Blog on 2040Parts

Government’s Cash For Potholes Plan Gets Underway

MORE than three million potholes will be filled in by March next year as part of the biggest investment in roads since the 1970s. The Government has set aside £168 million to mend the nation's broken roads, spread across 148 councils. Each council will get a share, but extra money will be given to those which demonstrate "best practice in highways maintenance", including bringing in specialist machinery or setting up dedicated repair teams.

Mercedes C-Class Estate (2014) prices to start from £28k

By Tom Gregory First Official Pictures 20 June 2014 11:15 The new Mercedes C-class Estate will go on sale in September 2014, priced from £28,055 for the 184bhp 2.0-litre C200 petrol. Available with a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearbox, the C200 is capable of 51.4mpg and produces 128g/km CO2. Diesel is massively important in the hard-fought executive wagon sector and the 2014 Mercedes C-class Estate comes with a choice of two 2.1-litre BlueTEC engines to begin with.

Range Rover Sport Overfinch Performance Package gets 545 bhp – price from £87,995

The Overfinch Range Rover Sport (pictured) gets 545 bhp We make no secret of the fact that if you want to spend money on making your Range Rover (or Evoque or Sport) more individual, then the best route is with Overfinch. Overfinch have been making Land Rovers better for almost 40 years, and as long as you exert a little restraint when making your update choices the end result looks like a bespoke OEM car, and not one tricked out by a man who used to be a dresser on Strictly. But Overfinch don’t just do the cosmetic stuff, they also do performance upgrades, and it looks like Overfinch’s new Performance Package for the Range Rover Sport will be on the road before Land Rover gets its Range Rover Sport R (or whatever it’s going to be badged) in showrooms.

Land Rover tease new Range Rover Sport R / RS – debuts at Goodwood (video)

The new 542bhp Range Rover Sport teased The idea of a more powerful Range Rover Sport – complete with the 542bhp version of the supercharged V8 from the Jaguar XJR and F-Type Coupe – has been around for quite some time, but it’s about to become a reality. Land Rover has revealed a teaser video for the new Sport R – which really shows no more than the spy video of the Sport R we had a year ago – but it does herald the imminent arrival of the new Sport R at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this month. With the 542bhp V8 Supercharged under its bonnet, the Sport R is likely to get much closer to the performance of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, with a 0-62 mph likely to be well under 5 seconds.

Goodwood Launch For Latest Alpina Performance Models

FANCY something different from the usual premium German offerings? If so, Alpina hopes its interpretation of BMW’s already popular 4 Series Coupe and Convertible models will have buyers opening their wallets. The firm has built up a considerable reputation for taking a slightly different and more refined approach, as it focuses on luxury and ensuring the generous levels of performance are more accessible in the real world and not just on the track.

Do you own an iconic car? Would you like to feature in CAR magazine?

By Tim Pollard Motoring Issues 19 June 2014 14:49 Do you own an iconic car? Perhaps you own a mint original Mini or a landmark supercar? CAR magazine wants to hear from you.

New Land Rover Discovery Sport to be built at Halewood

The new Land Rover Discovery Sport (pictured) to be built in Halewood The new Land Rover Discovery Sport – effectively a replacement for the Land Rover Freelander – is expected to make its debut at the Paris Motor Show in the Autumn and go on sale in early 2015. And when the new Discovery Sport goes in to production it will be built at Halewood on Merseyside, Jaguar Land Rover has announced. JLR has created 250 new jobs at Halewood to support production of the new Discovery Sport and invested a further £200 million in the already hugely successful Halewood Plant.

Baby born after 100mph police chase

A GROUP OF POLICE OFFICERS who pulled over a speeding car ended up facing a newborn baby instead of a criminal as a heroic grandfather delivered his granddaughter at the side of the road. Lola Mia Rose was born just as seven officers in four unmarked cars, who had chased her grandfather Colin Ellmore at speeds of 100pmh along the M275 in Portsmouth, surrounded the car. Her mother Tiffany, who has three other children, described the experience as "quite scary" and said she was "very proud" of her dad for delivering baby Lola.

Renault Sport Trophy racing car (2014): first teaser photo

Renault Sport Trophy race car: 2014's new teaser photo By Tom Gregory First Official Pictures 19 June 2014 12:23 Renault has announced the 500bhp Renault Sport Trophy racing car, set to compete in a new one-make race series from 2015. Built by Italian chassis developer Dallara and powered by a Nismo engine, the new 2014 Trophy racer looks likely to have impressive performance figures and, judging by Renault’s teaser picture, just as impressive styling. Adding to the racing pedigree is a 1,100kg weight, seven-speed sequential gearbox by Sadev and specially created Michelin tyres.

Hamilton targets winning streak

LEWIS HAMILTON knows he needs another run of four successive victories if he is to overhaul team-mate Nico Rosberg in the race for this year's Formula One world title. It is a feat Hamilton managed earlier this campaign after Mercedes rival Rosberg won the season-opening grand prix in Australia where the Briton retired. Hamilton then triumphed in Malaysia, Bahrain, China and Spain, clawing back the 25-point deficit, with Rosberg forced to settle for the runner-up spot on each occasion.

Peugeot 508 gets engine and cosmetic upgrades for 2015

The new Peugeot 508 (pictured) debuts in August It’s four years since the Peugeot 508 first broke cover and pitched its tent as a French take on the Ford Mondeo. So now it’s time for some updates. The facelift for the 508 covers all three models in the 508 range – saloon, estate (SW) and the high-riding 508 RX – and mainly comprises of new bumpers front and back, new LED lights front and back, a re-profiled bonnet and a new grill with the Peugeot Lion front and centre.

Detroit Electric SP:01 (2014) nears production. The next Tesla?

By Tom Gregory Motor Industry 19 June 2014 11:26 New US based electric car maker, Detroit Electric, has been conducting final testing in Europe of its new SP:01 sports car.Described by Detriot Electric as the “world’s fastest production electric vehicle”, the rear-wheel-drive two-seat convertible is now nearing production having initially been unveiled in the USA and China last year. In a word, yes. Much like the equally electric Tesla Roadster, the SP:01 is built on the aluminium chassis of the Lotus Elise and as such, shares more than a passing resemblance with the Norfolk-built sports car.

Halewood Confirmed As Home Of New Discovery Sport

THERE’S good news coming out of Merseyside, as Jaguar Land Rover has announced that its new Discovery Sport model will be built at the firm’s Halewood plant. The decision will see the creation of 250 new jobs, resulting in the current workforce trebling in four years to 4,750, as the firm plans to invest more than £200m in the venture. Commenting on the announcement, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Dr.

Bentley Races Ahead With High Performance Continental GT3-R

LUXURY car maker Bentley has pulled the wraps off its new racecar-inspired Continental GT3-R. Taking inspiration from the firm’s new GT3-spec competition machine, the GT3-R is said to blend high performance with Bentley’s trademark luxury approach to motoring. The GT3-R will be a rare beast, too.

'Crash for cash' scams soar by 51%

THE NUMBER of "crash for cash" car insurance scams uncovered by a major insurer surged by 51% annually last year. Aviva said it had detected around 820 staged accidents in 2013, leading to some 2,200 fraudulent personal injury claims. It is pressing for tougher penalties and said that often, rather than being locked up, fraudsters end up being sentenced to community orders, which "do little" to deter them from re-offending.

A9 cameras already curbing speeders

NEWLY-INSTALLED cameras on one of Scotland's most notorious roads are already cutting drivers' speed. The average-speed cameras on the A9 have not yet been switched on, but have nonetheless seen the number of motorists breaking the speed the limit on the Perth to Pitlochry stretch drop from one in three to one in 10. Work began to install the devices from Perth to Inverness last month, one of a number of planned measures to improve safety on the main route connecting central Scotland and the Highlands.

Ford Fiesta Zetec S Red and Black Edition revealed – price from £15,995

The Fiesta Black and Red Editions arrive with a 138bhp 1.0 litre EcoBoost Everyone loves a sporty Fiesta – still a cracking little car in any guise – but it looks like Ford has spotted a gap in the market between the Zetec S with the 1.0 litre EcoBoost and the Fiesta ST. So we get the Ford Fiesta Zetec S Red and Black Editions to fill the gap we didn’t actually know was there. Ford has managed to squeeze even more power from their little 1.0 litre, 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine to give the Fiesta Red and Black Editions 138bhp, enough to crack 62mph in just 9.0 seconds.

Mazda Celebrates MX-5’s Quarter Century In Style

AS part of the MX-5’s 25th birthday celebrations, Mazda has released a limited edition version of its iconic roadster. The MX-5 Roadster Coupe 2.0-litre 25th Anniversary Limited Edition hits the showrooms in August and, to ensure its limited run status, just 1,000 individually numbered examples will be built. Crucially, in a testament to Britain's enduring love affair with open-topped motoring 750 units will be made available to UK customers, with number one being unveiled at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed on 26-29th June.

Tesla Model X Electric SUV production confirmed for early 2015

The Tesla Model X SUV (pictured) will start production in early 2015 The Tesla Model S electric car has been a bigger success than anyone could have guessed, and is probably the only electric car that offers a real alternative to an ICE car. But a one-model range is not a recipe for long-term success, so Tesla are planning on delivering a 4WD electric SUV and a BMW 3-Series EV to add to the Model S, with production of the Model X SUV now conformed for early 2015. In an email to customer who have already put a deposit down on the Model X SUV, tesla reveals that they will be building the first production prototypes this Autumn, and that proper production of the Model X will commence in early 2015.

Peugeot 508 facelift (2014) revealed: in pictures

By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 18 June 2014 13:01 Peugeot has rearmed its 508 range with a fresh look, cleaner engines and a modernised cockpit, before sending it back into a saloon market that’s proving a bloody battleground for mainstream car makers. Peugeot’s revamped saloon and estate range goes on UK sale this autumn, with prices likely to start around £20,000. The Passat rival looks refreshed by a new nose: the grille is larger, with the lion badge taking up residence there having deserted the bonnet.

2015 Mercedes CLS and CLS Shooting Brake (minor) facelift revealed

The 2015 Mercedes CLS and CLS Shooting Brake (pictured) get a small facelift The Mercedes tease for the 2015 facelift of the CLS and CLS Shooting Brake focused firmly on the new Multibeam LED headlights. But that’s because they’re about the most significant changes Mercedes has wrought to its four-door swoopy coupe. Frankly, there’s not a huge number of cosmetic changes to mark out the 2015 CLS from the 2014 model save for a mildly re-worked front bumper and grill and those new Multibeam LED headlights – standard across the new CLS range.

Mercedes CLS facelift (2014) first official pics

By Damion Smy First Official Pictures 18 June 2014 12:30 The Mercedes CLS range has been given a facelift as the four-door coupe and ‘shooting brake’ estate are given the goodies fitted to the E-class they’re based on after it was facelifted late last year. The 2014 Mercedes CLS is not a ‘new generation’ as Mercedes may have you believe, but more a nip and tuck. That means the outside has been tweaked with new LED headlamps as standard equipment across the range, as well as a new ‘diamond’ front grille, slightly chunkier front bumper with gaping air intakes, and tail lamps that have been given a darker, smoked look.

Ford Fiesta Zetec S Red and Black Editions (2014) unveiled

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 18 June 2014 10:07 Ford has a bold claim for its newly invigorated Fiesta Zetec S Red and Black Editions: they have a greater specific power output than a Bugatti Veyron! The downsizing trend continues apace and the new warm-hatch Fiestas are first to get a higher-output version of the 1.0-litre three-cylinder Ecoboost engine, tweaked to 138bhp thanks to variable cam timing, higher turbo boost and direct injection. Ford claims the new Fiesta specials are the most powerful 1.0-litre cars in the world.

Stealth Approach For Latest Range Rover Sport

LAND ROVER has unveiled a new addition to its Range Rover Sport line-up. The firm has added a ‘Stealth Pack’ option for buyers of the HSE Dynamic and Autobiography Dynamic variants. Making its debut at the forthcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Range Rover Sport Stealth Pack features a satin black front grille and grille surround, fog lamp bezels, bonnet and bumper vents, upper mirror caps and tailgate finisher.

Call to cut school run car journeys

A 10% CUT in school run car journeys would boost Britain's economy by around £46 million a year, a sustainable transport charity has claimed. Sustrans, which is calling on the Government to formally recognise the right of every child to be able to walk or cycle to school safely, estimates that ferrying children to school by car accounts for 24% of peak time traffic. Using Department for Transport modelling to calculate the financial drain on business caused by rush-hour congestion, Sustrans estimated that a 14% reduction in car use for school runs would take 167,000 vehicles off the road with an annual "saving" of £66.2 million.

Bentley Continental GT3-R (2014) first official pics

By Damion Smy First Official Pictures 17 June 2014 12:00 The Bentley Continental GT3-R is the fastest accelerating Bentley ever built. It’s a road-gong version of the car that stormed to victory at Silverstone last month, the Continental GT3, and ticks off 0-62mph in 3.8sec: this is some grand tourer The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that’s just been introduced into the Flying Spur saloon has been wound up to a heady 572bhp, with a stonking 516lb ft combining to make this svelte coupe the fastest accelerating Bentley production car ever built, and a whopping 0.8sec better than the V8 S model. The GT3-R is not the fastest Bentley, though, with its top-end only 170mph (virtually walking pace, really), but the eight-speed ZF gearbox and final drive have been tuned to make this car a corner carver, as opposed to a top-end tourer.

Could Coffee Kick Start Your Car?

NEXT time you’re reaching for the coffee in a bid to kick start your day, in the future the popular beverage could also power your drive to work. In a new development, scientists have made biofuel from ground coffee produced in 20 different geographic regions - including caffeinated and decaffeinated forms. New research from the University of Bath suggests waste coffee grounds could be a "sustainable fuel source" for powering vehicles.

Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo (2014): a future GT-R?

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 17 June 2014 09:31 Nissan and the makers of the Gran Turismo game have unveiled the new Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo virtual supercar. It's a 2+2 sports car to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Gran Turismo driving franchise and is said to explore radical new aerodynamics which could shape future Nissan sports cars. A host of manufacturers are designing futuristic sports cars for the driving game and the new Nissan is suitably advanced.

2014 Bentley Continental GT3-R revealed

The Bentley Continental GT3-R proves that a year is a long time in motorsport. Just 12 months after Bentley unleashed the awesome and, quite frankly, terrifying Continental GT3 racing car at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed, we’re being treated to a road-going version. With 580hp and a bold makeover it's certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Show Review: EyesOn Design 2014

The EyesOn Design show is an annual exhibition that celebrates automotive design excellence of the past, present and future. Held at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, MI, proceeds from the event help provide financial support for aid to the visually impaired through the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology. EyesOn Design is a celebration of automotive design; a craft that leaves an indelible imprint on the world around us, and one that was explored across a host of exhibition categories at this year's event – most notably with cars from the movies and TV shows.