2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Pictures leaked Ahead of Detroit 2012 Auto Show

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL

Pictures of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL have leaked ahead of the official reveal which was suppose to be at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show taking place in January 2012. Details of the car have not been revealed yet but from the pictures we can tell it has completely new look inspired by both its Mercedes- Benz SLK sibling and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG super car.

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Interior

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Side View

It is definitely easy on the eyes and we have heard it has a mix of modern materials, genuine leather and wood trim and it is packed with loads of new techi features. We can wait for its official reveal at the 2012 Detroit Auto show.

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Rear View

New Bentley Continental GT V8 Revealed - Teaser Video

New Bentley Continental GT V8

Bentley has revealed pictures and a teaser video of the new Bentley Continental GT V8 Coupe and Bentley Continental GTC V8 Convertible which will be officially revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on 9th January 2012. The two models will be built with the new twin turbocharged 4.0-litre 500bhp V8 engine which Bentley says will produce a 40 per cent improvement in fuel economy.

All New Bentley Continental GT V8 2012 Teaser

New Bentley Continental GT V8 Interior

New Bentley Continental GT V8 Rear

 Check out more details of the new Bentley Continental GT V8  here.

Grey Fleet, Not An Issue If Managed Properly

A company's grey fleet refers to the collection of employees' personal vehicles been used for the company's business journeys. Fleet management involves putting together steps, procedures and policies to manage and regulate the use of employees' vehicles for work related travels.

Most of the companies that set up this type of fleet are those whose employees do not need to go on a lot of business related trips. Grey fleet is viewed by most as a cost saving alternative to buying or renting cars just for the company's business related trips especially if the mileage travelled by employees for business every month or year is very low. For some of these companies, this is the way to go but for some it isn't. There are several factors that should be considered before deciding to go for the grey fleet option instead of buying or leasing a few cars for business related trips. If the grey fleet is properly set up and managed it can definitely cost the company a lot less than other options.

Most people are of the opinion that managing a grey fleet only costs a company the mileage expense claims made by drivers for every journey they make and that employers are not responsible for the employees when they are using their private cars for business. These are huge misconceptions as the company in most cases is not only responsible for the employees when they are using their personal cars but in most cases have to place these employees' cars on the company's insurance and manage them like the company owns them.

A grey fleet manager or fleet management software might be necessary depending on the size of the fleet. If it is a small-sized fleet, a fleet manager who will be responsible for managing everything related to the fleet might be enough as in most cases good use of Microsoft excel is enough for managing all grey fleet related data. Where the fleet is a large one, a fleet management software will be required to manage all of data related to employees' vehicles. There are some major factors that should be consider when deciding whether your company should set up this type of fleet.

First thing you need to consider is how your company intends to manage the grey fleet, Policies need to be put in place to ensure both the driver and the company's safety and compliance to road rules. This can be done by ensuring license checks, vision checks, driver risk assessment, online driver training, vehicle safety inspections, MOT checks and insurance checks are regularly carried out on all drivers and their vehicles.
Carry out research on what alternatives your company has asides setting up a grey fleet by comparing the cost, risks and benefits of setting up a grey fleet instead of buying, hiring or leasing vehicles solely for company use. Also there is a need to check if employees' vehicles are suited for the kind of journey that they will be used for.
Find out if there is an alternative way for your employee to close that deal or have that very important meeting without going on a business trip. Discouraging needless business trips can help your company save some money. A lot of organizations now use video conferencing applications to have meetings with their business partners instead of travelling.
The company will need to consider Health and safety risks to its employees who are also the grey fleet drivers. Duty of care compliance rules which all fleet drivers will need to comply with should be set up. Also the company will need to be keeping track of and managing the CO2 emission of the vehicles in their grey fleet.

In conclusion, grey fleet has its benefits if policies and rules are in place for it to be properly managed. If your company is considering one, weigh your options and if it appears to be the best one then go for it.

A.Kahn Designs Reveals Customized Range Rover Evoque Design

Afzal Kahn and his team at Kahn Design have created yet another striking new design, this time around for the Range Rover Evoque. The new design for the Evoque is decked out with a variety of internal and external changes to provide an even better look and performance.

Some of the new elements introduced by guys at Kahn Designs include a lowered suspension (35mm), yellow callipers aluminium pedals, an orange roof, full body color coding/detailing, privacy glass, and adaptive front headlamps. They definitely did not leave out their famous striking and impressive wheels, the RS600 wheels which is available in a variety of sizes - 20", 21", 22" was also included in their design. The interior has been given a more luxurious character, which can be customized to the customer’s preferences and requirements.

According to Kahn the idea behind the project is to create a car that "will be unique but refined enough to both complement and enhance each and every vehicle". There is no information about how much it will cost yet but judging from their previous designs, it will be around the same price as that of the new BMW1 series.

Visit the car leasing site for the latest Range Rover Evoque specifications, prices and sales and lease deals.

2012 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA VIDEO REVIEW

Check out the video review of the Porsche 911 Carrera, which will go onsale from February 2012. The new Porsche 911 radiates power and elegance staying true to the 911 tradition. The distinctive silhouette is still very eye catching with the integration of new exciting contours and specifically designed details


Every Porsche 911 comes fitted with Vehicle Tracking System (VTS), a sophisticated vehicle security package approved to Thatcham Category 5 standard and Porsche will be giving their customers the opportunity to discover the potential of their new car by taking part in a complimentary course at the Porsche Experience Centre, Silverstone.

2013 MAZDA CX-5 VIDEO REVIEW

Check out the video review of the all new 2013 Mazda CX-5; an exceptional SUV that comes with a front or all wheel drive. According to Mazda the CX-5 has an "incredible fuel economy and an uncompromised driving performance". It has been built with the automaker's new SkyActiv engine which is a 155- horsepower, four- cylinderdirect injection engine that can travel 40mpg.

What do you think of the new SUV from Mazda, which will go on sale 2012?

Toyota Collaborates with BMW on Next Generation Green Technology

It seems Toyota has taken to collaborating with other automakers. We are guessing their partnership with Subaru on the recently revealed Toyota GT 86 went so well that they thought another partnership might not be such a bad idea. The automaker is collaborating with BMW to build next generation green technologies, that’s great news for the environment.

Both automakers signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for mid to long term collaboration. The partnership will be focused on research in the area of next–generation lithium-ion battery technologies, with the possibility of incorporating other projects. BMW has stated that from 2014 they will be supplying Toyota with 1.6 litres and 2.0 litres diesel engines. The German automaker has stressed that this engines will be used exclusively in Toyota products built for the European market as Toyota plans to expand their line-up and sales of low CO2-emission diesel-powered vehicles in this market.Both companies have had their fair share of success in the Green vehicles market, this partnership can only bring even more success as both auto-makers will be spending less on research and development making the Eco-friendly vehicles even more affordable.

After the announcement was made, the Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG Norbert Reithofer said: "Toyota is the leading provider of environment-friendly series technology in the volume segment and the BMW Group is the most innovative and sustainable manufacturer of premium automobiles. We are now joining forces to further develop environment-friendly technologies and to expand our innovation leadership in each of our segments. Supplying Toyota with our fuel efficient and dynamic diesel engines represents another important step in the planned expansion of our sales activities for engines and power train systems."

What do you think will come of this Collaboration?