Mar 23, 2017 - Celebrities Who Look Like Their Cars

We've all heard that if you spend enough time with your pet or significant other, you start to look like them. But we never hear about people who look like their cars. The average person spends over four years of their life driving and 38 hours a year stuck in traffic, so perhaps it's possible for a person to end up looking like their car. Or maybe there's a weird science where we subconsciously pick cars that reflect who we are. Either way, these next 5 celebrities and their cars could almost pass for twins (if it wasn't for the whole animate-inanimate thing.) Paris Hilton & her Bentley Continental

Car enthusiasts might cringe at the fact that Paris Hilton had her Bentley Continental painted bubblegum pink with matching rims, seats, and a steering wheel, but can you deny the pair's similarities? While cars like BMW, Lamborghini, and Ferrari are seen as cars for people who want to flaunt their "new money", Bentley is an "old money" car for people who have so much money they don't need to flaunt how much they have.

David Beckham & his Porsche Turbo

Since he was signed to Manchester United at 17, David Beckham has become one of the most valued and well-known soccer players in the world. Yes, we're using David and his Turbo as an example partly because of its name (the car is fast... David Beckham runs fast... get it?), but also because after a 20-year career, he's still considered one of the best. Since the Porsche 911's creation in 1963, it's been upgraded and reimagined infinite times, and its Turbo counterpart remains one of the best sports cars out there. Okay, this example isn't so much about Beckham looking like his car as it is the overall resemblances between the two.

James Bond & his Aston Martin(s)

Understated, timeless, and incomparable. The Aston Martin is significantly lesser known than other high-end cars (like the Lamborghini, Ferrari...), making it the perfect match for an elusive, badass CIA agent like James Bond. We say Aston Martins plural because no one Aston Martin in the James Bond series is less perfect than the others. Pictured above, Daniel Craig looks identical to his DB5 in (suit) colour and in suaveness. This is our idea of a dynamic duo.

Nicki Minaj & her Lamborghini Aventador

We know. Another pink car. It's an abomination. But again, Nicki Minaj's matte bright pink $400,000 Lamborghini Aventador is the perfect complement to her over-the-top, caricature-like personality. Unlike Paris' Bentley, the Aventador is a lot more flamboyant, with its dramatic angles and scissor-doors, much like Minaj's personality.

Jay-Z and his Maybach Exelero

Jay-Z is one of the most successful rappers (the 3rd richest, and with a net worth of $550million), and he's very open about his expensive taste in jewellery and cars. His Maybach Exelero is proof of that at $8million and one of the most expensive celebrity cars. The sleek black finish with chrome detailing matches Jay's sleek black suit and extravagant bling to a tee.

Jan 20, 2017 - Throwback to the 6 Most Futuristic Concept Cars

We're all a little intrigued by the future. It's fun to speculate where technology will be in ten or twenty years, because really, anything is possible. The new year especially, is a time to reflect on the last year's personal and worldly changes, as well as to surmise the coming year's. The automotive industry is no different. Every year, manufacturers present their newest concept cars. Some are totally feasible and end up being selected as the next year's newest models. Others are completely outrageous and unpractical, and never end up being produced. These ones are our favourites; they're over-the-top, innovative, and creative.

In anticipation for what we hope to be a great new year, we're looking back on a few of the most futuristic concept cars that were (and still are) way ahead of their time.

Mazda Furai Concept

The Mazda Furai concept from 2008 looks like a souped up Batmobile. The Furai was designed to look like a race car meant for the road, and haven't we all, at some point, pretended we were driving a race car down an empty highway? (*Disclaimer: We do not encourage speeding.*) The TopGear website even refers to the Furai as, "the defining concept car of its era". Unfortunately, it never made it to mass production, but the design was so ahead of its time that perhaps once all the kinks are ironed out, the Furai can make a brand new entrance that doesn't end up in flames.

2005 Ford-Shelby GR-1 Concept

Maybe it's just the chrome finish, but the 2005 Ford-Shelby GR-1 looks like the Terminator-cum-spaceship, to us. If only the exhausts threw flamethrowers. The GR-1 was almost feasible to manufacture, aside from a few tweaks to meet safety regulations and an unappealingly low sales projection. But like the Furai, this car was enough ahead of its time that it could still make a comeback in the future.

eXtremes by Marianna Merenmies 

The three-seater crossover designed for the "eXtreme" Russian climate would fit right in with James Bond's snow-chase scene in Spectre. Lightweight and aerodynamic, its upward-opening doors make it the perfect getaway car for a Secret Service Agent. Made with a carbon fibre frame, the eXtreme protects against heat, cold, and noise. Just throw in some bullet-proof windows and it's almost as if it were developed for Russian spies.

The Lamborghini Ferruccio by Mark Hostler.

The Lamborghini Ferruccio concept looks like it's about to transform into Optimus Prime's worst enemy. The aggressive design and narrowed headlights that resemble glaring eyes look like it's ready to attack anyone who gets in its way. Every part of the Ferruccio was inspired by the brand's lineage: it's named after Ferruccio Lamborghini, the company's founder, and inspired by the Countach and Miura designs.

McLaren JetSet by Marianna Merenmies

The JetSet concept is a sleek and undoubtedly attractive to its intended premium clientele. The car's thin rear reduces its weight and increases its travel efficiency, making it easier to navigate through the high-traffic city streets. Generally, a sharp design evokes a more futuristic feel, but the JetSet is curvy in all the right places, and the unexpected fins are what elevate a generic sports car to an innovative one.

Taihoo Car Concept 2046 By Hao Huang.

The Taihoo looks like a hover board. Is there anything more futuristic than a hover board? We don't think so.

Nov 9, 2016 - Is Premium Gas Worth the Extra Cost?

We're conditioned to react more favourably to terms like premium and exclusive, as though these words dictate the true quality of a product or service. We will happily pay a higher price tag thinking we're getting a better value for them. After all, higher price equals higher quality, right? When it comes to gas, our biggest decision is whether to use regular (cheaper) gas or premium (more expensive) gas. When we choose premium, we feel like we're doing better for our vehicle, whereas when we "settle" for the cheaper option, we can have the false impression that we're hurting it. AAA recently published an article announcing that in 2016, Americans wasted $2.1 billion on premium gas for vehicles that really don't need premium gas.

We get it, a car is one of the largest purchases you'll make in your life, so why not treat it well in order to lengthen its life. But what exactly is the difference between regular and premium gas, and is the extra 15-20 cents worth the upgrade?

Premium gas is more expensive because it has an octane level of about 92-93, as opposed to regular gas, which has an octane level of 87.

What does that mean?

Octane levels are designated with your car engine's compression ratio in mind. That is, the ratio of the volume of your car's combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity.

When your car requires the use of a premium gas, the lower octane levels in regular fuel can increase your car's exhaust-gas temperatures and can sometimes lead to knocking (that sound you hear when the fuel and air mixture in your car's cylinder doesn't start correctly, and a pocket of the mixture explodes outside of the normal combustion front).

If your car requires premium gas, these two symptoms can have adverse effects on your car in the long run. If your car does not specify that it requires premium gas, that means the lower octane levels of regular gas will not cause the increased exhaust-gas temperatures that can lead to knocking.

Premium gas does help your car's performance, however it will only improve its ability to accelerate from 0-100km/h about half a second more quickly than with regular gas.

Although premium gas doesn't really benefit your car if it doesn't require the higher octane levels, it also won't harm it. What it comes down to is whether saving those extra 15-20 cents every time you fill up your tank is important to you.

If you'd like to see if your 2016-2017 vehicle requires premium gas, check out the list on BestRide.com.

Mar 01, 2016 - Weird Driving Habits You Should Probably Stop Doing

We know that texting and driving is illegal now, which one could hope has lead to a decrease in distracted driving accidents, but that hasn't seemed to stop people from doing other dumb (and downright weird) things on the road. In 80% of collisions, drivers had only taken his or her eyes off the road for 3 seconds prior to the accident, and while banning cell phone usage when driving is a great start, some drivers seem to think some of these driving habits are acceptable by comparison.

Eating - We don't just mean eating a piece of toast in the car when you're in a hurry to get to work. We've heard of people eating full bowls of cereal or entire pies (just two of many weird examples) while driving. With a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other, what's steering the car? Well, naturally, your foot.

Reading - Was it Oscar Wilde who said you can never be overdressed or overeducated? We're all for catching up on school readings or expanding your literary repertoire, but maybe you should leave it to a time when you're not depending on 4,000lbs of metal to protect you from the oncoming traffic, should you lose control of your vehicle. If you really need to read and the only time to do it is during your morning commute, why not take public transportation instead?

Beauty routines - Hollywood often portrays women as the distracted drivers - painting their nails, putting on lipstick.. shaving their legs? Apparently shaving is a common driving habit for both men and women in a hurry to get somewhere. We just have two questions for people who shave while driving: how exactly do you clean the razor, and more importantly, do you really want to take the chance of getting in an accident while you're running a sharp blade across your skin?

As funny as it may be to see the person in the car next to you eating an entire pie, we (the 3 out of 4 motorists who multitask while driving, specifically) forget just how dangerous distracted driving is. Whether it's texting or eating a pie or shaving your legs, we need to remember to give 100% of our attention to the road.

Feb 16, 2016 - Body Shop Glossary

  How often are we so sure we understand something when someone is explaining it to us, but we get home and suddenly draw a complete blank? Collision repair terminology isn't exactly casually integrated in our day-to-day conversation, and some words can be a little confusing. We've broken down some common terms you might find on your estimate or invoice, that might cause you to scratch your head a little bit.

Aftermarket Parts New car parts that were made to fit a specific car but don't come directly form the car's manufacturer.

Appraisal The first step of the repair process-  an assessment of your car's damage and what it will cost to be repaired.

Deductible A deductible is a portion of your repair cost that your insurance company will not cover.

Detailing Detailing involves cleaning the interior and exterior surfaces of the car.

Domestic Parts Dealerships within North America may choose to manufacture the parts for their cars in foreign countries, however, these are still considered domestic parts.

FEA Short for Front End Alignment, and really just means all four wheels needed to be aligned.

Flex Additive A Flex Additive is a chemical application, which softens (but doesn't weaken) paint, in order to repel stones.

Foreign Parts Parts that are manufactured specifically for dealerships outside of North America.

Hazardous Waste Any unusable byproduct from the repair that may be harmful to the environment and thus can not be disposed of with normal waste.

LKQ LKQ stands for Like Kind and Quality, meaning these are used parts from the original manufacturer.

Mechanical Mechanical repairs are any repairs done to the car's motor or suspension.

Paintless Repair A paintless repair is any vehicle repair where no painting is involved.

R/P R/P, or Repair, is noted when a panel is to be repaired instead of replaced.

R&I R&I stands for Remove & Install. In cases where a part must be removed in order to work on another part of the vehicle, and then the same part will be put back once repairs are complete.

R&R R&R, or Remove & Replace, is used when a part must be removed and replaced with a new or LKQ part.

Refinish Refinishing is another word for painting a vehicle.

Supplement If an insurance adjuster has made any parts price adjustments, has found hidden damage, or omitted some of a vehicle's damage on the original estimate, a supplement is created as an additional, secondary estimate.