End of the Shift Levers

Car Trends come and go mostly...but some are so fundamental to what the car is that their replacement is bound to be controversial.. The Shift Lever is one of them.

Car manufactirers in recent times have decided to do away with the traditional shift lever in automatic transmission and replace them with either buttons or rotary knobs..This removes the feeling from holding on to the lever and actually shifting something...opinions are divided on this new trending the automobile industry..Tell us what you think ?

Automobile designs, When they get it not "quite right" ?

Car Manufacturers do sometimes get it wrong with a new design, so bad feedback from car buyers shows an outgoing model of a car looks way better than a new redesign... Which is why car Manufacturers do something called Mid-Cycle refresh...meaning in the middle of production, some mainly usually cosmetic changes are introduced...Here are three Manufacturers that did just that.
Toyota: Toyota Camry.
When the 2012 Model year was unveiled in 2011, it faced criticism for it's boring design which has seemed to be the hall mark of Toyota. Bland designs but reliable. The criticism must have been felt by Toyota executives all over that two years into the Model year, Toyota came up with a mid cycle facelifting...some could have confused it for a totally newer model. This update ran for the remainder of the production and was praised for it's much more improved sporty aesthetic.

Hyundai : The Hyundai Elantra

The 2012 to 2015 Hyundai Elantra was a master piece, the curves on that vehicle coupled with the right pricing made it the best selling hyundai Model in North America, it particularly became a top selling Model in Nigeria too. One would have thought it's replacement would use the same formula but looked liked the guys at Hyundai got intoxicated and tried to go conservative. It went South..


The Model that replaced it has been described as drab and uninspiring.


Mercedes Benz : E Class.
Mercedes also had it's fair share of Midlife Crisis in the aesthetics department for it's best selling sedan...This E Class first introduced in 2009 as a 2010 Model year got heavily revised in 2013, the E-Class was comprehensively facelifted, featuring significant styling changes, fuel economy improvements and updated safety features. Daimler invested close to €1 billion into the development of the extensive refresh, making it likely the most expensive mid-life facelift in the history of the automobile. The biggest change was the singular front lights replacing the twin headlamp design (marking the end of Mercedes's dual headlamps use) with integrated LED DRL'shttps://www.nairaland.com/4833358/automobiles-designs-when-get-it#72777731

Bentley & Rolls Royce : Shared history and separated at Rebirth

Bentley and Rolls-Royce are probably best known Britain’s luxury car producers. They are strikingly different yet strikingly similar at the same time which is a result of their history which became permanently intertwined in the early 1930s when Bentley was acquired by Rolls-Royce. Another thing both luxury cars have in common is the fact that both were created by motoring pioneers who were driven by the passion for cars and engineering.

About Bentley



Bentley was founded in 1919 by W. O. Bentley and his brother H. M. Bentley. Their first sports vehicle (a chassis, to be more precise) – the Bentley 3 Litre was shown at the London Motor Show in the same year, while the first cars were delivered in 1921. It was considerably larger from other sports cars at the time but with its innovative technology, the Bentley 3 Litre soon ended the domination of tiny sports cars in racing and attracted a lot of attention among the wealthy British car enthusiasts who formed the so-called Bentley Boys. And it was one from the Bentley Boys – Woolf Barnato who helped the company during financial hardship although W.O. was forced to give up his ownership of the company and become an employee instead. Under Barnato, Bentley produced five more models including the famous Speed Six which is the most successful racing Bentley of all times. After victory of Speed Six at Le Mans of 1930, Bentley would need 73 years to win another
About Rolls-Royce



Rolls-Royce was created by Sir Henry Royce and Charles Rolls in 1904. Just like Bentleys, Rolls-Royces immediately attracted attention among car enthusiasts. But in contrary to Bentley, Rolls-Royce focused on pure luxury especially after the introduction of the iconic Silver Ghost with its own personal licence plate and aluminium trims. And while Bentley was struggling with financial problems, Rolls-Royce successfully withstood the Stock Market Crash of 1929 although it had to close its factory in the United States. However, Rolls-Royce prematurely lost one of its founders as Charles Rolls was killed in a plain crash in 1910, aged only 32.
Rolls-Royce Acquires Bentley

Bentley was severely hit by the Great Depression and in 1931, Barnato notified the lenders he is no longer able to meet the debts he had guaranteed for. The court appointed a Receiver to Bentley and in November 1931, the company was bought by the British Central Equitable Trust which was in reality Rolls-Royce. From the acquisition of Bentley by Rolls-Royce, the future development of both car producers became intertwined with Bentley being dependant on the Rolls-Royce’s owner. This, however, has been shown to have no effect on the brand. Just like Rolls-Royce remains associated with pure luxury, Bentley remains associated with top sports cars and high performance for increased driving experience.
While the Bentley is known for it's racing heritage even with its tonnes of luxury features, the RR is geared more towards a luxury touring experience, so we could conveniently say the Bentley is the car you wanna drive, the Rolls Royce is the one you want to be driven in. olls-Royce Acquires Bentley

Bentley was severely hit by the Great Depression and in 1931, Barnato notified the lenders he is no longer able to meet the debts he had guaranteed for. The court appointed a Receiver to Bentley and in November 1931, the company was bought by the British Central Equitable Trust which was in reality Rolls-Royce. From the acquisition of Bentley by Rolls-Royce, the future development of both car producers became intertwined with Bentley being dependant on the Rolls-Royce’s owner. This, however, has been shown to have no effect on the brand. Just like Rolls-Royce remains associated with pure luxury, Bentley remains associated with top sports cars and high performance for increased driving experience.
While the Bentley is known for it's racing heritage even with its tonnes of luxury features, the RR is geared more towards a luxury touring experience, so we could conveniently say the Bentley is the car you wanna drive, the Rolls Royce is the one you want to be driven in.

Rolls Royce vs Bentley coming right up

I Just Got Married And This Is My Story (Part Two)

I Just Got Married And This Is My Story

(Part Two)

           

Image Source: www.onthewall.com

I was overwhelmed by the number of hotels in Lagos. Every hotel I checked seemed to be lacking something until I checked the next one. In all this, I had written down the criteria for selecting my dream hotel. I wanted a 4-star luxury hotel with fully air conditioned and spacious rooms, a jacuzzi,  TV with satellite reception, swimming pool, a beautiful hallway for pictures, a bar for the guys to hangout, full-length mirrors for my girls to take selfies (winks, we are vain like that), free Wi-Fi internet, just to mention a few.

“You know your guests will be too tired to use all of these”. Tobi, my wedding planner said during one of our many sessions together. “They are only lodging for two nights”, she further added. “I just want my guests to have the best time of their lives during those two days. I want it to be like a perfect getaway from all the hustling and bustling activities of Lagos. Is it too much to ask?” I lamented.

Still, my search for the perfect hotel went on. I was bent on selecting a hotel that had everything on my checklist, and this was quite difficult to find. And the D-day was fast approaching.

One of my last days at work before the D-day, Meg, the VP of the company where I work, approached me to ask if I needed any assistance. ‘I can’t seem to find my dream hotel’, I cried out in frustration. ‘That’s quite funny’, she said. ‘You must be checking the wrong places’, she further added. 

Once again, I went through the ritual of listing the important things I wanted my dream hotel to have. Which was what I had been telling anyone that cared over the past days. “Your description fits Ibis Hotel Ikeja, Meg exclaimed. “You can also check out Apartment Royale in Opebi. My friend lodged there during her honeymoon and she enjoyed her stay” she added.

After much comparison and deliberations, Le Boo and I eventually settled for both hotels.  One for family and friends and the other for the bridal crew. And we got a whooping 50% discount on our hotel reservations. I later learnt from Meg that the company offers amazing discounts to guests from time to time. You can be on the lookout, so you don’t miss out on this type of ‘awoof’.

To say I was happy with the choice we made will be an understatement. I was over the moon. And thanks to Meg, we were able to save 50% of our intended budget on hotel reservations. Awesome, right?

I Just Got Married And This is My Story (Part One)

I Just Got Married And This is My Story

(Part One)

 Image Source: www.trend-chaser.com

Saturday, the 18th of February, 2017 will forever be etched in my memory. Not because I won the Olympic medal I have always been dreaming about. No, not yet. Neither is it because I bought my dream car – the red mini cooper 2016 edition. Oh well, I know God is working things out for me and very soon my red mini cooper will arrive (giggles). And until then, I patiently await ‘her’ arrival.

But that is not the essence of this story. The gist of this story is about the milestone that I just achieved. Yes, you guessed right. After several years of waiting and praying, I finally got married to the love of my life. And this is a recap of the unending episodes that preceded the d-day.

Like every excited bride-to-be, I looked forward to the wedding date with so much glee. Being a daddy’s girl meant that I had to get married in my dad’s church. And since it was also the church I worshiped, I had no issue with it. However, I found the compulsory 6 months pre-marital counseling period too long. More gut wrenching were the rules ‘le boo’ and I had to abide by if we wanted the church to certify us ‘marriage-worthy’.

‘Your skirt must be more than 3 inches below your knee. You must always tie a scarf to church. You must not have those ‘so-called’ artificial nails on when coming to this church. Trousers are not allowed in this church for whatever reason, you are not here to seduce the church members’. I sat down and listened to Madam Liz, the woman in charge of the pre-marital counseling, as she read out the rules to us.

‘Why are all the rules meant for only me?’ I asked Madam Liz. ‘ We are serious minded people in this church. If you want to do fashion parade, go to your Lekki church where you people dress half-naked to the house of God every Sunday’, she said. Just know we cannot join you together in this church if you refuse to change your bad attitude’, she further added. Since I had made up my mind that my wedding was going to be conducted in my dad’s church, I decided to abide by their rules, although grudgingly and reluctantly.

Weeks seemed to be taking forever to end. While the days dragged by like a snail in an Olympics. However, each new day brought the ‘d-day’ closer. And before I knew it, it was three weeks to the wedding day. It then came to my realization that I still had a lot of things to to. Despite the fact that I had a wedding planner, I wanted to do some things myself. And since I work for the number one hotel booking portal in Africa, I decided to book the hotel rooms where our guests will be lodged myself.

Since I wanted my guests to be lodged in one of the best hotels in Ikeja, I decided to approach the Vice President of the company, Meg, to ask for recommendations. Unknowingly to me, the company was offering a whooping 50% discount on all hotel reservations made during the Valentine’s season. And since my wedding date fell within this period, I was eligible to use the voucher codes.

...to be continued

6 Travel Hacks for Frequent Business Travelers

Traveling for business purposes is commonplace these days. Most job descriptions require that employees travel at least two times in a year while some others travel on a monthly basis. For those employees that travel frequently, planning the trip can be a very stressful task for them. As they are always faced with recurring issues of choosing which airline to fly with, what hotel accommodation to lodge in while in the destination, as well as things to carry along with them for the trip. If you happen to belong to this category of people, then your problem is about to be over. Below are 6 travel hacks to help you in planning your next business trip.

1. Make a Travel Checklist

It is very pertinent that you make a checklist of the things you will need for your trip. Even if you travel regularly, there is a chance that you might forget something. To prevent this from happening, always use a travel checklist. Keep crossing off things on the list until you are sure you have all the items you need for your trip.

2. Pay a Premium for Direct Flights

Paying a premium for direct flights will save you a lot of time and stress in airport lobbies. Apart from it being time efficient, it is also cheaper to fly from point A to point B instead of breaking the journey and boarding flights from different locations, you will most likely spend more. If you are having a hard time getting cheap rates for direct flights to your destination, then check an online portal for flight booking to get best rates.

3. Check in Online

There is no better way to save time than to check in online. Most airline companies now let customers check in online within 24 hours of their flight. This is in a bid to help customers save the time spent on long security lines at the airport, especially those that are not checking in any baggage. More so, checking in online prevents unexpected delays that happen on travel days.

4. Book your Hotel Accommodation Online Prior to Your Departure

To save you the hassle of being stranded when you get to your destination, it is better to book your hotel online prior to your departure. There are online hotel booking sites with a comprehensive list of hotels where you can book an accommodation close to your destination.

5. Arrive Early

Arriving early to the airport will save you a lot of stress associated with business travel. In a nutshell, business travel entails preparing for the unforeseen, such as unexpected gate changes, long taxi lines, flight delays and security check-points. By getting to the airport early, you give yourself the extra time to deal with the unexpected occurrences.

6. Travel Light

Experienced business travelers know the danger of traveling with too much load. From long delay at the checking-in section to annoying security checks at the airport. As such, it is always better to travel with a light luggage. To achieve this, make sure you pack clothing and shoes with similar colours. That way, you won’t have to bother whether the clothes match or not.