Author

Anita Kumar

Anita is our Trainee Reporter and Researcher who is starting her journalistic career here at Cars for Stars News after completing a degree in Journalism at Cardiff University. As well as reporting on her own stories, Anita also works as a researcher on the news site to assist the other reporters.

Tearaway Granny appeals for live-in chauffeur

A tearaway granny has made an appeal during a radio interview for a live-in chauffeur to help her get out and about after the police took away her license.

82-year-old Judith Slade lost her license last summer after she was caught speeding at 102mph. Earlier this month, she was caught out again by the police, this time for drink-driving, and driving without a valid license.

To avoid another run-in with the law, Mrs Slade has resigned herself to the fact that she may need to employ a live-in chauffeur so she can still get out and about.

Speaking during a radio interview on Melbourne’s Nova 100 Radio Station, the octogenarian said she has a “serious offer” for anyone will to be her full time chauffeur. In exchange she is offering the would-be driver free accommodation at her home, and if things work out, she’s promised to even leave her house to the potential chauffeur once she dies.

Judith Slade has been dubbed a “hoon” by the press in Australia, a term usually used to describe young male boy racers, following her spate of driving offences. Talking in the radio interview, Mrs Slade said she’d never received a single driving conviction until being caught speeding last year. It’s been reported she was on her way to meet her lover at the time, a lover she’s since lost as a result of having her licence removed.

Despite her advancing age, the young at heart granny still wants to be out and about in the company of others. However Mrs Slade claims she’s unable to do this now, because the police have “made a criminal” out of her.

So if you’re an Australia based chauffeur looking for a job and accommodation, Mrs Slade has a proposition for you…

by Anita KumarFebruary 17, 2011no comment

Million dollar sports car to go on sale in the US

An Italian sports car, so exclusive that they only made 18 of them, will go on sale in the US later this year priced at a whopping $1.1 million.

The Pagani Huayra is produced by a small car designing company based in San Cesario, just outside of Modena in Italy. The Huayra sports car, which means god of wind in South American, is a beast of a car boasting 700 bhp, two turbochargers with a 6 litre, 12-cylinder Mercedes AMG 158 engine capable of achieving a top speed of 230 mph.

The small Italian car maker only made 18 of Pagani Huayra cars this year, with 5 of them earmarked for sale in the US. With this kind of exclusivity, competition to buy one of these state of the art super cars is going to be fierce.

The engine of the Huayra features a unique system whereby it takes in air behind the car’s passengers. Pagani say the feature is a tribute to the supersonic aircraft of the 1950’s and 60’, which allows air into the engine while causing minimum disruption to the vehicle’s aerodynamics.

Pagani is planning to double its orders by next year, so if you don’t manage to get your hands on one this year, you may be in luck come 2012. The car manufacturing plant is currently churning out 40 cars on average every year, with its most established sports car model being the Zonda, which is not currently available in the US.

The Pagani Huayra is due to go on display at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

by Anita KumarFebruary 16, 2011no comment

Pink hummer limo transports couple to their rollercoaster wedding

A pink hummer limo driven by a smart suited chauffeur transported a bride and groom to their unconventional wedding venue yesterday in Florida.

Richie Kearns and Sherry Blais chose the most romantic day of the year, Valentine’s Day, to tie the knot in a very unusual ceremony.

The day started off traditionally enough, with a chauffeur driven wedding car, red carpet arrival, and the blushing bride wearing a white wedding dress, but there was nothing conventional about this big day as the couple strapped themselves into the Beach Hurricane Rollercoaster to exchange their vows.

The couple from Fort Myers, USA, chose to tie the knot on the only remaining wooden rollercoaster in South Florida to ensure their Valentine’s Day wedding was especially memorable.

After arriving at the Dania Beach theme park, Boomers, in the back of a chauffeur driven pink hummer limo, the bride and groom were treated to a red carpet welcome, complete with a balloon arch, and white tulle draping.

The couple then hopped onboard the rollercoaster which had a sign above which read “Tunnel of Love” along with a handful of bridesmaids as their family and friends looked on as they exchanged vows on the top of the white knuckle ride.

As soon as they were announced husband and wife, the newlyweds were whisked off on the rollercoaster, with the bride hanging onto her veil at one point to stop it from flying off during the ride.

Newlyweds Richie and Sherry said they were inspired to tie the knot on a rollercoaster after they spotted another couple doing getting hitched on a high-speed ride a few months earlier.

by Anita KumarFebruary 15, 2011no comment

Etihad Airways launch chauffeur driven car hire service

Etihad Airways has launched a brand new chauffeur driven car hire service to ensure their premium customers in India receive an impeccable standard of customer care.

The airline prides itself on offering the very best customer service and hospitality and the introduction of the new service displays yet again their commitment to providing their clients with a superior standard of travel.

The chauffeur driven car hire service will be available to all customers travelling with Etihad on Diamond First Class or Pearl Business Class tickets. The chauffeur service will transport customers free of charge, on their journey either to or from any of the airports which the airline flies from in India. Customers can expect to receive a very comfortable trip as all chauffeur journeys will be made in a stylish Mercedes E Series vehicle.

Etihad Airways currently flies to eight destinations in India including Chennai, New Delhi, and Mumbai amongst others, operating 46 flights a week in and outbound from the country. Most recently, Etihad launched flights from Bangalore as the airline continues to expand its operations in India.

The airline says they expect the service to be “well received” and extremely popular with their premium customers. For more information on the chauffeur driven car hire service available via Etihad in India, please visit their official website.

by Anita KumarFebruary 4, 2011no comment

Cars for Stars limo hire agents triumph at the Transport Broker Awards

The limo hire agents for Cars for Stars who triumphed at the Transport Broker Awards can now be officially revealed after the high flying companies were presented with their trophies at this year’s glitzy awards bash held at the St David’s Hotel and Spa in Cardiff Bay over the weekend.

The awards show has become an annual event and is now in its third year. The event aims to celebrate the hard work of staff members and agents working across all three companies which make up the Transport Broker Group, namely Limo Broker, Cars for Stars and Coach Broker. This year’s event was especially significant as it was the first time Cars for Stars was involved in the celebration after they joined the Transport Broker Group last summer.

Kicking off with the regional awards, the Cars for Stars Agent of the Year for the North East and Scotland was named as LA Limos, with Millennium coming in second place. The award for Agent of the Year for the North West was presented to Star Limos with Bees Knees claiming the runner-up position.

Carrying on with the regional awards category, Agent of the Year for the Midlands was named as The Limo Scene, with Midlands Limos in second place. The trophy for Agent of the Year for South West, South East and London was handed to Absolute Style, with Phantom Drophead claiming second place. The Agent of the Year Award for Wales and the West Country was presented to Awesome Limos with Stardust claiming the runner up spot.

Moving onto the National Awards for Cars for Stars, the gong for Best Fleet was awarded to Oasis Limos, while West 1 scooped the award for Best Customer Services. The trophy for Best Wedding Car/ Chauffer Car was presented to Top Marque for their Candy Apple C300, while the top award for Cars for Stars Agent of the Year was awarded to Essex Limos.

Exclusive pictures from The Transport Broker Awards 2010/11 will be available to view on Cars for Stars News by the end of the week.

by Anita KumarFebruary 1, 2011no comment

Lotus sports car on patrol with West Midlands Police

A Lotus Sports car was donated to the West Midlands police last week making it the first elite sports vehicle to be used by a UK police force.

The impressive vehicle, which boasts a top speed of 168mph and achieves 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds, will join the Midlands police force for a two week trial after it was generously donated by Evora.

Lotus have previously offered their latest models on loan to police forces in the UK including the Exige model which was used temporarily by the West Sussex police, and the Espirit model which was loaned to another force.

In several European countries, the use of sports cars by police officers is relatively common. German police officers have a number of Porsche 911 sports cars at their disposal, while the Italian police trump the lot as they once has a specially adapted Lamborghini Gallardo within their fleet.

Motorists in the West Midlands area will have to keep their eyes peeled to spot the latest Lotus model as the car has been transformed into a working police car with full branding, flashing lights, and police badges. The Lotus will be used to patrol the busiest highways in the West Midlands area including several major motorways.

The police officers hope the presence of the speedy sports car will discourage motorists from trying to out-run police officers if they are asked to pull over. The West Midlands police hope the Lotus sports car will provide them with an opportunity to interact with the public more, and send out a stronger message as regards to road safety.

by Anita KumarJanuary 17, 2011no comment

Electric car hire launched in Portugal

Car hire giant Sixt is leading the way with green car rentals in Portugal having recently launched a fleet of electric powered cars for hire in the country.

Sixt has joined forces with Mitsubishi Portugal to offer travellers to the popular European holiday destination the option of hiring an eco-friendly vehicle.

From January, Sixt will have several Mitsubishi i-MiEV models available to hire from their Lisbon rental centre. The electric powered Mitsubishi vehicle produces zero emissions making it an ideal rental vehicle for those who are concerned about their carbon footprint.

As well as the reduced emissions, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV model also offers car rental customers the chance to save money on fuel costs as the electric vehicles offer savings of up to a third on fuel costs compared to petrol and diesel powered vehicles.

The electric vehicle will only be available to hire from Sixt’s rental centre in Lisbon initially, although if there is sufficient demand, the electric Mitsubishis could be rolled out to a variety of other rental centres in Portugal during the year. Rental rates for the electric Mitsubishi start from €59 a day.

Sixt is one of the Europe’s leading vehicle rental companies and is renowned for leading the way with innovative services.

by Anita KumarJanuary 13, 2011no comment

Hertz and Beverly Hills Rent a Car join forces to offer luxury car hire

Top name car rental company and leading California based luxury car hire operator Beverly Hills Rent a Car have joined forces in order to fulfil the growing demands for luxurious car hire in the state.

Beverly Hills Rent a Car has a vast array of top quality cars available for hire from world renowned brands such as Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Porsche and Mercedes which will allow Hertz to offer a different calibre of vehicle to their car rental customers.

Hertz is a world leader in the provision of car rentals for general use and airport car hire services, however the partnership with Beverly Hills Rent a Car will allow Hertz the opportunity to branch into a whole new market of luxurious travel.

Launching the new luxury car hire service in California is a shrewd move as there is a definite demand for the service in this area from film studios and celebrities either visiting or living in the state.

The joint venture will offer a range of services including complementary pick-up and drop-off to and from several Hertz car rental bases in California, plus VIP collection from airports, and the choice of a wide range of luxury and classic cars.

Hertz say the decision to partner Beverly Hills Rent a Car in this new venture was based on the growing interest in luxury travel in California.

by Anita KumarJanuary 7, 2011no comment

Cheaper car hire rates predicted for the New Year

There’s good news on the horizon for car hire customers as experts are predicting cheaper rates in the New Year as the industry recovers from the effects of the economic downturn which has been hampering services over the last two years.

As car rental firms struggled to get financial backing from the banks to purchase new vehicles for their fleet, the number of hire cars available was heavily reduced, which pushed up the cost of rentals as there was still the same amount of demand, but not enough cars to go around.

The cost of car hire in certain holiday hot spots rocketed by as much as 500% as a result which hit holidaymakers hard.

However as the car rental industry starts to emerge from the gloom of the recession, the after effects are also paling in significance. Many operators are now able to obtain the backing of the banks, which means they are in a position to add to their fleet of rental cars.

This spells good news for car hire customers as there will be an increase in the choice of rental cars available which will in turn, help keep rates competitive between car hire providers.

The advice being given by car rental experts to those planning to book car hire is to do so as far in advance as possible in order to take advantage of early booking incentives being offered.

by Anita KumarDecember 21, 2010no comment

Charles and Camilla’s Rolls Royce limo attacked by student protesters

Royal couple Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall became the most high profile faces to get caught up the student protest over tuition fee increases when their chauffeur driven Rolls Royce limo was attacked in Central London yesterday.

Charles and Camilla were making the short journey from St James Palace to the London Palladium for this year’s Royal Variety Performance when they came under attack from protesters on Regent Street.

Once the protesters spotted the Royal couple travelling onboard the Rolls Royce surrounded by police security they set about targeting the vehicle, throwing bins in the road to stop the car, pelting it with objects and paint, kicking the doors and at one point, smashing a window on the luxury car.

Photographers captured the terrified looks on the royal’s faces as their vehicle was pounced on by the protestors, with Camilla in particular, looking especially shaken.

It was estimated that some 20,000 students took to the streets bringing parts of central London to a standstill yesterday as they protested over the Government’s plans to increase University tuition fees. In some cases fees could be tripled at a cost of £9,000 per year for each student.

Following the Royal’s official engagement at the London Palladium, they were transported back to St James Palace in the back of a police van for their own safety.

by Anita KumarDecember 10, 2010no comment

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