Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible

Bentley Motors will unveil their world-record breaking Continental Supersports Convertible Ice Speed Record car at this year’s 2011 Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, which is being held between the 15th and 17th July 2011. Four-time world champion rally driver, Juha Kankkunen, will also be behind the wheel of this fantastic supercar. The Supersports Convertible set a new Guinness Book of Records last month, with a world best of 205.48 mph on the frozen waters of the Baltic Sea.

The 2011 Cholmondeley Pageant of Power will feature dozens of celebrated vehicles completing the high-speed laps, including  a Jordan F1 car, Lancia Delta Integrale WRC Martini rally car, plus British Army combat power will feature tanks, troops and field artillery. Bentley will also be showcasing other winning cars, like the new Continental GT and their new flagship, the Mulsanne. The event in Cheshire is expected to attract over 50,000 visitors and ticket and booking details can be found at the CPOP website.

Mitsubishi i-MIEV

The Environment Agency has just taken delivery of a Mitsubishi i-MIEV electric vehicle on contract hire in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint. The delivery also coincides with Climate Change Week, which is aimed at showing what businesses and individuals can do to reduce CO2 levels.

John Orr, Environment Manager for the Environment Agency commented,”This is a really exciting development and I am thrilled that the Environment Agency’s first electric vehicle should be coming to Brampton. I am really keen to explore the potential of the vehicle and to get comments from our staff about what they think of it once they’ve used it in their normal work”.

As fuel prices reach £6 a gallon, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is urging UK drivers to adopt fuel saving driving techniques in order to save fuel. As prices continue to rise, drivers are already trying to drive less, with a 3.4% drop in fuel sales reported in the third quarter of 2010. However the IAM believes we can all do more.

The IAM chief executive, Simon Best, said,” Green driving techniques will improve fuel efficiency by up to ten per cent. In other words, if the monthly price of filling up is typically two tanks at £70 each, an advanced driver can save £14 a month, or £168 a year”. The IAM also offers an advanced driving course, called “IAM Skill for Life“, which costs £139, if  you also want to improve your driving techniques.

IAM top tips for saving fuel;

1. Read the road ahead to anticipate traffic and reduce the need for hard acceleration and braking.
2. Stick to the speed limit - If you reduce from 85mph to 70mph, you can save up to a litre of petrol every 20 miles.
3. Switch off the engine when stationary for a long time, for example at a level crossing or slow changing lights.
4. Lighten your load- Check that the contents of your boot are essential and also if you have a roof luggage box, remove it if you are not planning to use it for a time.
5. Check your tyres - If your tyres are under-inflated this will increase your fuel consumption by up to 3 per cent. Always check your tyres once a month and when the tyres are cold.
6. Get trained in eco-driving – The IAM offers an eco-driving course that will teach you the skills to increase your MPG.

Good advice from the IAM, however it is also important when choosing your next car (or van) to select a vehicle that offers you great fuel economy. Try the Vehicle Lease Body Type Shopper as you can select combined MPG ranges, say 70mpg upwards, to find the most economical cars when it comes to fuel economy.

Chevrolet BTCC cars

Chevrolet has unveiled their stunning new 2011 BTCC cars in the new livery with new sponsor logos on as well. The two new Cruzes will be driven by driver’s champion, Jason Plato and young gun, Alex MacDowall.

The new cars feature the bold new livery with sponsors such as Dunlop, Holiday Inn, Auto Express and Evo, plus paint supplier DuPont, ECM Vehicle Logistics and Tesco Momentum 99 Octane Fuel. The first race of the new 2011 BTCC season starts on Sunday, the 3rd April 2011, at Brands Hatch in Kent and Jason Plato commented,”It’s even better than last year’s car. And we won the championship in that!”

Further details about the team can be found at;

www.chevroletbtcc.co.uk

SEAT Ibiza E Ecomotive

SEAT, the sporty Spanish car manufacturer, is expecting even greater levels of interest in its frugal Ibiza E Ecomotive models, following the recent 2011 Budget. The Chancellor announced changes to the CO2 thresholds for April 2013, reducing the bottom BIK (benefit-in-kind) to 94g/km or below.

However, fortunately for company car drivers (and SEAT) the Ibiza E Ecomotive, which is available in sporty SC, practical 5-door model or ST estate, has CO2 emissions of just 92g/km and even better, returns more than 80mpg on the combined fuel cycle.

SEAT Ibiza E Ecomotive SC

SEAT UK Head of Fleet & Business Sales, Nick Andrews, said,”The Ibiza E Ecomotive range is proving increasingly attractive to a wide variety of our customers with, in particular, the ST version making great inroads thanks to its practicality and style”. SEAT contract hire leasing is on the site now for the whole Ibiza E Ecomotive range.

Kia's 10 millionth vehicle

Kia Motors Corporation has celebrated a key milestone in reaching its 10 millionth global vehicle for export. The car in question was a Snow White Pearl Optima sedan, which was shipped to the US market, from Pyeongtaek Port, 50 miles southwest of Seoul, in South Korea. The company also celebrated a new output record for production at its plant in Slovakia, with 229,500 cars being produced in 2010.

Benny Oeyen, Vice President Marketing and Product Planning, Kia Motors Europe, said,”In Europe, the introduction of the new Kia Sportage has been a catalyst for our growth, with more consumers than ever considering the Kia brand for the first time. With the launch of the all-new Picanto and Rio models over the coming months, we are confident that we will see increasing numbers of “conquest sales” moving forward”. If you are interested in Kia personal leasing then we have the full range on the site, with full maintenance contracts

Tyre safety tips

The tyres on your vehicle are one of the most important safety components and mytyres.co.uk has provided some tyre safety advice on making sure they are in top condition, now that Spring is upon us. Recent statistics indicate that 12% of UK drivers have admitted they never check their tyres for tread depth.

Mytyres.co.uk has the following 5 tips for tyre safety

1. Ensure your tyres, including the spare have at least 2.5/3.00 mm of tread – the legal limit is 1.6 mm but tyre experts recommend a greater level of tread for maximum safety.
2. Check and adjust your tyre pressures in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Incorrect tyre pressures cause your vehicle to burn more fuel and you emit more CO2 as well.
3. Thirdly, check your tyre for any uneven wear, which can be caused by the tyre/wheel alignment being out of track.
4. Clean all dirt around the tyre valve and also fit dust caps all round.
5. Finally, if when driving, you experience any vibration or wheel wobble, have the front tyres checked for balancing.

Ford

Ford scooped two awards the the recent Fleet News Awards with the Ford C-MAX and Ford Grand C-MAX winning “New Company Car of the Year 2011″ as well as “Best People Carrier”.

The cars were judged on a range of criteria including operating costs (depreciation, fuel, servicing, maintenance and repair etc) and their suitability for use as business fleet cars. The judges at Fleet News said,”The new Ford C-MAX and Grand C-MAX stand out thanks to clever and flexible seating and sliding rear passenger doors in a highly competitive sector with a range of new entrants”. Ford business contract hire leasing is on the site now for all C-MAX and Grand C-MAX models.

CLICK for details of the offer

The BMW 1 Series 116i (2.0-litre) ES 3-door hatchback oozes quality and you could be driving this car from only £75 a week, including all routine servicing, mechanical repair, tyres, batteries, exhausts plus the Vehice Excise Duty, all in.

This BMW personal car leasing offer is based on a four-year term, 10,000 miles per annum, 3 rentals in advance followed by 47 subsequent rentals at £298.73 per month, including the VAT. The BMW 1 Series 116i (2.0-litre) ES 3-door hatchback returns 46.3 combined mpg and emits 143g/km of CO2 making it kind on the pocket too.

Toyota Avensis Touring Car

Toyota has unveiled its new Toyota Avensis “Next Generation Touring Cars”, with just a week to go before the start of the 2011 BTCC season ,at Brands Hatch next week. The new cars highlight the liveries of privateer teams Dynojet Racing and Hughes Motorsport/Speedworks.

Dynojet Racing livery

Both cars have been constructed by GPR Motorsport using bodyshells from the Toyota production line at the Burnaston Plant, in Derbyshire and will be powered by Toyota’s 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, with 300bhp available.

The British Touring Car Championship season boasts a record 27-car entry this year, with 10 different manufacturers represented. All 10 races will be featured on ITV 4 in HD as well.