Awesome Astons! DB9 enhanced for 2011, pricing details revealed

Messing with near-perfection can be a dangerous proposition, so Aston Martin used a light but deft touch to refashion the DB9 for 2011. The British sports-car maker updated the car with subtle styling and underskin improvements. The DB9 goes on sale in the United States this summer with a starting price of $188,965 for the coupe and $202,465 for the open-air Volante.

Higher speed limits 'save lives'

AN INCREASE in the speed limits on some roads in Denmark has reduced traffic collisions and cut road deaths. The two-year trial has also found that higher speed limits on motorways have helped lower the number of accidents. The Danish road directorate conducted the trial on rural two-way roads where there had previously been an 80km/h (50mph) speed limit and increased it to 90km/h (56mph).

Pocketsquare to premiere Panasonic's driver-focussed HMI interior concept at NAIAS

Erstwhile GM interior design chief David Lyon, alongside former GM engineer Nina Mital and ex-Ford designer Gary Braddock – the three members of new Michigan-based design consultancy Pocketsquare – will have the first fruits of their new venture displayed at the NAIAS in Detroit in the form of Panasonic's advanced interior design concept. The interior makes use of Panasonic's new range of head-up displays and smart clusters to reduce driver distraction in advance of the latest proposed NHTSA legislation. The system is said to exceed these measures by as much as 35 per cent.