Blog on 2040Parts

Cadillac's baby takes aim at A-class

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 23 October 2006 09:45 General Motors is considering a Cadillac supermini, based on the next generation Vauxhall Corsa platform. 'We're experimenting with a dramatic Cadillac off our global small car architecture,' said a GM source. The inspiration is the Mercedes A-class, which suggests a compact but tall one-box design, to maximise interior space.

Toyota Auris (2006): first official pictures

By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 23 October 2006 11:15 Toyota Auris: the lowdown Toyota today unveils the production version of the Auris, the Corolla replacement which goes on UK sale in February 2007. The production car is almost identical to the Auris concept , unveiled at September's Paris motor show. Indeed, a new front bumper design and revised headlamp graphics are the only changes.

Chevrolet Prisma

While Europe moves onto the fourth generation Opel Corsa, GM do Brasil has used the second series of the B-segment car as basis for the new Chevrolet Prisma. Unveiled at the recent Sao Paulo Auto Show, the small four-door sedan uses the 12-year old platform to compete with the Dacia Logan, which will go on sale in Brazil next year along with a host of rivals from China. The styling is largely derivative, the rear in particular owing to Ford and Honda products.

College Exhibition: IAAD - Yamaha Project

In early September, Transportation Design students from Istituto d'Arte Applicata e Design - Turin (IAAD) presented the results of 'Yamaha Next Move', a project sponsored by Yamaha, exploring a personal vision of a Yamaha scooter for the near future. Yamaha guided the students through the next generation of "two wheelers" suggesting two themes: -  Youngsters, two wheels, 50 cc: For kids that can only drive 50 cc, there are many products on the market, but sales are in decline. The project brief included evaluation of the possible causes for lack of interest and offers new solutions, including functional and aesthetic proposals.

Audi TT Roadster

Following the launch of the new TT earlier this year comes its open sibling, the TT Roadster. Continuing to rebuke the trend for folding hard-tops despite even Mazda providing such an option on the MX-5, the TT Roadster perseveres with a cloth roof instead. Not only saving weight, this also means no visual mass protruding over the belt-line, though like its predecessor the roof adopts a more abrupt profile when raised than the fluidity of the coupe's profile.

Fiat unveils new saloon and hot Panda

By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 20 October 2006 09:28 Fiat has revealed two new cars: a sleek saloon to take on the four-door Focus and a flagship Panda. The Linea is a new 4.6m-long saloon, a size pegged between the Focus and current Mondeo. Its generous wheelbase, only 150mm shorter than a Mondeo's, should guarantee decent legroom for rear passengers.

Power hike for Porsche Boxster

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 19 October 2006 02:37 Porsche has upgraded its two Boxster models, by transplanting the Cayman coupe's punchier flat six engines. The base Cayman cabriolet – sorry, Boxster – now gets a smidgen more power and torque from its 2.7-litre unit, with outputs climbing to 245bhp and 201lb ft. The tweaks shave a tenth off the 0-62mph sprint, reducing it to 6.1sec, and improve fuel economy by 1mpg to 30.4.

Mondeo to star in new James Bond film

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 19 October 2006 11:31 James Bond will drive Ford's forthcoming Mondeo in the latest 007 adventure, Casino Royale. Ford has released images of the Mondeo hatch in action on the Casino Royale set. The latest Bond – actor Daniel Craig – will drive the 'hire car' after arriving in the Bahamas on the trail of terrorists.

TVR to shut British factory

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 18 October 2006 01:23 Sports car maker TVR announced today that its Blackpool factory will close, with the loss of 260 jobs. But the company vows that the brand will live on though, with production moving overseas. The workforce was told the news this morning (Wednesday 18).

Audi TT roadster (2006): first official pictures

By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 18 October 2006 11:03 New Audi TT roadster: the lowdown Here it is – the drop-top version of Audi's new TT. Bigger yet lighter, stiffer and faster, UK customers can order the roadster from November, with deliveries following in spring 2007. Prices start at £26,915 for the 2.0-litre turbo version, with the other launch model – running the 3.2-litre V6 – costing £31,535.

College Exhibition: Braunschweig University of Art Show 2006

Transportation Design students from Braunschweig University of Art in Germany presented their work at the 2006 graduation show held in July. The show displayed final thesis projects as well as internship and sponsored projects from the last term. The diploma projects included: eXplorius - Hydrofoil Sailing Yacht Arnold Freidling This mobility concept introduces hydrofoil technology into the sailing yacht class and presents an innovative approach within the traditional sailing yacht field.

SAIC Roewe

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 16 October 2006 09:40 Rover lives on! This is Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation’s Roewe 750E - the Rover 75-based saloon - caught here undisguised weeks ahead of its official unveiling at next month’s Beijing motor show. Under a shroud of secrecy the Roewe underwent an official naming ceremony last Friday in Shanghai.

2006 Interior Motives Design Awards

Now into its fourth year, the annual design awards ceremony hosted by Interior Motives magazine was held on the second press day of the 2006 Paris Motor Show. Open to any registered school, the competition encourages students to submit their work in any of nine different categories, with the emphasis on interior design. These categories are: Best Conceptual Interior Best Use of Technology Best Innovation Best Safety Innovation Best Lifestyle Interior Best Eco Design Concept Best Conceptual Exterior Best Production Interior Best Personalisation The prize for the 'Best Conceptual Interior' went to Iman Maghsoudi of Azad University, Iran.

Big Three Truck Premieres

Once just a local agricultural fair, the State Fair of Texas, Dallas, has now become the launch platform of choice for automobile manufacturers to present new trucks. Texas is an immense market for pickup trucks and this year, the Detroit Three were there, along with Toyota, to present world premieres. And for the auto executives that make the trip down, the Texas Fair is surely the easiest assignment they will get each year: people in Texas like full size trucks and buy them as personal vehicles not because they need their capacity but rather because "it's Texas here, y'know".

Michelin Challenge Design 2007 - 'Sharing the Road'

It's estimated over 1.2 million people die each year in traffic mishaps around the world. That's 3200 per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, year after year. With such statistics in mind, 'Sharing the Road' was designated as the theme for the 2007 Michelin Challenge Design competition.

Hummer H3 on way in right-hand drive

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 10 October 2006 02:16 When Hummer crashes into the UK off-road market this time next year it will spearhead its sales attack with the mid-sized H3, available in right hand-drive with diesel power. The H3, expected to arrive with a £27,000 price tag, will be pitched directly at the Nissan Pathfinder, and will come as a high-specification one-model line-up. Expect plastic-look leather, climate control, a pounding sound system, acres of chrome and vast alloy wheels to come as standard, along with go-anywhere electronically controlled all-wheel-drive.

Renault Twingo concept

Renault has shown a production preview of the next Twingo, due to be replaced early next year. The new car eschews the monovolume of the outgoing model for a more conventional two-box, with friendliness being replaced with dynamism in the front graphic. This sporting theme is furthered by the dropped ride-height and large arches, and is complemented by a music theme.

College Exhibition: IED Degree Show 2006

Students of the Transportation Design course at Turin's Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) have been busy designing a new road-going McLaren sports car for the British brand. Third-year students developed 14 super cars for project sponsors McLaren as part of their final-year project for the 2005-2006 academic year. The brief was to come up with a sports car capable of speeds of over 320 km/h (200 mph), that would provide its owner with road-going F1 technology and unparalleled dynamic and aerodynamic performance.

Lambo boss bans retro design

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 06 October 2006 08:50 New Lamborghini models will strive to make automotive history, not repeat it, vows the company’s president. Lambo’s brief flirtation with retro design – epitomised by the January 2006 Miura concept – is over, says boss Stephan Winkelmann. ‘The Miura was a celebration of our history, but Lamborghini is about the future.

Sportswear designer styles for Nissan

"It's not a mash-up. It's a double-label," says sportswear stylist Marc Ecko of his partnership with Nissan in North America. Ecko has worked with Nissan to create co-branded Pathfinder and Armada vehicles in keeping with Ecko's sportswear clothing line.

More power and track bias for ultimate Megane RS

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 05 October 2006 01:07 Renaultsport is unleashing its most honed Megane yet – the catchily named 230 F1 Team R26. The £19,750 hot hatch is based on the track-focused 225 Cup edition, but with power bumped to 230bhp, tauter suspension and a limited slip differential to boost traction. A rasping sports exhaust and ECU tweaks boost the 2.0-litre turbo engine’s power from 225 to 230bhp.

Paris Motor Show 2006

The Paris Motor Show has opened its doors with the media preview days. Production car debuts include the Nissan Qashqai, Audi R8, Volvo C30, new Mini, and Citroen C4 Picasso. Concepts included the Alfa 8C, Renault Nepta, Hyundai Arnejs, Citroen C-Metisse, Skoda Joyster, VW Iroc, Lancia Delta HPE and Peugeot 908RC.

Mercedes plots McLaren buyout

By Georg Kacher Motor Industry 04 October 2006 09:00 DaimlerChrysler is planning a bid for the McLaren Group, to gain full control of its F1 operation and production of the SLR supercar. CAR Online asked DC boss Dieter Zetsche if he was considering extending Mercedes' stake in McLaren, to give the Germans control. 'It's one of the options we might exercise,' he said.

Landwind Fashion

Chinese manufacturer Landwind are entering the heated midi-MPV market with the Fashion, which is available with either five or seven seats. This pitches it directly against the Renault Megane Scenic and the Opel Zafira, which in particular is enjoying buoyant sales. The Fashion will hope its low starting price of about US$16,000 will help it steal some of those customers, though taller ones may be put of by a tail-gate that only opens to face height.

Ford Iosis X concept

With an abundance of small SUVs entering the European market, Ford has been conspicuously absent from this segment, something that the Iosis X will hope to quell. Using the same 'kinetic design' theme as the Iosis concept from last year, the Iosis X puts a coupe-like window graphic and roofline upon thick sills, similar in this respect to the Opel Antara concept. But while Opel will have their model on the road imminently, those wanting the Ford equivalent will have to wait until early 2008 for the forms to be toned down and put in showrooms.

Audi R8

Audi has unveiled the new R8 supercar, closely based on the Le Mans concept that was shown three years ago in Frankfurt. The two-seat car uses a shortened version of the Lamborghini Gallardo platform, and is powered by a 4.2-liter V8 using FSI technology first introduced by the A2. Like the now-obsolete small car the R8 is also constructed of an aluminum space-frame, keeping weight down to 1360kg.

Lancia set to bring Coupe to UK line up

By Gavin Green Motor Industry 02 October 2006 08:30 Lancia will re-enter the UK market in late 2008, and the Delta HPE will spearhead its return. And the range could grow to four models, including a sports car based on the Fulvia concept. 'This is the car we will launch in Europe in spring 2008,' says Olivier François, president of Lancia.

Skoda Joyster concept (2006): first official pictures

By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 29 September 2006 03:18 Skoda Joyster: the lowdown This is the Joyster, the hideously-named, beautifully-designed precursor to a Citroen C2 rival from Skoda. The Czechs are exploring a cheap city car aimed at young customers, which would sit in the range beneath the five-door Fabia. Skoda is hoping to lead development of this car, which could be paired with Volkswagen's Fox replacement and perhaps a new Seat.

Daihatsu's funky Cube rival on the way

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 29 September 2006 08:01 Daihatsu is on the verge of giving its boxy Materia supermini – which made its European debut in Paris - the green light for UK imports. If given the green light the spacious five-seater, which is already on sale in Japan, would arrive here next spring as a stand-alone topend model. The Materia is very similar to Nissan's does-it-exactly-what-it-says-on-the-tin Cube, which has been super popular with Japanese kids.

Super-Mercs storm in

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 29 September 2006 08:18 Mercedes pulled the wraps off not one but two muscle-bound AMG monsters at the Paris show – the CL63 and S63. Powered by AMG’s formidable 6.3-litre V8 that pumps out 525bhp at a screaming 6800rpm and 465lb ft of twist action at 5200rpm, the uber Mercs will both hit 60mph in 4.6seconds and are electronically reined in at 155mph. Given their flagship position in the Mercedes thoroughbred stable, both cars are naturally fitted with every single acronym in Mercedes’ safety, braking, luxury and performance lexicon.