Cars on British roads within the next five years could feature built-in driving games, food and drink machines, internet access and "parent-free zone" privacy booths... if kids have got anything to do with it.

British children are no longer taking a back seat when it comes to the family cars we drive - they want more of a say and one of the UK's biggest car makers is sitting up and listening.

The kids' wish list is at the heart of the first ever Flex 7 Panel report from Meriva and Zafira - Vauxhall's clever family cars. It is the result of quizzing hundreds of children across the UK and the creation of a panel of mini motor tycoons to research how they can make driving on British roads better for kids.

And their research shows that children have a right to have their say - they are now spending up to 10 hours a week strapped in the back of cars.

Vauxhall managing director Kevin Wale said: "This is an important first and we are recognising the fact that while driving may be exciting for drivers it can be boring for children in the back seat. And children are playing a tremendously important role in family decision making as our research also shows."

Far from being seen and not heard , children are making family decisions on a massive scale - from what computer and sound systems to buy for the home to how to decorate the lounge. But having input into the family car is bottom of the list - only 14% of children are asked their views yet 62% said they want more of a say.

The Vauxhall Flex 7 Report also shows:
· Traffic congestion (23%) and an increase in traffic accidents (20%) top the list of worries for young people
· Congestion charges are the least concerning issue for youngsters (1%)
· One in five children urge their parents to think about alternative fuels for their cars such as LPG
· More than 40% of kids think they'd make a better driver than their mum or dad
· The most tech savvy children live in Greater London - a third reckon they have to teach their parents about the latest technology and gadgets
· A majority of children do think car companies like Vauxhall are trying to make vehicles more environmentally friendly

The Flex 7 Panel of children spent the day at the Vauxhall plant at Ellesmere Port - home to production of the new Astra - as part of their work in informing the motor company about how to make cars better from the back seat.

Said Kevin Wale, "We are not simply paying lip service to what youngsters think. We will take on board what they are saying and feed it back to our design teams to ensure that our family cars really are family friendly... and not just for mum and dad."

Irmscher have been busy producing a new range of goodies for the new Tigra. The new products will be available in February 2005 from your local Vauxhall retailer. Don't forget to ask for your VxlSCC discount.

December 21st marks the winter solstice, the day when Britain has the fewest hours of daylight in the year. With most of the country seeing the sun for only around seven and a half hours, it means that the majority of the population will have to travel to work in darkness, and then find the sun has set by the time it's time to go home again!

Besides being gloomy, cold and wet, the winter conditions make driving treacherous. Statistics gathered by Vauxhall show that over 80 per cent of all road traffic accidents occur in darkness and bad weather, making a compelling reason for the company's engineers to develop the next generation of truly intelligent lighting systems. The aim is to improve visibility for the driver and achieve a significant increase in road safety and comfort.

Vauxhall is already a leader in the field of car lighting technology. In 2003 the company was the first mainstream car manufacturer to offer Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL), a headlamp system which combines bi-xenon technology with a beam which moves as the car takes bends and then shifts upwards to increase visibility at motorway speeds. Additionally, another pair of extra bulbs illuminate to 'look' left and right at junctions. This year, the Astra became the first car to bring bi-xenon-based AFL, complete with its innovative curve lights, to the best-selling segment of Britain's car market.

These have been proven to significantly improve visibility on roads ranging from country lanes and motorways to urban roads, but Vauxhall engineers can see even further - they're looking into the future!

The next generation of headlamps, currently being developed and expected to be available in Vauxhall cars from 2007, will automatically adjust themselves to suit the road and visibility conditions. Rather than just being reactive to the driver's inputs, the new AFL will link to satellite navigation systems to predict the road conditions ahead and adjust the lighting accordingly. When travelling quickly in a straight line, for instance on the motorway, a far-reaching beam of light is needed. The requirements in an urban area are different, and the broadest blanket of light is needed to bring hazards into the driver's field of vision. On country roads, the road ahead and bends need to be illuminated accurately. With the sat-nav giving exact road information, the system will be able to adapt to bends or hilltops and avoid dazzling other road users. A bad weather light, using advanced sensors to sample the conditions, will help the driver see more in rain, snow or fog by using a wide-beam to pick out the edges of the carriageway and prevent glare from the road surface.

Drivers who have vision will find that the AFL system is an £850 option on most Signum and Vectra models, and costs £750 on the new Astra. For anyone not driving an AFL equipped Vauxhall, you could always try the old-wives' method of seeing in the dark, and increase carrot consumption...

New 180mph super coupe set to smash Lotus Carlton's record - Powered by latest Corvette's 6-litre V8 - On sale from March.

Could this be the car to go where no Vauxhall has ever gone before? With 404PS of power supplied by the Corvette's 6.0-litre LS2 V8, the new Monaro VXR is set to be the first ever production Vauxhall to top 180mph, finally overtaking the Lotus Carlton to become the fastest ever Vauxhall.

The latest version of the company's performance flagship takes over from the original Monaro VXR, which sold out within three months of going on sale earlier this year. The new car takes the VXR brand to even further extremes, with more power and torque than any other production car to wear the Vauxhall badge.



Under the new ventilated bonnet sits the new high-output 6.0-litre LS2 V8 engine, which recently made its debut in the Corvette C6. As you'd expect from a supercar engine, power figures are impressive, with 404PS (up from the last model's 388PS) and a massive 530Nm of torque (compared to 510Nm). Although performance figures have yet to be officially recorded, it's expected that the VXR will be able to comfortably surpass the 177mph record set by the Lotus Carton in 1990. A 0-60 time of around 5.0 seconds is also predicted.

But the new version of the Monaro VXR hasn't just been built for outright speed. Along with the new engine, virtually the entire drivetrain has been upgraded with revised suspension and bigger brakes to ensure that the latest version can keep the power tamed while still being thrilling to drive. With its classic front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, the Monaro has already gained a reputation for being an enthusiastic driver's favourite.



Since those enthusiasts also loved the way the last VXR looked, the styling changes have been kept to the bare minimum. To help the car breathe more efficiently and keep the engine cool, a pair of distinctive 'nostril' vents has been added to the bonnet, while the rear now gains quad exhaust tail pipes. New 10-spoke, 19-inch alloy wheels allow onlookers to see the new grooved discs and VXR-branded brake callipers.

Prices have yet to be confirmed, but it's expected that the new Monaro VXR will still cost half the price of other 180mph supercars at around £37,000. The first cars will reach customers in March.

Hollywood has its Oscars, but if you’re a car maker it will always be a ‘Jeremy’ that you’ll desire. The gold statuettes might look similar to the Motion Picture Academy’s favourite awards, but closer inspection reveals that they actually resemble Britain’s best-known motoring critic, Jeremy Clarkson, and they’re handed out to Top Gear Magazine’s favourite cars of the year.

And now one of the gold Clarkson effigies keeps watch over Vauxhall’s Luton HQ reception area, after the man himself named the Monaro VXR “Best Muscle Car”, and handed the award to Vauxhall chairman and managing Director Kevin Wale.

Clarkson said he’d fallen in love with the car and had been “bowled over” by the big V8’s character and 170mph, 382bhp performance. The January issue of the magazine goes on to say, “full throttle brings movie-style noise, a kind of unreal ‘braaap’ that sounds like all the best cars from when you were seven. And it brings the kind of speed that most cars this size have oily dreams about.”

Jeremy isn’t the car’s only fan through, and all of the 5.7-litre coupes sold out within just three months of going on sale earlier this year. But there’s good news just around the corner. Those who are still keen to feel the Monaro’s muscle will soon see that the big VXR has been sent to the automotive equivalent of a gym, and will shortly be ‘brawn again’ into a new, even more dynamic model. Watch this space, as full details will be announced within the next fortnight.