With the bank holiday around the corner, the weather is as turbulent as ever, but you can count on us for lots of topical motoring news ...

• Have a chuckle :-) at our funny insurance claim quotes
• Government's scrap a car scheme tipped to flop
• The MINI turns 50 and announces a brand new model
• As seen on TV - the new webuyanycar.com TV commercial
• Own a Mercedes for Mondeo money!

... so I took my dog and smothered it with the blanket!

If you've ever had to fill in an insurance claim form, you'll know it can be a test of your descriptive powers.  As these genuine insurance claim quotes show however, it can be more testing for some than others!

• "I pulled into a lay-by with smoke coming from under the hood and realised the car was on fire, so I took my dog and smothered it with a blanket"
  
• "I started to slow down but the traffic was more stationary than I thought"
• "The guy was all over the road - I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him"
  
• "I saw a slow moving, sad faced old gentleman as he bounced off the roof of my car"
  
• "I told the police that I was not injured, but on removing my hat found that I had a fractured skull"

For lots more funny insurance claim stories, visit www.businessballs.com

UK scrappage scheme - not tonight Darling says UK public!

The Government's new scrap a car scheme launched this week but has already been widely snubbed by the public as very unlikely to influence them to buy a new car.

• A recent Parker's Guide survey found that 81% of respondents would not take advantage of the scheme and a whopping 70% felt the scheme was too mean
• Much better deals can be had by shopping for nearly new and pre-registered vehicles and by selling your car rather than part-exchanging, you could get an even better deal
• The scheme is most likely to help foreign motor manufacturers that are struggling to shift unpopular models!
• Recent price increases on new cars due to the low value of the pound is taking away much of the benefit to the customer!

Our advice is to shop around, look at nearly new cars and negotiate a price that doesn't include your part-exchange - dealers will often devalue your old car to boost their profit!

Follow this link to get a free valuation of your car

MINI happy returns - the MINI turns 50!

This month see the 50th anniversary of the first MINI to roll off the production line.  To mark the occasion, we've pulled together some amazing MINI facts ...

• The very first Morris Minor Mini cost a whopping £496
• MINI's latest 1.6 Cooper S will set you back nearly £16,000
• Early models cut out in puddles as the distributor wasn't covered properly!
• Every year, over 250,000 new MINIs are sold worldwide

MINI are holding a 50th birthday bash at Silverstone this weekend featuring music from Paul Weller and Calvin Harris.  Tickets for this minicredible weekend are being sold online at the MINI price of just £35 - visit www.mini50party.com to learn more.

Learn more about the MINI 50th birthday bash

Have you seen the latest webuyanycar.com advert on TV yet?

Our new TV and radio adverts have hit the airwaves and the catchy rap inspired jingle is grabbing everyone's attention!  Some love it, some loathe it but it's definitely got the X factor with YouTube, Twitter and FaceBook fans all commenting on the new ad.

If you're a FaceBook user, choose your camp by joining either the "I love the webuyanycar.com TV advert" or the "I hate the webuyanycar.com TV advert" group and let us know your thoughts.

On the subject of social networking, we also have a dedicated channel on YouTube at www.youtube.com/webuyanycar showing all of the webuyanycar.com videos

Discover the locations of your nearest webuyanycar.com branch

Fancy owning a Mercedes for Mondeo money?

Dreaming of owning a prestige car such as a BMW, Mercedes or Audi?  We've recently discovered www.switchcar.co.uk which sells prestige cars at very competitive prices.  With over 40 photos per car on the website, you can get a really good idea of what to look at and reserve online before jumping in the car.  There's also a 7 day no quibble guarantee enabling you to buy with confidence.

Here are a few gems on sale that caught our eye - check out more at www.switchcar.co.uk.

Fancy owning a Mercedes for Mondeo money? Visit www.switchcar.co.uk

A new chapter in the MINI adventure with the MINI Speedster

Tearing up the tarmac in the tracks of its famous predecessors comes the MINI Speedster.  This two seater drop-top promises not just to turn heads but to leave them spinning!  Low profile, huge wheel arches and sporty roll hoops make this latest addition to the MINI range a real roadster, with a distinctive bonnet, chrome rimmed tail lights and split front grille identifying its thoroughbred status.  A John Cooper Works edition offers an eye-watering top speed of 150mph and 0 to 60mph in just six seconds.  Looks like MINI have done it again!

Prices are expected to start at £18,000 for the Cooper S model when it goes on sale in 2011.

Learn more about the Mini Speedster