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Ferrari sales booming in China

Ferrari has reported a strong year of sales in China, selling almost 300 luxury sports cars in the country over the course of the last year.

The luxury car maker estimates that 2010 sales in China are 50% higher than the previous year. The healthy sales figures from China puts the country into the top 5 international markets for Ferrari when the revenue from Hong Kong and Taiwan are combined.

To celebrate the success of the past year, Ferrari are holding a special event on January 14^th in Shanghai where the 999^th Ferrari customer will be commemorated as 9 is regarded as a very lucky number in Chinese culture.

Since launching their first ever dealership in China 6 years ago, Ferrari has been concentrating their efforts on developing their brand in Asia. Last year the car maker chose to hold their first ever debut of a new model, the 599 GTO, in the China at the Beijing Auto Show and are currently planning to introduce the Ferrari Challenge Racing Series to Asia within the coming year which will help further boost the Italian car maker’s profile.

As well as developing the racing challenge in the New Year, Ferrari is also planning to launch a number of new dealerships to help support sales growth in 2011.

Paris to launch self service electric car hire

Paris is set to launch a self service electric car hire scheme which is scheduled to be up and running by the end of 2011.

Known as AutoLib, the system will be based on a similar scheme the city introduced three years ago which offers bicycle sharing facilities across the city. The two schemes will hopefully help to improve the air quality in the city by reducing CO2 emissions and pollution levels.

The cars have been designed by the Italian car makers, Pininfarnia, with technology created by a French company, Group Bollore.

The electric car sharing scheme plans to introduce 3,000 battery powered 4-seater cars to the city, situated at 1,200 different points throughout Paris.

The system will be trialled during August and September 2011, with the official launch of the service scheduled for October. If the system goes ahead as planned, it will put Paris on the map as no other city has an electric car sharing scheme on this scale.

To be eligible to hire an electric car as part of the new AutoLib service in Paris you will need to hold a full valid driver’s licence, and also subscribe to the scheme. Annual subscriptions start from €12 per month, although daily and weekly subscriptions are also available. A deposit of €250 is also required.

Bristol businesses turning to chauffeur driven car hire as cost of rail fares soar

It’s been reported that chauffeur driven private hire companies in Bristol are seeing an increase in business from local companies as many are turning to their services to make savings as the cost of rail travel continues to rise.

With many Bristol based businesses needing to travel to London on a regular basis for meetings and functions, the cost of travel via rail can really mount up for companies sending more than one employee at a time on business trips to the capital. Plus, selected rail operators are planning fare rises in the New Year, which means the cost of travelling by train is due to escalate further.

With the cost of two first class return rail tickets for a peak period costing as much as £440, but a chauffeur driven car with the capacity to carry up to four passengers priced from £275, many companies are opting for the chauffeur option as there are great savings to be made.

While weddings and special events such as birthdays and nights out used to be the bread butter jobs for chauffeur hire operators, the tide is slowly turning for some Bristol transport providers who’ve reported a marked increase in corporate contracts.

While most companies are attempting to make cut backs during this time of economic uncertainty, the trend of hiring a chauffeur driven car as opposed to travelling by rail, could be something we could see repeated across the UK, spelling good news for all private hire operators.

Hybrid Lexus goes on display at Harrods

Billed as the first ever hybrid luxury hatchback, the Lexus CT 200H has gone on display in the window of the world’s most luxurious department store this week.

The green luxury car boasts a hybrid engine which offers the option of powering the car by either electric or petrol. The Lexus CT 200H is aiming to offer a green choice of vehicle for the luxury car market. What better place is there to showcase the first ever hybrid Lexus than in London’s most prestigious store?!

The Lexus is on display in the window usually used to showcase super cars such as Ferrari vehicles and Aston Martins. In fact, the last vehicle to go on display in the Harrods shop window was the Aston Martin Cygnet, as reported by Cars for Stars News last month.

Thanks to its super green credentials, the hybrid Lexus is the only luxury automatic to be exempt from the London congestion charge. As well as offering reduced emissions which makes it ideal for city driving, the Lexus CT 200H offers the same level of performance and comfort as you’d expect from a vehicle from the top name car maker.

The hybrid is part of a four window Lexus display in Harrods which will run from this week, until January 15^th2011. The window display has been designed so as to allow customers the opportunity to get up and close to the luxury vehicles so they can get a real feel for the car, so what are you waiting for?! Head down to Harrods now for a chance to check out the new Hybrid Lexus CT 200H in the flesh.

Wedding car traded for a skip on bride’s big day

Every bride wants to make an entrance on their big day, and for 43-year-old Noreen Quin from Swindon, her big arrival certainly caused a stir over the weekend.

The happy couple decided to do away with tradition and the usual chauffeur driven Rolls Royce or Bentley wedding car and so opted for something a little more familiar.

Although the Noreen and her now husband Nick Kearns have known each other for 20 years, they didn’t get together until Noreen came to work at businessman Nick’s skip hire firm.

In honour of the business that brought them together, romantic groom Nick decided to convert one of his skips into a “carriage” to transport his “princess” on their special day.

Although the skip hire company owner admitted the wedding skip had been used to transport rubbish in the past, the container underwent a complete makeover ahead of the big day.

The skip revamp took approximately two and half weeks to complete, according to the groom who undertook all of the work himself. The skip was carpeted, painted blue to match the bride’s dress with a glitter effect, a Perspex roof was added, along with seat belts in accordance with health and safety laws, and also a drop down door so as to allow the bride to make a graceful exit.

As the skip has no engine, it had to be transported to the registry office on the back of a lorry. After the service, the bridal party were treated to a ride in the wedding skip back to the reception venue.

Avis car hire launch female only chauffeur service in India

Avis rent-a-car has become the first premier car hire provider to launch a female only chauffeur hire service in India.

The female only chauffeur hire service will be available in India only initially at a top Mumbai hotel, The Oberoi. A fleet of luxury cars, including the BMW 5 Series, will be used for the service based at the Oberoi Hotel. Avis are planning to roll the scheme out to other parts of the country if there is enough demand.

It is anticipated that the service will be especially popular with females travelling alone in India. Avis believe their female chauffeur policy will help alleviate any feelings of insecurity a female traveller may have when visiting an unfamiliar city alone.

All of lady chauffeurs are aged between 25-53 years of age and are all fluent in English which will benefit those visiting India on business from the UK. Each chauffeur has undergone 2 months of training before getting behind the wheel as an Avis chauffeur. The training includes enhancing customer relation skills, instruction on handling a luxury car, and improving their navigation ability around the city of Mumbai and other local areas.

Avis car hire currently operates in 16 cities across India, but has outlined expansion plans to launch a number of new branches in various locations across the country.

Car hire firm outlines development plans for 2011

Car rental firm, Economy Car Hire have outlined their plans to develop their business in the coming year.

Economy Car Hire has revealed their intention to expand their service to a number of key locations including launching a car rental service in Portugal, Turkey and Spain. The vehicle hire firm is also planning to expand further in the UK by introducing a number of new branches in specific areas of the country.

By opening a number of new rental outlet in the UK, Economy Car Hire are hoping to tap into the growing trend for “staycations” in Britain.

By expanding in a number of key areas, both in the UK and in European destinations, Economy Car Hire is aiming to offer a wide of choice of available vehicles for hire, which will ensure the company can continue to offer highly competitive rates.

The head of Economy Car Hire believes the firm has a number of important features which will help the business grow, and potentially become one of the leading car hire providers in the UK. Economy Car Hire doesn’t charge customers for extra drivers, for example, and nor do they add on extra cost for taxes or insurance, unlike many other car hire providers.

The boss of the car rental provider also revealed that 93% of their customers would recommend their services to others, which is an encouraging statistic for Economy Car hire.

Women only chauffeurs for new private hire service in Prague

A brand new private hire transport service has been launched in Prague using only female chauffeurs.

The new service is offered by GlamourCars and aims to provide a luxurious and refined transport experience for tourists, locals and business professionals visiting the city.

With female only drivers who are fluent in both Czech and English, driving top quality saloon cars with perfumed interiors, onboard refreshments, newspapers and magazines and Wi-Fi facilities, GlamourCars are aiming to target a high calibre of clientele.

However all of this comfort and luxury does come at a price, roughly double the cost of your average taxi cab in Prague. However regular clients will receive some kind of concessionary rate or special discounts of other services it has been claimed.

All of the female chauffeurs possess excellent local knowledge of Prague and are experienced and safe drivers who adhere to all speed limits and driving regulations, the private hire company states.

The female only chauffeur driven car hire service in the Czech Republic’s capital city is planning to start out small in order to test the water to see how well the scheme is received. Initially the private hire service will only be available on weekdays, with one car in operation with a pool of professional female drivers working on a rota system.

New McLaren sports car unveiled in Bahrain

The British car manufacturer famed for its motor racing connections has unveiled its latest high powered sports car for the first time in Bahrain.

The MP4-12C made its debut at the Royal Bahrain Golf Club over the weekend. A unique feature of the new luxury sports car is its one piece chassis, known as the carbon Monocell, which has been seen before in motor sport racing, but now in sports cars for leisure and domestic use.

The MP4-12C hopes to rival the likes of the Lamborghini and Ferrari. With a 3.8 litre V8 twin-turbo engine producing 600 brake horse power, a duel clutch gearbox, and the ability to hit 60kmph in less than 4 seconds with a top speed of 322kmph, the new McLaren sports car is certain to cause a stir in the world of luxury sports cars.

Those wishing to drive away in their very own McLaren sports car will have the choice of 17 different colours and the choice of 14 different internal trims. A number of extra features can be added to the car to customise it to a customer’s personal preference.

However this high performance car comes at a price, and that price is believed to start at £168,500.

McLaren’s sports car will go on sale in Europe early next year, before being sold in the Middle East.

Elvis Presley’s Mercedes to be sold at auction

A classic Mercedes-Benz 600 once owned by the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, is due to go on sale at Bonham’s end of year sale next week.

The Mercedes sports car, formerly owned by Elvis, will be one of the highlight’s of the Important Motor Cars and Fine Automobilia auction due to take place in Mercedes-Benz World in Weybridge Surrey on December 6^th.

According to the auction house Bonham’s, the Mercedes-Benz 600 is one of only a handful of cars to have been registered in Elvis Presley’s name. The luxury sports car was one of two Mercedes owned by the legendary singer before he gifted the top of the range ride to his friend, James Leroy Robertson.

In 2005 a UK buyer purchased the Mercedes from a car dealer in Memphis who then had the sports car shipped over to Britain. Because of the car’s illustrious links to the iconic singer, the Mercedes 600 is estimated to fetch between £150,000 and £200,000 when it goes under the hammer in Surrey next week.

Another vehicle due to be sold at Bonham’s auction early next month which is causing a stir is a vintage 1936 Rolls Royce Phantom lll which was one of just 24 Phantom lll’s to be sold to the US. The vintage limo also has another claim to fame as it featured in a chase scene for fantasy film, Pan’s Labyrinth.