Blog on 2040Parts

Corvette Stingray-based Callaway AeroWagon gets the green light

We first saw renderings of the Callaway AeroWagon, an angular shooting brake based off the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, back in March. Back then, Callaway said it would produce the customized C7 if demand was sufficient. Apparently, the Connecticut-based tuner decided that demand was, indeed, sufficient.

Dodge Charger Pursuit sets fastest ever lap for AWD car in Michigan State Police tests

In this year's Police Vehicle Evaluation conducted by the Michigan State Police at Grattan Raceway, a 2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit AWD has just set the fastest lap time ever recorded for an all-wheel-drive test sedan. The AWD Dodge Charger Pursuit set a time of 1:33.85, which was just a fraction of a second slower than the rear wheel-drive version of the car which set the previous benchmark at 1:33.70 back in 2012. The HEMI-powered sedan pairs a 370 hp V8 engine with an all-wheel-drive system, which uses a transfer case with front-axle-disconnect, which allows the Dodge Charger Pursuit to automatically go from RWD to AWD when conditions require it.

Fifty years of the Chevy Malibu

The Chevy Malibu is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014. What started as a “premium sedan for families” is now in its eighth generation and serves as, well, a sedan for families. But, there were some interesting turns along the way.

The great Tesla bubble of 2013

Do I go too far out on a limb to suggest Tesla is the modern-day version of the Great Tulip Bubble of March 1637? Remember, that was when speculators drove prices of just-introduced tulip bulbs to astronomical heights. Some single bulbs cost more than 10 times an average working man's salary.

One Lap of the Web: Auto pics, a pretty Ferrari and rallies

Who can forget the wild days of Group B? Lancia's wild 037 was the last rear-wheel-drive monster to win a championship in the WRC, doing so in 1983. Our friends at Automobiliac have a great video of a bunch of 037s doing their thing at a historic rally.

Chrysler cuts Viper output amid slow sales, growing inventory

Chrysler Group has cut output of the SRT Viper by a third and will reassign scores of workers to other plants because of slow sales, growing inventories, and the onset of colder weather. Workers at Chrysler's Conner Avenue Assembly plant in Detroit, where the car is assembled, were told of the production moves today. None will be laid off; instead they will be reassigned to other Chrysler plants in the Detroit area, a Chrysler spokeswoman said.

Fiat challenges RCA students to design the 500 or Panda of 2020

Fiat is challenging Vehicle Design students at London's Royal College of Art to explore how the Fiat 500 and the Panda might look in 2020 in a new contest called ‘Two of a Kind'. 14 teams of four students from across all design disciplines are asked to design innovative exterior and interior proposals taking interactivity, digital interface, sustainability and global appeal in account, using the Fiat design language as a starting point. The Master's students will be supported by six lectures at the RCA from some of the carmaker's top designers, such as head of design (Europe, Middle East and Asia regions) Roberto Giolito and head of global design Lorenzo Ramaciotti.

New Zenos E10 British sports car revealed

If you’ve not heard of Zenos Cars, don’t worry – the firm is only a few months old after all. But despite its relatively fledgling nature, the company has got big plans for its new E10 sports car. It’s aiming to take on Lotus, Ariel and Caterham for the lightweight British sports car crown, and with former Caterham chief executive officer Ansar Ali and chief operating officer Mark Edwards – along with ex-Caterham employee Chris Weston – Zenos has certainly got the expertise to succeed.

Obituary: Bob Wallace, Lamborghini test driver

Bob Wallace, Lamborghini’s first ever test and development driver, has passed away in the Italian supercar manufacturer’s 50th anniversary year. He was 75. New Zealand-born Wallace played a key role in the development of the firm’s road cars between 1964 and 1975, having joined the company initially as a mechanic.

Design For the Real China contest seeks innovative solutions to everyday issues

The ‘Design for the Real China' contest has launched, challenging designers across all disciplines to develop innovative solutions to everyday problems that arise in China. Delivering a brief of ‘Show us a solution to a China-located problem or opportunity you have identified', the competition organizers want to see entries that address localized problems or opportunities. Participants have to submit a short video explaining both the problem they've identified and how they'll solve it.

Tesla Model S burns in Seattle

A Tesla Model S crashed and burned on Tuesday morning in Seattle. The electric-vehicle manufacturer told Bloomberg that the Model S “collided with a large metallic object in the middle of the road, causing significant damage to the vehicle.” More specifically, the object struck the Tesla's battery. The report worried investors, and Tesla stock fell 6.2 percent on Wednesday.

AA warns of automated penalties

DRIVERS are still suffering a year on from the time most wheelclampers were banned from operating in private car parks, according to the AA. Twelve months on, parking enforcement firms are reaping large sums from issuing automated "penalty" tickets. The AA said that while Communities Minister Eric Pickles is reining in local authorities who over-zealously use CCTV, private parking operators now rely heavily on this technology and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) to watch drivers and issue tickets through the post when they put a foot wrong in parking areas.

Lamborghini seized in police swoop

A LAMBORGHINI worth around £300,000 was among the vehicles seized by police during a crackdown on uninsured cars. The orange supercar was initially stopped by officers in Newham, east London as it had no front number plate, and further checks revealed the driver was not the registered owner. The Lamborghini Aventador - which does 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds and has a top speed of 217mph - was seized when police discovered the driver's insurance policy did not cover him to get behind the wheel of the luxury motor.

Zenos E10 (2013) designs for new lightweight roadster shown

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 03 October 2013 16:00 Zenos Cars has released sketches of its new E10 sports car, as well as purported specs for the track-day two-seater. From the sketches, we can spot hints of BAC Mono and Caterham AeroSeven concept, but with more aggressive aerodynamic body addenda than both. Read on for the more on the Zenos E10.

Tiggywinkles get help from Toyota

ANIMAL CHARITY Tiggywinkles has a new supporter in the shape of Toyota GB, who have donated a new Hilux pick-up to help with its work in rescuing and caring for sick, injured or orphaned animals. The new Hilux Double Cab Invincible model will replace another Toyota model that was donated 20 years previously, and has covered thousands of miles in the process. Tiggywinkles, based near Aylesbury, has been rescuing, treating and rehabilitating British wildlife for more than 30 years.

Mercedes now more affordable

MERCEDES-BENZ has announced a host of offers to make its cars more affordable, including three years of free servicing with the A-class hatchback. Those choosing the A-Class can also take advantage of Mercedes Agility Personal Contract Hire scheme to run an A180 SE from £249 per month for three years, with a deposit of £2743. The C-Class is also offered through the same contract hire programme from £285 for a C180 Executive SE saloon.

Car hire costs branded ‘extortionate’

MORE THAN 45% of hire car users described hidden costs such as insurance and fuel as extortionate, according to a new survey. 200 UK consumers aged over 30 and earning more than £20,000 per annum were quizzed for the survey, conducted on behalf of Carhiremarket.com, with over 45% agreeing that hidden costs for insurance and fuel were extortionate. Users cited greater transparency or an all-inclusive upfront price as a more desirable option.

One Lap of the Web: Finnish Cadillacs and Finnish police cars

-- Remember the Datsun Bluebird sedan? That was Datsun's longtime midsize offering, and they were sold in the U.S. back in the day.

2014 Hyundai Tucson gets direct injection, small price increase

Hyundai introduced the refreshed 2014 Tucson crossover on Wednesday. It will be the first model to get the company's 2.0-liter Nu direct-injection engine; the other option is the 2.4-liter Theta II. For 2014, the Tucson offers new projector headlights with LED accents and LED taillights.

Car thieves are putting luxury vehicles in their crosshairs

The National Insurance Crime Bureau database released a report of the top-10 most stolen luxury cars in the United States from 2009 to 2012, and Mercedes-Benz to be most in the line of fire. Three Mercedes models made the list: the Mercedes-Benz C-class, E-class and S-class. At least the thieves have good taste.

Qoros 3 first Chinese five-star safety car

Qoros has become the first Chinese car brand to receive a five-star crash safety rating from Euro NCAP. The Qoros 3 small family saloon scored highly across all categories, and even performed well in the tricky side pole impact test. In fact, according to Qoros, the Qoros 3 has the “best overall performance” of any car tested by Euro NCAP so far in 2013.

One:1 halo car coming from Koenigsegg

Christian von Koenigsegg talked to Bloomberg Businessweek over the weekend, telling the publication about his youth, the supercar business and how most Koenigsegg designs start in his head. It's all worth a read. But at the end of the four-page article, the head of the brand hints at a new car, built as a “money-is-no-object venture” for a dealer in China.

2014 Subaru Outback Facelift gets new engine and gearbox combo

2014 Subaru Outback Facelift gets new engine and gearbox combo But with the world getting used to crossovers, Subaru think now’s the time to make the Outback look a little more glossy, so they’ve decided to paint what was plastic cladding for the 2014 model year. Other exterior titivations include some new colour choices - Deep Sea Blue Pearl and Dark Grey Metallic – with bigger fog lights and gloss black finish to the headlamps and a gunmetal finish for the alloys. Inside, the Outback gets new, more modern, instruments with an LCD cluster and some new material choices for the dashboard elements with black metallic panels making things seem a bit more modern.

2014 Toyota Land Cruiser facelift details – costs from £34,995

2014 Toyota Land Cruiser facelift details – costs from £34,995 The Land Cruiser can’t really offer car-like handling, but it has upped the stakes in the other departments with the arrival of a facelift for 2014. The 2014 Land Cruiser gets a new nose – the de rigueur facelift option – new headlights and running lights, new grill and bumper and round the back some new lights, all set-off by new alloys. Inside Toyopta has give the Land Cruiser a new set of switches for the drive modes, a new speedo and rev counter, a 4.2″ TFT screen, new wood and aluminium finishes and upgraded leather.

Bentley Branches Out Into Home Furnishings

NOT content with wheeling out an ever improving line of super-luxury cars, Crewe-based Bentley has chosen to add luxury furniture to its sales catalogue. Designed to furnish luxury homes, company bosses are keen to stress that the collections combine Bentley’s inherent qualities of craftsmanship, heritage and tradition, exclusivity and style, with the exacting design of a leading European furniture maker. Buyers of the furniture can expect the same attention to detail and exacting high standards as those with the means to purchase one of Bentley’s cars.

Superb wins Tow Car of the Year

THE SKODA SUPERB Estate has been crowned Tow Car of the Year by the Caravan Club, beating off competition from 40 other entrants including Range Rover and Jaguar. Commenting on the Superb’s ability, the judges remarked: ‘With a loading limit of 100kg on the roof, 80kg on the towball and a boot that scored maximum marks, it’s a very tough act to follow. You wouldn’t know you were towing a caravan.’ Skoda also won the £16,000-£20,000 category with the new Octavia 1.2 TSI, which was praised for its pulling power with such a small engine.

Crackdown on 'distracted' drivers

A CRACKDOWN on distracted drivers caught one motorist having a shave using a razor and a water bottle and a woman doing her make-up in the rear view mirror while on a motorway. The five-day police operation across the motorways of Hampshire and the Thames Valley resulted in 198 motorists being prosecuted for driving offences - most of them driving whilst distracted. Other offences spotted were a lorry driver brushing his teeth, two van drivers reading newspapers while they drove, one person reading a map on the steering wheel and two drivers using iPads (one on the steering wheel) as they travelled along.

No Logbook? No Sale

IT’S EASY to let your head rule your heart when buying a used car, but a leading industry expert is warning buyers not to part with their cash if the vehicle is missing its logbook. Used vehicle data specialists HPI says it has seen a rising number of customers fall prey to sellers passing on vehicles without a logbook, otherwise known as the V5C, leaving them vulnerable to a number of scams. Commenting on the issue, Phil Peace, Operations Director for HPI, said: “We’ve seen a number of buyers going ahead with a vehicle purchase without having seen the logbook for the vehicle.

Fuel duty freeze is 'no give-away'

MOTORING GROUPS have given a cautious welcome to Chancellor George Osborne's announcement of a freeze on fuel duty until May 2015. But Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin's insistence on the value of HS2 to the UK cut little ice with opponents of the high-speed rail scheme. On fuel duty, both the AA and the RAC pointed out that Mr Osborne was already getting big sums from motorists in taxation.

More than four million UK drivers aged 70 or over

The number of older people with driving licences has exceeded the four million mark for the first time, reveals a report by the RAC Foundation. Data shows that there are a record 4,018,900 men and women aged 70 or over who hold a valid full British licence, with the motoring research charity predicting that number is set to rise even further. IAM: more old drivers than ever not bad news It isn’t older drivers we should fear – it’s the young This prediction is backed by the government, which has said that of the UK citizens alive today, around 10 million will reach their 100th birthday.