In a research poll undertaken by Swinton Vans, a department of the Swinton insurance company, it was found that two-thirds of van drivers are considering getting a new van before VAT rise.

67% of the 1,200 van owners that were questioned, responded that they were thinking about purchasing a new van before the new VAT increase up to 20%, which will take effect January 4th, 2010, in an attempt to save money on the purchase.

That’s not the extent of the cost increase for van owners, there is a 1% increase in Insurance Premium Tax which mean van insurance premiums will go up at around the same time too.

This comes at a time when the economy is struggling to restart after leaving behind recession status, and is sure to have a negative impact on a number small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who rely on vans for daily business activities.

This is likely to lead to a knock-on effect where smaller businesses are forced into increasing prices to cover costs, which will drive away customers to large companies who are better able to absorb the extra costs themselves.

As an example of the cost increase from VAT on a new van, a Ford Transit minimum cost is £17,155 on the official website, which equates to an increase of £428.89 when the VAT rises to 20%.

It is not about cars yes I know but the news about a guy who decided to place flame thrower on the end of his scooter.

But the thing is I don’t know if I can believe this due to it partly being from Top Gear and partly from the fact is that he got arrested for doing this and he has had his stuff taken off him but also his name is Mr Furze.

Mr Furze…. Come on is this a belated April Fools.

I give it about 3 days before we find out that this is actually just a April Fool stunt.

For my last blog I am going to talk about f1. I am going to talk mainly about Michael Schumacher and his chances of winning the championship again.

This year has seen the re birth of Micheal Schumacher who was self proclaimed rusty for the first race back at Mercedes. I really think that Michael Schumacher is going to be back in the next couple of races and I think that he will be back to his best.

I think that there is a possible win of the championship but I think he will only have a couple of years to do it in before he will have to retire.

BMW have decided to follow the what Top gear did a number of months ago in there 14^th Series where they were in Middlesbrough to produce car in art. For Top Gear this was a absolute failure as they went through the life and times of Cars.

Anyway

BMW have decided to complete something very similar with there new and 18^th design for the Le Mans Race of this year.

The way that the car will finally looks will be brilliant I think as they has been so many good car designs for BMW previously. For instance the three lines were brilliant as well.

Yes before you complain this is I am going to go on about door mirrors.

Why?

Well the other day someone drove past our car at speed and they knocked the wing mirror the wrong way and now it does not push in correctly now.

Ok yes it is our fault that it did not get pushed in but it does not work at all and I know that the part will probably only cost about five quid but the labour will cost loads to sort out.

Dam you people who have no spaccial awareness I hate you all.

I am wondering what there is to talk about this month but Formula 1 season is into swing so I think I will concentrate on the formula 1 season.

So,

Who is going to win the Formula 1 season this year?

There are a lot of contenders such as Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Jenson Button to name but a few favorites.

Well I recon that it will be potentially Alonso or even Jenson Button. I really think that Michael Schumacher will not be successful this year but next year I think he will be stronger.

In 2009 the BMW 5 Series lost its title of the world’s favourite executive saloon to the Audi A6. With the new model of 5 Series they are looking to bounce back in style. The styling of the previous 5 Series had shocked the motoring world in 2003 with harsh looks and sharp lines. This made sure that the car had lost its conservative appeal. The new model however has more curves and a smoother look to it, the bonnet and lights are less harsh. There are a wide range of engines available and they are all pretty quick. The cabin is very quiet and the ride is very smooth and pleasant. However with the power available and with the rear wheel drive this car is nothing if not a monster. If any of the 5 series rivals weren’t scared before they will be now.

Recently there was good news as Saab was saved from the scrap heap due to the recession meaning General Motors cutting them out of their plans. Dutch supercar maker Spyker confirmed they had completed a deal to buy the Swedish company from owner General Motors.

I remember having a 1991 H Reg Saab 9000. It was a 2.0L petrol car with an automatic transmission and was such a good reliable car. The car is still running now is looked after properly, even if at nearly 20 years of age it doesn’t run quite like it used to. In terms of fuel economy it wasn’t great but the best thing about this car was the heated seats! All winter I would use them and they were a great feature to have. So the news that Saab have been sold and not completely gone out of business is great news, I hope they start building the cars more like they used to before General Motors.

Mini have released information and pictures on the new Countryman 4×4 car. The car has 4 doors and a 4-wheel drive system if required. The Mini has never before been a 4×4 offroad vehicle and the BMW owned company are obviously keen on showing that the look and feel of the Mini isn’t lost. It looks like an off road car but the main styling of the car definitely looks like the Mini. The large headlights and high window line remain intact.

With the usual Mini car, the naming system is also intact. At a base level there is the Mini One Countryman which has an 89bhp engine. The Cooper S model is a 181bhp 1.6 engine that has been turbocharged for extra power. Both the gear boxes are six speed but on petrol models there is an option with wheel-mounted flappy paddles.

As with most Minis, they don’t come cheap. The Countryman will go on sale in September, with prices starting at around £17,000.

German car tuners Gemballa are going to work on 25 Ferrari Enzo’s to suit the lucky owners of these magnificent cars. The power that they produce will be 700 bhp and with a wide range of aerodynamic changes including wide arches, reprofiled nose, roof scoop, assorted gills and a massive rear wing -this car will go like the clappers. It is inspired by a jet fighter by the looks of it, and while many purists will wonder what on earth the car looks like - I think it looks strangely attractive.

On the inside it’s a mix of equally brash touches. Leather is standard and there is a revised centre console which includes a 950-watt stereo system with seven-inch touchscreen. It is unlikely that Enzo Ferrari himself would approve of this tuning but it is undoubtedly a fantastic car with the look of a Stormtrooper from Star Wars.