A new Vauxhall hatchback that’s not an Astra…

Posted by Car Magazine MotorPlay under News, Vauxhall

…as we used to know it. The new Vauxhall Astra 09 that will replace the soon-to-be-old Astra Mk5 after it will be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show next year. It seems GM is not willing to allow Volkswagen to get its paws on all the middle-class buyers.

Judging from the recently showed Insignia and these drawings, it will look good. Judging from the same recently showed Insignia, it will be well-built and have a nice overall quality feel. Judging from all this, GM and Insignia are heading in the right direction.

Like it or not, it was the star of the show

Posted by Car Magazine MotorPlay under Vauxhall

This year, GM succeeded in stealing the show from all the other exhibitors with their premiere launch of the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia. I don’t know if all this was planned (of course it was) but that’s what they’ve done. It all started on the 21st, with the official launch down in Potters Field which saw the poor car drop from a considerable height and brake with just a few meters left from the ground. It was nice and it was short and to the point, and I’m one who appreciates that. Oh, and the car isn’t that bad either. Actually, it really looks promising. We’ll be keeping an eye on it and wait for the test drives to commence. Here are a few pictures form the Potters Field launche and the GM stand at the BIMS.

I spy with my little eye

Posted by Car Magazine MotorPlay under Automakers, News, Vauxhall

The new Vauxhall Insignia relies on the motorists’ good will when it comes to speed limits and other restrictions on the road. In early 2009, the Insignia will come with a dual-function camera that reads speed limit and no-overtaking signs and displays them on the instrument panel. Uhmm, I thought the whole idea of road signs was to make you keep your eyes ON the road while driving, but I guess I’m getting old. The second feature of the camera, on the other hand, isn’t something completely new: it alerts drivers when they unintentionally veer out of their lane. Lets just hope it can really tell when it’s unintentionally or not.
The camera is positioned between the rearview mirror and the windscreen, and although it’s not larger than your regular cell phone, it can take 30 pictures per second, which is very impressive by any standards. It scans the road signs and matches the read with the shapes stored into the car’s software before displaying them in front of the driver. It’s set to prioritize a no-overtaking sign over a speed limit one, probably thinking that a speed ticket won’t kill you (depends on the wife, really) while a head-on collision will. Thoughtful thinking…
Still, if you don’t care much about speed limits, a fuzz buster should still be your first choice.