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Survey Reveals Car Use Slump Despite Lower Petrol Prices

USUALLY the news that petrol prices are down would be cause for celebration, but the latest AA/Populus survey reveals that car use is also on the slide. Despite more wallet-friendly prices at the pumps the situation is failing to kick-start more car use. The poll of more than 18,000 AA members, conducted in June, revealed that just 7% were more relaxed about prices at the pumps, and were using their car more than a year ago.

Old is new again: Will a floor-hinged throttle pedal be in your future?

If you think that every little nut, bolt, switch, gear or widget in your new car wasn't scrutinized by a team of highly educated, overworked car geeks (read: engineers), think again. A couple of recent conversations with automotive engineers confirmed that virtually nothing that goes into a car today is taken for granted. During the recent Pebble Beach weekend, I had the pleasure of spending time with an engineer for Jaguar, and the subject turned to materials used for various switches in the cabin.

Celebrity spotting at the 2013 Los Angeles Motor Show

Los Angeles ain't called Tinseltown for nothing. It's probably the most celebrity-filled place on the planet - so it's no surprise that lots of well-known stars dropped in on the 2013 Los Angeles Motor Show. We saw dozens of names at the LA show, including world sprint champion Usain Bolt, who moonlights as Nissan's director of excitement when he's not smashing world records on the atheletics track.