Blog on 2040Parts

Range Rover Sport ploughs into basement flat

This supercharged Range Rover Sport found itself stuck between a brick and a hard place when it crashed into a basement flat in Fitzrovia, central London. The driver, who was unhurt in this week's accident, unintentionally tested the Range Rover's off-road credentials in a freak incident, which left the 2.5-tonne SUV stuck between a house wall and some railings in the posh London street. Please click on the photo above to read more about the Range Rover Sport crash

Studiotorino unveils Porsche Cayman-based Moncenisio

Studiotorino is an Italian coachbuilder, based in the city that its name suggests -- on the banks of the Po River, deep in the heart of Turin. It came to prominence thanks to a smattering of projects: a buttressed, fastback Mercedes-Benz SL, a Fiat 500 named after beloved Italian pulp hero Diabolik and a Maserati Quattroporte wagon that they appropriately renamed "Cinqueporte." But Studiotorino is also infatuated with the Porsche Cayman. To that end, the firm has introduced the Moncenisio, a Rhapsody in Blue rebody of the Typ 981 that aims to do for German sports cars what Figoni et Falaschi did for the Delahaye and what Porcubimmer Motors did for a BMW 3-Series.

Call For Widespread Use of Anti-Crash Car Tech

THE insurance industry’s research centre, Thatcham Research, has said that thousands of lives could be saved if there were Government incentives for drivers buying cars with anti-crash technology. According to the organisation, initial UK market data shows cars equipped with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) have 18% fewer third-party injury claims. Thatcham's chief executive Peter Shaw has called for support for his company's Stop the Crash campaign, which plans to ask the Treasury to introduce and fund a £500 incentive for those choosing to buy new cars with AEB fitted.

Honda cutting production in Swindon again – 500 jobs at risk

Honda is cutting another 500 jobs in Swindon It’s only a year since Honda announced 800 job cuts at Swindon (which eventually was 550) and now they’re about to cut a further 500 as weak demand – particularly in Europe – sees the Swindon plant producing just half the cars it could. The plan is to cut shifts from 3 to 2 a day, which will result in the loss of 340 permanent jobs and 160 temporary ones, and production will be centred on just one production line to increase efficiency and flexibility. The Swindon Plant – which builds the Civic, Civic Tourer, CR-V and Jazz (and the Civic Type-R from next year) – has been hard hit by the slump in European sales in the last five years and, despite still strong UK sales, production levels of 120,000 cars a year – just half of the Swindon capacity – are not enough to sustain the current staffing levels.

Hennessey to build limited-edition Venom GT WFE

Hennessey Performance is building an extremely limited run of World's Fastest Edition Venom GTs to celebrate the company's top speed run of 270.4 mph set at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in February. It holds the unofficial record for fastest series-produced road car and the official record for standing-start acceleration. The Venom GT hit 186 mph in 13.63 seconds.

New 2015 Nissan Murano SUV teased ahead of New York reveal (video)

New Nissan Murano teased ahead of New York debut The Nissan Murano may no longer be sold in the UK, but that is likely to change with the arrival of a new Murano, teased ahead of its debut at the New York Motor Show next month. The new Murano will be Nissan’s halo SUV, and its design is based on the Nissan Resonance Concept we saw at Detroit last year featuring something Nissan called ‘V-Motion’ design. That means design that flows from a statement grill and boomerang-like headlights along strong crease lines on the flanks to a kick-up shape at the rear.

2014 Volkswagen Polo now on sale – price from £11,100 to £19,715

The facelifted 2014 VW Polo (pictured) is now on sale The 2014 facelift for the VW Polo was revealed back in January and, although the cosmetic tweaks were the usual facelift fodder – tweaked bumpers and grill, new lights, new alloys and interior updates – the big changes came under the bonnet. New 3-cylinder engines arrive for the Polo with two new 1.0 litre petrols with 60PS or 75 PS, two 1.2 litre petrols with 90 or 110PS and and extra 10-PS for the 1.4 litre, which also gets cylinder deactivation. The diesel BlueMotion also gets dropped in favour of a petrol BlueMotion offering 68.9mpg from its 1.0 litre 3-pot and there’s a pair of 1.4 litre diesels with 75 or 90PS replacing the old 1.2 and 1.6 litre diesels.

Next Hyundai Sonata introduced in Korea

Hyundai revealed its redesigned 2015 Sonata sedan in South Korea on Monday. Until now all we've seen are teaser shots of the company's second-best selling vehicle, which falls behind the smaller Elantra in sales by about 5,000 units per year. It will make its North American debut at the New York auto show in April.

One Lap of the Web: Small cars, thrifty cars and AWESOME cars

-- In Mexico, Chevrolet launched a special version of the Spark called the Dot Edition. It has dots on the hood, roof, and bumper. That says it all, really.

Alfa Romeo 4C to spearhead marque's return to the US

Alfa Romeo is coming back to the U.S. this summer, and at next month's New York auto show the company will present the 4C Coupe to the American public. We need to take a step back to point out that even though the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione was officially sold on our shores in a handful of locations (to a smattering of well-heeled buyers), the automaker's planned return this summer will offer cars for--ahem--a slightly larger audience.

Volkswagen celebrates 40 years of the Golf

The Volkswagen Golf has been with us 40 years, even when it was called the Rabbit in the U.S. market. VW will be celebrating the Golf's history with a special appearance at Techno Classica Essen, one of Germany's largest classic-car events.

Honda shift cut threat to 340 jobs

JAPANESE car giant Honda is to cut production at its UK factory from three shifts to two, threatening 340 jobs. Most cars built at the plant in Swindon, Wiltshire, are exported and sales in other countries have not been as strong as in the UK. "Over the last 12 months, we haven't seen the growth we'd anticipated.

Barn Find Lagonda Could Fetch Six Figures at Restoration Show Sale

IT might not look much, but this extremely rare 1939 Lagonda V12 Hooper two door saloon that has covered just 40,000 miles from new and, crucially, has been estimated to fetch between £75,000 and £100,000 at the forthcoming Restoration Show Sale, at the NEC, Birmingham on April 12th. The unique car was built for the wife of the owner of Hooper Bodies Ltd, the most noted coach builder of the era, and first registered in August 1939. With the onset of war just weeks later the car was placed into storage before being sold to a Mr Harry Ellard in 1952.

Higher speed limits result in fewer crashes

Raising the speed limit can make roads safer, according to a study carried out in Denmark. The Danish Road Directorate monitored how driver behaviour and accident rates changed when speed limits on country roads and motorways were increased. Need for Speed film review 60mph M1 motorway speed limit proposed Auto Express magazine reported that there was a drop in the number of accidents when the speed limit on single carriageway roads was increased from 50mph to 56mph.

Porsche confirms smaller four-cylinder engines

Porsche has confirmed it will reduce its CO2 emissions by introducing four-cylinder engines in the next Boxster and Cayman models. CEO Matthias Müller told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport magazine that road cars will follow the lead set by the Le Mans Porsche 919 we first saw at Geneva, by being fitted with smaller, turbocharged engines. 2014 Porsche Boxster and Cayman GTS revealed Porsche 919 Hybrid at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show Although Porsche hasn’t officially given any performance figures for the new four-cylinder petrol engine, Müller reportedly said it would boast up to 400hp – making it more powerful than the outgoing six-cylinder models, including the range-topping GTS unveiled last week.

Updated 2014 Volkswagen Polo prices confirmed

Volkswagen has confirmed its new 2014 Polo supermini will go on sale in the UK on 23 April 2014, with prices starting from £11,100 for the entry-level 60hp 1.0-litre S variant. Prices rise to £19,715 for the range-topping five-door Polo Blue GT model fitted with VW’s 150hp 1.4-litre TSI petrol turbo engine with cylinder deactivation technology. It is mated to a six-speed manual as standard, or the firm’s seven-speed DSG gearbox as an option.

Aston Martin DBS from 'The Persuaders!' heads to auction

James Bond wasn't the only British fictional character associated with cars from Newport Pagnell, even though the MI6 agent did drive Aston Martins in a number of films. But James Bond films weren't the only medium in which Aston Martin cars appeared. If you watched the opening of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, you might have noticed one TV series not referenced in the opening show: "The Persuaders!" starring Roger Moore (a Bond actor himself) along with Tony Curtis.

2015 Ford Mustang will perch atop Empire State Building

Ford is celebrating the Mustang's 50th anniversary in style. In addition to the cross-country tour and sporadic events across the world, Ford will repeat what it did to introduce the Mustang convertible 50 years ago, setting it on top of the Empire State Building during the New York auto show. So, you might guess Ford would use one of those super cranes to get the car up there, but even the best portable units can only go up 50 stories or so; the observation deck at the Empire State Building is on the 86th floor.

Watch the 2,000-horsepower Banks Freightliner jump five cars

Mike Ryan does amazing things with the Banks Freightliner. And with Pikes Peak still half a year away, Ryan settles for practice in the Long Beach docks in "Size Matters 2." He weaves the semi in and out of boxes, does donuts in the same tight radius as a matte-black 240SX (driven by stuntman Daniel Leavitt, who ironically shares his name with a reckless driving attorney in Virgina), and dodges even larger trucks. (No Dodges, though there's the Freightliner connection.) All the elements of Ken Block's Gymkhana videos are here: the screeching electronic music, the moody industrial setting, the gratuitous slow-motion.

Unique Corvette built for 'Bunkie' Knudsen heads to auction

Rare Corvettes are in the news these days, and one car that's drawing quite a bit of attention from collectors is a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette styling car known as the "Bunkie" Knudsen Corvette, built for Chevrolet general manager Semon E. "Bunkie" Knudsen. In just a few days, this uniquely styled 1963 Sting Ray convertible distinguished by it intricately designed side exhaust will be going up for auction.

New Porsche Boxster GTS – now on video

The new Porsche Boxster GTS struts its stuff on video Last week, Porsche revealed a new range-topping Boxster – the Boxster GTS – together with a new Cayman GTS, and appealing, range-topping versions they are too. Now we get the first video of the Boxster GTS, and we have to say it does underline just how appealing the Boxster now is. Yes, many consider the Boxster the Porsche for the buyer who can’t afford a 911.

2015 Audi TT, TTS Coupe and Roadster revealed

The 2015 Audi TT and TTS Coupe and Roadster models debuted on Friday with a new optional competition package, optional carbon package and new standard features. Power will continue to come from two variations the company’s high-strung 2.0-liter TFSI turbocharged and direct injected engine. The TT RS will no longer be offered.

Bentley Continental GT V8 S & ‘Old Number 1′ at 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Bentley Continental GT V8 S (pictured) will make its Goodwood debut in June It’s only three months before the world’s greatest petrolhead gathering takes place in Sussex, and the offerings for the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed are now starting to come in to focus. As you’d expect, Bentley are as keen as ever to make a good showing at Goodwood and are taking along plenty of new stuff to keep Goodwood visitors happy, with the new Bentley Continental GT V8 S making its Goodwood debut, as is the Flying Spur V8. The more powerful GT V8 S turns the power up on the regular GT V8 to 521bhp, enough to make its 0-62mph the match of the W12 GT but with a more focused driver appeal thanks to better throttle response and a tweaked chassis, as well as a few go-faster bits like a diffuser at the back and a butch set of side sills.

Watch a Triumph Spitfire engine assemble itself

Chris Herridge bought an engine for a Triumph Spitfire on eBay. He then proceeded to take 3,000 photos as he disassembled and rebuilt it, possibly destroying his camera but gaining a shiny new SU-equipped Triumph engine by the time he was done -- eleven months later. We get the video above despite having taken no part in the labors.

Hyundai wins Red Dot design award for New Genesis & New i10

The Hyundai Genesis (left) and Hyundai i10 have won the Red Dot design Award Oh, how things change. It’s not long since Hyundai’s USP was the cheapness of its cars, but those days are now gone; Hyundai now competes head to head with mainstream makers as the strength of its products improves with every new model and its designs make Hyundai appealing without resorting to bargain basement headline prices. That has been perfectly illustrated with the Red Dot Design awards for both the new Genesis and the new Generation i10, both of which have received the Red Dot Design award – a first for Hyundai.

Paul Walker to be recreated through CGI for 'Fast & Furious 7'

Paul Walker's character will make an appearance in the next "Fast & Furious" film thanks to scenes filmed before his death and computer-generated doubles of the actor. Several sources are reporting that at least four body doubles of Walker have also been involved in the film's ongoing production since filming resumed in late January, after several weeks of evaluations and rewrites by the studio. Approximately half of the photography involving Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, had been shot at the time of Walker's death in Porsche Carrera GT alongside Roger Rodas, his friend and business partner, over Thanksgiving weekend in November of 2013.

A Right Old Estate of Affairs

A NEW study from car hire Europcar has revealed that, while a practical, versatile estate car might be just the ticket for a busy life, it’s not the car of choice to create a lasting impression on a first date. According to the firm’s survey, just one percent of respondents said they would choose an estate car when hiring for a special day, with women put off by the practicality of estates. Unsurprisingly, prestige vehicles topped the list for the car to make the best impression at 32%.

Nearly 1 in 10 admit to taking selfies at the wheel

Ever thought the internet would be a better place with a photo of you behind the wheel of your car? According to research by insurance experts Confused.com, 7% of motorists have taken a ‘selfie’ when driving. And, 9% of 18-24 year olds have used photo messaging app Snapchat, compared to 8% who have tweeted and 5% who’ve accessed Instagram.

Lion Set To Roar Up Goodwood’s Famous Hill This Summer

VISITORS to the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed will be in for an extra treat, as Peugeot has announced it will bring its record-breaking 208 T16 Pikes Peak car to the popular event. However, the 875 horsepower car won’t be parked on a stand but driven in anger up the famous Goodwood hill by its record-breaking driver, multiple world rally champion Sébastien Loeb. And just to add some spice to proceedings, there’s talk of an attempt to break the longstanding 41.6 second time to complete the 1.16-mile course - set by Nick Heidfeld in a McLaren Formula One car in 1999.

Company drivers fail to have correct licence

FIVE IN EVERY 1000 company car, van and truck drivers in the UK does not have the correct licence to be at the wheel. With more than 5 million vehicles on the UK’s roads owned by companies, this means 5000 drivers either have the wrong licence or simply don’t have any licence at all. Research by the Licence Bureau has revealed the top five reasons for drivers failing to have the right licence for the vehicle they are driving.