Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Center stack is new high-stakes battleground; showdown with safety regulators looms

For auto suppliers and gadget companies eager to get a piece of the auto industry, the hottest chunk of vehicle real estate now is the center stack. That corridor of interior space, running from the driver's right hip up through the center of the cockpit to the bottom of the windshield, has become a California gold rush of opportunity. But it is less so for traditional suppliers of molded plastics, cables, levers, buttons and radios.

Drivers 'still prefer printed maps'

MOST motorists still prefer printed maps when planning car journeys, according to an AA/Populus survey. Older drivers are the least happy with sat-nav, with only 9% of over-65s ditching printed maps altogether. Overall, 63% of the 23,824 drivers polled have used a printed map in the last six months, while 60% have used an in-car sat nav.

Richard Madeley – Guest Car Reviewer

Richard Madeley joins Cars UK as a guest reviewer So we thought it might be fun to get some well-known faces to spend a bit of time with an interesting car and get their feedback. A sort of ‘Stars Test Cars’ occasional feature. So we set to work – pulled some strings and begged some favours – and the first of our ‘Stars Test Cars’ writers is broadcaster and journalist Richard Madeley.