Vw Phaeton Convenience Comfort Control Module 3d0959933f on 2040-parts.com

Aston Martin Virage dropped – to be replaced by new DB9

Less than eighteen months since it debuted – and after just over 1,000 cars – Aston Martin is dropping the Virage. The Aston Martin Virage always seemed a bit of a stretch too far for Aston Martin, and so it has proved. After a lifespan of no more than eighteen months – and with just over 1000 cars built – Aston Martin has decided that there are just too few buyers who feel the Virage is enough of a step up from the DB9 to warrant the extra cost.

Nissan Driver Assist – be Michael Schumacher

Nissan have developed 'Driver Assist' to make crashes a things of the past Driver Assist uses GPS to track the car’s progress, and set it up in advance on twists and turns in the road. The system uses integral sensors to check how the driver is setting the car up for the corner and adjusts the settings if the driver is not getting it right. It can correct over or under steer by applying braking to any of the wheels individually and even adjust the torque to make sure the car goes where the driver intends.

“Where is the sustainable vehicle design?”

The notion of a 'new paradigm in car design' was a theme running through talks by five panelists at London's Royal College of Art last week, who debated "Seriously now, where is the sustainable vehicle design?" Despite disparate backgrounds, there was broad agreement that a truly sustainable form of personal transportation is unlikely to come from an established automotive firm any time soon. Panelist Rob Holdway of Giraffe Innovation was most vocal in his approach to the subject, saying "Frankly, I think the car is unacceptable - we hear a lot about the sustainable car, but I don't think there is such a thing as a sustainable car". The audience - made up mainly of RCA students - also heard from Nico Sergent of Riversimple about how the company's seven-point business model, and its open source strategy, incentivized the company to build a truly sustainable car and mobility package that the current auto model simply doesn't allow.