2006-2011 Honda Civic Axle Shaft Front Driver Cv C/v C9i9n on 2040-parts.com

Good news for British car factories

NEW FIGURES have revealed that UK-based car production raced ahead in April, resulting in the biggest monthly rise since July 2012. A total of 133,437 cars were made in the UK last month – a 21.3% increase on the April 2013 figure, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. The excellent April figures took the year-so-far total to 538,240 – a 6.9% rise on the figure for January-April 2013.

2013 Aston Martin DB9 – Virage Vanquished

Aston Martin has given the DB9 a makeover – a facelift and a bit more – for 2013 as the tweaked DB9 signals the end of the Virage. But all is not lost with the Virage, as the 2013 DB9 gets a Virage makeover – inside and out as well as more power from its V12 and the addition of Aston Martin’s adaptive damping. The 5.9 litre V12 engine under the new DB9′s bonnet now offers 510bhp and 442lb/ft of torque – more than the Virage managed to muster – and is much the same as the revised AM11 V12 we see in the new Vanquish but with a bit less power.

Volvo V40 Cross Country gets new T5 Drive-E and AWD

The Volvo V40 Cross Country gets the new T5 Drive-E engine Volvo are on something of a roll at the moment, what with the impressive 2015 XC90 on the way and the very convincing range of Drive-E engines rolling out across their range. And the Drive-E engines really are good; we had one in recently (review to come soon) and the new D4 in the S60 is quick, frugal, quiet and, really, on a par with the best diesels from BMW. And we don’t say that lightly.