If the high price of those small Teutonic saloons makes you wince, this perfectly acceptable Scandinavian alternative might be for you. The cabin is ergonomically elegant, with the dashboard curving around the driver, and you’ll sink into lusciously comfortable seats both in the front and the rear. The roofline is distinctly higher than that of most saloons, so you’ll enjoy plenty of headroom. The boot is generous, and the rear seat folds flat on a 60/40 basis, giving you extra stowage if you need it.

Bumpy roads can result in a little judderiness but the car glides smoothly and gracefully along even tarmac. The more powerful petrol engines seem to result in a harder, bumpier ride but with the diesels and the lower power petrols, smooth-road serenity is restored. A relatively light-pressure turbo engine supplies plenty of thrust for overtaking and will cost you considerably less than, say, a 319i BMW engine. The turbodiesel engines are good performers in this department, too. Saab’s unique four-wheel drive system, XWD, has enabled the top of the range model, the 2.8 litre V6 turbo, to hit a formidable 280 bhp – not bad for a little saloon. The front wheel drive version still delivers 255 bhp.

The 9-3’s elegance, practicality, space and excellent safety features enable it to be equally comfortable as an executive auto as well as a family car.

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There are three primary ways in which you can purchase personalised number plates for your vehicle.  These are:

- Purchasing the number plates directly from the DVLA
- Purchasing the number plates from a private dealer
- Purchasing the number plates at an authorised DVLA auction

Purchasing your personalised number plates by way of a DVLA auction is a great way to acquire some very exclusive number plates.  Just realise that you will need to exercise some flexibility where the cost is concerned.  It is not uncommon for most bid lots to have a reserve of around £200.  However, some personalised number plates have fetched many thousands in pounds in the past.

There are usually half a dozen DVLA auctions annually.  Each of them last three days and can feature up to 1,600 number plates over the course of those three days.  The DVLA website affords you the ability to peruse all the plate numbers that will be featured at upcoming auctions.  So once the auction has officially started, you can place your bid in person, by telephone, or online.

Sealed bids are also allowable should you be slightly intimidated about bidding on your personalised number plates in person.  The auctioneer usually handles these over a period of two weeks and they do remain invisible to other bidders who are involved.  When the deadline finally arrives, all of the bids are opened and the number plates are then awarded to the highest bidder.  More information on the auction procedure and rules is available at the DVLA website.

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Ken Lang started dreaming of owning a personalised number plate as soon as the prefix registration format was introduced back in 1983. He and some work colleagues were discussing the combinations available and Ken decided that his perfect plate would be K1 ANG. At that time K plates were still another ten years off, but from 1993 onwards he searched all the traders advertisements, but he could never find that elusive perfect plate.

By 2002 Ken had still not made that purchase and his wife suggested that he might like a personalised plate for his birthday, since he had dreamed of one for so long. He decided to look for one, which bore his initials, but just when he had stopped looking, he came across his dream registration. He immediately made an offer and before long was able to proudly display the plate on his car.

Lang has since come to realise that the registration he purchased was actually an investment. He was once approached by a Mr Kiang, while at a service station, who offered him more than he had paid for the number plate. Obviously Ken refused, as he is very attached to the plate after waiting so long to find it.

Ken Lang has also researched the combination on his registration mark. Although he bought it to signify K Lang he has discovered that his plate may also be useful for owners of a Kia car or someone with the name Ian, Angela and Kian or of course, the surname Kiang, as he has already discovered.

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In these very challenging times, wise use of financial resources is necessary. You must get the service you need as equivalent to the money you spend. In other words, the service must be worth your money. This is true with Porsche leasing.

There are many benefits to Porsche leasing. They range from relatively easy payments to the agreements you will enter into for the lease. In the end, you may even be given the chance of owning a car.

Your initial payment here is very minimal and you will not be asked to pay for a security deposit. What you will pay every month is the equivalent depreciation cost of the car, not the actual cost. In other words, you will only pay for the usage. The charge is very minimal compared to other car renting companies. You can even reduce your monthly payment by choosing a lower mileage.

You have the option to prepay the lease for the whole duration of the term. With that, you will pay less than the actual cost. You will be able to get tax benefits, too, especially if you use the car for your business.

In case you want to purchase the car after the expiry of your lease, the depreciation of the car will be considered and calculated. After the term expires, you will be assisted by company advisors to find out if you can buy it, renew your commitment, or just end the service.

Vehicle leasing is an alternative to buying a new car. There are multiple benefits you can get from it as well as protection in case your leased car is lost or damaged.

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Solid, chunky, macho and down to earth, this is the archetypal, no frills SUV. It’ll handle potholes and uneven roads cheerfully, although it may throw you around a bit in the process. It’s also a smooth cruiser, so on ordinary road surfaces you won’t have to sacrifice comfort.

The interior is not particularly elegant – gray plastics abound, but everything seems solid enough. The 3.0 litre 215 bhp V6 hits 62 mph in a respectable 9 seconds, which for an SUV isn’t to be scoffed at. If you’re not averse to petrol guzzlers, the SRT-8 has a 6.1 litre, 425 bhp V8 engine and surges to 62 mph in just 5 seconds. Whilst you won’t feel you’re driving an Aston (why would you want to when you’ve chosen an SUV, anyway?), you also won’t feel like you’re manoeuvring a bus. These beasts are big, though, and you’ll be aware of that fact the moment you get behind the wheel – you’ll climb into rather than slip into the driving seat.

As you might expect, there is abundant space for passengers and a hugely generous 979 litre boot (which becomes a colossal 1909 litres when the seats are folded). You wouldn’t expect an SUV to rate well for emissions and fuel consumption and the Grand Cherokee holds no surprises here: the petrol variety squeezes 17.2 miles out of every gallon, and the diesel a slightly more respectable 27.7 miles. Not especially green but it has a kind of hunky charm.

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Pete Gent couldn’t believe his eyes. He had wandered into a car showroom and saw a white VW Beetle in the forecourt. However, this was not just any VW Beetle, it was the most famous VW Beetle in Britain. Why the fame? Well, this was the very car that had featured on the cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album. Gent, owner of a music shop, recognised it straight away and, realising that the salesman was unaware of the car’s famous history, snapped it up.

The vehicle had a distinctive registration plate, which had been the subject of many rumours and conspiracy theories that claimed Paul McCartney was dead. An American Radio Station began reporting that McCartney had passed away and that the plate, LMW 281F, contained a hidden message. LMW was believed to represent Linda McCartney as a ‘W’idow and 281F was supposed to signify Paul being 28 if he had lived. Of course, as we all know, the rumour was completely false.

Gent eventually sold the plate at Sotheby’s in 1986, where it fetched £2,300. At that time it went to America, but he believes that it is now on display at the VW factory in Germany.

Gent admits that he regrets not hanging on to the number plate for longer, “I was hoping to get more for it at the time, but there were only two people bidding. I should have kept it really, but I didn’t realise that their popularity would grow again. It would have been great publicity for my guitar shop.”

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Car leasing today is becoming a trend as it gives customers a multitude of benefits. By leasing a car, you only have to pay the agreed amount of the depreciation of the vehicle, not like when you buy a brand new car and have to take the whole hit yourself! One of the most leased vehicle brands today is Mitsubishi, as their cars are known for good quality, excellent features, and they have a strong reputation. Indeed, Mitsubishi leasing is attracting many car owners and enthusiasts.

If you are planning to lease a Mitsubishi car, you need first to know the latest rates and options. You may also want to know which models are best for car leasing.

The Mitsubishi i is one of the Mitsubishi cars which earned commercial success. This car is made from robust materials and it can run at a 54.6mpg combined average. It has an exceptional environmental record of only 114g/km CO2 emissions. Its safety specifications include ABS together with EBD, a front crumple zone, and two front airbags. The Mitsubishi i is well-equipped with locking wheel nuts and alloy wheels, immobiliser, climate control air conditioning, anti-trap windows, and stereo radio or CD with four speakers. It also has a reasonable and accessible storage space. Added to its exceptional features is its neat and bright interior. With these outstanding features,  the Mitsubishi i provides a fun driving experience, making it a good choice for car leasing.

The Mitsubishi i is just one possibility among the wide variety of Mitsubishi vehicles that you may want to lease. There are many other models that are available and offered by various Mitsubishi leasing outlets and authorities.

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Some people build up amazing collections of private number plates in the course of their lives. Once such collection is the SAW plates, which were purchased by Midlands saw blade supply company, Dynashape Ltd. The entire collection consists of SAW 1, SAW 2, SAW 3, SAW 4, SAW 5, SAW 6, SAW 7, SAW 8, SAW 9, SAW 10, SAW 11, SAW 123 and SAW 1T. It is believed that the company’s owner has amassed the largest known collection of consecutive personalised registration plates in the entire country.

SAW 6 was actually the first of the plates to be purchased, back in 1972 and over the following years the owner continued to seek out the others by answering ads and speaking to auto-numerology experts. The prices of the plates varied considerably, with some costing just a few hundred pounds while others have cost several thousand. The seller of one plate was able to purchase a new car with the proceeds.

The owner of this collection always believed that the number plates were an investment for his retirement and that when that day came he would sell them on. His belief is that the money he can make from the sale of the plates will provide a comfortable life for him in his later years.

Now that the company is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, the owner has made the decision to retire and finally sell this amazing collection of personalised registrations.

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Suffix registrations came into effect in 1963. They follow a specific format of three letters at the start, followed by one, two or three digits and are completed by a suffix letter at the end, which acts as an age identifier. It is the final year identifying letter that earns this style of registration its name. An example of a typical suffix number plate is RMS 27D and this particular plate identifies the year of manufacture as 1966. Originally, the first three letters of a suffix plate identified the area where the vehicle was registered. The numbers on suffix registrations only act to differentiate between vehicles with the same prefix and suffix letters.

The suffix registration system commenced with A in 1963 and changed annually, all the way through to Y, which indicated 1982. The suffix letters I, O and U were not used as age identifiers, while a Q registration indicates that the year or origins of a vehicle are uncertain.

It is possible to transfer a suffix registration onto your vehicle, but as with all age identifiable registration plates, you can only assign a suffix registration mark to a vehicle manufactured in the same year or before. It is not possible to use a suffix registration to make your vehicle appear more recent than it actually is. You can, of course, use a private number plate to make your vehicle appear older than it is. With regards to the example registration mark, RMS 27D, this could only be assigned to a vehicle manufactured from 1966 onwards.

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Here in the UK we are made to feel bad for driving, which is why many people are put off from enjoying the whole driving experience and why we have such a poor choice of cars to buy. If you visit other countries around the world like Germany, Italy and the USA you will soon see how much choice is available, from fast and exciting sports cars to the top of the range  cars which offer lots of comfort and style, most of which are just not available from your dealership here in the UK.

The main reason for this is because the majority of cars that are made abroad are originally designed and built for left hand drive and to be sold to the UK the designs have to be converted to right hand drive and made specifically for us, hence the high price.

If you have a taste for the exotic there are ways to get hold of cars that you normally don’t see on the forecourt, you can visit a left hand drive vehicles London dealership, which specialise solely in left hand drive cars and have an extensive range of vehicles for sale as well as large range available to order. On top of that when using a specialist dealer you can have peace of mind that all require paperwork and documents will be completed by people who have extensive knowledge and experience in this confusing area. You can also have your new car either securely or safely delivered to yourself at home or to the left hand drive vehicles London dealership.

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