Blog on 2040Parts

Watch 'Fast & Furious 7' preview

While searching the Interwebs for auto parts to Z cars and back, we stumbled upon this gem courtesy of our friends over at Jalopnik. The long-awaited preview of “ Fast & Furious 7” comes just months after the tragic death of lead star Paul Walker. The shaky-looking, bootlegged clip begins at “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” protagonist Han Lue's funeral, setting a somber tone for the latest installment of the series.

Top 10 cars recalled for safety issues in 2013

A total of 850,000 cars were recalled in Britain last year, according to figures released by the Vehicle and Operator Service Agency (Vosa). A recall takes place when a car manufacturer becomes aware of a safety-related defect involving one of its cars. Here, using the figures from Vosa, MSN Cars highlights the most recalled cars of 2013, before going on to list the results by manufacturer.

Schumacher being taken out of coma

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER is being slowly brought out of his induced coma but a leading neurosurgeon has warned it remains too soon to determine his long-term prognosis. Seven-times Formula One world champion Schumacher, 45, has spent the last month in the University of Grenoble hospital fighting for his life after sustaining brain injuries following a skiing accident in the resort of Meribel. Concern was growing as to whether he would ever make a recovery, or even wake again, but manager Sabine Kehm has now provided official confirmation that steps are under way to bring him out of his coma following the accident on December 29.

Ban to protect cyclists from HGVs

LORRIES without safety equipment to protect cyclists and pedestrians are to be banned from travelling through London, it has been announced. Transport for London (TfL) and local authorities have joined forces to agree a new traffic regulation which will come into force by the end of the year. The proposed ban will require every vehicle over 3.5 tonnes to be fitted with sideguards to protect cyclists from being dragged under wheels, as well as mirrors to improve a driver's view of cyclists and pedestrians.

Hot laps: BMW 435i vs M3 winter tyre test 3

By Ben Barry First Official Pictures 31 January 2014 08:50 How much difference can winter tyres make to your car’s performance and safety? In snowy conditions, choosing between winter and summer tyres is like choosing between crampons and slippers, but plenty of British winters pass with barely a flake touching the ground. So it’s understandable that most of us are reluctant to fork out for winter tyres.

New Mercedes-Benz V-Class (2014): world’s most luxurious MPV

Not often we get excited about a van-based people carrier, but in the case of the brand new 2014 Mercedes-Benz V-Class MPV we will make a worthy exception. Unveiled at a swanky do last night, the new V-Class replaces the Viano, and in the process becomes the most luxurious factory built eight-seater MPV we have ever seen. Seriously – there’s tech from the latest Mercedes S-Class in here.

How the Nissan Qashqai reinvented the family car

The 2014 Nissan Qashqai (above) arrived in showrooms this week, but will the second-generation model be as groundbreaking as the first? Inevitably, the all-new Qashqai looks very similar to the outgoing model, but why change a winning formula? The original Qashqai was, arguably, the most successful new family car launch since the original Volkswagen Golf from 1974. And it came out of the blue, because Nissan was perhaps the last company anyone would have expected to come up with such a revolutionary design.

One Lap of the Web: A flaming SLS on the dyno, replicars and the N

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG has to be one of the company's most exciting cars in decade or more. It comes stock with 563 hp, but some folks just can't leave well enough alone. Enter the Rado Twin-Turbo Mercedes SLS AMG, on a dyno, spitting hot fire like Dylan.

Formula One class of 2014: the official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 31 January 2014 11:30 The 2014 Formula One season is only weeks away. With 2.4-litre V8 engines in the bin and turbocharged 1.6-litre V6s with twice the electrical boost power powering the racers, a controverdial triple-points rule in Abu Dhabi, and wild-looking new nosecones thanks to the latest FIA crash regulations, the class of 2014’s machines are the most radically different F1 cars in decades. If the old adage of a pretty car being a winning car rings true this season, we suspect Sauber, Red Bull and Marussia will squabble for the title, with Caterham surprised to see themselves battling Lotus and Toro Rosso at the back of the field.

Jeremy Lin's new workout partner: the Volvo XC60

Remember Jeremy Lin? For a while, he was kind of a big deal. Then he got traded to the Houston Rockets, and he's been, uh, doing alright, we guess.

Nissan IDx concepts tour Cali

Having traveled from the Tokyo motor show to the Detroit auto show, Nissan's Datsun-inspired IDx concepts are on to much warmer weather. The upcoming three-day tour, starting Jan. 31, will begin in Venice, Calif., on Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

Alcraft and RCA announce design competition winner

Alcraft Motor Company has announced the winner of a design competition featuring students from the Royal College of Art (RCA) Vehicle Design program. The contest, which concludes a joint project exploring British design values and personalized vehicle design, challenged students to develop a personalized design package for Range Rover models. Winning student Jed Sheehan collected his award for his treatment of the flagship Range Rover, which Alcraft has transformed into a design study.

The first Volkswagen Beetle in America looked like this

On Jan. 17, 1949, the Holland America Line Westerdam pulled into New York Harbor from Rotterdam carrying the seed of an automotive empire. It had been only four years since Volkswagen resurrected operations in Wolfsburg, the factory heavily ruined by Allied forces and now under the command of Major Ivan Hirst.

Tesla is the midst of coast to coast rally from LA to New York

Just a few days after the last Tesla Superchargers were in place, allowing a coast to coast trip from Los Angeles to New York (via South Dakota), the company has decided to test this is practice. Tesla has staked its reputation on getting 98 percent of the country within the coverage of a Supercharger station by 2015 and the first major milestone was the completion of what we'll call The Supercharger Trail, a series of overlapping charging station locations that would allow one to take a trip from New York to LA. Just past midnight on Thursday, January 30th, a Tesla Motors team left Los Angeles in two Model S sedans bound for New York City.

First 2014 Shelby GT500 Super Snake headed to museum

The first 2014 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake was delivered to the new Shelby Automotive Museum in Southern California on Dec. 26, 2013. The 850-hp, Grabber Blue pony car wearing chassis number 14SS0010 will take its place among the rest of Shelby’s classics, and it will also join the Shelby Registry.

Mercedes-Benz reveals new V-class

Mercedes-Benz has returned to the luxury MPV ranks with a resurrection of the V-class – the commercial vehicle based multiseat van first introduced to the German car maker’s lineup in 1996. Positioned as an upmarket rival to the likes of the popular Volkswagen Multivan, the new V-class was conceived and developed in a joint-engineering program with the third-generation Vito, which it will be produced with at Mercedes-Benz’s Vitoria factory in Spain. Set to go on sale in Europe shortly after its public debut at the Geneva auto show in early March, the V-class is being considered for sale in the U.S.

Here's what's new in the Hyundai Genesis coupe

Hyundai has made a few tweaks to the Genesis coupe for the 2014 model, following a major redesign for 2013. The exterior stays the same, but the company has made a number of changes with the standard equipment, in addition to drivetrain and exterior options. Perhaps the biggest change to the Genesis coupe's drivetrain for the 2014 model year is a downshift rev-matching system, which has been standard for models equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Build your Mini Cooper Hardtop

We suspect that your initial inclination upon the discovery of a new model's configurator is to throw gobs and gobs of equipment at a car to see just how high the price will go. After all, that's what we tend to do. It's especially satisfying with German automakers — notably Porsche and BMW — who seem to have turned option pricing into something bordering on absurdist theatre.

Magnum MK5 to debut at Boca Raton Concours

New supercar-company releases hit our email inboxes almost as much as news about natural male enhancements does. Mostly, we pay them no mind; the majority of these “upcoming” hyper-hyper cars never make it out of the computer-rendering phase. But when a company claims Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve as one of its first customers, we take notice.

Vauxhall Astra VXR EXTREME heading for Geneva as the quickest Astra yet

The Vauxhall Astra VXR EXTREME (pictured) is heading for a Geneva debut. The VXR range of Vauxhall’s – the sportiest of Vauxhall’s car range – is ten years old this year, so what better way to celebrate than with an even more extreme version of the Astra VXR. Vauxhall obviously agree as they’ve revealed the Vauxhall Astra VXR EXTREME as the new top of the range Astra VXR and it’s heading for a debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March before going in to limited production.

Geneva 2014 debut for Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme concept

Vauxhall will unveil its fastest Astra model ever at this year’s 2014 Geneva Motor Show when it pulls the covers off its Astra VXR Extreme concept car. According to the British firm, the Extreme will be even more powerful than the standard Astra VXR, boasting lightweight components that make the race track “the car’s natural environment.” On Bing: see pictures of the Vauxhall Astra VXR Find out how much a used Vauxhall Astra VXR costs on Auto Trader The first image of the vehicle shows a low, aggressive looking car featuring revised aerodynamics – including that massive rear wing – and a new dual-twin tailpipe setup. These changes over the standard VXR won’t be the most significant, however.

BMW i3 & i8 EV range won’t be extended any time soon

The BMW i3 and i8 EVs won’t get a sibling any time soon BMW have ploughed a chunk of money in to the development of the BMW i3 electric city car and the BMW i8 supercar, but it seems that is going to be the extent of the BMW i range, for now at least. BMW’s head of production, Harald Krueger, has told Automotive News that there will be no further i models until BMW has a better idea of demand for their i cars. So far, the demand looks very positive for BMW, with over 11,000 i3 EVs sold already which has led to a six month waiting list for BMW buyers looking for an electric city runaround.

New Subaru Legacy production version teased for Chicago Auto Show

The new Subaru Legacy is being teased Subaru have moved quickly from showing a concept version of an all new Legacy at the Los Angeles Auto Show,  with the first tease for the new Legacy revealed ahead of a debut at the Chicago Auto Show in a week’s time. Looking at the tease (above) it does seem to have a very similar shape to the concept version we saw at Los Angeles,. But if Subaru’s recent form is anything to go by, the production Legacy will be far less impressive than the concept.

Top Gear tops iPlayer most watched list of 2013

Rex The BBC's flagship motoring programme Top Gear dominated the most popular shows watched on the iPlayer on-demand service in 2013, new figures reveal. The Africa Special part one was the single most watched programme, with 3,422,000 views last year, the BBC said. More and more people are watching programmes on catch-up via their computers, tablets or phones: a record three billion shows were streamed on iPlayer in 2013, a rise of 33% on the previous year.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles reveals new name, logo

Earlier this month, Fiat purchased the remaining 41% of Chrysler, the American car company it has held a majority stake in since 2009. During this time, the two logos have appeared side-by-side on relevant forms of communication. But today the Group has unveiled a new corporate identity, which it says reflects “strong core values that represents a unique corporate culture, a common vision and a Group with an international reach”.

Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 30 January 2014 12:50 Meet the Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme – the most hard-core hot hatch ever to wear the Astra badge. Inspired by the Astra Cup racing car, it’s essentially an Astra with ‘Speciale’ or ‘GT3’ treatment applied to it, in the vein of Ferrari and Porsche’s fire-breathing specials. Expect less weight, less refinement – and a lot more on-track performance.

Child car smoking ban moves closer

A BAN ON SMOKING in cars with children present has moved a step closer after peers inflicted a defeat on the Government in the House of Lords. Campaigners welcomed the result of the Lords vote, claiming a ban would protect half-a-million children who were exposed to second-hand smoke in cars every week. Although the successful Labour amendment to the Children and Families Bill does not directly ban smoking in cars with children in them, it backs the principle of making it an offence.

Concept Car of the Week: Mazda RX500 (1970)

Developed by the Toyo Kogyo Company's advanced design and engineering team, the Mazda RX-500 was described as a ‘mobile test bed for high-speed safety'. Looking at its design, the team's childlike enthusiasm has shone through, resulting in a very cool concept.  From the rakish front to the wraparound windscreen and on to the bread van rear, everything communicates high-tech and ‘70's futurism while also channeling a little of the Star Wars X-Wing. Thanks to plastic body panels, the concept weighs only 850kg and is powered by a 491cc rotary engine delivering 247bhp fitted behind the cabin, in front of the rear axle.

Drivers 'filmed M11 crash scene'

POLICE SAY they were "shocked and amazed" at the number of motorists caught filming the aftermath of a motorway car crash in Essex on their phones while still driving. Officers were called to the rush hour collision involving a silver VW Golf and blue Vauxhall Zafira which struck each other on the southbound carriageway of the M11 near Loughton. Paramedics and firefighters also attended the incident at 8.30am on Monday.

Call for bus commuter tax break

A NEW TAX allowance should be introduced so that firms can help staff pay for the cost of commuting to work by bus, a campaign group has urged. Greener Journeys said people on lower incomes were more reliant on buses as they were less likely to have a car. The group, which promotes sustainable travel, said a "bus bonus" scheme should be launched, arguing it would boost the economy and improve access to jobs.