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.

Could gas guzzlers soon be a thing of the past?

These days, we’re all becoming very aware of the effects of climate change, and everyone seems to be obsessed with reducing their carbon footprint in every aspect of their lives.  This obsession is gradually creeping into the motoring world too, with some of the world’s biggest car manufacturers being profoundly affected by the so-called green revolution.

General Motors, for instance, have recently announced that due to a failed take-over bid of the Hummer brand, they are to wind down production of the gas guzzling road-legal version of the US military vehicle, the Humvee.  The Hummer is quite possibly the least economical and planet-friendly vehicle around: it weighs over three tons, emits three times more carbon dioxide than the average small car, and manages just thirteen miles to the gallon.  Despite its status as a symbol of obscene wealth and extravagance for many celebrities and famous faces, the changing motoring market took its toll on the Hummer.  In 2009, year-on-year sales for the Hummer fell by 67%, the final death knell for a brand which became synonymous with pre-recession greed and over-spending.

However, the growing trend towards more eco-friendly cars is being met with enthusiasm rather than dread by many of the world’s largest car manufacturers.  The Geneva Motor Show opened this week to countless unveilings of new hybrid cars, with the Ferrari 599 getting the most media attention.  The hybrid however, is set to become a more affordable reality as Audi, BMW, Toyota, Nissan and Vauxhall are all set to begin selling their own hybrids in the not too-distant future.

So, this means we may be seeing more eco-friendly cars gracing the adflyer motoring section before long.  In the meantime though, we have a veritable plethora of cars for sale, ranging from environmentally-friendly hybrids to defiantly uneconomical gas guzzlers.  Plus, don’t forget to keep up to date with our adflyer property blog where you can find the latest motoring news and advice, and look out for a great deal on the newest listings added to the site via the motoring classifieds blog.