Hello , Welcome to the August issue of Fleettorque, brought to you by Fleetcare!

Is it possible to get a breath of fresh air in Beijing? Well, that's what the competitors at this year's Olympics want to know. The Chinese capital is one of the world's most polluted cities, choked by the emissions of its 3.3 million cars, and getting the air quality up to Olympic standard has been one huge headache for the local organisers.

But, a string of measures have been brought in to give the city's atmosphere a much-needed spring clean, including an initiative to banish 300,000 of the city's most polluting cars from the capital's roads between July 2 and the end of the Games on September 20, with police and environmental officials posted at 110 checkpoints throughout the city to enforce the ban.

The Beijing authorities haven't stopped there. For two months from July 20, vehicles with license plates ending in odd numbers and those ending in even numbers will have to take it in turns to use the urban highways, public workers have been instructed only to use public transport and all digging and pouring of concrete on construction sites has been suspended. Nineteen heavy-polluting factories have also been ordered to reduce their emissions throughout this time by 30 percent.

These last-ditch efforts come after a US$15bn decade-long attempt to get Beijing to clean up its act ready for its starring role on the Olympic stage. Hopefully these precautions will see that our athletes can compete to the best of their ability!

For more information on the Olympics click here...

From the end of July 2008 Shell Australia is phasing out Shell V-Power Racing fuel from the Australian market. This phase out is due to changing market demands and will take approximately 6 months.

Shell V-Power will now be Shell’s premium performance fuel. Shell V-Power is 98 octane and contains Friction Modification technology and an exclusive cleaning formula. The difference between the two is Shell V-power Racing is 100 octane and contains 5 percent ethanol but still has the same cleaning qualities as Shell-V power.

Shell V-Power is available at Coles Express Sites in QLD, NSW, VIC, SA and ACT. For more information click here...

The corporate fleet – whether that be cars, vans or trucks, can be a company’s most visual and mobile asset.

In an industry that was once collectively known as signwriting, vehicle marking has now moved on at the same rate as the introduction of the digital age. New technology and new vinyls have brought about a quiet revolution where once all was satisfied by a steady hand, a fine point brush and a pot of paint. Vehicle graphics are now available for application onto any vehicle, from a car, van, truck or tanker.

One of the great advantages of the new technology is that the actual body colour of a vehicle is irrelevant. The final appearance of a vehicle, be it a car, light commercial or truck, is solely dependent on design concept which can range from a simple one word logo to a complete body colour change with extensive graphics and true to life imagery.Covering windows with graphics can now easily be completed by the use of perforated vinyl that continues to offer see-through capabilities from inside the vehicle.

Many vinyls are now available with long term warranties, with vinyls capable of fully conforming to the exact design and styling criteria of the vehicle and a full vehicle wrap can be completed in most cases within one working day, a major change from the time taken with traditional paint application.

The other advantage of using vinyl wrap covers is that the wrap actually protects the original body paintwork, especially in areas such as stone-chipping. And with an average life expectancy of up to five years it outlives most fleet requirements. When the vehicle is due for re-sale, the body wrap is removed, using gentle heat. After removal of the film, the application of solvents and a ‘polish’ will remove any residue, returning the original paintwork to prominence.

So, whatever the size of your fleet, the addition of graphics may be just what assists your company to ‘get its message to the market’.

Daffodil Day on August 22 is drawing near. It is an important event to celebrate the spirit of cancer survivors, their families, carers and medical specialists but also gives us the opportunity to personally make a difference through fundraising to assist the fight against cancer.

This year Fleetcare is raising money to support this worthy cause and you too can make a difference. Go to www.daffodilday.com.au and purchase merchandise or simply make a donation.

The proceeds help the Cancer Council to fund essential services, education and research programs that aim to assist the cancer sufferers of today and protect future generations. You probably know a cancer sufferer - 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women under the age of 85 are affected. Your support on Daffodil Day is vital to see that these figures can hopefully be reduced.

Although many vehicle manufacturers are bending over backwards to produce cars that are faster and more fuel efficient than their predecessors, Mazda has bucked the trend with its new RX-8 compact sports car.

Slower and thirstier than the model it replaces, the new RX-8, which launched in Australia last month has an inferior 0-100km/h sprint time (6.4 v 6.2sec) and fuel consumption figure (12.9 v 12.6L/100km) to the original which appeared in 2003. The reasoning behind this though, according to Mazda, is that the car is faster 'point-to-point' and easier to drive.

On the outisde, the new RX-8 is an update on the original model, with new rear-hinged rear doors and genuine four-seat capacity. It's lighter and larger (19-inch) alloy wheels are wrapped in lower-profile rubber, while the Bilstein shock absorbers, improved steering, sports body kit, and Recaro front bucket seats complete the make-over.

There are three models in the MX-8 range, including the RX-8 GT, a new performance flagship model that costs $57,625. The base model is priced at $49,720 while the RX-8 Luxury is $55,520. All are powered by the same 1.3-litre Renesis rotary engine and a new six-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic transmission is also available as a $1,645 option on the top-of-the-range Luxury, which also comes with leather seat trim, an electric sunroof, an eight-way electric-adjust driver's seat, and a 300-watt Bose audio system.

For more information click here...