The 2008 Rogue - Nimble Handling in a Cross-over SUV

The 2008 Rogue is a fantastic little cross-over SUV that derives design elements from its big sibling the Murano while taking its foundation from the Sentra. And, although the Sentra underwhelms, the Rogue is an enjoyable surprise given its car-like nimbleness. The RAV4 and the Honda CR-V were supposedly the imagined competition when they developed and took the Rogue to market but it has a smaller footprint and less cargo room than either of these two. Consequently, the 2008 Nissan Rogue isn't really your best option for people transporting although it is a fantastic option for those who want a bird's eye view of the road. Concerns about its small dimensions aside, it is obvious that the Rogue is the champion in its category (which contains vehicles such as the Vue, the Escape and the Mazda CX-7) when it comes to indoor and outdoor design.

   

Permalink: http://rvinyl.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/the-2008-nissan-rogue-a-muranosentra-hybrid/

The 2006 Dodge Dakota – A Cushy but Powerful Ride

The 2006 Dodge Dakota was the only entry in the pack of pick-ups released by US and import manufacturers to come equipped with a V8 making it a powerful and attractive option for many truck lovers. What's more, Dodge seems to have  given more thought than Ford or GM to comfort and handling by furnishing the 2006 Dakota with the smoothest ride in town. The cab of this year's Dakota provides ample space for occupants and their stuff (whether "stuff" consists of toolboxes or the kiddies' backpacks), a part or full-time 4-wheel drive and full-size pick-up towing capability. Surprisingly, the 2006 Dodge Dakota contains a great number of updates despite the fact thatt the truck was completely redesigned ony one year previously in 2005.  Some of the salient updates are a new optional sunroof, enhanced audio system with a port for MP3 players, extended cab rear doors that open almost to a full one hundred eighty degrees and an updated transmission. Most important for the present post, as we shall soon see, the interior of the Dakota feels more like a car than it does a truck. The controls are well-placed and designed and are all within easy reach of the driver. The aluminum trim and white gauges add style but, as reviewers have pointed out, the materials used on the dash pales in comparison to some import pick-ups. Nonetheless, the Dakota lends itself well to aftermarket mods such as vinyl dash kits and the Crew Cab is without equal when it comes to adult carrying capacity. Thanks go out to Kenny for his awesome install pics! Enjoy!

Permalink: http://rvinyl.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/the-2006-dodge-dakota-a-v8-with-silky-smooth-handling/

2011 Honda CR-Z with Red-Out Wrap Kit

The 2011 CR-Z Hybrid is intended to be the successor to the Honda Insight and to wrest control of the carbon-sensitive crowd from the clutches of the Prius. The folks at Car and Driver have given a pretty detailed analysis of the history of Honda's hybrid lines and how they have consistently out-performed the Prius in terms of fuel efficiency but for most of the first decade of the 21st Century sales of all Honda hybrids combined paled in comparison to those of the Prius alone. So, with high hopes, Honda introduced the CR-Z in 2011 and would like everyone to think of it as the symbolic successor to the athletic and iconic CRX of? years passed. But the CR-Z is actually mmore closely related to the two-seater Insight and thus the progeny of the original, and now, ironically, much-sought-after Insight. From the outside, the 2011 CR-Z stout and low-slung but with a large rear cargo area capped by a transparent hatch lid that remains innovative even though it seems directly carried over from the old Insight. Of particular interest to reviewers is instrument panel's layout, illumination and graphics, which make the interior look futuristic while remaining Honda-functional. All in all, the CR-Z seems to straddle the worlds of green and boy-racer without fully mastering either. Despite this fact, the CR-Z is an attractive looking ride with innovative styling cues on the inside and out. Perhaps the best part of the CR-Z aesthetic is found in the design of the rear hatch and over-sized taillights. Luckily for us, Arthur sent in his rebate photos of precisely this area. For those of you not already familiar, red-out film is transparent red smoke Rtint which can be purchased pre-cut or as a wrap and allows you to modify the look of your head and/or taillights in an easy and semi-permanent fashion. I had to do a triple-take before I realized that there even was a red-out kit applied so be sure to look closely. Enjoy!

Dark Smoked Taillights on Ryan's 2006 Audi A4

Audi completely redesigned the ever-popular A4 in 2005 and added an even more powerful engine without increasing the size.  According to the auto maker, the A4 is intended to be "Unmistakably Audi" and serves a s a flagship of sorts by showcasing the brand's unique aesthetic which combines performance, sportiness and luxury. The real glass headlights are downward sweeping and taper ever so slightly inward, complimenting the newly designed grille similar to the one found on the larger A6. In addition to the updated front-fascia elements Audi has also begun to experiment with the use of colored bumpers that mach the body paint to accentuate the car's low center of gravity.

In addition to these exterior features the flared and highly arched wheel panels the rear ed of the A4 is smoothly rounded with what appears to be just the slightest hint of a spoiler on the trunk. The dual exhaust pipes serve not only to increase the performance of the A4 but give its raised rear end an even more aggressive ad athletic look than a single exhaust would. All in all the 2006 A4 is a thing of beauty and most reviewers agree it is well worth the money, especially when compared to upmarket competitors such as BMW.

Ryan submitting a great set of installation photos of the dark smoke taillight kit he purchased and they really do wonders for the look of the vehicle. He included a lot of great shots from multiple angles so take the time to admire his handiwork on this German beauty. Enjoy!

The 2010 Mazda 3 Hatchback - The Return of Front-Wheel Drive

Mazda 3's are certainly no strangers to this blog or to the guys on the production floor who pump out window tint, smoked tail light and dash kits for various model years everyday. Today's post will highlight our most recent customer installation photos which were submitted by Melissa of the pre-cut window tint she so deftly installed but I wanted to point out a few things about the 2010 3 before I did. As some of you may know (and because I gave it away in the title) the 2010 Mazda  3  HB marked a return to the front-wheel drive concept for the brand. As usual, reviewer after reviewer took issue with the "smiley" face front-end but, as anyone who's actually seen the car will admit, this impression quickly vanishes as one changes one's viewing angle from dead-on. The hatch is definitely my favorite when compared to the sedan version which consistently garners more sales in the US but this is probably due to being raised on a diet of CRXs and Civic hatchbacks. Anyway, the 3 is beautiful and performance-minded car and Melissa did a great job in dressing it up. Enjoy the photos and take a look at the video above.

Related articles

• The 2011 Mazda 3 - Zoom Zoom Zoom (rvinyl.com)
• 2010 Mazda 3 with an Rvinyl Silver 3 Carbon Fiber Dash Kit (rvinyl.com)
• The 2010 Mazda 3 Sedan Touring Edition - A Tuner's Dream (rvinyl.com)
• More Mazda 3s - Abdul's Blue Smoke Headlight Tint Video (rvinyl.com)

2011 Kia Forte Koup - Customer Installation Video of Blue Smoke Headlight Tint

The Kia Forte was released as the highly-anticipated replacement for the Spectra, hitting dealerships across the US during the summer of 2009. 2011 saw the introduction of a hatchback version of the Forte but today’s post will be primarily about the two-door version (because that’s what we have the pictures of) and which Kia has affectionately termed the Koup. The Koup is available in the Forte Sedan’s two upper trims, the EX and the SX and is rich in exterior and interior design elements. In fact, the Koup has been called “the most stylish of all the Fortes, with its chopped greenhouse, wide stance, and LED taillights.” The Forte Koup features aggressive bodylines, muscular bulges, and a rear diffuser that give the Kia an aesthetic hard to find in a ride under $20K. Add to that a 2.4-liter inline-4, which delivers 173 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque, and a 6-speed manual transmission and you’ve got quite the package.

The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer - The Marriage of Aeronautic and Nautical Design

The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer symbolizes a complete retooling of the inside and outside of the revered ride. Mitsubishi obviously took some motivation from it’s aircraft collections with the upgrade of the Lancer’s front-end to provide its all-new front fascia which Mitsubishi called a “shark-nosed” look. Regardless of whether you want to use nautical or aeronautic metaphors there is no doubt that the 2008 Lancer is a better looking car than its forerunner. The 2008 is built on an all new, FWD foundation with many similarities to those used on the Dodge Caliber. As such, the 2008 Lancer furnishes a wider wheelbase to provide a more constant and stable ride.

Check out our post here: http://blog.rvinyl.com/2012/07/30/the-shark-nosed-2008-lancer-gts/

Here's another excellent customer install we received through our $20.00 photo rebate program. This is an example of one of our best-selling body graphics in matte black. If you're interested, it is available in custom sizes here: http://www.rvinyl.com/bodygraphic/decal/tribal_dreams.htm