Blog on 2040Parts
2015 Ford Edge SUV revealed in pictures
Wed, 25 Jun 2014This is Ford's latest import into Europe from the US - the Ford Edge SUV. Not content with bringing the all-American Mustang muscle car to the UK next year, Ford is also set to give mid-size SUVs such as the Audi Q5 and Hyundai Santa Fe a run for their money with the all-new Edge. These are the first official details and images of the new car.
Funding sought to restore WWI lorry
Wed, 25 Jun 2014AN APPEAL has gone out for funding to complete the restoration of a three-ton lorry used in the First World War which is the last of its kind left. The Coventry-built Maudslay vehicle was one of more than 1,700 Maudslays that saw service in the Great War. Coventry Motor Museum which purchased the vehicle 14 years ago now needs to raise £5,000 to put the finishing touches to the restoration in time for the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War this summer.
Hay fever drugs warning for drivers
Wed, 25 Jun 2014THE HAY FEVER SEASON could bring danger to drivers from drugs, according to a survey. As many as 44% of motorists who use hay fever medication admitted to sometimes not, or never, checking the instructions to see if their driving ability is affected, the poll by road safety charity Brake and insurance company Direct Line found. And 17% of the 1,000 drivers questioned said they either ignored warnings not to drive while on medication or did not check the labels at all.
Ariel Ace (2015): the new motorbike from the makers of the Atom
Wed, 25 Jun 2014By Jonny Edge First Official Pictures 25 June 2014 10:47 British sports car manufacturer Ariel - best known for manufacturing the big boy’s go-kart, the Atom - has pulled the covers off its first new motorcycle in more than 50 years. The Ariel Ace bike will be priced from around £20,000, and will be manufactured in small numbers alongside the Atom sports car at the Ariel headquarters in Somerset. The Ace will build upon Ariel’s relationship with Honda by featuring its 173bhp 1237cc V4 engine and drive system.
Brits would rather drive than walk
Wed, 25 Jun 2014ALMOST HALF (47%) of all people in the UK would rather drive than walk for a journey of up to one mile and 48% drive to work instead of trying to use any other form of transport. Despite a one mile journey taking very little more time to walk than drive, only 38% of drivers said they would use their feet in place of the car for such short journeys. Even though short journeys cause the most pollution and damage to cars, half said they would still drive.
2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed debut for Range Rover Sport SVR
Wed, 25 Jun 2014Say hello to the fastest and most powerful Range Rover Sport ever, as it makes its debut in prototype form at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. With 550hp, the supercharged Rangey SVR is going to be stonkingly quick, and the fastest production Range Rover ever when it goes on sale in 2015. Spectators will have the opportunity to see it hurtling up the legendary Goodwood Hill route this weekend.
McLaren MSO 650S going in to production – debuts at Goodwood & costs from £252,500
Wed, 25 Jun 2014The McLaren MSO 650S Concept (pictured) becomes a production model In April, we revealed the McLaren MSO 650S Coupe Concept, and such has been the reaction from McLaren buyers that McLaren has decided to put it in to production, with a total of 50 cars being built in both Coupe and Spider guise and debuting this week at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The production MSO 650S carries over many of the elements of the Concept, but McLaren’s Design Director, Frank Stephenson, has had input to make more changes including a number of carbon fibre styling upgrades with a satin finish, a three-piece rear bumper with carbon fibre centre section and a more aggressive rear diffuser. The MSO Concept came in Agrigan Black, but the production version will be available in ‘Papaya Spark (a take on McLaren orange), Sarigan Quartz ( new metallic silver with gold infusion) and the Agrigan Black of the concept.
Ford of Europe turnaround plan 'on track'
Wed, 25 Jun 2014By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 25 June 2014 14:52 Ford of Europe will stem its huge 10-figure losses and return to profitability in 2015, president Stephen Odell vowed this week. Talking to CAR at the global launch of the Ford Edge in Cologne, Germany, Odell vowed that heavy losses would be reversed by the sweeping Ford of Europe turnaround plan whose fruits would be borne over the next 12 months. Ford lost $1.6 billion in Europe in 2013 - the third straight year of red ink flooding the region.
Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan (2015) revealed: the £40k hydrogen car is here
Wed, 25 Jun 2014By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 25 June 2014 13:14 Toyota has revealed the final design for its new Fuel Cell Sedan. It's a 'Ronseal', does-what-it-says-on-the-tin choice of name for the car: it is, indeed, Toyota's hydrogen fuel-cell-powered saloon - and this one is coming to a showroom near you sooner than you think. The H2 car may blend concept car cues with Japanese global design blandness, but the Fuel Cell Sedan is significant as much for the numbers involved as the futuristic look.
Win tickets for this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed – but be quick!
Wed, 25 Jun 2014Be quick to grab a pair of tickets for the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed The Goodwood Festival of Speed is the highlight of the year for petrolheads from around the world, with a mix of the very best supercars, classic cars and all things related gathering at Goodwood for a three day celebration (well, four if you count the Moving Motor Show tomorrow). But if you’ve left it late to grab tickets, you’re out of luck – they’re all long gone. But we do have a pair of tickets for Sunday up for grabs thanks to Car Loan Warehouse, who kindly phoned us up to offer tickets for a lucky Cars UK reader.
New Ford Edge SUV revealed – and it’s heading for the UK
Wed, 25 Jun 2014The new Ford Edge (above) will arrive in the UK in 2015 The new Ford Edge – new to the UK, but already in Ford’s model range in the US – has been revealed as Ford’s big hope to cash in on the still growing obsession with SUVs of all shapes and sizes in the UK. A big brother to the new Fiesta-based EcoSport and the longstanding Ford Kuga, the new Ford Edge rides on underpinnings that started out as the new Mondeo (well, new to the UK when it finally arrives in the Autumn) and owes its looks, more or less, to the Ford Edge Concept we saw at the LA Auto Show last year. Just like the Edge Concept, the new Ford edge comes with a big statement grill and big alloys, LED lights all round and a choice of three trim levels - Trend, Sport and Titanium – with more than a fighting chance that Ford will add a Vignale version too.
SkyTran to trial maglev two-seater transport system in Israel
Wed, 25 Jun 2014California-based skyTran has signed an agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to build a test version of its patented maglev transport network. The 500 meter-long demonstrator will begin operation late next year, and is designed to prove the system's potential for reducing road congestion by lifting passengers above the highway, into space that's not currently utilized. The skyTran system is a network of computer-controlled, two-person vehicles that use maglev technology. Users will request one of the system's two-seater pods to the nearest available station using a smartphone app.
Toyota Hydrogen Fuel Cell Saloon revealed
Wed, 25 Jun 2014The final design of Toyota’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell saloon is revealed The final design of the production version of the Toyota Fuel Cell Saloon has been revealed ahead of its arrival in the UK next summer, and it’s not a million miles away from the Toyota FCV Concept we saw last year at the Tokyo Motor Show. It’s not the best-looking car on the planet – the back, in particular, does seem a bit muddled – but it’s what’s under the skin that matters and that the FCEV is, subject to a proper refuelling infrastructure, a move forward for transport in a way BEVs will never be. The Toyota Fuel Cell saloon will offer performance and range very similar to an ICE car and, more importantly, can be refuelled in the same sort of time as an ICE car, which means electric car benefits with none of the range anxiety concerns that put most buyers off.
Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan
Wed, 25 Jun 2014The exterior design of the Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan has been unveiled and, much to our disappointment, it appears to be a productionized version of last year's FCV concept, a car we felt one of the least impressive of 2013 in terms of design resolution. The Fuel Cell Sedan retains the FCV's gaping lower mask gills that appear to be blanked-off in this instance. They lend the car a very aggressive, hungry face – surely a negative message for a car that majors on a technology that promises to be incredibly efficient and environmentally-friendly.
McLaren Special Operations 650S (2014): introducing the McBodykit
Wed, 25 Jun 2014By Jonny Edge First Official Pictures 25 June 2014 16:56 McLaren Special Operations has announced a 50-strong run of bespoke 650S supercars, costing buyers either £252,500 for the coupe or £272,500 for the spider. Yep - at £58k, this is one of the most expensive bodykits going. The first MSO 650S will make its debut at this week’s 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, with a space reserved for it inside the supercar paddock.
Range Rover Sport SVR prototype: official spy photos issued
Wed, 25 Jun 2014By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 25 June 2014 10:33 Land Rover has taken the unusual step of issuing its own spy photos of the new Range Rover Sport SVR - a muscled-up, 543bhp version that's been breathed on by Jaguar Land Rover's new Special Ops division. A new Range Rover Sport SVR prototype will be thrashed up the Goodwood hillclimb at this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed and these photos are the first conclusive proof that the Range Rover Sport SVR will join the line-up later in 2014. The SVR name is the first confirmation of a go-faster badge for future fast Land Rovers.
Range Rover Sport SVR Prototype revealed as most powerful Land Rover ever (video)
Wed, 25 Jun 2014The new Range Rover Sport SVR Prototype (above) is heading for Goodwood What were Land Rover to call the new, powerful, range-topping Range Rover Sport from the new Special Operations division, we wondered. Well, wonder no more – it’s the Range Rover Sport SVR. The Range Rover Sport SVR has been revealed – in prototype form and still sporting camouflage – ahead of an appearance at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed where it will flaunt its ‘work in progress’ prowess up the Goodwood hillclimb.
Sin Cars R2 (2014): a new Anglo-German supercar
Wed, 25 Jun 2014By Jonny Edge 25 June 2014 14:34 A powerful new supercar is primed to burst onto the scene, going by name of the Sin Cars R2 - and this is the first snapshot of it. Boasting over 500bhp and weighing just 1100kg, the Sin Cars R2 was born from a collaboration between British parts supplier ProFormance Metals and German-based Sin Cars GmbH. A veil of secrecy currently surrounds the R2, so what we know is limited.
New Vivaro van secures 1,200 UK jobs
Tue, 24 Jun 2014MOTOR giant Vauxhall has launched a new van, securing 1,200 jobs over the next decade, with the prospect of more workers being recruited. The Vivaro will be built at the firm's plant in Luton, which is the UK's only factory making vans, in a £185 million investment. Up to 70,000 vans will be built a year, with around half being exported.
F3 History To Repeat At Silverstone Classic
Tue, 24 Jun 2014ANYONE with fond memories of the ‘good old days’ of motor racing are in for a treat at this year’s Silverstone Classic meeting. Alongside numerous historic racing categories, event organisers are also promoting a line-up of classic F3 cars celebrating 50 years of the entertaining formula. Popular with up and coming drivers keen to advance to Formula One, F3 was used as a stepping stone by the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alan Jones and Alain Prost.
Fast New Ford Teased Ahead Of Goodwood Debut
Tue, 24 Jun 2014IF YOU want to see the latest fast Focus, there’s only one place to see it: Goodwood’s Festival of Speed this weekend. Ford has chosen the motoring and motorsport festival to showcase its newest Focus ST, as the Blue Oval prepares to roll out the latest version of its family hatch in the coming months. Benefiting from the technology and quality improvements revealed earlier this year for the regular new Focus, the ST will be displayed on the car maker’s stand and piloted up the famous Goodwood hill over the course of the three-day event.
Volkswagen Beetle Dune concept edging towards production
Tue, 24 Jun 2014The Volkswagen Beetle Dune frolicking on the beach Back at the Detroit Motor Show in January, the Volkswagen Beetle Dune concept arrived as the perfect accessory for an outdoor lifestyle – especially if you’re in Southern California. Riding higher than a regular Beetle, with big wheels and a rack on the back for surf boards, sand boards or skis, the Beetle Dune Concept looked very close to a production car. Now, with Summer upon us, Volkswagen has released some new photos of the Dune concept frolicking around sunny locations in Germany and pointing firmly towards a production version.
Jeep Cherokee now on sale – UK Jeep sales set to double
Tue, 24 Jun 2014The new Jeep Cherokee (above) is now on sale in the UK Jeep may have the sort of SUV, off-road credibility as Land Rover, but they’ve failed miserably to make the most of that in recent years, particularly on this side of the Pond. But things are changing for Jeep, and the arrival of the new Jeep Cherokee – with it’s contentious, but individual, looks – promises to give Jeep a real shot in the arm in its quest to rebuild sales in the UK. With a choice of two diesel engines – 140 hp and 170 hp versions of the 2.0 litre diesel – a choice of four trim levels - Longitude, Longitude+, Limited and Trailhawk – and a 3.2 litre petrol engine for the hardcore Trailhawk version (available from the end of 2014), Jeep has a strong offering.
Classic style for road-ready Beetle Dune
Tue, 24 Jun 2014A VERY special Volkswagen Beetle has hit the coastal roads of northern Germany, and it might just arrive in showrooms soon, too. The new Beetle Dune concept captures a little of the spirit of the classic version, with 50mm of extra ride height, big, bold wheels and a rear-mounted ski rack. It looks stunning on the move, where its broad-spoked 19-inch wheels look almost like solid discs of polished metal and the ski rack has the visual effect of an old-school Porsche 911-esque spoiler.
SEAT reveals new X-Perience crossover
Tue, 24 Jun 2014SEAT SEAT has revealed the new Leon X-Perience, the latest addition to the expanding Leon range and a foray into a new niche for VW's Spanish subsidiary. Following a method proven by the likes of Audi, Subaru and Volvo, SEAT has taken its new Leon estate, the ST, and added 4WD and plastic bumpers to create a new model. The basic shape of the Leon ST has remained unchanged, with a 15mm rise in ride-height and new anodised black roof rails completing the transformation.
Chris Evans’ LaFerrari charity drives at Top Gear track (video)
Tue, 24 Jun 2014The LaFerrari of Chris Evans at the Top Gear Track There are two sorts of car collectors in the world, those who buy rare and classic cars as investments that are kept locked away in climate-controlled garages, and those who use them and, in rare cases, share them. Chris Evans definitely falls in to the latter camp. As the first UK owner of the LaFerrari supercar, Chris Evans has added Maranello’s latest and finest to a car collection that ranges from the sublime to the even more sublime.
Q&A: David Townsend, GM global design director, user experience
Tue, 24 Jun 2014GM's new design director of user experience, David Townsend, has only been in the job just over a month. But with a remit extending to the interface design of every vehicle in GM's global portfolio, his influence will soon be widespread. After graduating from Art Center with a degree in transportation design, Townsend interned for Toyota but soon moved to Motorola, where he developed wearable Bluetooth technology and designed the familiar headsets worn by coaches in the NFL.
Jaguar Project 7 F-Type is the Special Operations Goodwood reveal
Tue, 24 Jun 2014The Jaguar F-Type Project 7 revealed ahead of Goodwood FoS There were very few dissenting voices when Jaguar revealed their Project 7 F-Type Roadster Concept, homage to Jaguar’s D-Type, and it seems the almost universal approval of Jaguar’s creation has persuaded JLR that a production version of the Project 7 should be Jaguar’s first Special Operations division production car. And here it is. Due to be revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this week, the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 is a limited run, more powerful, more dynamic and more extreme version of Jaguar’s regular F-Type Roadster.
McLaren worker critical after crash
Tue, 24 Jun 2014A MCLAREN WORKER was left critically injured after the supercar he was driving crashed and left him impaled on a fence post in West Sussex The man, who has not been identified, left the A285 at Duncton and rolled in a car reported to be a McLaren 650S. Sussex Police said he was airlifted from the crash site to St George's Hospital in Tooting, south-west London, with critical injuries. A spokesman for Woking-based McLaren said his family were with him in hospital, adding: "Our thoughts are with our friend and colleague, and his family." A message on McLaren's Facebook page said: "We are all thinking of our friend and colleague following a serious accident on Friday.
Who's Where: Felix Kilbertus appointed Fiat chief exterior designer
Tue, 24 Jun 2014Felix Kilbertus has been appointed Fiat's chief exterior designer. Kilbertus' move sees him cross Turin, from his previous position as a lead designer at Pininfarina, to Centro Stile. In his new role he is responsible for the exterior design of Fiat-branded passenger vehicles.