Of the 15.1m cars and pick-ups bought by Americans last year, 2m went to customers who set foot in a dealership only to collect the vehicle.

ECONOMIST: Death of a salesman

In 2004 it engaged in a partnership with Minnesota Department of Transportation, U.S., to equip 100 state vehicles with sensors to collect traffic-related data including vehicle speed, location, heading and even localised weather conditions, with the aim of developing the next generation of transportation and driver information systems.

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When they get back, the space vehicle will hopefully have provided enough data to pinpoint a potential drilling area so it can drill, collect and analyze rock samples using onboard tools -- a feat never-before attempted on Mars.

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