Automotive Blogger

We all know that a poor driving record - things like multiple accident claims and DUI convictions - makes you a candidate for high risk insurance rates, but sometimes, it’s not about you (the driver) at all. It’s about the car.

If a car is extremely expensive, has a large engine, or is rare, it costs more to insure and insurance may be harder to obtain. Numbers for the 2007 model year haven’t been released yet, but here’s a list of the top ten most expensive cars - insurance wise - for the 2006 model year.

1. Mercedes-Benz SL65
2. Lincoln Town Car BPS
3. BMW 760Li
4. Audi A8L W12
5. Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG
6. Volkswagen Phaeton W12
7. BMW M5
8. Jaguar XJ8 Super V8
9. Porsche Cayenne Turbo
10. Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged

I’ve had muscle cars on the brain recently, not for any particular reason other than that I was searching for something and found a line item in Google about a vintage ‘cuda selling for upwards of $2,000,000. Even for a hot car, that’s some serious change.

Retro-inspired neo-classic muscle cars are featured offerings at Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet this year, as they have been for the last couple, sparking two kinds of controversy: the first, are these modern muscles worth collecting (purists say no)? The second issue is: should we be buying things that are so totally the antitheses of modern green-thinking technology? What good is horsepower if the air outside your windows is toxic to human life?

Whatever side of the issues you fall on (and we’d love to hear your perspective), we thought we’d share a list of the top five muscle cars from a “price increase since the year 2000″ point of view, as of last year’s Kelley Blue Book:

1. 1971 Plymouth “Hemi” ‘Cuda convertible.
2. 1969 Dodge Charger R/T-440 hardtop.
3. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28/SS coupe.
4. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS-454/LS-6 convertible
5. 1964 Shelby Cobra 289 roadster

It goes without saying that a tool kit should be in the trunk of every car, especially if you’re going on a long trip, or frequently find yourself on back roads where service stations - or other drivers - are few and far between. Here are our suggestions for five essential elements of your in-car tool kit:

1. Flashlight: because roadside emergencies don’t always happen when the sun is shining.
2. Jack: and not just the free one that came with your car. If you spend about $50 you can get a sturdy jack that doesn’t rely on a perfectly flat surface to work correctly.
3. Lug Wrench: make sure it’s one that fits the lug nuts on your car.
4. Screw Drivers: you’d be surprised at how useful a set of screw drivers can be.
5. Socket Wrench: no auto tool kit should be without one. Ever.
6. Bonus (because we couldn’t stop at just five): Pliers. For grabbing almost anything, pliers are essential.

Your turn: What would you add? What would you remove?