Vans, Cars and Leasing

Green driving could not only help the environment but also save drivers up to £100 each year in wasted fuel.

New RAC research shows that motorists who choose not to adopt ‘eco-driving’ contribute to a £2.2 billion wasted fuel bill each year.

The research shows that British motorists drive over five billion miles each year while lost.

In addition 60% of drivers aren’t aware that changing gear when revs are high can reduce fuel consumption, and 40% think that driving under 45mph always saves fuel.

A further 9% admit to checking their tyre pressure less than once a year, with 77% saying they are not aware that under-inflated tyres increase fuel consumption.

The RAC findings also show that drivers are not sure which driving practices can save fuel:

A tenth wrongly believe that braking regularly will reduce fuel consumption
Nearly a sixth incorrectly think warming the engine up before moving off reduces fuel used

Over a quarter aren’t aware that switching off air conditioning significantly reduces fuel used
David Bizley, RAC’s technical director said: “With fuel prices at a record high, adopting eco driving techniques is an easy way to reduce fuel consumption.”

RAC has come up with the following hints and tips to help improve fuel efficiency and reduce cars’ impact on the environment:

1 - Pump up to cut down: under inflated tyres create more resistance when your car is moving, which means engines have to work harder, so more fuel is used and more CO2 emissions are produced (the owner handbook will advise the correct pressure)

2 - Less clutter means less CO2: clutter in boots add weight and engines must work harder to transport it, so removing it can the engine’s workload and cut CO2 emissions (also remove roof boxes or rails when not in use the drag caused increases fuel consumption )

3 - Driving at an appropriate speed reduces CO2: not only does staying at or within the speed limit increase driver safety, it also reduces CO2 emissions and saves money on fuel costs

4 - Less stopping and starting means less CO2: anticipating traffic flow will reduce fuel consumption

5 - Over-revving accelerates emissions: modern car engines are designed to be efficient from the moment they are switched on, so revving up like a Formula 1 car in pole position while standing still only wastes fuel and increases engine wear

6 - Idling is wasting fuel: if you’re likely to be at a standstill for more than three minutes, simply switch off the engine.

7 - Shop around: Use a fuel comparison website to find the best priced fuel in your region

8 - Don’t get lost: don’t waste fuel by going the wrong way – plan route before leaving with RAC Route Planner.

These are the first pictures of Mercedes facelifted M-Class. Set to make its public debut at the New York Motorshow, the car gets a new look nose, and a revised interior aiming to improve the car’s fortunes in the competitive SUV sector.

While the enine range will remain largely unchanged, a new hybrid model is also rumoured to be under development. Powered by the same 4.0-litre V8 diesel that debuted with the S-Class hybrid, the new M-Class will offer 340bhp and fuel economy of 30mpg.

Aimed at the new X5 hybrid, it’s expected that the car will go on sale in 2009.

GEMBALLA - a name which almost every car enthusiast in the world can spell. For over 25 years, it has been creating motoring dreams based on Porsche models that could hardly be more individual.

The latest model from GEMBALLA also gleams with technical highlights and, particularly, a phenomenal design. The Avalanche Roadster GTR 600 is already the finest and most masculine way to drive with the top down.

Function and design go hand-in-hand in this car. The front apron not only commands respect, it is also necessary in order to keep the temperature of the power unit and brakes at a normal level when subjected to high forces.

The opulent side skirts flow directly in a bold line to the newly constructed, completely metal-finished broadening of the body, with a larger air intake for the strengthened turbo engine. Details to make the heart of the beholder race can also be found at the rear of the car. In order to prevent disruption to the airflow at the rear diffuser, the exhaust pipe has been moved to the centre of the GEMBALLA rear apron.

Four exhaust-pipe tips there release splendid sounds into the environment and the framing sports grid helps draw heat away from the powerful Boxer engine.

Thanks to mechanical and electronic optimisation, the car now boasts over 600 bhp. The torque even peaks at a phenomenal 840 Nm.

This gives the Roadster breath-taking sprinting capabilities. The matt black thunderbolt can go from 0 – 100 in 3.5 seconds. The maximum speed is enough to safely avoid any avalanches, as they surely can’t move at 320 km/hr. To ensure that the car maintains its road-holding despite its exuberant power, it boasts a latest-generation H&R stainless steel coil over which has been specially adapted for the Avalanche Roadster. All of the motorsport experience accumulated by H&R also benefits the road setup and GEMBALLA can rely on a partner who is already equipping the Porsche GT models ex works with suspension technology.

Impressive? Absolutely – but the interior will also bowl over those of a spoiled nature. The sports steering wheel with F1 gear shifts and matching aluminium pedals are just the beginning.

The finest materials, including nubuck leather, Alcantara and carbon, are used all over the cockpit. Thus, the Avalanche Roadster is a pleasure in all forms of automotive existence - design, performance, luxury and euphony, concentrated in the smallest space under the open skies.

To accord with the latest trends, the Magic Black model of the Avalanche Roadster has been given a completely matt finish – matt black paint, matt black nubuck interior. Exterior and interior combined with matt carbon. – Just magic …

Designers have kept us waiting for two years, but finally Volvo has taken the wraps off the much anticipated XC60. And the SUV will go head-to-head with the Land Rover Freelander when it arrives in British showrooms in October, with prices starting from £24,500.

The firm is billing the newcomer, which will be unveiled at March’s Geneva Motor Show, as the safest and most stylish vehicle it has ever produced. The XC60 was first displayed in concept form at the Detroit expo back in 2006, and most of that car’s design cues make it to production.

There’s a pronounced grille, prominent shoulders and bold tail-lights, while inside the SUV features a host of typically stylish Volvo details. These include an evolution of the Swedish brand’s ‘floating’ centre console, which is now upholstered in blond wood and angled more towards the driver.

It’s also outlined in chrome – as are the twin dashboard dials – and incorporates a large digital screen, which displays instructions for the sat-nav.

As you might expect from a Volvo, the XC60 is equipped with the very latest safety technology, and features a world first system called City Safety. This is designed to help drivers avoid low-speed collisions common in urban traffic and tailbacks, and automatic­ally applies the brakes if the driver fails to react to an impending impact.

As with the larger XC90, the XC60 will be reasonably capable off-road, thanks to its raised ride height and standard permanent four-wheel drive. And as it shares its platform architect­ure with the Freelander and forthcom­ing Ford Kuga (see below), it promises to be composed and agile on tarmac.

Buyers get a choice of 2.4-litre five-cylinder D5 diesels offering 163bhp or 185bhp, while the flagship T6 features a 281bhp 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V6. All have a six-speed auto as standard. A front-wheel-drive-only 163bhp D5 will appear in 2009, pro­mising low 170g/km CO2 emissions.

Ford has announced prices for its new Kuga crossover vehicle, which goes on sale in June. Prices will start at £20,495 for the entry-level Zetec trim, while cars in the other trim, Titanium, will cost from £22,495.

Power comes from a 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine with 134bhp, linked to an all-wheel-drive system and mounted on the same chassis as the Focus. The engine promises fuel consumption of 44.1mpg and CO2 levels of 169g/km. Features include a boot space of up to 1,355 litres, 17-inch alloys, ESP and an MP3 player connection.

EDIT

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Porsche has said it will take the mayor of London to court if he does not amend his proposed changes to the congestion charge.

The mayor announced last week that all cars that emit more than 225g of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilometre will be charged £25 to enter London.

Previously such cars were charged £8.

All but one of Porsche’s current range of sports cars and SUVs emit more than 225g/km.

Now the carmaker has said it will make an application for judicial review of the proposed changes, which it called “unfair and disproportionate”.

“A massive congestion charge increase is quite simply unjust,” Andy Goss, managing director of Porsche Cars GB, said.

“Thousands of car owners driving a huge range of cars will be hit by a disproportionate tax, which is clear will have a very limited effect on CO2 emissions.”

Porsche said it will be writing to the mayor, Ken Livingstone, this week.

The mayor will then have 14 days to respond.

If he fails to respond or refuses to reconsider his plans, Porsche said it will submit an application for judicial review at the Royal Courts of Justice.

“Not only is this rise completely unfair to many drivers, but it will also damage London-based businesses of all sizes, and successful people from across the world will start to think twice about basing themselves here if they think they are going to be used as cash cows for City Hall,” Mr Goss said.

“The proposed increase will be bad for London as a whole and will send out the signal that it is not serious about establishing itself as the best place in the world to do business.”

The mayor’s office immediately went on the offensive: “Porsche’s threatened legal action is a double attack on Londoners.

“First Porsche is trying to deprive Londoners of their democratic right to decide whether they want gas guzzling and polluting cars to drive in London when there is absolutely no need for them to do so,” a spokesperson for the mayor said.

“Second it is trying to impose on all Londoners unnecessary levels of pollution and greenhouse gases by a tiny minority.

“No one is allowed to throw their rubbish in the street and Porsche should not be allowed to impose gas-guzzling polluting cars on Londoners who do not want them.”

This is a Phantom with real menace! Take a look at the stunning new Rolls-Royce Coupé, a sleek two-door set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The marque’s answer to the awesome Bentley Brooklands is set to become one of the most desirable models on the planet.

The newcomer is barely changed from the 101EX study the firm revealed at Geneva two years ago, with striking details such as the slot-like headlamps and brushed steel bonnet. The coupé also has rear-hinged doors, designed to boost access to the back seats. Thin A-pillars and small quarterlight windows boost forward visibility.

At the back, the newcomer gets the same split-tailgate arrangement as its Drophead Coupé stablemate. The lower section doubles as a bench, and reveals a useful 395-litre boot.

Further forward, the luxurious cabin benefits from high-quality wood and leather finishes throughout, while the traditional Rolls-Royce instruments are viewed through a thin-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel.

Power comes from a 6.75-litre V12 engine, which produces 453bhp and 720Nm of torque. Due to the extensive use of aluminium in the Coupé’s construction, buyers are guaranteed devastating straight-line performance.

Bosses claim the Phantom Coupé has the most rigid chassis the firm has ever produced, while the suspension has been tuned to deliver a more dynamic driving experience than the Phantom saloon. And to boost the two-door’s long-distance cruising ability, Rolls-Royce has increased its fuel capacity.

The car can carry 25 per cent more unleaded petrol than the Drop-head Coupé, allowing it to travel even further between refills. Production of the Phantom Coupé will start at Goodwood, West Sussex, this summer. Prices are likely to start at £275,000.

The Highways Agency is researching potential sources of driver distraction that occur outside the vehicle (e.g., accidents, advertisements, etc).

The study includes a survey to gather the views, experiences and perceptions of drivers on this subject.

Those interested in taking part in the survey online, use the following link: http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/17859.aspx

It will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and everyone who completes the survey is eligible for entry into a prize draw to win one of two prizes of £100 of shopping vouchers for a store of your choice.

Responses are confidential and will only be used to further the study research.

The closing date for the survey is Wednesday 27 February 2008.

After announcing profits of 3.2 million Euros for 2007, Alfa Romeo’s parent company Fiat appears on a roll.

And with the halo effect of the 8C Competizione Alfa Romeo is hoping its forthcoming 147 replacement can inject some glamour into the hard fought C-segment.

Up against cars like the all conquering Ford Focus and big selling Astra it’s got some work on its hands but while rivals play it safe in styling terms Alfa could be poised to launch a real stunner.

The test mule seen here is running Fiat Bravo bodywork - and badges - but there is apparently something worth disguising at the front of the car and the distinctive outline of an Alfa grille is plain to see. Considering the 149 is apparently going to run on Bravo underpinnings the deception is a straightforward one but rumour has it Alfa is developing it’s own front and rear suspension systems for the car. As such you’d expect this to include the firm’s Q4 four-wheel drive system, raising the possibility of a hot GTA or similar to take on cars like the new hatchback Impreza STI, Audi S3 and Golf R32.

If Alfa Romeo can do this and wrap it in suitably sexy bodywork it could be onto a winner by offering a distinctly glamorous and Latin alternative to the German brands’ lockdown of the premium hatch market. It certainly has the engine to do so, with its 260bhp 3.2-litre V6. But Alfa has also been a keen exponent of hot diesels, choosing to offer its Q2 limited-slip differential system exclusively on the 1.9 JTDM versions of the 147 and GT. Whatever powers the 149 when it arrives in 2009 it seems Alfa has aspirations of exploiting its sporting heritage to bring some welcome spice to the upper reaches of the C-segment.

Researchers from 18 EU countries and Norway will interview and test thousands of drivers to assess how different alcoholic drinks and narcotic drugs impair motoring performance. The project is the latest in a string of initiatives to provide interested parties, including fleet managers, with more sophisticated information to help them manage the problem of driving while under the influence of alcohol, prescription medicine and illegal drugs.

The EU-funded DRUID (Driving under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicine) project will check samples from volunteers for 33 psychoactive substances, including alcohol, medicine and illegal drugs and inquire into their driving performance. The University of Ghent in Belgium, which is coordinating the project, aims to check 4,000 drivers alone, some following crashes and others in general spot checks, although all the subjects will be volunteers.