The Car Monomaniac 

Kia’s Concept Car KCV III Might Go On Sale

Sounds so ideal, isn’t it? But Butterfield is not merely imagining things. This vehicle is so possible. In fact, Kia has already produced a concept car close to that future Kia convertible, the Kia KCV III. Potentially, the future Kia convertible shall be based on this concept car.



The Kia KCV III was unveiled at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show, featuring the most sophisticated technologies Kia is planning to include in its future cars including automatic headlamps, automatic windscreen wipers, advanced adaptive cruise control and radar sensor.

Real eye-catchers are its big high-definition Kia headlights that extend up to the wheel arches and its racy 20-inch Kia wheels. The lights make the radiator grille and the air dam narrower, giving the car a unique look.

These features of the Kia KCV III though may not be all included in the upcoming convertible. However, there’s nothing to worry about that because it’s so easy to customize and upgrade a car nowadays.

Kia parts are not that hard to find. Stores like Auto Parts Fast has the best line of quality replacement and aftermarket parts for Kia, including excellently designed Kia wheels, Kia shocks, Kia hubcaps and Kia tail lights. If you have an old Kia car, you can update its looks with these new good looking parts while you wait for the new Kia convertible to roll off the production line.

Smelling Safe?

If your car smells really nice, it could save your life. Other than replacing your worn auto parts with auto parts from Auto Parts Fast, hanging that pine tree shaped air freshener unto your rearview mirror could save your life.

Seriously folks. At least that’s what I’ve just learned from these two guys, Ray and Dan.

The two cited a study conducted by the Wheeling Jesuit University saying that if you drive a pleasant smelling vehicle you are less likely to exhibit symptoms of fatigue or road rage.

Here’s what Ray and Dan have to say about this:

When you take into consideration that the N.H.T.S.A. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) reports more than 100,000 accidents per year are the result of drivers falling asleep and that Triple A says the number one traffic concern today is road rage, this study might not be as silly as it sounds.

The study showed that pine scent improved a driver’s awareness thus decreasing fatigue and that pine and strawberry scents decreased aggression making it less likely that a driver would experience road rage.

Okay, that makes sense. But well, let’s just hope that the other drivers on the road do not have rotten tuna sandwiches lurking underneath their car seats. Otherwise – they can be really dangerous.

Look Where the Camry’s Going

After being the U.S.’ number one selling car, the Camry is in the very near future, heading to China.


Toyota, the world’s second largest automaker, and its Chinese partner, Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. aim to sign up about 100 dealerships to sell the Camry sedan when the model debuts in China in mid-2006, a Toyota spokesman said on Monday. The two have targeted annual sales of 100,000 Camrys in the very fertile Chinese market.

A latecomer to the fast-growing Chinese market -- is counting on the Camry’s top-selling records to help narrow the gap with Volkswagen AG and General Motors, currently the leading car manufacturers there.

The Americans are a big fan of the Camry, Toyota’s 4-door; 5-passenger family sedan is available in 7 trims, ranging from the Standard to the XLE V6. It has become the best-selling passenger car in America by delivering an ideal combination of room, comfort, safety and performance with Toyota's renowned quality, reliability and durability. Its popularity also meant that owners never had to search high and low for Toyota auto parts when they need them. Quality Toyota auto parts like Toyota Camry mirrors, Toyota Corolla rims and other quality auto parts like BMW grille, and Volkswagen hubcaps can easily be found at reliable online auto parts stores like Auto Parts Fast.

Passenger Cars: Still the Most Popular Autos

Despite the rapid growth of the Sport Utility Vehicle category in the recent years, passenger cars are still very popular among auto users. This category includes compact size cars, midsize cars, full size cars, convertibles, station wagons and sporty cars, although the convertible and sporty car market are singly compared with the SUV market. Almost 47 % of the entire auto sales are covered by the passenger car segment.

Topping the list of passenger cars are Japanese cars namely, the Honda Accord, [link=http://www.automobiles.honda.com/models/ model_overview.asp?ModelName=Civic+Hybrid ]Honda Civic[/link], Toyota Camry and Nissan Maxima. These cars are priced from $14,000 - $ 25,000 which makes them most affordable choices for average earning car users. Some passenger cars even start at just around $9,000 and that price they are already fairly equipped with enough parts that could keep your ride comfortable, enjoyable, safe and satisfying.

Passenger cars are more fuel-efficient and this adds satisfaction to average income users who want inexpensive yet reliable cars. Hybrid passenger cars are also becoming popular, just like the Honda Civic Hybrid introduced in 2003. Gas-electric engines proved to be more powerful, fuel-efficient and friendlier to the environment as they reduce harmful emissions significantly.

Aside from their lower price, fuel economy, good handling and comfortable ride, passenger cars are also easy to maintain; thus, many car users opt to drive them. There are thousands of auto parts dealers that offer a wide range of replacement and aftermarket parts for passenger cars. Among them is Auto Parts Fast that features the best Toyota parts, Honda parts, Nissan parts, Kia parts and other parts for top passenger car makes. Even if you have bought a base model, you can easily install aftermarket products like Honda tail lights, Toyota grille and Nissan mirrors available in this store.

Proper Care of Your Cooling System

As the engine burns fuel and air inside the cylinder, it produces large amount of heat; because of this, it needs a cooling system that would help it maintain a normal temperature. Just like us humans, we need to perspire to cool our body when heat just becomes unbearable. The engine when not cooled, overheats and hence, become inutile. If this happens, brace yourself for a bigger problem.

Many times, we neglect taking care of our car's cooling system especially the radiator until something fishy happens. This explains why a lot of on-road car breakdowns result from an overheating engine. Although not at all times, the cooling system is responsible for this common car problem. Flushing your radiator periodically could help you avoid overheating. But this alone is not complete solution; you still have to regularly check on other parts like the hoses, fan belt and even the radiator cap.

Broken hoses can result to leaks and when the coolant has escaped the system, it's impossible for the system to cool the engine. Likewise, if the radiator cap is not able to hold enough pressure to let the coolant boil and maintain a stable cooling system.

If your radiator is no longer properly functioning, there's nothing else you can do but replace it. But it is advisable to replace your radiator and other parts in the cooling system every four years because there might be deterioration inside, which you cannot see.

You can find guaranteed durable and heavy duty replacement auto parts from Auto Parts Fast. Available here are top quality GMC radiators, Chevy radiators, Jeep radiators, Ford radiators and a lot more. Parts like BMW radiator fan and Toyota fan blade, which are helpful for your cooling system are also offered here.

This auto parts dealer has a large inventory of high quality replacement and aftermarket auto parts, including the best BMW parts, Mercedes Benz parts and Jaguar parts. So here you can improve not only your cooling system but as well as other systems in your car that might need a little upgrading or modification.