Annabelle Clarke

PR Manager

Annabelle Clarke | Author

Eduardo Rodrigues

Content Writer

Claudia Tuñón

Isobel Coughlan

Joseph Law

Bumper Content Writer

Alastair Shephard

We’ve scoured the internet for the best novelty car accessories you can buy online. 

Some people feel that certain cars just exude feminine energy and therefore like to empower them with fake eyelashes. You may remember that these became very popular around the early 2010s, but we think they’re due for a comeback. Full throttle or full glam? 

If you’re in the mood for scolding yourself with boiling hot water on your morning commute, why not go for an in-car Espresso Machine? Having said that, we would risk it all for our morning coffee. 

Some would say the casual car sleeper is a person at their lowest. But we disagree, the back seat bedtime is the resting place for the most resourceful of people. So why not curl up on this comfy-looking air mattress? You might need to pop your legs out the window if you’re tall. 

Cars just weren’t designed for how much fast food we need to eat in them. Whilst you’re tackling the burger, where do you put your fries? And who thought of putting three cup holders in a car that seats four? It just doesn’t work. Alone, these products don't solve the problem, but together you’re onto a winner. Just make sure to only use this whilst parked! 

If you agree with our list, the items listed above are available to purchase online now. But we suspect your money might be better spent elsewhere. 

Best novelty car accessories found online

Car ownership involves making important decisions.

While it might seem like a small detail compared to some of the bigger questions you'll have as a car owner, choosing between premium and regular fuel is a big deal, especially when prices in the UK seem ever-increasing.

Premium fuel costs a lot more than cheaper fuels and is marketed with a whole host of benefits. But what exactly is the difference between premium fuel vs regular fuel? What about premium diesel vs regular diesel? Are premium fuels ever worth it? 

Today, we're looking at premium diesel and petrol vs regular fuels to see which you should invest in. Scroll on to get the lowdown on fuel now.

For most people with regular cars, paying for premium fuel is not worth it. 

If you drive a normal petrol or diesel car, splurging on premium fuels will offer you minimal benefit. If you regularly get your car checked and serviced, you should have no problems with engine deposits, and there are no real performance benefits from premium petrol.

Paying for premium petrol is only vital if you drive a high-performance petrol car. You’ll protect your engine from damage and ensure it runs as designed.

How much more expensive is premium petrol?

Premium fuels cost around 10p more per litre than their regular alternatives.

However, this can vary significantly and may further increase with rising fuel costs. For an average car, this equates to £5 more per tank. If you use your vehicle every day and fill it up frequently, this will eventually add up. 

Premium petrol vs regular petrol comparison

Most petrol cars are designed to run perfectly well on regular petrol and will experience

 no significant benefit from using higher octane premium petrol

Understanding the octane number is crucial for every car owner. It's the measure of a fuel’s antiknock properties. A higher octane number means the fuel is more likely to resist engine knocking and is suited for higher-performance engines. This knowledge empowers you to make the right fuel choice for your vehicle. 

A difference in octane number is the key distinguishing factor between premium and regular petrol. Regular petrol is typically rated at an octane number of 95, and premium petrol is rated at 98. 

Using a higher-octane fuel than recommended by your manufacturer isn't likely to harm your vehicle in any way, although it's difficult to justify given the higher costs and lack of benefit. 

As previously mentioned, certain high-performance petrol engines require a higher-octane fuel. This is because these engines typically operate under higher compression ratios and are more prone to knocking. 

Remember, high-octane fuels have superior antiknock properties. Premium petrol is required to ensure these engines' safe and efficient operation. 

What’s the difference between unleaded and super unleaded

Unleaded is the standard petrol available, and you’ll see this at nearly every petrol station. Super unleaded is a higher octane version of standard unleaded. 

For the most part, premium diesel is just marketing fluff. Frequent use offers little tangible benefit to your car. 

So, in this case, it’s not worth paying for premium diesel or super diesel over regular diesel in the UK. 

Unlike petrol engines, diesel engines do not use spark ignition to create power, so fuel quality doesn't affect them the same way. As a result, the octane number isn't a measure of diesel quality. Instead, diesel fuel has a cetane rating, which measures its ignition properties.

You may be familiar with the octane number, but the cetane number is less well-known. Premium diesel fuels aren't advertised with a higher cetane number because diesel engines are designed to run efficiently on the cetane number of standard diesel. Increasing the cetane number doesn't noticeably improve performance.

Premium diesel is differentiated by the presence of engine-cleaning additives, not a higher cetane number. 

For example, BP's Ultimate Diesel features ‘Active technology’ with molecules to combat engine dirt. This is the same for Shell Diesel. All diesel fuels meet a certain standard, and engines are built to perform well with standard diesel. 

Using premium diesel occasionally won’t harm your engine but consistently using it might not be cost-effective. Hopefully, that answers most queries about what’s the difference between normal diesel and premium diesel!

No. Premium diesel isn’t guaranteed to last longer in terms of mileage or fuel efficiency. The main difference is that it usually contains cleaning agents. These can help your engine last longer in the long term but provide no short-term durability benefits. 

Is supermarket diesel as good as branded diesel?

Yes. Supermarket diesel meets the same basic fuel standards as premium or branded diesel. It’s safe for all engines and helps your car run smoothly. It’s also a more cost-effective option.

The only main difference is that some premium diesels have cleaning additives that may potentially reduce engine deposits. 

The easiest way to discover the best fuel for your car is to look at the information on the fuel cap. Here, you’ll find what fuel you need and whether the manufacturer recommends high-octane options. 

You can also check your car’s manual or use an online car checker. Most petrol stations offer a variety of standard and premium fuels, so finding a fuel to suit your needs is straightforward.

If you do want to use premium diesel, the best ones to consider include:

All offer advanced engine cleaning formulas and meet relevant fuel standards. 

Do high-performance cars need premium fuel?

Premium fuel isn’t required for most types of cars but is recommended for some high-performance vehicles. 

Cars with high-performance petrol engines typically require premium petrol to run properly. This is usually made clear by the manufacturer; all cars that are designed to run on premium fuel will have a label on their fuel filler door to indicate this. 

If you ignore this guidance and put cheaper fuel into your high-performance petrol engine, you’ll likely notice reduced performance and efficiency. This might also result in damage to your engine due to excessive knocking. 

Premium diesel is also available, but no vehicles require premium diesel to run well. The main difference between premium and regular diesel is usually the addition of additives. 

These are chemical substances designed to clean the engine, ensuring the engine can run as efficiently as possible.

Knowing what's best for your car can be confusing with a wide range of premium and regular fuel products. For most petrol car owners, using premium petrol regularly will likely result in no performance benefits, and it will cost you a significant amount more than using cheaper fuels.

The only exceptions are high-performance petrol vehicles, where high-octane premium fuels are essential.

Despite the marketing hype around premium diesel, the truth is that regular diesel is the best choice for most diesel car owners. Your car is designed to run on regular diesel, and using premium diesel is unlikely to provide any discernible benefits. 

 offers zero-interest financing on car repairs, perfect for those large car bills. We have many partners nationwide who can fix your car without stress. 

Find your nearest garage using Bumper here.

 has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

Joseph has written about engineering and cars for Autozilla, Komaspec, and several engineering manufacturers. When he's not writing or tinkering with one of his five cars, Joseph dreams of owning an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.

Premium Fuel vs Regular Fuel: Is Premium Fuel Worth It?

Ultimate, Super Plus, Power & Co.: Ist Premium-Kraftstoff sein Geld wert?

In a manual transmission car, the clutch connects the engine, gearbox, and wheels. You can't drive your car without a functioning 

, which can leave you stuck in one place (and with a big potential bill). 

Knowing bad clutch symptoms is critical so you can catch problems early. A clutch can start to fail in many ways, including issues with bearings, hydraulics and more. 

Read on to learn all about clutch faults and slave cylinder problems, as well as how to recognise the symptoms of a failing clutch before it's too late, and you have to bear the 

A clutch is any device that transfers power from a source to a transmission or drivetrain.

 In a car, it connects the engine to the 

It’s composed of several different parts and often differs between cars. The one constant is three components: the ‘pressure plate’, ‘flywheel’, and ‘friction plate’. A system also needs to be present to actuate it. 

For more information about how clutches in manual and automatic cars work, check out our article 

If you suspect there’s something wrong with your clutch, you need to get it to the garage quickly. However, worn clutch symptoms aren’t always obvious. 

Here are some signs of a bad clutch that all drivers need to know: 

A failing clutch can feel spongy when you press it. So, if your clutch suddenly feels wrong, you might have a problem. 

Shifting through the gears should be effortless and smooth. Sudden juddering, grinding, or general difficulty switching gears is a red flag. 

Knowing where the biting point is becomes intuitive after driving for a long time. This should remain at the same place where the clutch plates meet. If it’s suddenly higher, something has changed. 

Burning smells are never a good sign. If you can trace the burning smell to your clutch or notice a stronger smell when changing gears, it points to a clutch problem. 

Most signs that you have a bad clutch are through movement and smells. But it’s worth visually inspecting your clutch. Fine black dust and general wear and tear are indicators that your clutch is too worn. 

 provided the car has been well cared for and its drivers have been sensible. The way you drive can have an impact on how long a clutch lasts. 

You can make your clutch last longer by not ‘riding’ it, avoiding holding the biting point for too long, and leaving it in neutral while parked. Your handbrake is your best friend! 

If you build these habits into your driving routine, you’ll prolong the life of your clutch and avoid hefty repair bills. 

We’ve recapped the signs of a bad clutch, but what are the faults causing these symptoms? 

Due to the system's complexity, there are a few ways in which the clutch can fail. Below are some typical reasons a clutch fails:

Integral to any clutch is a friction surface, similar to a 

, but working oppositely. The clutch plate is forced against the engine's flywheel to transfer power to the drivetrain. 

, if the friction material has been worn away, the clutch plate will not grip the flywheel properly and will slip. 

Depending on your driving style, the signs of a worn clutch may become apparent quite a long time before the clutch needs replacing. If you notice the clutch slipping in normal use, i.e., when accelerating on flat ground with little load, the clutch needs to be replaced. 

A high clutch pedal can indicate the clutch plate is wearing out, but in some cars, it can mean the clutch just needs adjusting. It’s best to take the car to a trusted garage and get them to check. 

If you leave a slipping clutch too long, the clutch plate bolts can start contacting the flywheel. This will require a new flywheel, which can easily double the clutch repair cost. 

Expensive car repairs can be worrying. With 

, you can split the costs of your car repair into interest-free monthly instalments. 

Because the clutch plate is spinning but still needs to be pressed against the flywheel, a bearing is used on the end of a lever. The lever is often called the clutch fork, and the bearing is a ‘Throwout bearing’. 

Bearings wear out through normal usage. Instead of a silent, smooth operation, the surfaces become worn and make noise when spinning. The throwout bearing is no different, but it only makes noise when the clutch pedal is pressed. 

Symptoms of a bad clutch throwout bearing 

Replacement clutch bearings can cost £300-£600. It is usually better to change the clutch plate, too, and vice versa. 

This is because most of the work is involved in removing the gearbox. Once that’s off, changing the clutch plate will only add £50 or so, and it will remove the need to

 pay to remove the gearbox again in the future. 

It takes considerable force to operate the clutch fork and disengage the clutch plate from the flywheel. A hydraulic system is used to enable a person to do this easily. 

The clutch pedal is attached to the master cylinder, this creates pressure in the oil lines, operating the slave cylinder, in a similar way to a

For this hydraulic system to work effectively, there are many seals in both the slave and master cylinders that need to withstand the high-pressure oil. If one of these fails, the clutch will not operate. 

Symptoms of a bad slave cylinder can come on suddenly and give very little notice. This means it’s imperative to get any issues looked at straight away, as they could render the car immobile quite easily. 

Typical repair costs for clutch hydraulics depend heavily on which cylinder is at fault. Because the slave cylinder is inside the clutch housing, the gearbox must

It’s recommended that you change the clutch plate and the slave cylinder, which could cost between 

Why is my clutch rattling and juddering? 

A few components inside the clutch system could cause a rattling sound. These include the main clutch bearing, loose clutch fork, or a faulty DMF (Dual Mass Flywheel). DMF issues are more commonly found in diesel-engined vehicles, which can cause a knocking sound and a vibrating feel through the clutch pedal. 

Many of these issues are challenging to diagnose without removing and inspecting the gearbox. Book in with your local garage for a personalised assessment. 

The cost of a clutch replacement can cost anywhere from £400 to £1,2000, depending on your car model and the specific clutch issue. 

Other factors that affect the price of a clutch replacement include the mechanic labour time, oils, liquids, small car parts, and clutch kits. 

Prices also change depending on your location, whether you have a front or rear-wheel drive, and your car’s age. 

Read an in-depth guide to clutch replacement costs now.

When to call an expert for bad clutch symptoms

An issue with your clutch can easily ruin your day by rendering your car immobile. If any of the symptoms mentioned above are present, it’s best to have the car inspected as soon as possible. 

 at no extra cost. To apply for a credit limit and see dependable garages in your area, enter your vehicle registration and postcode on 

How to recognise and check for clutch problems

Cómo detectar un fallo del embrague

Wie Sie Kupplungsprobleme erkennen und untersuchen

To mark Remembrance Day, Bumper remembers those who fought so valiantly during conflict. We’re proud to share the following story of Joseph Hammond, a mechanic from Ghana who served in the armed forces during the Second World War.

Joseph Hammond, 95, was at school in Ghana when the Second World War began in 1939. Having always wanted to join the army, he signed up to be a mechanic in July 1943 and began his training. 

After his mechanical training he was posted to the Third Advanced Based Workshops in Takoradi, the western region of Ghana. Then in November 1943 along with ten others he was drafted to the war and taken to the harbour. 

They boarded the HMS Circassia with 2,500 other troops and were sent to India attached to the 3

 Gurkhas Regiment, 3rd Infantry Battalion. When the troops reached India they began training for combat in Khulna in Bangladesh. 

Joseph said, “All the troops were trained in India. You’ll be trained how to kill, no fears, so that when you go to the war you don’t fear. We trained for six months…after our training we went to Chittagong [Bangladesh]” 

The troops were made up of two divisions, the 81

. As they had been training the longest the 81

 division was sent to fight the Japanese forces first with the objective of pushing them back. The 81

 division was out for six months, and then it was time for Joseph’s division to join them. 

Joseph explains how fighting the Japanese armed forces was much worse than fighting with the German and Italian forces in Europe. “It was terrible because the Japanese were the most ferocious human fighters that I have ever seen,” he said. “If a Japanese soldier is captured in the war, as a war prisoner, he has disgraced his family. But when you die it’s an honour to your family - this was their mentality." 

When his troops reached the Irrawaddy River, they held the Japanese forces back from crossing. When the Japanese moved south, Joseph and his troops began to follow them. He remembers how at a point at the river near Ma-Ubin, the fighting was so terrible 6 men lost their lives. 

Occasionally they would become short of food for 3 or 4 days. The troops would live off biscuits and corned beef until a parachute would be dropped, replenishing their supplies and ammunition. 

In one small town, they encountered a difficult point in the fighting with snipers hiding in the trees around the river. The fighting was devastating, and many people were killed. When the battle became so intense, they asked for help from the artillery. The positions of the Japanese forces were bombarded heavily whilst the ground shook violently. 

During the conflict, Joseph realised he had been injured, with one eye protruding. Not knowing what would happen, he was flown to Pune City, India, and sent to the hospital for treatment. Specialist Lieutenant Crocket, an eye specialist, told Joseph the issue could have been contaminated blood; that he had possibly touched the blood of a wounded soldier and rubbed his eye. 

Joseph stayed in the hospital until the end of the Second World War. At the end of the conflict, he was still confined to the hospital. Other troops later told him they had been congratulated by General Slim for their efforts in the war. 

“And I feel proud today that I also defended the British Empire. We fought ferociously, we fought very well against the Japanese, we conquered them. And I’m happy that I took part in it. I Joseph Hammond, I also took part and I feel very proud I contributed a lot during the war." 

The troops arrived back home to Ghana in December 1945 and the first to bring the green battle dress back to the country. Joseph was part of 600,000 soldiers from across Africa who served with the British Forces during the second world war. 

Following the war, he pursued jobs in hospitality, construction, and fishing. He retired in 2006. He continues to live in Ghana, recently raising £500,000 for front-line workers and vulnerable veterans during the Covid-19 pandemic across Africa. 

You can watch Joseph's full interview with the British Legion 

Joseph Hammond's memories of the Second World War 

What's in a number plate? Quite a lot, actually. 

Car number plates give information about the age of a car, the area it's from, and, since 2020, its fuel type. With modern car design becoming even more outlandish, only one design feature stays constant: the number plate. 

Today, we're exploring all-things-number-plates. This blog has the lowdown you need, from UK number plate area codes and personalised plates to legalities and what green plates mean. Scroll down to get informed now. 

UK registration plates have evolved over the years. But the current style has been in place since 2001. This is how it's broken down: 

The first two letters are used to identify where the car was first registered. The first letter denotes the region, typically in a mnemonic style e.g. E = Essex, but not always. 

The second letter is allocated randomly to registration offices within that area. If you’re interested the chart can be found 

Or you can see a few examples of the UK number plate area codes below: 

2. UK number plate year codes (age identifier)

The two numbers that follow the registration plate area codes are the UK number plate year codes (also known as age identifiers). These show the age of the car down to the six month period. Age identifiers change every March 1st and September 1st. 

For example, cars bought from 1st March to August in 2021/22 have an age identifier of 21 and cars bought from 1st September to February in 2021/22 have an identifier of 71. 

See the table below to see how the UK number plate year codes work: 

Finally, random letters are then added to the number plate to give it a unique identity. These don’t have any meaning. 

How to calculate a car's age from the UK number plate year code

New UK number plate year codes are issued twice yearly. The second number indicates the year, and the first indicates what half of the year the reg was issued. The numbers used as the year refer to the unit of the year, e.g. BD51 = 2001, but this becomes less straightforward as the years go on. 

The first two numbers denote the age of the registration number but not necessarily the car. Although, in most cases, you can tell how old a car is from its number plate, it is not always a sure thing. 

For example, a car with “70” in its number plate is from September to February 2020/21. 

Before 2001, the number plates followed a ‘Prefix’ style where the characters followed the format of one letter, three numbers, and then three letters. 

In the Prefix format, the age is denoted by the first letter, ranging from A (1983) to X (2000), with only one new registration released yearly. 

Like the modern format, the first two letters of the last group give the area where the registration was first made. 

Some number plates are green because they’re on an electric vehicle. This format has been around since December 2020. 

Green number plates are only allowed on full EVs, and their purpose is to make spotting cars wrongly parked in EV-only spots easier. It also identifies the vehicle quickly for zero congestion or

Quick guide to personalised number plates 

Personalised number plates (also known as ‘Cherished Plates’) allow people to personalise their car by including their initials, age, and other personal touches. 

Here are some common questions about personalised registration plates. 

Where can I buy a personalised number plate? 

There are a few ways to buy personalised plates, the best place to start is the 

, but there are quite a few other private websites where you can search for certain sets of characters. 

Prices start at around £200 and can soar into the 

Many ‘personalised’ plates are just standard format number plates with special meanings. So, if your number plate contains your initials or means something to you, you can remove the number from the car to put it on another. 

There are a few requirements for this, including how old the car is and how long it has been on the road, but they are all laid out 

Yes, but you have to follow the same rules for spacing and format as other plates. 

One fundamental rule is that you cannot make a car appear newer than it really is by fitting a more modern registration plate. 

Your plates will be rejected if your desired personalised plate doesn't fit the format. 

Because number plates are used for identification, they need to be easy to read by both humans and ANPR systems. Your plates must meet specific guidelines, or they won’t be deemed road-worthy. 

The standard car number plate needs to have 79mm tall and 50mm wide characters. The spacing between letters should be at a minimum of 14mm. 

One trend that these requirements aim to curtail is placing letters close to one another to create a different spelling. Doing this will incur a £1,000 fine and 3 points. 

There are also strict requirements on letter font and colour. Deviation from the 

You may have noticed some number plates have a coloured border around them. This was technically illegal before 2020. 

After 2020, new legislation has made number plate borders legal as long as they follow specific criteria: 

What flag can I have on my number plate? 

In 2009, the rules changed for national identity flags on number plates. Cars registered in the UK can display a flag of England, Scotland, Wales, or the Union Flag. 

Abbreviations of the country names are also allowed but only under a specific guideline, such as “GB”, “Sco”, etc. The complete list is found 

The European flag surrounding the “GB” wording is also still permitted. This is because it removes the need to display a separate “GB” sticker on your car should you travel to Europe. 

Q plates are used on vehicles with either a classified or unknown history. These plates present no information regarding age or location. 

They are often seen on kit, agricultural, and imported cars. In these instances, a Q plate may be used as the vehicle's exact manufacture date is unknown, or they do not have a Vehicle Identification Number. 

Other vehicles often fitted with Q plates are ex-military vehicles that cannot have their history released. 

All about UK number plates - The bottom line

Though they usually go unnoticed, registration plates tell you a lot about your vehicle. Hopefully, this guide has helped you tell your UK number plate year codes from your area codes. Don’t forget this information when you need to workout when and where you purchased your car! 

Need help covering car repairs and surprise costs? Bumper is here to help you split bills into interest-free monthly payments. We’re also on hand to assist with finding local garages and dealerships because we believe car maintenance shouldn’t be stressful! 

What Do Number Plate Area Codes Mean? & Other Common FAQs

Like many others working in the tech industry, the pandemic had dramatically changed our working life over the last few years. Spending more time at home, away from colleagues, created a more challenging working environment for us.

When it was announced we would be going to Portugal for a team-bonding exercise we were excited for some face-to-face time with colleagues.

Initially, the trip was postponed due to the Covid lockdowns in Turkey, where our tech team are based, so we had to wait a while before we could. 

In preparation, we created an app to keep our fellow ‘Bumpees’ up to date with timetables, flight times and menus for evening meals. The organisers of the trip used the app to send notifications to the attendees. We also had to make sure our visas were applied for and approved, which was a very lengthy process.

When June 2022 arrived, we were ready to go. The team jumped on a plane from Ankara to Lisbon – flight time, 8 hours! We reached Lisbon and headed to our hotel in Ericeira, a small surfer town about 50 minutes from the centre of Lisbon.

Then it was time for the retreat to begin. First on the agenda was meeting the rest of the team face-to-face. Having only seen most of the team members on video calls, it was interesting to see how we shared many of the same values and goals.

The following days were filled with activities, workshops, motivational speakers, and a little time to spend on the beach too! The whole experience was unforgettable and has really brought the team closer together.

Semih Özden graduated with a 3.45 GPA from Orta Doğu Teknik University, Ankara and has over 5 years of experience as a front and back-end developer. 

He has worked as a React developer for Bumper for almost 2 years and is responsible for designing and creating JavaScript-based applications for web or mobile environments. 

Best novelty car accessories found online

Premium Fuel vs Regular Fuel: Is Premium Fuel Worth It?

How to recognise and check for clutch problems

Joseph Hammond's memories of the Second World War

What Do Number Plate Area Codes Mean? & Other Common FAQs

Our tech team reflect on their trip to Portugal

How to know if your DPF is blocked

Dealership of the Month: Arden BMW and Mini Maidstone