Blog on 2040Parts

One Lap of the Web: Jeff Gordon strikes fear in NYC cab rider

-- Nothing in life is more fun than seeing your friends fear for their lives, and for the next five minutes, our good friend Travis Okulski really thought he was locked in a cab with a grizzled ex-con who was going to escape from the police and, as ex-cons are wont to do, murder him in the woods. Hah! What a schmuck.

Lexus RC F Sport completes coupe lineup

An F Sport trim joins the Lexus RC 350 and the RC F to complete the brand's coupe trifecta for the 2015 model year. All three models are set to launch this fall in the U.S. The Lexus RC F sport is slated to make its debut at the Geneva motor show beginning next week.

Mazda opens new plant in Salamanca, Mexico

Mazda Motor Corp. chairman Takashi Yamanouchi opened the company's new small-car assembly plant in Mexico today, calling it the company's "most important global strategic base." The factory, which will produce up to 230,000 vehicles each year, is a cornerstone of the structural reform plan "upon which the very future of company hinges," Yamanouchi said in remarks prepared for the opening ceremony. "Mazda's Structural Reform Plan, upon which the very future of the company hinges, positions this plant as our most important global strategic base," Yamanouchi said of the factory, which is about three hours northwest of Mexico City in Guanajuato State.

Rare Horch 855 Spezial Roadster missing from Yanukovych car collection

Ukraine's president Viktor Yanukovych, now hiding in Russia, seemed to have everything imaginable and unimaginable in his car collection on the Dnieper River. Everything from a fiberglass-bodied Ford Custom Coupe based on a 1994 Ford Mustang, to an early post-war GAZ M20 Pobeda. A couple days ago, we gave you an exclusive look at his collection in detail, showing all the vehicles that anti-Yanukovych activists and journalists saw when they made their way to the compound following Yanukovych's hasty departure for Sevastopol by helicopter.

BMW i3 grabs new award

THE REVOLUTIONARY BMW i3 electric car has been awarded the top prize in the first UK Car of the Year Awards. After grabbing the prize for Best Supermini the i3 won the overall title in the new awards, as voted for by a group of 27 respected UK-based motoring journalists. In the overall vote, which featured the likes of the Porsche Cayman, Range Rover Sport, BMW 5 Series, Citroen C4 Grand Picasso and Audi A3, almost half of the 27-strong judging panel chose the i3.

Koenigsegg One:1 officially revealed – it’s not a Supercar, it’s a MEGACAR

The Koenigsegg One: 1 (pictured) officially revealed ahead of Geneva Cars UK exclusively revealed the first details of the Koenigsegg One:1 back in November 2012, and now it’s heading for its public reveal at the Geneva Motor Show next week. So extreme is the One:1 that Christian von Koenigsegg has dubbed it ‘The world’s first MegaCar’, and looking at the specification he may have a point (it has 1 Megawatt of power). The Koenigsegg One: 1 produces a massive 1340 hp and over 1000lb/ft of torque an weighs 1340kg – the world’s first 1:1 power to curb weight ratio supercar – enough to deliver 2G cornering capability together with 610KG of downforce at 160mph thanks to active under and over body aerodynamics.

Higher speed limits 'save lives'

AN INCREASE in the speed limits on some roads in Denmark has reduced traffic collisions and cut road deaths. The two-year trial has also found that higher speed limits on motorways have helped lower the number of accidents. The Danish road directorate conducted the trial on rural two-way roads where there had previously been an 80km/h (50mph) speed limit and increased it to 90km/h (56mph).

Koenigsegg One:1 (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 28 February 2014 14:00 Stand well back. This is the Koengisegg One:1, and it may well need a team of lion-tamers to restrain it from leaping clean off its Geneva motor show stand and picking a fight with the McLaren P1, LaFerrari and Porsche 918. You’re looking at, according to Koenigsegg, the new fastest road car in the world.

Danger from driving with flu

DRIVING while suffering from the flu can put motorists at risk as many are unaware that many cold and flu remedies contain alcohol and can have serious side effects. Two thirds of drivers (64%) say they have driven after taking medication to treat a heavy cold or flu and 13% say they have experienced side effects when driving. The study by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) says drivers are risking drowsiness and reduced levels of concentration when under using these drugs.

Brit-Based Supercar Maker Unveils Third New Model

THIRD time’s going to be the charm for McLaren, as the Woking-based firm has unveiled its third supercar ahead of a public debut at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show. Hot on the heels of the P1 hypercar, the new 650S slots between the firm’s flagship motor and already established 12C. With bold claims of race car-like performance while retaining the luxury and refinement of its premium supercar rivals, McLaren has revealed that the 650S can sprint to 124mph from rest – the industry standard 200kph – in a blistering 8.4 seconds.

Council’s Flood Excuses Don’t Hold Water - Poll

MEDIA interest might have died down but thousands are still dealing with the devastation caused by the recent flooding. Along with homeowners, motorists also battled rising water levels and deteriorating road conditions. However, according to a new survey of its members, the AA has said that as many as 68 percent of those polled said the extreme weather had contributed to poor road conditions but 67 percent blamed councils for not maintaining drains well enough.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf and Mito Cloverleaf (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 28 February 2014 11:00 You wait for ages for an Alfa Romeo hot hatchback and, ahem, two tweaked versions arrive together. Here we have the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf and Mito Cloverleaf, or ‘Quadrifoglio Verde’, if you prefer. Both range-toppers will be revealed at the Geneva motor show in March 2014.

The McLaren 650S is quicker than the legendary McLaren F1

We know what the McLaren 650S looks like thanks to photos that leaked ahead of the Geneva motor show debut, and now we know how the hopped-up, track-oriented take on the MP4 should perform. According to McLaren, the 650S has a 0-62 mph time of just 3.0 seconds. 0-124 mph takes 8.4 seconds; a quarter mile flies by in 10.5 seconds.

Stunning Volvo Concept ES Estate set for Geneva 2014 debut

Volvo has rolled out the third and final concept car showcasing its new exterior design language, and dare we suggest that the Swedish firm has saved the best until last? Yes, the Concept Coupe - first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show - is the most beautiful, but there’s something about this new Concept ES Estate that really ticks our boxes. Volvo has somehow managed to combine a number of our favourite ingredients to create a winning recipe.

Skoda Vision C concept (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 27 February 2014 10:00 This is the Skoda Vision C concept – ‘C’ potentially denoting ‘coupe’, in this instance. Though, as you’ll note from studying our gallery, it isn’t a coupe at all. This car has four doors (or five, if you want to include the tailgate, like Skoda does).

Sinkhole Corvettes to be displayed before restoration

It's going to take a while to get the eight historic Chevrolet Corvettes that were consumed by a sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum two weeks ago out of that sinkhole -- just getting a specialized crane through the doors of the museum will take time. Afterward, though, the public will be able to get a look at them in their damaged state before Chevrolet has them restored. The museum has told the Detroit Free Press that the damaged cars will be on display at the National Corvette Museum from April through June of this year, once they're exhumed.

McLaren 650S priced from £195,250 and does 0-62mph in 3.0 seconds

The new McLaren 650S (pictured) costs from £195,250 It’s only ten days since the McLaren 650S was revealed as a more hardcore version of McLaren 12C supercar – and with more than a hint of P1 styling – but McLaren are already building it and have revealed performance and price details. Available as either a 650S Coupe or 650S Spider, the starting point is £195,250 for the Coupe and £212,250 for the Spider, that’s almost £20k more for the 650S Coupe than the 12C Coupe and £17k more for the Spider. But apart from the more dramatic styling, increased downforce and tweaks from the extra power – the 650S gets 641bhp – to the improved handling and dynamics, you also get increased levels of optional equipment including carbon racing seats from the P1, rear parking camera and full carbon fibre interior.

A Maserati 3500GT named 'La Latina'

Frank Mandarano seems like a man after our own heart. We don't really know anything about him, except for his car. Or cars.

Volvo Concept Estate revealed ahead of Geneva

The Volvo concept estate (pictured) debuts at Geneva We had the first glimpse of what we now know is the Volvo Concept Estate over the weekend when a Swedish raincoat manufacturer published a series of teaser photo sof the latestr Volvo Concept, and now Volvo has revealed it ahead of a Geneva debut. Just as the Volvo Concept Coupe was a modern interpretation of the icon Volvo P1800, the Concept estate is a reworking of the car the P1800 became in its final iteration – the Volvo P1800 ES. The P1800 ES was a Shooting Brake in the proper car sense – none of the modern interpretation where a Shooting Brake has become a four-door coupe estate – and the Concept estate is just the same – a two-door coupe with a stylish estate rear.

One Lap of the Web: Rags to riches, Beetles to Porsches

-- Joseph MacDonald parked his 1965 Beetle in front of a restaurant 41 years ago, and that was the last time he saw it. He might yet see it again today, as his stolen car -- now painted white, and with even more rust -- will reunite with him, through the providence of border patrol officers actually performing some due diligence. Jason Torchinsky -- who knows a thing or two about stolen Beetles -- notes that he was lucky enough not to have waited 40 years for his car to come back.

Bentley gives Continental GT Speed even more power

The Bentley Continental GT Speed has never been accused of being a slouch when it came to power, bluntly incorporating the word Speed in its name, but it seems the company's engineers believe there is still room for improvement. And so for 2015 the Bentley Continental GT Speed and Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible will receive a slight bump up in power, and will now offer 626-hp and 607 lb-ft of torque. That's up from 616-hp and 590 lb-ft of torque in the 2014 versions of this 6.0-liter W12 beast.

VW T-Roc concept (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 27 February 2014 23:01 This is the VW T-Roc, and you only need to take one look at the design sketches to see where that streetwise name has sprung up from. This chopped-roof, three-door crossover is part mini-Tiguan, part high-riding Scirocco coupe. Not so fast.

ABT tunes Audi RS6 Avant to 730 hp for Geneva

German tuner ABT Sportsline is bringing its modified Audi RS6-R Avant to the Geneva motor show. The limited-edition, 730-hp station wagon will be produced in a run of just 25. “Mind you, the R stands for ‘racy,’ not for ‘rough’ or ‘rude,’” says CEO Hans-J

Jaguar unveils 'F-Type-inspired' driving shoes

HAVE YOU been hankering for a pair of shoes to perfectly match your new Jaguar F-Type? If so you’re in luck. British sports and luxury car manufacturer Jaguar has announced the official launch of a new range of footwear, designed and created in collaboration with shoemaker Oliver Sweeney.

2015 Subaru Forster to start at $23,045

The 2015 Subaru Forester will cost $23,045, including destination, when it goes on sale in March or April. The XT model now comes standard with the all-weather package (which includes heated front seats and heated side mirrors). A backup camera is standard on all models, 2.5i Premium trim gets a moonroof and the EyeSight Driver Assist option has been lowered by $500.

Richie Incognito destroys his own Ferrari

Things have not been going well for Richie Incognito lately. He lost his job last year for being crazy and causing his teammate Jonathan Martin so much emotional distress that he quit professional football. Then, after a yearlong investigation, the details of he and Martin's relationship were made public and he responded by going absolutely nuts on Twitter.

Toyota's global design chief Tokuo Fukuichi appointed president of Lexus

Toyota's global design chief Tokuo Fukuichi will be the first designer to sit on the company's board of directors when his appointment comes into effect on 1 April. Fukuichi will retain his position as global head of design for the Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands and will join the board after the general shareholders' meeting. His influence on Toyota's design direction over the last few years has been noticeable, particularly with Lexus, as the company strives to make its traditionally very conservative products a little more exciting.

Volkswagen T-Roc SUV concept to rock 2014 Geneva Motor Show

T-Roc may sound like the name of a superhero dinosaur (if such a thing existed), but it’s actually Volkswagen’s latest SUV concept, set to make its debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show in March. This explains why so far we only have these arty sketches, rather than actual photos. According to Volkswagen, the T-Roc "offers a glimpse at future Volkswagen SUVs", which basically means the Tiguan.

Volvo Estate Concept (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 27 February 2014 11:00 This is the Volvo Concept Estate, which will be shown at the 2014 Geneva motor show. It’s a true three-door shooting brake wagon: Volvo claims it points strongly toward the future design of its V70 and XC70 estate models. Rather than going down the swooping roofline/thick pillars route for his shooting brake design, Volvo’s new design boss Thomas Ingenlath was inspired by the P1800 ES of the 1970s.

VW reveals T-ROC before Geneva motor show

The Volkswagen T-ROC concept will debut at the Geneva motor show next week. The chunky, raised-up crossover is based on the increasingly prevalent MQB architecture, which also underpins the Golf. VW says the T-Roc slots in below its current SUVs and it’ll even be smaller than the forthcoming Taigun.