Ford Aspire Radio Face Plate Trim Bezel 1996 19b132 on 2040-parts.com

Survey claims winter prompts increase in in-car tensions

NEW research conducted by the RAC puts the traditional winter blues in the shade, as the motoring organisation’s survey has uncovered a new phenomenon: "carguments". According to the RAC’s poll of 1,300 drivers, as many as 54% of motorists say they have arguments in the car – hence the ‘cargument’ - at this time of year when the days are short and the weather is miserable. A total of 15% of drivers and passengers said they argue more in the car than anywhere else, with 19% saying the mere act of driving left them stressed and angry, and 14% feeling cooped up in a car.

Volvo XC90 grabs IIHS Top Safety Pick+ on its way out

The Volvo XC90 may be the oldest car in Volvo's lineup, with 2013 being the last year for the XC90 before it's replaced by an entirely new model, but it has just captured the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick+ award. The award is a relatively new title, requiring a car or truck to achieve "Acceptable" or "Good" ratings on each IIHS test. Crucial to the Volvo XC90's achievement of this award was its performance in the new small overlap front tests, which test how a vehicle behaves in an front offset crash with a stationary object at high speeds.

Motown rockers Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. serve up Horse Power

NASCAR fans looking for a new soundtrack to their auto-racing season can trade in their Lynyrd Skynyrd records for an offering from Detroit-based indie-pop duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. In a nod to their Motor City roots, band members Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott take the stage wearing racing suits and trucker hats and croon covers of Gil Scott-Heron's “We Almost Lost Detroit.” The band, which is touring the East Coast this week, released an EP titled Horse Power last summer and is coming out with its first full-length album, It's a Corporate World, on June 7.