Lincoln Zephyr / Continental V12 1942-48 Hood Latch With Hood Safety Catch on 2040-parts.com

Bentley uses 3D printing to prototype new designs [w/Video]

3D printing is changing the way the world makes things by helping people of all disciplines to enhance and refine their ideas cheaply, quickly and effectively.  Bentley is the latest carmaker to utilize the technology to fabricate and prototype different parts to see how they'll look and work on the finished design. Using 3D printers, designers can produce parts from the exterior and interior such as the grille, tires, headlamps and door handles as well as combine different types of contrasting materials, ranging from hard plastics to rubbers of different tensile strengths.  The technology allows the user to create a solid 3D object straight from a digital model by printing layers of material on top of each other. This process rapidly decreases the delivery time, as parts can be printed overnight, and allows designers to be more creative in their ideas because of the reduced cost. Bentley isn't the first carmaker to use 3D printing technology. Audi announced last year it was beginning to prototype vehicle parts using 3D printers.

Jay Leno gives us the lowdown on his McLaren P1 (video)

Jay Leno drives his new McLaren P1 Jay Leno has no shortage of cars to play with in his collection, but if this video of Jay and his new McLaren P1 is anything to go by, the P1 is his favourite car by far (at least for now). Jay meets up with McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt at his garage and there’s plenty of chat about what makes the P1 special, and how it compares to the legendary McLaren F1 (a car Jay also owns). Then it’s time for a drive out in the P1, first with Mike Flewitt as a passenger and then with Jay on his own as he takes the P1 round the winding roads near his home, and Jay reveals that he put nearly 900 miles on the clock in the first five days he had the P1.

Audi A7 Sportback – the video

The Audi A7 Sportback - Walkthrough video below Somehow the Audi A7 just didn’t look as dynamic as expected. I know, production cars are usually a letdown compared to the concept, but the A7 didn’t actually have any of those massively mad bits concept cars boast – 24″ wheels, sliding doors, glass everything – it just looked good. Somehow it seems much more lumpy now we get to see the production model.