The Frankfurt Motor Show is likely to see a host of new cars next month, including a number of Mercedes vehicles. The new A- and B-Class cars are likely to get a lot of the attention, but the Viano Vision Pearl will also be making an appearance.

Outside, little is different. It is presented in ‘magno pearly grey’ and there is a slightly sportier bumper. Inside, luxury abounds. There is leather trim, wood and aluminium highlights and an 18-speaker 1,320 watt Bang & Olufsen stereo.

The Viano is a sizeable vehicle and can accommodate six passengers. It’s great for airport runs and business trips, particularly this newer version which features W-LAN wireless internet connectivitiy, meaning it’s possible to do a spot of work while you travel.

Mercedes-Benz vans boss, Volker Mornhinweg, said:

“We have created a vehicle which combines generous spaciousness with an impressive design. Anybody who attaches importance to stress-free and at the same time stylish travel will find that the Viano Vision Pearl is the ideal companion. The interior design and technical features make the Viano Vision Pearl the S-Class among vans.”

Depending on who you are, you may need more than a conventional chauffeur. All drivers should be polite, skilled and knowledgeable, but some clients require more than that.

Personal protection chauffeurs are available for those who need someone with elite driving ability and protective skills to match. If you’re a celebrity, sports star, high profile businessman or political figure, having someone like this behind the wheel can be incredibly reassuring.

Hopefully there will be no threat, but if there is, it is good to know that you have the best people protecting you. Your needs and the potential risks should be discussed beforehand and specialist security will be deployed accordingly.

The risk assessment might demand the presence of additional security staff in support vehicles and this presence may be overt or covert. Furthermore, you may need security 24 hours a day, you may need personal close protection or you may need a rapid response capability. All of these elements will be weighed up and the correct package will be put together to suit your needs. Protection is not just about travelling in the right car.

Hiring a limousine involves far more than having access to a Mercedes S Class or a Rolls-Royce Phantom for a few hours. The experience is as much about the service as it is the vehicle. Yes, the car will be plush and luxurious, but the effect could be completely undone if your driver isn’t accommodating.

A good limo hire company knows this and ensures that it employs only the best people as chauffeurs. Whether it’s a night out, an airport run or a round-trip for a business meeting, you deserve to be treated exceptionally well. You should arrive on time and you should feel well-prepared and relaxed as well. That is the benefit of having a chauffeur.

When you hire a car for a social occasion, you’re doing so to elevate the experience above an ordinary night out. As such, you expect VIP treatment an that is exactly what you should get. A chauffeur should drop you off at the door beforehand and take you home safely afterwards. If you’ve hired the car for the night, you may want to head to some other places as well, which won’t be a problem. The car and driver are yours for the duration, so it makes sense to make the most of it.

A retired British businessman living in Marbella concluded that a conventional Rolls-Royce Phantom wasn’t eye-catching enough and commissioned a company to modify one for him.

Robert Allan, 62, spent £200,000 on a Rolls-Royce Phantom and then spent the same amount again on transforming it. The resulting car is a combination of purple, yellow and white that could politely be described as striking and more accurately as shamelessly garish.

In addition to the unique respray, the interior has also been altered. It is an astonishing mix of red, orange and yellow and a fair dollop of real gold has also been added.

Allan said:

”The Rolls-Royce Phantom is one of the finest cars to travel in but I wanted to give it a bit more of an edge and make it look like nothing seen on the roads before.”

He has certainly achieved that, but such a car isn’t to everyone’s taste. If you’d like to travel in something a little more refined, you can hire a sleek, stylish, unmodified Rolls-Royce Phantom together with a chauffeur. People are likely to be rather more impressed and you might cope with the interior rather better as well.

If you’ve got a special occasion coming up, get your transportation sorted. You could arrange for a taxi, but a special occasion demands a special vehicle, preferably a limo, so hire one together with a chauffeur and enjoy the experience.

This takes all the stress out of your evening travel arrangements and hopefully you won’t end up like a group of Sunderland school girls who were forced to get a lift in a last minute limo – the car in question was a funeral limo.

The firm they had originally contacted had gone out of business, but the importance of booking was emphasised by the fact that even a few weeks away from the event, they couldn’t get a suitable car. Hearing of their plight, Scollen and Wright Funeral Services stepped in and offered them the use of one of theirs.

It was surely a memorable experience, but perhaps not what most of us would want. Fortunately, most special occasions arrive with plenty of warning, so we can plan ahead, take a look at what’s on offer and hopefully choose exactly the kind of car that we most want.

The Chinese market is increasingly important to luxury car makers. Bentley say that China is currently its second-largest market after the US and it’s a market that is growing rapidly.

So it is clearly important for the new Bentley GT to be successful there, but will this be the case? Far and away the most popular Bentley in China is the Flying Spur and that is to a large degree because it is a four-door car.

Robin Peel, Bentley’s Asia-Pacific marketing and communications chief, explained:

“The issue with two doors, at our level, is it’s seen as frivolous and why would you spend money on that and have to drive it yourself? From a status point of view, being driven is what’s important.”

In China, many people who do own Bentleys don’t actually have driving licences. These people are chauffeur driven and look for space and comfort in the back of a car as being the most desirable elements.

The Bentley GT is a coupé, however, so it remains to be seen how popular it will be. Many younger Chinese car buyers are drivers, but overall the culture is about being driven, for which the two-door GT is unsuited.

The funny thing about sport is that people’s emotions don’t necessarily tally with the perceived significance of the event. After Manchester City won their first silverware in 35 years by beating Stoke in the FA Cup final, many of the fans said that while it was a momentous day, it hadn’t actually felt as exciting as a Wembley visit from a few years earlier.

So what was that match that could overshadow an FA Cup win in the eyes of some? It was the division two play-off final against Gillingham, of course. That was a truly memorable match, with City conceding a two goal deficit inside the last ten minutes, but then scoring twice in injury time to bring about extra time and then penalities. However, the point is that despite being a lower standard of football, this was very much a highlight of their lives for these fans – a day they will remember forever.

This year’s nPower Championship play-off final pits Reading against Swansea and if you’re a fan of one of these two teams, this is the biggest match of the year by quite some margin. Considering that fact, you should treat it as such and hiring a limo to take you to Wembley is really the only way to travel. You might be talking about this day for decades, so make the most of it.

If you’re going to Wimbledon this year, make sure that you get a ticket in advance and beat the queues. If you do this, you can also bypass parking or public transport issues by hiring a chauffeur driven car for the day. There is limited parking available at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, but with your own chauffeur, you can get dropped off and picked up again without any trouble.

Play on the major courts starts at 1pm on all but the last two days, when matches are scheduled to start at 2pm. Matches will be played from midday on the outside courts, if you want to arrive earlier during the first week of the Championships. In the second week, junior matches take place from 11am. However, weather disruptions can lead to changes, so it’s important to stay up to date nearer the time.

Other than the tennis itself, there’s plenty more to keep you occupied during the course of your day. There are bars and restaurants and a lounge area. There is also the Wimbledon Museum at Gate 3 and the Wimbledon Shop on the ground floor of the Centre Court building.

It is less than a couple of months now before the British Grand Prix and if you’re planning on going, it’s time to get organised. If you’re buying tickets for someone for their birthday, why not also hire a chauffeur driven car to take them there to complete the experience?

In terms of tickets, there are several different types available. Corporate hospitality tickets are the most expensive, but a tier has been introduced beneath that but above the normal grandstand seating. Club Silverstone is informal, but offers a prime viewing spot and access to great facilities and live entertainment.

In the grandstands, you can get either covered or uncovered seats. At Luffield, you will see tough, right-hand turns. At Stowe, you will see cars bearing down on you at 200mph. These are just two of the grandstand options.

Beneath that, you can get general admission tickets for one day or three. These allow you to pick your own vantage point around the outside of the track. They also allow you grandstand access on the Friday.

So take your pick and then make your travel arrangements. Get everything sorted before the biggest date in the motor racing calendar is upon you.

Every year in the third week of June, Royal Ascot takes place – perhaps the greatest event in racing. If you’ve never been before, you might like to think about hiring a limo and making a day of it.

But on what day should you attend? Each is slightly different. Day one features the Queen Anne Stakes, the King’s Stand Stakes and the St James’s Palace Stakes, all of which are Group 1 races. This is generally the most relaxed day, in terms of atmosphere.

Day two features the Prince of Wales’ Stakes, which has a £400,000 prize. The organisers say that day two is best for groups of friends as it offers a gentler pace.

Day three has the Gold Cup, a two mile and four furlong race. Gold Cup Day is also considered to be Ladies’ Day and is when fashion hits its height. Also on this day is the Hampton Court Stakes, which this year has been renamed the Tercentenary Stakes in honour of 300 years of racing.

Day four features the Coronation Stakes and the King Edward VII Stakes, or the Ascot Derby. Taking place on a Friday, going on this day is a great way to start the weekend.

Day five is the climax and features the Golden Jubilee Stakes. This fifth day was only added in 2002 and is often described as having more of a family feel than those that take place during the week.