Blog on 2040Parts

Brussels Motorshow 2008

By Graeme Dykes Motor Shows 24 January 2008 23:29 Running from January 17th-27th, the Brussels Motorshow is probably the first European motorshow of the year. Comparisons with Detroit are perhaps unfair but almost inevitable. There was certainly plenty of glamour with Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche and Lamborghini amongst the exotic participants.

2008 EyesOn Design Awards

I was once told that the EyesOn Design Awards was initially conceived as an award by which a vehicle would be judged by visually-impaired individuals. The prerequisite for winning was that the beauty of a vehicle would have to be determined solely through the medium of touch. Though it may seem odd that the award is presented by the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology (DIO) - an internationally-recognized non-profit organization known for helping the blind and visually-impaired - it has since grown to become one of the most prestigious automotive design award ceremonies to date.

Mercedes SL facelift (2008): first official pictures

By Ged Maxwell First Official Pictures 23 January 2008 10:20 With inspiration apparently coming from the stunning 1954 Gullwing, this is Mercedes' facelifted SL. With a new entry-level engine, Merc's clever Airscarf system, and a different front end, this second and final facelift should see the SL through until the next decade. That new nose is the most obvious change.

Mazda 2 three-door (2008): first official pictures

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 23 January 2008 14:26 Mazda will debut the three-door 2 at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. And while the five-door 2 hardly looks staid, and actually rather dynamic, the Japanese company is claiming the three-door will be even more sporty. Quite how this will be achieved Mazda doesn’t say and is remaining tight lipped until nearer show time.

Lotus Exige Sprint (2008): first official pictures

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 22 January 2008 10:35 Another day, another new Lotus special edition. This is the Exige Sprint, recreating the colour scheme of the Elan Sprint built between 1971 and 1973. The limited edition Exige, of which just 40 will be built, will come with the lower portion of the body painted in white, the upper part in yellow or blue, and with a gold stripe separating the two sections.

MCE MC1 supercar (2008): first official pictures

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 21 January 2008 09:46 Last autumn, CAR's spy photographers caught a mystery supercar test mule at a Midlands track, sparking a frenzy of speculation that it was the next supercar from Lotus, McLaren, Noble and other specialist sports car firms. Dozens of readers posted their suggestions, helping us to narrow down the chase. CAR discovered that it was a much-delayed tie-up between C2P Automotive and MotorCity Europe.

Arash AF-8 (2008): first official pictures

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 21 January 2008 16:49 Arash Farboud, the man who created the car that spawned the Farbio GTS, has today announced details of his latest supercar venture, the AF-8. Priced at £120,000, the AF-8 is the baby brother to the AF-10 - a smaller, more user-friendly car than the hardcore hypercar. Though both cars will use the same GM-sourced 7.0-litre V8, the AF-10 will use a tweaked version with 550bhp, while the AF-8 will use the unit in standard Corvette Z06 tune.

BMW M3 Convertible (2008): first official pictures

By Stephen Dobie First Official Pictures 18 January 2008 15:08 The M3 family has swelled further with BMW’s announcement of the new convertible version - and a twin-clutch gearbox. This is the first M3 with a folding metal hardtop, and the first with BMW's new transmission. It's a new seven-speed gearbox called M DCT gearbox – a double-clutch affair (like VW's seven-speed DSG) allowing near-instant changes, with little drop in power.

Mercedes CLS facelift (2008): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 18 January 2008 15:58 Merc has revised the unfaceliftable: the CLS four-door. Four years after launch, the unusual coupe/saloon gets a freshen-up and a new cheaper entry model – but it’s not coming to the UK. Not that the CLS looks very different.

Mazda 5 facelift (2008): first official pictures

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 17 January 2008 10:11 A new Mazda 5? Looks a bit like the old 5 to me… Very true, but then the 5 has never looked bad. It’s always been one of Mazda’s best, if underrated cars, and the facelift aims to gently polish it in every area.

Detroit Motor Show 2008 A-Z

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 16 January 2008 03:51 Don't miss an unveil at Detroit with our handy A-Z of all the key cars. CAR Online is reporting from America's biggest car show this week - the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. If you want the definitive CAR view on all the news, gossip and trends at the show, be sure to come back to our handy A-Z of all the stories.

Cadillac CTS Coupe, CTS-V (2008): first official pictures

By Ben Oliver First Official Pictures 16 January 2008 04:07 Cadillac showed three major new models at Detroit, and pulled off one of the show’s few surprises by keeping its new CTS Coupe completely secret until it was officially unveiled. It also revealed the 550bhp CTS-V and the Provoq small SUV concept (see separate story). Although branded as a concept, the striking, angular two-door four-seat CTS Coupe will come to Europe in 2010 and will come here because it is based on the CTS saloon platform which will be offered in right-hand drive in the UK and other overseas markets.

Volkswagen Routan (2008): first official pictures

By Stephen Dobie First Official Pictures 16 January 2008 16:03 Volkswagen’s push for more sales in the US will be reinforced with the new Routan minivan, due to be shown to its North American market at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2008. The model is heavily based on the Chrysler Town and Country (the Grand Voyager to you and me) and will major on interior space. The car itself is over five metres long and accommodates seven.

Skoda Superb (2008) teaser

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 16 January 2008 16:57 Skoda has released this teaser picture of the Superb ahead of its Geneva Motor Show debut. Although Geneva isn’t until March 2008, Skoda is already drip-feeding information about next year’s new Superb. First on the list is this teaser picture of the big barge, which will use parts from the current Passat.

Hyundai Genesis (2008): First official pictures

By Stephen Dobie First Official Pictures 16 January 2008 18:30 It’s not coming to the UK, but it doesn’t mean that Hyundai won’t crow about it. This is the Genesis, the Korean company’s latest attack on the premium brands, and designed to make us forget about previous attempts like the XG30. But concurrently it’s also because of the Genesis’ predecessors that we won’t get the new car.

Ferrari Approved

By Stephen Dobie Motoring Issues 16 January 2008 18:45 Buying a Ferrari – if you have the money not exactly a method of torture in the first place – has just improved. Second-hand models sold through Ferrari UK’s 15-strong dealer network are set to be backed up by Ferrari Approved, a scheme adding some piece of mind to anyone buying a car up to nine years old. Aiming to sidestep the stereotype of unreliable Italian cars, it means the average 900 pre-owned supercars Ferrari UK dealers sells each year are intended to be as good as new.

2009 Michelin Challenge Design theme announced

Michelin today announced the 2009 theme for its global vehicle design competition, Michelin Challenge Design (MCD), asking entrants to explore the future of transportation and share their brave and bold vision for 'America's Next Iconic Vehicle.' Designers this year are asked to render unique vehicle concepts that demonstrate emotional appeal, design courage and technical execution. Additional consideration will be given to entries with attributes that benefit safety and the environment and include a separate rendering of the tire and wheel component assembly.   Vehicle designs that best represent "Brave + Bold, America's Next Iconic Vehicle" will be reviewed by a jury of professional designers whose names will be announced later in 2008.

Ferrari F430 Spider Biofuel concept (2008): first official pictures

By Stephen Dobie First Official Pictures 15 January 2008 11:32 Everyone was going green at Detroit - even Ferrari. It unveiled its new, hitherto rarely seen green side in an attempt to woo the increasingly environment-conscious America. The F430 Spider Biofuel runs on E85 fuel, meaning 85 percent of the mix is renewable ethanol.

Ford Fiesta ST Mountune (2008): first official pictures

By Stephen Dobie First Official Pictures 15 January 2008 12:03 While Ford is using the Detroit Motor Show to unveil another variant of the Verve (read: Fiesta replacement), it’s also trying to keep interest  in the old range going with modifications to the hottest current Fiesta, the ST. But instead of the usual visual nip and tuck it’s a performance package developed by Ford Team RS in association with Roush Technologies. Available in two stages the tweaks can give the little Ford up to 182bhp, 37bhp more than the standard car.

Toyota A-BAT concept (2008): first official pictures

By Guy Bird First Official Pictures 15 January 2008 13:39 Toyota’s latest Detroit concept flips on its head the current orthodoxy that pick-ups can’t be green. The A-BAT is a compact pick-up, akin to a RAV4 in size, featuring a four-cylinder petrol/electric hybrid and solar panels built into the top of the dashboard efficient enough to power the sat-nav and other interior tools. The much-vaunted Prius was indeed an influence in the A-BAT’s green-tinged exterior design leanings.

Jeep Renegade (2008): first official pictures

By James Foxall First Official Pictures 15 January 2008 14:04 Of the three concepts unveiled on the Chrysler stand the one most likely to see a production line is the Jeep Renegade. Whether it does so with its current tree hugger-pleasing power source is unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Outdoor enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that Jeep has plumped for a hybrid diesel electric engine in the Renegade.

Lexus LF-A Roadster (2008): first official pictures

By Guy Bird First Official Pictures 15 January 2008 14:16 While we wait for Lexus finally to turn its long-awaited 200mph V10 LF-A supercar coupe into a production reality, Detroit showgoers had to make do with this roadster version. Still, the unveil of the ‘new’ sawn-off variant was one of the few Detroit surprises not known about beforehand, and offers an enticing glimpse of how the LF-A franchise could develop. Beyond the lack of a roof, the basic body shape is the same as the now-familiar LF-A coupe first unveiled at the 2005 Detroit show.

Nissan GT500 GT-R Race car: first official pictures

By Stephen Dobie First Official Pictures 15 January 2008 16:16 Nissan's new GT500 GT-R race car is a far cry from the Forum concept the Japanese company has just unveiled in Motor City. Nissan chose the past weekend’s Tokyo Auto Salon to show off their new GT-R racing car. Not content with the standard GT-R stirring up the establishment Nissan will enter their supercar into Japan’s Super GT Series.

Hummer HX concept (2008): first official picturesHX

By Ben Oliver First Official Pictures 15 January 2008 20:57 The Hummer HX concept was one of the surprise hits of this year’s Detroit  show. Penned by three young designers, it is pure concept-car madness. But it is also an admission by General Motors that Hummer needs to downsize if it is to survive.

Mercedes GLK at Detroit

By Guy Bird First Official Pictures 15 January 2008 21:28 When the pictures of Mercedes’ new small SUV concept were shown prior to Christmas, there were plenty of pained expressions in the CAR office. To be honest, the cars look little better in the metal. Aiming to draw inspiration from the iconic boxiness of the legendary G-Wagon and the more car-inspired sculptural curves of the huge GL-class, the resulting melange does no credit to either.

Saab 9-4X (2008) at Detroit

By Ben Oliver First Official Pictures 14 January 2008 16:51 Saab pulled the covers off its new 9-4X small SUV, which goes on sale early in 2009 to rival the BMW X3 and new Mercedes-Benz GLK. Although officially dubbed the 9-4X Biopower Concept, GM Europe’s advanced design chief Anthony Lo promised CAR Online: 'We’re not teasing you. This is pretty much the car you’re going to get.' Controversially, the new Saab won’t be built in Sweden, but in Mexico, where it will share a factory with the still-secret Cadillac BRX which it will closely resemble.

Lincoln MKT concept

By Liz Turner First Official Pictures 14 January 2008 17:27 Ford’s Geordie design boss, Peter Horbury is working hard to return long-neglected Lincoln from a brand driven by old ladies with poodles to the kind of luxury car presidents might ride (or get assassinated) in. The T in MKT stands for Touring, and he says: ‘When I think of touring, I imagine long journeys in extreme comfort.’ So passengers sit in seats inspired by the first-class cabin of an aircraft, surrounded by fine wood, leather and silk. It’s guilt-free luxury, though.

Fisker Karma (2008): first official pictures

By Liz Turner First Official Pictures 14 January 2008 18:53 If you can’t wait for a production Cadillac Provoq, and you’ve got a spare $80,000, the Fisker Karma may be for you. The voluptuous high-performance coupe is a plug-in hybrid designed by ex-Aston man and CEO of Fisker Automotive, Henrik Fisker. Its ‘Quantum Drive’ hybrid system, was developed by Quantam Technologies four years ago as a confidential project for the US military’s Delta Force.

Dodge Zeo, Ram (2008): first official pictures

By James Foxall First Official Pictures 14 January 2008 19:43 Dodge has got a long way to go if it’s to convince people it’s really concerned about the environment. The car the American firm was really trumpeting at Detroit was a concept muscle car called the Zeo. A lithium ion battery powered lightweight car that will do 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds and has an equivalent power output to 286bhp sounds impressive – until you see it’s only got a range of 250 miles.

Chrysler ecoVoyager concept (2008): first official pictures

By James Foxall First Official Pictures 14 January 2008 20:46 As the only Detroit-based car maker to become privately owned and retain its market share last year, Chrysler was hoping its cars would deflect attention from rumoured warring among its new management team. And the ecoVoyager concept was certainly eye-catching, if arguably for the wrong reasons. In fact, it rather reminds us of an automotive push-me, pull-you.