The Demo Site

Liability coverage is mandatory; however, state laws give drivers the option of rejecting or buying Personal Injury Protection (PIP) when it comes to Kentucky auto insurance. The recommended action is to become familiar with both options in order to fully understand and make an educated and informed decision.

Should I Buy or Reject KY Personal Injury Coverage?

Although higher limits can be purchased, PIP usually provides policyholders with up to $10,000 of coverage for medical expenses, loss of wages and replacement services in the event of a car accident regardless of fault. Choose to buy auto insurance based on your personal preference and needs. The following pros and cons of buying or rejecting this coverage may help you make a more informed choice:

• Pros of Buying PIP
• Having this coverage is a benefit in the event of an accident because it provides coverage, up to the specified amount, for injuries sustained even if considered to be at-fault.
• May limit the ability to be sued by other injured parties for minor injuries.
• May not be necessary to await lengthy fault investigations in order for coverage to apply.
• Cons of Buying PIP
• Choosing to buy this coverage may limit a policyholder's ability to sue another party for accident related injuries; however, the right to sue may be retained by paying additional premium. Known as the "buy back" option.
• May cost additional premium.

• Pros of Rejecting PIP
• Removes certain limitations to sue other drivers for injuries sustained due to automobile collisions.
• May reduce premium.
• Cons of Rejecting PIP
• In the event of an at-fault accident, no coverage may be provided for personal injuries unless other medical coverage is purchased.
• May give other drivers the right to sue for even minor injuries as a result of an at-fault accident.
• One may have to await long investigation periods before injury compensation can be received.

A good choice is to get enough coverage to be satisfied in the event of the unexpected. It's always good to get car insurance quotes on all types of coverage in order to see the price differences. Additionally, one may be surprised at the small increase of premium added by certain valuable coverage.

Whatever choice is made, be sure to stay insured at all times because it can be more expensive to be caught uninsured. Aside from the financial setback one can get into, failure to carry insurance is a criminal offense punishable by fines and loss of vehicle or driver license. Proof of insurance must presented to the County Clerk for vehicle registration and must be carried in the vehicle at all times for presentation to authorities or reference in the event of a collision.

This article brought to you by Online Auto Insurance

ATTENTION HYBRID CAR DRIVERS: Are you feeling depressed? Inadequate? Does your spouse look at you the same way she/he did 20 years ago? Are you able to satisfy their needs? Is your commute a drudgery in monotonous mediocrity?

Now you can feel decades younger, impress your fellow commuters and give your lover the thrill they seek with SoundRacer. For only $45 this FM transmitter can transform your weak-sounding ride into the snarling, growling sportscar you desire. Gently slide it in your car's accessory power plug and listen as your car's stereo speakers produce the sounds of hundreds of horsepower. Press the accelerator to increase the virtual RPMs and heartbeat-speeding roars. Your lover will certainly show appreciation for your virtually enlarged engine and stamina. And when the mood is right, the SoundRacer will stream Barry White from your iPod. All. Night. Long.

Disclaimer: SoundRacer will not fool anyone who has ever actually ridden in a V8-powered car. Use at your own risk in street races, muscle car rallys and NASCAR track parking lots. SoundRacer is not responsible for any adverse situation caused by SoundRacer including severe mocking, name-calling and even ass beating. Use at your own risk of humiliation and embarrassment.

SoundRacer's managing director, Kenneth Palmest'l, tells us he's currently looking for distributors of his device, so don't rush out looking for one.

Henessey HPE700 Camaro

Following in the footsteps of such legendary Camaro tuners as Yenko Chevrolet, Hennessey Performance Engineering has unveiled the HPE700, which mates a standard 2010 Camaro SS with the supercharged LS9 V8 from the Corvette ZR1. As if that engine alone weren't enough, HPE has tuned the LS9 to produce 705 hp and 717 lb-ft torque. That should make for an awesome pavement pounder in the quarter-mile, or else a neat way to scorch the earth and create mushroom clouds of tire smoke.

Other performance goodies include 15-inch carbon ceramic brakes cribbed from the ZR1, upgraded suspension bits and HRE alloy rims shod with Michelin PS2 rubber. HPE chose not to leave well enough alone in the looks department, either. The HPE700 has inherited the controversial see-through hood from the ZR1, along with a body package that includes a full carbon fiber ground effects kit and a unique front fascia with faux-hideaway headlights and a billet aluminum grille. We like it, you may not.

The HPE700 is a lot of car, and to help drivers reign it in, a 1-day performance driving course is included in the asking price of $109,500. The first orders will be accepted next week to registered bidders at the Barret-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ with regular orders being taken the following week. See the rest of Hennessey's official details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Hennessey Performance Engineering]

On top of those new SYNC features we've already told you about, Ford showed off what its SYNC system might one day look like with configurable controls and a personal assistant "avatar" named Eva. The concept is meant to provide a more human interface with the vehicle to help drivers be safer and more efficient. Instead of the disembodied voice of KITT, Eva is an animated character on your instrument panel that converses with you in plain English. She's a little creepy, but chalk that up to the Uncanny Valley phenomenon.

Ford also says it will be taking SYNC to European markets in 2010 then to Asia Pacific and Australia.

Earlier today, Ford Executive VP Mark Fields also told us that his company is working with Best Buy to educate mobile phone customers about SYNC. CEO Alan Mulally (that's him in the red cardigan) went into more detail about the partnership later in his keynote speech at CES. Fields said sales reps in Best Buy's standalone mobile phone stores would educate customers on SYNC's new capabilities when paired with a Bluetooth-enabled smart phone and then point out what phones are compatible with Ford's infotainment system. Check out the video above, the gallery of Ford's big CES keynote below, and an official press release from the Blue Oval after the jump.

Nissan GT-R SpecV

Nissan's press release on the GT-R SpecV left a lot of unanswered questions, particularly the geeky tidbits that we thrive on. So with the help of our friends at GTRBlog who were on hand for the unveiling in Japan, and a few of our super-secret sources abroad, we were able to scrounge up some of the more salient details on Nissan's upgraded Godzilla. Follow the jump to find out the inside scoop on Nissan's most super of supercars.

Mitsubishi i MiEV

France's PSA Group, which includes Peugeot and Citroen, will be jumping into the electric car game in 2011 courtesy of Mitsubishi. The Japanese carmaker will start selling its i MiEV later this year in Japan and will reportedly supply a re-badged version to sell through European dealers. Mitsubishi is planning to start with just 2,000 examples this year, with plans to double that volume each year over the next few years. With the additional volume going to PSA, the total number of cars is expected to double with half going to the French. That will mean Lithium Energy Japan, the JV between Mitsubishi and GS Yuasa will also have to crank up its production volumes. There are already some examples of the iMiEV being tested by electric utilities here in the US, but Mitsubishi hasn't yet committed to actually selling the car here.

Sony is expanding its Xplod car stereo lineup with eight new models, including the company's first double-din unit in several years.

The most feature-filled of the new models is Sony's MEX-BT5700U model (in photo above) with a front USB port for music players including iPhone and iPod. Its Bluetooth connection can also transfer phonebook info from a phone to its display and allows access to phone functions through the head unit. And when using Bluetooth to play music from a media device, the Sony unit displays song name, artist, etc. Sony says the MEX-BT5700U is their top of the line head unit and expects it to go on sale this June for about $300. Follow the jump for info on all seven of Sony's other models announced this week at CES as well as the official Sony press release.

Project Kahn's Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe

Few cars epitomize "the good life" quite like the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. But for some people, good isn't good enough. And for those people, there's Project Kahn, the blingtastic British tuning house which has just debuted its own custom DHC.

Central to Kahn's package are the special Silver Mist rims, specially made for the Rolls. They measure 22 inches in diameter, a steam-rolling 9.5-inches wide and are able to accept the RR hubs that keep themselves right-side-up. The package also includes a polished grille, special elm-wood veneers, embossed headrests, piano-lacquer steering wheel spokes, iPod connectivity and lambs' wool rugs. Kahn's treatment of the exclusive cabriolet adds another $50k to the bottom line, but somehow we doubt that anyone looking to buy a new Rolls these days would be deterred by some extra pocket change.

Those who mourned the passing of the Smart Roadster may be interested by the reports that Renault is preparing to launch a tiny convertible of its own. The diminutive spider is tipped to be based on the existing Renault Twingo, and feature a manual targa-style deployable roof that can be stowed in the trunk.

The Smart Roadster was never a market success, largely because it was too expensive to build and therefore too expensive to buy. But if the reports are to be believed, Renault is learning from Smart's mistakes and is targeting the affordable Nissan Micra C+C, Opel/Vauxhall Tigra and Peugeot 207 CC for the Twingo convertible's pricing. Sources indicate that the little roadster could bow in Frankfurt in 2010 - only that year's show will actually be held in Renault's home-base of Paris.

[Source: AutoInternationaal via ABG]

2009 Aprilia Dorsoduro 750

The supermoto genre may have initially emerged when people began spooning 17-inch wheels and tires from road-going sportbikes in place of the larger-diameter hoops with knobbies that their dirtbikes came with from the factory, but things have certainly diverged from there. There's a big difference between single-cylinder machines like the Suzuki DR-Z400SM and much larger bikes like the Ducati Hypermotard, despite the fact that both platforms are said to fulfill a similar purpose. Aprilia recently joined the ranks of manufacturers going after the higher-end supermoto category, and the SMV 750 Dorsoduro is finally set to join the firm's other lighter-weight supermoto machine, the SXV550, in the American market.

Aprilia's self-developed liquid-cooled V-Twin engine displaces 750cc in this application and offers up 92-horsepower, making it a natural competitor for the air-cooled 1100cc Hypermotard from Ducati. Suspension and braking bits are suitably up to the task, with 43mm inverted front forks holding wave-shaped disc brakes clamped by radial calipers. Wheelies and stoppies are sure to ensue. Get yours now in either black or red for $9,599.