2002 Mini Cooper Hood Grill on 2040-parts.com

Why Aston Martins use Volvo keys

By Nick Gibbs Motoring Issues 29 October 2008 14:03 Did you know that Aston Martins use Volvo keys? We should hardly be surprised, since we all know that Astons dip into the expansive Ford parts bin for everything from sat-navs to switchgear. But you’d expect them to at least go to some lengths to remove the original badging.

VW BlueSport Concept Debut

Once upon a time, when  the world was a simpler place, there was a plethora of fun, nimble, economical roadsters (particularly in the UK) for our enjoyment. But times have changed, and got more complicated, and probably the only real fun, economical soft-top around is the MX-5. But that could change.

New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.