Renault has secured a trio of impressive wins at the 2025 Business Motoring Awards, including the overall award of ‘Business Car of the Year’ for the Renault 5 E-Tech electric. The emotive electric supermini was also named the ‘Best Small EV’ while the Renault Clio was crowned the winner in the ‘Best Small Car’ category. Judged by a panel of experts, the Business Motoring Awards recognise excellence in the automotive and fleet sector, specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and company car drivers. On selecting the Renault 5 E-Tech electric as their overall ‘Business Car of the Year’, as…

Read More

Walsall Council’s Parking Services has received reports from members of the public regarding suspicious text messages claiming they have outstanding parking charges. Please be aware that these messages are a scam. Walsall Council does not send text messages requesting payment for parking charges. If you receive one of these fraudulent messages, please do not respond or click on any links. Instead, report it to Action Fraud: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

Read More

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is now upgrading the range of apps for the current versions of the ID. Buzz, Caddy, Multivan, California and Crafter with the first games console developed for vehicles: the AirConsole In-Car App. The app makes it possible to stream online games while charging or during other breaks, for example. The clever thing here is that passengers’ smartphones act as the controllers. Infotainment as a games console: With the AirConsole, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is significantly upgrading the existing range of onboard games. Up to now, there have been games that are permanently installed on the infotainment system and…

Read More

City of Wolverhampton Council is improving weed control with two new quad bikes. From left are Andrew Harrison, grounds maintenance; Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services; and Matthew Sheffield, grounds maintenance The fight against weeds is revving up a gear as City of Wolverhampton Council uses quad bikes to speed up spraying. Almost 500 miles of the city’s highways and footpaths are currently being treated by the bikes which allow council staff to spray more quickly and efficiently by covering larger areas in less time and targeting weeds more directly. Using the vehicles reduces both time and…

Read More

When the 46 billion different colour and trim combinations available through Bentley’s mainstream palette don’t meet a customer’s vision for their Bentley, Mulliner – Bentley’s bespoke studio – is on-hand to create something totally unique and a one-off. After owning a number of Bentleys, an American customer wanted their new car in a precise shade of her favourite colour: pink. Mulliner was happy to fulfil her dream supporting the personal commissioning of a bold and vibrant Bentayga Extended Wheelbase (EWB) painted in the eye-catching shade of Candy Pink. The exterior is teamed with an interior accented with Cherry Blossom hide…

Read More

Convenience and comfort features topped a list of the technologies motorists can’t live without in new research by eBay, ahead of the latest Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The study by eBay, the UK’s number one online marketplace for vehicle parts and accessories, looked into the attitudes to in-car technologies of 2,000 UK drivers. Parking sensors (37%) were rated the most essential piece of kit for UK drivers, ahead of USB ports (29%) and Bluetooth connectivity (29%). As one in three (31.7%) of the 36.1 million cars on the road in the UK are more than 12 years old**, as…

Read More

Three become two: the BMW XM portfolio is sharpening its focus, now offering just two models. The BMW XM Label range-topper (WLTP combined (EnVKV): energy consumption 33.7 kWh/100 km and 2.3 l/100 km; fuel consumption with discharged battery: 12.8 l/100 km; CO2 emissions: 53 g/km; CO2 class with discharged battery/combined: G/B; maximum electric range 76 km)* is now the only model to come with an electrified V8 engine. The BMW XM 50e (WLTP combined (EnVKV): energy consumption 32.0 kWh/100 km and 1.6 l/100 km; fuel consumption with discharged battery: 11.3 l/100 km; CO2 emissions: 37 g/km; CO2 class with discharged…

Read More

Automotive industry charity, Ben, has announced changes to its senior leadership team as part of its new strategic direction. Martin Smith has been appointed as Director of Finance, Governance & Impact. Martin will lead the Finance, Technology, and Data & Insights teams and oversee Charitable Impact on an interim basis, working closely with Rachel Clift, CEO, to support the operational delivery of Ben’s frontline Support & Specialist Services. Martin has over 20 years of experience in the charity sector, primarily as a Finance Director for benevolent fund charities. Ben is also announcing that Matt Wigginton, part of Ben’s former executive…

Read More

Collecting Cars has opened bidding for one of the rarest modern Bentleys ever built — a one-of-12 2016 Mulsanne Grand Limousine, which cost in excess of seven figures when new. Understood to be one of just 12 examples produced by Bentley’s Mulliner division, this extraordinary limousine is a showcase in the art of the possible when it comes to bespoke coachbuilding in the modern day. Originally developed as a one-off commission, the Grand Limousine was later offered to a handful of handpicked customers in the region, each car finished to a unique specification. This example is presented in Rubino Red…

Read More

Britain’s luxury, high-performance and niche car makers – part of the world’s most diverse automotive sector – turn out exports worth some £5 billion every year, with around nine-in-10 vehicles produced shipped overseas, according to a new report published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The UK’s Small Volume Automotive Manufacturers: An Enduring British Success Story underlines the importance of the vast array of quintessentially British brands in this segment, including Aston Martin, Bentley, LEVC, Lotus, McLaren, Morgan, Rolls-Royce, and so many more, producing high performance supercars, luxury SUVs, electric saloons and even taxis. Latest…

Read More