Confusion reigns in the press over who has the best company car, and it’s not helped by two completely different magazines having awards coming out at the same time. But the only winners can be the drivers, because they get two different opinions from two reliable sources – and the only arguments are between the award winners. Maybe hey sort it out after school behind the bike sheds?

FLEET NEWS awards are voted by a panel made up of fleet industry experts as well as senior members of the Fleet News editorial team, chaired by former SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan and audited by Deloitte with the New Company Car of the Year and Fleet Manufacturer of the Year voted on by fleet operator readers of Fleet News.

BUSINESS CAR MANAGER (the online car magazine for company cars) had its winners chosen by an editorial panel headed by editor Ralph Morton and road test editor Sam Hardy, with the Awards identifying winners in 9 different categories ranging from the environmentally and financially responsible – Best Sub-100g/km Business Car – to the more frivolous – It’s My Business and I’ll Buy What I Want To.

So, who won?

In Fleet News, they voted the Volkswagen Passat as the best new company car of 2011 using criteria based on operating costs (depreciation, fuel, servicing, maintenance and repair, lease rates, tax liability), suitability for their use as business cars and the level of support from the manufacturers and their corporate sales teams.

But Business Car Manager had the new BMW 3 Series in 320d form as its overall winner; with the judges commenting that is was a car “offering an unbeatable combination of competitive running costs, strong performance, low driver taxation, impressive environmental credentials – and good, old fashioned driving fun.”

Admittedly BMW was crowned as the Fleet Manufacturer of the Year voted for by readers of the Fleet News so at least there is some sort of synergy there and other awards between the two publications went to Ford, Kia, Skoda, SEAT, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Range-Rover, Mini, Audi, Hyundai, Toyota and BMW in the car categories.

But of course it all depends what you are looking for and the wording of the awards. Some of the wording is decidedly “we want to give an award to someone but can’t think of a name so let’s make one up!”

FLEET NEWS AWARDS:

Ford Fiesta won Best Small Car, with its very close relative, the Ford, Focus, picking up the award for Lower-Medium car.

Best Upper-medium Car went to The VW Passat (which, as you know, also won best in breed!) and Best People Carrier went to the SEAT Alhambra.

Best Estate Car was awarded to the Skoda Superb estate and best all-round 4×4 to the Toyota Land Cruiser. (How do you to get to be all-round?)

In the big boys classes, Best Premium Car went to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and, up there at the pinnacle of the “look at me; I’ve made it” tree, sits the BMW 5 series with its Best Boardroom Car award.

Oooh! Even more awards with indescribable titles. Best Crossover (what does that mean?) went to the Nissan Qashqai, Most Improved Fleet Manufacturer of the Year and went to Skoda, and Green Fleet Manufacturer of the Year went to Toyota/Lexus; who were described as “environmental beacons not just for the motor industry, but for every industry” by the judges

BUSINESS CAR MANAGER aims to help small businesses and SME firms to run their cars efficiently and cost- effectively. And their WINNERS were.

Best Sub-100g/km Business Car was the Kia Rio 1.1 EcoDynamics and Best Business Car for First Year Allowances (sub 110g/km), the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics.

Obviously by Company Cars here, they mean business cars, especially as the winner of the Best Company Car is the Ford Focus 1.0T EcoBoost 125PS.

Best Estate Car was the Hyundai i40 Estate (with Fleet News’ winner the Skodia Superb nowhere!) and the Best Executive Car, the New BMW 3 Series.

Other award winners were the Audi A6 Avant, MINI Countryman Cooper D (Best Micro Business Owner’s Car – how appropriate!), and the BMW 520d EfficientDynamics as best SME Director’s Car.

They even had an award called the “It’s My Business and I’ll Buy What I Want To” award, won by the Range Rover Evoque SD4 with commendations for the Audi Q5 3.0TDI,  BMW 640d and the Porsche Panamera Diesel. I presume they mean the “Car I WOULD get if they let me” award.

And comments from the winners backstage as seen on ITV2 hosted by some 5th rate celebrity who used to be a reality star before the scandal with their ex-partner’s dog?

SEAT UK Managing Director Peter Wyhinny was at the Fleet News Awards dinner at the Grosvenor Hotel to celebrate the Alhambra’s latest success. He said: “To receive this trophy from Fleet News means a great deal to us at SEAT. We know the Alhambra is a very impressive MPV and the near-constant stream of important awards such as this reinforces that belief.”

And Martin Burke, ŠKODA UK’s Head of Fleet Sales, was also delighted. “To be receiving [an award] for our work in the corporate sector, so crucial to our future plans, makes these awards all the more satisfying.”

Nationwide Vehicle Contracts has managed to get hold of some highly sought after stock of the all-new MINI Coupe with leasing rates starting from just £219.95 + VAT a month.

The new MINI Coupe boasts the best of everything – the striking style of a chic coupe, the powerful engine of a hot hatchback and the space and flexibility of a stylish supermini – all in one super sporty MINI package.

Inspired by the 1966 MINI Marcos, the two-seater MINI Coupe is the most capable MINI to date, boasting the stiffest body in the current MINI line-up.

The all-new MINI Coupe is also pretty impressive when it comes to space, offering improved headroom and legroom for driver and passenger, as well as a 280 litre boot capacity.

For a strictly limited time, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts has managed to get hold of some highly sought after stock of the all-new MINI Coupe.

The MINI Coupe 1.6 Cooper Pepper is available to lease from just £219.95 + VAT a month with cars in stock for quick delivery via our Fast Lease service. The Pepper package comes with MINI’s Boost CD radio to heat up the interior, while the automatic climate control quickly adapts to your desired temperature should the atmosphere start to boil over.

The MINI Coupe 2.0 Cooper SD Chili is also in stock to lease from just £269.95 + VAT a month. The popular Chili pack includes multifunction steering wheel, velour floor mats, extended storage, front fog lights and many other tasty morsels.

To find out more about the all-new MINI Coupe and to take advantage of one of the above stock deals, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts today on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

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Mini will be revealing its new conceptual baby at the Geneva International Motor Show 2012 – apparently the first premium model in the small car-based van market: the MINI Clubvan Concept

Perfect for those that love driving a Mini but need a bit more space for carrying loads; in fact, the Clubvan Concept is aimed at small businesses who want to drive about with a bit of style, a bit of dynamism and a low cost.

It’s only got two seats, but 5 doors – if more proof were needed that this is a business vehicle first and foremost. But inside there is the maximum space that there can be, allowing for the owner to customize to their own design, requirements and preference. The Clubvan is, in all honesty, a Mini in all but name.

The flat load area reaches from the split rear doors right up to a solid aluminium partition  honeycomb grille behind the two seats, which of course makes full use of the interior’s depth, and there are 6 (count them!) attachment loops  built into recesses in the load floor so that any cargo can be held in place firmly. The fixed partition grille ensures items stowed in the rear won’t fall into the front cabin; dangerous at the best of times therefore avoided. And, to help keep cargo safe too, the side walls, floor and roof lining of the load area in the Concept are trimmed in high-quality anthracite-coloured cloth – so no clanging against the strong metal sides of the van.

Like its close cousin, the MINI Clubman, the Clubvan Concept is a five-door car with a twist. Two front doors for the driver and front passenger, two side-hinged rear doors and the rear-hinged Clubdoor on the right-hand side all create useful access. Obviously, this means that owners have the option of loading smaller items from the side of the car as well as the rear.

As stated, there’s a lot of room for customization to suit customers needs. For example, tools and goods can be stored neatly and securely in made-to-measure drawers or shelving units. And to help out there are 12-volt plug sockets built into the load compartment.

Overall the new Concept is the same size outside as its mummy, the Mini Clubman. And it is instantly recognisable as a Mini; so no worries about feeling and looking good there then. Distinction is the name of the game.

The MINI Clubvan Concept is finished in British Racing Green paintwork right up to the roof, C-pillars and exterior mirror caps and, to help with security, the rear side windows are opaque with polycarbonate sections painted in the car’s body colour and the rear doors feature heavily tinted glass making it difficult to see into the load compartment.

And, good news for the advertising-minded business person: The unbroken paintwork along the car’s flanks offers extensive scope for individualisation and the use of larger graphics.

As Mini themselves are quoted: “The ability to adapt goes back to the heart of Mini’s heritage. Calls for maximising the load capacity of the classic Mini began as early as 1960, just a year after the car’s birth, and so the Morris Mini Van was born. With its 10-centimetre-longer wheelbase, separate load compartment and split rear doors, it was perfectly equipped for commercial use. It also provided the basis for the fully glazed, four-seat Morris Mini Traveller, one of the precursors of today’s successful MINI Clubman. And so, more than 50 years on, the MINI Clubvan Concept sees history repeating itself.”

Which means that I don’t have to repeat myself telling you how good it is!

It’s not often that you’ll be able to see a Mini on the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week, unless it’s being used as a prop; and even more unlikely that you can buy one that’s been there.

But thanks to fashion icon Ilaria Venturini Fendi you can do just that.

In 2006, she launched CARMINA CAMPUS, a label that specialises in making furniture, jewellery and bags from re-used and up-cycled materials – to the highest standards of design. And her latest limited-edition designer bags from Ilaria Venturini Fendi are made of up-cycled materials from the MINI Roadster car production.

Under her guidance and very watchful eye, Ilaria’s green credentials and penchant for using quality scraps. With this one, elements from prototypes of the new MINI Roadster were combined with discarded colour samples and other materials to create the fashion designer bags, not made in a sweat shop in Asia, but by Italian craftsmen.

The collections comprise of week-end and city bags for women and men, with the wide-ranging materials from the MINI Roadster providing an extensive source of inspiration. In some styles, the soft seat leather becomes the outer shell of a bag, while the canvas from the soft-top is quite often decorated with a mosaic of small metal plates from the colour samples of the car body painting.

Sunvisors create make up mirrors while, from the inside, car handles become a special detail in a tiny proportioned bag.

Ilaria Venturini Fendi’s creative approach from the start of CARMINA CAMPUS has involved the use of reclaimed and unused materials, defective or no longer fit for their intended purpose, or searching for stocks of end-of-lines and vintage materials; often used in a completely  different way to what was originally planned by their initial ‘owners’. This perspective on materials is being increasingly shared beyond the fashion world, and MINI is embracing the practice that now goes by the name of “up-cycling”.

“I’m very happy about this collaboration,” says Venturini Fendi. “It shows just how aware MINI is of the motor industry’s impact on the environment and that it is working towards change. For big brands like MINI in particular, up-cycling is an important issue. After all, this is where you will always get scrap material that is generally described as waste, but in fact can become part of a high-quality object.”

And MINI are pretty chuffed too! “For many years now, the BMW Group has been working with creative people from all manner of fields,” says Anders Warming, Head of MINI Design. “We are delighted to have found in Ilaria Venturini Fendi a designer who devotes her artistic powers above all to considerations of sustainability and up-cycling. For us these are key issues of the future which we are now addressing through this collaboration in customary MINI fashion”.

There will be a specially designed limited edition of CARMINA CAMPUS bags on show at an exclusive preview event at 10 Corso Como, during Milan Fashion Week.

If you fancy yourself behind the wheel of a MINI Hatchback, Convertible or Countryman, you’ll be pleased to hear that Nationwide Vehicle Contracts has some fantastic Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) deals available on the MINI One.

First up is great deal on the MINI Hatchback 1.6 One, available to lease from just £184.95 + VAT a month. Jam packed with the latest technology and featuring MINI’s unmistakable style, the MINI Hatchback is one of the most popular and desirable superminis on the market. Standard features on the above model include Cosmos cloth upholstery, air conditioning, DAB digital radio and follow me home headlights.

The MINI Convertible 1.6 One has been reduced up to £21 a month with prices now starting from just £204.95 + VAT a month. Boasting all the style and charisma of the standard MINI but with the added benefit of a fully-retractable canvas roof, the new MINI Convertible is the ideal compact convertible for city living.

Finally, the MINI Countryman 1.6 One is now available to lease from £224.95 + VAT a month. Longer, wider and taller than your average MINI, the all-new MINI Countryman offers the practicality and versatility of an off-road vehicle with the comfort and style of a true supermini. Standard features on the above model include Bluetooth, air conditioning, DAB digital radio and electric windows.

The above deals are on a PCP contract only. For further details and to get an instant quotation on any model in the MINI range, call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts today on 0844 482 9595 or follow the above links.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

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Westfield Stratford City is a brand new (well; six months old) shopping centre in Stratford, close to the Olympic Stadium and village, with a stack load of stores from Prada to Primark, Mothercare to Mulberry, and Subway to Swatch. It is one of the largest urban shopping centres in Europe and 3rd largest in the UK behind Manchester’s Trafford Centre and Gateshead’s MetroCentre; but neither of them has a store quite like Stratford’s latest acquisition.

Last week, MINI opened its doors for 12 months only in the complex, primarily to showcase its two newest MINI models; the MINI Coupé and the MINI Countryman. And they also sell a full range of MINI lifestyle merchandise, such as the very latest products from the 2012 MINI Collection, including the brand new ‘Beat the Street’ clothing line, John Cooper Works apparel and MINI luggage.

And it obviously works, because in the first few days of business, according to the store itself, the MINI shop attracted over 4,000 visitors from Westfield’s 850,000 visitors a week.

Mini claim that the store is the first of its kind in the UK, bringing the British car brand out of the traditional dealership setting and onto the high street, and you can’t really argue with that. You don’t really expect to see a car dealership next door to the usual suspects in a big shopping complex, but Mini have taken this step, one should imagine, in order to have a competitive presence during the Olympic games in London later this year. After all, the store is located on the walkway to the Olympic Park; a prime location.

At the store, staffed by local people (insert own joke here) trained up by MINI, there’s the latest retail technology, including a clever interactive mirror that allows shoppers to try on the outfits on sale without actually having to take their own clothes off. Many a man would pay for one of them in their own bedrooms!

Naturally you can request a test drive (but not actually in the store a la Italian Job) and customers can use also create their own MINI in 3D by using the UK’s first ever 3D car configurator. For kids there’s an electric MINI Convertible to play in. Cue cries of “I want one” and answers of “Let’s see what Santa brings next Christmas.”

Jochen Goller, Director MINI UK  had lots to say about the store, so let’s give him his bit of glory on this blog: Over to you, Mr Goller.

“The MINI Store in Westfield Stratford City is an exciting new approach for our brand. For the first time, we are giving shoppers the opportunity to browse the latest MINI models in a retail setting which is completely removed from the established car showroom environment. In addition, since MINI launched just over 10 years ago, we have developed a massive community of fans and enthusiasts for whom MINI is much more than just a car brand. These fans love to accessorise their cars and their lives with everything from miniature MINI fridge magnets to MINI folding bikes, so we are delighted to make the full range of products available for the first time on the high street. Over the next year we will be listening to and learning from what visitors to the Westfield store have to say about what they expect from their car retail experience.”

And not a mention of the Olympics in there. Don’t worry, the Westfield shopping Centre’s General Manager of Marketing did:

Myf Ryan said: “We are delighted to welcome MINI to Westfield Stratford City. As a cutting edge, contemporary brand, MINI is ideally suited to Westfield Stratford City’s young and trend conscious consumer. This unique venture highlights the versatility of the centre to adapt to the needs of our retailers – now, through the Games and beyond.”

Was that not a Buzz Lightyear phrase? Anyway, let’s hope that a quick trip to the shops doesn’t end up a tad more expensive than planned. Lock up those credit cards!

If you fancy yourself behind the wheel of the new MINI Coupe, you can now take advantage of reductions of up to £60 a month when you lease with Nationwide Vehicle Contracts before 29th February.

Featuring a brand-new design inspired by the 1966 MINI Marcos, the new two-seater MINI Coupe is the most capable MINI to date, boasting the stiffest body in the current MINI line-up and a powerful engine range to rival even the hottest of hatchbacks.

But don’t be fooled by the MINI’s compact design, the new MINI Coupe is impressively spacious with a 280 litres boot capacity, as well as improved headroom and legroom for driver and passenger.

The MINI Coupe range has been reduced with savings of up to £60 a month available on selected models when you lease with Nationwide Vehicle Contracts before the end of February.

Our cheapest deal is on the MINI Coupe 1.6 Cooper available to lease from £249.95 + VAT a month. Standard features on this model include:

• Sports Leather Steering Wheel

• Cosmos Cloth Upholstery

• Rear Park Distance Control

• DAB Digital Radio

• Follow Me Home Headlights

• Manual Air Conditioning

• 15″ Alloy Wheels

To find out more about the MINI Coupe and to get an instant quotation on any model in the range, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

Like this deal? Join our mailing list to receive weekly emails with our latest car leasing offers straight to your inbox!

Companies hire PR firms in order to create the perfect stunt. Regardless of how outlandish or risky they may be, many ultimately pay out big. However, once in awhile one doesn’t fair too well, causing a considerable backlash for the company and its representation. Such an unfortunate incident occurred when BMW’s Mini Cooper brand asked Sassenbach Advertising to represent them, ultimately selecting a questionable method to gain popularity.

The public relations nightmare was rooted in Germany’s custom of letting people assign names to weather systems. Charging a relatively small fee, the PR firm paid a mere £190 to name the weather front “Cooper” and “Minnie.” Buisnessweek writer Carol Matlack wrote that the Meteorological Institute at the University of Berlin maintains the long list of names chosen for high and low pressure systems. Based on information the company referred to the high-pressure system that occurred on January 24^th as “The Cooper.”

Those that remember the events surrounding that cold snap know that the weather turned deadly. Indeed by early February nearly 100 people in countries such as Ukraine, Romania and notably Poland tied or were hospitalized due to cold temperatures reaching -33C.  As many as 950 people were treated for frostbite and hypothermia in the Ukraine alone. Indeed, as the weather continuing for the next little while, many weather stations are still referring to the storm as “The Cooper.”

The meteorological institute had implemented this “adopt a vortex” scheme a decade ago in order to raise money for the Berlin’s Free University weather monitoring system. However, it should be noted that this type of naming is certainly not out of the ordinary. Indeed, the United States Weather Service has been naming hurricanes since the 1950’s.

While the intentions were innocent enough, the PR firm was regretting their decision soon after. The carmaker immediately apologized for connotation that individuals believe the name might have had. Indeed, they stated that they could not influence which names occurred when. Tantamount to suggesting that they couldn’t control the weather, the damage was already done.

To add insult to injury the low-pressure system called “Minnie” is still registered and may affect us in the upcoming year. While it is unlikely to cause any deaths, one does not think that it can get any worse than this.

MINI’s hottest new model – the MINI Roadster – has been reduced by up to £80 a month with prices now starting from just £269.95 + VAT a month with Nationwide Vehicle Contracts.

Sporting a clever semi-automatic soft-top canvas roof and whopping 240-litre boot, the MINI Roadster is a stylish alternative to the Mazda MX-5 and comes jam packed with tons of trademark  MINI features including a large centrally-mounted speedometer, heated door mirrors, rear parking sensors, air conditioning and DAB radio.

Under the bonnet, the MINI Roadster is available with a 122bhp Cooper, 184bhp Cooper S or 211bhp John Cooper Works drivetrain with the Cooper SD returning a respectable 62.8mpg from its 2-litre diesel engine.

You can now save up to £80 a month on selected MINI Roadster models when you lease with Nationwide Vehicle Contracts.

Our cheapest deal is on the MINI Roadster 1.6 Cooper with prices starting from just £269.95 + VAT a month. Standard features on this model include:

• Bluetooth Function with USB Audio

• Cosmos Cloth Upholstery

• Manual Air Conditioning

• DAB Digital Radio

• 15″ Alloy Wheels

To find out more about the new MINI Roadster and to get an instant quotation on any model in the MINI range, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

Like this deal? Join our mailing list to receive weekly emails with our latest car leasing offers straight to your inbox!

No car manufacturer can create a flawless vehicle. Once in awhile a certainly defect creeps up that alters its safety and ultimately causes the company to recall the model. Costing a tremendous amount of money as well as causing some embarrassment for the company, BMW’s Mini’s have unfortunately been recalled due to potential fire risk faults in its water pump.

A rather large recall, the company is looking to fix nearly 235,000 vehicles of which nearly 30,000 are located here in the UK. The Guardian noted that a number of models have been affected by this change, particularly the Cooper S as well as the John Cooper Works models made between 2006 and 2011.

The move was announced by BMW who, as Mini’s parent company, are responsible for the inner workings of the company. Their announcement was prompted after the company was notified of four separate cases where fires have resulted from the electric water pump. The company had explained that under high operating pressures there is a problem with the electro-migration on the circuit board installed within the pump itself. Because of this there can be some failure associated with the water pump breaking, smouldering, even catching on fire.

A problem that could not be ignored, the company has therefore taken the necessary steps in remedying the difficult situation.  Reporters have noted that all owners that have registered their vehicles have been notified about the problem. They have been invited to take their vehicles to their nearest Mini dealership in order to begin the exchange process. The company estimated that it should not take more than an hour or two to make the exchange. Furthermore, the company has noted that turbocharged engines that are affected have an additional water pump so the problem is not completely dire.

The mini plant located in Oxford makes around 200,000 vehicles each year. BMW has noted that there is a very low incidence of faults in these cars. Representatives have state that a great deal of time and effort is places to make these cars as effective and safe as possible. This, according to them, is an extreme circumstance that is rarely if ever repeated. While no injury’s or accidents have been reported due to this problem, the company is hopeful that the letter scheme will sort out any potential problems that might result from the issue.