Lotus to unleash Britain's fastest car

Esprit Superleggera hits 212mph, has sub-three-second 0-60mph, city car also set to join line-up in 2014

The battle lines are drawn. The race to build Britain’s fastest and most 
powerful production 
car is on. But it’s not McLaren, Bentley or even Aston Martin that aims 
to lead the way. It’s Lotus.

During an exclusive gathering at the company’s HQ in Hethel, Norfolk, chief technical officer Wolf Zimmermann told  of his plans to build a flagship Superleggera version 
of the next-generation Esprit – and we can show you what it will look like here:

Bosses held the meeting to face critics of the New Era plan, which in June 2010 revealed five new cars would be launched in five years. As well as confirming the flagship Esprit, Lotus unveiled plans for a city car called Ethos – to rival the Aston Martin Cygnet 
– plus the 2+2 Elite, four-door Eterne and the Elise Evolution.

There was also news on the 
next Elan, which Lotus says it will put on hold until 2017, when it will replace the Evora. The range-topping Superleggera features an upgraded version of the firm’s 562bhp 4.8-litre V8 engine. This generates maximum power of 612bhp at 9,000rpm. It will also get a special 
aluminium body that promises to be even stronger and lighter than the one in standard models.

According to Zimmerman, the car will not simply be a stripped-out racer for the road, but a 
carefully designed evolution of the standard Esprit. In fact, the Superleggera will be the fourth model in the range, alongside 
the coupé, convertible and a glass-roofed Targa edition.

Based on projected figures for the standard car, the Superleggera could sprint from 0-60mph in under three seconds, and 
hit a top speed of 212mph.

A seven-speed dual-clutch semi-automatic gearbox will offer rapid shifts, while an electro-
hydraulic power-steering system will give the driver as much ‘feel’ as possible. “This car will not be like the McLaren MP4-12C,” said Zimmermann. “It will be cooler 
– there will be more emotion.”


Selling your Lotus (Perhaps you’re making way to be first in line for this one?!)
Make sure you get the best price for your old or new lotus by visiting car price comparison sites such as Car Arena to list your vehicle for free and ensure hundreds of dealers get access to it. Hassle free and zero time wasters.

Car Manufacturers turn up their ‘eco’ credentials in bid to sell more cars

Manufacturers turn up the ‘eco’ volume.
Car Manufacturers are continuing to turn up the ‘eco’ volume on their model ranges, just at the time when recent research is showing greater demand for lower emissions cars.

Volkswagen announced details of its Up supermini (which as noted on numerous sites seems to have sensibly dropped the exclamation mark at the end of the model name), which will achieve just under 100mpg. The car will use a derivative of the engine found in the XL1 super-sleek concept car. The Up essentially runs one half of VW’s existing 1.6-litre four-pot turbodiesel, with a power output of 47bhp from the engine and an extra 26bhp from an electric motor. Perhaps somewhat unexpectedly for a car of this size, it will have a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Stop-start and regenerative braking are both utilised to achieve the emissions figures, which will undoubtedly be well below 100g/km.

The German brand is also planning a Golf that is capable of achieving 100mpg by 2020. There is pressure on all manufacturers to get their average emissions figures for their models down to 95g/km within the decade, so electric and hybrid drive is likely to be seen not just in VW’s fleet, but in most manufacturers’ model ranges.

Competing in the Golf segment, although coming to market immediately, is Peugeot’s revised 308. The super-frugal version of the new 308 will use the e-HDi motor with stop-start technology and other ‘green’ features like low rolling resistance tyres to achieve tailpipe emissions of just 98g/km.
In the segment above, Ford is also lowering the emissions of its Mondeo with a new derivative that will kick out just 114g/km CO2. Stop-start technology helps the 113bhp model achieve the figure from its 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine. The Blue Oval brand has confirmed that the engine will also appear in its S-Max and Galaxy models, with further details still to be confirmed.

Looking for an eco car or trying to sell yours? Try online car sales sites such as www.cararena.co.uk to see what they believe your best offer should or could be.

Getting the price you want for your car Here’s some top tips for getting the most from your car when you sell it

You've loved it, taken care of it, serviced it religiously and cleaned it come rain or shine. Perhaps you’ve decided you’d like something bigger, smaller, more economical or simply fancy a change. Whatever the reasons it’s now it's time to sell your car. So what should you do to get the best price for it?

Getting your car ready for sale is essential. Clean the car inside and out and make sure it's tidy. It's also worth getting a new MOT as this says a lot about the car's basic condition. Many people like to see the car has a certain number of months still taxed so if possible try and see with some cover still left.

Time to Impress
Key point If your vehicle has a serious defect and is unroadworthy, you could be breaking the law by selling it, if you haven't described it accurately.

Consider a full, professional valet service. It can really make a difference to the price and how easily you can sell the car. Repair any minor paintwork damage or simple mechanical faults too.

Now you're ready to market your car, so here are some tips for a stress-free sale.
Ten Top Tips for a Smooth Sale

1.    Price your car realistically. This is vital if you want a quick sale.

• Check the prices of similar cars in popular classified ad magazines or online
• Try car price comparison sites such as http://www.cararena.co.uk or car buying sites such as http://www.bestcarbuyer.co.uk or www.freecarvaluations.co.uk

2.    You can't sell a car with outstanding finance. 

• This includes outstanding hire-purchase or conditional sale agreements. 
• If you do want to sell, get the finance company's permission or settle the finance first.

3.    Don't make false or reckless claims. Take care how you word your advert. 

• Lines like 'First to see will buy' won't convince anyone.

4.    In adverts, stick to facts that will interest potential buyers. 

• Describe the car as accurately as possible.
• Quote the year/number plate, how many months are left on the MOT and where you are based.

5.    State the condition of the car in adverts and on the receipt. 

•  If it's being sold for spares only, or it requires substantial repairs, say so.
• Include this information on the receipt once you've agreed to sell.

6.    Have all documents and history handy. 

• Keep receipts for work carried out.
• Have all MOT certificates and service records to hand.
• A fully-stamped dealer service record adds value if you've got one.
• Don't forget to hand over all relevant documents when you sell.

7.    Check the buyer is insured to test drive the car. Your own insurance may cover you. 

• Always go with them.
• Key point Avoid becoming a victim of car theft – if you change seats part way through, take the keys with you and hand them over when you get back in the car.

8.    Build in a margin for haggling. 

• That way the buyer's happy and you still get close to the amount you want.

9.    Provide a 'Sold as seen, tried and approved without guarantee' receipt. 

• Bear in mind that no wording on the receipt is foolproof.

10.    Get paid.

• Don't let anyone drive your car away until you're satisfied that you've been paid in full.
• Cash or CHAPS transfer directly into your bank account are always the best ways to be paid
• If you are given a personal or building society cheque, wait for it to clear in your bank before you hand the car over.

Would you go electric?

A new study shows that people would be more willing to ‘go electric’ if there was easier access to charging posts and a better understanding of the cars themselves.  

Increased access to more electric vehicles charging posts could hold the key to greater Electric Vehicle (EV) sales if the results from a recent survey are to be believed.

The study, conducted by charging point provider Elektromotive, claims that nearly two-thirds of UK drivers (65%) would be tempted to fork out for an electric vehicle if more recharge points were made available at places like car parks and roadsides.

The fear of being stranded with a juiced-out EV is at the heart of motorists’ decisions the study claims.
The development of electric vehicles has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, but many consumers are understandably concerned that if they buy a new EV they might not be able to easily charge it when away from home or the workplace.

It’s clear that much more needs to be done to create the charging infrastructures that are essential to underpin mainstream acceptance of EVs.

Black-spots

Despite a £5,000 discount off the price of an EV, courtesy of the British Government, only 534 applications were made in the first quarter of 2011.

While 7.8% of the 1,417 respondents insisted that more charging points wouldn’t be enough to persuade them to switch to EVs, it seems a quarter of the market could be swayed, ticking the fence-sitting ‘undecided’ box.

We are finding there are still huge misconceptions and confusion about electric vehicles, not just from the public but, surprisingly, from within the motor industry too. 

People are unsure how EV batteries charge, the physics and science of amps and volts, the range, running costs and the types of chargers available and their capabilities.

Around 200 Elektrobays can be found around London with another 400 located around the rest of the UK.

So what do you think? Will you ever sell your current vehicle and go electric?

To sell your car quickly and securely try www.cararena.co.uk

Are These the Worlds Luckiest People Caught on CCTV

 

Car Arena - Targets the No. 1 Position for Selling Your Car On line

Following the low profile launch of Car Arena in October 2010, which was a new web site created to enable private car sellers to sell their cars quickly, on line, with more choices and at a higher price. Car Arena is now preparing to take the brand to the next level. With hundreds of registered dealers already using the site, they are building the brand slowly to ensure they can meet the expectations of not only the public selling their cars but of the subscribing dealers who are buying cars.

After months of initial development and subsequently refining the web site during the initial three months after the soft launch, Car Arena are now pushing forward into 2011 and are certain they can facilitate the sale of thousands of cars a month between private sellers and trade buyers.

January sees Car Arena launch a nationwide trade advertising campaign to attract even more high quality Motor Traders, Motor Dealers and Professional Car Buyers to the team. As a result of the anticipated increase in subscribing Motor Dealers the public advertising spend will be increased so that they can carry on matching buyers with sellers as the demand increases.

With a TV campaign already in development, 2011 looks like it will be an exciting year for Car Arena as they strive to be come the number one brand for selling your car on line.

For Motor Trade Professionals, they need never worry about supply issues again, Car Arena will feed an almost endless supply of stock for purchasing, whether you need to buy one car a week or 10 cars a day with the collection of inclusive package prices available Car Arena will be an extremely competitive solution for sourcing new stock within the motor industry. All package prices include unlimited trade listing of vehicles.

For more information call 0844 414 0985 or complete our on line form and we will be in touch with you.
http://www.cararena.co.uk
 

A Month to Forget

December 2010 has been one to forget for the beleaguered Car Industry. With the banks about to cash in their £7 billion + bonuses the car industry is reflecting on an awful end to 2010. Normally a quiet time of year for car sales anyway, the exceptionally hard cold spell we are currently experiencing has put the big freeze on anyone considering changing their car.

With the country quite literally frozen solid many people who were considering changing their car are putting off buying a car until at least the New Year. With the snow and ice covering the UK and you can understand why people would not want to be driving a new car at the moment. In fact the only people changing their car at the moment are those that are able to buy a 4x4.  Whilst they are bucking the trend and 4x4’s selling like proverbial hotcake, for many people those types of cars are out of their reach financially and to some people even morally!

Many are asking if the Car Industry will pull through, of course it will. A few of the smaller dealers may go out of business and perhaps some of the larger ones may struggle with cash flow, especially if they rely on high volume and low margins but many will have been prepared for a quiet December and will hopefully managed their stock and cash accordingly. But, inevitably lots of cash will be tied up in stock that isn't moving and in a lot of cases depreciating each month dealers will be offering some great deals to those that do manage to get out and can be persuaded to change their car now.

Those buyers that are holding out for nicer weather may be missing out on the great deals that are out there at the moment. As soon as there is a prolonged break in the weather, the industry will pick up again, find its feet and probably break into a sprint. Those people who didn’t or couldn’t venture out in the snow and ice will be coming out of hibernation and all hoping to grab one of those great deals. The chances are though, those great deals will have disappeared with the snow and within days the clogged forecourts will be virtually empty with only the cars that no one else wants remaining.

Dealers will have a lot of lost profit to make for and in true “Supply and Demand” fashion the prices may start to rise to help them try and recover from the “lost" December. This may mean there is no such thing as a January Sale in the Car Industry in 2011.

Dealers will be on the look out for good quality car stock in 2011 and for people who are thinking who will buy my car it could be a great time to sell your car online to a dealer rather than trying to find a buyer your car privately.

Sell to a car dealer through Car Arena, they will look after everything for you and ensure you are paid in full when they collect your car