Blog on 2040Parts

2014 Morgan Plus 8 Speedster is a retro road racer

Morgan is celebrating 100 years of building cars at its factory at Pickersleigh Road in Malvern with what it promises will be a series of special vehicles, appearing throughout 2014. The first of these is the Plus 8 Speedster– and it is special indeed. For starters, as the Speedster name implies, it comes without a traditional windscreen and roof.

Auctioneer Celebrates 50 Years of Ford's Mustang With Sale of Rare Coupe

AS Ford’s iconic Mustang celebrates its 50th anniversary, a1964 Mustang 1/2 Coupe, produced as part of the earliest production run of the iconic car, is ready to go under the hammer at Silverstone Auctions’ May Sale on May 24th. Regarded as the purest of all Mustangs, this rare car, estimated between £14,000 to £18,000, was built at Ford's Dearborn Michigan plant on 26th June 1964. Crucially it still has its original 260CI V8 Engine and Cruise-O-Matic transmission.

Ford drives the Peel P50 in to the new Transit – and turns it around

The Peel P50 drives in to the new Ford Transit The new Ford Transit offers lots of room for ‘Stuff’, something Ford decided to demonstrate by enlisting the world’s smallest car to demonstrate. It may be simply a take on Jeremy Clarkson’s games with the Peel in and around the BBC Television Centre – and you don’t get John Humphries driving the Peel or Fiona Bruce (and her bottom) pushing it back out – but you do get a good idea of just how big the new Transit is. We’re not entirely sure that turning the Peel around in the Transit – and yes, this Peel is fitted with a reverse gear, unlike Clarkson’s – demonstrates the Transit is any bigger than just driving in and driving out would, but the endless faffing to achieve an about turn is an excuse to use some Benny Hill-esque music to pass the time.

Electric cars get a £500 million government cash boost – but will it get spent?

The new BMW i3 EV (pictured) will be subsidised until 2017. The subsidy of up to £5000 paid to buyers of electric cars has been with us for three years, but it hasn’t had much impact on EV sales and it did look like the government had decided to scrap it all together. But it looks like the coalition has allowed Nick Clegg to have his way with EV subsides in a move that will see £500 million injected in to promoting and supporting electric cars in the UK in the next few years.

Mercedes G-Class getting major technology overhaul and facelift

The Mercedes G-Class is getting a major overhaul – but not until 2017 The Mercedes G-wagon has been with us for 35 years, and despite its rather dated underpinnings and looks it sells well enough for Mercedes to keep on churning out the G-Class for those with ‘military’ wants – and the posers. But even the G-Class is not immune from the massive changes that have taken place in cars in recent years, so Mercedes is planning a major overhaul of the G-Wagon for 2017 – just after Land Rover arrive with a new Defender. The 2017 G-Class is going to be wider – by around 100mm – to make it more stable, allow a more sophisticated front suspension and make more room in the cabin.

Aston Martin to continue with V12 engine as well as new Mercedes AMG V8

Aston’s Flagship cars, like the Vanquish (pictured) will still offer the V12 engine Aston Martin has certainly been looking to the future with renewed optimism over the last year as a series of deals gave them a lifeline to remain competitive in an increasingly corporate car world. Extra funding came in thanks to the involvement of Investindustrial’s new stake in Aston Martin, and a deal has been done with Mercedes AMG to supply new V8 engines and electronic architecture. Not only that, but Aston Martin are developing a new platform for their future range of cars, with the biggest investment in Aston Martin’s history.

Lotus gets a new boss – former Citroen Peugeot President Jean-Marc Gales

Jean-Marc Gales left) new Lotus CEO with Aslam Farikullah Following the debacle of Dany Bahar’s grandiose plans to turn Lotus in to a cross between Aston Martin and Ferrari, owners DRB-HICOM/Proton have been busy trying to get ship Lotus back on an even keel. That started with the appointment of engineer Aslam Farikullah as chief operating officer at Lotus when Bahar got his marching orders, and he’s been busy for the last two years bolting Lotus back together, cutting costs, improving quality and increasing sales. Now, it looks like Lotus are readying themselves for the next stage of their recovery – which will include new models – as former PSA president Jean-Marc Gales is appointed as Lotus CEO to work with Aslam Farikullah.

Conquer summer with this custom 1977 Dodge Tradesman van

Vanning never died, man. While fair-weather vanners ditched their groovy Plymouth Voyagers for front-wheel drive imports, hard-core custom freaks have been keeping the fire burning all these years. While we're not ready to proclaim a full-on custom van renaissance, we can feel the revival coming: It's a subtle yet noticeable rocking emanating from certain corners of the American and Swedish car scenes.

Porsche Macan 2.0 litre 4-cylinder coming to the UK – but not Europe

The Porsche Macan 2.0 litre Turbo will be available in the UK Porsche quietly revealed their first car with a 4-cylinder engine in almost a generation at the Beijing Motor Show last month with the arrival of the Porsche Macan 2.0 litre turbo, produced to mop up sale in China. China’s tax system mitigates against thirstier, bigger-engined cars, so a 2.0 litre turbo attracts tax at less than half the rate of the 3.0 litre V6 in the Macan S, so it will be the big volume model for China. But the demand from China for the 2.0 litre Macan means Porsche won’t have the capacity to build it for other left hand drive markets, so Europe won’t be getting the little-engined Macan.

Best new cars of 2014 so far

With the first four months of 2014 down, we take a look back at the cars that have thrilled us most since the start of the year. Covering everything from cutting-edge supercars to practical family transport, these are the best cars of 2014 so far. Please click the image above to read more about the best cars of 2014 so far

Mazda announces Miata 25th Anniversary details, preorder information

$32,205. That's how much you'll pay for the Mazda Miata 25th Anniversary Edition in America, if you're one of the scant 100 buyers who wishes to spring for the most expensive, most exclusive Miata yet. What do you get for the expense?

Ex-Keith Richards Ferrari Dino for sale at auction

A classic Ferrari Dino 246 GT bought new by Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards is to be sold at auction on Friday 9 May 2014, in Monaco. What’s more, the Dino is being offered with no reserve – so you never know, it might just end up being a bargain… Click through our gallery to read more about the sale of Keith Richards’ Ferrari Dino

The Acura NSX at 25

On Feb. 10, 1989, executives from Honda and a newly founded division known as Acura piled into a conference room in Chicago's historic Drake Hotel to rehearse the unveiling of an unbelievable new car -- a Technicolor vision for the future, something never before built by Honda or any Japanese automaker. As the public relations department went over its lines, Tadashi Kume, then-president of Honda and an instrumental figure in Honda's Formula One efforts, presided.

Toyota powering its US headquarters with Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Toyota’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell power supply at their US HQ It’s been a pipe dream for a long time; harness the planet’s plentiful supplies of hydrogen to produce power. That’s getting a lot closer with a number of hydrogen fuel cell cars coming to the real car market in the next few years, and no doubt as part of their mission to convince the world that hydrogen is the future, Toyota are demonstrating the potential by using a hydrogen fuel cell to produce power at their US HQ. Toyota has installed a 1.1 megawatt stationary fuel cell at its Los Angeles HQ which is capable of producing half its power needs during the heavy-load summer period.

What Car? True MPG reveals most fuel-efficient cars

We’ve known for a while that there’s a huge gulf between the official fuel economy figures for new cars and what drivers achieve in the real world. What Car? says that its True MPG tests provide a more realistic figure and over the past two years it has tested almost 400 cars. Now, it has revealed which 10 cars proved most efficient its True MPG tests, so if you’re hoping to spend less at the fuel pumps, these cars could be well worth a look.

Chevrolet City Express priced at $22,950

Chevrolet has released pricing for the 2015 City Express urban work van, which debuted at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show just a couple months ago. The van is Chevy's answer to the Ford Transit Connect, and is actually based on the Nissan NV200. The Chevrolet City Express will start at $22,950 when it goes on sale in early fall, and will be powered by a 2.0-liter dual-overhead cam inline-four making 131 hp and 139 lb-ft of torque.

Reworked Mercedes G-wagen to get wider, more efficient

Mercedes-Benz is set to make some extensive changes to its enduring military-grade G-class. So major is the overhaul, planned for 2017, that Mercedes-Benz insiders say it will, in effect, be an all-new vehicle. The big push is to increase the width of the G-class for greater stability.

Concept Car of the Week: Dodge Deora (1967)

Half concept car, half custom but all awesome, the Dodge Deora was designed by former GM designer Harry Bentley Bradley for the famous car customizers the Alexander brothers who wanted to build a radical custom truck using one of the Big Three's new cabover mini-pickups. They relied on Bradley's futuristic drawings to seduce Chrysler who eventually agreed to provide a stripped down A100 truck for them to customize although the final design shares almost nothing with the original donor car. The cabin was radically chopped and integrated into the rest of the body and – after its suspension was also lowered – the overall height of the Deora was reduced by a whopping 380mm.

One Lap of the Web: A wiseguy in a Cadillac

-- Not many car reviews feature a shot-for-shot remake of "Goodfellas." (We're still banking on Ford's re-introduction of the Crown Victoria for a shot-for-shot remake of Beastie Boys' "Sabotage.") Matt Farah of the Smoking Tire did for its review of the Cadillac CTS V-Sport, which took four days to shoot and six to edit, and probably three more to steal the dolly cam from Scorsese's basement. -- You might not remember the Saturn Pioneer, but back in 1979, "the new marque Saturn was developed to play on the increased attention to astronomy NASA's deep space probes were generating," writes automotive historian/inveterate liar Jason Torchinsky. One of GM's many H-Body cars, the Pioneer -- named after the probe, not the Probe -- carried an innovative version of GM's venerable "Iron Duke": it had both a carburetor and throttle-body fuel injection, which undoubtedly added needless complexity that could have better served the real Rocket Division, Oldsmobile.

Hennessey tunes Chevrolet SS to 1,000 hp

Forget the Camaro Z/28 for a minute: Hennessey is offering performance packages for the Chevrolet SS that boost the car from from a not-unreasonable 475 hp to the "there's-just-no-way" 1,000 hp. That's right, Hennessey Performance saw a gap in the market for rear-wheel drive domestic sedans with 1,000 hp on tap, and like any smart business, went for it. In fact, we don't know why this niche hasn't been filled until now.

Mark Fields replaces Alan Mulally as Ford CEO

Ford Motor Co. named Mark Fields to replace Alan Mulally as CEO on July 1, handing the reins to a 25-year company veteran after being saved by an auto industry outsider. “From the first day we discussed Ford's transformation eight years ago, Alan and I agreed that developing the next generation of leaders and ensuring an orderly CEO succession were among our highest priorities,” Executive Chairman Bill Ford said in a statement.

April new-car sales winners and losers

U.S. light-vehicle sales rose 8 percent to nearly 1.4 million in April, with strong retail sales and pent-up demand adding momentum to the industry's spring thaw. Among major automakers, Nissan Motor Co., Chrysler Group and Toyota Motor Corp.

'Gran Turismo' pays tribute to Senna with 'Ayrton's Wish'

Back in October, "Gran Turismo" announced a partnership with the Ayrton Senna Institute. We're finally starting to see the fruits of that labor -- a Senna-edition Playstation 3 bundle in Brazil notwithstanding. The first element of a month-long tribute from publisher Polyphony Digital is the above 20-minute film, "Ayrton's Wish." Two months before Imola, Ayrton told his sister Viviane that he wanted to give back to the country that so idolized him.

VW pokes, winks, smooches its way to new car sales

Volkswagen launched its revamped consumer website on Thursday. It looks more like OK Cupid or Plenty of Fish or Match.com. Yeah, we’ve used a few, so what?

The cars of Ayrton Senna

Twenty years ago today – 1 May 1994 – the world lost arguably the most talented Formula One driver ever: Ayrton Senna. Numbers alone don’t quite describe the genius the Brazilian driver showed at the wheel of all manner of cars throughout his career, finding time and speed where others simply couldn’t. So, on the 20th anniversary of Senna’s death in a tragic accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola – only a day after Roland Ratzenberger, a young Austrian driver and friend of Senna, also sadly lost his life, while qualifying – we’re celebrating the life of one of Formula One’s most charismatic drivers.

New Nissan X-Trail starts at £22,995. But it’s FWD

The new Nissan X-Trail (pictured) falls in price The styling of the new Nissan X-Trail, which arrived last year at Frankfurt, has eschewed a lot of the boxiness of the old X-Trail and taken on many of the styling cues from the new Nissan Qashqai. And in the process it’s perhaps become ‘softer’. The old X-Trail was more rugged than most modern compact SUVs, but the new X-Trail has arrived with a choice of Front Wheel Drive versions – no doubt aimed at keeping the price down – as well as cuddlier looks.

£54k insurance fraud foiled by black box

A fraudulent £54,000 insurance claim following a crash involving a car and a lorry has been found bogus thanks to a black box device fitted to the car. Three passengers in the lorry claimed for personal injury damages after it was shunted at low speed by a Vauxhall Astra. However, the Astra was fitted with a telematics device that, when examined, revealed that due to the size and weight of the vehicles and the speed of the Astra, the claimed injuries were implausible.

New Peugeot 108 Hatch & Top! Cabrio on sale July – costs from £8,245

The new Peugeot 108 (pictured) on sale July 2014 The Peugeot take on the Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1 – the new Peugeot 108 – is going on sale in July in the UK and will cost from £8,245 for the 1.0-litre three-door in Access trim, topping out at £12,245 for the 1.2-litre Allure five-door. Not only is there a choice of three-door and five-door 108s, there’s also a choice of two engines -a  68bhp 1.0-litre 3-cylinder and the new 1.2-litre PureTech VTi – and four trim levels - Access, Active, Allure and Feline  - although you’ll have to settle for Active or Allure if you want the Top! Cabrio.

Mercedes-Benz B-class Electric Drive starts at $42,375

Even though the gas-powered Mercedes-Benz B-class has been out in Canada for a few years now, long enough to receive a facelift, we Americans will be getting the compact MPV in electric form only. Sales of the B-class Electric Drive will start this summer with the BMW i3 in its sights. Here's what buyers can expect when this tall four-door electric hatch silently rolls into dealership showrooms.

One Lap of the Web: Remembering Ayrton Senna

-- Hard to believe it's been 20 years since the passing of Formula One legend Ayrton Senna, but one Jalopnik reader remembers the bloody weekend in San Marino vividly. A dream vacation in Europe cumulating in the ill-fated Grand Prix: Alan Dahl saw Senna's wrecked car coming into the pits, but like the rest of the crowd, he wouldn't find out Senna's fate until he left the track. "For years afterwards I felt guilty that, not knowing that the tragedy had happened," he said, "that I had fun at the race." -- The excellent 8W, a site of racing driver stories, recounts the last 96 hours of Senna's life.