Simplicity, dependability, strength and singularity of purpose were their calling cards. No one could confuse the purpose of these beasts. It was plain for all, and it was straight-line performance for one quarter of a mile. Nothing else mattered.

Contrast that with today and the lore of days past becomes even more apparent. A new Corvette will defeat even the most powerful Corvette of old in every category. The current generation of performance cars thumps the muscle car in safety, comfort, reliability and, yes, performance. But, that does not tell the whole story and it doesn?t explain the current interest in and corresponding sky rocketing values of classic muscle cars. The clarity of purpose these super cars exuberated just feels good. It awakens the cave man in each of us! These automobiles have a particular hold on the generation that came of age in the late 1960?s. Many feel that this is their last chance to re-live their youth and they are willing to pay for the opportunity.

For example, a 1970 Dodge Hemi ?Cuda sold for $4,035 new and well- preserved models are routinely offered and $150,000 today. That represents and 10.6% annual return. Not a bad return considering the stock market has returned 7.4% annual over the same period. Similarly, and 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS convertible with a 454ci engine sold for $4,200 new and to will cost around $115,000 or a 9.7% annual return. Finally, a 1969 Boss Mustang with a 429ci Engine originally cost $4,150 and today trades for $115,000. That is a 9.6% return over the same period.

Granted these are examples of the rarest and most sought after muscle cars. However, even ?common? muscle cars have experienced notable gains. The 1970 Plymouth Road Runner with a 440ci engine sold for $3,500 and today trades at $55,000. A 1967 Pontiac GTO cost $3,750 and now goes for $45,000. That?s a 6.8% compounded rate of return.

The investor in muscle cars must consider a few very important points. First, all investments have risks. This market, like real estate or technology stocks, could fall as fast as it has risen. Second, unlike stocks and money market investments, muscle cars do not pay dividends or interest. Indeed, they cost money to maintain, store and restore. Third, rarity matters. As the numbers above show, the rarest muscle cars have preformed the best. Finally, get a second opinion when considering a classic muscle car. Mechanics are a good choice and a mechanic that has actually restored a few cars is the best choice. Nothing beats experience.

Obviously, one of the most important variables to consider when considering muscle cars as an investment is the condition. Only the most original and accurately restored examples fetch these prices. More common versions or cars in lower conditions will sell for significantly less. For the collector that actually wants to drive their cars regularly these more common versions may actually be a better value.

The choice of a rare collector muscle car or a common daily driver depends on the budget and the purpose of the collector. Both offer unique benefits to the owner and much enjoyment. The chance to re-live our youth is always a pleasant experience.

Need For Speed Most Wanted - The Most Wanted Game of the Year
Coenraad de Beer
182e Most Need For Speed fans will know what I'm talking about when I refer to the most wanted game of 2005. The Need For Speed franchise has been reborn with the release of Need For Speed Most Wanted (NFSMW) on the 15th of November this year in the U.S. Fans could not stop talking about all the fantastic features of this game and the Internet was swarmed with headlines about this great title. But what is the buzz all about? What makes this title so exceptional? Take a quick tour with me and you will find out.

The main attraction of Need For Speed Most Wanted, is the return of the high speed, police chases that was introduced in the very first instalment of the series and perfected in Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit. But the police chases is far more complicated that fans had become accustomed to in previous versions of the game. The cops are much more aggressive, more skilled and better equipped. Don't think you can tune your ride to be the fastest and beat the police with speed, they have some serious stuff under the hood and skilled drivers behind the wheel.

Damage models also make a return. You can completely destroy a cop's car while your own car can only be damaged visually by means of broken windows and damaged paint. Almost everything in the free roaming world can be destroyed and used to your advantage during a cop chase. Drive through a gas station, or remove the pillars of a shop's roof and see what happens to the cops. The traffic models have also been improved and they are still as annoying as in all the other Need For Speed titles, but the game will not be so much fun without this annoyance factor. The surrounding world detail has also received huge attention. HDRR (High Dynamic Range Rendering) pushes the graphics to new heights and that is one of the main reasons why the game plays off during the day and not at night like in the Underground series.

The speed-breaker is a nice innovation of EA to help players control their cars during the high-speed chases. The speed-breaker is much like the bullet-time feature of games like Max Payne and Total Overdose. One thing that may disappoint fans is the fact that the customisation of the cars is much more limited than in the Underground series. You can only modify your spoiler, hood, roof scoops and window tinting. You can purchase complete body kits that will adjust your muffler tips, headlights, etc. automatically to fit in with the specific kit you chose. You can still paint your car, add vinyls, put decals on your ride and paint your rims (but not your brake callipers). Painting your car and changing its visual appearance is vital to your success in the game. This will help you evade the cops by bringing your heat level down after each visual upgrade, or change you make to your ride.

All your performance upgrades are still available in the game and you unlock more powerful upgrades as you progress through the game. The only limitation with performance upgrades is that you no longer can choose the brands of your parts, they are pre-selected with each upgrade. EA also dropped the fairly complicated tuning of Underground 2 and brought back the simple slider tuning that was introduced in earlier titles. You only move the relevant slider to the left or right to modify your car's handling, steering speed, height, acceleration, down-force, top speed, braking, turbo and nitrous booster. This should be welcomed by gamers because they are no longer frustrated by hours complicated tuning to get the most out of their rides. The emphasis of this game is becoming the most notorious street racer and that is why EA shifted from the tuner theme to the cop-chase theme.

There are over 30 cars to choose from, including tuners, street-cars, muscle cars, sport models and exotics. Each and every car can be tuned and upgraded for maximum performance. You will find that cash is a limited resource and you need to upgrade and buy strategically. You also get the chance to win your rival's car by winning his pink slip after each challenge. But before you can challenge a blacklist member you first need to achieve a number of race wins and milestones to build respect among the racers and prove you are worthy of racing against them.

The music continues the Underground attitude, but the high-speed cop-chases introduce a brand new innovation: interactive music. The interactive music gives the game a cinematic feel. The closer the cops get, the more dramatic the music becomes. When you evade the cops the music reaches a climax but returns to a dramatic tone as soon as a cop spots you again. The changes in music are very accurate and EA has done a great job in creating the right atmosphere during these lightning-speed chases.

There are so many other great features in this game, but mentioning them all in one article is just not practical. Need For Speed Most Wanted is a blend of all the great features of previous titles and more. Great graphics, a great storyline with great actors like Josie Maran, great music and great cars. All these factors make the game the Most Wanted game of the year. Coenraad De Beer - EzineArticles Expert Author

Born on 27 February 1982 in small town called Lichtenburg in the North West (Formerly known as Transvaal) province of South Africa. He graduated High school in 2000 and started doing computer programming on his own for 2 years using the C++ programming language. In 2003 he started a career in Accounting and he is currently studying BCompt at the University of South Africa.

The author is a very dedicated person in whatever he takes on in life and believes that success only comes from hard work and believing in your own abilities, the abilities God gave to you.

Coenraad is the Webmaster of LIAFIN. Pay them a visit and see what they have in store for you. LIAFIN - Your one stop Online Shop http://www.liafin.co.za

You can also visit his homepage at http://www.cplusplusgenius.wagoo2.com

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