Celebrities Chic! Expensive cars, chic and popular people!

Kate Middleton has been snapped chatting on the phone while behind the wheel.

Prince William’s girlfriend was driving along a country lane near her Berkshire home in her Audi A3 when she was caught by photographers.

‘It’s not exactly a busy road but it’s narrow in places and you need to concentrate because you never know what’s around the next corner.’

‘Using a mobile phone while driving is extremely dangerous and has cost numerous lives,’ spokesman Roger Vincent tells The Sun. ‘People get sucked more and more into conversations and less on what is going on around them on the road.

If she had been caught by the police Kate would have faced a £60 fine and 3 penalty points on her licence.

Other than being Hollywood stars, what do Ryan Gosling, Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts, America Ferrera. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kirsten Dunst have in common? They all drive the trendy king of hybrid cars, the Toyota  Prius.

Cameron Diaz was probably the first celebrity to endorse the Prius years ago. Later, Leonardo DiCaprio gave the hybrid car a boost with his famous statement that his Toyota Prius was just like any other car, but that he only fills it up once every three weeks.

If my curiosity/interest in following the lifestyles of the rich and the famous (well, that’s why and how this blog was created!) is any indication, celebrity interest in Toyota cars is poised for a massive revival with the latest, trendiest and hottest 2009 models, especially with the third-generation Prius. According to Toyota, it’s going to be a slightly bigger than today’s model with a trio of versions (including the Hybrid X concept exhibited at March’s Geneva Auto Salon). Does it mean the 2009 Prius will be leaner, meaner, greener and cheaper? Most likely.

While the fascination seems to be centered around the hybrid Prius, other 2009 Toyota cars have nevertheless been gaining ground in reviews. The 4Runner, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, FJ Cruiser, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Matrix and Rav4 are featuring some great functionalities, specs and trims, and are just a few of the names to reckon with before making a purchase decision.

However, one point here. The fact that the cars are getting better in more ways than one doesn’t necessarily mean they’re getting more expensive. If you’re like me and would give your right arm to be driving the cars the celebrities drive, you’re in for a pleasant surprise — these cars are not unreachable stars. Matter of fact, they’re quite affordable and with the competition around, you may want to visit carconnection.com and check out the terrific range of vehicles. Not to mention getting free price quotes as well!

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Gossip Girl star Blake Lively rushed to her father’s side after his car tumbled down an embankment in L.A. on Monday, leaving him hospitalized with back and lung injuries. “He’s going to make a full recovery, thankfully,” Blake’s mom, Elaine, tells Usmagazine.com.

“It was a horrific accident,” she adds. “He was on his way to the set of Criminal Minds, and he swerved to miss a car, and he tumbled down an embankment.

“Blake is here, the whole family is here, and yesterday it didn’t look good,” says Elaine. “But thankfully, now we have been told he is going to make a full recovery. It’s all been taken care of.”

Ernie, “suffered back injuries, and also his lungs,” Elaine says. “But it if far less serious than we thought yesterday. “We do not know when he will be out of hospital,” she says. “We are just happy he is going to be OK.”

He said he wouldn’t be seen dead on two wheels, but here is confirmed petrolhead Jeremy Clarkson enjoying a spin on a Vespa scooter.

The Top Gear presenter has made no secret of his dislike of motorcyclists, but he joined their ranks yesterday near his home in Oxfordshire.  In red gloves and a warm jacket he went for lunch before going on a ride around the countryside.

Driving her new environmentally friendly hybrid SUV, Jessica Alba was spotted out and about on Thursday (October 2) as she visited her acting coach in Hancock Park.

The “Into the Blue” babe is gearing up for roles in “An Invisible Sign of My Own” and “Sin City 2” – two new movies which are getting ready to start filming.

In related news, Miss Alba caused a stir with a new ad in which she’s seen wearing “a menacing-looking mask over her mouth encouraging young people to express themselves by voting.”

Working on behalf of Declare Yourself, Jessica has taken part in two ads in hopes of urging young people to get out and make an impact in this year’s election.

“We recognize that to break through the media clutter and get young people to take action, we need to be edgy,” Marc Morgenstern, executive director of Declare Yourself, told the New York Daily News. “Jessica has had a huge impact on our campaign already, translating already to literally tens of thousands of additional voters.”

Eva Mendes uses her charm in order to stop cops from towing her car in Beverly Hills.

Breaking news from press day at the Paris motor show: Andrew English, Erin Baker and Peter Dron examine the star cars, with photographs by Andrew Crowley.

AUDI

The A1 Sportback concept goes into production in 2010 as the plain old A1, and what you see above in our picture gallery is roughly what you’ll get, minus the vertically split glass tailgate, the jazzy lights and possibly the carbon-fibre and plastic body panels. Audi aims to emphasise the sporty nature of this five-door, four-seat hatch, however, so the magnetic ride suspension might stay. Under the bonnet, the show car was powered by a hybrid engine emitting 92g/km of carbon dioxide, but at launch the A1 will come with a range of conventional diesel and petrol engines, including the 1.4 TFSI petrol unit.

At the other end of the fuel-supping spectrum, Audi showcased the new S4 saloon and its Avant estate version. No high-performance saloon is worth its salt these days without a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, so the new 330bhp V6 replaces the old V8 and emits 30 per cent less carbon than its predecessor while having “the potential” for a fuel consumption figure of 29mpg. Hmm… The S4 goes on sale in November, priced from £36,000.

 Hmm… The S4 goes on sale in November, priced from £36,000.

BMW

The X1 might have been unveiled as a concept, but it’s basically the car that will appear in showrooms in 2010. Roughly the same length as an X3 but significantly lower, the X1 will be BMW’s entry-level SUV. Despite having four-wheel drive and an elevated ride height, the emphasis will be on the X1’s on-road ride and handling qualities. To make room for the new model in BMW’s existing range, the new X3 will be specified to a higher standard, with prices to match.

Also on the BMW stand were the new 7-series (full driving impressions will appear in these pages next week) and the facelifted 3-series, with an updated 330d diesel engine developing 245bhp.

Britney Spears gets behind the wheel and races a few times around the go-kart track at Dromo 1: The Real Racing Experience in Anaheim, Calif., on Sunday afternoon.

Glad to see Brit Brit enjoying herself!

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BILLIONAIRE Roman Abramovich is buying a Ј200million yacht with a missile detector — to protect him from pirates.

If the Chelsea owner does come under attack, it also has a submarine so he and lover Daria Zhukova, 26, can flee. The 550ft yacht, which will have a crew of 70, is called Eclipse because it overshadows all others. Shipbuilders in Hamburg, Germany, are including twin helipads and a side door which opens in dock to release a fleet of limos. Pals say Russian Abramovich, 41, will be taking no chances if he decides to attend the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Last month Somali pirates seized a Ukranian cargo ship carrying 33 tanks. There were 269 sea attacks last year which left five people dead and nearly 300 taken hostage. Source >>