For anyone even remotely interested in the world of motoring, the start of the Formula One 2010 season would’ve been pretty hard to miss.  With the Bahrain Grand Prix seeing the first Formula One race on Sakhir’s new ‘Endurance Circuit’ and a whole host of new rules coming into play, there was plenty of hype and speculation surrounding this race.

So, what exactly has changed this season?  Well, arguably the most noticeable (and most controversial) of the changes is the ban on refuelling during the race itself.  This means that the cars’ fuel tanks will have to be up to three times bigger than last season, and pit stops will be much shorter, with drivers probably only coming in for tyre changes.

Formula One also made changes to the points system, mainly due to three new teams joining the last year’s line-up of ten.  Previously, the top eight drivers to finish would score points, ranging from ten points for the winner to one point for eighth place.  This year, however, sees things changing up quite a bit: the first ten finishers will score points, with twenty-five, eighteen and fifteen points going to the top three drivers respectively, and then gradually diminishing to one point for tenth place.

Of course, the Formula One website claimed that these changes would see better, more exciting races in 2010, but they just seemed to turn the Bahrain Grand Prix into a glorified conga line.  The newer, smaller tyres dictated by Formula One reduced grip on the track, whilst turbulent air sent out from the cars’ rear diffusers meant that most drivers chose not to attempt to overtake, for fear of overheating their engines or losing control of the cars.  In fact, the only reason Fernando Alonso was able to take pole position and eventually win the race was a fault with the Red Bull car driven by Sebastian Vettel.

If the disappointment of the Bahrain Grand Prix has left you feeling a bit fed up and you fancy switching off the telly and giving those Formula One drivers a run for their money, then adflyer can help.  Unfortunately, our motoring section isn’t exactly over-run with listings for F1 cars right now, but we do have plenty of top makes to choose from including Jaguar, BMW, Lexus, Bentley, Mercedes, and Porsche and Audi (right).  So, whether you’re a wannabe boy racer or you fancy going at a more leisurely pace, adflyer has a great range of listings to help you find the perfect car.

Here at adflyer, our motoring section is one of the largest parts of the site, with new listings being added all the time.  Of course, it’s all incredibly exciting when you first get your new car, motorcycle, van or scooter, and you’ll be making any excuse you can to take it for a spin.  But, what do you do when the novelty’s worn off?  As always, adflyer is here to help, and we’ve wracked our brains to come up with five of the best scenic drives in the UK.  So, if you’re feeling bored of the same old roads, make your SatNav do the work for a change and try out one of these scenic routes…

1. Snowdonia, Wales, 16.8 miles.  Home of Mount Snowdon, this is the UK’s third most visited National Park, with over six million visitors coming to see its beautiful mountainous landscapes every year.  Whilst the whole of Snowdonia spans a staggering eight hundred and thirty-eight square miles, this beautiful drive is just shy of seventeen miles from start to finish.  Starting in Betws y Coed, you can stop at the beautiful Pont y Pair Falls, before heading along the A4086 towards the summit of Snowdon.  From here, continue along the A4086 which takes you through the Pass of Llanberis on an ascent of over one thousand feet into the stunning mountains of Snowdonia, and onto the final stop of Beddgelert, leaving you in the heart of this beautiful National Park.

2. Keswick to Lake Windermere, 20.2 miles.  This gentle and picturesque drive takes you through the Lake District National Park, a beautiful and wild area which has inspired some of Britain’s greatest artists and poets for centuries.  Following the A591 from Keswick in Cumbria, the route takes you past Lakes Thirlmere and Grasmere before eventually reaching Windermere, the largest natural lake in Britain.  You’ll also see plenty of spots along the way to hop out the car, take in the stunning views and enjoy a good old-fashioned picnic, so it’s a great alternative to the usual family day out.

3. Macclesfield to Buxton, 19.6 miles.  Yet another National Park!  This route will take you through the Peak District and along the A537.  Full of long open bends and tight twists, this drive has stunning views of high open moorland, isolated farmsteads and huge picturesque expanses of heather.  So, if you’re a fan of unspoilt beauty and wild British countryside, this is the perfect drive for you, with highlights including Cat and Fiddle Pass, Goyt Valley and Errwood and Fernilee Reservoirs.

4. Severn Bridge, 2.5 miles.  One of the shortest routes we’ve found, the Severn Bridge crosses the River Severn Estuary, and links Gloucestershire with Monmouthshire in Wales.  It might not boast as many breathtaking views of quintessential British countryside, but the sky scraper-like height of this bridge provides unique and panoramic scenes of open water, marshy plains and mudflats that you’re unlikely to see anywhere else.

5. Oxford Street, London, 1.25 miles.  Now, you might be wondering why this is listed amongst some of the most beautiful and picturesque drives in the country, but Oxford Street is a British institution.  If you prefer the hustle and bustle of the city to the tranquillity of the countryside, this drive along the most famous street in London could be perfect for you.  The route will take you from Marble Arch, all the way through Oxford Circus and onto St Giles’ Circus, with some of the most iconic sights in our capital along this mile-long stretch of road.  Plus, if you get bored of negotiating the traffic and people-watching, you could always hit the famous Oxford Street shops for some retail therapy!

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about some of the best drives Britain has to offer, and hopefully you’ll take your new car out on one of them very soon.  In the meantime, don’t forget to keep an eye out for a bargain on our motors classifieds blog, and peruse our adflyer blog, property blog and pets blog for more news, advice and trivia.

Are hybrids really carbon neutral?

Are you looking for a great deal on your first car?  Or are you currently searching for a replacement car?  No matter how long you’ve been driving for though, you’ll certainly have heard a car myth or two.  adflyer have found loads of car myths doing the rounds, and they range from the sublime to the ridiculous.  So, which, if any, are actually true?  Here at adflyer, we’ve researched into some of the more well-known myths about cars to find out once and for all if there’s any truth in them.

Driving over 100mph will get you an instant driving ban. This sounds like something made up by driving instructors to keep wannabe boy racers in check, but surprisingly enough, it’s true.  If you’re caught speeding at over 100mph (or 30mph over the relevant speed limit) the punishment usually starts at disqualification from driving, although this decision is at the court’s discretion.  So, the lesson here is if you’re going to speed, be nice to the policeman who pulls you over!

CDs block speed detectors. If when you first read this, you thought it meant that the music from a CD would block speed detectors, you’d be wrong.  As bizarre as it may seem, this myth actually suggests that attaching a CD to your windscreen or even mounting it behind your grill will reflect the radar’s wave away from the car, thus making it impossible for the speed camera to record and detect your speed.  Who on Earth thought that up?!  In fact, vertically mounting a CD onto your car presents an even better target for radar and laser beams, so just don’t do it!

You should always rev the engine just before you switch it off.  ‘Why would I do that?’ I hear you ask.  Well, according to some complete idiot, revving your engine just before you switch it off leaves a spark, ready for the next time you switch the engine on.  It didn’t require much research to figure out that this myth is complete rubbish!  If they’re not ignited straightaway, electrical sparks go out as quickly as they began, so there’s no possible way to store them.

Hybrid cars have zero carbon emissions.  Not true!  A hybrid car has an electric and a petrol motor, which means that it still produces CO₂, but its carbon emissions are lower than that of a normal car.

‘Empty’ on a car’s fuel gauge doesn’t actually mean empty.  It is indeed a little-known quirk built into most cars that when the arrow on the fuel gauge first points to empty, the tank will usually have about two gallons still left in it.  This clever little trick is designed to avoid cars running out of fuel before you can get to the nearest petrol station.  So even though it’s not exactly telling the truth, don’t ignore the fuel gauge when it goes down to empty, unless you like the idea of sputtering to a halt in the middle of a busy road!

Well, now you know the truth!  We hope that this has helped to answer a few of your motoring-related questions, or at least ease the tedium of your day.  So, if you’re done with the procrastination, why not take a look at adflyer’s great motoring section?  We’ve got a great range of cars for you to try out your new-found motoring knowledge on, as well as car parts and accessories, registration plates and even motorcycles and scooters if you fancy a change of pace.  Or, to carry on whiling the hours away, take a look at our brilliant adflyer blog, pets blog and property blog for even more news, advice and fun trivia.