Brain fitness for senior drivers
Posit Science says that seniors who use its DriveSharp^TM “brain fitness” software reduce their at-fault crash risk, double their visual processing speed, increase their useful field of view, and improve their reaction time sufficiently to increase stopping distance. The software, which is geared to drivers 60 years and older, includes two computer-based exercises. The first, Jewel Diver, challenges the user to track hidden jewels moving around the screen (to improve the ability to monitor multiple moving objects). The second, Road Tour, challenges the user to locate road signs and identify other cars along the way (to widen the user’s useful field of view).
(www.PositScience.com)

And the winners are
Popular Mechanics magazine announced the winners of its Automotive Excellence Awards. They are: 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor (Best Off-Road Ability), 2010 Toyota Prius (Best Fuel Efficiency), Lexus Remote Touch System (Technical Innovation Award), 2010 Ford Transit Connect (Best Workhorse Vehicle), 2010 BMW 335d (Best Luxury Vehicle), 2010 Chevrolet Camaro (Best Vehicle Design), 2010 Subaru Outback (Most Versatile Car), Kia Soul (Best New Car), and 2010 Mustang Shelby GT500 (Best Performance). Here’s the magazine’s description of the Camaro: “The success of a new car design, especially a sporty one, depends on its ability not just to turn heads, but to inspire an almost primal lust in everyone from a college kid to his grandfather – hitting all the age groups in between. The new Camaro does just that.” And it’s only about $20,000.

Batteries gaining credibility
Batteries must be gaining respectability. The latest battery car from Nissan will be a luxury Infiniti to complement the forthcoming 2011 Nissan Leaf, according to a report in the New York Times. (The Leaf reportedly will be available in the United States in late 2010.) The company made the announcement at the recent Tokyo Motor Show. Meanwhile in early October, Nissan announced that the M37 and M56 cars to appear in April 2010 would be joined in the spring of 2011 by the M35, a rear-wheel-drive luxury and high-performance hybrid.

Used-car shopping trends
If you’re buying a used car, you’re just as likely to visit an online Web site as a dealer, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Used-Vehicle Market Report. The report finds that the percentage of used-vehicle buyers who rely on the Internet as a method for locating vehicles for sale increased from 40 percent in 2008 to 46 percent in 2009 – equal to the percentage of buyers who visit dealer lots as their primary shopping method. Furthermore, 31 percent of buyers found the vehicle they ultimately purchased on the Internet, compared with 28 percent who found their vehicle by visiting dealerships.