Avis offers $1.33B for Dollar Thrifty in effort to trump Hertz for rental car company

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Avis Budget Group Inc. said Wednesday it has offered $1.33 billion in cash and stock for rival rental-car operator Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc.

The bid is an effort to trump Hertz Global Holdings Inc., which in April said it was buying Dollar Thrifty for about $1.17 billion in cash and stock.

"In short, we believe that the higher purchase price we are offering, combined with the terms of our proposed merger agreement, makes our offer a superior one from the perspective of Dollar Thrifty and its shareholders," Ronald Nelson, Avis Budget's chairman and CEO, said in a letter to executives at Dollar Thrifty outlining the bid.

In response, Dollar Thrifty, which is based in Tulsa, Okla., said it will study the offer but noted it had already signed a definitive merger agreement with Hertz.

The latest bid consists of $39.25 in cash and 0.6543 shares of Avis Budget stock. It amounts to $46.50 a share for Dollar Thrifty, a price below the stock's Wednesday close at $48.68. It slipped 68 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $48 in after-hours trading.

The bidding war is part of an ongoing consolidation in the rental-car business that began in 2002, when Avis' parent company bought Budget.

When it announced its deal in April, Hertz, based in Park Ridge, N.J., said the Dollar and Thrifty brands would expand its reach among vacationers who rent cars at airports. Hertz's business is roughly evenly split between business and vacation travelers.

Avis Budget, based in Parsippany, had criticized Dollar Thrifty for not contacting it to discuss a rival bid even though it had expressed an interest in a deal. It also accused Dollar Thrifty of setting an unusually high breakup fee of 5.25 percent in order to deter competing bids. Nelson said his company's bid is more attractive because it does not include those conditions.

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Perfect Performance Saleen s7 Car Advanced

The Saleen S7 Twin Turbo is classified as a supercar, alongside Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and the Bugatti Veryron. It should be classified as a space rocket. The amount of horsepower and torque squeezed from the Ford-based V8 engine (yes a Ford V8 in a supercar), boggles the mind and leaves your stomach suspended in mid-air two miles behind you, where you just were a second ago.

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Looking at the car, you can see that a lot of hard work went into designing an aerodynamic body, but the real miracle sits a few inches behind the driver: the V8 engine. On a common supercar, the engine will be sized anywhere between a V8 and a V16, weigh 600+ pounds, and be loaded down with all sorts of fancy controls and cam shafts. The V8 in the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo laughs in the face of this excess. It weighs in at a slim 440 pounds, is made of aluminum, has only one cam shaft, and only two valves per cylinder, where most engines would have five. Sound too simple? Well, it generates 750 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque.

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2010 BMW M1 Hommage Mobile Wallpapers

Proper concept car, it's controversial appearance, with sharp lines berbodi fall. Double grille typical of BMW is still a characteristic of the muzzle of the M1 Hommage, a dual-tech equivalent of HID headlights. BMW M1 Hommage was created by a division of BMW Group Design to commemorate the 30 years existence of the BMW M1 car SupersPort in the year 2008, with the appearance of competence and

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Gambar Honda Revo AT PT Astra Honda Motor to change strategy, new artefact launches. Previously, PT Astra Honda Motor affairs to barrage the All-New Mega Pro, about it seems that Honda's artefact barrage agenda is reversed, so Honda Revo AT agenda now will anon be launched first.Gambar Motor Bebek Matik BaruPT Astra Honda Motor acumen why AT Revo Honda launches first? back this artefact is

Have a Car Diagnostics Yourself

Once there is something goes wrong in your car, you may go to the repair shop and have a car diagnostics specialist take a look at it. However, it is costly. Do you want to tackle the problem yourself rather than take your car into the shop? If yes, then it is the site for you! Our site offers many auto products on car diagnostics. We strive to give you the most troubleshooting information as well.

Many years ago, tackling the problem yourself was a viable option if you knew your way around a car. But it is time consuming, sometimes it was a case of trial and error, checking and re-checking. Nowadays however, most cars have electronic control systems installed, you are able to check your car with a diagnostic tool, such as diagnostic connector and OBD-II code reader. In this way, you can clear out the OBD-II trouble codes in an easy way. Just follow the descriptions and do it step by step! You will finally be successful. Probably the greatest difference between car diagnostics before and car diagnostics today is that there are diagnostic technicians who are completely mobile now, saving the consumer, time, money and inconvenience

Even if there is no problem with your car, you might still need the services of a car diagnostic technician if, for example, you want to turn off the airbag facility, due to small babies, elderly or sick people being put at risk by trav

eling in a seat where a front-facing airbag is active. A car diagnostic technician can help you do this.
In some countries where extreme weather conditions prevail, it is worthwhile having a car diagnostic technician check over your car on a regular basis. In this way you can prevent potentially life-threatening problems from occurring.
(ArticlesBase SC #2868122)

2010 Cadillac Cts Sport Wagon

Following Cadillac's successful launch of the 2003 CTS, XLR roadster, CTS-based SRX crossover, and STS sedan ' all designed based on Cadillac's "Art and Science" style motif, followed by the redesigned and reengineered 2008 CTS sport sedan, Cadillac brings us the 2010 CTS Sport Wagon, the first ever North American station wagon (not counting all those big truck-based Escalade SUVs). If all wagons looked this good, more automakers might still offer them. But few do any more, save European makers VW, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo and Saab. "Shooting brakes," as they are called in Europe, remain popular there, where most folks can afford only one car. But in North America, the land of SUVs and car-based crossovers, conventional wagons have lost their "cool."

The base engine, as in the CTS sedan, is a new 3.0-liter 24-valve DOHC direct-injected, variable-valve-timing V-6 good for a fairly strong 270 hp, while the available 3.6-liter version of the same high-tech V-6 offers 304 eager horses. Both are happily married to an electronically controlled six-speed automatic gearbox powering the rear wheels, or all four with available all-wheel drive.

Standard on that base model are 17-inch alloy wheels, Stabilitrak electronic stability control, four-wheel power disc brakes with ABS and traction control, AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 8-speaker audio, dual-stage front and both front and rear side curtain airbags and GM's OnStar convenience and security system with a one-year Directions and Connections subscription.

Among the major options are adaptive headlamps (that follow the steering), keyless access with remote start, a rear-view camera, LED ambient interior lighting, 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, a summer-tire performance package, heated and ventilated seats, premium wood interior trim, an "Ultra-View" sunroof, advanced navigation with real-time traffic and weather, 10-speaker Bose audio, a 40-gig hard drive and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity.

The Cadillac has the most front legroom of the above five competitors, about the same rear legroom as the BMW and more than the Audi or either Volvo. On the other hand, its somewhat low roof gives it a bit less front headroom and one to two inches less in back vs. its taller rivals. Its 58 inches of cargo room (rear seats folded flat) is competitive, and its 18 EPA mpg city/27 highway fuel efficiency with its standard 3.0-liter V-6 is much better than the BMW's and Volvo V70's, but worse than the four-cylinder Audi's and the five-cylinder V50's.

Around town, on a 500-mile road trip, and on a tight, twisty racecourse, the CTS wagon proved as capable and satisfying as its well-received sedan counterpart. Its performance is good, its handling athletic, its steering crisp, its braking strong and stable, and its ride smile-inducing comfortable all day. If you like the CTS sedan, you'll likely love this handsome, highly capable wagon. Shop them all, but give this beauty a good, long look.

2010 Nissan Altima Sedan

2010 Nissan Altima Sedan

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Auto Race Tracks and Auto Racing

The beginning of auto racing started right after the successful introduction of cars powered by gas. The very first auto race was in 1887, in Paris, France. Actually, it seems weird calling it a race since only one person showed up, so naturally he was the winner. In 1894, another car race was organized, also in Paris, and many consider this one the world's first race. 102 people paid the entrance fee, but in the end only 25 people participated in the main auto race.

Not everyone started at the same time & the same place and three winners were selected based on the handling, the speed, and the safety characteristics of their cars.



The first real auto race, where all the cars started at the same time, at the same place, took place in 1895 in France. The winner reached the finish line almost 6 hours before his competitor. That's a big difference!

It looks like the foundation of auto racing lies in France. That's why most races, even international ones, at that time, took place in France. Open road races in France ended in 1903, after a fatal accident involving Marcel Renault happened.

The oldest auto race track worldwide is called "The Milwaukee Mile". It opened its doors in 1903. Interestingly, this auto race track was not originally built for cars, but rather for horses.

The first track that was specifically built for car racing is the Brooklands, located in England. It opened its doors in 1907. In 1939 the Brooklands racing track was closed, when wartime production of airplanes and other aircraft took over. It was extensively damaged during the Second World War, and never reopened its doors.

Rent a Race Car

There are many people who are enthusiastic about auto racing. If you are one of them then I am sure you have interests in driving a race car at some point of your life. This is a luxury for them, but the costs involved in auto racing pose as a barrier for the aspirants. It becomes too expensive to own a race car. And if cost is not the factor then time is definitely a factor. But being the owner of a racing car can not be the sole option for you. It can be quite easy to rent a race car to experience one of those feral drives at some point of your life. The steps of renting a race car are discussed below.



Step 1

The best place to rent a race car will be a company that gives cars to racing teams, the teams that are most suitable for preparing the cars for a perfect race. If you are novice in this field then this can be of special help as they will tell you the exact procedures of simulation and techniques. This system is called "arrive and drive". The performance driving schools also give this kind of service to novice. Here there is no question of managing the team members; it is absolutely a smooth process.

Step 2

You must have some idea about the kind of racing car that you are interested in driving. This is important because different rental companies offer different brands. If you browse through the net to find out more options then you will find that there are many companies that are willing to give race cars to you through internet. There are quite a number of popular websites that gives you useful information about the racing cars that are available for the purpose of renting.

Over the net you can also find cars for racing that are personally owned. They are also interested in giving you the option of renting.

Step 3

If you do not have a racing license then you are advised to get it done. The rental companies would like to see them. The requirements are different for each company. They might ask you to join a driving school from where you can manage your license after the training. But if they find you experienced then they can provide you with a waiver by establishing contacts with your local divisional chair.

How to get approved for a car loan without a credit check

If you are reading this article I assume you have previous experience regarding getting a car loan. Maybe you have applied to few big names and been rejected due to credit score. Maybe you even applied to few bad credit or subprime lenders but still been turned down due to a lack of credit, after all your frustrations you are ready to give up getting a new car. Just wait a second, there is an option for you if your credit score is really bad. There is few car loan providers located in the Toronto area who is willing to offer you no credit check car loans. These loans are funded privately, usually the dealerships or the owners themselves. No credit check required means no credit check required literally. The only requirement they will have is for a small amount of down payment usually less than $500.

If you are bumping into wall after wall trying to get approved the traditional way, maybe it is time for you to step back and take a good look at your financial and personal situation. If you need a vehicle badly enough for work or family, there is no other choice out there other than no credit check car loans. These loans are usually been lend out at a higher interest rate, but the plus side to the story is you can actually regain credit score through these loans. With good repayment history, your credit score can rise over time. And pretty soon you would be able to negotiate on terms such as the selling price of the vehicle or the annual interest rate and so on.

So the next time you are been turned down due to your credit history, don't give up your search yet. Just apply to a different loan source and you will be approved for a car loan without a credit check.
(ArticlesBase SC #2830048)

2010 Renaissance Bugatti Sports Cars Concept

2010 Bugatti Sports Cars Concept Renaissance

The 2010 Bugatti Renaissance is a concept car created by Canadian designer John Mark Vicente. He is a graduate of the Communication Design program at the Emily Carr University, has come up with some ideas of his own. Look like it’s same with Bugatti Veyron Supercar, but it’s his proposal for next supercar from Bugatti. Come with Veyron, 16-cylinder, but it’s still concept car.

Along with the obvious genes from the current Veyron, the Bugatti Renaissance Design Concept throws in some touches of the Audi R8 and some serious styling.

The Renaissance is a model based on the Bugatti Veyron, the vehicle that replaces it. Although running on the same platform as the Veyron, the exterior design of this concept Bugatti is far more aggressive, and overall…better.

At the front of the car, the grill has grown in size and the headlights have been redesigned, now resembling the ones on the Audi R8 and also it has a carbon fiber skirt that fits great. Above the cockpit we notice that the twin roof vents are now slightly larger.

At the back, there are two larger vents, redesigned tail lights and the Bugatti logo framed by a red line that goes all the way to the roof scoops. The car uses impressive 26 inch rims.

Released as the fastest and costliest car when it hit the market, the impressive Veyron was an absolute stunner. Equipped with an 8.0 litre W16 engine delivering an incredible 1001 horses, Veyron had a top speed of 408.5 kmph (253.8 mph). It catapulted from standstill to 100kmph in just 2.5 seconds and cost above 1.55 million U.S. dollars.

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