Blog on 2040Parts

Dacia ‘Twingo’ planned as sub £5,000 entry-level Dacia

The current Ranault Twingo (pictured) looks set to live on as the new Dacia Twingo The new Renault Twingo – which shares its underpinnings with the next Smart – arrived at the Geneva Motor Show last week, and it looks an appealing and impressive city runaround. With 3-cylinder engines, rear wheel drive and decent looks, the Twingo looks to have a decent chance of making sensible sales this side of the Channel as the budget alternative to the next Smart Car, which will be basically the same under the skin. But those plans may go a bit awry if a report from Auto Bild is accurate, as Dacia appear to be preparing to take the current Twingo and turn it in to a budget offering for the Dacia range.

Secret Service issues call for next presidential limousine

The Secret Service is mulling a replacement for Barack Obama's presidential limousine, the Cadillac-styled vehicle lovingly nicknamed "The Beast." News of the new limousine first reached the Internet via FedBizOpps.gov, the official site for Federal Business Opportunities, which provides listings and contracts for various government projects. (Some other listings included cleaning the kitchens at Okinawa, Coast Guard ship repair, and "Phacoemulsification Surgical Equipment.") It calls for a four-phase development program, which is seemingly straightforward. Phase 1 is armor development -- which is currently underway.

Porsche makes £14k on every car it sells, Bentley makes £12.7k

Porsche made £14k on every car sold in 2013 If you need an illustration of how much more profitable high-end sports and luxury cars are than mainstream cars, VW Groups sales figures demonstrate it perfectly. At the extreme ends of the profit per car spectrum, Porsche made an enviable £13,931 for every car it sold in 2013 and VW made just £615 (although SEAT actually lost £330 on every car it sold) . In fact, although you might expect the higher-priced Bentley range to make more per car than a Porsche, Bentley only managed a creditable second place on VW Group’s profit per car table, turning in £12,700 profit for every car it turned out (11,000 of them in 2013).

New MINI price from £13,750 – on sale this weekend

The new 2014 MINI Hatch (pictured) goes on sale this weekend We had the reveal of the all new MINI at the end of last year at the Los Angeles and Tokyo Motor Shows, and the new MINI One turned up on MINI’s stand at the Geneva Motor Show this week. And now it’s going on sale in the UK. Sitting on BMW’s new UKL1 platform, the new MINI may be more BMW under the skin than before but, despite growing in size, it’s still very much a MINI.

One Lap of the Web: Stuck in the mud, and eye surgery ahead of the Mint 400

-- Take a tour of the Koenigsegg factory, which is really a hangar once used by the Scania Air Force Wing, proving that jets really weren't born from old Opels. See the One:1 that recently made its debut at the Geneva motor show, as well as the Agera R that was used in Need for Speed. One guy spends 50 (that's five-oh hours) hours detailing a Koenigsegg for the Geneva show, which if you think about it isn't really that bizarre.

Nissan GT-R R36: Is this it?

Facebook user 7tune snapped a picture of a Japanese magazine claiming to have pictures of the R36 Nissan GT-R. The poster, whom we assume can read Japanese, says the next GT-R will have a hybrid powertrain like the McLaren P1 and Ferrari LeFerrari. He also says it will carry a new version of the company's twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 making 580 hp.

Bring a Trailer: 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX rally car

This 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX rally car is featured on Bring a Trailer this morning, and it brings us right back to our rambunctious high school years. Sure, we didn't get our licenses until 1996, but that was the perfect time to find something a few years old--preferably with a turbocharger and a manual transmission—and hoon it to death. But while there were several Eclipses floating around our group of friends, none was as built as this car.

Trains cancelled over broken-down taxi

TRAINS were cancelled after a taxi carrying the ticket conductors broke down on the way to the station - and health and safety policy bans them walking. London Midland yesterday told passengers it was cancelling two of its services from Birmingham New Street station in the city centre after the breakdown happened during what is usually a short journey by foot from nearby Snow Hill station. However, the rail operator has said its own safety policy bars the uniformed conductors from getting to the station on foot because they are carrying their ticket machines and cash from the days' takings.

Hamilton tops the time sheets as F1 season kicks off

LEWIS HAMILTON recovered from the misery of completing just half a lap on his opening run to move to the top of the timesheets on the first official day of the new Formula One season. Less than five minutes into the year's first practice session at Melbourne's Albert Park, and on his maiden installation lap, Hamilton's Mercedes ground to a halt due to a sensor calibration problem that cut out the power unit. That was it for Hamilton until the start of second free practice, when he more than made up for lost time and underlined his status as championship favourite in the wake of Mercedes' impressive form in pre-season testing.

Owner gets sunken car back

A SUBMERGED CAR that was abandoned because of flooding on the Somerset Levels has been reunited with its owner. Hubert Zajaczkowski, 21, was forced to leave his Seat Toledo on a road near the village of Muchelney on Christmas Eve because of the rising water. For weeks, the car remained stranded under several feet of water, filmed and photographed by national and international media and press as an illustration of the disaster unfolding in Somerset.

Alfa Romeo To Lead To Touring Car Pack

IF YOU want to get a good look at Alfa Romeo’s dramatic-looking new 4C sports car you’re going to have to start watching this season’s World Touring Car Championship. The Italian car maker isn't competing though, as the 4C was been made the official safety car for the 2014 season. The coupe will be finished in a special livery and will be on the grid for every race, beginning with the Circuit of Marrakech (Morocco) on 12 and 13 April.

Long Distance Tracking Effort Locates Stolen Motorcycle

WHEN your pride and joy is stolen you always hope you’ll see it again. Tracking services naturally boost the chances of recovery, but one lucky bike owner has Bike Trac and Interpol to thank for the return of their prized possession after a particularly lengthy search. Taken on a Monday evening from South London, the £12,000 Ducati 899 Panigale was quickly confirmed as stolen thanks to the equipped Bike Trac unit communicating with its owner and the firm’s operating centre.

British Car Day Dayton celebrates 30th anniversary Aug. 2

British Car Day in Dayton, Ohio is celebrating its 30th annual gathering on Saturday, Aug. 2. Organizers are expecting more than 325 pieces of British sheetmetal from across the Midwest to attend.

Dodge Charger recall prompted by headlight issue

It's been an unfortunate week for Fiat-Chrysler recalls. We reported yesterday that the company issued return-to-dealer orders for the Fiat 500L, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango. Now it turns out that owners of Dodge's muscle sedan may have a trip to the dealer in their immediate future.

Jaguar F-Type gets custom luggage from Moynat

Moynat’s custom ‘Trunk’ for the Jaguar F-Type Roadster Luxury car makers manage to extract big sums of money from owners who want custom accessories for their vars, and Jaguar is no different. But this particular piece of custom luggage for the Jaguar F-Type has been made as a one-off by French luxury luggage makers Moynat to celebrate opening their first store outside London. The F-Type ‘Trunk’ (and it will only fit the F-Type Roadster) was created in collaboration with Jaguar and is inspired by Moynat’s famous ‘Limousine’ trunk.

Follow Coventry University students' grad projects on their Tumblr

We always aim to highlight as many college exhibitions as possible, but with so many graduating students each year, it's not surprising some are taking the promotion of their work into their own hands. The transportation and automotive design students at Coventry University have done just that by setting up a Tumblr highlighting the development of the final projects we'll see towards the end of May. The quality and variety of work looks very promising, especially considering they're some way from finished.

Mini may drop Paceman, Coupe, and Roadster

Mini may discontinue the Paceman, Coupe, and Roadster models as it seeks to trim its lineup, following the introduction of the third-generation Mini Cooper three-door Hardtop. Instead, the company plans to focus on three "pillar" models: the Hardtop, the Countryman, and the Clubman. The third model, the Clubman, is technically still speculative as the company presented a Clubman only in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show last week, but given the amount of real-world testing of Clubman prototypes observed, coupled with the production-ready appearance of the Clubman Concept, this model is virtually assured to reach production in its current form.

Biker receives pinoeering surgery

A SURVIVOR of a serious motorcycle accident has had pioneering surgery to reconstruct his face using a series of 3D printed parts. Stephen Power is thought to be one of the first trauma patients in the world to have 3D printing used at every stage of the procedure. Doctors at Morriston Hospital in Swansea had to break his cheekbones again before rebuilding his face.

SEAT Leon gets Sports Styling Kit – Costs £4,998

SEAT Leon gets Sports Styling Kit (pictured) Many like to make their cars more individual, and adding a sporty body kit is one way to make your slightly prosaic wheels stand out from the crowd. So, with that in mind, SEAT think they’re on to a winner with the new Sports Styling Kit for the Leon, which is available for the 5-door or SC Leon in S, SE or FR versions (pictured above on the SEAT Leon FR TDI 184 PS with Titanium Pack). But it’s not exactly bargain basement time.

Barcelona’s Ferrari Land to open in 2016

Ferrari and PortAventura Entertainment -- a subsidiary of industrial solutions and capital company Investindustrial -- have inked a deal to build a new Ferrari Land amusement park inside the PortAventura resort near Barcelona, Spain. The theme park will cover 807,000 square feet, including attractions like Europe’s highest and fastest roller coaster, five-star accommodations, 250 hotel rooms and a driving simulator. The project involves an investment of 100 million euro ($139 million).

Single-seat Colibri electric vehicle set for 2015 launch

If the 2014 Geneva Motor Show heralded the dawn of a new age of small cars, then the tiny Innovative Mobility Automobile (IMA) Colibri is well placed to take advantage of this new era. The Colibri – which means hummingbird – is a small, single-seat, three-door electric vehicle that’s set to go on sale later this year. Prices for the entry-level Colibri are set to fall well below €10,000 (£8,340) plus battery rental charges, meaning it could go head-to-head with the likes of the new Citroen C1, Peugeot 108 and Toyota Aygo.

Planning continues for driverless cars

OFFICIALS in California have been looking to the future as they bid to legislate for the arrival of hi-tech driver-less cars. A law passed in 2012 set a deadline of the end of this year for the state's Department of Motor Vehicles to decide how to legally integrate the so-called autonomous vehicles - which were once the stuff of science fiction but could be commercially available by the end of the decade. The latest talks on the matter among roads officials focused on how the vehicles will record actions so the data can be used to reconstruct an accident in an effort to trace the cause.

Lorry driver strikes could stall new car deliveries

Darren Staples | Newscom | RTR Stobart Automotive transporter drivers are considering taking industrial action, which could result in a national shortage of new cars. The company delivers cars for a wide variety of manufacturers including Jaguar  Land Rover and Volkswagen Group. Unite trade union has warned that Stobart Automotive needs to make progress in talks tomorrow to prevent workers from striking.

One Lap of the Web: Bad gas, bad dogs, and a badass Buick

-- A town in North Dakota has a curious problem: some deranged miscreant has been leaving radioactive waste inside an abandoned gas station; at least 200 bags worth. The gas station is owned by a fugitive who's currently on the run from police, making things even more Fargo-esque in its bizarreness. "It's a pretty big mess," said an official.

Nurburgring sold to German parts maker Capricorn Group for £83.5 million

The Nurburgring has been saved from bankruptcy The Nurburgring complex in Germany – home to many a car makers test centre and beloved of wannabe racers – has been saved from bankruptcy with an £83.5 million deal. German parts maker Capricorn Group have stumped up over £83.5 million to buy the Nurburgring complex which includes the famous 13 mile North Loop Track as well as the Grand Prix Circuit and have committed to spending and additional £21 million to further develop and improve the site. The Nurburgring track fell in to bankruptcy back in 2012, and it looked for a while as if the whole thing could be closed down, but bids from Capricorn Group and one other have saved the day, with Capricorn winning out with the bigger bid.

The theme park designed by Ferrari

Ferrari is to build Ferrari Land – a new Prancing Horse theme park, inside the PortAventura resort outside Barcelona in Spain. It’s the second Ferrari theme park of its kind, following the successful Ferrari World Park in Abu Dhabi. The news comes after a commitment from Ferrari’s chairman Luca di Montezemolo to cut production of its road cars in a bid to preserve the brand’s exclusivity.

CAR test drive survey: win £500!

By Ollie Kew (photography by Richard Pardon) Motor Industry 13 March 2014 14:00 If you’re after a new car, do you head straight for the online configurator, your local dealership, or online drive verdicts like CAR’s reviews section? We want to hear your views: click the link below to complete our short survey and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win £500! With so much information online, and brands like BMW ambitiously purporting to offer a test drive experience via a smartphone and tablet app, the humble demonstrator test drive is in jeopardy of looking a little ‘last week’.

Watch the Porsche 911 GT3 rear-steering system work

A handful of manufacturers have offered four-wheel steering in the past including Honda, Nissan, BMW, Mitsubishi, Mazda and, most recently, Acura and Porsche. On Monday, suspension expert Elephant Racing uploaded a video to its YouTube channel demonstrating the feature on the 2014 Porsche 911 GT3. In most four-wheel steering cars--Acura and Porsche included—a computer controls the movable rear wheels.

BMW announces New York auto show lineup

BMW is bolstering its lineup for the New York auto show. Along with a handful of revised vehicles, the BMW X5 eDrive concept will be on stage showing off the latest technology in the company's goody bag. The BMW X4 Sports Activity Coupe will offer its version of an off-road coupe with multiple choices under the hood.

Audi R8 e-Tron WILL go in to production & get 280 mile range

The Audi R8 e-Tron (pictured) is going in to limited production. Audi has been playing with the electric R8 e-Tron for the last five years, with a constant on and off for production. But it seems the R8 e-Tron is going in to production after all.