Though most people love the feeling of driving a new car, the process of new car buying is nothing short of a huge hassle. Between the strained interactions with sales staff and the difficulty in finding the financing that you need, many put off getting the car that they need simply to get out of shopping for it. However, there are some steps that you can take before you even set foot on a new automobile lot to help make the process of purchasing your next car run more smoothly.Before you start shopping, look over your finances to set a budget. When shopping for cars, nothing will have a bigger impact on the options that are available to you than what you can afford to put down and pay each month. There are many online credit calculators available that will help you calculate the amount that you will be eligible to borrow based on where you will set your monthly payments. In order to get an accurate estimate, it will be necessary to enter your credit score, which can be obtained for free. If you do not yet know your score, this is as good a time as any to find out what it is.
After you have decided on your budget for new car buying, you can begin to think about specific models that are most suited to your lifestyle. Though it may sound dry, it may be helpful to write a list of how you will use this new vehicle, both in the immediate future and over the next few years.If you often haul furniture and other large items, a pickup truck may be the best choice. Those who are planning on adding new members to their family may want to allow room for additional seating. With this list, you can begin to pick and choose the models that are most in line with what you want, which will eliminate the risk of making a poorly thought out impulse buy.
Reading reviews of new cars from reputable sources is a vital part of shopping for an automobile. Here, you will find information on gas mileage, safety ratings and other information that will be important as soon as you take your purchase off the lot. Seek out a few different reviews for each model that you are considering to ensure that you are getting the most complete picture possible of how the vehicle will perform.Though it may seem like a lot of work in preparation for new car buying, this preliminary research is a big part of making sure that you will be satisfied with the car you select in the long term. By knowing what you want before you get into the lot, you will be less likely to have your mind changed by a sales person and spend more than you intended.
The new model is a synthesis of style, creative flair, passion and cutting-edge technology, characteristics for which Italy as a nation is well-known. For this reason Ferrari chose to add the name of its homeland to the traditional figure representing the displacement and number of cylinders. The Ferrari 458 Italia is a completely new car from every point of view: engine, design, aerodynamics, handling, instrumentation and ergonomics, just to name a few. A two-seater berlinetta, the Ferrari 458 Italia, as is now traditional for all Ferrari’s road-going cars, benefits hugely from the company’s Formula 1 experience. This is particularly evident in the speed and precision with which the car responds to driver inputs and in the attention focused on reducing internal friction in the engine for lower fuel consumption than the F430, despite the fact that both overall displacement and power have increased. However, Ferrari’s track experience makes its presence felt in the 458 Italia not only in terms of pure technological transfer but also on a more emotional level, because of the strong emphasis on creating an almost symbiotic relationship between driver and car. The 458 Italia features an innovative driving environment with a new kind of steering wheel and dashboard that is the direct result of racing practice. The Ferrari 458 Italia has a compact, aerodynamic shape, underscoring the concepts of simplicity, efficiency and lightness that inspired the project. As with every Ferrari, the car’s styling has been very heavily influenced by the requirements for aerodynamic efficiency, as can be seen from the downforce of 140 kg at 200km/h generated by the new model. The front features a single opening for the front grille and side air intakes, with aerodynamic sections and profiles designed to direct air to the coolant radiators and the new flat underbody. The nose also sports small aeroelastic winglets which generate downforce and, as speed rises, deform to reduce the section of the radiator inlets and cut drag. The new 4499 cc V8 is the first Ferrari direct injection engine to be mid-rear mounted. It has a very low piston compression height typical of racing engines which contributed to achieving its compression ratio of 12.5:1. Equipped with the traditional flat-plane crankshaft, the engine delivers 570 CV at 9000 rpm and, with an outstanding power output of 127 CV/litre, sets a new benchmark not only for the whole Ferrari range and the history of company, but also for the entire market segment. Maximum torque is 540 Nm at 6000 rpm, over 80 per cent of which is available from 3250 rpm. Specific torque is a record 120 Nm/litre. The engineers have developed specific, sportier gear ratios to match the power and torque curves of the new V8, guaranteeing high torque even at lower engine speeds and allowing the car to reach its maximum speed in top gear.The Ferrari 458 Italia produces just 320 g/km of CO2 and fuel consumption is 13.7 l/100 km (combined cycle), the best in the entire segment. The Ferrari 458 Italia has a dry weight of 1380 kg with a power-to-weight ratio of 2.42 kg/CV. Weight distribution is also optimal with 58 per cent over the rear axle. The result of the engineers’ endeavours can be summed up in to two simple statistics which together perfectly encapsulate the Ferrari 458 Italia’s exceptional performance: 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 3.4 seconds and a maximum speed in excess of 325 km/h. The brakes also feature a prefill function whereby the pistons in the callipers move the pads into contact with the discs on lift off to minimise delay in the brakes being applied. This combined with the ABS has cut the 100-0 km/h braking distance to a mere 32.5 metres.
