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| Vive le tram |
After 69 years off the rails, trams returned to Paris last month.
Built by the company that constructs France's famed high-speed TGV trains, the trams follow an 8km commuter route around the southern suburbs of the city, taking in a series of boulevards named after Napoleon's generals. Tickets cost the same as the bus. |
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| Smash in the stars |
Canadian scientists have found that your star sign could have more bearing on the likelihood of having a car accident than your reaction times or driving experience.
According to a study by InsuranceHotline.com, a website that quotes drivers on insurance rates, astrological signs are a significant factor in predicting car accidents.
The study looked at 100,000 North American drivers' records from the past six years and ranked Librans (born 23 September to 22 October) followed by Aquarians (20 January to 18 February) as the worst offenders for tickets and accidents. Leos (23 July to 22 August 2) and Geminis (21 May to 20 June) came out best overall. |
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| Scampering stowaways |
Passengers on a Saudi Arabian flight were thrown into panic when 80 stowaway mice began dropping from a piece of hand luggage in an overhead locker.
The plane was at 28,000 feet an hour after taking off from Riyadh when the rodents escaped from the bag and began scurrying between the feet of the startled passengers.
On landing in Tabuk in the north-west of the country the local authorities began an investigation into how a passenger could have been allowed to board the aircraft with live mice in carry-on baggage. |
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| Wwwacky website |
Well, it's New Year's resolution time again, but if like most of us, you usually have trouble keeping yours, then this website is essential reading. www.ehow.com is full of hints not just on keeping resolutions, but on how to make them in the first place.
The crux of the advice is not to aim too high - you're only human - and make sure you tell everyone about your resolution, that way it will be harder to admit that you've broken it. Perhaps it would be sensible to make two resolutions - the first to do whatever you think you should be doing this New Year, and the second resolution to keep the first one until at least after morning tea on 1 January.
Unless your first resolution is not to have morning tea, that is. |
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Volume 12.01
January 2007 |
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Hello Happy New Year and welcome to the January issue of Fleettorque, brought to you by Fleetcare!
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Ultra Tune discount for all Fleetcare clients |
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 Our friends at Ultra Tune are offering all Fleettorque readers a great 2007 discount offer for routine servicing on personal vehicles.
Please click here to collect your voucher and to find out more about Ultra Tune. You can click here to locate the Ultra Tune store closest to you.
Vacuum shoesIf your new year's resolution is to keep your home cleaner and tidier, then these slippers could be the ideal solution. Electrolux has recently unveiled the prototype of these vacuum shoes - just pop them on and vacuum the floors as you walk around the house. The design and the lurid green colour are unlikely to win any fashion awards, but for reluctant housewives or househusbands, these vacuum slippers could turn out to be the must-have of the year. |
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Family of Mustangs on the way |
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 Ford has announced that its next generation Mustang, which is scheduled for production in 2011, will be a global range of cars rather than just a coupe and convertible.
The hardware for a station-wagon and saloon will be designed here in Australia and will include a global rear-wheel drive system that will be used as a platform for new Fords and Lincolns after 2010. Ford is expected to offer a sneak peak of the four-door Lincoln saloon concept at the Detroit motor show this month. |
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Riding on sunshine |
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 In the eco-friendly future, this strange-looking vehicle may be a common sight on our roads. It's a three-seater runaround inspired by the Mini Moke, but powered only by the sun and wind.
The Venturi Eclectic, as it has been named, has a huge solar panel on the roof, but if there are no rays to catch, the driver can pop out and plug in a wind turbine to charge the battery. The eclectic is made in Monte Carlo and at the moment is priced at about $41,000, but that's set to fall to $26,000 by 2009. |
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'DNA' for cars |
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 A unique paint system that has been successful in tracing stolen bank notes has now been adapted to make identifying vehicles much easier. Each tub of SelectaDNA paint, which costs about $100, has its own molecular structure and can be dabbed onto cars and parts to make sure that, if they are stolen, they can easily be returned to their rightful owner.
The paint glows under UV light and contains tiny dots that reveal a traceable serial number under a microscope. If police can't spot the microdots, they can take swabs and have these checked for the 'DNA paint'. There is less than a one in a billion chance of two tubs of paint having the same 'DNA'. |
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Lexus RX400h |
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 Lexus has introduced the first ever hybrid luxury four-wheel-drive. The RX400h has a petrol-electric engine, rather than the turbo-diesels favoured by the European manufacturers, and this makes it a little bit more expensive, but it does come with lots of goodies as standard, including sat-nav.
The RX400h has a fuel efficiency of just 8.1 L/100 km, while carbon dioxide emissions top out at 192 g/km. At $94,100, it is the most expensive RX on the market, but its green credentials mean that it is already a winner in Europe.
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