News in Brief

GM signs up to driverless deal
Could this spell the end for human drivers? General Motors has signed a deal with Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to develop an autonomous car. Head of development at GM Alan Taub said he expected to be selling self-driving cars by 2020. The motors should be more fuel-efficient as they are less likely to be involved in a crash, and so can be built using lightweight materials.

Economy drive is go at MAZDA
Mazda is also focusing on lightweight technology as it attempts to improve average fuel economy by 30 per cent by 2015. And the firm plans to offer fuel-saving stop-start systems across the range by 2009. In 2011, it aims to bring in all-new diesels which will be 20 per cent more efficient than the current range.
 
GP track training for gt-r owners
The new GT-R is such an amazing machine, Nissan is teaching its customers how to tame it! Track days are being staged for European customers at Silverstone, Northants. The aim is to give owners of the supercar an idea of its capabilities, and to improve their skills.

Road fatalities hit all-time low
Deaths on the road have fallen to a record low – despite the highways being busier than ever.
The number dropped below 3,000 last year, for the first time since records began in 1926. President of the AA Edmund King attributed the progress to drivers being more aware of the dangers of speeding, and cars having stricter safety standards.