Yamaha 6e5-85540-12-00 C.d.i. Unit Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Vauxhall launches speed limit detectors on Insignia (2008)

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 19 June 2008 07:53 Vauxhall's new Insignia will be the first of a wave of cars to have a forward-facing camera that can read road signs. The optional kit will detect speed limit and no overtaking signs – and flash up a reminder to the driver on the dashboard.GM calls the tech, which will be launched in early 2009, Traffic Sign Recognition and it uses a small, wide-angled camera system supplied by Hella. It sits at the top of the windscreen near the rain sensors and rear-view mirror, scanning the road ahead taking 30 photos per second.It's 1984 all over again...With a range of 100 metres, the camera focuses on circular patterns and then interprets the numbers inside by contour comparison; if a match is found on the software's database, that road sign will be flashed up in the driver's binnacle.The front-facing camera is also used as a lane departure warning system, alerting the driver if they unintentionally swerve out of their lane on a motorway.Cars with cameras: a growing trendMore and more manufacturers are fitting cameras to their cars nowadays and you can expect a flood of systems like the Insignia's to be launched in 2009, including the new BMW 5-series.CAR tried out these new systems on Bosch prototypes in 2007.

Commentary: Victoria Beckham appointed Creative Design Executive at Range Rover

On hearing that Victoria Beckham (aka Posh Spice) had become Range Rover's Creative Design Executive last week, initial reaction was to check the date – was it April 1st? Apparently Land Rover wasn't fooling anybody, instead sending shockwaves through the automotive industry with the announcement, made at the unveiling of the Evoque at Kensington Palace, London. Celebrity brand tie-ups are nothing new – Justin Timberlake is currently the Audi A1's brand ambassador – yet the implication is that Beckham's involvement with Range Rover will go much further.

One Lap of the Web: Classic car garage, self-parking Volvos, and the fastest cars under $30K

This tiny garage in White Plains, N.Y., plays host to many rare classics. Dominik European Car Repair has been open since 1961 and has been family-owned ever since. The garage features classic cars from the 1950s, '60s and '70s.