Blog on 2040Parts

Petrol prices reach three-year low

PETROL PRICES are at a three-year low, with Yorkshire and Humberside remaining the cheapest area, according to figures from the AA. But the good news for drivers is offset by a real-terms dip in earnings which has pushed wages back to 2002 levels adjusting for inflation, the AA added. Petrol forecourt prices across the UK averaged 129.46p a litre in mid March compared to 129.63p in mid February.

Porsche Boxster & Cayman to get 4-Cylinder Turbo: Official

The next Porsche Cayman (new Cayman GTS pictured) will get a 4-Cylinder turbo We already know that the new Porsche Macan will be getting 4-Cylinder VW engines later this year as Porsche looks for a lower entry-level point for the Macan, but it’s not just the Macan going the 4-Cylinder route. Porsche boss, Matthias Mueller, has confirmed to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport Magazine that Porsche are preparing new 4-cylinder turbo engines for the Cayman and Boxster – but not engines from VW. Instead, Porsche will be lopping two cylinders off the Boxer engine to create a new 4-Cylinder Boxer engine with power outputs up to 395bhp.

Film Friday: 'All in One' presents the car as man's best friend, proposes dog power for a greener future

Remember the time Chevrolet built a dog-powered car? Yeah, neither did we. And we're not even sure if the Bowtie was behind this canine-powered contraption, dubbed the "Bow-Wow Buggy" by this Jam Handy film's unwaveringly enunciative narrator (could it be Jam Handy himself?).

Flood-damaged car 'bought' by 12-year-old

A SUBMERGED CAR that was abandoned because of flooding on the Somerset Levels and put on eBay has sold for more than £100,000. The unnamed bidder paid £101,100 on the online auction site to buy the Seat Toledo after it was put up for sale by owner Hubert Zajaczkowski, 21. Mr Zajaczkowski planned to donate the cash to a charity helping the victims of flooding in Somerset.

One Lap of the Web: Bugatti state of mind

-- Last week, we looked at the new Bugatti exhibit at the Mullin Museum, which taught us more about Bugatti in an afternoon than the last three years of idly flipping through Pebble Beach programs. Having thus immersed ourselves in the House That Ettore Built, we'd really like to drive to work in a faithful Type 35 replica by the aptly named Pur Sang, which Mark Dixon of Octane drove for his 140-mile commute. "You need to keep the revs up while the engine clears its throat and warms its plugs," he writes.

SEAT Leon Cupra 280: Fans enjoy a simulator drive – or did they? (video)

The SEAT Leon Cupra 280 Extreme Simulator In January the SEAT Leon Cupra and Cupra 280 were revealed as SEAT’s take on the VW Golf GTI, but with things taken to another level. That meant the SC getting 261bhp and the 5-door Cupra 280 a very appealing 276bhp, enough to get the 280 to 62mph (when fitted with the DSG ‘box) in 5.7 seconds – appealingly lively. Not surprisingly, there were plenty of SEAT fans wanting to get up close and personal with the Leon Cupra 280, so SEAT invited a lucky pair to get suitably suited and led them in to an extreme simulator for the virtual drive of their life.

Get your car ready for spring

As the salt and sand are washed away from the roadways, and potholes the size of moon craters appear, vehicle maintenance should move to the forefront. You made it. The wretched winter weather has left your ride grungy and maybe even a little clunky.

'Get tough on killer drivers' call

DRIVERS who cause death on the roads should be jailed for at least five years, according to the majority of motorists. Eighty-two per cent reckon sentences should be higher for those drivers who kill, a survey by road safety charity Brake and insurance company Direct Line found. Brake said the latest Government figures showed 62% of those convicted of killing someone through risky driving were jailed and only 9% got sentences of five years or more.

Lamborghini 'their choice' says Webb

IT WILL be up to pensioners whether they spend their retirement pot on a Lamborghini, Pensions Minister Steve Webb said as he defended a relaxation of rules announced in the Budget. Critics have warned that allowing pensioners to draw down the cash rather than being forced to buy an annuity will result in some blowing the fund and relying solely on state help. The luxury Italian sport cars sell for six-figure sums.

New Honda NSX Concept to take on Goodwood Hillclimb in June

The new Honda NSX Concept will take on the Goodwood hillclimb in June The arrival of the production version of the new Honda NSX Supercar is schedlued for 2015, and Honda are making sure the new NSX will arrive with high expectations. They’ve already announced the new NSX will go racing before it even goes in to production and they’ve had a new NSX out on track to try and show its ‘Green’ credentials are a positive not a negative. Now, Honda has announced that we’ll all be able to get up close and personal with the new NSX as it will be at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June and will take on the Goodwood hillclimb.

Callaway introduces Camaro Z/28 SC652

The paint on the logo of the Chevy Camaro Z/28 isn’t even dry yet, and American tuner Callaway is already licking its chops in anticipation. The company says it can take that already-badass Z/28 and boost it to 652 hp, hence the name. To get the extra power, Callaway adds an Eaton TVS2300 supercharger to the LS7, a liquid-to-air intercooler, bigger fuel injectors, carbon injector covers, high-flow intake, low restriction exhaust, embroidered floor mats, door sill panels, badging, plaques, a Callaway key fob and a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty.

Range Rover Sport TDV6 SE dropped in the UK

The entry-level Range Rover Sport TDV6 SE has been dropped in the UK It’s not quite a year since the new Range Rover Sport arrived courtesy of James Bond in New York, and a lot less than that since it started appearing on the road. But if you’ve been saving hard to get yourself in the entry-level Range Rover Sport TDV6 SE – Land Rover’s £51,550 entry-level Sport – you need to think again. It’s been dropped.

One Lap of the Web: Aural delights and a Citro

-- Ayrton Senna positively dominated the 1990 Monaco Grand Prix: he came in with the fastest qualifying lap, started on pole, set the fastest lap, led every single one of them, won the thing, beating rival Alain Prost in the process, then went on to win the 1990 World Championship. The above video was what it's like to ride onboard with the brilliant Brazilian in his McLaren-Honda, which screams like a madman down the Monaco tunnel. -- Five Citro

Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Coupe steps out before New York auto show debut

Following the unveiling of the striking S550 Coupe at the recent Geneva motor show, Mercedes-Benz has now taken the wraps off the even more powerful S-class two-door: The 2015 S63 AMG Coupe. It's set to make a public debut at the upcoming New York auto show. The plush, leather-lined four-seater, which will lock horns with the Bentley Continental GT when North American sales get underway later this year, runs a carryover twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 engine from its predecessor, the CL63 AMG.

Bring a Trailer: 1974 Fiat X1/9 autocrosser

Serious buyers and tire kickers alike can find everything on Bring a Trailer, from all-out American classics to pre-war antiques and Italian muscle. Today's pick, however, is none of those. This 1974 Fiat X1/9 autocrosser is for sale out of Garnedia, Calif., for the price of $25,000, or best offer.

UK car production down 20%

CAR PRODUCTION slowed a little last month, according to official figures. A total of 133,730 cars were made in the UK in February - 2.7% fewer than in February 2013, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. Cars made for the export market rose 3.5% last month, but manufacturing for the home market was down 20.8%.

Innovative ways to finance a Supercar

Ferrari 458 Spider – buy now, pay later. Those of us who can’t actually afford a Ferrari or Lamborghini, or any of the £200k (and more) supercars that stir our souls, tend to think buyers of such cars just flash the Amex Black and it’s job done. But that’s a long way from the truth.

Persuaders Aston for sale

THE ASTON MARTIN used by Roger Moore in the 1970s television series The Persuaders is up for sale and expected to fetch £500,000. Finished in rare Bahama Yellow, the 1970 DBS was built specifically for use in the popular detective series. However, Aston Martin had yet to launch its DBS V8 model, so it took a standard DBS with the smaller six-cylinder engine and made it look identical to the newer and more powerful V8 from the outside.

Ford offers $1 million in automotive design scholarships

After the passing of William Clay Ford Sr., Ford has announced that they will honor his memory and his contribution to the automobile with the creation of scholarships for automotive design students. William Clay Ford Sr., the last grandson of Henry Ford, died last week at the age of 88. Ford worked at the company that bears his name for 57 years, serving as chairman of the design committee for 32 of those years.

500-mph Ford hovercar is the future we were promised

"Within a few decades, the urge to travel at high speed has led man to develop the locomotive, the automobile, the airplane, and the rocket. Today he can travel through the air at speeds in excess of sound, and it is likely that he will soon land on the moon." Yes, we eventually made it to the moon, 10 years after the Ford Motor Co. issued this bold proclamation.

Budget 2014: Fuel Duty freeze, Classic Car VED & £200 million for potholes

No fuel tax increase, and 40 year rolling road tax exemption for cars. Most of the 2014 Budget headlines are about cuts in cost for beer and bingo and help for pension prisoners held to ransom by annuity regulations. But in amongst there’s some good news for motorists; nothing that will change your world, but welcome nonetheless.

Reliant Robin now a classic vehicle

THE RELIANT ROBIN, a vehicle popularised by Del Boy Trotter in the Only Fools And Horses TV show, is now classed as a classic vehicle thanks to changes in the Budget. Chancellor George Osborne announced that a rolling 40-year vehicle excise duty (VED) for classic cars will come in on April 1 this year. Until now, only cars built before January 1 1973 were exempt from VED.

Budget 2014 – what it means for the motorist

Chancellor George Osborne today addressed parliament with his 2014 Budget statement. There was plenty in there to talk about, but what we were desperate to find out was how Osborne’s financial plan for the next 12 months was going to help the average motorist in the UK. Here, we’ve got everything you need to know about the 2014 Budget when it comes to cars. From the fuel duty freeze to Vehicle Excise Duty road tax reforms, company car tax to classic car tax, this is what Budget 2014 means for drivers in Britain.

Report: Britain averaged over 50mpg in 2013

Land Rover According to the latest figures from industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Britain averaged OVER 50mpg last year. The institution analysed efficiency figures for all new cars sold in the UK in 2013, working out the average CO2 emissions from the 2.26 million cars sold in Britain last year and coming up with a figure of 128.3g/km. On Bing: see pictures of vehicle CO2 emissionsFind out how much an economical used car costs on Auto Trader　 That’s already below the 130g/km CO2 average target manufacturers have set themselves for 2015 and marks a 16th successive year of reductions.

Bond in Motion: James Bond's best cars on display

The Bond in Motion exhibition opens at the London Film Museum on Friday, 21 March. It's the world's largest official collection of James Bond vehicles and gives the public a chance to see some of the most iconic cars ever seen on film up close. Tickets for the exhibition - which will run throughout 2014 - cost £14.50 for adults, £9.50 for children and £38 for a family ticket.

Production 2015 Acura TLX to debut at New York auto show

The 2015 Acura TLX will make its production debut at the 2014 New York auto show. The TLX will slot below the RLX in Acura's lineup, and get the option of a four- or six-cylinder engine. We first saw the TLX prototype at the Detroit auto show in January.

2014 Porsche Boxster and Cayman GTS revealed

Not content with its stunning Boxster S and Cayman S models, Porsche has released official details of its new range-topping mid-engined duo for 2014: the Porsche Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS. Both cars get more power from their flat-six engines and even more equipment to set them apart from the rest of the range, as well as that famous ‘GTS’ boot badge. Contenders for MSN Cars’ Car of the Year already?

Bentley SUV: first picture revealed

Bentley has revealed the first official image of its new SUV, which is due to go on sale in 2016. Although the new car is effectively set to rival the upper end of the Range Rover model line-up, Bentley is keen to emphasise the new SUV’s exclusivity, saying that it will be the most luxurious and powerful SUV on the market. Speaking at a press conference in London today, Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, chairman and chief executive at Bentley Motors, said: “It will create a completely new segment in the SUV market.” First revealed as the EXP 9 F concept car back at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012, the new SUV will be crucial to Bentley as it looks to increase its sales over the next few years.

Peugeot 308 hits almost 100mpg

Peugeot Peugeot has proved that three-figure fuel economy figures for petrol engines might not be too far from becoming a reality, as its new 308 has set what it claims is a record of 99.1mpg. The 2014 European Car of the Year, powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol Puretech engine, covered 1,124.7 miles on just one tank of fuel when tested on a track in Spain. Top 10 most economical carsPeugeot 308 review (2013 onwards) In doing so, it took more than 32 hours of driving to consume the 51.4-litre contents of its fuel tank.

No promises, crash footballer told

A JUDGE told a former Premier League footballer on Tuesday that he could "make no promises" as he faces a prison sentence of up to two years after admitting dangerous driving. Ex-Watford, Wigan and Sheffield United striker Marlon King pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court to a charge of dangerous driving after a three-car crash left a motorist with a broken arm. King committed the offence on his 33rd birthday while driving a Porsche Panamera on the A46 in Nottinghamshire on April 26 last year.