:motor news
Wheels of the
Stars
From Simon Cowell to Jennifer Aniston,
here's what the stars are driving...
Kate Beckinsdale
David Beckham
Nicholas Cage
CHANGING TIMES
Scantily clad models were once as much a part of car
advertising as roaring engines, but now with women buying
more cars, and being more concerned with green credentials,
carmakers are slowly changing their ways.
As the Paris Auto Show, Lamborghini's stand boasted three of
its powerful sportscars and three models in skintight strapless
silver dresses, slit to the thigh.
Renault's hostesses however wore knee-length yellow dresses
with short sleeves. Nissan's stand featured a model in a loosefitting pale blue one-shouldered dress.
"The days of bikini-clad women on bonnets are long gone,"
said David Fitzpatrick, Account Director at automotive PR
agency PFPR Communications.
www.reuters.com
Sienna Miller
Simon Cowell
AVOIDING CAR THEFT
Britney Spears
Cindy Crawford &
Jennifer Aniston
Mel Gibson
Source: www.topgear.com
44 | www. h e rmagaz i n e . c o. nz
Car theft is a big problem in New Zealand. As motorists we
end up paying higher insurance premiums to cover the cost.
Valuable Police resources also get tied up tracking down
thieves. Up to 60-70% of vehicle thefts are opportunistic
(joyriding and stealing to commit a crime). Professional theft
makes up about 30-40% of vehicle crime in NZ.
Encouragingly, car manufacturers and the government are
now doing more to tackle the problem. Of special interest
to motorists are two security measures that are becoming
increasingly common - Whole of Vehicle Marking (sometimes
called "microdots") and vehicle immobilisers.
Whole of Vehicle Marking (WOVM) involves spraying tiny
microdots containing an identification number throughout
the vehicle. This reduces opportunities for car thieves to steal
vehicles and conceal their true identity. WOVM also limits the
market for stolen car parts.
Vehicle immobilisers make it extremely difficult to hotwire
or start a car without the correct key, which contains an
electronic code. Immobilisers reduce opportunistic car theft.
Source: www.aa.co.nz
