Blog on 2040Parts

Locke review: a road movie with a difference

Locke is a road movie with a difference – not to mention an enormous contrast to Need for Speed, which is the last heavy car content film I reviewed on MSN Cars. Simply put, Locke stars Tom Hardy and a BMW X5, and that’s about it. To say very much more than this would actually be to give away the, ahem, driving force of the plot – if you can even call it that.

Car Deisgn Awards China 2014 winners announced

The winners of this year's Car Design Awards China have been announced during a dazzling ceremony held at the Global Vehicle Architecture (GVA) design studio in Beijing. The Awards, hosted by Chris Bangle, were presented to an audience of around 350 global design professionals. The work of all finalists' projects was on display, giving a superb opportunity for these up-and-coming young designers to discuss their work and future careers with prospective employers.

Jaguar XK leaves the lineup

Production of the Jaguar XK stretched from 1996 with the XK8 and will wrap up as the final 50 limited edition XK models roll off the assembly line this summer. The farewell XKs will be branded as "Final Fifty Limited Edition" cars, and will carry the same specification as the current XKR model, along with some added features that celebrate the history of Jaguar and the evolution of the brand's grand touring coupes and convertibles. Under the hood, a supercharged 510-hp 5.0-liter V8 is capable of bringing the XK to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds according to Jag, and an active exhaust system helps ensure the engine note remains prominent.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Volkswagen Golf R 400 Concept with 395bhp heading for Beijing

The VW Golf R 400 can hit 62mph in 3.9 seconds Volkswagen usually reserve their extreme concepts for the Worthersee Show, but they’re heading to next week’s Beijing Motor Show with a very extreme Golf R. The VW Golf R 400 Concept takes the regular Golf R – perhaps the most ‘grown-up’ hot hatch you can buy – and not only adds more power but extreme styling too. That means the 2.0 litre turbo 4-cylinder engine in the Golf R being crankes up to deliver 395bhp (400PS) which cuts the 0-62mph time by a full second over the production Golf R with the DSG ‘box to a supercar-bashing 3.9 seconds.

Volkswagen Touareg Facelift heading for Beijing Motor Show

The Volkswagen Touareg (pictured) with its 2015 nip and tuck It’s almost four years since the latest VW Touareg was revealed – and a year since VW introduced and R Line version of the Touareg - and now it’s time for a bit of a nip and tuck for VW’s largest SUV. Heading for the Beijing Motor SHow next week is a facelift for the Touareg which combines small cosmetic tweaks with some new technology to bring the Touareg up to date. A new front bumper and new bi-xenon headlights give the nose a new look, and a new back bumper, diffuser and LE fogs tweak the back.

2015 Dodge Charger gets inside-out revamp for New York

The 2015 Dodge Charger is getting shown off at the New York auto show this week. The muscle sedan gets a freshened exterior, a DOHC 3.6-liter 300-hp V6 capable of 31 mpg highway and a standard eight-speed automatic transmission with sport mode the company claims reduces shift times 37 percent. The 5.7-liter 370-hp Hemi V8 is optional.

Volvo S60 L plug-in petrol hybrid heading for Beijing Motor Show

The Volvo S60L Plug-in (pictured) heading for Beijing The Volvo V60 Plug-in is already doing good business for Volvo – despite a price tag of £50k – but the V60 plug-in is a diesel hybrid which doesn’t suit all markets. So Volvo are ploughing ahead with a petrol engine based plug-in hybrid with the debut at the Beijing Motor Show next week of the Volvo S60 L Plug-in, a petrol hybrid version of the long wheelbase S60. At first glance the S60 Plug-in looks just like its regular ICE sibling, but under the skin sits a 2.0 litre Drive-E petrol engine with 238bhp and 258lb/ft of torque – which drives the front wheels – and a 68bhp electric motor with 147lb/ft of torque that can drive the rear wheels, which can be recharged in 4.5 hours.

Alfa Romeo 4C arrives stateside in New York

Not long after the last transport departed New York Harbor with a cargo of unsold 164s, an Alfa Romeo executive was probably quoted as saying, "we will return next year!" We have been eagerly anticipating the return of Alfa Romeo for the last 19 years, long enough for the last Milano to rust whence it came, every year the brand just another year away! Well, this year -- yes, this year, finally, no really -- the Alfa Romeo 4C heralds the brand's reintroduction to America -- just as it did last year, remember -- as early as this summer. You'll have to forgive us for such skepticism -- we've been burned by our desire to invoke Italian driving passion and all that, but it's also hurting the Fiat dealers who scrape by on a lack of product.

174-mph Volkswagen Golf R400 heads for Beijing motor show

Volkswagen has divulged plans to reveal a spectacular new Golf R-based concept car called the Golf R400 at this weekend's Beijing auto show. Said to preview a possible limited production model from Volkswagen's increasingly active R performance car division, the Golf R400 runs a powered-up version of the Golf R's turbocharged 2.0-liter direct-injection gasoline engine aimed at providing it with the sort of firepower to match the current king of the Euro hot hatchback brigade, the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG. VW The VW Golf R400 makes 395 hp from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

Ford Racing drivers share their Mustang memories

April 17 marks the 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang, and recently Ford Racing asked some of its drivers and racing personnel, including Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing, and Edsel B. Ford II of the Ford board of directors, to talk about their favorite Mustang memory. Here are some of those Mustang memories: Jamie Allison, Director, Ford Racing -- “My Mustang moment story is simple.

Refreshed 2015 Dodge Challenger gets a 485-hp 6.4-liter V8, Scat Pack trims

Chrysler has pulled the covers off the 2015 Dodge Challenger at the New York auto show, and though the styling is more or less unchanged, the big news is a big, new V8 option. No, it's not the rumored supercharged “Hellcat” mill, but the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 under the hood of the Challenger 6.4-liter Scat Pack variant should be good for 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. Plus, you'll have something to talk about with the guys rolling around in 2014 Ram Power Wagons, which also get that bigger motor in the new model year.

SRT Viper combines Time Attack package with Anodized Carbon look

SRT has just debuted a very special Viper at the New York auto show, combining the Time Attack Group with the exclusive Anodized Carbon Special Edition package. Just 50 examples of the of the SRT Viper Anodized Carbon Special Edition package will be made, with just 10 models carrying the Time Attack Group package. Like a number of special editions from Chrysler, this model emerged due to customer demand, with Chrysler taking the functional chassis and aerodynamic parts from the Viper Time Attack Special Edition and making them available in the GTS price class.

Show Review: Salone del Mobile 2014

Milan Salone, the city's annual furniture extravaganza, sees exhibitors in their thousands take over the halls of the Fiera Milano exhibition center in the Rho district. Its sprawling physical size dwarfs any motor show, making even the maze of Frankfurt's Messe seem compact, while the list of exhibitors can be plain overwhelming. Trying to contain the creative force of nature that is the world's largest design fair in one venue simply isn't possible, either.

2015 BMW M4 Convertible debuts: drop-top fun priced from $73,425

The 2015 BMW M4 Convertible made its official debut at the New York auto show yesterday. While the details of the high-octane hardtop didn't exactly catch us off-guard (see our full breakdown here), we now know how much it'll cost to feel the wind in your hair as you launch from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds: $73,425, to start. Complete pricing will be available closer to the M4 Convertible's sale date, which is “late summer” 2014, according to BMW.

2015 Subaru Outback debuts in New York

The 2015 Subaru Outback took a bow at the New York auto show on Thursday. It gets a new front fascia with a hexagonal grille, a standard CVT -- not sure how we feel about that -- and the same 9 or so inches of ground clearance. It'll be in dealerships this summer.

Road Safety Group Asks If Driving Test Is Fit For Purpose

THE Institute Of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is asking the thorny question of whether the standard driving test is still fit for purpose. This comes on the back of a new poll from Vision Critical and the IAM, which uncovered that 30% of young drivers (aged 18-25) admit to breaking the law during their first few years on the road. Furthermore, despite spending many weeks learning to pass the test, 68% of younger drivers feel that they need to improve while 25% admit to crashing.

Government Urges Passengers To 'Speak Up' To Halt Drink-Drivers

IN A bid to prevent drunk drivers from taking the wheel the Government is encouraging passengers to speak up to help reduce the risk of any serious consequences. This advice comes from Transport Minister Robert Goodwill, following a survey showing a quarter of those who had been in a car with an over-the-limit driver had been too embarrassed to act. As part of a new THINK!

Drivers believe potholes 'are out of control'

MOST DRIVERS (67%) think the pothole problem in the UK is getting out of control and the government and councils are not doing enough to solve the problem. Research by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has found 65% of female drivers and 69% of male drivers are very unhappy with the condition of the UK’s roads. The IAM cites a lack of communication between councils and drivers for this situation as a third (34% ) of drivers believe councils are reducing the amount they spend on road maintenance but 60% of drivers admit they don’t know if budgets are genuinely being cut.

One Lap of the Web: Ditching Miss Belvedere

-- In the Netherlands, the street lights are expensive to run. Who knew? Hence, a much more striking vision of the future: a luminescent paint applied to the roads so its markings glow at night -- for as long as eight hours.

2015 Volkswagen Touareg unveiled prior to Beijing motor show debut

Volkswagen has given the second-generation Touareg an update, and it's bringing the refreshed SUV to the Beijing motor show next week. The Touareg has been a solid global success for Volkswagen with over 720,000 units sold, despite all the ink expended discussing its pricing (especially compared to the rest of the automaker's range), and the company has spent quite a bit of time and money updating the Touareg for the 2015 model year. So what's new inside and out?

Almost 90% of drivers ignoring MOT checks

AN INCREDIBLE 86% of drivers think their car will pass its MoT test first time and without the need for any remedial or service work. A further 62% of British drivers fail to put any money aside to help with the cost of an MoT and any repairs that result from the legally required annual test. The research by Asda Money found that only 7% of drivers think their car will fail its MoT.

Maserati celebrates birthday with GranTurismo MC Centennial Editions

Maserati unveiled the GranTurismo MC Centennial Edition at the New York auto show this week, following up the successful debut of the Alfieri concept a month ago at the Geneva motor show. The GranTurismo MC Centennial Edition, created as part of Maserati's 100th anniversary celebrations this year, will be available both in coupe and convertible form. The Maserati GranTurismo MC Centennial Edition coupe and convertible will be powered by the same 4.7-liter V8 engine found in the MC Stradale, on which the Centennial is based.

Land Rover Discovery Sport CONFIRMED as the new Freelander / LR2

Land Rover Discovery Sport will be the new Freelander This week has seen the reveal of the Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept in New York, the first look at the design language and technology a new family of Discovery models will offer. But the first model in the new Discovery family won’t be a replacement for the Discovery but a replacement for the Freelander (or LR2 in some markets). And now we know it will be called the Land Rover Discovery Sport.

Mercedes AMG GT revealed – but just the interior

The interior of the new Mercedes AMG GT The Mercedes SLS is coming towards the end of its shelf life and, although it’s not getting a direct replacement, the new Mercedes AMG GT will fill the void left by the SLS. Due to be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October, Mercedes has decided to throw in a bit of a sneak peak at the AMG GT ahead of that and take a bit of the gloss off some of the new reveals at the New York and Beijing Motor Shows this month. So we get a look at the interior of the AMG GT in two photos (above) which show a cabin that makes it clear the AMG GT has a healthy dose of Grand Tourer in its nature, with lashings of leather and technology to make the AMG GT’s cabin a pleasant place to be.

Why we won't be running CDNLive coverage from the Beijing motor show

Over the last couple of years we've grown our CDNLive motor show coverage from the world's most important motor shows, in an effort to bring you closer to all the new cars and news as well as highlighting some of the things you might miss. It's one of our the key content streams that we feel sets us apart from the deluge of auto show coverage. However as you can imagine it also takes a huge amount of time and effort, not to mention a good internet connection.