Blog on 2040Parts

Polestar-tuned Volvo V60, S60 coming to US in 2014

Volvo is bringing both the Polestar-tuned V60 wagon and the Polestar-tuned S60 sedan to the U.S. in 2014, the company said on Thursday at the Chicago Auto Show. Unfortunately, we’re only getting 120 examples total stateside.

New baby Jaguar saloon to be shown this summer

The new small Jaguar saloon out testing in ill-fitting XF camouflage Jaguar has made huge strides in the last few years and is now on the brink of being recognised, once again, as a major force. But so far Jaguar has been producing great cars in not the biggest-selling sectors, but that’s set to change with the new small Jaguar saloon (perhaps the Jaguar XS) which will be first shown this summer ahead of a 2015 launch. The new baby Jaguar will be entering a very competitive market place, taking on cars like the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4, so Jaguar are going to have to work hard to produce not only a credible car, but one that uses its ‘Britishness’ as its USP.

Concept Car of the Week: Italdesign Machimoto (1986)

The Machimoto might look and sound like a Japanese concept, but it was developed in Europe in the Turin-based Italdesign studio, and was based on a Volkswagen Golf GTI platform. The name actually derives from MACHIna (car in Italian) and MOTOciclo (motorcycle) as the perfect hybrid between the worlds of two- and four-wheelers. Unveiled on its home turf at the Turin motor show in 1986, it landed like a UFO, shocking both the public and the press.

Hyundai WRC 2014: how do you build a fresh rally team?

By Ben Barry 07 February 2014 09:00 These are trying times for the new Hyundai WRC team. Both of its brand-new i20 WRC contenders were eliminated in the first stage of the 2014 season opener, the Monte Carlo rally. More teething troubles have followed in the second round of the World Rally Championship: Rally Sweden, which is taking place over the next three days.

Hyundai Veloster RE:FLEX hits Chicago Auto Show

We hope Simon LeBon's mysterious “treasure in the dark” wasn't a turbocharger. If the Duran Duran frontman deigns to pick up a Hyundai Veloster RE:FLEX, he won't be getting one. The RE:FLEX package, announced at the Chicago Auto Show adds chrome 18” wheels, extra brightwork on the door handles and hood, a passel of LEDs, a pair of light-up doorsills and the standard 138-hp, 1.6L engine.

Tesla Model X SUV will ONLY be available with four wheel drive

The Tesla Model X (pictured) will only be available with 4WD The Tesla Model X does promise to be a very appealing SUV, even if its main USP for business users – zero BIK – will have been scrapped by the time it arrives in the UK. When it does arrive, prices are expected to be similar to the Model S Saloon and, just as with the Model S, Tesla are planning a variety of battery capacity options and, we thought, an entry-level rear wheel drive model. But Green Car Reports, in response to a reader enquiry, has got confirmation from Tesla that they have now decided that all Model Xs will come only with the 4WD powertrain fitted.

UK new car sales hit a 10-year high

UK new car sales continue to scale new heights, with more new cars sold in March 2014 than in any month in the past decade. Sales figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal that 464,824 new cars were registered last month – a 17.7% rise over March 2014. It continues the trend of rocketing sales, with year-to-date registrations up 13.7%.

Suzuki Celerio revealed in India – Euro-spec Celerio heading for Geneva

The new Suzuki Celerio (pictured_ revealed in India The Suzuki Celerio has been launched at the Auto expo in New Delhi this week as a new A-Segment offering from Suzuki, but the Celerio isn’t just for emerging markets and will arrive in Eur-spec at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next month. The Celerio offers more space than bothy the Alto and Splash – Suzuki’s current offerings in the A-Segment – and is expected to cost much the same as the Alto when it arrives in the UK in early 2015. Which means the new Celerio  is probably the replacement for both the Splash and Alto, and Suzuki are trumpeting it a ‘pocket-friendly’ car.

New Subaru Legacy revealed – but it’s not coming to the UK

The new Subaru Legacy (pictured) has been revealed in Chicago The new Subaru Legacy was teased last week ahead of its reveal at the Chicago Auto Show, and now it’s been revealed it’s a bit…disappointing. It’s disappointing because it has really lost the flair and swoopy style of the new Legacy Concept we saw at the L.A. Auto Show in November, replacing it with a slightly rakish traditional saloon.

Win tickets to Top Marques Monaco 2014 with CAR!

By Ollie Kew Competitions 07 February 2014 14:20 On your marques, and get ready for the world’s most exclusive, high-octane motor show. CAR magazine’s latest fantastic prize promises one lucky winner two tickets to the Top Marques Monaco supercar show, which kicks off once again in April 2014. Top Marques is the world’s most famous high performance automobile show – and you’ll be right in the mix of the action.

Renault Pitches Affordable Self-Driving Technology

RENAULT is the latest company to dip its toe into the waters of self-driving car technology. Pitching its contribution as a way of combating tiredness and stress plus allowing drivers to multitask and let the car take the strain, the French firm is looking to 2020 as the year when its bold vision could become a reality. There is a catch though, as Renault’s vision of an autonomous driving future centres around the provision of ‘protected’ roads devoid of pedestrians or other hazards to make the reality of hands off driving possible.

January’s top 10 best-selling cars: in pictures

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released the UK car sales figures for January 2014 – and they represent an excellent start to the new year. There were 154,562 new cars registered last month – a 7.6% rise over January 2013, continuing the run of buyer confidence that saw overall sales reach a six-year high last year. The top 10 best-sellers from last month are rounded up in the following gallery.

UK new car sales hit a ten-year high

UK new car sales continue to scale new heights, with more new cars sold in March 2014 than in any month in the past decade. Sales figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal that 464,824 new cars were registered last month – a 17.7% rise over March 2014. It continues the trend of rocketing sales, with year-to-date registrations up 13.7%.

Green fuel 'costly and harmful'

A NEW "GREEN" FUEL to be introduced in the UK to meet EU regulations could be costly and harmful, according to tests carried out by What Car? magazine. The E10 fuel, which contains 10% bio-ethanol, was less efficient than the current E5 (up to 5% bio-ethanol) blend across every engine type tested, What Car?

Stunning pictures of classic cars in Paris

The classic car market is booming and there have been not one, but two, auctions of beautiful historic cars in Paris in the past week alone. We've already reported on the inaugural RM Auctions Paris sale, which saw nearly £15 million's worth of the world’s rarest and most exotic cars going under the hammer, including a Jaguar D-type that sold for more than £3 million. The other was the annual Bonhams Les Grand Marques du Monde au Grand Palais car auction.

Koenigsegg One:1 – first photo ahead of Geneva Motor Show debut

The Koenigsegg One:1 (pictured) gets an enormous rear wing The Koenigsegg One:1 – Koenigsegg’s most powerful car ever – is heading for the Geneva Motor Show next month, ahead of which Keonigsegg has revealed the first photo of their new car (above). We reported just last week that the One:1 would make its debut at Geneva so, with a month to go before the Geneva Motor Show kicks off, Koenigsegg has decided it’s time to show some of what the One:1 is all about. Based on the Agera, the most dramatic difference between the two is the enormous rear wing on the back, so big it needs support from bars running in to the roof.

Volkswagen Taigun concept (2014): VW’s new baby SUV

It seems the tailgate-mounted spare wheel could be making a comeback – first Ford launches the EcoSport, now VW has followed suit with this updated Taigun concept. Both cars are small crossover SUVs, aimed at emerging markets, particularly Brazil and India. With the EcoSport appearing in UK dealerships this May, however, we don’t think it will be too long before a production version of the Taigun offers VW’s take on the idea to European buyers as well.

New ‘E10’ fuel could cost drivers £billions

A Government proposal to implement a new type of petrol fuel called ‘E10’ has been met with outrage, with consumer car publication What Car? branding the plans as “irresponsible.” E10 petrol could potentially cost UK drivers billions of pounds each year, as the new fuel is less efficient and more polluting than the current blend of petrol used in the UK. On Bing: see pictures of how petrol is made Scientists produce “petrol from air” Petrol sold in Britain already conforms to E5 rules, containing up to 5% bio-ethanol by volume.

Fall in drug-driving admissions

THE NUMBER of motorists admitting to drug-driving is falling, according to Government figures. Just 0.5% of motorists said they had driven under the influence of drugs during the 2012/13 financial year compared with 1% who owned up to this offence during 2011/12. Based on a survey by the Office for National Statistics, the figures also showed that 6.4% of motorists had admitted drink-driving at least once in 2012/13 compared with 7.4% in 2011/12.

Hospital car park staff to wear CCTV cameras

STAFF AT A HOSPITAL car park are being kitted out with personal CCTV cameras in a bid to combat a rapid rise in violence and aggression towards them. NHS Lothian said staff working in car parks at St John's Hospital in Livingston, West Lothian, have been subjected to verbal and physical abuse from angry motorists in recent weeks. One attendant was hit with a walking stick and another had a car driven at them during the recent spate of incidents.

Skoda VisionC concept for Geneva 2014 debut

This is the first official teaser image of Skoda’s 2014 Geneva Motor Show star, called the Skoda VisionC concept. The new design study will be unveiled in Switzerland next month and previews “the next stage of development in Skoda’s design language”, according to the Czech brand. On Bing: see pictures of the Skoda VisionC concept Find out how much a used Skoda costs on Auto Trader The car is quite a break from the norm for Skoda, which is a carmaker known for building practical family hatchbacks, saloons and estates under the VW Group umbrella.

2014 BMW X3 Facelift and more efficient engines

The 2014 BMW X3 (pictured) gets a facelift and new engines The current version of the BMW X3 SUV has been with us for more than three years, so BMW are giving it a bit of a mid-cycle facelift and more frugal engines to keep the X3 on top of its – very successful – game. Engines on offer for the 2014 X3 include the 2.0 litre diesel in the sDrive18d which offers 148bhp and 56.8mpg and the 187bhp in the X3 xDrive20d which returns 52.3mpg, the xDrive30d – which gets the 3.0 litre diesel unit – with 254bhp and 47.9mpg and the X3 xDrive35 which has an impressive 309bhp but still manages official economy of 47.1mpg. When it comes to the cosmetic facelift bits, BMW hasn’t really pushed the boat out, but the new X3 does get a new headlight design which is sleeker, new front and rear bumpers and a new surround for the kidney grill, which all contrive to make the new X3 look even more like a baby X5.

Kia Soul EV revealed at the Chicago Motor Show

The new Kia Soul EV (pictured) has been revealed in Chicago The Kia Soul EV is Kia’s first effort at a proper mass production EV, and if you’re looking for an electric car it does look promising. Due to go on sale later in 2014 in the US – initially in California, New York and Oregan because of their charging infrastructure – and, Kia promised, the UK and Europe later in 2014 or early 2015, the Soul EV offers a real world driving range of 80-100 miles from a recharge taking half an hour for 80 per cent on a rapid 50kW charger or up to 5 hours for a full recharge from a UK 240 volt supply. The range is helped by Kia’s third-generation regenerative braking system which manages to capture 12 per cent of the car’s kinetic energy, feeding it back in to the battery as electricity during braking and coasting, with four different regeneration modes.

Citroen C4 Cactus revealed in production guise ahead of Geneva Motor Show Debut

The Citroen C4 Cactus (pictured) revealed in production spec The Citroen C4 Cactus could probably not have been conceived by anyone other than the French, and the concept we saw at Frankfurt last year was certainly original. Now, Citroen are putting the C4 Cactus in to production and, surprisingly, not a huge amount has changed from the concept. That means the C4 Cactus – with a wheelbase the same as a C4 but with a footprint more the size of a supermini – weighs in at just 980kg, so even though its engines are small and frugal it will have acceptable performance.

'Transport poverty' rising - RAC

THE LEAST WELL-OFF families are slipping further into "transport poverty", according to an RAC Foundation survey. The poorest car-owning households spent at least 31% of their disposable incomes on buying and running a vehicle in 2012, the foundation said, up from 27% the year before. The figures, based on data obtained from the Office for National Statistics, showed that in 2012 the poorest families had a maximum weekly expenditure of £167, of which £51.40 went on a car.

Fagg captured by DNA on cigarette

A CAR THIEF with the surname Fagg was caught when police found his DNA on a cigarette butt left in the stolen vehicle in Kent. Duncan Fagg, who was using crutches at the time, was captured driving a stolen white Nissan Micra on CCTV from a car park in Gravesend in April last year, police said. Almost two weeks later, a marked police car spotted the stolen Micra heading towards Hoo on the A228.

New car sales surge by 7.6%

THE SURGE in new car sales has continued into the new year. There were 154,562 new vehicles registered last month, a 7.6% rise on January last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. The society said sales of alternatively fuelled vehicle increased by 25%.

Aston Martin recall the majority of cars built since 2007

Aston Martin are recalling most of their cars from the last six years A recall by Aston Martin of 17,590 cars might not seem a big deal when you’ve seen recalls from the likes of Toyota running in to the millions. But Aston Martin is a small, bespoke make of high-end luxury GTs and Sports cars, and 17,590 cars is three-quarters of all the cars they’ve built since November 2007. The recall affects all left-hand drive cars built from November 2007 to December 2013 and all right-hand drive cars from May 2012 to December 2013 and is because of some less than kosher plastics in the accelerator pedal.

Threat to rural road maintenance

TOTAL ROAD CLOSURES may be necessary as the extreme winter weather has left councils struggling to maintain routes, according to a local government chief. One council - Cornwall - said it was being "starved of resources" and was considering stopping maintenance of rural roads. But the Department for Transport said billions of pounds were being provided for local highways maintenance and it was the responsibility of authorities to cope with severe weather.

Renault Kwid concept: star of the 2014 Delhi Auto Show

Small crossovers are big news and the striking Renault Kwid concept car hints at another entry to a category that is expanding rapidly, following the launch of cars such as the Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008 and the forthcoming VW Taigun. The Indian car market is booming, too, so what better place for Renault to unveil the Kwid concept than the 2013 Delhi Auto Show? The small and funky 4x4 has been designed as "a new vision tailored for new market needs," according to Renault, offering a robust design with hyper connectivity aimed at the youth of today.