There are a lot of different alternative energy vehicles being pushed through the market these days, but some of them just don’t have the same power and convenience of a standard gas vehicle. All that is about to change with the introduction of the Phoenix. AltairNano (NASDAQ: ALTI) has partnered with Phoenix Motorcars to create a functional, express-way ready SUT and SUV for 2008.

The real secret behind the heart and soul of the Phoenix is its new battery. The “NanoSafe” as it was called back in 2006 is now the “Altairnano’s Lithium Titanate” for 2008. There are five factors that an energy efficient alternative energy vehicle battery must address in order to be considered a safe and convenient alternative to gas.

First and foremost the battery must be able to charge quickly and efficiently. It must be safe, it must have a long lifespan, create a substantial amount of power, and be able to do all these functions within a multitude of temperature ranges.

The Lithium Titanate can receive a 95% charge within a total of 10 minutes, and even more impressive, about 80% in just one minute. This is comparable to stopping off for a fill-up at the gas station. It used to be hours were needed to get even a partial charge on the old vehicle battery sources.

The batteries are incredibly stable and resist explosion in the most demanding climates and temperatures. The lifespan of these units has been calculated at 20-plus years, which is light years ahead of the three to five years of the alternative batteries of yesteryear.

With all this technology advancement, the new 2008 Phoenix actually stands up quite well to even the most fierce competition. Not even the gas powered V-8 monster of the 2007 Cadillac Escalade is able to embarrass this marvel.

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The conclusion is that alternative energy is quickly becoming a valid solution to our growing gas powered woe’s. The best part is that they are nearing the power levels of gas powered vehicles, which leaves little excuse for consumers not to consider this as an option as the gas prices continue to escalate.

Thinking Green has finally come to also stand for Performing Mean… Hallelujah!

For being the land “down” under, Australia has always been one of the “top” countries for its performance cars. If you ask the folks that live down there, they will tell you that it is because they will not accept anything less than high quality, high powered cars. This is obvious when you look back through the history of Australian cars. They get the 347-Powered Fords, LS1-Powered Holden Interceptors, and of course the infamous Twin Turbo AWD Nissan Skyline GTR.

But one of the Australian greats has always been the Ford Falcon XB GT 351 Cleveland.

The Falcon GT made its real headlines over here in the states when it was introduced in the 1979 movie classic, The Road Warrior. The police Interceptors in the movie were each made of one of these beasts, while the real star of the movie, a supercharged black Falcon GT, showed North America just what the Falcon was capable of.

While the movie version was nothing like the original, the actual XB GT’s were ahead of their time, They featured hydraulic clutches, 4-wheel disc brakes, and variable assist power steering. The 351 Cleveland engine featured a 11:1 compression ratio, 4-barrel carburetor, dual exhaust, and was capable of 300 horsepower and 380 lbs of torque.

Well, the Australian Ford devision has done it again some 40 years later, with their all new Ford Falcon GT. While the engine has trimmed a few cubic inches from its waist to reach a much leaner 5.4 liters, the 290 cubic inches was still capable of 390 horsepower and 381 lbs torque for 2007. For 2008, Ford has introduced an extra 25 horsepower and 24 lbs torque on their 41 anniversary editions.

While the 2007 40^th anniversary edition looked nothing like the original, other than its rear-wheel drive, dual exhaust, and of course a glossy coat of midnight black paint. The 2008 GT has received a hood scoop,racing stripes, and spoilers to flaunt its new found horsepower and torque.

2008 is also going to see the 4.0 six cylinder engine that U.S. Mustang owners have probably become quite familiar with. While us North Americans automatically will think of the respectable 210 horsepower and 240 torque version, we mustn’t forget that an Australian rarely drives any car that is under 300 horsepower. With this in mind, the six is going to be turbocharged to achieve a wondrous 405 horsepower from its 245 cubic inch V-6 engine.

Yup, see I told you… Australians get all of the FUN!

It may seem first nature to some of us, but others of us simply do not know how to negotiate a deal for a new or “newer” car. It can actually be simpler than you think, and here are a few hard and fast rules to go by the next time you are in the market.

1.  The most important rule is to never be in a rush. Remember that there are a lot of cars out there and chances are whatever model you want, there will be several available in your area, so if it doesn’t work out for the first one, move on to the next.

2.  It is always a good idea to let the dealer know up front what you are looking for and approximately how much you are willing to spend. This tactic can knock off a good $1,000 off the price tag before negotiations even begin.

Note: The way you do this, is call up a few dealers in your area and find out if they have any models that you are looking for. If they do, find out their price. Whatever price they give you, tell them that your bottom line is around $1,000 below their price tag. The dealers you will want to deal with, will tell you to come on down. This communication has already opened the door to start negotiations at $1,000 below asking price and you can usually whittle a few hundred more from there on.

3.  Don’t be afraid to “low ball” the asking price and ask for a “reasonable” discount. This is assuming you have done some preliminary investigations and know the lowest price that you could expect. If the dealer is anxious to sell and they believe that you are truly interested, they will often try to at least meet you in the middle somewhere.

4.  You can play several dealers at once for a better deal. This means that if you have found a similar car at two lots, you can negotiate a deal with the one dealer and then call the second one and ask them if they can give you a better price. In the heat of competition, sometimes a dealer will throw in a nice discount or extras to come away with the win. Everybody likes to win, this is what make eBay such an effective selling tool.

5.  Never sign anything on the first round, unless it is everything that you have ever wanted and you are completely sure that you are getting the best deal possible. Take a day or two to think about it and visit a few more dealerships.

Note: “Do” have the dealer confirm in writing the deal that they have offered. They may give you a time limit for how long the offer is good, but most of them will at least be willing to do this. This can be a great negotiating tool at the other dealerships, as well as ensure that a few hundred dollars won’t get tacked on the price after another customer shows interest in the car.