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If you are fortunate enough to own a beautiful luxury car, then you will want to do your best to keep it clean. And standard cleaning agents are not going to be good enough to keep your interior looking fresh, as they are often filled with harsh chemicals and may even leave behind streaks or marks.

Instead of taking a gamble on whether or not these cleaners will work, just use our DIY recipes, and save yourself the headache and hassle. This is also a great way to avoid having it professionally cleaned, too.

For this we turned to our friends of Big Motoring World, an online used cars dealer, and they gave us some amazing tips on how to clean your luxury cars DIY-style.

Cleaning Slime

This sounds gross at first. Cleaning slime? Yuck. But this is actually a really great way for you to get into those hard to reach places and extract the dirt, dust and grime that builds up. You can use it on your car’s radio buttons, or the power window and door buttons. The point of the slime is that it is slightly tacky, so it picks up the dirt that is hard to reach.

Here are the ingredients:

·         1 1/2 cups of warm water
·         ¼ cup of borax laundry boost
·         5 ounces of school glue
·         Food Coloring (this is optional)

The Recipe:

●  Using a paper cup, mix your water with borax, and stir till dissolved. Put this borax water to the side.

●   In a mixing bowl mix up a half cup of warm water, the glue and 2 drops of food color.

●   Add in the borax water, stir until it is firm. It is going to start as a goo-like mess, but it will get firmer as you mix it up.

●   Knead this with your hands until it becomes a dry ooze ball. This can take about five or so minutes.

●      If the slime is sticking to your hands, or won’t ball up, add one or two   tablespoons of borax.


●       Do not use the slime unless you can roll it into a ball.

Using this is a little tricky. You must knead a piece into a firm ball, then dab what you are attempting to clean. Don’t allow the slime to sit on any electronics or surfaces for more than a second, as it will ooze inside of your unit and could ruin it. Just dab and go. It is pleasing to the touch and gets dirt out of the hard to reach nooks and crannies.

DIY Leather Cleaner

Part of the joy of owning luxury cars is the fact that they feature lovely leather interiors that look classy and provide comfort for passengers and drivers. Keeping those leather interiors looking as nice as day one is easy when you have the right products to do so. Check out this leather cleaning recipe that uses ingredients you have in your home. It will keep your leather looking healthier and conditions it, too.

What You Need:

·         ¼ cup of olive oil
·         ½ cup of regular vinegar
·         One spray bottle

All you need to do now is mix the two ingredients together within the spray bottle and shake it up really well. Spray it onto the leather and wipe it down with a cotton cloth. You can also add in a drop of your favorite essential oil into the mixture too, if you like-we added lemon-to give it a pleasant little smell. This also cuts down on the vinegar smell, too (but it doesn’t last all that long, anyway).

Do not use this on suede, whatever you do-but take note that it is fine for regular leather.

DIY Car Soap

You can make your very own car wash soap that is a lot cheaper and easier than getting into the car, battling traffic, and searching for it only to find that it is out of stock at your local auto parts store. Make yourself up a batch of soap that you can use for the next few washes that are going to come your way

Here are the ingredients:

·         ¼ cup of baking soda
·         1 Gallon bucket/jug with a lid
·         ¼ cup of dishwashing liquid
·         Water to fill the bucket almost to the top

Now mix up the solution and put the lid onto your bucket. When it is time to give your car a washing, mix the solution up again and pour one cup of it into a water bucket. Fill the water bucket up with warm water, stir it up, and then use the solution to wash your car.



















Ammonia for Windows and Wipers

You can use household ammonia to clean up wipers and windows.

For wipers, cleanliness is important as they help you see better in poor weather. The same goes for windows-being able to see out of them well prevents accidents and promotes safety.

Mix up ¼ cup of household ammonia with 1 liter or 34 oz of cold water. Lift up the blades and wipe both sides of them with a soft cloth or paper towel that is saturated with the cleaner. Wipe them off with a dry cloth and lower them back down.

For windshields/windscreens, add 60 ML of ammonia to 1 liter of water and pour it into a plastic bottle with the cap on tight. Keep it in the car for washing windows. As the windows get dirty, take out your mixture and apply it with a sponge. Then dry it with soft cloth or paper towels.

Keep Lights Shining

Keep your headlights bright by using an old pair of pantyhose and some window cleaner. Apply window cleaner to the headlights and rub vigorously with the old pantyhose.

Conclusion

Keeping your luxury ride looking good does not have to be hard or expensive if you know the right hacks. After all, you’ve already spent a good bit of money on getting such a nice car-forget buying even more expensive and ineffective cleaning agents!

Simply make your own for an easier, less expensive option. You will enjoy the natural approach to keeping things clean, and the extra money that you have in your pocket. Best of all, you and your passengers will love riding in your clean car. 

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One of the most intriguing cars to come out in the past decade is Tesla’s Model 3. It is the realization of Tesla’s Master Plan, a plan that included building a limited supercar and two luxury EVs. The profit of those cars led to the creation of an affordable EV accessible to the masses.

The Model 3 has piqued my interest like few other cars have. It offers something completely different from any other car available. After driving it for a few days, I came away with many thoughts, but one stuck with me: the Model 3 is not the perfect car we’ve been led to believe.
The Model 3 starts at $35,000 with the base trim, and it goes down if you take into account EV rebates. In California, for example, you can get $10,000 off through federal and state rebates. That’s much more affordable than previous Teslas and as competitive as other EVs in its segment (mainly the Chevy Bolt EV). That gets you the bare minimum and a long wait time because Tesla is not delivering the base Model 3 until later this year.
If you want to drive one now, you’ll have to buy one that eclipses the cheap price Tesla is advertising. The Model 3 I drove is the Long Range variant with Premium Package and Enhance Autopilot, bringing the price to $57,000. Here’s how the price breaks down:
  • Base price: $35,000
  • Long range: $5,000
  • Premium Package: $9,000
  • Enhanced Autopilot: $5,000
  • Full Self-Driving Capability: $3,000
The Long Range option bumps the range from 220 miles to 310 miles; the premium package adds opulent touches like leather seats, panoramic sunroof and open-pore wood trim; and the autopilot and driving upgrades deliver a fully-fleshed out Auto Pilot experience.

Looks good, not beautiful

The only upgrade the unit we tested didn’t come with was the premium 19-inch wheels (that would have been an additional $1,500). Instead, it came with the stock 18-inch Aero wheels. These maximize the aerodynamics of the car, as you can tell from the name, with the use of a distinctive matte black hubcaps. You can remove the hubcaps, revealing a surprisingly good-looking 10-spoke wheel, but you’ll be sacrificing some range (20 miles according to Tesla).
I wouldn’t call the Model 3 beautiful, but I will say it looks good. It’s what I’d imagine a miniature Model S would look like. Tesla’s signature contour design with swooping lines and aerodynamic finishes are present, adding to the allure of the car: the front end is completely seamless and the door handles are flush.
There is no front grille, not even the outline of an opening that the Model S and X come with, thus giving the car its most striking characteristic. I like the look, but it won’t appeal to everyone. It looks better with certain colors. The black color our review unit donned is not one of those colors. In fact, the black color is my least favorite option; it hides the design of the Model 3, losing the lines that makes the car so unique.

The interior of the future

Tesla took a drastic approach with the interior of the Model 3. It did away with the traditional dashboard from the Model S and Model X and started from scratch. Gone are the two main displays and normal array of A/C vents, and in their place is a 15-inch horizontal display and a single long A/C vent that runs across the dashboard.
This is the most idiosyncratic detail of the Model 3.
The 15-inch panel displays all of the information you will need and controls just about everything in the car, save for the dome lights and hazard light button. The left side displays the information that would normally be found in an instrument cluster—gear, speed, range and so forth—and the right side of the displays the radio, phone and navigation.
You have to be in the car to understand just how odd it is to control everything through the display. Everything from adjusting the side mirrors and steering wheel to opening the glove compartment is done through the screen. It’s so forward-thinking you can’t help but feel uncomfortable with it. The first thought I had was, “What happens if the display fails?” Absolutely nothing because you won’t be able to do anything with the car otherwise.
One of the most endearing details of the car is how you adjust the side mirrors and steering wheel. You activate the function through the display, but the action is done through the two round knobs on the steering wheel. It’s one of those minor details that blows your mind.
While a smaller car, the Model 3 still offers a lot of space. There’s plenty of leg room and head space as well. If you have kids, fitting two car seats in the rear is doable, although it’ll be a little tight.
The front and rear trunks are quite spacious. Both are much smaller than what you’d get with the Model S; only a decent sized duffle bag will fit in the front. In the rear, there’s plenty of space to stash luggage or groceries with the available 15 cubic feet of room.
Overall, Tesla did a very good job with the design of the Model 3. But not all is good news with the new EV.
The most disappointing aspect of the Model 3 is the fit and finish, or lack thereof. It feels like an early prototype in dire need of refinement. Some nooks and crannies were lazily painted and the seal trim on the door feels and looks cheap. It’s not something you’ll notice if you don’t look for it, but once you do, it’s impossible to ignore.
This is likely because Tesla is so backlogged on Model 3 orders, it is affecting quality control. The company is trying to pump out too many cars. These issues are unacceptable. If you are considering pre-ordering a Model 3, it’s something to considering.

Drive it and it’ll win you over

All the criticism of the Model 3 goes out the window when you drive it. I’ve driven the Model S before, and when I got into the driver’s seat of the Model 3, I thought I knew what to expect.
The Model 3 does not drive like the S or X; it drives better. The reason for that is simple: it’s a smaller car. The instant torque from the electric motor revs up and takes the miniaturized Tesla zipping through streets, igniting a joy in your soul.
While not as fast as its bigger brothers, the size and weight advantage make the Model 3 feel like it drives and handles better. I didn’t get a chance to take it out on any winding roads, but I still put it through its paces, and it delivered.
Tesla says the Long Range version goes from 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds and I believe it—the Model 3 flies. As for the 140 mile per hour top speed, I wasn’t able to confirm. I did get close to cracking triple digits, but there wasn’t enough road to go the whole way.
Getting a regular range model with the 0 to 60 speed of 5.6 seconds and top speed of 130 miles per hour should be plenty powerful for most people. In fact, I believe that’s the barometer the Model 3 should be measured against because that’s the most accessible version. Getting performance like that for $35,000 is incredible.
Driving with the car display in the middle wasn’t much of an issue for me. It is quite odd and I never truly got used to it, but it’s something you just deal with. Still, I believe Tesla omitted the instrument cluster as a cost saving measure rather than it pushing us into the future, even though Elon Musk argues otherwise.
Auto Pilot works the same way it does on the other Tesla cars. You push the gear selector all the way down twice and the car starts driving itself. It does a good job, but I never really trusted it even on empty roads.
Even if you are a car person who loves loud gasoline engines, the Model 3 will sway you. It might not change your mind, but it will change the way you look at EVs. Its compact size and powerful performance, coupled with affordability, set it apart. Sure, it’s still going through some production pains and its futuristic interior might not be for everyone, but after driving the Model 3, all of those worries fade away.
The $57,000 version of the Model 3 is not worth it given the competition of luxury cars it’s up against. But the $35,000 Model 3 is definitely worth a look.
I vowed never to purchase another brand new car in my lifetime, but the Model 3 is dangerously close to changing my mind. I suspect it’ll do something similar to everyone who drives it.

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Toyota, the Japanese automaker brings in the facelifted version of its large sedan, the Toyota Corolla Altis in India. The demand for the D-segment cars has fallen in the recent years, as the taste of Indians is shifting towards SUVs gradually. But there are still a few cars that have created a stable demand for themselves, and the Corolla Altis is undoubtedly one of them.


Toyota Corolla Altis has been a top seller in the D-segment, ever since its launch in India. Despite the presence of some of the premium cars like Hyundai Elantra and Skoda Octavia, this exciting offering from the Japanese manufacturer has been reporting a decent sales figure.

Now, with the 2018 Toyota Corolla Altis making its way to India, it seems to have gone through several upgrades visually along with a bunch of additions to the feature list. Let’s know more about this updated premium car from Toyota.

Exterior design

Visually, the Toyota Corolla Altis facelift retains its classy look, while positive changes can be easily noticed from the outset of the car. It has received a completely revised front fascia, which flaunts new Bi-Beam LED headlamp with LED daytime running lights, wider radiator grille with chrome outline, newly designed front bumper and a sporty bonnet. The side profile of the car is almost similar to the outgoing model with minimum body lines and sports the new set of alloy wheels.

Towards the rear, the sedan bears LED tail lamps and the roof of the car slopes down to the rear, as it does not feature any rear spoiler. The changes made are substantially minimal but are quite impactful to enhance the looks of the car. The update brings in a new colour variant of Phantom Brown to the existing colour schemes.

Interior features

Inside the new Corolla Altis, you will find every possibility of comfort along with advanced technical features which offer an enhanced driving experience. Thanks to the premium touch everywhere that it feels extremely blissful to be inside the car on a long journey. The seats are wrapped in high-quality leathers, which offer comfortable and spacious seats to accommodate five adults.

The dashboard is finely finished in good material, which feels soft on touch and features a dual colour scheme, including black and beige. It features a 4.2-inch MID instrument console with updated software, which informs many things about the present condition of the car including speed and fuel indicator. Moreover, the presence of a touchscreen infotainment system with navigation and other features adds to the enhanced experience of the ride.

Coming to the safety of the car, it packs seven airbags in total, automatic climate control, reverse parking sensor, steering-mounted controls, ABS with EBD, traction and cruise control. However, the update misses out on rear AC vents, sunroof and ventilated seats.

The power mechanism

The 2018 Toyota Corolla Altis continues to be powered by the same engine mechanism under the hood. It is available in both diesel and petrol engine options. The petrol version features a 1.8-litre, four-cylinder engine that manages to produce a maximum power output of 138 bhp at 6,400 revolutions per minute against a peak torque of 173 Nm at 4,000 revolutions per minute. On the other hand, the diesel model is powered by a 1.4-litre engine that manages to churn out a maximum power output of 87 bhp. The transmission option includes a six-speed manual and a seven-speed automatic gearbox that transfers the power to the wheels. In terms of fuel-efficiency, the sedan continues to retain a mileage of 16.5 kmpl in the city, which rises to 19 kmpl on the highways.

The most reliable premium car

The price of the Toyota Corolla Altis facelift is most likely to fall in the range of Rs.18.74 lakh (ex-showroom) to 23.39 lakhs (ex-showroom), which is slightly on the higher-end from the existing models. It continues to stand firm against the likes of Hyundai Elantra and Skoda Octavia in the D-segment sedan in India. You can compare the features of these cars against that of the Toyota Corolla Altis on Autoportal.com.


The Toyota Corolla Altis continues to be the top model of its league. The major reason behind the success of the previous models has been the simplicity in design along with an exciting list of goodies to enhance driveability. It excels in the areas of practicality, space, comfort, ease of use and superior driving dynamics, which is why it has been the most reliable premium car for the Indians for years and the facelift does justice to all these undoubtedly.
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Would you choose to splurge an additional 10,000 rupees to smarten up your existing car with add-on capabilities such as smartphone integration? Well, most tech-savvy users would say yes. What if I say add-ons can’t possibly provide the level of competence that a grounds-up connected design can bring?

You would rather go for a ‘connected car’ –than ingesting extra intelligence into your analogue car. The future is connected. Soon you may find yourself weighing these two options more than others as you plan to buy your next car.

And the good news is cars with on-board computers have already hit the market in a price bracket that makes them a sensible pick for many. We have one in India too.

Just like technologies transformed several industry verticals over the last few years, new car tech is making over the automotive sector with serious inroads already made. A major shift in how we transport is underway with new sophisticated technologies bringing together mammoth computing power, millions of lines of programming codes and new hardware into the car. Software and telecommunications companies are entering the auto market where big companies including Microsoft, Google, Apple, IBM are making significant strides.

Soon considering a new vehicle without Internet access and communication capabilities will be history. As a matter of fact, expectations for multitude of car owners have started mounting on prioritizing connectivity over standard features such as engine power and fuel efficiency.

To put things in context, connected car refers to the vehicle which has the intelligence --driven by Internet connectivity and sensors; to optimize its operation and maintenance while ensuring superior driving handiness for commuters. The latest headways in the connected car tech are expected to be a major attraction at the consumer electronics exhibition in Las Vegas next month.

Envisage a car which is powered by an operating system like Android, an audio system that pulls data directly from your iPhone based on voice commands, plays Spotify when you get into your car and intimates you well in advance when it needs maintenance. Well, it's not that easy as it sounds. Making your car as connected as your smartphone calls for a collaboration of partners including networks, operating systems, content platforms and analytics. Let’s take a look at the core components.

The functional clusters of connected car 
Infotainment: What if your onboard computer displays nearby restaurants the moment you say ‘I’m hungry’ or notifies you about gas stations as you approach them? This sounds like a true value addition of Internet enablement.

Safety: For a car owner, road side assistance actually mean a real savior, especially in cases of accidents. Studies show that collision-avoidance systems that caution drivers could be a boon in preventing accidents.

Diagnostics: This is an area where connected car gives you an edge with its ability to alert drivers to needed servicing or problems with the car. Prognostic tech like the one launched by General Motors takes this even further by letting the driver know of any possible failure in the future. The connected car from Mahindra is also known to be offering predictive maintenance service along with remote diagnostics functionality in the e2oPlus.

Navigation: Another core competence of a smart car is its ability to connect through a built-in GPS or smartphone. When connected to apps outside the car, the driver can receive notification of the best time to leave, real-time traffic and weather updates. This sounds tantalizing for the tech-canny users and this is probably why Mahindra bets big on its connected car offering.

The case for India’s first connected car 
With many biggies such as Nissan, making their foray into connected car services, let’s take a look at the first such smart car introduced by the Indian company Mahindra --which is incidentally the first OEM to build on connected technologies.

The car looks sophisticated with integration of apps that connect with outside world. The pre-cool feature lets you set the temperature remotely. A simple toggle button on the app allows you to lock/unlock the car. From performance metrics and health reports to charging schedules, the chip enables it all.

You never have to worry about being stranded with no charge with the patented REVive technology of the company. If ever you find that the battery has run out and you do not have a charge point close by, you can simply use your e2oPlus app to get additional charge – enough to reach your home or nearest charging point. That sounds really exciting.

The 10 on-board computers in the new e2oPlus car track around 196 performance and health parameters of your car and send them to the company. So even before a snag appears, you’re all geared up to fix it. 

The famous maxim ‘if you can’t measure it, you can’t track it’ aptly fits the philosophy of this connected car. As you drive down this car you continue to get progress reports with you which help the company to build on car’s performance while transforming your driving experience. 

The journey has just begun but with e2oPlus, it seems driving in a conventional non-interactive car is already passé.
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BMW will test autonomous vehicles in Munich next year as it seeks to keep up with ride-hailing firms like Uber, which have spent billions on pay-per-use personal transport.

The German carmaker will have about 40 vehicles with self-driving functions in Munich's inner city and then expand the project to other cities, BMW executives said on Friday.

"There is a trained test driver behind the wheel of every car," Klaus Buettner, BMW's Vice President in charge of Autonomous Driving said.

Uber's rapid growth has prompted BMW to consider how autonomous vehicles may help them accelerate their own push into pay-per-use transport.

Software and technology companies like Lyft, Juno and Uber have shaken up the traditional auto industry business model of selling cars by offering customers an alternative to vehicle ownership through smartphone-based ride-hailing services.

Now traditional car companies are expanding their own ride-hailing schemes, while investing in self-driving technology.

"Ride hailing is nothing more than manual autonomous driving," Tony Douglas, Head of Strategy for BMW's mobility services said. "Once you dispense with the driver you have a license to print money."

BMW has already made significant progress expanding into the market for car sharing by introducing pay-by-the-minute services like ReachNow in Seattle, Douglas said.

"We had 14,000 people sign up in 4 days, in a market already served by Zipcar, Uber, Lyft and Car2go," Douglas said.

"Someone else spent the money to educate the market and then we came in with a cool product. We will not be the largest, but we can be the coolest," Douglas said.

BMW plans to use not just its expertise making premium vehicles, but also its ability to manufacture, own and manage fleets of premium vehicles.

"Uber and Lyft do not operate their own fleets of cars. Owning the fleet means you can make offers that Lyft and others are unable to provide. For example providing car sharing for a specific community only," BMW's Chief Executive Harald Krueger said.

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If you've upgraded to the iPhone 7, but refuse to upgrade your headphones, then congratulations, you get to carry a tiny dongle with you wherever you go. It won't take long for you to lose it, unless you keep it securely tethered on your keychain using this clever $6 adapter.
The Uncourage is a non-functional, 3.5-millimeter jack designed for the sole purpose of ensuring your iPhone 7's Lightning to headphone dongle is always in your pocket when you reach for it. Since most adults rarely lose or forget their keys, for $6 you're increasing the odds of not having to shell out $10 for a replacement dongle.
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Mercedes-AMG is back once again to redefine what we called a sedan. The tuning arm of Mercedes just announced its E 63 4MATIC+ and E 63 S 4MATIC+, and they make every other over-powered sedan out there look cute and cuddly.
The E 63 4MATIC+ and E 63 S 4MATIC+ is what Mercedes-AMG refers to as the most intelligent executive saloon out there. Mercedes-AMG is setting new benchmarks in this segment by utilising its intelligent drive strategy, which allows AMG to raise the performance limits of the vehicle’s dynamics.
The Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ is the more powerful one out of the two with the same 4.0-litre V8 tuned to generate 612HP with 850Nm of torque, while the Mercedes-AMG E 63 4MATIC+ is the standard version with 571HP on tap.
The exterior design gets an aggressive-looking overhaul featuring a new radiator grille and coupé-style inset bonnet.
What you get under the hood is a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine which generates up to 612HP and it also happens to be the most powerful engine ever to be installed in an E-Class. The S‑Model completes the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, whilst the E 63 4MATIC+ takes 3.5 seconds.
Something that one does not hear when it comes to powerful vehicles is efficiency, oddly this E-Class has a few tricks up its sleeves. This is thanks to a cylinder deactivation system that comes fitted as standard.
You also get the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT (Multi Clutch Technology), a nine-speed sports transmission, which allows for more agile response times. And all of this power is put down to the road with the help of the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all wheel drive system.
“The new E 63 models represent the biggest step forward we’ve ever taken from one generation to the next. Vehicle dynamics were especially important to us. At the start of the development process, we opted for a fully variable all-wheel drive system which, when combined with the advanced performance of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, reaffirms our brand’s “Driving Performance” claim,” explains Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.
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Indian ride-sharing service Ola has partnered with German carmaker BMW to strengthen its luxury mobility segment, the app-based taxi aggregator said on Monday. The tie-up will allow Ola cab operators to avail cheaper credit to buy BMW cars, receive after-sales support and guaranteed buyback, Ola said in a statement.
Frank Schloeder, President, BMW Group India said, “At BMW, we always look to the future. Our vision enables us to identify the trends in our business early on. The way people move is changing and this is also true for the premium clientele. Individuals want quick access to mobility without compromising on quality and comfort. We are confident that this association will be a game changer in the premium on-demand mobility segment in India. BMW is the most aspirational luxury car brand and through this association, an increasing number of customers will be able to relish the immersive BMWexperience.’
BMW-certified instructors will also train drivers about auto safety systems and technology, the statement said. The agreement follows Ola’s partnership, announced last month, with India’s top SUV maker, Mahindra & Mahindra.
BMW joins the ranks of other global automakers such as Volkswagen, Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors GM.N, which have all signed tie-ups with ride-sharing companies to guard against a shift in consumer choice away from vehicle ownership.
Recently, Google had teamed up with Ola and Uber to make cab booking even more hassle-free. It let users look for directions and then choose the taxi service directly within the Search app or mobile search browser.
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