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Cars for Stars Manager remembers his football days with new Cardiff City signing Craig Bellamy

Craig Bellamy and Gavin Dominguez

Cars for Stars Sales Manager, Gavin Dominguez is one of the many Cardiff City fans rejoicing in the news that Welsh football captain, Craig Bellamy, will be joining the Bluebirds on loan for the rest of the season. But Gavin has more reason than most to celebrate the arrival of Bellamy at the club, as the pair are former teammates who played together during their youth.

Recounting his football days playing alongside the young Craig Bellamy, Gavin revealed it was obvious from a young age he was destined for big things in the world of sport. Sales Manager Gavin and new Cardiff City striker Craig played on the same team representing Cardiff Schools and district while growing up in the Trowbridge area of the city (pictured above). View large image.

While representing the Cardiff Schools and district on a football tour of France, Belgium and the Netherlands, Gavin recalls one game which demonstrates Craig’s immense talent and his ability to turn the fortunes of a match. After a tie at full time, the game came down to a nail-biting penalty shoot out, with the Cardiff side emerging triumphant with Bellamy scoring the winning goal to clinch the match.

As in all sports, there are highs and lows, and Cars for Stars office boss Gavin also witnessed a few lows alongside his teammate Bellamy. During one very important match the Cardiff team were playing against Deeside. One of the stars of the opposing team was a young Michael Owen, who now plays for top premiership side, Manchester United. On this occasion, the Cardiff side were robbed of their important win after a last minute goal from the Deeside team.

The entire team were heartbroken to have lost out so narrowly, and no one more so than Bellamy who even at this young age, Gavin describes as displaying a “passion for the game unlike anyone I’d ever seen.”

Like all Cardiff City supporters, Gavin and the rest of the Cars for Stars team at the Cardiff Bay office are excited to have the Welsh striker at the club, and are hoping his talent and passion will be enough to give the Bluebirds the boost they need to make the leap into the Premiership League.

by Andrew LloydAugust 20, 2010no comment

Production at Rolls Royce plant in Chichester, the highest it’s ever been

The Rolls Royce production plant at Goodwood in Chichester has gone into overdrive in recent months and is now producing more vehicles per day than ever before.

Compared to the same period last year when the Chichester plant was producing just 4 or 5 cars a day, production has now tripled with the factory churning out 15 luxury vehicles a day on average, which is the highest rate it’s ever been since the plant opened in 2003.

However demand for the top of the range Rolls Royce vehicles such as the popular Ghost and Phantom models means that even if you were to place an order for one of these cars today, work wouldn’t begin on your vehicle until September due to a backlog of orders.

With so much care and attention being paid to each car during the production process, Rolls Royce takes 3 months to build one of its vehicles from start to finish.

At present the Goodwood plant has no immediate plans to hire more permanent staff members, although if production continues to be high over the coming months, Rolls Royce will look to employ more workers to join its 800 workforce at the facility.

The Rolls Royce Phantom and the Rolls Royce Ghost models continue to be two of the most desired luxury cars in the world.

by Andrew LloydJuly 26, 2010no comment

Complaints from car hire customers on the up says consumer group

A leading consumer group has revealed that complaints from UK motorists, hiring vehicles in Europe has risen dramatically this year.

The UK European Consumer Centre (UKECC) who conducted the research believe that British holidaymakers need to be vigilant when hiring a car outside of the UK so as to not leave themselves open to potential extra charges which could be added on without their knowledge.

In the first 5 months of this year, the UKECC found a 30% increase in the number of complaints lodged from UK car hire customers in Europe compared to the same period in 2009. The countries where the most complaints were made included Italy, Spain, France and Ireland.

One of the biggest pitfalls is often in the wording of car hire contracts in the EU which can differ greatly from those in the UK. The consumer group is advising car hire customers to thoroughly read, and understand their contracts prior to signing up.

Other areas where car rental customers get stung with extra charges, which in turn causes complaints, arise as a result of not signing off their hire agreement properly, or not running through the hire return checklist thoroughly. By failing to do this, the customer is leaving themselves open to extra fees which the car hire company can add on after the customer has left.

In order to prevent more car hire customers getting caught out, the UKECC has created a leaflet where they can find plenty of advice and tips to ensure a problem free car hire experience in the EU this summer.

by Andrew LloydJuly 23, 2010no comment

Tom Cruise to race on the BBC’s motoring show Top Gear

Hollywood actor and star of Top Gun and Vanilla Sky, Tom Cruise, will appear on this Sunday’s episode of Top Gear, it has been announced.

However the good news doesn’t end there, as keeping him company when he takes to the race track to appear in the show’s segment, “the star in the reasonably priced car” will be the co-star of his new movie, Cameron Diaz.

The blonde actress and star of Charlie’s Angels will also get behind the wheel of a Kia cee’d to burn some rubber on the race track. The two Hollywood A-listers will compete against each other to see who can bag the fastest lap on the race circuit.

A fellow actor, Harry Potter’s Rupert Grint, is currently in pole position on the show’s leader board having completed the fastest lap of the series. But will he be nudged into second position by either Cameron or Tom? We’ll just have to wait and see…

In a statement released by the Top Gear show, the team reveal their excitement at the news that both Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise will appear on the programme saying: “For the past week, the air in the office had been alive with a sort of sweaty-palmed excitement.”

The Hollywood actors are in the UK to promote the release of their brand new film, Knight and Day, in which they star opposite each other. The movie is due to gets its official UK premiere in London’s Leicester Square this week.

by Andrew LloydJuly 22, 20101 comment

Ferrari theme park to open in Abu Dhabi this October

The world’s largest indoor theme park is due to open its doors in Abu Dhabi on October 28^th. Over 20 rides and attractions are housed under the massive, custom made red roof which has been inspired by the shape of the bodywork of the Ferrari GT.

As the first Ferrari Theme Park in the world, expect to see some truly amazing attractions when the venue finally opens its doors this autumn. The park has been three years in the making and is a celebration of the luxury Italian car maker, Ferrari.

Take a ride on the fastest rollercoaster in the world which will propel you at speeds of 240kmph in just five seconds. Other spectacles include a tour of the Maranello Factory, and Viaggio in Italia which will take you on a virtual ride in a Ferrari through some of the most famous Italian landmarks. Kids will enjoy being taken on a 4D adventure trip lead by a racing driver on the “Nello” ride, Speed of Magic.

With just over three months to go until the grand opening of this exciting theme park on Yas Island, the final touches are being made to this astonishing attraction which promises to entertain, enthral, and showcase the legendary Ferrari brand at its very best.

by Andrew LloydJuly 22, 2010no comment

National road safety award for Arriva

Arriva’s EcoManager project has been recognised at the annual Fleet Safety Forum Awards, presented by road safety charity Brake.

The company was named a winner in the ‘Company Driver Safety’ category for its work in developing EcoManager, the dashboard-mounted LED display which encourages safer and more efficient driving techniques, in partnership with technology provider 21st Century.

Successfully trialled at the group’s Runcorn depot in the North West, the system gives drivers real-time feedback on their driving performance, and is being deployed across all of Arriva’s UK bus operations during 2010. As well as reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions the adoption of ‘eco-driving’ techniques has delivered a simultaneous improvement in accident rates.

Eco-driver training included roadshows, leaflets, posters and one to one discussions which explained to drivers how driving using “the accelerator to go and to slow” and using greater emphasis on forward planning and anticipation would help reduce stress, fatigue and ill health.

Lynne Beale, group risk manager at Arriva, said: “Improving safety and fuel efficiency are always high on Arriva’s priorities. This award recognises everyone’s hard work in the successful delivery of EcoManager, which was made possible by our drivers who fully embraced the technology and have adopted eco-driving styles. This helps Arriva
reduce its CO2 emissions, and also provides a smoother and more comfortable journey for customers. The change in driving style has helped Arriva significantly improve its safety performance.”

The awards, sponsored by ARVAL, recognise the achievements of organisations setting excellent standards for fleet safety and risk management. In addition, EcoManager was also highly commended alongside Gateshead and Liverpool City Councils in the Eco Fleet category.

by Andrew LloydJuly 21, 2010no comment

Audi plan to improve fuel efficiency with smaller engines

Audi is planning to achieve its goal of creating cars with outstanding performance and also great fuel efficiency by downsizing their engines, it has been revealed.

An Audi spokesperson confirmed the news after revealing that the German car maker is back in the engineering room attempting to create an engine which will meet its brief as the spokesperson explains: “Audi is pursuing an engine downsizing strategy when appropriate for the market segment.”

While some car manufacturers look to aluminium to create a lightweight bodywork for car designs which will in turn aid fuel consumption, Audi is now attempting to follow a different route with the design of a smaller engine for its vehicles.

Audi has possibility been spurred on by the success of a previous project of their own. In 2004 the luxury car maker introduced the V8 with a 4.2 L engine, at the time Audi announced it was their best achievement in a decade. However Audi followed up with the V6 which boasted 27% better fuel consumption and it also produced a better performance.

As well as looking into strategies to improve fuel consumption in their best performing cars, Audi are also developing hybrid and electric models which they plan to release into the international market.

by Andrew LloydJuly 21, 2010no comment

Chauffeur attack model stands trial in London

A Swedish male model is standing trial in London accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm on his former girlfriend’s chauffeur.

The court heard from the prosecution that the violent act was motivated by anger as the model, 30-year-old Patrick Ribbsaeter, was furious that his Saudi-princess girlfriend had called off their relationship after catching him with two women at her London flat.

After the princess, Sara Al-Amoudi caught out her boyfriend, the pair went to dinner to discuss their future. They were driven to a restaurant and later to a number of night clubs in a Rolls Royce chauffeured by Sarkis Tokatian, also known as Steve.

The trio returned to the Central London flat where Ms Al-Amoudi declared that Ribbsaeter wasn’t the man for her. She fell asleep, and it was at this point that Ribbsaeter, described as a “gold digger” in court, lunged at the sleeping princess, the prosecution claims.

The chauffeur sprang to Ms Al-Amoudi’s defence, and it was then that Ribbsaeter smashed a glass and stabbed the chauffeur in the face with the broken glass 6 times.

Ribbsaeter denies the charge and insists he acted in defence claiming that the chauffeur, Tokatian was indeed the attacker.

The trial continues at Southwark Crown Court. Patrick Ribbsaeter denies inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and also unlawfully wounding his former girlfriend during the incident.

by Andrew LloydJuly 14, 2010no comment

92k Audi R8 goes up in flames

An Audi R8 estimated to be worth £92,000 mysteriously went up in flames over the weekend while its owner was taking it for a spin on Sunday morning in the US.

The luxury car is reported to have been completely destroyed by the blaze. It seems the fire department and the police are at a loss to determine what caused the fire and are likely to claim the fire was accidental.

The exclusive Audi was owned by a US lottery winner who scooped $24 million on a powerball jackpot back in 2009. It’s understood that the lotto winner had only just purchased the car, having collected the vehicle a week prior to the fire incident.

It’s believed lottery winner, Rahul Patel, had taken his new ride for a spin on Sunday morning in Connecticut when he glanced in the rear view mirror to see smoke billowing out of the back end of the Audi.

At this point, Patel pulled off the road and jumped out of the luxury vehicle to investigate the cause of the smoke. After getting out of the Audi, Patel noticed flames shooting out of the rear of the car, which is where the engine is situated.

The fire services were called, however the Audi R8 became consumed by flames and has been totally destroyed by the fire.

At present it is not known what caused the fire, although reports suggest the fire department are likely to class it as accidental.

by Andrew LloydJuly 14, 2010no comment

Custom made Rolls Royce Phantom golf buggy revealed

More commonly seen chauffeuring brides to weddings or businessmen to important meetings, the Rolls Royce Phantom is not a familiar sight on the golf course, however that maybe about to change with the launch of the Phantom golf cart.

Introducing the custom made Rolls Royce Phantom golf buggy. Luxury Carts is responsible for creating the custom made golf buggy which is a mini replica of the ever popular Rolls Royce Model.

The attention to detail in the design of the luxurious golf ride is superb. The bespoke electric powered cart even bears the famous Rolls Royce grille, and the RR badge so it’s instantly recognisable as being part of the luxury brand.

With room onboard to transport 6 passengers, you can bring a gang of friends along for a chauffeur driven round of golf when you take a ride in the Phantom buggy. The luxury cart also features 15 inch chrome wheels, leather seats, two tone exterior trim, and LED headlights so you’ll be treated to a sumptuous round of golf when you take to the fairway in the back of this exclusive golf buggy.

As well as the Rolls Royce golf buggy, Luxury Carts also offer a range of other custom made golf vehicles including miniature versions of the Bentley, Mercedes Benz and Cadillac Escalade to name but a few.

by Andrew LloydJuly 12, 2010no comment

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