One Lap of the Web: Ditching Miss Belvedere

-- In the Netherlands, the street lights are expensive to run. Who knew? Hence, a much more striking vision of the future: a luminescent paint applied to the roads so its markings glow at night -- for as long as eight hours.

Ford Motor Company design chief J Mays to be based in London

J Mays, Ford Motor Company group vice president for design, will be moving from the US to London in February and adding a new title: Chief Creative Officer. The new posting will allow Mays to work more closely with designers at Ford's Premier Automotive Group, including Ian Callum at Jaguar, Geoff Upex at Land Rover and Volvo's next design head. He will spend about 10 days a month in Dearborn with the North American design team.

Nissan X-Trail: news and photos of 2010 facelift

The most inconspicuous facelift award could be a hotly contested category if it existed. Vying for contention, for a second successive generation, would be this: the Nissan X-Trail. Over its 10-year cycle on the roads of Britain, the X-Trail has been subjected a minor nip-tuck facelift and even a complete makeover in 2007.