Author

Susan Taylor

Susan is our fearless reporter who loves nothing better than getting behind the wheel of a brand new motor to tell our readers at Cars for Stars News all about the experience. If you have any suggestions about new models you’d like Susan to review, please get in touch.
whitney-houston

Whitney’s chauffeur reveals his story of driving the tragic star

Whitney Houston’s chauffeur of 20 years, Al Bowman, has spoken out in the wake of the 48-year-old star’s death about how he witnessed firsthand the star’s path of self destruction.

The chauffeur who drove Whitney Houston for two decades revealed how he has driven many famous faces during his career as a chauffeur, including both Janet and Michael Jackson and Ozzy Osborne, but out of all of the celebrity names, Whitney’s behaviour was by far the most extreme and worrying, Mr Bowman revealed in an interview with The Mirror newspaper.

In his interview, the chauffeur described how he had wanted desperately to help the Bodyguard star, but Whitney was beyond to help and hopelessly addicted to drugs, with the chauffeur describing in the singer as “tragic.”

Al Bowman retold a story of how Whitney and her former husband Bobbi Brown set the limo he was driving on fire as they smoked crack in the back of the luxury car. In a separate incident, the celebrity chauffeur revealed he even saw the troubled star smoking crack in the back of his limo, while her daughter Bobbi Kristina, who was aged 6 or 7 years at the time, sat next to her, with Al branding the incident “heartbreaking.”

Sources close to the singer say she managed to kick her drug taking habit and was sober throughout much of 2011. However Whitney is believed to have fallen back into her old ways in the months leading up to her death. The singer was found dead in the bath tub of her hotel room at The Beverley Hilton Hotel at the age of 48.

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Classic Ferrari sells for a record-breaking £20.2 million

A vintage 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, of which only 39 models were ever made, has sold for a budget-busting £20.2 million making it the second most expensive car ever sold.

The rare Ferrari sports car hit the headlines back in 2008 when it was bought by British businessman Jon Hunt for £15.7 million. Just 3 years after purchasing the car, the businessman has succeeded in selling the vintage luxury vehicle for £20.2 million, netting a profit of £4.5 million on the car within just a few years.

Mr Hunt, who made a fortune of £370 million when he sold Foxtons estate agency which he founded in 2008 just before the economic slump, is believed to have now sold the sought after sports car to a Spanish buyer for £20.2 million. The deal was made in secret sometime in the last two weeks, however word about the multi-million sale soon got out. The Ferrari is already thought to be on its way to Spain.

Only 39 Ferrari 250 GTO models were ever produced between 1962 and 1963. The sports cars were retailed at £6,000 each back in the 60’s and had the capability to accelerate from 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 174mph which was especially impressive at the time. The 250 model boasts a 3 litre V12 engine and an output of 300bhp.

The demand for vintage luxury cars has risen sharply in recent years as they are seen as good investment options. The most recent sale of the £20.2 million is likely to spark further interest in sales of high end classic cars.

The most expensive car ever sold is the 1936 Bugatti Type 575c which fetched between £20 million – £26 million in 2010.

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Lamborghini sports car for lotto winner who took 2 weeks to claim prize

A Euromillions winner from Wales says he plans to splash his winnings on his dream car, a Lamborghini Spyder. However 29-year-old Gavin Davies from Neath didn’t realise he’d scooped the top prize on the December 27th draw until two weeks later when he finally remembered to check his lottery ticket.

Gavin only discovered he’d won the Euromillions jackpot from December 27th on January 13th, luckily, before the claim deadline. The 29-year-old was revealed as the mystery winner of the jackpot at the Morgan Hotel in Swansea.

The martial arts expert has his grandparents to thank for their part in helping him claim his lotto win as they urged Gavin to check his lottery tickets after they saw an appeal by Camelot for the winner of the December 27th draw to come forward as the prize had not been claimed.

The cage fighter said he always knew he’d win the lottery one day, and he also knows exactly what he wants to spend his winnings on. As well as a Lamborghini sports car for himself, Gavin Davies will also treat his partner to a new motor and also take his family on holiday. However the Welshman is keen to invest in his and his family’s future after he became a father to a baby boy just four weeks ago and so he’s also planning to buy a property with his £1 million winnings.

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Video shows moment £100k Lamborghini crashed in high speed street race

The moment a £100k Lamborghini supercar smashes into a motorway barrier, narrowly avoiding hitting other road users, has been captured on video by another driver who witnessed the high speed, and highly dangerous, street race first hand.

The video footage shows four drivers in powerful sports cars, including a number of Lamborghinis, swerving in and out of the traffic on a public highway in Northern Taiwan. However the driver of a lime green Lamborghini supercar gets into trouble when the car encounters a vehicle travelling at a much slower place. As the Lambo breaks heavily to avoid hitting the slow moving vehicle, the car spins 180 degrees, crashing into the central reservation as the driver loses control.

Miraculously, the other speeding sports cars and the other drivers on the road in Taiwan, manage to avoid the Lamborghini as it collided into the motorway barrier. While it’s believed no one was injured as a result of the street race crash, the state of the £100,000 Lamborghini was another matter entirely and it’s reported it’s likely the vehicle would have been written off as a result of the crash.

The driver filming the entire incident while travelling in the middle lane of the motorway narrowly misses hitting the crashed Lamborghini, which makes for a heart-stopping moment in the middle of the YouTube video.

While no one was injured as a result of the accident, the video certainly highlights the dangers of this type of immature street racing which often involves the wealthy owners of luxury sports cars, as appears to be the case in this footage.

Limo Broker Audi R8 Superlimo

YouTube video of the Audi R8 Limo receives almost 5k hits in two days

The YouTube video giving the first look at the prototype for the world’s first Audi R8 limo has received almost 5,000 hits just two days after being posted on the video sharing site.

Limo Broker Audi R8 Limo

Limo Broker first unveiled plans to create the world’s fastest limousine last weekend at the Transport Broker Awards hosted at the home of the Ryder Cup golf tournament 2012, the Celtic Manor Resort. Chris Wright from Carbonyte UK, the creator of the world’s only Ferrari Limo, introduced the rendered video of the Audi R8 limo and outlined plans for the project to an invited audience of 250 guests, including business leaders from the luxury transport industry from across the country.

This year’s Transport Broker Awards also hosted the final of the Miss Limo beauty pageant for the very first time. The winner, Gemma Roberts, was crowned Miss Limo 2012 by the reigning Miss Universe Great Britain, Chloe-Beth Morgan. As part of Gemma’s prize for winning the title of Miss Limo 2012, she will become the face of the brand new stretch Audi R8 Limo once it’s complete.

Limo Broker Audi R8 Superlimo

Limo Broker Audi R8 Superlimo

Plans for the Audi R8 Limo had been kept tightly under wraps until the big announcement last weekend. Once complete, the stretch Audi R8 limousine will be the only vehicle of its kind in existence, and also the fastest limo in the world.

The YouTube video gives a 3D impression of how the finished limousine will look and is proving a big hit online having already received 4,856 hits less than 48 hours after being posted on the internet. If you’ve not checked out the video of the exclusive ne supercar yet, take a look at it right now and prepare to be blown away.

Due to high demand, a new facebook page for the Audi R8 Limo has been launched.

smartcar

Private hire company to introduce smart cars to its fleet

A private hire transport company based in Edinburgh has revealed plans to introduce Smart cars to its fleet in the New Year with the aim of reducing emissions and providing speedy and economical transportation for single passenger journeys.

Edinburgh Private Hire believe the new Smart car taxi service will be especially popular as it estimates that currently 55% of the trips undertaken by its drivers from its base at Edinburgh Airport are for single passengers.

Smart cars will not only help the company to reduce its CO2 emissions, but also enhance fuel consumption and also ease congestion due to the size of the pint size vehicles which makes them ideal for city driving.

The private hire firm is committed to green travel and says that in the future, they hope to introduce electric powered vehicles, however at the moment, the lack of charging points in the city would be a cause for concern for them. Until electric powered cars prove viable for the firm, the Smart cars will assist Edinburgh Private Hire in its bid to provide eco friendly travel.

Edinburgh Private Hire hope to have the first of their Smart cars up and running in the first quarter of 2012 after the City Council granted permission and waived licence conditions.

The company say they hope to pass on the savings to the customer through reduced fares as the cost would be set for single passengers.

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Cheap Coach Hire to the London 2012 Olympics thanks to Coach Broker

The UK’s leading coach and minibus hire provider, Coach Broker, have launched discounted rates for customer booking transport hire of the London 2012 Olympics this summer. Whether you’re planning a group trip to the capital for this world renowned sporting event and need to hire a double-decker coach, or perhaps you’re travelling to the London Games with a small group of family or friends and you require minibus hire, Coach Broker will be able to provide you with a highly competitive transport rental service.

Coach Broker boasts an enviable selection of coaches and minibuses all of which are available to hire in a range of sizes and styles so as to suit the requirements of your travel. All coaches and minibuses are also provided along with a highly experienced chauffeur who will go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure your coach hire trip to the London Olympics is hassle free so you’ll be able to sit back and relax in Coach Broker’s capable hands.

As a nationwide company, Coach Broker operate in all parts of the UK so wherever you’re travelling from to the London Olympics, whether it’s Buckinghamshire or Surrey, Newcastle or Carlisle, Liverpool or Manchester, Wrexham or Cardiff, Birmingham or Norfolk, Nottingham or Swindon, trust Coach Broker to transport you to the capital in comfort and style.

Further discounts are also being offered for multiple coach and minibus hire bookings so if you’re looking to hire a number of vehicles, perhaps as part of a corporate trip to the Olympics or as part of a club, you’ll be able to take advantage of these ultra low rates available on multi coach bookings with Coach Broker.

To request your free quote for chauffeur driven coach or minibus hire to the London 2012 Olympics, call Coach Broker today.

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Mercedes “Taxi” owned by Ryanair boss up for sale

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has advertised his personal chauffeur car for sale, billing it as the “Ireland’s most famous taxi” and stating himself as the owner in attempt to grab the attention of second hand car buyers.

The 2007 Mercedes Benz S-Class S500L long wheelbase car has extended legroom for the comfort of its passengers and comes with full leather interior, heated seats and in-car phone kit, however it also comes with a sky high mileage with 170,000 miles on the clock.

The Irish budget airline owner caused controversy when in 2003 he bought a taxi licence when meant that his registered car could be driven in bus lanes, helping the Ryanair boss dodge gridlocked traffic. However Mr O’Leary was later forced to employ a chauffeur as part of the rules of the licence and the Mercedes has to meter all of its trips in accordance with the taxi licence regulations.

The Ryanair boss obviously travels a great deal as the car has accumulated a mileage of 170,000 in just four years. It also emerged that in 2009, O’Leary ran up a bill of €96,000 to the taxi company who supplied his chauffeur, coincidentally, O’Leary also owns the company.

If you fancy getting behind the wheel of the businessman’s Mercedes chauffeur car, then it can be yours for just €20,000, which works out as £16,700.

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George Harrison’s Aston Martin sports car to go under the hammer in London

A 1960’s classic Aston Martin DB5 sports car originally owned by Beetle’s legend George Harrison will be sold at auction in London this week and is expected to fetch in the region of £225,000- £260,000 when it goes under the hammer.

The extra special vintage sports car is being sold along with 60 other lots at the True Greats London auction due to take place this week in the capital. The 1964 Aston Martin was delivered to George Harrison on January 1st 1965 and was custom made to order especially for the music star.

As well as boasting a top speed of 148mph and 0-60mph of just 7.1 seconds, the Beetle also requested a number of special features on his new DB5 including chrome wire wheels, 3 ear hub caps, FIAM horns, and a detachable passenger headrest to name just a handful of the extra features included on the classic car. The Aston Martin has been maintained in pristine condition having spent much of its life on show at a Tokyo museum and currently has just over 22,000 miles on the clock.

As well as the classic Aston Martin DB5 with its famous previous owner, other vehicles of note that are due to go under the hammer at the True Greats auction include a 1937 Mercedes Benz Cabriolet A which is estimated to fetch between £500,000 – £600,000 and a Cord 810 Phaeton which once belonged to Led Zepplin’s Jimmy Page.

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Teen footballer splashes out £130k on new Aston Martin sports car

19-year-old up and coming footballer Phil Jones who signed for Manchester United over the summer seems to be accustoming himself to the lavish footballer lifestyle as the teenager was seen driving his brand new Aston Martin sports car off a garage forecourt last week.

The youngster, who previously played for Blackburn United, transferred to one of the biggest clubs in the UK, Manchester United, this summer in a move that was worth £16.5 million. The 19-year-old has gone on to establish himself in Man U’s first team, and even put his hand up for England selection getting his first start in the international squad last month and earning himself a total of three caps in a short space of time.

With the future looking decidedly rosy for the Manchester United defender, who could blame him for wanting to treat himself to his first luxury sports car?! And a very nice choice of sports car it is too, the Aston Martin V12 Vantage boasts a 0-62mph rate of just 4.2 seconds, a top speed of 190mph and is one of the most desired sports cars in the world.

Footballer Phil Jones was spotted collecting his new drive, a silver version of the Aston Martin Vantage V12, from an exclusive Cheshire motor dealership in Wilmslow last week, but at just 19 years of age, we dread to think what the insurance would be on this £130,000 sports car.