1969 Cadillac Eldorado Grille on 2040-parts.com

KTM halts production of the X-Bow two-seater as inventory grows

With sales well below expectations and 80 units reportedly unsold, Austrian motorcycle company KTM has temporarily halted production of the ultralight X-Bow two-seat sports car. KTM officials originally expected sales of 1,000 units a year. But that lofty goal is being scaled back to between 200 and 300 units a year.

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.

Rolls Royce Wraith Drophead OFFICIALLY confirmed

A Drophead version of the Rolls Royce Wraith (pictured) officially confirmed for 2016 The Rolls Royce Wraith – a Ghost Coupe in all but name – arrived in 2013 as an almost properly sporting Rolls Royce, one designed for driving rather than being driven in. But the arrival of the Wraith did beg the question ‘How long will it be before there’s a Wraith Convertible?‘, and we thought that question was answered when Rolls Royce boss, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, said in November last year that a drophead Wraith would make it in to production. But it seems the boss saying something doesn’t necessarily make it official, so Rolls Royce has now officially confirmed today that a new Rolls Royce model – offering effortless, open-top touring – is under development and will arrive in 2016.