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Great races inside November's car-sales numbers

November was a big month for car sales in the United States, up 14 percent from November 2010 to 994,786 units. Analysts expect car sales to total 12.8 million units for the year. Here's a look at some of the trends behind that big number.

Opel / Vauxhall Astra revealed

New Vauxhall / Opel Astra revealed ahead of a launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September The Astra has been with us for 30 years, and this is the sixth generation to hit the showrooms. And it looks to be the best yet (as you would hope), with a cohesive style and loads of design cues taken from Vauxhall’s Insignia. This new Astra is built on the same platform as the much heralded Vauxhall Ampera (the Electric Car that will be the salvation of GM – once the technology is sorted) and as such offers a bigger wheelbase (up by 71mm) on a 4.4 meter (14′ 4″) body, with a wider track, which should make the Astra a better drive.

Highway Code braking distances questioned

THE ACCURACY of facts and figures in the Highway Code has been called into question after research by the RAC showed that many drivers underestimate official stopping distances. As part of the organisation's Report on Motoring 2014, drivers were asked to identify the Highway Code's stated stopping distances from different speeds, but the majority “seriously underestimated” the figures. However, a separate survey by Right Driver of 1,000 Advanced Driving Instructors (ADIs) revealed that the vast majority strongly believe that the official braking distances have become irrelevant and should be updated.