Blog on 2040Parts

Hyundai to launch battery electric car in 2016

The Hyundai BlueOn EV (pictured) was Hyundai’s last electric car Back in 2011 it seemed that Hyundai was to concentrate on building hydrogen powered and hybrid cars as it looked to the future, but that seems to have changed. Back then, Hyundai Motors head of R&D - Yang Woong-Chul – said he believed BEVs (battery electric vehicles) had zero chance of replacing ICE cars because of their poor range, poor battery technology and high costs. But it seems Hyundai has had a rethink.

Movie Review: 'Need for Speed'

Even in death, Carroll Shelby still touches us from the heavens above, where we mortals pay tribute in celluloid. The first half of "Need for Speed" (which opens March 14) concerns a Ford Mustang that was "the one Carroll Shelby was building when he died," the characters gush and stumble, barely expressing their praise quickly or coherently enough. "The chariot of the gods," someone says; it's worth "two million, minimum," says someone else.

Nissan pits GT-R vs. Leaf Nismo RC vs. Altima V8 Supercar

Nissan had a little fun at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, Australia earlier this month. For an exhibition, it pitted its Leaf Nismo RC versus its Nissan GT-R road car and the Nissan Altima V8 Supercar. Thankfully, the whole contest was recorded for posterity.

Lamborghini Aventador drives record Lamborghini sales in 2013

Record Aventador sales drive Lamborghini’s turnover It would not have been unreasonable to think that Lamborghini’s turnover for 2013 would be less than 2012, especially as the Gallardo was about to be consigned to the history books to make way for the Huracan. But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, despite the Gallardo’s demise at the end of 2013, Lamborghini managed to increase its turnover in 2013 to €508 million – up €39 million on 2012 – and break records for V12 sales in the process.

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.

Tesla EV stores could be banned in New Jersey

New Jersey has become the third U.S. state to halt the sales of Tesla cars sold directly through Tesla from company-owned outlet stores. New Jersey follows in the steps of Arizona and Texas in implementing a rule that would ban Tesla from operating its stores, which are alleged to violate state dealer-franchise laws mandating vehicles sales through third-party dealerships.

Horace takes the lead on road safety

MORE BITE has been added to the Think! road safety campaign in the form of animated figure Horace the dog. Created by Wallace and Gromit company Aardman, Horace has been introduced to highlight a road safety competition in which schoolchildren will be asked to create their own short animated films to communicate key road safety messages to fellow pupils.

GM recall shows NHTSA failings too

Ever since General Motors recalled 1.6 million of its cars globally over a decade-old defect that could cut off engines and deactivate airbags in a crash, the automaker has been pointedly contrite. After all, its slow response may have cost some people their lives. So why have U.S.

Nürburgring sold for £83m to German auto tech group (2014)

By Ollie Kew Motor Industry 12 March 2014 11:00 The Nürburgring racetrack in Germany has been sold to German automotive and aerospace technology conglomerate, Capricorn Group, for a figure in excess of €100m (£83m), it has been announced. The Capricorn bid narrowly beat a rival offer from HIG Europe by virtue of its ‘higher purchase price and good prospects for the region’. For now, it’s business as usual.

Saab owners offered free replacement badges

Ever thought your old Saab would look fantastic if it weren’t for that chipped, faded and slightly grotty looking badge on the bonnet? Well good news – Saab Parts is offering free replacement badges for all owners of Saab vehicles. On Bing: see pictures of Saabs Find out how much a used Saab costs on Auto Trader Not only do you get a free badge, Saab Parts will also fit it for you and provide a free vehicle condition report outlining any issues with your car that may need attention.

2014 Dodge Journey SE gets a V6 and all-wheel drive

Chrysler is upgrading the 2014 Dodge Journey SE by giving it all-wheel-drive capability and a V6 engine under the hood. The SE will start out at $25,890 including destination, which is $1,800 cheaper than the more highly equipped SXT model. Dodge's seven-passenger Journey comes with features like 17-inch wheels, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, seven airbags, 4.3-inch touchscreen, Keyless push-button start and power-heated mirrors.

Volkswagen Opens Order Book For Electric Golf

FOLLOWING on from the recent launch of its electric up!, Volkswagen has announced details of its next new eco-themed model, the e-Golf. Like with its city car, Volkswagen is adopting the policy of using a conventional car as the basis for its electric power Golf. The German car maker is claiming a range of 118 miles after a full charge, while top speed is an acceptable 87mph and the zero to 62mph sprint takes a brisk 10.4 seconds.

Fiat Chrysler recalls 500L, Grand Cherokee and Durango

Fiat Chrysler Automotive (That's going to get annoying) announced a voluntary recall of the 2014 Fiat 500L for a problem with the six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The company also recalled the 2012-2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango for a problem with the braking system. With the Fiat, the transmission can be slow to shift out of park or to engage other gears.

July Debut For Citroen’s New C1 City Car

THE BATTLE for hearts and minds in the city has just got hotter with the launch of Citroen’s second generation C1 urban runabout. Although the diminutive French hatch shares much with its Peugeot 108 and Toyota Aygo stablemates, the C1’s bold new exterior look shares more with recent arrivals such as the firm’s new Picasso people carrier. On sale in July, UK buyers will be able to choose from three trim levels with prices ranging from £8,245 for the entry-level Touch to £11,935 for the range-topping Flair.

Government urged to cut fuel duty

CAMPAIGNERS are pressing the Government to cut fuel duty by 3p a litre. The FairFuelUK campaign has taken credit for a series of fuel duty freezes over recent months. Today, a week ahead of the Budget, the group is presenting a letter to 10 Downing Street calling for a 3p cut.

Dubai Police release Camel Racing game

Are you “bored of playing animal racing that isn’t exciting enough”? Do you want to “learn about nutrition while eating healthy and unhealthy food as you race”? Fancy showing your friends “who is the boss”?

2014 Nissan NV Passenger Van: Here's what it costs

Nissan has just announced pricing for the 2014 NV Cargo Van and NV Passenger Van, which are available at more than 350 Nissan Commercial Vehicle dealers. That's right: In case you haven't noticed, there's a passenger-van version of the NV commercial vans with room for 12 people. So it turns out the Nissan Cube isn't the most boxy passenger offering from the automaker after all.

Audi traffic light recognition technology to save you fuel

Audi has announced its online traffic light recognition system is now market ready. The idea of this is to help drivers hit green lights instead of red lights, thus saving both time and fuel. Called Audi Online Traffic Light Information, the technology was demonstrated in January at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and testing is also under way in Verona and Berlin.

2014 World Car of the Year: the finalists

Among all the unveilings and glitz at last week’s Geneva Motor Show, the shortlisted shortlist (yes, really) for the World Car of the Year awards was announced. Sure, manufacturers are constantly gloating about adding to their trophy cabinets, but these are the awards that matter. They’re judged by journalists from around the world, including MSN Cars contributor Peter Burgess.

New 2014 Citroen C1 priced from £8,245 in UK

Fresh from its debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Citroen has revealed that prices for its new C1 city car will start from £8,245 when it goes on sale in July. For that price, buyers will get the entry-level C1 Touch with the 1.0-litre VTi, 68hp engine. Touch is the lead-in trim level and includes remote central locking, electric front windows, six airbags, an MP3 compatible audio system, a USB socket and LED daytime running lights.

Volkswagen e-Golf goes on sale – price from £30,845

The Volkswagen e-Golf (pictured) is now on sale in the UK The Nissan LEAF has almost had the market place for proper family EVs to itself until recently, but the arrival of the impressive BMW i3 -especially when specced with a range extending motor – threatens to make a dent in LEAF sales, and another dent could come courtesy of the new Volkswagen e-Golf, which goes on sale today in the UK priced from £30,845 (£25,845 after taxpayer bribe). In most of the ways that matters, the e-Golf is a regular Golf MK 7, but lurking under the familiar exterior lies a thumping great bank of batteries weighing 318kg (about the same as a car full of passengers) and an electric motor driving the front wheels and good for 113bhp. Range for the e-Golf is up to 118 miles from a full charge, a charge that will take 13 hours from a regular 3-pin socket, a more acceptable 8 hours if you use the optional 3.6 kW wallbox you can spec (for free from British Gas) and a quick charge of up to 80 per cent in 35 minutes.

New Citroen C1 Spec and prices revealed – costs from £8,245

The new Citroen C1 (pictured) costs from £8,245 The new Citroen C1 City Car debuted at the Geneva Motor Show last week as Citroen’s take on the Peugeot/Citroen/Toyota City Car and will go on sale in the UK in July with prices starting at £8,245. There is a choice of three trim levels - Touch, Feel & Flair – but if you want the convertible Airscape model you’ll have to have either the Feel or Flair spec. The C1 Touch (from £8,245) comes with remote central locking, electric front windows, MP3 audio, LED running lights, power steering and the usual ABS, EBA and ESP.

2014 Toyota Highlanders recalled over seatbelt issue

Toyota has announced a recall of a number of 2014 Highlander SUVs, citing issues with one of the seat belts. Specifically, the seat belt assembly in the middle seat of the third row may not have been properly attached to a floor anchorage during factory assembly. The affected vehicles were built from November 20, 2013, to January 18, 2014.

Honda revises Civic Si for 2014

When the 2014 Honda Civic Si goes on sale March 12, it'll carry a base price of $23,580, including destination. That gets you a bit more power over previous editions of the Si, plus some styling upgrades and extra tech. The new Civic rides on 18-inch alloy wheels -- one inch bigger than last year.

New MINI One revealed: Geneva Motor Show

The new MINI One (pictured) revealed in Geneva The big news for the Geneva Motor Show and MINI – apart from the display of the new MINI Cooper and Cooper S – was supposed to be the MINI Clubman Concept, a first look at the new Clubman in all its over-sized glory. But lurking on MINI’s stand in Geneva is also the new entry-level MINI – the new MINI One (pictured above). With a lesser spec than its siblings, the new MINI One comes with a body coloured roof, less butch front bumper and smaller wheels and an all round pruned-down spec.

Do Traffic Lights Hold The Key To Saving Fuel?

SUPERMARKET fuel price cuts may come and go, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to achieve longer lasting savings. German car maker Audi thinks it may have the answer, as it’s developed a system that ‘talks’ to traffic lights. The goal is to save fuel by alerting drivers to when lights change so they can slow down, plus prime a car’s engine stop-start system when a change from red to green is imminent.

Banksy 'Car Plant' work for sale

AN ART GALLERY wants to sell a work created at an abandoned Detroit car plant by the elusive British graffiti artist Banksy. 555 Nonprofit Gallery and Studios co-founder Carl Goines said proceeds from the sale would go to expand the gallery's programming. Mr Goines said he's hoping the Banksy work will bring in between 200,000 to 1.2 million dollars (£120,000 to £720,000), which he says is the range of recent sales.

One Lap of the Web: Who's collecting cars and who's jumping big rigs?

-- Hagerty content VP and friend of Autoweek Rob Sass wonders out loud: When the baby boomers put down their auction flags and retire, what will happen to the collector car industry? "Who's going to buy all their cars?" (We will. –Ed.) Who, indeed -- every generation defines, and is simultaneously defined by, its own tastes.

Supermarkets Announce Fuel Price Cuts

AHEAD of the forthcoming Budget, two major supermarket chains have announced a welcome fuel price cut. The first company to show its hand was Tesco, which has announced a reduction in its petrol and diesel by 1p a litre. Asda then followed, with the supermarket giant taking up to 1p a litre off its petrol and up to 2p a litre off its diesel, pledging motorists would pay no more than 132.7p a litre for diesel and 126.7p a litre for petrol.

Sinkhole fears shut commuter route

A ROAD in a key transport-link town is to be closed over fears that a sinkhole exists deep under the surface. A hole has appeared in St John's Road in Watford, Hertfordshire, and preliminary investigations carried out last week had to be stopped as there were concerns about undermining the road and footway further. Hertfordshire County Council said: "A geotechnical engineer present during the investigations advised that there is a possibility that a sinkhole exists deep down in the underlying chalk." Following f urther investigations today, the road is being shut until work on it can be completed.