Blog on 2040Parts

Ford posts $3 billion quarterly profit

Ford Motor Co. earned $3 billion in the fourth quarter, helped by a large gain from one-time tax items, and its full-year profit rose as U.S. sales and market share increased.

Jaguar premieres first Super Bowl ad ahead of game

Jaguar must have been ecstatic about its first Super Bowl ad because the British automaker decided to premiere it online before the big NFL showdown on Feb. 2. The ad features renowned British actors Sir Ben Kingsley, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Strong in the leading roles in its Super Bowl ad production.

One Lap of the Web: Scottsdale oddballs, a lost Morris and in-home car washes

A man in the UK purchased an old Morris Isis...then forgot about it in the back of his garage for 12 years. When he rediscovered the car and cleared all the trash off, he also learned it was one of the oldest of its kind in the world. While we have a few questions, not the least of which is "how does one forget a car parked in the garage," we're pleased to see that the owner has since restored the car and plans to strap a trailer on the back and take it to the beach later this summer.

Car owners targeted by litter law

CAR OWNERS could be fined if other people drop litter out of their vehicles under new laws approved by peers. The new law would mean the registered owner of a vehicle would face a civil penalty even if they were not responsible for the littering. Home Office minister Lord Taylor said it would give councils an extra power to tackle the "scourge" of rubbish lying on the roadside.

Historic first Porsche P1 electric vehicle goes on display

In what at first glance appears to be a blatant attempt to upset McLaren’s SEO – that’s Search Engine Optimisation – a Porsche P1 model has been announced. But this is no fearsome new 1,000hp rival to McLaren’s P1 hypercar (after all, Porsche already has one of those). Rather, the Porsche P1 actually dates from 1898, and produces just 3hp.

Peugeot tease new sports saloon concept for Beijing Motor Show

Lurking under this cover is a new Peugeot Concept for the 2014 Beijing Motor Show Peugeot do good concepts, even if many don’t actually make it in to production. A case in point is the stunning Peugeot Onyx Concept we saw at the Paris Motor Show in 2012, which came with great styling, copper and carbon fibre bodywork, the use of unusual materials like crystal glass and compressed paper and a powertrain that used a 3.7 litre V8 at the back with an electric motor for added green credentials. Peugeot say their latest concept – which will debut at the Beijing Motor Show in April and is teased by the photo above – will use the same sort of innovative materials as the Onyx (which probably means it too will never see production) and preview the future of Peugeot’s styling.

Volkswagen Polo 2014 update announced ahead of Geneva Motor Show

Fresh off the back of news that Volkswagen will show a hot new Polo R concept at the Geneva Motor Show 2014, the German firm has announced that its regular Polo supermini will receive a host of updates. The Polo’s mid-life 2014 facelift features some delicately revised styling inside and out, as well as a new range of more efficient engines and even more technology packed inside the smart little cabin. Please click on the image above to read more about the 2014 Volkswagen Polo

500 hp Lexus LX 570 answers question no one asked

We never thought of the Lexus LX 570 as being particularly short on power. Apparently the team at Hennessey Performance had a different opinion and took matters into their own hands, creating a supercharger package for the full-size SUV. The standard Lexus LX 570 already pumps out 383 hp and 403 lb-ft of torque courtesy of its 5.7-liter V8 engine, with power going to all four wheels.

Ferrari SP FFX revealed – it’s not a looker

The one-off Ferrari SP FFX – complete with white fringe and coupe roof. Ferrari Special Operations is the division of Ferrari that relieves very well-heeled punters of vast quantities of cash to create one-off specials – just like Eric Clapton’s Ferrari SP12 EC. But a big bank account doesn’t necessarily equate to great taste, at least not if the only image we have of Ferrari’s latest one-off creation – the Ferrari SP FFX – is anything to go by.

VW Polo facelift (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 28 January 2014 10:00 Subtle facelift hides bigger changes underneath This is the new VW Polo to face-off the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa. The irony in this car arriving stems from the trouble that the German maker has faced in the US – where VW board members have blamed long model cycles with minor facelifts such as this – as the reason why sales fell and its North America boss stepped down late last year. At least the new Polo brings some welcome changes under that barely-changed sheetmetal.

Survive The Worst Of Winter With The IAM’S Top Tips

WITH weather forecasters warning of the prospect of freezing temperatures, ice and even snow, road safety charity the IAM has been quick to offer a few tips to help drivers stay safe on the roads. IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger said: "Some bits of the country have already had a first taste of this year's winter. That means it's time for the rest of us to start thinking about how to deal with it too." Rodger’s six top tips for driving safely and confidently in icy conditions are: 1) Keep to the main roads as they're more likely to be salted.

‘Imported from Detroit’ 300C goes AWD

The Chrysler 300C John Varvatos Limited Edition is returning for 2014. For the first time, it will be offered with all-wheel drive with an active transfer case and front-axle disconnect for better fuel economy. Fashion icon Varvatos put his stamp of approval on the special edition slab-sided sedan.

"Room for debate" on minimum driving age increase

MOTORISTS are concerned about the minimum driving age, according to new research. More than a third of drivers (35%) think the minimum age should be raised, with 40% of those people believing the starting point should be 21, according to the study carried out by British Car Auctions (BCA). Four in 10 of all people questioned said they felt that a reduction in the overall accident rate would be a welcome outcome of an adjustment of the legal minimum driving age.

Middlecott Sketchbattle Experiment crowns first Sketchmaster

College for Creative Studies (CCS) student Graham Wright has fought off competition from artists, illustrators, industrial, product and car designers to be declared the Sketchmaster of the Middlecott Sketchbattle Experiment 2014. Held at Detroit's Kunsthalle Museum of Contemporary Art, the contest – a self-styled fight club of design – carried the theme of lighting because of the museum's many neon and lighting installations. Before the event, design students from the area – mostly from the CCS and Lawrence Technological University (LTU) – were invited to submit early sketches before a shortlist was drawn up for the main event.

The skyscraper designed by Porsche

How much do you love your car? Enough to want to park it inside your house every night? Well here's some good news - thanks to a new super-luxurious Porsche Design Tower in the United States, your dreams can come true.

"Carry-on" engine will power Le Mans racer

NISSAN will this year compete in the famous Le Mans 24-hour race using a revolutionary 1.5-litre, 400bhp engine that’s small enough to qualify as carry-on luggage. The astonishing new technology produces more power per kilogram of engine weight than the 2014 Formula 1 engines, and what’s more it’s set to lead to road car technology. And while the engine block is too heavy to take onto a plane as hand luggage, its 50cm height, 40cm length and 20cm width makes it small enough.

Another Ayrton Senna Honda NSX for sale

Ayrton Senna’s Honda NSX (pictured) is expected to fetch £75-85k Ayrton Senna was arguably the greatest F1 driver of all time, and his death 20 years ago at Imola sent shock waves through the sport and deprived F1 fans of more years of Senna’s driving prowess. But driving F1 cars wasn’t the only thing Senna did; just like today’s F1 drivers he was also involved in road car development, and during his time with McLaren he was a part of Honda’s (engine suppliers at the time for McLaren) development of the original NSX. So any Honda NSX with a clear link to Senna can reasonably expect to be a desirable car for collectors and F1 fans to acquire, and the Honda NSX up for grabs at Silverstone Auctions’ sale next month has a very clear Senna link.

Top Gear 'for inner nine-yea-old'

THE BOSS of BBC hit Top Gear says the presenters' childish antics are a success because they are a "release valve" for the increasing stresses of our working lives. Executive producer Andy Wilman said the programmes helped viewers to reconnect with their nine-year-old selves because life for adults is "bloody hard". In an interview with Radio Times, he also bemoaned the constraints of the workplace, which could be seen as a swipe at the strict levels of compliance which apply to BBC TV shows.

One Lap of the Web: More McLaren P1 madness, Nissan's cute Le Mans engine and get weird in a Subaru SVX coupe

-- We drove the 2015 McLaren P1. We liked the 2015 McLaren P1. And in that sense, we've very much like Jay Leno, who toured the hypercar's hyper-futuristic factory in Woking, England before putting it through its paces on the track.

2015 Nissan GT-R: facts and figures

Last week we told you about the 2015 Nissan GT-R, which will hit dealerships later this year. The latest GT-R will cost $103,365. The all-out track version will set you back $117,305.

BMW designs 2014 US Winter Olympic team bobsleds

Every four years, the world's best athletes come together to compete in the most prestigious of all snow-based sporting events, the winter Olympics. It's about that time again. In approximately two weeks, Sochi, Russia will play host to this event, welcoming talented athletes from all corners of the Earth.

Grand National Roadster Show champ is NOT a '32 Ford!

If you think arguing politics, religion or the cuteness of your grandchildren are divisive subjects, try arguing roadsters. Even the definition can get some people hyperventilating. What is a roadster, anyway?

Bentley announces 'Home Collection'

IF YOU’VE ever fancied a slice of Bentley lifestyle in your home, you’re in luck. The Crewe-based firm has tied up with an Italian furniture builder to produce the Bentley ‘Home Collection’ of domestic and executive homeware. The pieces, says Bentley, are “an exercise in subtlety, incorporating functional performance with comfort and luxurious, sensuous quality.” And we thought it was just a range of things to sit on.

Panda Antarctica starts epic trip to Sochi Games

THE WINTER-THEMED limited-edition Fiat Panda 4x4 Antarctica has set out on an epic commute from Turin to its Winter Olympics home in Sochi, Russia. The Panda Antarctica, in association with sponsors Nokia, Nitro Snowboards and Beats by Dr Dre, began its journey last week. It’s a marketing exercise aimed at young people, who might be into fashion or winter sports and who just might buy a Panda.

Sunroof smash woman narrowly escapes injury

A WOMAN narrowly escaped serious injury last week when an unidentified object was dropped from a motorway bridge onto her car, police said. The woman, from Norfolk, was driving northwards on the M11 at around 5.15pm on Tuesday when the item was thrown from the bridge over the motorway at junction seven (Harlow). The sunroof of the black Volkswagen Golf was smashed but the woman was miraculously uninjured.

Parking wardens given ‘illegal’ bonus targets

Parking wardens are given ‘illegal’ bonuses based on the number of fines they dish out, according to an investigation by the BBC. Three London Councils are now being probed by Local Government Minister, Brandon Lewis, as a result of the BBC’s research. On Bing: see pictures of bad parking UK pays £30 million a month in parking fines Bromley Council’s parking firm Vinci reportedly paid wardens a bonus of £20 a ticket, with a target of 72,000 penalty charge notices – while Lambeth’s parking enforcement contractors NSL ‘requires’ 205,000 tickets to be issued a year.

BMW set to debut diesel 7-series in the US

While Mercedes-Benz has let us Americans buy diesel versions of its flagship sedan from time to time, BMW has kept a number of versions of the 7-series from our shores, among which are 7-series sedans with diesel engines. Well, it looks like we'll finally be getting a diesel 7-series after all, with the arrival of the 740Ld later this spring. The 740Ld will be powered by a 3.0-liter inline-six diesel engine with a single turbocharger with variable vane turbine technology, making 255-hp and 413 lb-ft of torque, and will be coupled exclusively with BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive system.

Vauhall Adam: a “smartphone on wheels”

Vauxhall The Vauxhall Adam Black Edition and Adam White Edition are now on sale; the company says that the tech-packed special-edition models were inspired by smartphones. The Adam Black Edition and Adam White Edition both come with Vauxhall’s IntelliLink infotainment and Siri voice control activation as standard. Drivers with a compatible iPhone can use the system via steering wheel controls and voice commands.

Subaru improves EyeSight for 2014

Subaru has updated its EyeSight system for future models. The system integrates adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking and vehicle lane-departure warnings. The pre-collision system can detect a vehicle in or entering a car's path, and if the driver hasn't applied the brake, the system will do so.

Labour calls for ban on in-car smoking with children

Labour has called for a ban on smoking in cars when carrying children as passengers. The proposal, as part of an amendment to the Children’s and Families Bill, will go before the House of Lords on Wednesday. On Bing: see pictures of smoking drivers Ban smoking in cars with kids?