Blog on 2040Parts

Up to 1.2 million motorists unaware they’re over the drink-drive limit

Research from LV= car insurance has revealed research that suggests in the past two years, a staggering 1.2 million motorists have driven ‘the morning after’ whilst still over the drink-drive limit. The news comes as police forces and anti-drink-drink campaigners prepare for their busiest time of the year, with Christmas historically leading to a peak in drink-driving arrests. On Bing: see pictures of drink-driving Drink driving deaths UP by 25% Many drivers blatantly choose to ignore the drink-drive limit, whilst others are seemingly unaware of how long it takes for alcohol to leave the body.

Cabbies urged to keep crime watch

TAXI DRIVERS are being urged to report crimes they spot while driving through the streets of London. The London Taxi Watch initiative aims to persuade drivers to pass on information to Crimestoppers anonymously. It is hoped that the nature of their job will enable them to alert the authorities to suspicious behaviour.

Nissan LEAF owners to get FREE ICE car loans and recharging in the UK

Nissan LEAF owners to get FREE ICE car loans and recharging in the UK We’ve long been of the opinion that an electric car – assuming you’re prepared to fork out the silly amount of money they cost – is a great second car. After all, for short journey’s in your local are – off to the shops, picking the kids up from school, out to dinner – an EV is perfect. But it can’t replace a proper ICE car when it comes to driving further afield (something the motor industry, in general, agree with).

Toyota & Lexus open eBay Stores for parts and accessories

Toyota & Lexus open eBay Stores for parts and accessories Toyota has taken both the Toyota and Lexus brand in to the world’s biggest marketplace – eBay – with new Lexus and Toyota stores designed to supply genuine parts and accessories to a wider audience. Toyota say that the new eBay Stores are designed to complement the existing dealer network supply of parts and accessories, and the prices charged will be the same as a dealer. What the eBay stores will do, however, is offer parts and accessories for older Toyota and Lexus cars – up to eight years old – which Toyota say will reach a wider audience than their dealers manage.

Volvo's research proves car design invokes basic human emotions

Car design and human emotion are inexorably linked, according to new research from Volvo. The experiment, conducted in collaboration with Electroencephalographic (EEG) specialists Myndplay, tested respondents to analyse how the brain reacts emotionally to car design amongst other things. Participants were asked to rate a series of images whilst wearing an EEG headset that measured brainwave activity.

More than half of young drivers use smartphones while driving

Rex, Image Braker More than half of young drivers use their smartphone while driving, new research reveals. It’s a worrying sign that distractions behind the wheel are becoming more prevalent in an increasingly connected society. Despite almost 90% of young people claiming to get annoyed when they see someone else using a phone behind the wheel, 50% admit to reading text messages while driving.

Police catch morning-after drivers

POLICE are catching more "morning after" drink-drivers, according to latest figures. The number of people arrested for drink-driving between 6am and 8am rose nearly 4% between 2011 and 2012, police statistics published by car insurance company LV showed. A further survey of 1,688 drivers showed that 3% had driven while over the legal limit the morning after a drinking session in the last two years.

Royal Mail gives prize of a lifetime

A CLASSIC CAR fan received the special delivery of a lifetime when the Royal Mail posted him a Jaguar E-type.Kevin Matthews, 43, was selected to receive the classic sports car through the post as the winner of a competition run by the Royal Mail to celebrate its British Auto Legends stamp collection. Mr Matthews said: ‘I just can't believe it. It's like Christmas has come early, I am so overwhelmed.’ Royal Mail issued its British Auto Legends Special Stamps to celebrate some of the most stylish British motor vehicles that are revered throughout the world.

Motorists still not switched on to electric cars

Renault A new survey of 3,000 British motorists suggests there is still a long way to go before electric cars become a serious purchasing choice for the majority, with many saying the government isn’t doing enough to promote them. According to the latest Auto Trader Owner’s Guide, only 1% of UK drivers own what it calls an Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV). The poll also illustrates some significant age and gender divides, and shows that price continues to be a serious hindrance to more environmentally friendly motoring.

Volkswagen creates driving style-linked music app

VOLKSWAGEN has created a new smartphone that improvises its own music based on how the car is being driven. Working with British electronic musicians Underworld, Volkswagen has built the experimental ‘Play the Road’ app to help celebrate the launch of the seventh generation Golf GTI. It works by connecting to the car and using its own in-built accelerometer to analyse speed, engine revs, steering, throttle and braking inputs and the urgency of each to create a unique, ever-changing music that ranges from serene background chillout vibes to fast-paced electronica.

Study proves men prefer cars to women

MEN FEEL more emotion when looking at beautiful car design than they do when looking at beautiful women, new research has discovered. To coincide with the launch of its new Concept Coupe, Volvo carried out the study to see exactly what makes men and women tick when it comes to aesthetics. Images of the Concept Coupe, which has been designed to create a much more ‘expressive’ link to potential customers’ emotions, were shown to individuals who were wearing brain activity-measuring equipment in sequence with images of old or ‘ugly’ cars, crying and happy babies, plus images of people traditionally considered to be ‘beautiful’.

Current MINI Hatch production ends

MINI has built over 1 million examples of the second-generation MINI Hatch, but now the very last one has left the production line in Oxford. It will soon be replaced by an all-new – and much larger – third-generation MINI Hatch, which was launched to the press and public at the Oxford Plant on 18 November 2013. New 2014 MINI revealed in pictures On Bing: see pictures of the MINI Hatch Unlike Lamborghini, which announced the end of Gallardo production earlier this week, MINI has neglected to tell us what kind of Hatch the final model was.

BMW i3 EV only scores 4 stars in Euro NCAP test

BMW i3 EV only scores 4 stars in Euro NCAP test The new BMW i3 is selling well and looks to be a good buy if you do lots of driving in congested urban environments. It offers a decent amount of proper BMW goodness and probably has enough range – even without the optional range-extender engine – to cover most urban drivers’ daily needs. But it seems there is one area the i3 doesn’t come up trumps and that’s for safety – in particular pedestrian safety – scoring a disappointing four stars in the latest round of Euro NCAP testing.

Lamborghini Cabrera: The tease begins

Lamborghini Cabrera: The tease begins Just yesterday, we reported that the very last Lamborghino Gallardo had rolled off the production line in Sant’Agata Bolognese after a ten year reign. And Lamborghini are wasting no time whetting appetites for the Gallardo, with a new website launched to tease its replacement, complete with a ‘start’ button to hear the new V10 roar and instructions to “Listen to your instinct – Discover the roar of the new creature from Lamborghini”. That replacement is probably going to be called the Lamborghini Cabrera, which we’ve been expecting to debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.

Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid qualifies for £5,000 taxpayer incentive

Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid qualifies for £5,000 taxpayer incentive When Porsche revealed the first facelift for the Panamera back in April, they also revealed the Panamera S E-Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid with the power of a V8 and the fuel consumption of a city car. It’s a brilliant demonstration of how car makers have worked their way round the daft CO2 tax regimes designed to strangle the marketplace for powerful, luxury cars by using technology to attain far lower official emissions figures than ever. In the case of the Panamera S E-Hybrid that means a plug-in hybrid with a 94bhp electric motor to boost the power from the 3.0 litre V6 to 410bhp.

Lamborghini Gallardo production ends as its replacement is trailed

No sooner has the death knell finished tolling for the now departed Lamborghini Gallardo – the firm’s best-selling model ever – the Italian supercar manufacturer is already teasing the Gallardo’s replacement. On a new website – Hexagonproject.com – Lambo is revealing "the roar of its new creature," which is thought to be called the Cabrera. On Bing: see pictures of the Lamborghini CabreraFind out how much a used Lamborghini Gallardo costs on Auto Trader Lamborghini is keeping its cards very close to its chest, and the Hexagon Project website doesn’t really reveal any information on the new car.

Range Rover debuts long-wheelbase version at LA Auto Show

Look out 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-class and BMW 7 series. And you too, Lexus LS There's a new limo in town, and it's the long-wheelbase Range Rover. In previous years we've noticed that Range Rovers have become a popular alternative to traditional plutobarges, and lately Land Rover has noticed this as well.

TFL to get more poweres over roads

GREATER POWERS will be given to Transport for London to enforce road alterations after legislation finally cleared parliament. TfL and London borough councils will also be able to ensure builders' skips are properly lit and make developers pay for any damage they cause to roads or footpaths. But the changes, contained in the London Local Authorities and Transport for London (No.2) Bill, have taken exactly six years to pass through parliament.

Mazda MX-5 with 270hp launched by BBR

The MX-5 has always lacked one thing: power. But now, British tuner BBR is launching a turbocharged MX-5 that produces 270hp and is capable of reaching 60mph in less than 5 seconds. Based on a 2013 Mazda MX-5 2.0-litre Sport Tech Roadster Coupe, the BBR GT270 will reach 60mph in 4.9 seconds and hit an electronically limited top speed of 150mph.

Renault working on 141mpg plug-in hybrid concept

Renault is working on a 141mpg plug-in hybrid concept car, according to Renault head of research, advanced studies and materials, Remi Bastien. Speaking to MSN Cars at Renault’s recent ‘Innovations’ event – showcasing the French manufacturer’s new technology that will underpin its next-generation models – Bastien revealed the new car will make its debut in 2014. On Bing: see pictures of Renaults Find out how much a used Renault costs on Auto Trader This means the ‘2l/100km’ concept car will likely make its first public appearance at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, alongside the firm’s new rear-engined Twingo city car.

BMW i3 gets four-star Euro NCAP safety rating

BMW’s i3 electric city car has scored a four-star Euro NCAP safety rating in the latest round of crash testing by the European car safety body. Although the i3 recorded strong results in the adult and child occupant protection categories, it missed out on a maximum five-star score due to weaker showings in the pedestrian protection and safety assist classes. On Bing: see pictures of the BMW i3Find out how much a used BMW costs on Auto Trader This is somewhat surprising as the BMW i3 features cutting edge technology in the city car sector, including a strong but lightweight carbonfibre body shell.

Honda’s Uni-Cub Beta review from Tokyo

Japan – the land of crazy gadgets, of that there is little doubt. But the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show was surprisingly highly focused on proper, viable products instead of pie-in-the-sky futurism. Which is not to say there weren’t some intriguing exceptions.

Eagle Low Drag GT picks up where Jaguar E-Type left off

The one staple of any Jaguar E-Type article is a reference to Enzo Ferrari calling it “the most beautiful car ever made.” And we get it, that's high praise from a man who brought us some of the world's best-performing cars. A British company called Eagle specializes in the rolling sculptures, repairing and restoring using modern techniques. The latest offering from Eagle is the Low Drag GT.

EU new car CO2 targets pushed back

The European Union’s plans to cap new cars to 95g/km CO2 by 2020 has been delayed, after months of lobbying led by Germany. Instead, the 95g/km target will be introduced a year later in 2021, but with an additional amount of flexibility intended to make the transition easier – especially for luxury carmakers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which generally build bigger, heavier vehicles. Stricter CO2 rules will save drivers cash Top 10 most economical cars The new compromise, agreed on Tuesday (26 November 2013) and set to be presented to EU diplomats on Friday (29 November 2013), changes the rules on ‘supercredits’ – which allow manufacturers claim extra credit for especially low emissions cars, such as all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Volvo asks: Can science measure how car design makes you feel?

Can science measure how car design makes you feel? That's the question Volvo designers and neuroscientists have been trying to answer using Electroencephalographic (EEG) machines to measure the emotional response to the Volvo Concept Coupé's design, amongst other things. The results will be revealed tomorrow during a Google Hangout featuring Volvo's exterior design chief Maximilian Missoni and neuropsychologist Dr.

One Lap of the Web: new imports, old imports

-- The 1956 Maserati A6G-2000 Allemano is as beautiful as it is rare, and if Jay Leno didn't take one for a spin in this video, we probably wouldn't see one until next year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. -- Simon Cowell (of Simon Cowell fame) bought a Bugatti Veyron three years ago because a friend told him its a good idea, and he's driven it a total of two times since. Not driven it at its maximum speed, but just driven period.

'27% would drive into floodwater'

A DEVIL-MAY-CARE attitude amongst drivers is commonplace when it comes to flooded roads, according to a survey. Nearly 2% would ignore a road-closed sign, while 42% would blindly follow the vehicle in front if it managed to cross a flooded road successfully, the poll shows. Around a quarter of drivers (27%) would attempt to go through moving floodwater nearly 12in (30cm) deep, according to the Populus survey conducted for the Environment Agency and the AA.

Charles Morgan to build rival cars

Sacked Morgan boss Charles Morgan is to set up new sports car company that he says will rival the 104-year-old British car manufacturer that bears his family name and recently dismissed him. In a report in the Telegraph, Charles is quoted as saying his new company will “build on the innovation and heritage of my grandfather”. On Bing: see pictures of Morgan cars Find out how much a used Morgan costs on Auto Trader The news comes less than a month after Morgan lost his appeal against his dismissal from the Malvern carmaker his family set up in 1909.

Approved mechanics essential for quality service

DRIVERS need to make sure their car is being properly serviced by a qualified mechanic, says the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI). To help drives do this, it has launched a government-backed scheme called the Professional Register. While there are around 175,000 people in the UK who call themselves automotive technicians, the IMI says it can only recommend around 27,000 as having the required skills and competence to carry out work to the required standard in their specialism.

'Drivers determine cycling safety'

HIGH-VIS clothing on cyclists does not deter drivers from performing the "most dangerous" overtakes, scientists say. Between 1% and 2% of drivers pass "dangerously close" to cyclists when overtaking, regardless of what they are wearing, a study found. The average gap left by a driver overtaking a cyclist has shrunk over the past few decades from 179cm in 1979 to 118cm in 2013.