Blog on 2040Parts

Carrera GT: Even Jay Leno can't make it funny

When I heard that one of those celebrity-based half-hour TV shows dug up the video of comedian Jay Leno spinning a Porsche Carrera GT at Talladega Superspeedway at 182 mph, I knew it would awaken some memories that resulted in emails like, “Say, weren't you there? Pretty ironic given the Paul Walker deal, huh?” Yes, huh. Man, what a strange day that was.

McLaren P1 lapping the Nurburgring in UNDER 7 minutes in stunning new video

The McLaren P1 laps the Nurburgring in under 7 minutes Ever since Ron Dennis claimed the McLaren P1 would be able to lap the Nurburgring in under seven minutes, we’ve been waiting for McLaren to prove it. It seems their initial attempts failed to get below the magic 7 minute barrier – unlike the Porsche 918 Spyder which lapped the Nurburgring in 6m 57s – but last month we reported that the P1 seemed to have achieved its goal by going 10 seconds faster than the Porsche in  an almost unbelievable 6 minutes 47 seconds. Unfortunately, we still don’t know officially just how quickly the P1 got round the Nurburgring, but we do now know that it was under 7 minutes thanks to a new video just released by McLaren.

Bugatti sell their 400th Veyron – just 50 left to go. But what next for Bugatti?

The 400th Veyron – a Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille Special Edition Bugatti may have come to rely on ‘Special Edition’ Veyrons to keep making sales, but they’re now getting close to the end of their production run. The Veyron – which debuted in 2005 – is limited to a total of 300 coupes and 150 Roadsters, and all the coupes are long gone with just the Roadsters left to finish their run, and only 50 of are those left to sell. Not surprisingly, the 400th Veyron to be sold – the latest Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille Special Edition – went to a client in the Middle East at a hefty €2.14 million which, at a rates of around one a week sold for the last eight years, means the Veyron will be consigned to the Bugatti history book by the end of 2014.

Final 2015 Ford Mustang intro of the day

After a day that started the day before in Shanghai and Sydney before progressing around the world to Barcelona, New York and Dearborn, the redesigned 2015 Ford Mustang finished the world's longest debut by driving into wet cement in front of the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, just like the movie star it is. “Mustang has starred in over 3,000 movies and television shows,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president of the Americas. Mustangs have had starring roles in such cinematic hits as diverse as "Goldfinger," "Bullitt" and "Gone in 60 Seconds." The new Mustang will get a hero role in the upcoming" Need For Speed" movie.

UK new car registrations beat 2012 total – a month early

New car registrations rose by 7% last month, the best performance in almost a decade – and a rise that has seen the total registrations for 2012 already beaten with a month still to go. 159,581 new cars were registered last month, taking the year to date total up to 2,111,819. This easily tops the 2,044,609 new cars registered in 2012.

Ford Mustang (2015) CAR inteviews the chief engineer

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 05 December 2013 05:00 The new sixth-generation Ford Mustang will be sold in the UK and Europe, as well as around the world. Ahead of its launch in the UK in 2015, we talk the Mustang's chief engineer Dave Perciak on what to expect from the new 'pony car'. How long have you been working on the sixth-generation Ford Mustang?

Virgin enters 2014 Formula E championship: worth a watch?

By Damion Smy First Official Pictures 05 December 2013 12:59 Sir Richard Branson will back a Virgin-entered car in the 2014 Formula-E championship, it's been announced today (5 December 2013). It's the ninth confirmed entry for the all-electric racing series, which gets underway in September 2014. But is this high-profile entry enough to make the championship credible to motor racing fans?

Government To Call Time On Tax Disc

THE HUMBLE tax disc is set to become a thing of the past, with Chancellor George Osborne planning to shake up the way we tax our vehicles as part of his Autumn Statement announcement. After more than 90 years affixed to British motorists' cars, the tax disc is to be scrapped and replaced with a modern electronic system. For the first time motorists will also be able to pay for their vehicle excise duty (VED) by monthly direct debit, although this will cost an extra 5%.

Ford Mustang designer Moray Callum talks to CAR

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 05 December 2013 05:00 CAR talks to Ford's executive director of design, responsible for the new 'Stang In America people have the reference point of the older car. When it goes abroad you can’t rely on that, so it needs to stand out and make its own statement. One of the challenges was to make sure everyone instantly recognised it, but also make it from the 21st century.

Tax disc to be scrapped after 93 years

David Cole | REX Features Tax discs are to be axed, chancellor George Osborne has announced in his 2013 Autumn Statement. But motorists will still pay an annual Vehicle Excise Duty (VED / road tax) fee. The round paper certificates we all currently display in our car windows have served as proof of this road tax payment since 1921.

Dacia parades machine gun-equipped Duster

THE ROMANIAN military has apparently displayed an armoured and machine gun-equipped version of the humble Dacia Duster 4x4. The army-grade Duster has been given a degree of bulletproof plating, as well as under-body armour for the most vulnerable areas like the engine and fuel tank. However, it’s the remote-controlled machine gun mounted on the roof that’s sure to raise the most eyebrows.

Early Mercedes sells for £720,000

ONE OF the oldest surviving Mercedes cars has sold at auction for an astronomical fee. The Mercedes Simplex 28/32 HPs Phaeton eventually sold for £720,000 at the Coys auction house True Greats sale in London. Still in complete and roadworthy condition, the car was reported to be in superb, drivable condition before its sale, which was the first time it had been auctioned in its near-109-year life.

Ford Mustang (2014) first official pictures

By Damion Smy First Official Pictures 05 December 2013 05:00 It’s taken fifty years, but the Ford Mustang will be officially on sale in the UK for the first time next year, sporting V8 and – gulp – four-cylinder engines. Crucially, though, the Flying Ford will be offered in right-hand drive and will come with proper, grown-up independent rear suspension. ‘In Europe we want it to be seen as a credible sports car, and second, that the Mustang and the rest of our range be held in higher opinion,’ says Ford COO Mark Fields.

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (2014) first teaser picture

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 05 December 2013 11:00 Coincidence? On the same day that Ford has revealed the new Mustang, Chevrolet has announced a new Corvette in a cheeky bid by one iconic American sports car to deflect attention away from another. Unlike the Mustang it’s not an all-new model, but instead a harder, faster, more track-focused variant of the Corvette, the new Z06.

Skoda Octavia wins 'everyday car' accolade

THE SKODA Octavia vRS has been awarded the ‘Best Everyday Car of the Year’ gong by a leading men’s lifestyle magazine. Judges on FHM’s panel were impressed by the hot Octavia’s interior space, family-friendly practicality, impressive performance and striking style. Its price also struck a chord, with an entry figure of £22,990 0n the road putting it well below less spacious alternatives.

Chevrolet Bids Farewell To Europe

AMERICAN car giant General Motors has made a surprise announcement that from 2016 its Chevrolet brand will be no more in Europe. The company has stated that it wishes to concentrate on long established brands Opel and Vauxhall instead. All is not lost, as GM will keep what it says is its ‘iconic’ models such as the Corvette, while the firm intends to focus attention on its traditional American luxury brand Cadillac ahead of a greater European push in the next few years.

Government to make UK hub for driverless cars

The government has today announced plans to make the UK a world centre for the development of driverless cars – with a £10 million cash incentive to any town or city that builds a test site for autonomous vehicles. The news comes as part of chancellor George Osborne’s 2013 Autumn Statement – alongside plans to scrap the car road tax disc and freeze fuel duty. Tax disc to be scrapped after 93 years On Bing: see pictures of driverless cars Milton Keynes is already experimenting with driverless pods – with plans to introduce a trial in 2015.

Infiniti getting more mileage out of their F1 sponsorship with the Q50 Eau Rouge Concept

The Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Concept (pictured) will debut at the Detroit Auto Show If, like Infiniti, you’re spending and arm and a leg sponsoring Red Bull in F1, you want to milk it for all it’s worth. So we’ve already seen Sebastian Vettel installed as Infiniti’s Director of Performance (we don’t expect he sits in on many board meetings) and the Infiniti FX Vettel Edition as a (not particularly) high performance version of Infiniti’s FX SUV. Now we’re getting a new model that Infiniti can hang the F1 connection on with a performance version of the Infiniti Q50 – the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Concept – teased above ahead of a debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

Chevrolet to pull out of Europe

General Motors is ‘strengthening’ its ‘European brand strategy’ by pulling Chevrolet out of mainstream markets in Western and Eastern Europe. This is ‘largely due to a challenging business model and the difficult economic situation’ – but does not mean that Chevrolet is set to disappear entirely. On Bing: see pictures of European Chevrolets Find out how much a used Chevrolet costs on Auto Trader Instead, Chevrolet ‘tailor its presence’ by offering only select ‘iconic’ vehicles from the marque’s global portfolio.

Fatal crashes halved in past decade

The number of fatal accidents has almost halved over the last decade, data from the Department for Transport reveals. In 2001 there were 3,176 fatal crashes, compared to 1,637 in 2012. On Bing: see pictures of car safety features Find out how much a used car with Electronic Stability Control costs on Auto Trader And, it’s not just fatal crashes that have seen a drop.

2014 fuel duty rise cancelled

Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed in his Autumn Statement that the proposed 2014 fuel duty increase has been cancelled. This means the scheduled 2p increase in tax on every litre of petrol will now no longer happen. On Bing: see pictures of petrol prices Tax disc to be scrapped after 93 years This fuel duty increase was due to come into effect on 1 September 2014, but thanks to savings elsewhere in public finances the government has called it off.

New world record for most cars pulled by one man

Ever had to push start a car? Not easy to get that big old lump of automobile moving, is it? Imagine trying to pull a car instead.

High Fuel Costs Forcing Drivers Off Road

THE latest AA/Populus survey released to coincide with the Government’s Autumn Statement tells us something we probably already know: high fuel prices are continuing to force drivers to use their cars less. As part of its poll of 21,587 AA members, the organisation found that 45% are cutting down on car usage and 28% are slashing family or personal budgets to compensate. Semi or unskilled workers and pensioners are cutting back most on motoring, with 53% using their cars less.

Government Highlights 'Snowball Effect' Of Drink-Driving

MILLIONS of people could lose their jobs if they were unable to drive to, or at, work through being caught drinking and driving. That’s the message behind a new Government drink-driving campaign in advance of the festive season. Keen to highlight the "snowball effect" of getting a drink-drive conviction, the campaign is hoping to register with individuals who need to be mobile for their profession, such as professional driving jobs, teachers, care workers and jobs in banks and finance.

Your chance to shape CAR Online – and win £500

By the CAR Online team 04 December 2013 12:50 Fancy winning £500? We’re looking for your views on what the CAR website should offer – and we’ll pay a cash prize to one lucky respondent. Completing the online survey is easy: it doesn’t take long to tell us how you use our site and what you like – or don’t like – about it.

Audi Confirms New Q1 Mini SUV To Be Produced From 2016

GERMAN premium car maker Audi has announced plans to launch a new, small SUV in 2016 called the Q1. Slotting in below the firm’s existing Q3 model, its hoped the Q1 will help make a significant contribution to the company’s ongoing growth and will strengthen its international competitiveness as it expands into new markets and more countries. As an illustration of the company’s desire to expand, by 2020 its product range will have grown from the current 49 models to more than 60, and will reach total unit sales of more than two million cars each year.

2014 Mitsubishi i-MiEV receives $6,130 price cut

If you thought that pure-electric cars were still too expensive to make sensible alternatives to gas or diesel cars, Mitsubishi is about to deal another blow to that notion. The electric powered i-MiEV is coming back to the U.S. for the 2014 model year, and Mitsubishi has slashed $6,135 dollars off the price.

Nissan Helps World's Strongest Man Set New World Record

THE WORLD'S strongest man, Zydrunas Savickas, set a new Guinness world record for the Most Cars Pulled By One Man when he towed 12 Nissan Notes weighing a total 12,941kg. Savickas, five-times World Strongest Man champion and widely regarded as the one of the greatest strongmen of all time, only had one attempt to set the new record. Wearing a specialised pulling harness and rope arrangement he pulled the 12 Notes over five metres, accomplishing the feat in 32.9 seconds.

Saleen announces new electric supercar

Californian tuner and sometimes supercar-builder Saleen has confirmed it is working on an all-new electric car, with plans to debut the new model in 2015. Perhaps best known for the 248mph Saleen S7 Twin Turbo, which went out of production in 2009, the firm specialises in providing performance upgrades for modern American muscle cars, including the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. On Bing: see pictures of the Saleen S7 Find out how much used muscle car costs on Auto Trader However, Saleen is keen to get into the bespoke supercar game again, and is claiming in a newly released statement that its forthcoming electric vehicle will be ‘unlike anything currently in the market place.’ Exactly what this would entail is unclear at this stage, but the Saleen is saying ‘Throw out your pre-conceived notions and expectations.

2014 Performance Car Show Ready For Action

BRITAIN’S Best Driver’s Cars will take to the Live Action Arena at the Performance Car Show, running alongside Autosport International at Birmingham’s NEC from 9-12 January. Led by supercars such as the 468bhp Porsche 911 GT3 and the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S, ten cars will parade through the 5,000-seat Live Action Arena. Also assembling in the arena will be the Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG, featuring the most powerful four-cylinder engine in production, as well as the Toyota GT86, Jaguar F-Type S, Porsche Cayman S and Ford Fiesta ST Mountune.