Blog on 2040Parts

Chris Forsberg leads Formula Drift season with victory at Long Beach

Last year, Chris Forsberg had the Formula Drift title slip out of his fingers. This year, he kicked off the 2014 season with a victory. Forsberg narrowly lost to Michael Essa in 2013's final round at Irwindale, who won -- on a technicality, despite blowing an engine.

BMW 9-series concept expected to debut in Beijing

BMW will be previewing the upcoming 9-series sedan at the 2014 China Auto Show, according to German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. The extra-long-wheelbase 9-series will take on the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S600 Maybach, which itself is production ready and is set to debut in a matter of months. The 9-series will be positioned alongside the Rolls-Royce Ghost in BMW's global lineup, and is expected to feature packaging and interior appointments similar to that of the S600 Maybach while building upon the design language recently seen in the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe.

Scat Pack is back for Charger R/T and Challenger

To the delight of Mopar fans, Dodge brought back the Scat Pack last November at the SEMA show. At the time, the company teased upgrade packages for the Charger, Challenger, and Dart. Dodge has just now announced details on the upgrades that'll be available for the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine found in the Charger R/T and the Challenger.

Quarter of car sellers 'lie'

MORE THAN a quarter (28%) of people selling a car admit to telling a ‘white lie’ to help the sale go ahead. The statistics are higher among young car sellers aged 18-25-years old, where 33% admit to lying to make sure their cars is sold. A study commissioned by vehicle history service HPI found 11% of sellers admitted to hiding problems with their car, while 9% are prepared to alter the mileage of their car to achieve a better price.

Wannabe racers invited to test their mettle

THE AMAZING scenes at the Bahrain Grand Prix have left an unfamiliar warm glow surrounding the pinnacle of motorsport, but at grass roots level would-be racers are being invited to show their potential. The Lets Race 2 Reality scheme, open for entries until the end of the month, will reward the best new racing driver in the country with an incredible Formula 3 race experience. The winner will receive a day’s testing in a Carlin Formula 3 car, complete with a dedicated team of mechanics, data engineer and race engineer.

25 future classic cars go under the hammer

Have you got an old car hidden in your garage? A once daily driver, that's now bordering on classic status or possibly just scrap metal? Maybe not, but you'd be surprised how many people have, going by some of the cars that went under the hammer at Anglia Car Auctions  this weekend.

Foreign language theory test scrapped

FROM TODAY the driving test in the UK must be taken in English or Welsh, after long-standing rules permitting foreign language speakers to sit the test were removed. Theory tests have previously been available with voiceovers in 19 foreign languages and candidates could use an interpreter on both the theory and practical driving tests. But changes that come into effect today were introduced after a consultation showed more than 70% supported the withdrawal of foreign language voiceovers and interpreters.

One Lap of the Web: Retrofuturism in the world of tomorrow!

-- In Alberta, Canada, a man stole a John Deere tractor and evaded the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as he crashed through fences, trees, and a field before rolling it on a hill. The Mounties were only able to find the tractor when a passing snowmobiler followed the snowy tracks. This article was posted on social media via astronaut Chris Hadfield, which makes this news story the most Canadian thing ever.

Petrolhead spiders cause Mazda recall

Mazda has had to recall 42,000 vehicles in the US after it emerged that a species of spider had been weaving webs in fuel vent hoses, increasing the risk of fuel leaks and fires. The yellow sac spider’s curious domestic activities cause a build-up of pressure in the evaporative fuel vent that – in theory at least – could result in a cracked fuel tank and therefore an increased risk of fire. This isn’t the first time that the Mazda 6 has received the unwanted advances of a gas-guzzling arachnid, either – three years ago Mazda had to recall over 50,000 cars for precisely the same reason.

RIP Massimo Tamburini 1943–2014

Massimo Tamburini, the renowned motorcycle designer, has died at the age of 70. He passed away on Saturday in his native San Marino from lung cancer. Tamburini's body of work stretches back to 1971 and includes designs for Cagiva, Ducati, MV Agusta and Bimota, which he founded alongside Valerio Bianchi and Giuseppe Morri.

Infiniti push on with Q50 Eau Rouge project with Sebastian Vettel (video)

Sebastian Vettel takes the Infini Q50 Eau Rouge round Millbrook The Infini Q50 Eau Rouge Concept made an appearance at the Detroit Auto Show in January as a possible Performance halo from Infiniti and featuring an appealing 552 bhp. And it looks like it could be heading for production. With Infiniti keen to cash-in on its sponsorship of Red Bull – and the appointment of Sebastian Vettel as Performance Director – the Q50 Eau Rouge could be a good way to create a halo performance model for Infiniti.

Multi-Million Euro Results At Coys Classics Auction

THE MONEY flowed thick and fast at the recent Essen Techno Classica classic car show, as Coys auctioneers sold some important cars for significant sums of cash. Headline-grabbing cars included a 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta that went for €487,305, a 1963 Bentley S3 Continental “Flying Spur” for €170,825 and a 1965 Ferrari 330GT 2+2 for €167,468. Other important classic cars that went under the hammer were a 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8 Litre Roadster for €112,637 and a 1937 Bentley 3½ Drophead Coupe by Barker for €109,280.

New Mercedes SL 400 replaces SL 350

The new Mercedes SL 400 (pictured) replaces the old SL 350 It’s a little over two years since the latest Mercedes SL arrived, and Mercedes has now decided to add a little zest to sales by dropping the old SL 350 and replacing it with a new Mercedes SL 400. The new SL 400 gets its power from the new E400 which means a twin-turbo 3.0 litre V6 with 328bhp and 354 lb/ft of torque – 26bhp and 81 lb/ft more than the old SL 350 – enough to let the SL 400 scoot to 62 mph in 5.2 seconds – 0.7s better than the 350 -= and on to a limited top speed of 155 mph. The new SL 400 has to make do with Mercedes tried and tested 7-speed auto – despite a new 9-speed now being available in Mercedes’ arsenal – which gives the SL 400 official economy of 38.6 mpg and emissions of 172g/km – not that you’ll come close in the real world.

Kia teases new MPV ahead of New York Motor Show

Kia has teased a new mid-size MPV it will unveil at the New York Motor Show on Wednesday 6th April. The Korean brand insists its new people carrier will not only be able to transport eight passengers but also serve “as a purposeful offering for adventure seekers”. Why the new 2014 Kia Sportage moves the crossover goalposts Kia Soul review (2014 onwards) We don’t think lifestyle types will be trading in their SUVs too soon, but the people carrier is likely to be bigger than the seven-seater Carens, making it potentially a rival to the likes of the Ford Grand Tourneo Connect. However, Kia has already said we won’t get it in the UK due to poor demand.

Electric cars must get noisier, ICE cars must get quieter

Electric cars will have to make a noise to protect pedestrians It’s four years since the Lotus solution for making electric cars noisy raised its head, since when the US has had a go at the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act in 2010 to do the same thing, the Japanese are playing too, and Toyota revealed the Prius Vehicle Notification System, and now the EU has decided its time to act to make EVs emit ‘noise’. Despite the most appealing part of an EV being that it makes our cities quieter, legislators worry about the blind, partially sighted and distracted pedestrian (think earphones and a Smartphone) being mowed down by a stalking electric car and feel the need to act. So the European Parliament has decided that by 2019 new models of electric vehicle will have to make a noise in cities, and that by 2021 all new hybrids and electrics must be noisy too.

Bahrain Grand Prix (2014): RESULT

The 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix gets underway The expectation – barring incidents, accidents or mechanical failure, was that the Mercedes due of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg would be in a race of their won at the front of the pack in the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix. And they were – and what a race! Rosberg may have been on pole, but Hamilton took the lead at the first corner, and battle commenced.

Jaguar F-Type Coupe ‘Art of Villainy’ with Tom Hiddleston continues #GoodToBeBad campaign (video)

The Jaguar F-Type Coupe and Tom Hiddleston in Art of Villainy The UK has only just got the British Villains video advert for the new Jaguar F-Type Coupe (it was broadcast earlier this week on ITV), but that’s just the start of Jaguar’s campaign to make the world aware that the new F-Type Coupe offers something a bit special. The next promo video for the F-Type Coupe  - Art of Villainy - has already arrived and features Tom Hiddleston as the suave villain teaching us what it takes to be a proper villain. An opening voiceover of the John of Gaunt speech from Shakespeare’s Richard II (This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England..) sets the scene for an unashamedly patriotic push for the uniqueness of the F-Type Coupe.

New car sales hit ten year high – Toyota Yaris breaks in to top 10

The Toyota Yaris accounted for over 20% of hybrid sales in March 2014 We’ve got used to new car sales (well, new car registrations) hitting new highs month after month, but March 2014 managed to top even the recent levels with the highest monthly registrations in a decade. March is normally the year’s highest new car month with the ‘year’ plate change coming in, with almost 20 per cent of cars registered in that month alone (it used to be August when  there was just one plate change a year) and 2014 saw a jump of nearly 18 per cent over 2013, and the highest total since March 2014. Still sitting atop the list is the Ford Fiesta (25,753) with more than 50 per cent more sales than the second place Ford Focus (16,860), with the usual suspects taking up the rest of the top ten (full top ten sales for March 2014 below).

Bahrain Grand Prix 2014: Rosberg takes pole for Mercedes ahead of Hamilton

Nico Rosberg pips Lewis Hamilton to pole in Bahrain. It’s already staring to look like Mercedes is going to dominate F1 in 2014, and the performance of the two Mercedes in qualifying for the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix did nothing to change that. Essentially a duel between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, it was Rosberg’s turn to take pole position with Lewis Hamilton having to settle for second place on the grid after driving too deep in to a corner on his last flying lap and giving up the fight to take pole from his team mate. It was Rosberg’s second successive pole in Bahrain.

BMW M4 Convertible revealed. Price from £60,730

The BMW M4 Convertible (pictured) revealed We reported last month that the new BMW M4 Convertible would debut at this year’s New York Auto Show, and here it is ahead of that debut complete with trick folding metal roof, 425bhp and a price tag that just nicks over the £60k line. A direct replacement for the old M3 Convertible, the M4 Convertible will cost you just over £4k more than the M4 Coupe, but for the extra money you get the same car but with infinite headroom – and a big weight penalty. The new 3-piece metal folding roof can be tucked away in a mere 20 seconds at the flick of a switch, with better noise insulation than the M3 Convertible had and more room in the boot when the roof is down too.

Project Car Hell, Fix It Again (and Again and Again) Tony Edition: 124 Sport Spider or Strada?

Is it possible for a car to be too horrible even for Project Car Hell? Given the fact that, in the past, we've made you choose between a Hurricane Sandy-immersed Aston Martin Lagonda and a similarly flooded GAZ-21 Volga, you might think the answer to that question would be an emphatic no. Why, even last week we threatened you with eternal Simca damnation!

One Lap of the Web: Virtual Hemi 'Cudas and 1932 Ford memories

-- NASCAR driver Casey Mears reunites with a 1932 Ford that he remembers from his childhood and high school years in Bakersfield. His father Roger bought it in 1982 but sold it in the mid-'90s; six years ago, Casey was able to bring it back into the Mears fold. His daughter is 5, the same age Mears was when he was able to reach the pedals.

Hydrogen cars to storm London

A CONSORTIUM of car makers, infrastructure suppliers and energy consultancies has signed an exciting new agreement to turn hydrogen-powered cars into an everyday reality. The pioneering deal, dubiously named the HyFIVE project (Hydrogen For Innovative Vehicles), is the largest of its kind in Europe. The five manufacturers have agreed to deploy a total of 110 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles at several European locations and develop new clusters of hydrogen refuelling stations – and London is high on the list of targets.

The Ford Mustang of the future could have been a Mazda

It seems like enthusiasts are always trying to figure out what Mazda's cooking up. Today, we're curious about how the Japanese automaker will bring its sport-roadster experience to a partnership with Alfa Romeo. In the June 30, 1986 edition of Autoweek, it was whether Mazda and Ford were going to create some sort of pony car love child.

McLaren MP4-12C gets the axe

Production of the McLaren 12C is dead. That's according to a letter sent by CEO Mike Flewitt to owners that read in part, “The final piece of news I wanted to share with you is regarding 12C production, which we have decided to cease in light of the success of 650S. The new car has been so well received since its unveiling at the Geneva motor show (we already have a six-month order bank), we will focus all our capacity at the McLaren Production Centre on 650S.” This represents a turnaround for the company that just a few days ago said the 650S would slot between the 12C and P1 in the lineup, and that both would continue.

Treasures from West Germany lurk at Sonoma Raceway

In my role of Chief Justice of the 24 Hours of LeMons Supreme Court, I travel to Sonoma Raceway, aka Sears Point, at least twice per year. Most of the time I'm there, I'm stuck disciplining miscreant racers with incomprehensible penalties, but every so often I slip away in my Race Organizer Review car to shoot some action photos of the competitors. A good area for shooting LeMons cars is from the access road that runs parallel to the track between turn 10 and turn 11, and getting there takes me past an area of shops and garages… and I always spot some interesting cars parked there.

Lexus targets BMW X3 with new crossover

LEXUS is set to join the mid-size crossover fray when it launches the NX at the Beijing Motor Show later this month. The move could be a massive one for Lexus as it tests the water in what has become one of the fastest-growing and fiercest-fought market sectors of them all. This teaser shot is all that Lexus is willing to show of the new car before then, but the headlight shape is clearly inspired by the formidable LFA hypercar.

Beijing motor show 2014: CAR's A-Z guide

By the CAR online team Motor Shows 04 April 2014 10:00 China has become a critical market for carmakers to tap into, with huge sales potential and a thirst for European brands. Click the links below for CAR's stories of all of the new cars featured at the 2014 Beijing motor show. DS 5LS R: sports saloon concept geared at Chinese petrolheads New Juke-sized compact crossover, based on i20 Boxster GTS: faster, better-specced Boxster with 918 Spyder styling cues Cayman GTS: look out 911: hotter Cayman could be the best Porsche ever

New car sales soar to 10-year high

NEW CAR sales soared in March, with the new 14 number plate helping registrations reach their highest monthly total for 10 years. A total of 464,824 new cars were registered last month - a rise of 17.7% on the March 2013 figure and the best since 466,954 were registered in March 2004, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. The March 2014 and March 2004 figures represent the best two months for new sales since 1999 when the motor industry abandoned the August once-a-year number plate change in favour of twice-a-year changes in March and September.

New York motor show 2014: CAR's A-Z guide

By the CAR online team Motor Shows 04 April 2014 09:30 BMW M4 Convertible: drop-top M4 is 60kg lighter than the old V8 M3 Convertible Discovery Vision concept: design study thought to preview new seven-seat Disco S63 AMG coupe: two-doors, two turbos, and one headache for Aston Martin and Bentley