2009 Lincoln Towncar Center Cap on 2040-parts.com

Best new cars of 2014 so far

With the first four months of 2014 down, we take a look back at the cars that have thrilled us most since the start of the year. Covering everything from cutting-edge supercars to practical family transport, these are the best cars of 2014 so far. Please click the image above to read more about the best cars of 2014 so far

Peugeot Bipper Tepee launches

The Peugeot Bipper Tepee MPV The Bipper Tepee is basically a Bipper van that’s been modded to change it in to a ‘car’. It’s the first time Peugeot has pulled this trick with the Bipper van, although they’ve been the same route with the Partner van which became the Partner Combi and is now the Partner Tepee (Tepee is Peugeot’s code for ‘It’s got seats). So the van with seats does offer what you’d expect from a van – loads of room.

Tesla asks NHTSA to investigate fires

In response to concerns following a recent accident which appeared to result from road debris damaging the underside of a battery compartment of a Tesla Model S, causing a fire in the engine compartment, the company has announced that it has requested that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conduct a full investigation into the fire incidents. In a blog post, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote the following about the investigation: "While we think it is highly unlikely, if something is discovered that would result in a material improvement in occupant fire safety, we will immediately apply that change to new cars and offer it as a free retrofit to all existing cars. Given that the incidence of fires in the Model S is far lower than combustion cars and that there have been no resulting injuries, this did not at first seem like a good use of NHTSA's time compared to the hundreds of gasoline fire deaths per year that warrant their attention." Tesla has also released a software update to the cars which will maintain their standard ride height at highway speeds, preventing the air suspension from lowering the car an extra inch at highway speeds for greater aerodynamic efficiency.