If you seem to be visiting the petrol station more frequently than you used to, why not read our tips below to help you make fewer visits?

Remove your racks
By removing any type of rack from your roof including ski and bikes racks you can help improve fuel efficiency by up to 2%.  With any type of rack it actually makes the engine work much harder as it adds huge wind resistance.  So if you really don’t need it, take it off!

Keep your car clutter free
Keeping unnecessary items in your car adds unnecessary weight making the car heavier.  So if your boot is full of scooters/bikes, storage boxes, camping equipment etc. ensure you remove them leaving you with a completely clutter free car.

Avoid use your air conditioning
Although here in the UK we don’t have the need to use the air conditioning very often, the times you do use it, it actually uses a massive amount of fuel.  Sometimes you can’t avoid needing that blast of cold air but why not occasionally try and switch to putting the windows down when driving at lower speeds.  When it comes to motorway driving or driving at higher speeds, it is better to use the air conditioning and keep the windows closed.

A good tip is to turn your air conditioning on every so often to ensure it works.

Avoid a full tank
Having too much fuel in your car makes it much heavier which in turn makes it less fuel efficient so next time you need to fill up, try and put the least amount in possible.

Check your tyres
If your tyres aren’t at the correct pressure level it can make the car “drag” so ensure you check your tyres regularly and improve your fuel efficiency as well as the ride!

Pay attention to the way you drive
One of the easiest and simplest ways to save money on your petrol is to change the way you drive!  When you accelerate, try and do it slowly and not rev the engine too much – a great tip is to keep your revs under 3,000.  Using the right gear wherever possible helps as well as trying not to brake all the time, slow down gradually instead.

All these tips can help contribute towards making your tank of fuel last much longer which is something everybody is certainly keen to do especially with what seems to be a constant rise in the cost of fuel!

Since the Shelby Cobra was so iconic in the 1960’s, we have decided to dedicate a blog post to the Cobra and some of the other cars Carroll Shelby designed in memory of the great man.

One of the first cars Shelby designed was the AC Cobra (known as the Shelby Cobra). The first model was put into production in 1961 and took the world by storm.

Interestingly, it was on the same assembly line as the Jaguar E Type and there are obvious similarities to the E Type that Jeremy Clarkson called the most beautiful car ever.

Shelby was a huge influence on Ford manufactured cars in that era like the Ford GT40 and also his own cars (these were produced by Maserati) Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT500.

In the 1980’s, Shelby was also a massive influence on the Dodge ranges in that era like the Dodge Viper, Dodge Daytona and Dodge Lancer which are all iconic cars of that age.

Since then, Shelby has worked in collaboration with Ford to make perhaps his most famous car the Shelby Mustang GT500 which has featured in the film Gone in 60 Seconds under the codename “Eleanor” and was the car that the main character adored the most.

Amazingly, Shelby has an auction record for his own personal car, the 1966 Shelby Cobra, which sold for a staggering $5.5m (£3.4m) at auction, the record for a US car at auction. Shelby stated, before the sale of his beloved car, “It’s a special car. It would do just over three seconds to 60 (mph), 40 years ago.”

Carroll Shelby had a special talent in creating cars that would become classic cars and will live on through both his phenomenal vehicles and also his wife, 3 children, 6 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Carroll Hall Shelby 1923-2012

To read a tribute to Carroll Shelby, follow this link to his company website – http://bit.ly/bi3ir9

Over in Nevada USA, it has just been announced that the Department of Motor Vehicles have issued the nation’s first license to Google to test their self-driving cars out on public roads. The car has undergone lots of demonstrations in Las Vegas and Carson City and the results have been good… so far!

It is still years away until driver-less cars, also known as Autonomous cars are produced in mass production but Google are trying to get more of them on the road. The cars will have red plates and an infinity symbol so you will be able to spot the difference between a car driven by a human and a self-driving car – that sounds odd doesn’t it?

The Toyota Prius has been modified and has been fitted with a laser radar on the roof as well as lasers in the grilles that detect other vehicles as well as pedestrians and cyclists.  It then creates a “virtual” buffer zone around them to avoid any form of contact or potential collision.

Obviously there are some safety concerns about the car, especially the one question that is on many people’s minds – “what if the computer crashes whilst the car is out and about?” However some experts actually believe that it drives more safely than if a human was behind the wheel.

If there is a problem a simple tap on the brake or touch of the steering wheel, the driver can take full control of the car.

We think it may take a bit more extensive testing and experience before many are happy stepping into one of these cars but don’t worry about driving past one just yet as they aren’t expected on the market for around another 3-5 years’ time!

One thing motor shows always do, is show the public innovative, creative and some odd designs for cars.

Here is a list of the some of these cars and their pictures:

Lamborghini Urus

Range Rover Evoque (Victoria Beckham Edition)

Audi RS Q3

MG Icon

Ford EcoSport

Jaguar XJS

Mercedes-Benz CSC

Chery Ant

Fiat Viaggo

BMW i8

Of course this is the amazing, 253mph, 1000bhp super car, Bugatti Veyron but not as we know it.

This car is a one off, it’s made not of Carbon Fibre, not of Plastic, but of Porcelain! Yes that’s right, the material that commemorative tea pots and cups are made out of.

With a price tag of just £1.6 million, this one off Veyron has been appropriately named L’Or Blanc (or for us English, White Gold).

The car has been sighted in Paris and inevitably drew the attention of the “car-parrazzi” with crowds gathering around the beautiful car.

Surprisingly, the car has attracted international attention with petrol head from England, France, Holland and Germany coming to see the spectacular.

Even the wheels, filler caps, badges where made from porcelain, extreme delicacy there!

Bugatti have always been about making the impossible, possible and they certainly have done that with the L’Or Blanc.

Here’s a few other exceptional facts about this car:

• 0-62mph – 2.7 seconds
• 0-124mph – 7.3 seconds
• 0-186mph – 16.7 seconds
• 62-0mph in 31m (DVLA guidelines say should be 73m)
• Fuel Economy – 10mpg
• Emissions – 596g/km (Prius – 92g/km)

So if your wanting a phenomenal, boast-worthy super car, then get the Bugatti Veyron L’Or Blanc, but if you are wanting a environmentally friendly, cheap-to-run car, go for the Toyota Prius.

The Suzuki Alto Hatchback is one of our many great car leasing deals under £150. You could save a fortune with this car leasing package!

The Suzuki Alto Hatchback 1.0 Sz3 5Dr car is a great leasing option for those looking for a small and affordable car which looks great and has cheap running costs. This impressive vehicle is trendy, practical, enjoyable to drive and releases low co2 emissions!

The Suzuki Alto Hatchback comes with the following features as standard:

• Power steering
• Remote fuel cap release
• Remote tailgate release
• Radio/CD and MP3
• 2 Speakers
• Manual air conditioning

All of our Suzuki car leasing offers include full Suzuki warranty, RFL included for the full term of the contract and FREE delivery across UK Mainland!

We also have unmissable car leasing offers on many other small and stylish cars including Seat Leon, Mini Cooper and Fiat 500 leasing.

From £125.34 + VAT per month*

ENQUIRE NOW

*Limited stock available, prices based on a 48 month and 10,000 miles per annum contract. 
Offer available for a 28 day period from the date of publishing.

To enquire or lease, call us for the best deal on 0845 456 0047.

We have a brilliant selection of van leasing offers, including this unmissable Fiat Ducato 30 Swb which is a great leasing option for any business looking for van that can keep up with their hectic schedule!

The Fiat Ducato 30 Swb Diesel 2.3 Multijet Van 110 is a professional and affordable van. It could be perfect for your business needs as it’s a reliable and efficient option that that will help you get the job done without any fuss.

The Fiat Ducato 30 Swb comes with the following features as standard:

• 4 sensor ABS + EBD
• Driver’s armrest with lumbar support
• Height adjustable driver’s seat and head restraints
• Radio with CD and MP3 player
• Display with digital clock and trip computer

All of our Fiat van leasing offers include full Fiat warranty, RFL included for the full term of the contract and FREE delivery across UK Mainland!

We also have unmissable car leasing offers on many other popular van manufacturers, including Land Rover, Mercedes and Ford van leasing.

From £253.73 + VAT per month*

ENQUIRE NOW

*Limited stock available, prices based on a 48 month and 10,000 miles per annum contract. 
Offer available for a 28 day period from the date of publishing.

To enquire or lease, call us for the best deal on 0845 456 0047.

Don’t miss out on our brilliant car leasing deal on the powerful Range Rover Evoque. This British beauty will make every journey an enjoyable one!

There are so many advantages to leasing a Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Diesel Hatchback 2.2 Ed4 Pure 5Dr 2Wd. Not only does this iconic car look great and have a strong presence on the road, but it also has great road handling, is consistently high performing and comes with many desirable features.

The Range Rover Evoque comes with the following features as standard:

• Leather upholstery and steering wheel
• Cruise control
• Rear parking aid
• Traction control
• Auto climate control with air filtration
• Bluetooth telephone connectivity
• Trip computer
• Audio connectivity system
• DAB digital radio
• Steering wheel mounted audio/cruise controls
• Isofix child seat preparation

All of our Range Rover Evoque leasing offers include full Land Rover warranty, RFL included for the full term of the contract and FREE delivery across UK Mainland!

We have lots of deals on all models in the Land Rover family; including Discovery, Freelander 2, Range Rover and Range Rover sport, so take a look at our other Land Rover leasing options today!

From £349.99 + VAT per month*

ENQUIRE NOW

*Limited stock available, prices based on a 48 month and 10,000 miles per annum contract. 
Offer available for a 28 day period from the date of publishing.

To enquire or lease, call us for the best deal on 0845 456 0047.

This announcement comes soon after Jaguar Land Rover announced that they were planning a £355million expansion of their Wolverhampton plant.

Bosses at Jaguar Land Rover say that the reason for them making this deal with the Chinese is the fact that the capacity at all their other plants has maxed out; this may have come because of the massively excelling car the Land Rover Evoque.

Under this massive deal, Jaguar Land Rover has agreed that Chery will build its limousines, sports cars and off-roaders in China.

2012 has been a big year for the Jaguar Land Rover Company with the Chinese deal happening, the PM being chauffeured in a Jaguar XJ limousine and also with the news that it is rumoured Victoria Beckham is designing an interior for the Land Rover Evoque and we are only a quarter of the way through this year!

Also in February 2012, the new Indian owners of Jaguar Land Rover announced they would double their investment into the company to £1.5billion, how can this year get any better for this company?

With this multi-billion pound deal, there is a proposed joint venture of Jaguar Land Rover and Chery to make a joint car badge rather than just a Jag, Land Rover or Chery car.

In a joint statement, Jaguar Land Rover’s chief executive Dr Ralf Speth  and Mr Yin Tongyao chairman and chief Executive Officer of Chery Automobile Company Ltd, stated: ‘Working together on this proposed joint venture is an exciting prospect for both JLR and Chery.’

‘Demand for Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles continues to increase significantly in China and we believe that JLR and Chery can jointly realise the potential of these iconic brands in the world’s largest car market.’

They additionally said: ‘Our ambition is to leverage the respective strengths of our two businesses – in research and development; technological innovation; manufacturing excellence and local consumer knowledge- to offer Chinese customers the most advanced, highly efficient products featuring the very latest technologies.’

Both parties expressed that the detailed of the deal will remain disclosed.

Do you want a pick up that is both powerful and still has loads of space for equipment? Well the Toyota Hi-Lux Invincible is the van for you and with leasing prices starting from £279.99 + VAT PM, why would you not want it? Better still we have stock available for MAY delivery, Yes May delivery. With dealers quoting up to 4 months for delivery, Don’t miss out and call us today.

Stylish, fast, practical, everything the about the Toyota Hi-Lux is fantastic and available for you to lease today.

With an impressive MPG (36.7mpg),  fashionable looks and its spacious cabin, what more could you want from the Hi-Lux.

Standard Features include:

• Sports seats
• Bluetooth Connectivity
• Cruise Control
• Load Height: 450mm
• Load Length: 1545mm
• Load Width: 1515mm

Of course, this Toyota Hi-Lux offer comes with full manufacturer warranty, number plates, RFL included for the full term of the contract and FREE delivery across the UK mainland.