Blog on 2040Parts

UK Ferrari sales outstrip entire Middle East

ITALIAN supercar company Ferrari raced to a record year in 2013 on the back of expanding UK sales, selling more cars in Britain than in the Middle East and Africa combined. As a result the company made an all-time high net profit of 264 million Euros (£217 million) - a 5.4% rise on 2012. A total of 677 Ferraris were sold in the UK, with the nation overtaking Germany as the company's strongest European market and leaving the oil-rich states trailing.

One Lap of the Web: Cool cufflinks in your Crown Coupe

-- Want to be the coolest person at your next event "celebrating lifestyle and automotive achievement that will embody the realization of automotive aspiration"? (Note: this was part of a real invitation we received.) You can do no better than buying these cufflinks made from a Cosworth-powered Jaguar F1 car. The bolts were "used to retain the crank within the engine block," says Ledon Gifts in their Etsy store.

Computer gamer headed for Formula 1

THE WINNER of a computer game competition is now headed for the real world of Formula One with World Champion Sebastian Vettel’s Infiniti Red Bull racing team. Jann Mardenborough won Nissan’s competition to find a new racing driver by beating his rivals on a racing simulator game. His prize was a seat in a variety of racing cars since his victory in 2011 and now he will race in the GP3 series, which is the recognised route to Formula One.

Vauxhall Adam Rocks (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 19 February 2014 14:00 The new Vauxhall Adam Rocks is surely one of the most bizarre new car niches to wing its way to this year’s Geneva motor show. To create this supermini crossover, Vauxhall has raised the ride height of the Adam city car by 15mm, fitted workmanlike plastic body cladding – and taken a tin-opener to the roof. Yep, you can retract the canvas roof’s centre section, in the same style as a Fiat 500C or Citroen DS3 Cabrio.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage N430 & DB9 Carbon Black & Carbon White Editions: Geneva 2014

The new Aston Martin V8 Vantage N430 (pictured) gets Vantage S power It’s tough having motor shows to attend and nothing new to offer, so car makers tend to deliver a ‘Special Edition’ of an existing model to make it look like they’ve made and effort. Step forward the Aston Martin V8 Vantage N430 and the Aston Martin DB9 Carbon Black & Carbon White Editions. There’s little new on offer, really, with a rehashing of what Aston Martin has produced before as ‘Limited Edition’ cars, with the V8 Vantage N430 continuing the theme of Vantage  ’N’ Editions and the Carbon’ limited edition’ DB9s done before.

Audi S3 Cabriolet for 2014 Geneva Motor Show

The Audi S3 Cabriolet will make its public debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next month. The range-topping version of the new A3 Cabriolet uses the same powertrain as the S3 hatchback, Sportback and saloon variants, with a 300hp turbocharged engine driving all four wheels. Audi quotes a 0-62mph time of just 5.4 seconds for the S3 Cabriolet, which will be available to order from April, with the first UK deliveries expected in July.

Survey claims winter prompts increase in in-car tensions

NEW research conducted by the RAC puts the traditional winter blues in the shade, as the motoring organisation’s survey has uncovered a new phenomenon: "carguments". According to the RAC’s poll of 1,300 drivers, as many as 54% of motorists say they have arguments in the car – hence the ‘cargument’ - at this time of year when the days are short and the weather is miserable. A total of 15% of drivers and passengers said they argue more in the car than anywhere else, with 19% saying the mere act of driving left them stressed and angry, and 14% feeling cooped up in a car.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage N430 and DB9 Carbon (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 19 February 2014 11:20 Here we have the Aston Martin V8 Vantage N430 and the Aston Martin DB9 Carbon. The special edition Astons are Gaydon’s headline act for the 2014 Geneva motor show. While the Carbon White and Carbon Black DB9s are monochrome cosmetic exercises, the race-inspired Vantages enjoy a power hike and token diet to ramp up performance.

New cameras spot traffic offences

ILLEGAL turns or misuse of yellow-box junctions are liable to be caught out by remote cameras in a pioneering initiative by a borough council. The first unattended CCTV enforcement system for moving traffic offences has been introduced by Redbridge council in east London. The council said the scheme was working well, with "serious traffic contraventions" captured.

Famous racers dominate classic car auction

MORE THAN 100 classic cars and motorbikes will go under the hammer this weekend at one of the biggest ever auctions of its type. Silverstone Auctions will host the Race Retro sale at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, where famous names like Ayrton Senna, James Hunt and Colin McRae will be scattered throughout the lots. With 42 classic cars from track or rally competition backgrounds, there’s a vast selection of fascinating and ultra-desirable metal.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage N430 and DB9 Carbon for 2014 Geneva Motor Show

Aston Martin will show off special new versions of the V8 Vantage and the DB9 at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show in March. The updates to the two model ranges are very different in character, however. The V8 Vantage N430 is a race-inspired special with more power and less weight – not to mention a somewhat shouty paint job – while the DB9 Carbon Black and Carbon White models are intended to bring a little extra luxury and style to the British marque’s Grand Touring model.

New Vauxhall Adam Rocks crossover for Geneva Motor Show

At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show last year, Vauxhall revealed the Adam Rocks concept – an Adam with raised suspension and chunky body cladding for that “just going off-roading, honest” lifestyle look. Now at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show we’re being treated to the real thing. And guess what?

Audi S3 Cabriolet (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 19 February 2014 14:30 You can’t fault Audi for lack of choice. You can get your 296bhp all-wheel-drive kicks in the S3 three-door, S3 Sportback, S3 saloon, and now this: the Audi S3 Cabriolet. It’ll go on UK sale this summer, and cost around £35,000.

Fiat Panda Cross (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 19 February 2014 11:20 This is the new Fiat Panda Cross – a Panda 4x4 with a Bear Grylls attitude and a dual personality. Fiat claims this high-riding city car is as happy in city traffic as it is taking on ‘the toughest off-road conditions’. Is this really a credible off-roader, or a cutesy crossover?

Eye-tracking technology – how your car will watch your every move for you

MSN Cars Are you sitting comfortably? That’s when you might start to feel sleepy and accidents can occur. But a safer driving future is on the horizon – the next big leap forward in crash prevention is technology that can digitally track your eyes and facial expressions to see when you’re in danger of dozing off.

Twenty-eight improvements on the 2014 Camaro Z/28

The 2014 Chevy Camaro Z/28 doesn't arrive until spring, but the company is priming our pumps now, so we'll be ready to spend that $75,000 when the time comes. On Tuesday, the company laid out 28 reasons why the Z/28 “rules the road course.” Before we get to the reasons, Chevy let us in on the three keys during development. First, it increased grip.

Vauxhall Adam 1.0-litre Ecotec turbo petrol

Vauxhall If there’s one thing the Vauxhall Adam has really been missing since it was launched back in 2012, it’s a modern engine line-up. Now that’s about to change with the imminent introduction of a new 1.0-litre Ecotec turbo petrol unit. Vauxhall is targeting best in class refinement for its new turbo petrol The new engine follows the recent trend for high efficiency three-cylinder designs, and will come in 90hp and 115hp variants with emissions as low as 99g/km CO2.

Lexus RC F Sport to debut at Geneva Motor Show

Lexus has announced that they'll be unveiling the 2015 RC 350 F Sport at next month's Geneva Motor Show, with the model meant to be positioned between the base RC 350 Coupe and the performance-oriented RC F. The automaker is promising that the RC F Sport will offer enhanced driving dynamics as well as exclusive exterior styling cues which will set it apart from the base version of the car. However, they're not making promises about the performance of its 450-hp performance of its 450-hp RC F sibling, which will be positioned at the top of the range.

One Lap of the Web: California, Corvette

-- Los Angeles is a city so tied to dysfunctional traffic that locals give it nicknames. Carmageddon, Rampture, Carmageddon II -- construction closure names become coping mechanisms. Hence Jamzilla, the name given to the closure of the 405 Freeway this long President's Day weekend, serving to impede the wanton roaming of Angelenos just when they finally have time to do so.

Watch a reverse car jump record get broken

Jumping a car from ramp to ramp while driving forward takes a quite a bit of skill, but at least you can see where you're going. But what about jumping a car backwards? We honestly had no idea that a Guinness World Record existed for the Farthest Reverse Ramp Jump by a Car, so imagine our surprise when we learned that professional skateboarder and MTV personality Rod Dyrdek set out to break that record at Six Flags Magic Mountain using a Chevrolet Sonic.

Mobility Ventures builds dealer network for its wheelchair-accessible vehicles

Mobility Ventures LLC, the current builder of the MV-1, says it has now signed more than 50 dealers. The MV-1 is the only American-built vehicle designed from the ground up for people with mobility challenges; it meets or exceeds the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines as well as all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Last year, the original designer and builder of the MV-1 -- the Vehicle Production Group LLC -- was acquired by South Bend, Ind.-based AM General.

Shocking bald tyre sparks safety warning

A TYRE that was completely bald after being taken off a high-performance BMW has sparked warnings from tyre safety charity TyreSafe. The shocking pictures of the incredibly dangerous tyre, whose owner is lucky to be alive, show the extent of the lengths to which some people are pushing the limits of safety. As it is, the tyre would be almost completely ineffective in wet or damp conditions, and how the driver had avoided an accident is a mystery.

Next BMW X1 loses inline-six, gets smaller and lighter

The second-generation BMW X1, expected here in early 2016, is smaller and lighter than the existing first-generation model. The new X1 loses optional six-cylinder power; a new high-output four-cylinder replaces it. A high-ranking BMW manager confirmed the new X1 abandons today's longitudinal engine layout for a version of the new transverse-engine platform the 2-series Active Tourer uses.

World’s largest collection of Bond cars on sale for £20m

If, like the band Scouting for Girls, you’ve ever wished you were James Bond (just for the day), then now’s your chance. The world’s largest collection of Bond cars is now up for sale, for a cool £20 million. For your eyes only, let us guide you through the multi-million-pound collection that’s up for grabs.

Crazy self-driving Rinspeed XchangE concept for Geneva 2014 debut

You can rely upon Swiss concept specialists Rinspeed to release something suitably crazy on the run up to their home Geneva Motor Show – and 2014 is no different, it appears. This is the Rinspeed XchangE, a self-driving autonomous car that shows "what will move us tomorrow," according to the firm; it’s "the office and living room on wheels." Natch. Please click on the image above to read more about the 2014 Rinspeed XchangE concept

Young driver insurer pairs with safety charity

SPECIALIST young driver insurer Marmalade is throwing its weight behind safety charity Brake’s 2014 ‘2young2die’ campaign. Brake, the national road safety charity, launches its 2014 workshops and awards scheme this week, and announces Marmalade as its funding partner. Marmalade’s financial support enables Brake to run eight regional educational awareness workshops in the UK’s key cities this year.

Ferrari posts huge profits - by building fewer cars

AP Ferrari today announced an 8% jump in trading profits to €363.5 million in 2013 - despite selling 5% fewer cars. It's all part of the supercar maker's planned reduction in supply to keep values and demand for Ferraris rock-solid, Maranello reported. Turnover and profit all surpassed previous records, despite the reduction in the number of cars built.

Dutch factory announced for new Mini

THE NEW Mini is to be built in Holland as well as the UK, owner BMW has announced. The German motor giant said production of the Mini Hatch will be split between its factory in Oxford and a site in Nedcar in Born. Around 1,500 workers will build the new Mini in Holland from this summer at a factory run by BMW's Dutch partner VDL Nedcar.

Most popular YouTube car videos: Watch them all here

YouTube. The free market of all things video. Is Taylor Swift more popular than Justin Bieber?

Smile, You’re On Camera

A COUNCIL in east London has rolled out the first unattended CCTV enforcement system for moving traffic offences, in a bid to curb drivers from making illegal turns or stopping in yellow-box junctions. Redbridge council has placed cameras at four trouble spots, which can also catch drivers ignoring restricted access signs. Redbridge council's environment, transportation and crime committee head, Shoaib Patel, said: "The system was installed to counter the high number of drivers that were ignoring the traffic restrictions that were in place, causing severe safety hazards to pedestrians and other drivers.