Blog on 2040Parts

Porsche Macan Configurator now LIVE

Porsche Macan Configurator now LIVE The new Porsche Macan – Porsche’s new ‘baby’ SUV, based on the Audi Q5 – has only just been revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but you already go ahead and spec-up your very own Macan for the UK at the new Macan Configurator. There’s a choice of all three Macan models – the Macan S, Macan S Diesel and Macan Turbo – with prices starting from £43,300 for the S and S Diesel, rising to £59,300 for the Macan Turbo. But that’s before you start adding interesting bits from the options list.

2015 Nissan GT-R first drive

What Is It? At the original Nissan GT-R debut in 2007, chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno said he would never stop developing the car. Boy, he wasn't kidding.

Drivers 'still prefer printed maps'

MOST motorists still prefer printed maps when planning car journeys, according to an AA/Populus survey. Older drivers are the least happy with sat-nav, with only 9% of over-65s ditching printed maps altogether. Overall, 63% of the 23,824 drivers polled have used a printed map in the last six months, while 60% have used an in-car sat nav.

SAIC's Mobiliant wins 2013 LA Design Challenge

SAIC has been revealed as the winner of this year's LA Design Challenge. The Chinese carmaker's entry, a single-seat urban public transit vehicle, was declared the victor after intense judging sessions took place throughout the LA auto show's second press day. The panel – which included Tom Matano, executive director, School of Industrial Design at San Francisco's Academy of Art University, and Stewart Reed, chair of Transportation Design at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design – combed through the entries, discussing their merits and how closely they fit the brief, before hearing the teams' presentations in the afternoon.

BMW i8 EV sold out until 2015

BMW i8 EV sold out until 2015 BMW’s i3 city car EV is now starting to hit the road, and the next instalment for BMW’s EV outing is the i8 Supercar, revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Sales for the i3 have started very strongly, and it looks as though the i8 has an even stronger start with BMW confirming the whole of the first year’s run if the i8 are already spoken for. That’s despite the BMW i8 starting at almost £100k in the UK, but the i8 does have a lot going for it.

Brabus kit improves diesel Mercedes power

German tuner Brabus does most of its work with big-displacement, big-power engines, mostly for Mercedes-Benz (though Smart products get the Brabus treatment from time to time as well). On Monday, it proved that it can do the same with the company’s oil burners. It’ll also sell you a Mercedes diesel with Brabus upgrades already installed.

2014 Honda Civic Tourer priced from £20,265

Order books will open next month for the 2014 Honda Civic Tourer – and surprisingly, it’ll cost more than a Volkswagen Golf. The entry-level 1.8-litre petrol will start at £20,265 – around £2,000 more than the base-spec Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf estates. But it beats them all for boot space.

'Four out of five' drivers support speed cameras

FOUR OUT OF FIVE drivers in the UK are in favour of speed cameras and think they are useful in reducing injuries on our roads. Research by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) shows 80% of British drivers supports speed cameras, though there is still scepticism about the positioning of some caemras. Half (52%) of those polled by the IAM said they did not believe speed cameras are only positioned at the sites where accidents have occurred.

Hyundai debuts 'The Walking Dead' Edition Tucson

Hyundai will be releasing "The Walking Dead" Edition Tucson soon, but it's not going to have any additions to the exterior for keeping zombies out like metal bars or mesh wire. And curiously enough, it won't even be the same color as the Tucson seen in the show. The popular AMC post-apocalyptic show's use of a light green (and surprisingly clean for a post-apocalyptic runabout) Hyundai Tucson has been well documented, keeping Rick Grimes & Co.

Brazil Grand Prix (2013): RESULT

Brazil Grand Prix (2013): RESULT The F1 drivers title is done and dusted for 2013, but Vettel, on pole for the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix, can make it nine wins in a row if he can follow the form of the last eight races. Which, of course, he did. But Vettel didn’t have it all his own way, at least from the off, with Nico Rosberg taking his Mercedes past Vettel and Hamilton pushing his past Alonso’s Ferrari.

Mercedes G63 AMG 6×6 vs G63 AMG (video)

Mercedes G63 AMG 6×6 vs G63 AMG The Mercedes G 63 AMG is a mad car in its own right (although not as mad as the G 65) and costs almost £125k before you start ticking any option boxes. But the G 63 AMG is bullet proof, will go anywhere and does come with many of the luxuries you’d rightfully expect in a £125k car, even if its on-road handling – particularly if you decide to make the most of the 5.5 litre V8 turbo’s  performance – is pretty woeful round the bends. Mad and irrational though the G 63 may be, it now has an even madder sibling – the Mercedes G 63 AMG 6×6 – which not only adds an extra axle for 6WD but comes at a price – almost £400k – that makes the G 63 seem a bargain.

2015 Honda Civic Type R previewed on video with ‘at least 276 bhp’

2015 Honda Civic Type R previewed on video with ‘at least 276 bhp’ The Honda Civic Type R has died a death as new emission regulations sounded the death knell for the high-revving naturally aspirated lump under its bonnet. But Honda are planning on bringing the Type R back to life in 2015, but rather than a VTEC engine that only wanted to really play over 5000 rpm, Honda are heading back to hot hatch goodness with a new turbo engine that promises ‘at least’ 276bhp. That should make the next Honda Civic Type R not only a lot quicker than the last Type R, but its power will be accessible much lower down the rev range and economy and emissions will be much improved.

Range Rover Long Wheelbase Autobiography Black: Los Angeles Auto Show (video)

The Range Rover Long Wheelbase Autobiography Black (pictured) revealed at Los Angeles Auto Show For many, a Range Rover is the perfect luxury car. It can go anywhere, look right for any occasion and is all the car you could ever want. So it makes sense that the Range Rover manages to compete with luxury transport like Bentley, Mercedes and Rolls Royce, but what it’s never been able to do is compete in outright luxury – and space – with LWB versions of the world’s luxury cars.

Vettel takes pole in Brazilian Grand Prix at rain-soaked Interlagos

Vettel takes pole in Brazilian Grand Prix at rain-soaked Interlagos The weather may have been horrible – with rain lashing the Interlagos track – and Sebastian Vettel may already have taken the F1 driver’s title for 2013, but the weather and the already won title made no difference. Sebastian Vettel has taken pole position for Red Bull at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The heavy rain at Interlagos managed to delay Q3, but Vettel was as impressive as he has been for the rest of the season to continue the run of Red Bull poles, followed by Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes in second and Fernando Alonso took third place, his equal best starting place this season.

Volvo V60 Polestar teased again (probably)

Volvo V60 Polestar teased again Last week we had a teaser video from Volvo of what we think is probably a proper performance version in the guise of the Volvo V60 Polestar. Now, ahead of a reveal that seems to be scheduled for Tuesday (23 rd November), Volvo and Polestar are back at the tease game with a couple of new images which still leave a bit of ambiguity, but which do seem to be pointing to a V60 Polestar. The front end of the Polestar tease (above) does seem to show a butch front end for the V60, and the interior shot shows the flappy paddles and steering wheel from the interior.

2014 Toyota Highlander Hybrid to start at $46,370

Between the sexy Jaguar F-Type Coupe and the SLS AMG Final Edition reveals at the LA Auto Show, Toyota took the wraps off its 2014 Highlander Hybrid SUV. And, like the Christopher Lambert classic, there can be only one. For 2014, the hybrid will get a small bump in price from $46,370 to $47,300, not including destination.

Nissan Juke Nismo RS (2014) hotter Juke revealed, plus Qashqai Nismo confirmed

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 22 November 2013 11:30 Nissan’s performance sub-brand, Nismo, has come out fighting. Just a day after revealing the supercar-humbling Nismo GT-R, the outfit has revealed this hotter version of the performance Juke: the Juke Nismo RS. It’s on sale in summer 2014, priced from around £22,000.

LA Motor Show: Mercedes previews fast GLA compact SUV model

MERCEDES has unveiled an almost production-ready AMG compact SUV concept with a banzai 355bhp engine. The Concept GLA 45 AMG is the German company’s vision for a rapid car to rival the upcoming Porsche Macan, which like the Mercedes was also unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Using an extremely highly-tuned four-cylinder turbocharged engine similar to that first seen in the A 45 AMG hatchback, the GLA 45 AMG produces enough muscle to fire itself to 62mph in ‘less than five seconds’, according to Mercedes.

LA Motor Show: Long-wheelbase Range Rover confirmed

A LONG-WHEELBASE Range Rover has been showcased at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Decked out in exclusive Autobiography Black specification, the LWB Range Rover has 7.3 inches more legroom for rear passengers, along with back seats that now recline by 17 degrees compared to the standard version’s eight degrees. It will be sold in the UK, but it’s expected that the main markets for the new ultra-high-end model will be the USA and China.

Subaru Cross Sport Design and Viziv Evolution concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show 2013

Subaru showed two other concepts alongside the Levorg at the Tokyo Motor Show – both of which are interesting, neither of which came with very much information. The Subaru Viziv Evolution proposes a three-motor hybrid all-wheel drive system, similar to that under development by Honda, while the Subaru Cross Sport Design concept appears to be nothing less than a shooting brake estate version of the BRZ. Who says Audi is king of the hot estates?Please click the picture above to read more about the Subaru Cross Sport Design and Viziv Evolution concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show 2013

LA Motor Show: Huge numbers define new Mercedes S 65 AMG

TWELVE cylinders, two turbochargers, 5,980 cubic centimetres, 621bhp and 738lb.ft of torque are numbers designed to catch the eye. These are the figures boasted by the new Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG, which has made its motor show debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The stats are good enough to endow the standard-bearing saloon with epic performance, including a 0-62mph time of just 4.3 seconds.

The best concepts from the Tokyo Motor Show 2013

Japan is a land famous for its futuristic gadgets, so naturally the Tokyo Motor Show is packed full of exciting and innovative concept cars. But in 2013 many of them are actually not that far from going into production. Though that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few crazy ones as well.

LA Motor Show: Jaguar F-Type coupe to cost £7,000 less than convertible

JAGUAR’S stunning new F-Type coupe will cost from £51,235 when it goes on sale in the UK in the spring. The hard-top version of a car that has already taken the motoring world by storm will add a second model variant to the line-up, aimed not just at owners of the Porsche Cayman and even the 911, but also at previous owners of Jaguar’s own XK. Jaguar has used its media event at the Tokyo motor show to announce full pricing structures, with the entry-level F-Type coupe costing more than £7,000 less than the equivalent convertible.

LA Motor Show: Porsche launches 192mph Panamera Turbo S

THE SCINTILLATING Panamera Turbo S has been launched at twin events at the Tokyo and Los Angeles motor shows. The new flagship at the top of the firm’s grand tourer line-up packs a 562bhp punch from a twin-turbocharged V8 engine mounted at the front, with drive transmitted to all four wheels via a sophisticated drive system that can shift torque to whichever wheels can best use it. Displaying true supercar pace, the Turbo S can catapult to 62mph in just 3.8 seconds on the way to a top speed of 192mph.

Daihatsu Kopen concept: changeable body panels

Wondering what all the fuss is about the interchangeable body panels on the new Daihatsu Kopen concept at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show? Hopefully this will help it make a little more sense. As you can see from our montage image, Daihatsu has designed the Kopen concept with a kind of non-structural spaceframe.

LA Motor Show: Honda brings mass-volume hydrogen power closer

HONDA has showcased its next generation hydrogen fuel cell technology, which is the first to fit entirely within a traditional engine bay. A 60% increase in energy density and a 33% reduction in size have jointly allowed the creation of the new Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) concept, which has a range of roughly 300 miles and can be refuelled in about three minutes. With all its components in a single location, the FCEV benefits from huge freedom in design for the rest of the car.

LA Motor Show: Ford Edge spin-off headed for Europe

FORD HAS given European audiences an unusual teaser by revealing its new Edge large SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show, before adding that it will come to Europe - with as-yet unconfirmed changes. The car is officially only a concept, as evidenced by the wild interior design. The exterior, however, has been tipped by Ford insiders to be more or less production-ready for North America.

LA Motor Show: New Subaru WRX gets downsized engine

SUBARU has revealed a production-ready version of the WRX concept first seen earlier this year. The latest edition of the performance saloon may not be coming to the UK at all, but Subaru has finally given the 268bhp machine the go-ahead for Japan and North America. A new 2.0-litre ‘boxer’ engine carries on the brand’s tradition, bringing with it the same low centre of gravity as the old 2.5-litre unit but with greater environmental credentials.

LA Motor Show: Maserati begins new era

MASERATI has kicked off a new era of brand activity with the arrival of its Ghibli compact luxury saloon. The company’s stand at the Los Angeles Auto Show launched a new slogan and philosophy, called ‘the absolute opposite of ordinary’, to journalists ahead of the show’s public opening. The Ghibli will spearhead the new initiative, which sets out the company’s stall for the foreseeable future as it tries to carve a bolder new path to create bigger waves in the luxury car world.

LA Motor Show: Subaru previews fifth-generation Legacy

SUBARU has showcased its new Legacy concept, which strongly hints at the future styling of the brand’s marquee model. At the Los Angeles Auto Show Subaru took the wraps off the preview model ahead of the fifth generation Legacy’s expected launch in 2014, when it will celebrate its 25th anniversary. The company trademarks of a Boxer horizontally-opposed engine and mechanical permanent all-wheel drive will remain, giving the Legacy a degree of sure-footedness that few, if any, rivals can beat.