Blog on 2040Parts

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.

IAM offers advice for windy driving

ROAD SAFETY charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is offering advice to drivers on coping with windy weather, as more inclement weather sweeps across the country. Peter Rodger, the IAM's chief examiner, has offered the following tips for driving in high winds: Plan your journey – is there a route with less exposure to the weather and less risk of fallen trees? Choose a sheltered route if you have the option.

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.

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.

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.

Renault Clio & Captur get range updates

Renault Clio & Captur get range updates The new Renault Clio and the new Renault Captur really haven’t been with us very long, but that’s not stopping Renault from extending the range of options. Both the Clio and Captur can now be ordered with the six-speed EDC auto fitted to the dCi 90 diesel engine, offering an extra option for those who just want an easy drive. If you opt for the EDC ‘box on the new Captur, you’ll get (official) economy of 72.4mpg and emissions of 95g/km, whilst the Clio offers 76mpg and 83.1mpg.

SAIC Roewe-MG Cup design competition winners announced

The results of SAIC's Roewe-MG Cup design competition are in, with East China Normal University student Sun Jiajun taking top honors with his 850 Celebration concept. Themed ‘Roewe 2020: Elegant Confidence', the contest asked Chinese university students to design a future sedan, SUV or MPV for Roewe in 2020. Coming in second behind Jiajun were Qian Junlin and Zhang Mingxi, both of Jiang Nan University.

Porsche Muffler Man remains erect

Sure, the Porsche Experience Center, opening in LA in a little over a year, will feature a variety of exciting track configurations from road courses to a drag strip-looking thing, as well as varying surface conditions on which Porsche road cars can be flung to the delight of their occupants. But what about the muffler man? That's what most people want to know, isn't it?

BMW M5 & M6 M Performance upgrades released

BMW M5 & M6 (pictured) M Performance upgrades released Many would think that the BMW M5 and BMW M6 come with everything you could possible need. But BMW want to tempts M5 and M6 buyers with a range of M Performance upgrades to help them make their new performance BMW more individual, and divest them of a sizeable chunk of cash in the process. The new M Performance upgrades are also to capitalise on Martin Tomczyk’s success in the DTM Series, and as he’s now out and about in an M6 Gran Coupe this all fits very well.

New Hydrogen Fuel Cell Toyota at Tokyo Motor Show. The next Prius?

Will the new Toyota Hydrogen Fuel Cell car be a Prius? (FCV-R pictured) We’re getting very close to the proper arrival of the hydrogen fuel cell car, moving from a vastly expensive idea to an (almost) affordable family car. Hyundai are up with the leaders in the hydrogen-powered production car race with the ix35 FCEV, and now it’s Toyota’s turn to show what they’ll be offering buyers in 2014 with a new hydrogen-powered car debuting at the Tokyo Motor Show next month.

Infiniti's Andy Palmer talks world domination

Along with the news of a new Infiniti global flagship sedan, we sat down with Nissan/Infiniti vice president Andy Palmer to discuss the brand's new goals and the challenges it'll face achieving them in a competitive global market. Why is Nissan becoming so ambitious with Infiniti? In today's industry, 12 percent of the volume and 50 percent of the profits comes from the premium group -- defined by 13 nameplates.

Infiniti planning new global flagship model

Infiniti is planning a flagship, sporty four-door coupe in the mold of the Porsche Panamera as the joint flagship of its expanding range. The sweeping-looking four-door will take its styling inspiration from the Infiniti Essence concept penned by design chief Shiro Nakamura and first shown at the Geneva motor show in 2009. The new car is part of Infiniti's ambitious plan to become a serious global luxury brand by carving out 10 percent of that market, equivalent to about 500K sales by 2020 and backed up by a significantly expanded model range and huge investment from parent Nissan.

Mercedes-Benz Business-Limousine by BINZ offers stealth and value

While the Mercedes-Benz S-class XL, the Maybach 62 replacement rumored to use the name Pullman, is still a few months and a couple hundred thousand dollars away, there are other options out there for getting work done on the road to the office. While Brabus wowed crowds at the Frankfurt motor show just a couple months ago with its mental Biturbo iBusiness sedan based on the newest S-class, at the end of the day we weren't sure if that was a car for the rear-seat passenger or the driver. German coachbuilder BINZ GmbH has made a name for itself over the last few decades building Mercedes-Benz-based ambulances and unbelievably cool security cars based on the G-class, and the company also happens to offer a number of options when it comes to limousines.

GM says natural-gas Chevrolet Impala on the way

General Motors said it will sell a version of the Chevrolet Impala sedan with the ability to switch between gasoline and natural gas, part of the automaker's plan for taking advantage of a U.S. drilling boom that has made natural gas a more viable fuel for cars. The dual-fuel Impala, to be announced today by CEO Dan Akerson at a conference here, will have one engine and two fuel tanks -- one for gasoline and one for compressed natural gas.

Morgan booted from Morgan

Charles Morgan may have his name emblazoned across the bonnet of every Plus Four and Three-Wheeler that leaves Pickersleigh Road, Malvern Link, but he's no longer in charge. The board of directors at Morgan Motor Company has made a decision for Mr. Morgan to step down from his role as strategy director, as well as the international face of the car company that his grandfather founded.

One Lap of the Web: Automotive feats of strength, stylish eBay finds and Australian speed limits

-- Like you, we've often wondered which vehicle would win in a tug of war: a Land Rover Defender, or a diesel Ram truck. And while we were wondering, some enterprising gents in the U.K. have actually gone out and done it.

Ford Model A New York-to-LA record attempt ends in breakdown

The New York-to-LA 60-hour record attempt in a 1930 Ford Model A came to an end just outside of Amarillo, Tex., on Tuesday afternoon. After having covered more than 1,700 miles with little incident, aside from an overheating issue in Zanesville, Ohio, that ate up several hours, the car driven by Australians Rod Wade and Michael Flanders suffered a broken crankshaft. The duo planned to set a new record for a pre-war car by driving in their 1930 Ford Model A, nicknamed "Tudor Rose," across the U.S.

Audi launches special TTS to celebrate 500,000 sales (2013)

By Martin Saarinen First Official Pictures 16 October 2013 16:00 Audi is unleashing a special edition TTS, with RS looks and lashings of equipment. The TTS Limited Edition commemorates the iconic Audi smashing the 500,000 sales barrier, in its fifteenth year on sale. Priced from £38,860 for the coupe and £42,320 for the roadster, the special TTS costs £2815 or £4115 more than its coupe or roadster equivalent, but Audi claims the cars get an extra £5665 of kit to tempt punters.

Drayson electric racer breaks four speed records

A BRITISH electric racing car has set four new land speed records on the same day. The Drayson Racing prototype racing car, which is powered solely by electricity, set new benchmarks for speeds over one mile and one kilometre with a flying start, plus a new standing quarter-mile acceleration record. The fourth record, subject to ratification, is a British land speed record for cars of any type driven by their wheels over one mile from a flying start.

Enterprise will rent you a Harley-Davidson

If you're in the unenviable position of having to rent a vehicle while traveling, and Hertz's Penske GT Mustangs or dream cars aren't quite your style (or within your budget), you're now able to free yourself from caged drudgery and rent a motorcycle from Enterprise. If you're headed to Las Vegas, at least. Enterprise isn't the first company that will rent you a two-wheeler (Eaglerider, for example, has locations across the globe) but does seem to be the first major auto rental business to diversify into motorcycles.

'James Bond' Aston Martin to be auctioned

THE ASTON Martin most closely associated with James Bond is to go to auction next month. The DB5, an example of which featured in 1964’s movie Goldfinger, where it was driven by Sean Connery’s Bond, is perhaps the most recognisable ‘Bond car’. The car featured again more recently, this time with Daniel Craig’s Bond behind the wheel in the blockbuster Skyfall.

The Chevrolet El Camino turns 55 today

When your author was 14 years old, his first car, a 1975 Chevrolet El Camino, arrived in his parents' driveway. You can read all about that particular swivel-seated malaise special elsewhere on this site. Today, that is not so important.

'Top Gear' caught testing McLaren P1

The “Top Gear” boys were hanging in Belgium this week, shooting for the 21st season of the British television show. Some time next season we'll see the guys test this McLaren P1, caught by an observant YouTube poster. The video starts with the crew ogling the P1 supercar in the garage at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, before the camera car, a matte black Mercedes SUV, and the McLaren hit the track.

A14 expansion 'could break emissions laws'

PLANS for tackling congestion on a busy A-road could leave the Government in breach of legal limits for air pollution, according to the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT). The CBT is warning that the Government's £1.5 billion A14 corridor in East Anglia would not only significantly worsen air pollution across a wide area; it could actually push a number of locations above current EU legal limits. The Government's proposal to tackle congestion within the A14 corridor includes widening parts of the A14 and the A1 and building a new dual carriageway around Huntingdon.

Ford Fiesta retains eco marathon title

A FORD Fiesta has been crowned the winner of the ALD Automotive/Shell Fuelsave MPG Marathon for the second year running. The 1.6-litre diesel Fiesta Econetic achieved 88.69mpg over 339.3 miles on what some observers say was the toughest course yet for the annual event. Hills, bad weather and heavy traffic were all obstacles faced by the 46 competitors who set out from Tankersley Manor, near Sheffield.

Accidents caused by 'sun dazzle' jump 12%

ACCIDENTS caused by the sun’s dazzling rays rose by 12% last year according to Department for Transport (DfT) figures. The official statistics show that ‘sun dazzle’ was a major factor in 2,905 accidents in 2012, compared to 2,592 in 2011. A-roads were the most common location for accidents influenced by sun dazzle, at 41% of the total.

Think a sports car makes you more attractive? Think again

It’s a favourite stereotype: a man driving a flashy sports car is more attractive to women – or at least, so he might think. Now a survey by Motors.co.uk suggests that exactly the opposite could be true. While the same research reckons 48% of men subscribe to the stereotyped view, in actual fact women are more likely to find a man driving an eco car more alluring.

Volkswagen's Golf grabs Car of the Year award

THE VOLKSWAGEN GOLF has been crowned the Scottish Car of the Year, the first time VW has lifted the title north of the border. Awarded by the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers, the Golf won the title thanks to its choice of body styles, frugal engines, quality and excellent driving manners. It beat off strong competition from the likes of the Range Rover Sport, Jaguar F-type and Renault Clio, which won their respective categories.

New System Needed To Highlight Risks Of Prescription Drugs, Says IAM

THE Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has raised the issue of prescription drug labeling, after finding that many drivers believe the product information could be more comprehensive. In a survey based on 2,376 responses, only half of drivers asked felt prescription drug labelling is clear enough on medicines. This exercise comes after the government announced earlier this year that a drug-driving bill will be introduced, and will include chemicals which can be found in prescription drugs.

New i10 city car annouced by Hyundai

THE NEW HYUNDAI i10 goes on sale in the UK from the end of January and prices will start at £8345, which is the same price as the outgoing model. Hyundai promises a big step forward in the comfort, quality and equipment of the new i10. All models will come with six airbags as standard, plus electric front windows, CD stereo and daytime running lights.