V HAPPENING

MUSIC ON THE MOVE
Forget muddy festival fields, handy MP3 players or trendy nightclubs. According to a study by Vauxhall Motors into the listening habits of some 1200 drivers, the place where the British are most likely to go to enjoy their personal musical preferences is their own car. In fact 41% agree – almost double the second-placed 22% who prefer listening to their music mostly at home, and four times as many as the 11% who listen to their iPod or MP3 away from their car. Vauxhall found that one-in-five motorists (21%) sneak into the car for ‘easy listening’, while 14% prefer heavy metal. But they don’t just listen at random: 76% of those surveyed say that they plan their listening before their journey – not that fellow passengers always agree on the playlist, according to the research: 78% of drivers say that they’ve had their choice challenged – even though 26% of men and 20% of women think it’s bad etiquette to change the driver’s musical selection. But as Vauxhall’s Simon Ewart says, ‘These results reveal just how much drivers enjoy the freedom to listen to what they really want to hear, thanks to their car. Not even we anticipated the emerging trend of cars being the place secretly to stash your “guilty-pleasure” songs. Vauxhall will have to look into creating hidden compartments to hide those forbidden tracks and keep your image intact’.

KEYCHAIN CHIC
As another member of Vauxhall’s VX Collective, part of jewellery designer Daisuke Sakaguchi’s remit is to enhance the driving experience through style and design; hence his latest inspiration, a limited edition silver keychain that fuses high-end luxury with street wear, and style with functionality. Its looks can go anywhere – Daisuke’s top-three tips are with jeans for a casual, relaxed style, with a suit to update the corporate look, or for a quirky twist on a fashion classic, like a pocket-watch from the lapel. £310 through www.vxcollective.co.uk, or call 020 7861 3815.


COMING OF AGE
In 2007, Vauxhall’s Network Q reached its eighteenth birthday. Established in 1989, Network Q meant that used-car buyers could at last drive off the forecourt with the same confidence and support they would expect when buying new. Since then, it has never stopped moving forward, and offering a comprehensive package of benefits, including twelve months comprehensive warranty and twelve months cover on brakes, battery and clutch (including normal wear and tear), a 30-day exchange pledge, a multi-point check for every vehicle, Network Q ownership promise (guaranteeing the authenticity of mileage and history), and a nationwide vehicle search service. That’s why one and a half million satisfied customers would agree that Network Q is one of the most thorough and reliable used-car programmes ever developed – and still satisfying customers eighteen years on.
Visit www.networkq.co.uk