Blog on 2040Parts

One in five suffers 'car envy'

DRIVERS in the UK are more likely to give way to classic or unusual cars such as a Citroen 2CV or Volkswagen Beetle, but one in five also admits they are less likely to be courteous to large 4x4s due to car envy, according to a survey. Nearly a half (47%) of UK motorists say they leave more space between their car and the one in front if the car ahead is driven by an elderly driver. Others (5%) admit to trying to slow down boy racers if they see the driver is wearing a baseball cap and is a young male.

Lister Knobbly back on track

Lister The Lister Knobbly - one of the most famous British racing cars of the 1950s - is now available to buy new, with prices starting from £249,000 for track-only versions and £259,000 for road car derivatives. Lister Cars was founded by George Lister in 1954 and its Jaguar-based ‘Lister Knobbly’ race cars were among the most competitive cars in motor racing during the late 1950s. In May 2013 three existing companies - George Lister Engineering of Cambridge, Brian Lister Light Engineering and Lister Storm – were amalgamated following investment by Warranty Wise to create Lister Motor Company Limited.

Octavia Greenline hits new fuel economy high

BUSINESS users on a budget have been given some good news with the announcement of a fuel-sipping new Skoda Octavia Greenline. Thanks to its inherently lighter third-generation chassis, the spacious Octavia is now capable of 88.3mpg in EU standard tests, which corresponds to just 85g/km of CO2. The amazing figures put the car on an emissions par with the likes of the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion and even the supermini Kia Rio 1.1 diesel.

The most expensive Lincoln MKC is under $50k

One of the things that's fun about online "build and price" tools is picking a car, choosing all the most expensive options, then standing back in stunned amazement at the price of the car you've built. "HOLY COW! A $280,000 PORSCHE BOXSTER.

Happy Anniversary: delivery-mileage Lamborghini Countach for sale

Just when you think you've seen it all, along comes a delivery mileage Lamborghini Countach that has been sat 'resting' in a storage facility since April 1990. And although it would be rather amusing to report the supercar had been discovered during an episode of Storage Wars, the reality is a little different. The Countach is the car that graced the bedroom walls of countless young boys in the 1980s, condemning the Ferrari poster to the waste paper bin.

'Project paradise' up for grabs

IT COULD be project paradise for keen car owners this month, when a series of fabulous cars in need of restoration go under the hammer. The Anglia Car Auctions Classic event will take in project cars from across the decades, with one amazing lot more than 100 years old. There are sought-after Alfa Romeos, including a 1978 Alfasud that was raced by former British Touring Car champion Steve Soper and a 1988 Spider, the latter of which has an estimate of just £500.

Meeke Makes Magic Monte Debut

A LITTLE over a decade since a Brit last stood on the podium in Monte Carlo, works Citroen driver Kris Meeke finished the opening round of the 2014 World Rally Championship in third place. After enduring rain, snow and challenging road conditions, Meeke finished an impressive third in his DS3 rally car behind 2013 champion and Monte winner Sebastien Ogier’s Volkswagen Polo and local hero and Ford privateer Bryan Bouffier. The dream result comes after Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle were handed a full works drive by the ultra successful Citroen team at the end of last year.

Google Glasses driver has ticket torn up

An American driver who was fined for driving while wearing Google Glasses has had the ticket torn up. Cecilia Abadie was stopped by police in California who said the Google Glass digital spectacles fell foul of laws banning drivers from watching TV when behind the wheel. Woman ticketed for driving with Google Glasses On Bing: see pictures of Google Glass However, Abadie claimed the Glasses were not switched on – and do not give drivers any blind spots.

Average cost of car insurance down 12.5%

The average cost of insurance is now 12.5% lower than it was a year ago, thanks to new EU rules on gender equality. That’s according to over four million quotes analysed on Confused.com. On Bing: see pictures of male drivers Women and car insurance – all the facts The rules, introduced at the end of 2012, said a person’s gender shouldn’t affect their insurance premium.

McLaren F1 GTR Longtail sells at Gooding & Co for $5.28 million

McLaren F1 GTR Longtail (pictured) sells at Gooding & Co for $5.28 million Even with the arrival of the new McLaren P1, the ultimate supercar is still the McLaren F1. The McLaren F1 is one of rarest of the more modern supercars, and McLaren produced just 64 road going F1s in addition to a number of racing versions, with the F1 GTR Longtail the last, and rarest, of the breed. So the arrival of a McLaren F1 GTR Longtail on the auction block at Gooding & Co’s sale in Scottsdale raised expectations of a possible record-breaking price for the GTR Longtail, with pre-sale estimates putting the price between $5 and $7 million.

First 2015 retail Mustang goes for $300K

Compared to your typical Barrett-Jackson collector car auction price, $300,000 might not seem like too much--a 1967 Corvette went for $3.8 million. But with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, $300,000 doesn't sound too shabby. On Saturday, the winning bidder ended up dishing out $300k for the first 2015 retail Ford Mustang GT, about 10 times the actual price.

Callaway's Supercharged Corvette Stingray packs 610-hp

Callaway has debuted their supercharged version of the Chevrolet Corvette dubbed SC610, which should provide an intriguing alternative to the the 2015 Corvette Z06. SC of course stands for supercharged, with 610 being the horsepower figure. That's right, Callaway has squeezed out an extra 155-hp and 96 lb-ft of torque out of the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 powering the C7 Corvette, for a total of 610-hp and 55 lb-ft of torque.

Nissan Leaf tops 100,000 sales

Nissan has delivered the 100,000th Leaf to a customer in the U.K., reaching a milestone for the pure electric car that seems to be leaving other EVs in its wake. Now, the pure electric Leaf is on sale in 35 countries on four continents, and it has captured 45 percent market share for pure electric vehicles. Amy Eichenberger of Charlottesville, Va., was the 99,999th Nissan Leaf buyer, picking out a Glacier White example at her local dealership for her 10-mile daily commute.

Skoda Octavia Hatch GreenLine arrives offering 88.3mpg – price from £20,150

Skoda Octavia Hatch GreenLine (pictured) promises 88.3mpg Even though official economy figures from car makers are, at best, disingenuous, they still serve, to a degree, and an indicator of a car’s relative economy. So the arrival of the Skoda Octavia Hatch GreenLine in Skoda’s UK showrooms with official economy figures of 88.3 mpg and emissions of just 85g/km, makes it an appealing offering for cost conscious private and fleet buyers. The Octavia Greenline Hatch  looks pretty much the same as any other Octavia, so you won’t be driving a car that shouts ‘I’m a cheapskate’, but you will get extra eco stuff like low rolling resistance tyres on 16″ Velorum alloys to give you the best chance of getting close to the official economy figures.

CAR Most Wanted of 2014: Mini Cooper S

By the CAR editorial team First Official Pictures 20 January 2014 14:00 The styling of the new Mini Cooper generated huge debate when we revealed the new hatch on CAR Online late last year. Some of you hated the bulbous, high-shouldered look, while others criticised the stylists for not moving the game on far enough next to rivals like the Citroen DS3 and Audi A1. The dust is still settling on that front, but there can be no argument over just how important the new Cooper is not just for Mini, but BMW’s future too.

New British sports car brand on the horizon

A REAL automotive rarity has occurred with the announcement that a new low-volume British sports car brand will reveal an initial concept car in April. David Brown Automotive will be set up along the same lines as Morgan, with the aim of recapturing the past glory of British sports cars but using modern materials, reliable mechanicals and up-to-date luxuries. Such ventures have been tried before, with very mixed results, but owner and financial backer David Brown is confident that the first model, codenamed ‘Project Judi’, will succeed.

Legendary photographer Jim Marshall to receive Trustees Award

We're big Jim Marshall fans around here. We've loved his music photography for years. Looking for reasons to run his art, we hired Marshall to shoot behind the scenes at the 2005 Indy 500 (Salute to Tradition, June, 20, 2005), and we had him shoot the Nissan GT-R's creation in 2007 (Bringing a Star to Life, 12/24/2007).

Half of 60th anniversary Lister Jaguars sold out

If you fall into the Generation X demographic, born somewhere about 1961 to 1981, you might have never seen anything from the Lister car company. You might have never pined for a Lister. You might not know that the company returned as Lister Cars Ltd in 1986.

Skoda announces 88mpg low emission Octavia

Skoda has launched an ultra-green version of its Octavia hatch, which emits just 85g/km CO2 and achieves 88.3mpg. The Skoda Octavia GreenLine is powered by a 1.6-litre TDI CR 110hp diesel engine and, thanks to its low emissions, qualifies for free road tax. Find out how much a used Skoda Octavia costs on AutoTrader On Bing: see pictures of the Skoda Octavia GreenLine Packed with eco-technologies such as low rolling resistance tyres inflated to a higher pressure than normal, the Octavia GreenLine attracts a BIK rate of 13%, making it highly-affordable for many company car users as well.

McLaren F1 GTR sells for record amount in Scottsdale

One of the most successful McLaren F1 GTR race cars sold at the Gooding & Co. Scottsdale auction over the weekend, bringing in $5.28 million. This 1997 F1 GTR is one of 10 longtail cars built for the 1997 FIA GT season, and it's one of only 28 made in GTR-competition specification.

London black cabs to go 100% green by 2018

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced plans this week that will require all new London taxis to be zero-emission capable from 1 January 2018. The Mayor was speaking at Transport for London's 'New Taxis for London', an event where he met five manufacturers currently developing vehicles designed to meet the new requirements. Boris Johnson has previously pledged to make the capital an Ultra Low Emission Zone by 2020, although some have argued that it needs to come sooner than that.

TV's Jamelia fined and banned from driving

LOOSE WOMEN star Jamelia has told of her regret after she was fined and banned from the road for driving without insurance. The presenter and singer - whose hits include Superstar - was penalised by magistrates in Redditch, Worcestershire, this week, after they heard that she had thought the online policy would be automatically renewed. She said that she was "horrified" to find she was not properly insured and warned others to be vigilant about their insurance arrangements to avoid the same mistake.

Nissan LEAF reaches 100,000 sales

Nissan has celebrated 100,000 sales of its Nissan Leaf by decorating one in coins. Built in the UK, the Nissan LEAF was launched in 2010, and has since become the bestselling electric car worldwide. Find out how much a used Nissan LEAF costs on Auto Trader On Bing: see pictures of the Nissan LEAF To celebrate the 100,000th sale, Nissan has produced a one-off version of the LEAF, decorated in 50,000 two pence Sterling coins from the UK and 50,000 two cent Euro coins from Europe.

A Fine Day For Birmingham Police

POLICE in Birmingham have discovered they are not immune from traffic fines, after figures released by West Midlands Police show that local law enforcement have fallen foul of the city’s tough stance on bus lane offenders. In a hard-line approach, which had drawn criticism from some drivers, Birmingham City Council put up new signs on existing bus lanes in the heart of the city barring all other vehicles from using them and enforcing the rule with traffic cameras to catch the culprits who flout the ban. As a result, a reported 60,000 fines were issued by the end of last year following the scheme's launch in September, with police drivers accounting for 408 of those transgressions and individual drivers responsible for payment of the fine.

Video: A look inside CATLY's studio walls and Toyota FT-1 concept development

Motor Trend has taken a look inside the studio walls of CALTY to produce a documentary of the design development of a star of last week's Detroit auto show, the Toyota FT-1 concept. Toyota's Californian design studio has been responsible for some of the company's best recent work including the Lexus LF-LC concept. In this episode of Downshift, Motor Trend spoke to some of those behind the FT-1's design – Kevin Hunter, CALTY Research president, studio chief designer Alex Shen and William Chergosky, interior chief designer.

Motorists to set own speed limits in Australia?

You can always rely on the subject of speed limits to result in a heated debate. We only need highlight the recent furore over the government’s plans to introduce a 60mph limit on a 32-mile section of the M1 to make our point. But how about a scenario where you, the motorist, select the appropriate speed limit?

Google Glass driver cleared by court

A WOMAN WHO WAS ARRESTED for driving while wearing Google's new computer-in-glasses device has been cleared of wrongdoing by a court in California. The San Diego traffic court threw out a citation against Cecilia Abadie, with commissioner John Blair ruling she was not guilty because the offence for which was ticketed requires proof that the device was in use. Mr Blair found there was no proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

England's first motorway pub set to open

The British motorway network has a history of firsts. The first motorway was famously the eight-mile stretch of Preston bypass, which opened on the 5 December 1958. Then came the first motorway services at Watford Gap in November 1959.

Deloitte interviews 677 'millenials,' concludes they're broke

Until artisanal, sustainable, locally sourced craft-beer bars can upend themselves from their Brooklyn brownstones and directly to your Park Slope loft entrance, it turns out that today's youthful generation will still need to buy cars to get places. In fact, they might even be picky about what they spend time in, which means that young people, even "millennials," are doing research on cars and forming their own opinions as smart consumers. Hey, doesn't that sound familiar?

Shell says petrol cars to die out by 2070

The end of the petrol-engined car is nigh, or so says Shell, in its latest New Lens Scenarios report. But don’t worry, there’s no need to panic just yet. The oil giant is predicting the end won’t come until 2070.