Blog on 2040Parts

Best petrol price falls since 2008

MOTORISTS are enjoying the biggest fall in petrol prices since the credit crunch days of 2008. But the AA has warned that a further dip in prices is unlikely. Average petrol prices in the UK fell 5.49p a litre between mid September and mid-October - the biggest monthly fall since the 11.5p petrol price collapse in November 2008, the AA said.

Charles Morgan to appeal ousting by Morgan board (2013)

By Ollie Kew Motor Industry 18 October 2013 17:00 Charles Morgan, who was ousted by the Morgan Motor Company's board this week after a decade at the marque, has released a statement reacting to his forced departure, and confirming his intention to fight the decision. You can read the statement in its entirety below. Charles Morgan has posted a single entry on a personal blog, outlining his dismay at the decision, and announcing he will appeal against the board.

Man drove for 40 years without a licence

A MOTORIST is facing prosecution for driving without a licence for almost 40 years, traffic police have said. The unnamed driver was also found to have no insurance when pulled over by members of the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) in Birmingham. A police spokesman said the motorist was stoppedin the Nechells area of the city at 9.40am on Thursday.

Remote areas may get fuel duty cut

REMOTE RURAL areas in Scotland, North Yorkshire and Devon could benefit from a 5p-per-litre fuel duty cut, under plans put forward by ministers. The Government has applied to the European Commission to vary the duty rates in 10 towns across Britain. Discounts have never been permitted on the mainland before, although they are already in place for the Scottish islands, Isles of Scilly and other island communities in Europe.

Lamborghini Veneno roadster leaked in pictures

The insane Lamborghini Veneno has spawned a roadster version, if Internet rumors and pictures are to be believed. Rumors of the roadster surfaced back in July, when CEO Stephan Winkelmann told Car and Driver that a convertible Veneno will be produced and sold at price near $4.5 million. We're hearing that it may actually carry a price tag of around $5.3 million.

Limited Edition MINI Countryman and MINI Paceman get Frozen Black Metallic Matt paint

MINI Paceman (pictured) with the new Frozen Black Matt paint job Matt paint finishes are not exactly everyone’s cup of tea, but for those with deep pockets – buying expensive cars – they’ve been an option for a while. And now BMW are extending their Matte paint finishes to MINI, with limited editions of the MINI Countrymnan and MINI Paceman being offered with the special Frozen Black Metallic Matt paint job. The Matt paint – which is textured and shimmers – certainly gives the MINI a new look and will be available on MINI Cooper S Countryman, MINI Cooper SD Countryman, MINI Cooper S Paceman, MINI Cooper SD Paceman, MINI John Cooper Works Countryman and MINI John Cooper Works Paceman.

BMW 1 Series dead in US after 2013

With its successor set to bow at the Detroit Auto Show in a couple of months' time, word's come down from BMW that 2013 will indeed be the end of the line for the BMW 1 Series — at least in the US. It will remain available elsewhere in the world as a three-door and five-door hatch. The coupe and convertible, meanwhile, are being replaced by the 2 Series, in convention with BMW's new naming scheme.

Corvette-powered Karmas coming in 2014

VL Automotive, a Detroit venture backed by former General Motors' vice chairman Bob Lutz, is moving ahead with plans to convert Fisker Karma from hybrid power to Corvette power. Lutz told Automotive News on Thursday that the company has bought 25 unsold Karmas and has settled a dispute with an Asian investor that prevented VL from accessing the codes that operate the Karma's infotainment system. "Without getting those codes, it was close to impossible to get a working car," Lutz said.

Lamborghini Veneno Roadster makes its first appearance

The first photo of the Lambnorghini Veneno Roadster Back in July we exclusively revealed plans for a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster, and it looks like it’s almost here after the first photos leaked on to the Interwebs. The Veneno Roadster – the roofless version of the Veneno which debuted at Geneva in March – is the next instalment in Lamborghini’s on-going mission to sell titivated versions of its regular cars at very silly money. Under the titivated and extreme exterior of theVeneno Roadster lies a Lamborghini Aventador, but the price for turning an Aventador Roadster in to a Veneo Roadster is mad – the Veneno Roadster looks set to cost €3.3 million plus tax – enough for ten Aventadors.

Insane £2.8m Lamborghini Veneno Roadster: in pictures

One of the reassuring things about the, uh, extraordinary Lamborghini Veneno that debuted at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show was that Lamborghini would only build three of them. So the chances of it actually poking your eye out were really rather slim. Now though, Lamborghini has confirmed it will also build the even more astonishing Veneno Roadster pictured above.

Amazing garage-find Jaguars to be auctioned

TWO REMARKABLE Jaguars that were found abandoned in separate garages are to be sold at auction. A 1961 E-Type, one of the earliest ever made and confirmed as chassis number 40, was discovered just a few weeks ago in a garage near Le Mans by Coys auction house, which will also complete the sale. The car hasn’t moved since it was left in the garage in 1974, although Coys claims the engine was last started five years ago and it still turns over freely.

Police officer's special delivery

A POLICE OFFICE helped to deliver a baby girl in a London car showroom after being flagged down by the father. The heavily pregnant woman was being driven to hospital by her partner around 1pm yesterday when they realised the baby was about to arrive. Her partner pulled over next to Metropolitan Police transport officer Robert Morgan, who was dealing with a vehicle close to the Mercedes Benz showroom in Newham.

Lamborghini Veneno Roadster (2013) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 18 October 2013 11:00 If you missed out on the original limited edition run of three Lamborghini Venenos, you’re in luck. Lamborghini has announced a roofless Roadster version as part of the brand’s continued 50th anniversary celebrations – and plans to build up to nine examples, depending on demand. However, at €3.3m (£2.8m) – plus local taxes – the Veneno Roadster is ten times more expensive than the Aventador Roadster on which it’s based.

Name the new Viper color, win a trip to Daytona

Chrysler and SRT are giving fans a chance to name a new color for the Viper sports car. Beginning today, enthusiasts can go to driveSRT.com/colorcontest to check out the rules and enter. The grand-prize winner gets a trip to Daytona Beach, Fla., for the 2014 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and the opportunity to spend time with the Viper Design team over the weekend.

Volvo develops new energy storage technology

Volvo is looking to make heavy batteries in electric vehicles a thing of the past, unveiling a new technology still under development that could use the body panels of the vehicle to store energy. Everyone knows that right now one of the biggest technological limiting factors of electric vehicles are the batteries. They can be damaged through depletion, they add weight, they use expensive and polluting technologies to manufacture, and they just don't hold as much energy as we'd like.

Volvo consign normal car batteries to the history book

Volvo consign normal car batteries to the history book by using body panels for storage As our cars become more and more reliant on power from batteries – either to run the multitude of technology or top provide power for electric motors – the cost and size of the batteries needed continues to grow. But Volvo have been working an an alternative for the last 3.5 years which can potentially do away with the battery and instead store power in body panels. Volvo has built an experimental S80 which has body panels made of carbon fibre and polymer resins and structural super capacitors.

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG review notes

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: The SL-class was my favorite Mercedes for a long, long time -- probably until the SLS AMG debuted. But there's something about this body style that doesn't quite look right anymore. The front still looks great: a little blockier, but cool.

Morgan to fight car firm ousting

A FORMER SPORTS CAR chief has vowed to fight his removal from the board of the company his grandfather founded. Charles Morgan said he was appealing against the decision by Morgan Motor Company, which said he would no longer be a part of the managing team or the board of directors at Morgan Technologies, a subsidiary of the main company. Earlier this year, Mr Morgan stepped down as the Worcestershire-based company's managing director and became an ambassador for the brand started by his grandfather Henry Morgan in 1910.

BMW's Domagoj Dukec on the 4 Series Convertible [w/Video]

BMW's head of exterior design Domagoj Dukec has explained how the 4 Series Convertible's design sets it apart from the 3 Series in a new video. Dukec says that aside from the fact the 4 Series Convertible is visibly wider than its predecessor with an increased track and wheelbase, its design is unique. While describing the changes to features such as the kidney grille, headlamps and the lines running down the hood, Dukec also compares it to the coupé.

Range Rover Evoque XL by 2016. Does that mean a new Evoque too?

Range Rover Evoque XL by 2016. Does that mean a new Evoque too? We’ve thought, ever since Land Rover launched the Range Rover Evoque, that a stretched version would be on the cards to fit between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport.

Ford's young driver training proves a hit

FORD'S new young driver training programme, dubbed Ford Driving Skills for Life, has proved an instant hit with the first two sessions being substantially oversubscribed. Over 500 applications were made for the 300 free places available at Excel in London and the Trafford Centre in Manchester, and the participants aged between 17 and 24 received tips and guidance in the controlled environment of a purpose-built track. Manchester University student, Ryan Harrison, who took part in the free driver training, said: “I’ve learned so much today, especially in the skid car, learning what I’ve done wrong in the past without realising it and where to put my hands on the wheel.

Driving age to be raised to 18?

A government-commissioned report has recommended probationary driving licences are in future issued from the age of 18, not 17 – and that learner drivers would be required to invest big in getting a licence. The new proposals would still see provisional driving licences issues from 17, allowing learners to get out on the road under supervision. However, learners would have to undertake a 12-month ‘learner stage’, in which they’d have to cover a minimum of 100 hours’ supervised driving.

One pothole for every mile of road in Britain

There is now one pothole for every mile of road in Great Britain, according to official data sourced by car breakdown and recovery company Britannia Rescue following a Freedom of Information Act request. And just like everything else in the UK, it would seem we can blame the weather, with experts suggesting that the combination of a harsh winter and a dry summer has exacerbated the problem. On Bing: see pictures of potholes Find out how much a used car is worth on Auto Trader The result is a 79% increase in compensation claims, with UK councils receiving 32,000 reimbursement requests in the past financial year.

Peter Mullin makes extravagant donation to Art Center College of Design

Peter Mullin, the purveyor of the Art Deco-inspired Mullin Museum in Oxnard, California, knows a thing or two about good design, and about nurturing good design. His contributions to Art Center have included the Peter W. Mullin Endowed Scholarship, which since 2005 has provided worthy students with financial aid.

A34 closure to create 68-mile detour!

The Highways Agency has announced essential bridge maintenance works are to take place on the A34 – and has revealed it will divert motorists on a 68-mile detour! Britain’s longest roadworks diversion One pothole for every mile of road in Britain A bridge near Beedon in West Berkshire is going to be closed overnight later in October – but it will be closed from Friday night to Monday morning for two entire weekends in November. The recommended diversion will be fully signposted and will take motorists on a tour of the M4, A404(M), A404 and M40… the total trip time will be at least one hour, says the agency, “but that could easily increase depending on conditions,” it admitted.

A14 to become world’s first wifi road?

Around 70 miles of the A14 between Cambridge and Felixstowe is to become a ‘smart road’ fitted with sensors that monitor traffic movement. These sensors will generate highly accurate information about the level of traffic congestion, which is then wirelessly transmitted to a central control system in order to automatically adjust the variable speed limit. On Bing: see pictures of smart roads Find out how much a used Smart car costs on Auto Trader Sounds quite cunning, really.

Volvo makes breakthrough in battery tech

Volvo has developed a new way of ‘storing’ energy for its future electric vehicles. The Swedish firm is exploring the concept of lightweight structural energy storage components made from carbonfibre, containing “nano structured batteries and super capacitors.” This technology is said to offer a lighter, more compact solution to the problem of energy storage, potentially removing the need for the heavy, bulky batteries used in current electric vehicles. On Bing: see pictures of the Volvo S80 Find out how much a used Volvo S80 costs on Auto Trader The investigation into the new technology is part of an EU-funded research project, undertaken by Volvo – the only major car manufacturer involved – and nine other organisations.

Mitsubishi to preview next generation SUVs in Tokyo

Mitsubishi will showcase three new concept cars at next month’s Tokyo Motor Show, all of which are said to preview the next generation of Mitsubishi SUVs. They’re called the Mitsubishi Concept GC-PHEV, the Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV and the Mitsubishi Concept AR. On Bing: see pictures of Mitsubishi concept cars Find out how much a used Mitsubishi costs on Auto Trader The Concept GC-PHEV – or Grand Cruiser – is a full size SUV that will provide several clues to the future direction of the venerable Mitsubishi Shogun.

MG6 CO2 emissions reduced to 129g/km

The MG6 may have just become a little more appealing, with the news that the GT and Magnette diesel variants are now more efficient than before. CO2 figures are down from 139g/km to 129g/km and average fuel consumption has been improved from a claimed 55.3mpg to 57.6mpg. This results in the MG6 dropping a tax band from E to D.

Maintenance 'favours' end up costing more

GETTING help from family, neighbours or friends for basic car maintenance tasks costs the UK public an estimate £300million a year, according to a new survey. Over 2,000 people were surveyed on behalf of Halfords Autocentres and one in six said they regretted asking for help in the first place. 45% who subsequently had to pay a professional to rectify mistakes were left with a bill in excess of £100.