Blog on 2040Parts

F1 boss denies 'corrupt bargain'

MOTORSPORT TYCOON Bernie Ecclestone has appeared at a High Court trial to defend himself against allegations that he made a "corrupt bargain" in a bid to stay at the top of Formula 1 racing. Mr Ecclestone has been accused of entering into a "corrupt agreement" with a banker to facilitate the sale of the Formula 1 group to a buyer "chosen" by him, A German media company says it lost out as a result of the deal and has taken legal action against Mr Ecclestone - chief executive of the Formula 1 group. Mr Ecclestone says Constantin Medien's claim "lacks any merit" and denies any "conspiracy".

Catalytic converter thefts double in three years

Associated Press Thefts of catalytic converters from cars have more than doubled in less than three years, according to an investigation by the BBC. Data compiled from 40 police regions across the UK reveal that in 2012 a total of 8,947 catalytic converters thefts were reported, compared to 3,957 similar cases recorded in 2010. On Bing: see pictures of catalytic convertersStreet sweepers to mine UK roads for precious metals A car’s catalytic converter reduces its harmful exhaust gas emissions by initiating a chemical process to neutralise many toxic substances emitted from the engine.

Mitsubishi to sell Renault-based midsized car in US

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. plans to sell a Renault-based midsized car in the United States under a new strategic tie-up between Mitsubishi and the Renault-Nissan alliance. The car will be the first of two Renault-based sedans sold by Mitsubishi under a product and technology exchange announced by the companies today.

Coker unveils 1939 Indy engine rebuild at SEMA show

Joe Lencki built a DOHC straight six in 1939 that made an astounding (for the time) 417 hp. The engine was in cars that raced, qualified or tried to qualify at Indianapolis all the way up to 1963. It was an innovative monoblock design that, with those cam covers and cooling fins, looks even cooler now than it probably did 63 years ago.

Ford design chief J Mays retires, replaced by Moray Callum

J Mays, Ford Motor Co.'s global design chief and one of the last senior executives remaining from the Jacques Nasser era, is retiring from the company along with two other veteran senior executives. Moray Callum, 58, design director for Ford in North America, will replace Mays, 59, the automaker said in a statement today. Also retiring after long Ford careers are Jim Tetreault, 57, vice president of North American manufacturing, and Martin Mulloy, vice president of labor relations.

Mazda 3, Mazda 6 get customized for the SEMA Show

We like the look of Mazda's current lineup, from the basic 2 to the sleek 6. Kodo design language has a lot to do with it -- Mazda North American Operations design director Derek Jenkins says that, thanks that Kodo styling, "the Zoom-Zoom genetic code is further being embraced, not buried, through increasingly expressive vehicle design." (Ugh.-ED) We didn't know genetics had anything to do with it, but hey -- tough to argue with the results. Perhaps Kodo's effectiveness is why Mazda's SEMA show concepts are fairly...restrained compared to what other automakers are bringing to Las Vegas.

New Range Rover Sport crosses ‘Empty Quarter’ Desert in record time

The new Range Rover Sport crosses the ‘Empty Quarter’ Desert in record time We all know that almost every Range Rover Sport sold will never do anything more rugged than crossing a boot sale car park. But that doesn’t stop Land Rover hanging the Sport’s reputation on its ability to go anywhere, and do it more quickly. To demonstrate that combination of off-road prowess and speed they recently put the new Range Rover Sport up Pikes Peak in a record time (for an SUV) to demonstrate it could do rough stuff at speed, and now they’ve been out playing in the deserts of Saudi Arabia to ram the point home.

One Lap of the Web: Loewy, Knieval and an evil Capri

-- If you've been on Google today, you may have noticed the tribute to famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy who penned, among countless other icons, the Studebaker Avanti. Loewy was born on November 5, 1893 -- read more about his life and designs here, and about his Studebaker Avanti here. -- Courtesy of an English auto body shop, this series of photos is a must-see for anyone contemplating the purchase of an old car.

Yes, it’s another Veyron ‘Legends’ Special – the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Meo Costantini

The Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Meo Costantini (pictured) is the latest ‘Legends’ Veyron Bugatti are continuing on their path of making just about every Bugatti Veyron that comes out of the factory a special edition car, so we get the third in a series of ‘Bugatti Legends’ cars in the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Meo Costantini at the Dubai Motor Show today. The Meo Costantini – named after Ettorio Bugatti’s friend and the one-time head of the Bugatti Race Team – is being built in a three car run, just like the Jean-Pierre Wimille Special Edition Veyron. Power from the Meo Costantini Veyron is the same as the regular Grand Sport Vitesse – 1200 horses from its 8.0 litre W12 and a 0-62mph of 2.6 seconds and top speed of 253mph – but it gets cosmetic tweaks to suit its association with Meo Costantini.

Hydrogen-powered Toyota FCV Concept revealed

  The Hydrogen-powered Toyota FCV Concept (pictured) revealed Toyota revealed last month that their latest take on a hydrogen-powered car would be revealed at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. And here it is – the Toyota FCV Concept. The FCV Concept points clearly at Toyota’s first proper production fuel cell car – expected to hit Toyota showrooms in 2015 – and Toyota are keen we realise that, subject to a refuelling infrastructure, the hydrogen-powered FCV is just like owning a regular ICE car.

Jaguar F-Type Coupe to bow at LA Auto Show

One of the most fevered rumors in automobildom will be all but confirmed at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, when the Jaguar F-Type Coupe makes its debut. Remember that the Jaguar C-X16 concept first showed itself in LA back in 2011, and we rather liked that car. The F-Type Coupe, in all of its production-ready glory, will look achingly similar to that concept.

Honda unveils supercharged CR-Z, 2014 Civic Coupe at SEMA

Hard to tell, but the supercharged tomato you see above represents a fundamental shift within Honda: it is the first car from Honda Performance Development with parts that actually make your car go faster. Honda Performance Development: "We're not just body kits and lowering springs anymore!" After two decades in actual racing development, perhaps it was time. HPD has built engines and chassis for IndyCar, American Le Mans Prototypes, Formula Atlantic, and the Continental Sports Car Challenge.

Half of all used cars go wrong ‘within a month’

With over seven million secondhand cars purchased in 2012, you’d expect one or two to develop a problem soon after purchase. But rather shockingly, as many as half of all used cars sold develop faults within a month of changing hands. That’s according to a report by the Citizens Advice Bureau, which helped with over 84,000 problems with secondhand motors in the past 12 months.

Volkswagen debuts tuned Jettas for SEMA

It's easy to get the impression that SEMA is all about unattainable and outlandish show cars, ones that will never see the street, but in reality there is plenty of iron (or carbon fiber really) from all sides of all ponds that we could see people driving on the street. And just to reinforce that point, Volkswagen has brought a couple of tuned Jettas to SEMA that could almost pass for stock cars. This being SEMA, all that really means is that you're not looking hard enough -- the subtle cars you see are probably sleepers.

Chevy invites Transformers to SEMA show preview

It was all over. Just about all over. After getting lost in the vast Palazzo/Sands/Venetian lodging-shopping-convetioning-gambleplex, we'd found Chevy's SEMA show preview and borne witness to Brad Paisley's Silverado.

Range Rover Hybrid: the ‘most-tested’ Land Rover ever

Land Rover has worked so hard to make sure the Range Rover Hybrid performs in a near-seamless way, the prototypes have been driven for longer than any other Land Rover prototype – ever. This tough trials included the huge Range Rover Silk Trail that MSN Cars took part in recently – and even the press fleet launch cars now being driven in Strasburg are actually prototypes that Land Rover continues to monitor closely. Range Rover Silk Trail adventure Range Rover Hybrid prototype review (2013) In all, around 100 Range Rover Hybrids have been built for engineers to tirelessly assess.

Honda’s new mini-SUV Juke rival revealed

This is the first sight of the production-ready shape of Honda’s forthcoming small crossover – a machine intended to rival Nissan’s Juke, Vauxhall’s Mokka and the MINI Countryman. If it looks familiar, that’s because it was previewed at January’s Detroit show as the “Urban SUV Concept”.

One in five drivers update Facebook on the move

One in five drivers have updated their Facebook status while behind the wheel of a car. That’s according to the latest survey by temporary car insurance specialist Dayinsure. On Bing: see pictures of people on the phone when driving Find out how much a car with hands-free costs on Auto Trader Meanwhile over half of respondents admitted to using a phone while driving and 58% have taken photographs.

Taxi! Toyota's unveils black cab for 2013 Tokyo Motor Show

Toyota will unveil five new concepts at this month's 2013 Toyota Motor Show and - rather fittingly - it's the JPN Taxi Concept that will be first off the rank. And it's most certainly the concept that's captured our imagination. Toyota JPN Taxi Concept Looking every inch the next generation London 'black cab', the Toyota JPN Taxi Concept has been conceived with the Japanese government's programme for designing buses and taxis that are more user-friendly.

Here's a SpongeBob-themed Toyota Highlander turned into an aquarium

Are ya, ready, midsize crossover shoppers? Aye aye, Akio! I caaaaaan't hear you!

Toyota to debut fuel-cell, fun concepts in Tokyo

Toyota will reveal a handful of next-generation vehicles at the Tokyo motor show later this month. One is powered by a fuel cell, one is a hybrid and the others are crazy people-movers that may or may not catch the public's eye. The highlight of the display is the Toyota FCV concept, or fuel cell vehicle.

Range Rover Sport sets desert crossing record

A RANGE Rover Sport has set a new record for the fastest crossing of one of the harshest desert environments on Earth. The new off-roader, which was standard apart from an additional protection plate under the chassis, crossed the Empty Quarter in the Middle East between Wadi Adda Wasir in Saudi Arabia and the border of the United Arab Emirates in 10 hours and 22 minutes at an average speed of 51.87mph. Covering 530 miles en route to the new record, the Range Rover Sport was driven by veteran Dakar rally expert Moi Torrallardona, a man who understands everything there is to know about driving large off-road vehicles in demanding desert conditions.

Hot Wheels Ford Transit and custom F-100 break cover at SEMA

Ford is making its Transit Connect van cool the only way it knows how: with the help of Hot Wheels. The company unveiled a customized royal blue van today at SEMA in Las Vegas. Alongside the Transit, the Blue Oval also revealed a customized 1956 Ford F-100 pickup, codenamed Snakebit, for charity.

Chrysler brings back Shaker, Scat Pack for Challenger, Charger, Dart

Dodge and Mopar are bringing the Shaker hood back from the dead at the 2013 SEMA Show. The blurry-lettered scoop and high-flow air filter will make their next appearance on the 2014 Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker in Las Vegas. The company will also show off its new Scat Pack upgrades and its annual Mopar vehicles.

London cabs voted 'world's best'

LONDON has been voted the world's favourite city for taxis, as long as cabbies do not take "the scenic route". The capital topped a global list in five out of seven categories in a Hotels.com survey involving more than 2,600 respondents from 30 countries. The overall result meant London taxis were considered the world's best ahead of second-placed New York, with Tokyo third and Berlin fourth.

Watch Hyundai's concept cars at SEMA

The 2013 SEMA show starts today in Las Vegas, Nev. and Hyundai will introduce several new concept cars, including the Bisimoto Genesis Coupe, the Genesis Legato Coupe and the JPE Genesis Coupe. We've all seen the pictures, but now we give you video of these concepts in motion.

Winter checks boost Seat owners' festive cheer

SEAT DRIVERS can rest assured their cars are ready for winter this year with a cool deal that’s just been announced. Owners can take advantage of a 28-point Winter Safety Check heck at their local Seat dealer, with technicians checking tyres, brakes, all fluid levels and more, with top-ups if needed. The fixed-price £29 offer includes inspections of the cooling system, handbrake linkages, steering and electrics.

Keep children safe this winter

PARENTS are being urged to be extra careful now their children are coming home from school in the dark. They are being advised to give their children glow in the dark fluorescent clothing to help make them as visible as possible to drivers. By wearing a high visibility vest or jacket, children’s safety will be improved, says GEM Motoring Assist’s David Williams.

Pudsey and Peter André get washed up

PUDSEY the Bear is launching the world’s largest car wash to raise money for Children in Need, with a little help from Peter André and Peugeot. Across 272 Peugeot dealerships, the car wash asks for a donation in return for cleaning your car and Peugeot reckons it should raise £250,000 between 6 and 10 November. Peter André will help launch the world’s largest car wash event on 6 November in Chiswick, London.

Caterham launches surprise motorbike division

CAR MAKER Caterham has created a motorcycle division in a shock announcement that sees the brand break new ground. The company, which as well as manufacturing the famous Seven roadster operates one of Formula 1 racing’s 11 teams, has revealed three prototype bikes to kick its two-wheeled ventures off. These prototypes, two of which look more like bicycles, have been scheduled for production in 2014, sparking surprise and debate among bikers and sports car fans.