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Chauffeur News

Cadillac to release new chauffeur car next year

General Motors have revealed plans to unveil their latest Cadillac chauffeur car midway through 2012, with the Cadillac XTS sedan due to receive its debut at Detroit Motor Show next spring.

According to the luxury car makers, the new Cadillac XTS offers customers the best there is in terms of onboard equipment and the latest technology. Where previously, the Cadillac has lagged behind other brands in terms of its in-car computer systems, the latest XTS model looks set to more than rectify this issue as General Motors has pulled out all of the stops to create a car which is way ahead of the crowd.

The complete onboard computer system runs on ARM 11 3Core Processor making it three and half times more powerful than the system in current Cadillac models.

The main interface is an 8 inch LCD touch screen which features proximity sensing technology which means it senses when your hand gets closer, and reacts by displaying icons on screen. The screen will then react to your hand when you touch it as the icon you choose will pulse back against you to confirm this is the choice you have made. In addition, the new Cadillac also features voice recognition technology and the ability to read text messages aloud, amongst other helpful features.

The Lincoln Town Car is still the most popular model from General Motors, however the car manufacturer hopes to win over customers from the chauffeur and private hire sector with the updated and high tech model, the Cadillac XTS, when it finally goes on sale in 2012.

by Tony RobertsNovember 3, 2011no comment

Mercedes Benz chauffeur programme celebrates upgrade with London event

Luxury car manufacturer, Mercedes Benz, will officially introduce its upgraded chauffeur programme over two events in London this week. The original chauffeur scheme has been improved with added features designed specially with the London chauffeur industry in mind, according to a report from online magazine, The Chauffeur.

The new and improved programme for private hire chauffeurs will include a number of extra benefits from professional drivers, all of which will be revealed at the two London events which take place at Mercedes Benz Brentford and Colindale on November 2^nd and November 3^rd.

The Mercedes Benz chauffeur programme offers members access to enhanced roadside assistance, also tailored finance programmes and a vehicle tracking service.

Following the introduction of the new and improved programme, chauffeurs will be able to benefit from the additional features which will include the use of cold weather tyres, which could prove especially important for professional drivers at this time of year in the event that we experience the same difficult driving conditions as last winter. The use of the cold weather tyres could mean the difference between getting out on the road to fulfil a booking, and not, should we experience severe snowfall like last year.

Another key new feature due to be offered by the luxury car maker is the use of a library of high quality and high resolution images which chauffeurs will have access to in order to help with the marketing of their chauffeur services.

A full introduction to the enhanced Mercedes Benz chauffeur programme will be unveiled during the 2 day event in London this week.

by Andrew LloydNovember 2, 2011no comment

30 new jobs created in Cardiff by transport rental giant, Transport Broker Group

Transport Broker Group logo

Cars for Stars is expanding, and we’re offering 30 outstanding individuals the opportunity to join one of our teams as part of the Transport Broker Group at our new company offices Cardiff.

The Transport Broker Group is a conglomerate business made up of luxury transport hire provider, Cars for Stars, coach hire operator, Coach Broker, and limo hire brokerage, Limo Broker, and over the course of the next 12 months, the company is looking to more than double its workforce following its successful move to new offices in Cardiff.

The new office premises are several times larger than the previous Transport Broker Group headquarters which will help facilitate the company’s planned expansion. As a group, the company has already recruited 15 new staff members in the last month, with plans to recruit a further 30 in the coming weeks.

A variety of positions are available including sales team members, senior positions such as team leader roles, and the company will also be looking to add to its in-house team of web designers, copywriters and marketing officers over the course of the next year as the group continues to grow.

Tej Randeva, Chief Executive of the Transport Broker Group is especially proud of the company’s ability to create jobs in Wales during the difficult economic climate as he said, “While other companies, especially those involved in the transport industry, may be struggling to keep afloat and maintain their workforce, we are increasing ours considerably.”

Discussing the support available for new employees, Mr Randeva had this to say: “We’ve also developed a new in-house training scheme for all new staff members which will enable them to learn about the Transport Broker Group, our values, history and plans for the future and their role within the company so they can hit the ground running and become an asset to our business.”

Last month, the Transport Broker Group was named the 30^th fastest growing business in Wales at the Fast Growth 50 Awards in Cardiff, and with the company’s ambitious development plans for the coming 12 months, TBG are likely to top their previous ranking at the prestigious business awards next year.

For more information on the 30 new vacancies with Cars for Stars and the Transport Broker Group, get in touch with Ross Anderson on 02920 489 888 for full details.

by Andrew LloydOctober 25, 2011no comment

Chauffeur lands TV role on BBC documentary

A retired policeman turned chauffeur has landed a TV role alongside Griff Rhys-Jones on a BBC documentary which will be hitting our screens next year. The former sergeant only left the police force in May of this year and had been chauffeuring a handful of clients when he heard about the opportunity to appear on the new television documentary.

Mr Taylor-Bard decided to take on some part time chauffeur work after retiring from his role with the police after 30 years service earlier this year. After signing up with The British Chauffeurs Guild and getting a number of jobs driving private clients, the Mr Taylor-Bard decided to put himself forward for the role of chauffeuring Griff Rhys-Jones for the new TV programme.

The BBC were looking for a chauffeur to drive the comedian in a classic Rolls Royce to re-trace the journey undertaken by Queen Elizabeth l in 1574. The role called for someone with chauffeur experience, who wouldn’t feel uncomfortable speaking on camera and bantering with Rhys-Jones.

After a meeting and an audition, the ex copper won the role, and filming began for the one-off documentary in July. The former sergeant described the whole process of making the programme as an eye opener as filming for the 59 minute show took a total of 10 days.

Luckily the chauffeur from Epsom got on well with his co-star, the Welsh presenter Griff Rhys-Jones, and so spending long hours together in the vintage Rolls Royce wasn’t too much of a chore.

The finished documentary will be screened in 2012 on the BBC.

by Andrew LloydOctober 20, 2011no comment

Bentley planning mobile office chauffeur car

Bentley has unveiled their latest plans to create a state of the art chauffeur car which will operate like a mobile office. The new concept car will be fully equipped with the very latest technology including integrated iPads and Apple Max systems and video plasma screens.

The new mobile office concept limo was revealed by Bentley at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show. The inspiration for the new chauffeur car came from Bentley chief executive, Wolfgang Durheimer, as he revealed he spends a great deal of time in the back of cars preparing for upcoming meetings and so decided to design a new Bentley which would enable other busy executives the chance to utilise their time on the road by offering a mobile office space.

Features in the new Bentley will include a roof mounted 16 inch LED central video screen, plus two electric fold out tables which will each have an Apple iPad with Bluetooth connected keyboards. Each component is connected to an Apple Mini Mac hub which is installed in the vehicle’s boot and can be controlled from within side the car via an iPhone, iPod or one of the onboard iPads.

There’s also the additional option of adding two more DVD screens in the rear headrests which combined with the other features, can create a network of 5 screens onboard the Bentley chauffeur car. The Bentley will also have a Wi-Fi hotspot onboard to allow fast internet access on the move, as well as a fridge to store chilled drinks and other refreshments.

Bentley say that the first mobile office chauffeur car will go into production as soon as tests have been completed on the concept cars.

by Anita KumarOctober 4, 2011no comment

Etihad Airways introduces chauffeur service to reward customer loyalty

The national airline carrier for the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, has introduced a complimentary chauffeur service to reward their loyal customers.

Etihad have extended their complimentary chauffeur service to include parties flying on Coral Economy from the UAE until the end of November. The offer is available to group bookings who spend a minimum of AED 8,000 on airline tickets with the transport provider in one transaction.

Groups of up to 4 passengers can be transported in each chauffeur driven car, taking travellers from one location in the UAE, dropping off at Abu Dhabi airport which is serviced by Etihad Airways. The offer is valid on tickets for passengers travelling from UAE to any of the following international destinations including London, Manchester, Melbourne, Toronto, Sydney, Milan, Casablanca, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Tokyo, Seoul, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Geneva, and Brussels.

The airline says they are always looking to improve their rewards for loyal customers who travel with them regularly. The current chauffeur offer allows passengers to enjoy 5 star Etihad hospitality from the moment they set off on their journey. The airline says they’ve experienced a surge in demand for their services in the Dubai, Shavjah and Al Ain areas of the UAE and are therefore expecting a large number of passengers to take Etihad up on their special chauffeur offer.

by Andrew LloydSeptember 22, 2011no comment

Chauffeur kicked by businesswoman in London road rage attack

A chauffeur described being kicked and sworn at by a wealthy businesswoman following an alleged collision between their two vehicles at a set of traffic lights in London last November.

40-year-old company director, Maria Lemos, was found guilty of assault at the City of London Magistrates Court this week. 50-year-old chauffeur, Kenneth Oakley, described how Mrs Lemos had lashed out, kicking and swearing at him after she drove her Porsche Cayenne 4X4 into the back of his Mercedes Benz E-Class.

The chauffeur described how Mrs Lemos bumped into the back of his Mercedes when they stopped at traffic lights in London. Mr Oakley proceeded to get out of his car to assess the damage and talk to the driver of the other car, Mrs Lemos, however she quickly jumped back into her 4×4 after getting out of her vehicle and quickly dismissing she’d caused any damage.

At this point, Mr Oakley explained how the situation worsened as he stood in front of Mrs Lemos’s car door to stop her leaving, but she swung it closed anyway, hitting him on the arm, before kicking out at the chauffeur and shouting verbal abuse, and speeding off in her £55,000 vehicle.

The police tracked down Mrs Lemos and she was arrested at her family home in the affluent Marble Arch area of London later that night. The businesswoman attempted to defend her actions, saying she had lashed out in self defence as she was afraid she would fall victim to a carjacking attempt by Mr Oakley.

However the court found Mrs Lemos guilty of the assault and she was fined £600 and charged £300 costs, and ordered to pay £100 in compensation and £15 victim surcharge.

by Andrew LloydSeptember 15, 2011no comment

British car maker to launch super limo at Frankfurt Motor Show

British based car manufacturer, Eterniti, is due to reveal the world’s first super SUV at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The limo style vehicle will be hand made in London, with production on the vehicle due to begin early next year.

Automobile manufacturer, Eterniti, has revealed an image of their prototype limo ahead of the car’s debut at the world renowned motor show. The vehicle, which is known as the Hemera, will feature a limo style cabin with electric reclining seats, iPads and drinks chiller, making it an extremely comfortable chauffeur car option.

The body of the new super limo will be based on the Porsche Cayenne, although the vehicle’s 4×4 dimensions coupled with its dynamic performance makes it a practical alternative to the traditional limousine. Due to the compact dimensions of the new style SUV, the model offers the option to be both a self drive and chauffeur vehicle.

The Hemera SUV more than delivers on performance with a top speed of 180mph and 620bhp (brake horse power). The new model promises to bring a touch of luxury to the SUV market.

The prototype Hemera from UK based car makers Eterniti, will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 13^th following a press call. The first super SUV limos will go into production at the beginning of next year.

by Susan TaylorSeptember 12, 2011no comment

Limo chauffeur tricked by Leona Lewis fans

Leona Lewis’s chauffeur had the wool well and truly pulled over his eyes this weekend after two dedicated fans of the star managed to convince the singer’s driver that they were friends of Leona’s and needed to be let into the back of the luxury car.

The duo must have done a pretty impressive job of twisting the chauffeurs arm, as he agreed to let them in the back of the limo to wait for Leona to finish her performance at the London’s G-A-Y club over the weekend.

However the former X Factor winner had quite a shock when she came off stage and hopped in the back of her waiting chauffeur driven car, only to find two strangers sitting inside. Luckily the 26-year-old Bleeding Love singer took the incident in her stride and instead of throwing a hissy fit and demanding her security remove the fans immediately, Leona politely signed autographs for the pair, before they left the limo of their own accord.

It was a busy weekend for Leona Lewis, not only did she perform live at the Central London nightclub G-A-Y, she also appeared on the new ITV gameshow Red or Black, debuting her new look which is said to have cost £100,000 and created by Kylie Minogue stylist, William Baker. The Ant and Dec presented game show is a new project for Leona’s mentor, Simon Cowell, which explains her appearance of the first show on Saturday night which succeeded in pulling in over 6 million viewers.

by Andrew LloydSeptember 6, 2011no comment

NY pet chauffeur business weathering the economic downturn

A New York based pet chauffeur business is weathering the economic downturn as a result of adapting new practices to keep the customers coming through the doors.

The Manhattan business was set up 15 years ago after the company owner noted a gap in the market for a transport service for animals in the city. While smaller animals could be carried on public transport in baskets, larger animals such as dogs were unable to travel in the same way, and so Pet Chauffeur was launched to offer pet owners a hassle free and safe alternative to battling the crowds on the underground or bus with a pet in tow.

However following the recent economic downturn, New Yorkers are being more careful with their money, and so spending on pets, or even buying a new pet, has been reduced to bottom of the list.

While this could spell bad news for Pet Chauffeur, the company has fought back by narrowing its target consumer market to high end customers. Offering a high quality luxury service means they can concentrate on offering the very best service at a premium rate.

Another way in which the Pet Chauffeur has adapted in the face of the downturn is by joining forces with competitors by recommending rival companies who offer similar services in the event that Pet Chauffeur is unable to take a booking.

The lion’s share of bookings for Pet Chauffeur comes from driving pets to grooming and vet’s appointments and also transferring to kennels while their owners are away.

by Simon BerrySeptember 1, 2011no comment

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