January is always a bit annoying, this is Midday

However, if you’re in the car industry, this week is going to be pretty hard to top, with new figures released that are more depressing than any Monday morning.

Take Japan, the sales of new vehicles dropped 22% in December, giving them their lowest ever December total. In the USA, Japanese car manufacturers didn’t fare any better than in their homeland with Honda announcing a 35% drop and Nissan a 31% fall.

Even though they’ve got a rainbow bridge, news from Japan isn’t good

Ford has said that they sold 32% fewer cars in December than it did earlier in the year. They also added that people on the street ‘Joe Six Pack’ to quote the lovely and mad Ms Palin, who were buying Ford cars had dropped 27%. Worse though, for our industry was that rental and hospitality sales in December had dropped nearly half at 42%.

The latest Ford on the production line

So, how did Chrysler fare? Well, they competed with Ford very well with crushing drops of 53% and General Motors managed a 31% loss.

Chrysler aren’t faring any better

What does this all mean? Well, apart from the obvious that we’re in a bit bother, it has been predicted that in 2009, we’ll have the lowest car sales since the last recession of 1992.

Should we all go out and buy new cars now, using Credit Cards and Balloon payments, to prop up the market or should we let them all suffer because we can’t either afford it and all new cars look the same?

I reckon we should wait – let them suffer for a bit more, out of this, we might get some truly wonderful things. Toyota built the Prius out of an experiment and now they can’t build enough of them – if all the car manufacturers were forced to innovate to attract new customers, and I don’t mean an Ipod dock and some different colours, but something unbelievable and excellent.

Is this how you innovate? More Grills!!

Imagine a 200mph electric car that can travel for 400miles between charges and only takes 15mins to charge or a hybrid car that can travel 1,000 miles between fill ups?

This may have got the CEOs to congress quicker

Look at the Iphone, it’s innovative in its field and people are climbing over the dead bodies of colleagues to get to it, if it’s new, works and is cool, people would buy it.

Let’s go one step further here – we’ve all seen Back To The Future; in my reckoning I’d say that we’re only 6 years away from hover cars and girls looking like Michael J Fox – now if a car manufacturer (even Chrysler) came up with a clean, easy to drive flying car – I’d buy that on credit even if I was earning or not!

Perhaps we’d all get flying Deloreans….

What do you think? Is the car industry worth saving as it is, or should they innovate to keep people buying new cars?

A drink is always nice - but be careful with it.

It is not uncommon for a person to head to the pub after a hard days work for a few drinks.  Unfortunately it is also not uncommon for these same people to get in their car and drive home afterwards.  Any number of us can think of a time when this same scenario applied to our own lives.  The problem is that many of the people that find themselves in this situation feel that they are okay and perfectly safe to drive.

The drink driving alcohol limits are actually pretty low.  Even if you feel like you might be okay to drive, if you have been drinking it is in your own best interests to avoid getting behind the wheel.  See if you can have a friend drive you home or take a taxi instead.  Every person will differ in the way that they are affected by alcohol.  A person’s age, weight, and gender can have a dramatic affect on the way their body copes with alcohol.  Metabolism will also play a role as well.  While one or two beers might have had little impact on your friend, the same amount of alcohol consumed by you could seriously impair your ability to drive.

By all means drink after work, but get a taxi home

Drink driving is putting more than just you at risk though.   It has been determined that even one alcoholic drink can impair a person’s abilities to think clearly and react responsively; these are both very important to a driver of a car.  A delayed response could cause an accident.  That accident might result in the death or injury of another person and it will be your responsibility to deal with the repercussions that will follow.

Breath tests are administered by police officers at an average of 250 a day in the UK.  To prevent yourself from being one of those subject to a positive breath test all you have to do is avoid driving if you have been drinking.  The consequences are quite harsh if you are found to be driving or are in charge of a vehicle with an alcohol level greater than the limit.  Remember that you can be arrested and charged even if you are just sitting in your stationary car with the ignition keys in your possession and your blood alcohol is in excess of the limit. It has been estimated that a person is at a minimum of a 30 per cent greater risk of having an accident if they are double the legal limit for alcohol than a person that has not had anything to drink.

The result of drink driving
If that is not enough to make you reconsider getting behind the wheel after a long night at the pub think about the number of alcohol related accidents that occur every year.  Would you be surprised to know that nearly 17 percent of fatal accidents that occur on the road each year are caused by drunk drivers?  This is a pretty significant number and all of the accidents could have been prevented if these people had simply called a taxi instead.

Make sure you get yourself a designated driver.
Many people often find themselves in the situation where they have a designated driver for their night out.  This is a great way to have a little fun at the pub and will prevent you from driving.  It will be important that whoever will be the designated driver avoids alcohol completely.  This might not be any fun for the person that is selected but this person will have your life and the lives of your friends in his or her hands.  If you see your designated driver take a drink, make sure you find another way home and take your designated driver with you.

If you are pulled over by the police while you are driving the officer may ask you to submit to a breath test.  They have to have reasonable grounds to ask but it is easy enough to smell alcohol on a person’s breath even if they tried to chew gum to cover it up.  The majority of people do not object to a breath test but those that do can expect to be quickly arrested if the officer suspects that they have been drinking.

Being arrested won’t be that glamorous

There are a few instances where the person that the police officer suspects of drunk driving will need to submit to a urine or blood test at the police station rather than take the usual second breath test.  One instance involves the person claiming that a legally prescribed medication caused the failed breath test to occur.  Another instance could be as simple as when the arresting officer did not have a breath test unit available to administer a roadside test.  If the police officer suspects the person is under the influence of illegal drugs a blood and/or a urine test are requested.

The consequences for getting caught drink driving are severe.  For those that are found guilty they can expect a maximum punishment of 6 months in prison.  A hefty fine of £5,000 pounds could also be issued.  For many, the worst punishment of all involves the mandatory driving ban which can range between one and three years in duration.  The next time you are considering drink driving, think about not being able to drive for three years if you are caught.  This however is likely to be the least of your problems.

If you happen to cause a fatal accident while you were drunk driving, your penalties will be much more harsh.  A person found guilty of this offence can expect to serve up to 14 years in prison.  The person is also subject to a fine of unlimited amount.  It is also required that anyone found guilty will be banned from driving for at least two years.  I do not know how much that really matters as the majority of people will be in jail for those two years, if not much longer.

You’ll be infront of the judge before you know it if you drink and drive

There are also a number of fines and even prison sentences that can be imposed on a person that refused to submit to a breath, urine, or blood test.  The bottom line is that drinking and driving do not mix and that is a fact.

The clear and loud message is: do not do it!

It reminds me of the Austin Powers film.

Obviously, nothing to do with cars, but fun anyway!

Well, low and behold Hertz have now come up with a direct competitor to them with Connect By Hertz. Now I wonder if my prediction that I’ll get $1million for Christmas will come true?

With relative ease, everyone can ensure that their car will be properly prepared for the winter.  You never know, proper winterization of your car might just save your life one day so it is important to take proper precautions before it is too late.

Steps to Follow When Winterizing Your Car

Step 1: In cold weather the oil in your car will actually thicken in consistency.  If the oil is too thick it will not be able to lubricate the various parts of your engine properly.  Check the owner’s manual for your vehicle and see if there is a specific oil recommendation for use during the cold weather.  You will want to have an oil change done on your vehicle to ensure that the proper type of oil is in your car which will help to protect the engine and prolong the overall life of your car.

If you oil looks like this, you’re in trouble…

Step 2: A snow storm could come at any time and you may be forced to drive through it.  Maybe you got stuck at work during the storm or you were coming back from a vacation.  To prepare for such an event you will want to make sure you have fresh wiper blades on your car so that they can clear your windshield without issue.  It is a good idea to top off your windshield wiper fluid while you are at it.  Make sure you do not use water to fill your windshield wiper reservoir because it will likely be frozen when you need to use it.  The fluid designed for your windshield freezes at a much lower temperature than water.  If by chance you have a small crack or chip in your windshield you might want to have it fixed before the winter comes.  The cold air can cause small cracks to spread rapidly and can end up costing much more to repair in the end.

If you don’t live in the UK, a snow storm can catch you out at any time

Step 3: Do a quick check of all of your vehicle’s lights.   Make sure that they are all working properly and you do not have any that are burned out.  This will provide you with maximum visibility when you are driving in poor conditions.

Check your lights so that you can see other people - and they can see you!

Step 4: Now it is time to take a good look at the battery in your car.  Double check to make sure everything looks proper and that connections to your battery are secure.  You do not want to see any corrosion on your battery and if you do it is time to think about replacing it.  If your battery is a few years old take your car to your mechanic and have them test the battery for you.  They can give you a good idea what kind of life the battery has left in it.  Nobody wants to deal with a car that will not start in the middle of a freezing cold snowstorm so replace the battery if you need to!

If your battery is rubbish, make sure it’s sorted out!

Step 5: Checking the fluids in your car’s coolant system will also be an important part of winterizing your car.  If it is just water in the coolant system you will need to add antifreeze to the system to prevent the water from freezing.  Your owner’s manual will tell you the correct ratio of antifreeze to water for your coolant system.

Keep an eye on the coolant levels. If you see a puddle - don’t go anywhere!

Step 6: Take a good look at the tires on your car.  If they are balding and worn out make sure to replace them before you have to drive in winter conditions.  If your tires are in good shape check their air pressure.  Cold air can cause the tire pressure in your car to drop.  Improper inflation of your tires means that your vehicle will not have proper traction on the road which could lead to a dangerous situation.  Make sure to keep a tire gauge on hand and continuously monitor your tire pressure.  This will be especially important if there are big temperature fluctuations during the course of the winter.  Your owner’s manual should provide you with the exact tire pressure that should be in each of your tires.

Flat tyre = terrible grip and poor handling!

Depending on the exact location where you live you may even want to have your car fitted with special tires to be used in the snow.  These can help provide your car with better traction in harsher conditions.  Just don’t forget to take them off when winter is over!

See how snow tires, would you believe, grip in the snow!
Step 7: There is nothing worse than getting caught in a snowstorm.  Okay there is one thing that is worse, getting caught in a snowstorm and then realizing your four wheel drive system is not working properly.  To avoid this frustrating situation make sure to test your four wheel drive system before it starts getting cold.  If it is a new car make sure that you also understand how to engage the four wheel drive system.

Four wheel drive is good, but not when it’s broken!
Step 8: You never know what kind of situation you might find yourself in this winter.  To prepare yourself for unseen events put an emergency kit in your trunk.  You want to make sure that you have a heavy blanket to keep you warm, some bottled water, and a few non-perishable food items.  Snow boots and extra pairs of gloves should also be included in case you need to change a tire in the middle of a snow storm.  If you do break down you will need some flares to signal distress so pack a few of these in your emergency kit as well.  Other great items to pack are flashlights, first aid kids, a radio, a car charger for your cell phone, and jumper cables.  Verify that your spare tire is properly inflated with air and that all tools needed to change the tire are present.

Make sure you have the right kit when you’re out in the snow

By following these simple steps you can ensure that your car is properly ready for the winter and that you do not end up stranded in the cold and miserable.

Hang on a minute, this isn’t some caffiene induced dream - it’s a reality. Researchers in the University of Nevada Reno have come up with idea to power cars on ‘the other black stuff’

Imagine a car coming past smelling of coffee. That’s just too exciting to think about for me….

Sixteen: Nissan Skyline
Ever watched The Fast and The Furious? Nope. Well, in it there’s the wonderful Nissan Skyline, loved by engineers and chavs the world over. Never officially imported into the UK, this machine, created nearly 20 years ago was light years ahead of its time in terms of technology. Featuring all wheel drive and, with the later models, 600bhp, and not costing too much, this is a fanboy’s dream.

Just look at it - it reeks of Chav! But, what a car….

Fifteen: Jaguar XJ220
A famous beast, but flawed in so many, many ways. This yacht of supercars was at one stage, the fastest production car on earth, capable of 220mph. But it was flawed from the start, with a hefty V12 engine replaced with a V6 and the much touted 4WD scrapped. People who bought it tried to sue Jaguar. Oh yes, that’s a success. It was expensive as well, and sounded like a Nova with a big bore exhaust. On the list because of its speed, but it could’ve been oh so better.

Flawed but brilliant. Sort of like Kerry Katona

Fourteen: Ford GT40
Named so because its overall height was just 40 inches (I’d like to see it get down Owlsmoor Road with all its speed humps then), this car completely turned racing on its head in the mid 1960s and won Le Mans four times in a row. This car also spawned the road going Ford GT, which is also a mighty fine car, for that legacy, we salute you.

The most desirable Ford of all time, the GT40

Thirteen: Ferrari Enzo
A car so good, it was named after the company’s founder. This shows you how good they thought the cars are. Probably one of the most striking cars ever built, just 399 were made. It has an estimated top speed of 230mph and any schoolboy (young or old) could spot it out from a car park of Testarossas.

The Enzo. Enough said.

Twelve: Toyota Prius
A hybrid car that everyone knows about. For that sentence alone, it should be in the list. Cheap (sort of), economical (despite what Top Gear says) and reliable (kinda) the Prius is the king of the Hybrids, showing everyone that alternative fuels are not just the reserve of freaky hippies and movie stars.

Looks like a geography teacher though, doesn’t it?

Eleven: Model T Ford
This is what started it all. First produced exactly 100 years ago, this was the first car that any Tom, Dick or Harry could buy. And they did. It wasn’t that good, but it started the world’s love affair with cars that even after all this time, hasn’t finished. It also inspired a Japanese engineer, Soichiro Honda to start building bikes and cars…that’s good enough in my mind anyway.

Loathed by environmentalists for starting it all. This couldn’t be more important

Ten: TVR Tuscan
Yes, we know it has dubious reliability, and we know that the company seems to always be in crisis. But, it has up to 400bhp, and is probably one of the most beautiful cars ever made. On that merit only, it makes our top ten.

TVR: always failing, always making me drool.

Nine: AC Cobra
A proper muscle car. British built in the 1960s, this beast is powered by a massive V8 engine and took on Le Mans. You can still get the car as well, and put a Jaguar engine in it, which, if you can afford it, is definitely the way to go!

A car that looks like it can kick my ass

Eight: Jaguar E-Type
Is there anything more British than a Jaguar E-Type? Possible the car next on our list, but the Jaguar E-Type is timeless. When this car was released, Enzo Ferrari said it was the most beautiful car ever made. With The Big E amongst its fans, it couldn’t fail. And it didn’t. A rich motorsport history and a legend about the M1, this is surely one of the greatest ever cars.

Mr Ferrari said it was the most beautiful car ever made…

Seven: Aston Martin DB9
Hands up who wants to be James Bond? Anyone not get their hand up? Yes, James Bond’s car and it’s a beauty. With a design that makes men want to sell their houses and wives to buy the car (I don’t mind! I’ll sleep in it!) It’s such a lovely machine that it was classed by Jeremy Clarkson as “motoring perfection.” That’s the only reason it’s not higher in our list.

DB9. Motoring perfection

Six: Bugatti Veyron
Only at number 6??!  What are we playing at? Well, it may be faster than an FIA fine against Lewis Hamilton, but it’s too new to be classed as one of the greatest ever. Surely the greatest piece of automotive engineering that is and probably ever will be; it needs to be around for another 10 years to become a true legend.

How much to insure? The W16 will certainly need a lot of spark plugs!

Five: Ferrari 250 GTO
What top 10 list would not be complete without a Ferrari? And we’re talking about one of the absolute best. A V12, 3 Litre engine and when it was released in the early 1960s, the applicants had to be approved personally by Enzo Ferrari himself. Designed for racing, this machine grew more and more valuable as the years passed. The highest price a GTO has been sold at an auction was $13.3M in 1989. It is, also, a beautiful car.

Why are those people looking the other way!??!?

Four: Subaru Impreza
A rice burner ahead of the GTO and Bugatti Veyron – have we gone mad? Perhaps. But there are few cars that have changed the landscape like the Subrau Impreza. Immortalised by the late, great Colin McRae in the UK, everyone wanted a blue Impreza. The people who were lucky enough to own one or drive one then realised that they never wanted anything else. With 4WD and a turbo-charged engine, it was a dream and some of the tuned machines hit 170mph + What more did people want?

Check it out - what’s there not to like?

Three: McLaren F1
Hands up who doesn’t know the top speed of the McLaren F1? Of course – you all do. When it was released, it stood out amongst all the other supercars like a M5 at a Robin Reliant convention. Designed by 1980s F1 god Gordon Murray and powered by a BMW engine it was an instant hit and holds the honour of being the only car to win Le Mans on its debut. I really, really want one.

Now we’re getting into the realms of fantasy. Not even Lewis Hamilton has one of these.

Two: Lancia Stratos
Another complete legend. Imagine 560 bhp with no traction control or driving aides. Got that in your head? Good. Now imagine it on dirt, snow or gravel. Then you’re talking about the absolutely amazing reputation this had. But it was quick enough to take three world championship wins in the World Rally Championship in the mid seventies. Only 492 were ever made. It’s rarity and its legendary status puts it in at number 2.

A Ferrari rally car. Awesome.

And number 1………??

Well, that’s up to you to decide. Comment on the below and we will decide in a week what’s the best car – the debate is raging here at Carrentals – what do you all think?

Honda, the great failures of Forumla 1 have pulled completely out of F1, with immediate effect. Honda have decided that spending a reported £300million a year to run round the back is not a good marketing plan and will put that money to something better - perhaps a dancing robot or something.

It’s a shock for F1 to lose such a big car manufacturer and has led to more calls to cut costs for the teams, much to the dismay of herman munster-alike Fernando Alonso.

As stated here and here it seems the bottom has fallen out of the new car market and no one is willing to risk a 30 - 50% depreciation of their new vehicle in the first year. On one hand, you have the richer(?) people saying that at least you know where it is and you can’t beat that smell.

Look at all those lovely cars, untoched by other smelly drivers…

Where, on the other hand you have the poorer and more sensible people waiting till a car devalues and snapping up a bargain. And you can certainly get a bargain or two out there at the moment. What do you think?

Whereas you can get an old car that bursts into flames at any moment!

Would you or have you ever bought a new car, or is it always second hand for you?

I was like that when I gave my rental car back with no problems

The first thing to remember when you are picking up your rental car is that they have been, for the vast majority of their life, driven like a dodgem. People will take liberties with a rental car in ways they would never do with something they actually owned. Take for instance the story of the man who, unhappy with the service of his chosen rental company, peed in the washer fluid. Now think that you have as much chance as anyone else of getting into that particular car next time you are on holiday and pulling that indicator stick, unleashing a jet of piss on to the windscreen.

Make sure there is only water in those jets (or possibly cleaner fluid)

Also consider where you are going. In Florida, for instance, the roads are huge and relatively simple, seeing as America has no need for roundabouts. Almost every car is also automatic. Contrast this with, say, Rome, or Paris, where even Formula 1 drivers take the train. All of these things will contribute to how stressful your rental experience might be.

Paris driving. More dangerous than phoning aging celebrities about their grandaughters

There are precautions you can take to avoid being the brunt of any unnecessary grief. Firstly, the rental company will take you up on any damage to the car, regardless of whether you caused it or not, unless you get written proof of the damage prior to you leaving the lot with the vehicle, so make sure you get some kind of proof. Secondly, make sure you are not already covered for insurance on a rental car. Some credit card providers will actually contribute to the cost of repairing a damaged rental car in the event of an accident, so phone around to avoid wasted cash. Finally, ask for the newest car possible. This might sound like silly advice, but it can often lead to getting the freshest automobile in the lot, which as we shall soon see, is important.

Try and get the most modern car available from the yard

Take time to consider what you are renting as well. If you drive a 3-door hatchback and you rent a 4×4 SUV, then it’s going to make adjusting to the roads a lot more difficult. Get the smallest car you can for your purposes. As a case study, this man found, among other things, that the SUV he had rented was ‘like a big boat. A tanker. I was immediately uncomfortable and felt stupid for having this big giant car for me and my little suitcase. It was scary.’ Take heed. He also mentions seemingly peripheral considerations like where the air conditoning controls were placed and how confusing the radio was. These might seem like tertiary concerns but they contribute to your overall comfort on the road. You get stuck on Radio 1.

If you’re used to driving a Smart car, this might not be for you
That guy had it lucky in comparison to some. It’s inevitable with the thousands of rentals taken up every day that some are going to be, let’s say, less than satisfactory. But there are some rentals that can destroy the souls of would-be holiday makers.

Some feel strongly enough about it to set up their own website dedicated to documenting these horror stories. Tales include the photographic documentation of unruly looking stains on some shabby upholstery and the frankly gripping headline ‘College Graduate Watches Decline Of Friends Employed At Enterprise Rent-A-Car’. If you’re particularly unlucky, you can pick up a real humdinger, the kind of car that makes grown men cry.

Stains and tearing on the seats. Worrying.

Check out this story about a rental car that had already been rented, by bugs. Granted, this is an extreme case, but it is not an isolated one. There’s the man whose rental car would not exceed 20 mph, and his subsequent dismay a the customer service he received. More scary is the incognito installation of GPS devices into rental cars so that your lender can track your every move, including whether you have been speeding or, in America, taking your car into another state, which can increase the costs of your rental. It is not yet a widespread practice, but as soon as rental companies cotton on to the idea of fining you for your driving style, you can welcome HAL 9000 into your saloon.

If your hire car starts humming ‘Daisy’, be afraid.

If all else fails, head to rentawreck.com who state on their site, ‘We hope that our funny name helps you to remember us, and our low costs rentals and high quality customer service will earn your business.’ This is clearly the same logic that led to my local windscreen replacement business being called Pane in the Glass, and my local tyre and exhaust garage being christened - wait for it - Steve’s Tyred and Exhausted. Genius. It’s that kind of thinking you’re going to encounter every time you rent a car. The best thing to do is avoid renting if you can. If you can’t, then everything should go okay. If it starts going wrong, abandon your vehicle wherever you are and proceed on foot. It’s the safest option.

Witty shop names. They’re funny.