Martin Ward, CAP's manufacturer relationships manager, scours the globe for this week's insider fleet info

Monday

I’ve been driving round in a 56-plate Audi A6 2.0 TDI SE – yes, a three-year old car that has covered 41,000 miles.

The loan is part of an initiative from Audi to supply older cars to some of the information providers and press to prove just how good its older cars are and how well they have stood the test of time.

The cars are all defleeted models from Volkswagen Financial Services, with no remedial work being carried out on them before they are sent out.

The only fault I can find in this A6 is it has a shiny steering wheel – no squeaks, rattles or any mechanical defects.

This proves that Audi’s reputation for exceptional build quality is well deserved and should give confidence to companies taking new Audis on to their fleets.

Tuesday

Over to Cologne to drive the new, super-quick 340bhp Audi TT RS – a fantastic car with brilliant handling, braking and steering.

It is not your typical fleet car from Audi, but it
proves the manufacturer is very diverse in what it offers, and it has broadened its range massively over the past 10 years.

This not only helps it appeal to a large audience, but also helps it to spread residual value risk across numerous niche models and not just the core fleet versions.

The TT RS costs from £44,885. As good a car as it is, I would rather save £17,000 and more than double my fuel economy in the 2.0 TDI diesel version, which has got to be the best all-round bet for user-choosers wanting a sleek coupe model.

Thursday

Down to Millbrook Proving Ground to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ annual test day. Millbrook – in Bedfordshire – is a great place to hold such an event as it is set in 700 acres, with 30 miles of a huge variety of roads and test surfaces.

More than 30 manufacturers attended and had in excess of 150 cars to test around the facility.

But this sort of event is not just about driving vehicles, it is just as much about talking to other guests and manufacturer representatives.

The SMMT day is just for the press, but fleets can take part in their own version at Millbrook at The Greener Company Car in Action from June 16 to 18.

In these current straitened times, the more information you can get the better it has to be. I certainly found out many things just by talking to the many manufacturers present.