Blog on 2040Parts

Kia to show KND-7 concept at CES in Las Vegas

Even though just a few years ago cars weren't a prominent part of the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it is now an event filled with automakers and their concept cars. And for the 2014 edition of the massive show, Kia will bring their KND-7 concept. The KND-7 features a 1.6-liter turbocharged GDI (gasoline direct injection) four-cylinder engine good for 201-hp, along with cheeky exterior design.

BMW unveils self-drifting car in Las Vegas

BMW is using the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to showcase the latest technology to fall under its ConnectedDrive banner. It’s called ActiveAssist and BMW is hoping it will draw a line under road accidents in the future. But that’s not what’s grabbing the headlines in Vegas.

The great British motorway speed limit debate

Associated Press As the government plans a 60mph limit on a 32-mile section of the M1, Britain's speed limits are under the spotlight as never before. The lower limit was announced this week as part of a project to improve air quality in Derbyshire and Yorkshire. If approved, drivers will not be able to exceed 60mph between junctions 28 and 35a between 7am and 7pm.

2013 UK automotive sales highest since 2007

By Damion Smy Motor Industry 07 January 2014 10:48 The UK car market is showing further buoyancy with 2,264,737 sales in 2013, up from 2,044,069 in 2012. The 10.8% increase makes the UK the best performing market in Europe, exceeding its forecast by posting its highest sales figures since 2007. Top of the charts once again is the Ford Fiesta, which sold almost 13,000 additional units than in 2012, with its stablemate, the Ford Focus, graduating to the runner-up spot to push the Vauxhall Corsa third.

Power Boost For Vauxhall’s Sporty Astra GTC

VAUXHALL has boosted the performance of its three-door Astra GTC with the inclusion of a new 1.6-litre turbo petrol motor. Slotting in below the firm’s hot VXR variant, this latest addition to the Astra range boasts 197 horsepower and is the same unit that also powers Vauxhall’s premium drop-top, the Cascada. On-paper performance figures promise a brisk driving experience, with the 1.6 turbo Astra GTC topping out at 143mph and capable of sprinting to 60mph in 7.3 seconds.

Motoring groups warn over M1 speed limit change

MOTORING campaigners have warned that speed limits on motorways across the country could be cut after the Highways Agency announced plans for a 60mph zone on the M1. The plan would come into effect between junction 28 of the M1 at Mansfield and junction 35a for Sheffield and Rotherham between 7am and 7pm, seven days a week. The Highways Agency said the reduced speed limit would be used to help reduce emissions along the route.

Extreme sports safety kit to inspire Volvo technologies

SWEDISH car maker Volvo is aiming to develop new safety technologies based on processes used to make extreme sports safety gear. The firm has announced a partnership with POC, another Swedish company, which designs lightweight, strong and high-tech safety equipment for climbers, snowboarders, mountain bikers and other extreme sports fanatics. The initial focus will be on the relationship between cars and cyclists, with the specific aim of developing a one-way method of communicating that the driver has seen the cyclist.

Rolls-Royce Ghost V-Specification dialed up to 593-hp

Just before a refreshed Rolls-Royce Ghost debuts at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the British automaker has rolled out a performance edition of its "entry level" sedan with 593-hp underhood. The standard Ghost sedan wasn't exactly short on power until the announcement of the V-Specification version -- the company's 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine produces 563-hp and 575 lb-ft of stump-pulling torque in standard form. Yes, gone are the days when Rolls-Royce declined to disclose exact power figures and simply listed their powerplants' output as "adequate." Now Rolls-Royce is forced to compete in this cutthroat market with its performance stats, it seems.

New 200hp engine for Vauxhall Astra

The Vauxhall Astra GTC is now available with a 1.6-litre direct injection engine that produces 200hp – making it the most powerful non-VXR Astra ever. The new four-cylinder Ecotec engine is the same as that used in the convertible Vauxhall Cascada. On Bing: see pictures of the Vauxhall Astra GTC Find out how much a used Vauxhall Astra GTC costs on Auto Trader Vauxhall claims the new engine is one of the most refined units in the segment, and also points at its improved performance and fuel economy figures over the previous 1.6-litre turbocharged motor.

Best new car sales in six years

RECORD new car sales achieved a six-year high in 2013, the motor industry has announced. A total of 2,264,737 new cars were registered in 2013 - a 10.8% rise on the 2012 figure and the best annual total since the pre-recession year of 2007, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. The 2013 total was boosted by a 23.76% rise, to nearly 153,000, in sales in December - the 22nd successive month of increases.

Volvo partnership to improve cyclist safety

Volvo has teamed up with an extreme sports company in a bid to improve safety between cars and cyclists. The manufacturer has signed an agreement with Swedish firm POC – a company that develops high-tech protective sports gear. On Bing: see pictures of the Volvo XC Concept Coupé Find out how much a used Volvo costs on Auto Trader Research between the new partnership will initially concentrate on communication between cars and cyclists.

Motorist Still At Wheel With Record Points Tally

THE Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has discovered a motorist has accrued a record 45 penalty points on his driving licence in a nine-month period and is still on the road. Obtaining the figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) following a Freedom of Information Act request, the IAM has uncovered the worrying tale of a driver from Liverpool who racked up the points tally for eight offences of either failing to disclose the identity of the driver or for speeding between October 1 2012 and June 20 2013. His total exceeded the previous still-driving record of 42 points.

Mercedes GLA 45 AMG (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 07 January 2014 10:00 This is, at last, the Mercedes GLA 45 AMG. We’ve seen Visions of the GLA, and a ghastly stickered-up ‘concept’ version, but this is the surprisingly handsome production version of Merc’s super-crossover. Prices are expected to top £43k, outpunching the Audi RSQ3’s ask, and Merc’s other four-pot rockets, the A45 and CLA 45, which start at £38,190 and £42,265 respectively.

Nissan unveils new generation 'black cab'

NISSAN has unveiled its new ‘black cab’, adapted specifically for London and designed to win business from cabbies looking for a more reliable, more functional and less polluting vehicle. This year, emissions legislation will force many older taxis off the road, and noting the financial struggles of Manganese Bronze, the makers of the traditional black cab, Nissan has seen the opportunity to muscle in on the market. The famous London taxi design has come in for much criticism from cabbies for its unrefined drive, patchy reliability and questionable cabin ergonomics.

UK car sales reach six-year high

Ford New car sales have reached their highest level since 2007, says the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Figures for 2013 show an increase in registrations of 10.8% compared with the previous year, to 2,264,737 - most of which was driven by growth in the private car market. Ford dominated the best-seller list, with the Fiesta and Focus winning 200,000 sales between them The UK market’s performance easily outstripped that of the European Union as a whole, with an increase of 9.9% for the 11 months to November compared with a drop of 2.7% for the EU region.

The Caterham Seven is coming to the United States, legally

Fans of no-frills, no-nonsense motoring, rejoice: The Caterham Seven is coming to the United States, legally -- some assembly required. Caterham says Irvine, Calif.-based Superperformance is the automaker's official U.S. distributor as of Jan.

Chevrolet ups the apps for MyLink infotainment system

Soon owners of new Chevrolet vehicles like the Corvette, Equinox, Impala, Malibu, Volt, and Silverado will be able to download a range of different apps directly to their vehicles through MyLink. This will be made possible by General Motors' deployment of high-speed 4G LTE connectivity through OnStar, which will allow software to be downloaded directly to the car's infotainment system. Owners will be able to select and download apps though the Chevrolet AppShop, which will be accessible through an icon on the MyLink screen.

Buick wants to pay for your college education

Buick has been working with the General Motors Foundation to help fund its Buick Achievers Scholarship program for its fourth consecutive year. The scholarships are awarded to students who have excelled not only in the classroom, but also in their efforts to help the community. The program was created in 2011 and has awarded $16.5 million to deserving students across the nation thus far.

New Peugeot 308 SW (Estate) revealed

New Peugeot 308 SW (Estate) revealed The new Peugeot 308 has only just gone on sale in the UK, but Peugeot are ready with its load-lugging sibling – the Peugeot 308 SW Estate – revealed this morning ahead of a debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Peugeot aren’t telling us what the boot capacity of the new 308 SW is with the back seats down, but with the back seats up it offers 610 litres – more than rivals like the Golf and Focus Estates can manage – and Peugeot say the load space is particularly uncluttered too. The extra space is thanks to an increase in length of the Estate over the Hatch of 327mm – all in the boot area as the wheelbase stays the same as the hatch – with the same EMP2 platform as the Hatch making the Estate up to 140kg lighter too.

New car sales in Cuba soured by 400-percent markups

While most analysts expected Cuba's lift of a decades-long ban on the sale of new cars to come with an asterisk or five, few could have predicted that the internationally hailed move would immediately turn out to be a mirage. Private car sales in Cuba have been heavily regulated by the government since 1959, and imports had been banned almost entirely. On Jan.

Hartmut Warkuss to receive 2014 EyesOn Design Catalyst Award

Hartmut Warkuss, former head of Volkswagen Design, will be awarded the 2014 Catalyst Award by EyesOn Design at next week's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Warkuss, who is credited with overseeing the design of the Bugatti Veyron, the VW Concept (new Beetle) and the Audi TT Concept, will be presented with the award by Peter Schreyer, Hyundai's president and chief design officer and the 2014 recipient of the EyesOn Design Lifetime Design Achievement Award. Schreyer, who met Warkuss when he was an intern at Audi in 1978, says, "He was chief designer at that time...

CAR Most Wanted of 2014: Audi Sport Quattro

By the CAR editorial team First Official Pictures 06 January 2014 09:00 Like a moth to a flame, Audi remains bewitched by the prospect of reviving the Sport Quattro. Thirty years on from the Frankfurt show reveal of the Sport Quattro, the homologation model that spawned Audi’s dominant World Rally cars, VW’s premium brand is unveiling the Sport Quattro concept, take three. Three years ago, Audi showed the Quattro concept (take two), a beautiful, modernist update of the 1980s icon.

60mph M1 motorway speed limit proposed

The government has announced a proposal to lower the motorway speed limit from 70mph to 60mph over a 32-mile stretch of the M1. The plan, which has just been put out to consultation, would lower the speed limit to 60mph between junction 28, near Matlock in Derbyshire, to junction 35a, north of Rotherham – in a bid to improve air quality by reducing vehicle emissions. On Bing: see pictures of motorway air quality Find out how much a used low CO2 car costs on Auto Trader The current proposal would see the Highways Agency put the 60mph restriction in place between 7am and 7pm, seven days a week.

Audi showcases bright future

AUDI IS to showcase new front lighting technology that uses super-powerful laser diodes just a few thousandths of a millimetre in diameter. But at the same time, the tiny diodes are claimed to be able to light the road ahead for an incredible 500 metres. That gives the technology about double the reach of today’s best LED headlights, with around three times as much overall light output.

Nissan’s black cab: what will London’s new taxi be like to ride in?

Nissan Around 300,000 people use black cabs in London every day, and by the end of 2014, they’ll be faced with a new alternative in the form of Nissan’s NV200 London Taxi, unveiled today. See Nissan's new London taxi The Japanese manufacturer has done its best to make the NV200 echo the carbon-dateable TX4 (which owes much of its styling to the 1958 Austin FX4), but let’s be honest – the new Nissan looks like a van. No coincidence there – it is based on the NV200 commercial vehicle.

Revealed: Peugeot 308 SW estate (2014)

Deliveries of the new Peugeot 308 hatchback have now started, and the French manufacturer has revealed that a 308 SW estate is coming soon. We’ll first see it in the flesh at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show in March, but for now we’ll make do with these pictures. Please click the image above to read more about the 2014 Peugeot 308 SW

Fuchsia pink-detailed Citroen DS3 announced

CITROEN has revealed a new special edition DS3 designed for people whose taste in cars could be compared to Barbie’s. The DS3 Pink will come in two trim levels, each of which will have two engine options, but both grades will share a fuchsia pink roof, door mirrors and wheel centre caps. On the inside there’s a fuchsia dashboard and a matching gear lever knob.

Peugeot 308 SW (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 06 January 2014 11:00 This is the new Peugeot 308 SW, the station wagon variant of the new 308 hatchback. Like its hatchback sister, it’s much lighter, more spacious, and smarter looking than its immediate predecessor. In fact, it could be about to pull the rug from under the VW Golf Estate and Seat Leon ST’s tyres… A huge boot!

Peugeot 308 Wagon Announced

FRENCH car maker Peugeot has released the first details of the latest addition to its recently launched 308 range. Following on from the five-door hatchback, the firm is to launch an estate variant called the SW in the spring. Peugeot claims class leading load space plus a flat floor and the ability to fold the seats with a single action from inside the boot.

Award Puts Kia In Seventh Heaven

KIA has received yet another award for its industry-leading, seven-year warranty. First introduced on the European designed and built Cee’d in 2007, the manufacturer-backed warranty is marking its seventh anniversary and has been lauded with the CarBuyer ‘Buyer’s Award’ in its 2014 honours. Since the seven-year warranty was first applied to the Cee’d, 82,884 vehicles have found homes with UK consumers.