Welcome to AutomaticCar.net so what is so great about an Automatic Car?? Well an an autmatic car is so called because it has automatic transmission ("AT") this is an automobile transmission that can change gear ratios automatically this isas the vehicle moves, having an automatic car frees the driver from having to shift gear and in theory helps to make driving easier. Most automatic transmissions have a set selection of possible gear ranges. These tend to be drive, reverse, and park.

Interesting fact, did you know that most cars sold in the USA from the 1950s onwards have been equipped with an automatic transmission. Althought the truth is that these cars have not caught on in Europe as much, and in most of the Asian markets automatic transmissions cars have become popular since the 1990s onwards. Automatic transmissions are great because they provide lower fuel needs, and have the same power as a manual transmission. Automatic transmissions are also easier for drivers, especially beginners, as they do not need to worry about pumping the clutch and finding the correct gear. In some jurisdictions, drivers passing their driving test in an automatic-transmission vehicle will not be licensed to drive a manual-transmission Automatic Car, and this is also true of the UK driving License system. However, a driver who holds a manual license will be permitted to drive an automaticcar.

So whats the fastest Automatic Car in the whole World?? Well that would be the sublime Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren this is an engineering mastrpeice built by Anglo-Germans, jointly developed by Mercedes and McLaren. Built in England, primarily in Portsmouth. Due to the presence of the automatic gear box, this front mid-engined arrangement and its driving characteristics lead some commentators to classify the SLR McLaren as a GT whose rivals can be considered to be the Aston Martin V12 again a powerhouse of a car and the Vanquish oh and lets not forget the Ferrari 599 GTB. The McClaren SLR is the fastest automatic transmission car in the world. The letters SLR stands for "Sport, Leicht, Rennsport" (sport, light, racing) catchy isn't it. Mercedes-Benz has stated that they will build 3500 SLRs in a span of 7 years, is that enough for you? There will be an annual production of only 500 cars. The car's base price is £300,000 about half a million dollars - we've just put our order in ;)

So what about a driving test to drive an automatic car? You can of course take the driving test in an automatic car, the when you pass your test, your driving licence will only entitle you to drive an Automatic Car. Simple Eh! If you wanted to drive a manual car, you would of course have to then take the manual test, as we mentioned before. Learning to start, stop and steer is much easier in automatic cars (less to think about). The right foot should normally be used to control the accelerator and footbrake. Because there is no clutch, your left foot should not need to be used at all, perhaps you can tap your foot along to the blaring stereo. When the initial gear selection has been made, usually when the vehicle is stopped, all subsequent changes are carried out automatically. They are regulated by the car's speed and the pressure applied on the accelerator, when the rev counter detects a higher gear is needed the automatic gear box kicks in. When driving automatic cars, the brakes have to be used more often to avoid its natural tendency to creep forwards, bear this in mind. Automatic cars enable drivers to concentrate on the more important things, such as planning ahead and steering, oh and yes finding the best radio station. It makes learning to drive easier, particularly for older or disabled people. Your instructor should explain about the extra use of the handbrake and different techniques used to control the car at low speeds, so this should not be an issue.

A common question is 'In a automatic car when you stop at lights or at a give way sign do you need to put the car into "park" or "neutral" or put the handbrake on in either of these , or just brake? Well the answer to this is that fFrom time to time you will stop in traffic, still with us? On these occasions you need to make sure that the car is secure, and how do you do this. When driving an automatic, it's always a good idea to use the handbrake to secure the car when you stop for more than a moment, plus if someone pulls in to the back of you it stops the chance of whiplash. This helps to prevent the car from being shunted forward if hit from behind. In an automatic car it's even more important to use the handbrake because if you are hit from behind the car will try to go! So the advice is to stay in drive so that you are ready to move and make sure that you apply the handbrake firmly. If waiting a long time, apply the handbrake and then select neutral, this is what you would do in a manual car anyway. This removes the chance of 'creep' if the handbrake is not securely applied. When parking use the 'park' position as soon as you stop. This will lock the transmission, question solved!

An Automatic transmission often used to be the preserve of small market niches, however automatic cars are becomming more and more widespread and popular. At one end of the scale there were the electric milk floats and the so-called 'invalid carriages' these had poor forms of automatic power transmission, and at the other end of the scale were the more expensive executive cars that have powerful engines showcasing the latest developments in automatic gearboxes, though still somehow lacking a feeling of being the finished article. Things did of course move on.

Of course in the last few years all of this has thankfully changed. Whereas previously automatic transmissions have ruled in the United States for many years, with British buyers remained wedded to their stick shifters, the technology has now reached a stage where the benfits of an automatic box became indisputable. And the trend in the U.K. is starting to change.

Choosing an automatic nowadays means that you do not need to make huge sacrifices in performance, fuel economy and your driving enjoyment. Indeed, in certain cases, these qualities can actually be enhanced by going for an automatic car. And of course it means that no longer having to worry about when and where to change gear, why worry. Most systems really let you do so if you really want to.