading car ads. Don't get me wrong, just because your operating a vehicle doesn't mean your not being targeted by the ad. Just keep safety as a priority and read them when your vehicle is parked or stopped. Avoid traffic crashes by driving responsible.

Understanding the California Red Tag Law and How It Affects Auto Loans

Last year the government officials in California passed the "red tag law" which has had a significant affect on the used cars market that consumers can benefit from. For those who are familiar with the logistics of this new law I'll explain it simply. In its basic understanding the California red tag law requires dealers to place a red sticker on any vehicle that has been salvaged, in a junk yard, or sustained any flood damage.

These vehicles also have to be registered into a federal database that is also open to the public. With this type of law in affect it helps make people who are looking to buy a pre-owned vehicle much more comfortable about acquiring a reliable automobile. There are also people who can get bad credit car loans with the California red tag law as they will be more confident that the vehicle will last throughout the duration of the loan.

Applying for Used Car Loans in California

Most people can still qualify for auto financing in California even with a poor credit score, but very few dealers would be up for the task as they had too much to lose. Before this law if a used car dealer allowed someone to buy and finance a vehicle that had flood damage, and it broke down after a month they would be out of an investment as most lemon laws don't require you to continue making payments.

Now that dealers can provide more reliable vehicles it will be easier to qualify for used car loans with bad credit, since more credit lenders will be more relaxed. It also helps that another part of this new California law allows dealerships to charge the same fees for leases and actual sold vehicles applications. Originally car lots would only charge $45 for leases and add another $10 if you were going to make a full purchase; however, bother prices have shot up to $80 which has made many dealers happy.