As ambitions go launching a car into space is a pretty lofty one, but that’s exactly what happened in February when the Tesla Roadster became the first automobile to enter orbit.

A long held goal of engineer turned inventor turned business mogul Elon Musk, this venture sees his two companies combine for an altogether different kind of mission. Indeed the Tesla Roadster has been attached to a Falcon Heavy rocket no less, allowing for a top speed in keeping with galaxies if not motorways.

The future is upon us. As recently as a decade ago the very idea of self-driving cars remained fanciful. In 2018 that concept is a reality, sort of.

Indeed the connected and autonomous industry has developed at a rate of knots and far quicker than anyone anticipated. Technological advancement has led us to a point where nearly all newly built models boast a score of at least one on the Level of Automation (LOA) scale. It rises to five, in case you were wondering

Traffic jams are the scourge of drivers everywhere. Indeed there is seemingly no escape from congestion nor the retrieval of hours frittered away to queues and tailbacks. But can our frustration be monetised? How much are standstills truly costing the British taxpayer? Fortunes, it transpires.

Indeed research conducted by data analysts INRIX show that the UK lost a staggering £37.7 billion to traffic jams last year.

Using carbon and ceramics in braking systems offers significant advantages over other materials, but the processes involved in their manufacture are considerably lengthy and more expensive – why are they so expensive and is it worth the cost?

Perhaps an indicator to their eventual cost, the use of heat resistant carbon/ceramic based materials originated in the ever so expensive endeavour of space exploration.

Despite the efforts made to improve road safety, traffic collisions still regularly occur. The latest development in road infrastructure aims to reduce the numbers of accidents even further by evolving the tried and tested ‘cat’s eye’ into something more.

Invented in the UK in 1934, the cat’s eye has been quietly doing its job for over 80 years - the simplicity and effectiveness of its design standing the test of time and seeing it adopted around the world.

Speed merchants may not like to admit it but the ability to stop in good time far outweighs the importance of lightening quick acceleration. With that in mind, appropriate brake pads go some way towards ensuring motorists’ safety on the road.

So what are they? Put simply, the component that applies the requisite pressure and friction to brake rotors, allowing a car to stop.

Tailgating is the scourge of drivers everywhere. Indeed there is seemingly no motorist safe from those intent on getting up close and personal, whose impatience come ignorance invariably brings us bumper-to-bumper.

But aside from infuriating those on the receiving end, what effect do tailgaters have on traffic itself? A negative one, it transpires.

High end car brands place huge importance on the sound their vehicles make because of how they believe it affects potential buyers. Many have dedicated departments that spend millions on precisely tuning their cars to produce a very specific sound designed to induce the desired effect.