Author

Andrew Lloyd

Andrew Lloyd is the Editor here at Cars for Stars News and oversees all of the editorial content on the website. Having worked in a variety of print publications focused principally on motoring news, Andrew brings a wealth of experience to the role of Editor.
mitsubishi-lancer-evo

Sports car stolen with child in the backseat

A silver sports car was stolen last week in Hampshire with the car owner’s five-year-old son still in the backseat.

The 24-year-old mother described how a BMW M3 with two males inside rammed into the back of her Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. The two cars pulled over to discuss the accident when one of the men jumped into the driver’s seat of the Mitsubishi, speeding off in the sports car as the other male hopped back into the BMW and drove off in the same direction as the stolen car containing the child.

Luckily a passing motorist came to the aid of the distraught mother, stopping to pick her up and driving off in pursuit of the stolen sports car. The Mitsubishi was found a short while later, it had been abandoned approximately a mile away from the scene of the carjacking, close to a school. The young boy was still inside the car and had not sustained any injuries.

Witnesses reported seeing one man running from the Mitsubishi after abandoning the vehicle at the side of the road, the first man then got back in the BMW which fled the scene at high speed, hitting a Mercedes van as it drove off.

The authorities believed the incident was the work of organised criminals who specifically targeted the sports car, which is worth £35,000 new. Nothing was taken from the car, and police are not treating the incident as an attempted kidnapping as the evidence suggests the thieves were planning to steal solely the high performance sports car.

volvo-s80

New Chauffeur programme offered by Volvo

Car manufacturer, Volvo, have just unveiled the details of their brand new chauffeur programme which they hope will enable them to further enhance their share of the chauffeur market.

The most appealing aspect to the newly introduced Chauffeur Package from Volvo is the 3 year 120,000 miles extended warranty, exclusively offered to chauffeur and professional private hire customers. The generous mileage allowance takes into account the many miles chauffeurs need to cover as part of their job.

In addition to the extended warranty, Volvo are also offering free metallic paint on every chauffeur car ordered, along with a range of finance options making a new Volvo model an attainable and highly appealing offer for chauffeurs. For example, the new Volvo S80 is being offered on a business contract hire basis from as little as £369 plus VAT a month, which is an extremely attractive offer for professional private hire drivers.

The most popular Volvo models for use as professional chauffeur cars are the S80 and the V70 as these models offer a range of benefits which would appeal to chauffeur clients especially. These Volvo models have extended rear leg room, larger than average boots, and superior onboard comfort features making the S80 and the V70 ideal for use as chauffeur cars.

Volvo also have plans in the pipeline to introduce the hybrid plug-in V60 model which would offer reduced CO2 emissions and increased fuel efficiency which would be especially beneficial to potential chauffeur customers.

rollsroyce-crashed

Young driver who clipped Rolls Royce in China facing financial nightmare

A 21-year-old chef from China is facing potential financial ruin after he crashed into a parked Rolls Royce Phantom causing $158,000 worth of damage which the low earning chef is unable to pay for. The stunning white Rolls Royce Phantom was reportedly parked on the side of the road close to Lukou International Airport where it was used to chauffeur VIP visitors to and from the airport.

According to reports, the driver swerved slightly over the road while driving on the motorway, and clipped the front of the luxury car’s grill, smashing side of the bumper completely. The state of the art Rolls Royce, which is estimated to be worth $1.9 million, will now need extensive repairs costing in the region of $158,000 following the collision.

Because the 21-year-old driver admitted that he was to blame for the accident, his insurance will not pay out to cover the repair bill for the Rolls Royce. The young driver, who was travelling in the opposite direction to the parked Rolls Royce when he clipped the bonnet, telephoned his family as soon as the collision happened. However his family say they wouldn’t be able to cover the repair bill even if they sold everything they had, including their house.

Left with no other option, the driver is now planning to address the company owners of the Rolls Royce to plead his case and attempt to reach an agreement on how the repair bill will be met.

camera-taxi

Chauffeurs in Oxford could be exempt from new in-car camera rule

Private hire chauffeurs are likely to be made exempt from the new rules being brought in by Oxford Council which will make it compulsory for all taxis to have in-car CCTV cameras installed to record all journeys to ensure the safety of passengers and drivers alike.

However the council is set to decide in the coming week whether private hire chauffeurs are to be made an exception to the rule as the private hire industry argues that all of their clients are known to them, pre-book their cars, and all hold accounts with their company so the inclusion of CCTV cameras in chauffeur cars would be unnecessary.

One chauffeur company owner added that his clients would be unhappy travelling in a car which was recording their every move on camera, and that many would flatly refuse to get in a car with cameras.

The Oxford council decided to implement the new rule after noting an increase in the number of complaints it received regarding sexual assaults and attacks on drivers in taxis. However some civil liberties groups are against the move to install cameras in every taxi in the city and are calling it a major invasion of privacy.

While the council is considering allowing private hire chauffeurs to be exempt from the new rule, the CCTV camera legislation will still apply to the 521 private hire vehicles and 107 hackney carriages operating in the city.

Europcar2

Car rental giant to offer electric Nissan Leaf for hire in London and Paris

Car hire giant, Europcar, are set to introduce the award-winning Nissan Leaf all electric powered car to their fleets in London and Paris as part of a 3-month trial. If successful, the 0% emissions hire car could be included in its hire fleets in other parts of Europe.

The Nissan Leaf, which was named 2011 World and Europe Car of the Year, is due to be launched by Europcar this month, although an exact launch date is yet to be announced.

While the all-electric powered car is the same as a normal car to drive, the car hire provider will ensure each and every customer is given a full briefing and demonstration by a Europcar employee before getting behind the wheel. Most importantly, the customer will be instructed on how to read the battery gauge accurately to ensure they don’t run out of range during their hire.

The Nissan Leaf has a battery range of 110 miles, and will only be available for daily hire during the 3-month Europcar trial in London and Paris.

One person who will certainly be hoping the new electric hire cars becomes a permanent feature in the Europcar fleet will be London mayor Boris Johnson who is planning to make London the electric car capital of Europe.

chauffeur-car

Chauffeur left $1 million by his former employer

A New York chauffeur has been left a $1 million fortune by his former employer. Businessman Alan Meltzer passed away last October and chose to remember two of his most trusted employees in his will.

The former record label owner divorced from his wife of 13 years just 12 months before his death. Both his chauffeur, 54-year-old Jean Laborde and his doorman, Chamil Demiraj who was left $500,000, were said to have been very supportive of Mr Meltzer during his difficult divorce, which may account for his generosity in remembering them in his will after his death.

Both of Mr Meltzer’s former employees were said to be astonished by the generous amount left to them by their boss. Chauffeur Laborde said he was unsure what he’d spend the money on, but one thing he’d definitely buy would be a bunch of flowers which he’ll lay on his old boss’s grave every year. His doorman Chamil described the $500,000 gift as a surprise, but revealed his boss was always a generous man.

The millionaire’s ex-wife, Diana a former model, was reported as saying that she couldn’t care less if her deceased ex-husband wanted to give his money to people she branded, “bums”, in a particularly scathing statement. It’s understood his ex-wife didn’t receive a penny from Mr Meltzer’s estimated $10 million fortune, while his chauffeur and doorman received $1,500 combined.

mercedes-s-class-black

Mercedes chauffeur driven airport transfers for Emirates passengers

Air travel provider, Emirates, have updated their fleet of chauffeur cars used for airport transfers for First Class passengers as part of the airline’s latest venture to further enhance the travel experience of its customers.

The introduction of 46 new Mercedes Benz E200 vehicles to the Emirates fleet is designed to help improve the airline’s overall customer travel package. The latest Mercedes chauffeur cars will be reserved for transporting passengers flying First Class with Emirates, while the airline’s existing fleet of Volvo chauffeur cars will continue to be used to transport those flying Business Class with Emirates.

Airport transfers in chauffeured cars are available for First Class and Business Class Emirates customers travelling either to or from Emirates terminal 3 Dubai Airport. Travel is available throughout the United Arab Emirates with the flexibility to book a chauffeur driven airport transfers up to 12 hours before a flight for First Class Customer, and up to 24 hours in advance for Business Class travellers.

In addition to the new Mercedes chauffeur cars recently added to the Emirates fleet, other benefits for travellers flying with Emirates is the choice of 30 dedicated lounges across the Emirates networks. Emirates hope to offer a stress-free travel experience for their First Class and Business Class customers, offering a premium-door-to-door service which incorporates ground transportation as well as air travel.

maserati-gran-turismo

Maserati recalls selected GranTurismo sports cars over defective brake lights

Luxury car manufacturer, Maserati, has recalled a number of their GranTurismo sports cars due to a brake light fault. In total 1,768 sports cars are being recalled as the leading Italian car maker has revealed that the issue is affecting GranTurismo convertible and coupé models manufactured between June 2008 and March 2010.

Maserati say they are in the process of contacting every owner of an affected GranTurismo sports car model to make them aware of the taillight issue, and to inform them of how the problem can be remedied. The Italian car maker is informing owners of their recalled models to take their car to the nearest Maserati repair centre where the faulty brake light will be repaired free of charge.

The defective brake light is reportedly due to a fault during the assembly of the Gran Turismo. Drivers of affected models are urged to get in touch with Maserati if they’ve yet to be contacted by the manufacturer, as a sudden failure of brake lights could prove highly dangerous and increase the car’s risk of being involved in an accident.

Last year Maserati were forced to recall certain 2009 models after a problem was detected with the car suspension.

The Maserati GranTurismo is priced between $123,000 – $142,000 with the V8 4.7 litre model boasting a top speed of 183mph producing 434bhp and the capability to accelerate from 0-62mph in just 4.8 seconds.

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Specialist local car rental provider launches website in UK

A car hire provider specialising in listings of local and independent car rental operators, has launched in the UK for the very first time. RentMama.com has been introduced in the North East of England as part of a pilot scheme where it has already recruited 30 local vehicle hire companies offering more than 2000 vehicles for hire in total.

RentMamma.com was first introduced in Latvia in 2010 where the model proved very successful with car hire consumers. The website succeeded in attracting 70% of Latvia’s car hire providers to its website, helping to offer customers a wide range of car hire operators all in one place.

While global brands offering consumers the opportunity to compare car hire prices across a wide range of providers are proving very popular with car hire consumers, RentMamma.com believes there is a gap in the market for a comparison site which focuses on local and independent car hire operators in specific areas.

RentMamma.com insist that local providers are often able to offer flexibility in terms of an increased choice of pick up and drop off locations, also more affordable deals and cheaper hire options for younger drivers. As well as offering great benefits to the customer, RentMamma.com believes their website will also provide a boost to local businesses.

The specialist local and independent car hire broker believes it has the capability to revolutionise the UK’s car hire market with its easy to use website offering the pick of the best local car hire deals.

james-bond-range-rover

Aston Martin is out and the Range Rover is in as filming begins for James Bond movie

If the recent photographs taken from the filming of the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, are anything to go by, it seems that even 007 isn’t recession proof as actor Daniel Craig was seen in a Range Rover jeep instead of the Aston Martin sports car usually associated with the English spy character.

Photos published in the press this week show a serious looking Craig, filming scenes for the upcoming movie Skyfall in London. The rugged actor is seen being chauffeured in a black Range Rover jeep, with a stuntman on the roof surrounded by metal apparatus, no doubt to facilitate some type of dramatic getaway.

It’s understood that the new Bond film had singled out a number of exotic filming locations including China and Bali for the shoot, however the movie producers were forced to cut back on the film budget which meant that the shooting locations had to be reined in. It’s now believed that the only foreign location used in filming will be Turkey, while London, Bognor Regis, Wales and Pinewood Studios will be used in the most part for Skyfall filming.

We’ll have to wait until November when the 23rd Bond movie is released to find out why James Bond is being chauffeured in the back seat of a Range Rover, although we’re pretty certain 007 will get behind the wheel of an Aston Martin or similarly glamorous sports car at some point in the movie – it wouldn’t be a Bond movie otherwise!