Blog on 2040Parts

2015 Audi A3 wins World Car of the Year

The World Car of the Year awards were announced last Thursday at the New York auto show. Porsche, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz all took top honors in different classes. It seems 'ze Germans know what makes judges tick.

Retracing Steve McQueen's Los Angeles in his Jaguar XKSS

In 1958, Steve McQueen bought this Jaguar XKSS from a local TV personality who kept it parked in a studio lot on Sunset Boulevard. McQueen cajoled his wife Nellie into writing a check for $5,000 -- today around $40,000 -- and became the third owner of XKSS chassis No. 713, a car that had originally been imported a year earlier by Jaguar North America.

Lamborghini Aventador Nazionale debuts in Beijing

Lamborghini used the Beijing auto show to display some its Ad Personam wares on the Aventador LP 700-4. The Nazionale gets a coat of white paint that Lambo calls “bianco opalis” and Italian flag-inspired racing stripes up the middle. The interior leather is done in black and blue.

Chinese Grand Prix (2014): RESULT

Chinese Grand Prix (2014): RESULT Qualifying for the 2014 China Grand Prix yesterday saw a much more level playing field than we’ve seen so far this year thanks to a rain-soaked track. But that didn’t stop Lewis Hamilton taking an easy pole (although the Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel squeezed Nico Rosberg in to fourth place) and, true to current form, Hamilton flew away to win the Chinese Grand Prix and Nico Rosberg, after dropping to sixth place after a poor start, fought back to make this another Mercedes one-two. Hamilton’s drive was a crushing one – he pulled away strongly from the start and cruised to the win – but it was livelier behind.

Mercedes Concept Coupe SUV previews the MLC, Mercedes’ take on the BMW X6

The Mercedes Concept Coupe SUV (pictured) preview the new MLC The arrival of a Mercedes MLC – a coupe version of the ML – has been clearly signalled for some time but now, with the debut of the Mercedes Concept Coupe SUV at the Beijing Motor Show, we get the first clear sight of Mercedes SUV/SAV to rival the BMW X6. The Concept Coupe SUV may be a coupe version of the Mercedes ML, but its a far more glitzy, design-led SUV than the rather boxy ML with lots of curves and contours and a surprising amount of glass. A huge statement nose with lots of bling and an oversized 3-pointed star dominate the front of the Coupe SUV, a dramatic coupe roofline, contoured flasks, big 22″ alloys and a back end that takes design cues from the new S-Class Coupe but with slim lights that extend the full width of the car.

BMW Vision Future Luxury Concept previews the next 7-Series, not a new 9-Series

The BMW Vision Future Luxury Concept (pictured) is our first look at the next 7-Series The general consensus, when BMW revealed it was taking a concept to preview their vision of a luxury future to the Beijing Motor Show, was that it would be the first look at a new, range-topping BMW 9-Series. But it’s not. In fact, the BMW Vision Future Luxury Concept is a preview of next year’s new BMW 7 Series and previews both the design and technology we can expect when BMW rolls out its challenger to the new Mercedes S Class in 2015.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Coupe SUV previews the MLC

What you’re looking at here is - in concept form at least - the all-new Mercedes-Benz MLC SUV. Yes, it’s called the Concept Coupe SUV, but with the coupe version of the Mercedes-Benz ML arriving as soon as 2015, it provides a pretty big hint of the shape of things to come. And when we say big, we mean big.

Audi TT goes SUV: offroad concept revealed in Beijing

Audi has revealed a bold TT crossover SUV at the Beijing Motor Show – and the offroad concept looks so complete and production-intent, we wouldn’t bet against this concept becoming a showroom reality sooner than we think. Audi’s technical boss Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg admitted at the big China show that the TT offroad concept was “a glimpse of how we might imagine a new model in a future TT family”, and that last word is crucial: this is the first clear sign that the TT is going to turn from a single model into a range of cars in its own right.

BMW Vision Future Luxury at 2014 Beijing Motor Show hints at new 9 Series

BMW unveiled its latest concept on Easter Sunday, which could signal an all-new 9 Series model to top its range. The four-seater concept – called Vision Future Luxury – was revealed at the Beijing Motor Show, but MSN Cars got a sneak preview of the car back in Munich, Germany in early April 2014 and spoke to its key designers to bring you this ‘inside track’ report. The big news is that this Vision Future Luxury concept could herald the introduction of an ultra-luxurious BMW four-door model above the 7 Series, and thus also logically mean that a new 8 Series coupe and possibly 8 Series Gran Coupe could fit in-between.  Please click on the photo above to see the rest of the BMW Vision Future Luxury gallery

Audi TT Offroad concept points to new TT crossover (2014)

By Ollie Kew Motor Industry 19 April 2014 18:06 Audi has officially revealed the name of its SUV-like four-door coupe concept car to be ‘TT Offroad’. But why the TT name? CAR caught up with Audi CEO Rupert Stadler to ask the big question?

It’s the Audi TT Off-Road Concept, not the Audi Q4!

It’s the Audi TT Off-Road Concept When Audi previewed a coupe SUV heading for a debut at the Beijing Motor Show recently, we were convinced it would be a concept version of a coupe SUV – the Audi Q2. But we were wrong. In fact, the coupe SUV heading for Beijing is the Audi TT Off-Road Concept, a concept that does exactly what it says on the tin – it looks just like a four-door TT on stilts.

Volkswagen Golf R 400 revealed – and it looks production ready

The VW Golf R 400 (pictured) revealed ahead of Beijing A few days ago we had a teaser sketch for the VW Golf R 400, a 395 bhp version of the Golf R, which we assumed would be nothing more than yet another uber-powerful Golf Concept. But with underpinnings largely taken from the production Golf R, and a fully functioning interior, this Golf R 400 looks more production ready than any Golf Concept before. The Golf R 400 still uses the regular Golf R’s 2,0 litre Turbo, but VW has managed to squeeze an extra 99bhp and 52lb/ft of torque to produce supercar-rivalling performance of 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 174mph.

Bentley promises '90% hybrid range by 2018'

By Ollie Kew Motor Industry 19 April 2014 17:07 Bentley will offer a plug-in hybrid version of 90% of the cars on its range as early as 2018, the company's CEO has confirmed. Speaking at the debut of the Mulsanne Hybrid Concept at the Beijing motor show, Dr Wolfgang Schreiber announced that a plug-in hybrid option was ‘the right choice for the future of Bentley’. He also confirmed that the first production-spec Bentley with a part-electric powertrain will be the marque's controversial new SUV.

Volkswagen New Midsize Coupe debuts at China motor show

The Volkswagen NMC (New Midsize Coupe) concept makes official the German carmaker's plans for a style-led sedan to challenge the likes of the strong selling Mercedes-Benz CLA. Unveiled at the Beijing motor show, the new four-door closely previews a future Jetta-based model that will slot into the Volkswagen lineup beneath the existing Passat CC, most likely in 2016. Volkswagen design boss Klaus Bischoff describes the NMC as “avant-garde protagonist for a new compact sedan class.” Looking all but ready for production, it continues the current Volkswagen design lineage, with crisp features and lines, heavily horizontal detailing, and taut surfacing -- all aimed at providing it with a technical-inspired appearance.

Rolls-Royce Pinnacle Travel Phantom at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show

Rolls-Royce has unveiled this excess-all-areas Pinnacle Travel Phantom at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show. It's designed to showcase Rolls' personalisation programme, dubbed Bespoke Collection, and is inspired by the era of luxury steam train travel. If you've got the readies, Rolls-Royce will tailor your luxury car to your exact whim – and this is the result.

Chinese Grand Prix qualifying: Hamilton on pole for Mercedes ahead of the Red Bulls

Lewis Hamilton (pictured) taking pole position in 2014 Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying for the 2014 Chinese Grand Prix was a damp, chilly affair which had the effect of levelling the playing field. But no one told Lewis Hamilton. His cracking form – and a crackingly good Mercedes – took Hamilton to his 34th pole position in F1 – beating Jim Clark’s record in the process – 0.6 seconds ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and 1.1 seconds ahead of world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Skoda to crown range with seven-seat SUV (2014)

By Ollie Kew Motor Industry 19 April 2014 17:00 Skoda is plotting a large new 4x4 to sit at the top of its range, CAR can reveal. The new SUV will compete with Korean seven-seater SUVs like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sportage, and be positioned a rung further up than Skoda's wildly successful Yeti crossover. Skoda's top brass has already green-lighted the plan to offer a family 4x4, and early prototype miles are reportedly already at the initial testing phase, CAR has learned.

Next BMW 7-series previewed in Vision Future Luxury concept

BMW has previewed key exterior styling elements, contemporary interior design touches, lightweight carbon fiber construction and innovative lighting systems to be incorporated on next year's sixth-generation 7-series with the unveiling of an arresting new concept car that goes under the name Vision Future Luxury. Revealed at the Beijing auto show, the big new sedan is described as a showcase for future BMW models. But while initial speculation suggested the Vision Future Luxury pointed at a possible 9-series flagship model to be installed at the top of the German car maker's lineup, BMW officials have confirmed the new concept was created more specifically as a pointer to the next 7-series, which is planned to head into North American showrooms late next year.

BMW Vision Future Luxury concept (2014) first official pictures

By Damion Smy First Official Pictures 19 April 2014 23:00 The BMW Vision Future Luxury is a two-plus-two that’s approximately the same size as a 7-series. So is it a 9-series that makes way for an 8-series coupe as well? Fronted by those massive kidney grilles, the Vision apes the Gran Lusso concept that was shown at the 2013 Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza.

Paul Walker's brothers to help finish 'Fast & Furious 7' scenes

Universal Studios has announced that Paul Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, will fill in for their late brother in a number of scenes in the upcoming seventh installment of the "Fast & Furious" franchise. This announcement by the studio follows news that computer-generated imagery would be used in some of the unfilmed scenes necessary to complete the photography for a revised version of the script. Cody, 25, and Caleb, 36, will reportedly contribute their voices for the needed dialogue of Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, according to TMZ.

NYC carriages about to go extinct?

If you love taking horse-drawn carriage rides in New York City, you best hurry -- they might be replaced with new horseless carriages by next year. At the New York auto show Florida-based car restoration firm The Creative Workshop introduced an eight-passenger electric horseless carriage designed to replace today's horse-drawn carriages. The company says its car blends “early 20th-century style, nostalgia and romance with 21st century eco-technology, comfort and safety,” calling the Horseless eCarriage the first brass-era-type car in more than 100 years.

One lap of the Web: Ponycar birthdays, forgotten Hungarian racetracks and an Acura NSX

Chevy took some time this week to say happy birthday to its archrival, the Ford Mustang. The bowtie brand said that "healthy competition" between the Camaro and Mustang has been a "driving force for constant improvement." Check it out over at World Car Fans. Petrolicious has a handful of photos from a nearly forgotten track in Budapest, Hungary.

2014 New York auto show wrap-up

The 2014 New York auto show is all wrapped up -- at least for the press. We saw some big debuts from Dodge, Subaru, Mercedes and others. Ford and Mazda celebrated big anniversaries with two of their legendary names, and SRT threw out one more Viper to see if it finally sticks.

Fire up the spanners: For the Love of Cars preview

Philip Glenister will be back on our television screens from Sunday 20 April with a new series called For the Love of Cars. This time it’s all real life, though, as he explores the history of six iconic British cars with a restoration twist. Rather than simply talking about the vehicles, Glenister and the car restoration expert Ant Anstead will set out every week to find and restore an example of each one – starting with the Mk1 Ford Escort Mexico.

Morgan Plus 8 Speedster celebrates 100 years of Morgan car production. Costs £69,995.

The Morgan Plus 8 Speedster (pictured) celebrates 100 years Morgans may still look like Morgans did half a century and more ago, but under the skin lies a car capable of holding its own (most of the time) with cars from the modern er. And none more so than the Plus 8. Now, to celebrate 100 years of building cars at their Pickersleigh Road factory in Malvern, worcestershire, Morgan has revealed a limited edition (although such is Morgan’s production numbers you could reasonably consider every Morgan a limited edition) of the Plus 8 – the Morgan Plus 8 Speedster.

400hp Volkswagen Golf R 400 pays tribute to Golf Rallye

Volkswagen clearly knows us too well. In its press release to accompany the world premiere of the Volkswagen Golf R 400, the Germany company references not one, but two performance heroes from yesterday. “Flared wings are a tribute to the legendary Rallye Golf G60”, it says.

Cars of the future could be powered by seawater

Water from the sea could power cars of the future, if experiments currently being trialled by the US Navy prove to be successful. According to Jalopnik, the US Naval Research Laboratory is turning carbon dioxide from seawater into hydrogen, with the hope of fuelling its jets from alternative sources. Hydrogen cars ‘on sale next year’ Zero-emissions hydrogen fuel-cell cars on sale in 2015 – Hyundai If successful, researchers predict it’ll cost between $3 and $6 per gallon – that’s approximately 40p to 80p per litre.

Rockin' Supercar: The Rebirth, Short Life, and Death of a Shark-Fin-Equipped '85 Toyota Tercel Wagon

Sometimes a very ordinary car becomes something special, maybe even loved, but that's not always enough to keep it out of the jaws of the crusher. This is the story of a second-gen Toyota Tercel wagon (known in Japan as the Sprinter Carib) and its journey from auction to lumber-hauler to kid transportation to a Chinese steel factory. Around the turn of the century, while I was working at a doomed dot-com in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, I discovered that the city auctioned off all the unclaimed tow-away cars every week at nearby Pier 70.

Film Friday: 'Styling and the Experimental Car' takes us from Da Vinci to the Ford Mustang

Last time we popped into the Ford Design Studios, it was the late 1960s and everyone was strung out on black turtlenecks and jazz flute. We're traveling a few years further back in time today, but Ford Design Studios remains our destination. "Styling and the Experimental Car," released in 1964, doesn't start off like a modern promo piece might.

Lincoln crossover concept video hits the web

Lincoln has released a video that previews a concept vehicle that could be the next MKX crossover. The short spot gives a glimpse of a large four-door luxury crossover with long rear doors and a relatively short cargo section in the back. The video gives little clue as to the concept's true dimensions, though it appears likely that this concept is previewing a second-generation MKX, to replace the model which has been on sale since 2006.