2001 Nissan Maxima Keyless Remote Kbrastu10 Model/ 01a on 2040-parts.com

Drivers 'not always watching road'

MOTORISTS typically have their eyes off the road for a tenth of the time they are driving, a study has shown. For 10% of their journey they are eating, reaching for the phone, texting or engaged in other activities that cause concentration to wander away from what is happening beyond the windscreen. Predictably, teenagers who had recently passed their test were most likely to crash or experience a near-miss as a result of being distracted, according to US researchers.

Smaller Mercedes SLS confirmed, and with front-mounted V8 too

Baby Mercedes SLS AMG - or at least how it could have looked if mid-engined We’ve believed for some time that Mercedes were planning a smaller version of the SLS, but so far there’s been no official word. But that’s now changed, with AMG’s Christoph Jung telling AutoExpress that Mercedes and AMG are currently working on a smaller SLS, to go head-to-head with cars like the Porsche 911 and Audi R8. Interestingly, we’d thought that Mercedes would go the route of a mid-engined two-seater for the baby SLS, and that it would probably get a turbo V6. But it would appear not.

Opel rolls out new cars at Frankfurt motor show

While some automakers had just one or two new cars to show off at the Frankfurt motor show, GM's Opel division flooded the show with seven new offerings that'll be revealed as the show progresses. While there were plenty of new production models to be seen, including the revised Opel Insignia lineup, it was perhaps the Opel Monza concept that was designed to grab the attention of showgoers. We got a sneak peek at the Opel Monza concept a couple months ago, and even though a production version is not planned, the Monza is meant to showcase Opel's recent resurgence.