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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.

Concept Car of the Week: IAD Alien (1986)

Established in 1976 as a railway and aeronautical engineering company, Britain's IAD (International Automotive Design) rapidly oriented its expertise towards the automotive industry providing services from design to chassis engineering and even small-scale production. By the mid-80s two concepts had been presented – the TRX and the Arrival – that showed innovative thinking and tastefulness but a little innocuous styling. In an attempt to attract both attention and more clients, IAD CEO John Shute asked his team to design a futuristic concept that was both innovative and different.

Power hike for Porsche Boxster

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 19 October 2006 02:37 Porsche has upgraded its two Boxster models, by transplanting the Cayman coupe's punchier flat six engines. The base Cayman cabriolet – sorry, Boxster – now gets a smidgen more power and torque from its 2.7-litre unit, with outputs climbing to 245bhp and 201lb ft. The tweaks shave a tenth off the 0-62mph sprint, reducing it to 6.1sec, and improve fuel economy by 1mpg to 30.4.