Blog on 2040Parts

Volvo confirms big production increase for V60 Plug-in Hybrid

Volvo has been building around 150 V60 Plug-ins a week at its facility in Torslanda – alongside the regular V60, V70, S80 and XC90 – but that is now set to be upped to 282 cars a week for the rest of 2013, with plans to build at least 10,000 in 2014. The fact is that the V60 is a very appealing estate car already, and bolting a plug-in hybrid setup has turned it in to a big hit in showrooms because the barking mad official economy and emissions system bestows the V60 plug-in with emissions of just 48g/km, making it a real no-brainer in countries where governments blindly tax cars based on their official emissions. That means countries like Holland, where Volvo has received more than 3,000 orders for the V60 Plug-in, and the UK are lapping up the hybrid offering from Volvo as a way to escape big taxes and still have a swift (0-62mph in 6.1 seconds), appealing and stylish car.

'Gran Turismo 6' coming for PS3 this holiday season

Update: Preview video added below for your enjoyment. When the sixth installment of "Gran Turismo" hits store shelves this holiday season for the PlayStation 3, it will include 1,200 cars, 33 tracks in 71 layouts, a new track editor with 10 square kilometers of scenery, and more ways to connect with friends and rivals. The new installment will add to the franchise's current sales of 70 million copies, continuing its run as one of the biggest sellers on the PlayStation family of consoles.

One Lap of the Web: Hemi history, vintage Audis and Detroit Grand Prix

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- Watch a Pontiac Grand Am meet its demise as Pennsylvania sanitation workers crush it with a garbage truck.

Owners claim Ford V6 EcoBoost engine defects

Ford Motor Co. is being sued by three vehicle owners in Ohio because of alleged defects in the automaker's six-cylinder EcoBoost engine. According to the lawsuit, the 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine "contained serious latent design, manufacturing, or assembly defects" that cause vehicles to shake, misfire and rapidly lose power.

Subaru Forester tops small SUVs in new crash test

The Subaru Forester and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport have won top honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, becoming the only small SUVs to ace the group's new "small overlap" crash test. The Forester, which Subaru redesigned for the 2014 model year, earned Top Safety Pick+ accolades by scoring a "good" rating on the small overlap test, in which the front corner of the vehicle on the driver's side strikes a five-foot-tall barrier at 40 mph. "With the redesigned Forester, Subaru's engineers set out to do well in our new test, and they succeeded," Joe Nolan, vice president for vehicle research at IIHS, said in a statement.

Watch: BMW driver drifts 51 miles to set new world record

Johan Schwartz shattered the Guinness World Record for longest sustained drift in a BMW M5 Saturday, completing a total of 322.5 laps and covering 51.278 miles. Schwartz, a BMW Performance Driving instructor, beat the previous 6.94-mile drift record at the BMW Performance Center in Greenville, S.C. using just one set of Continental tires.

First Sight: Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222

It was one of the more memorable automotive events this year, and the massive thunderstorm only added to the drama. Last night Mercedes-Benz launched its new S-Class sedan in the delivery hall of Airbus in Hamburg and Car Design News was there to get the low-down on this eagerly-awaited limo. Context was fittingly provided by an A380 lounging in the background as the current lineup of Mercedes-Benz escorted Benz's big boy onto the stage, amidst artificial fireworks and real thunder and lightning.

Is this a tease for the 2015 Volvo XC90?

We’re not entirely sure what to make of a new tease video from Volvo that’s dropped in to our inbox. Volvo are trailing it as a ‘World Première’ for the 17th May, and it’s clear it’s going to be something rugged as the very short video focuses clearly on the great outdoors. The video shows an ‘outdoor’ man walking form a vehicle at the edge of a lake towards a lighthouse  and as the shot pulls out we can see the vehicle he’s walking away from, and it’s clearly an SUV or Crossover.

Volvo to unveil new SUV tomorrow [w/video]

Volvo will premiere a mystery new vehicle tomorrow after releasing a series of three teaser videos. The highly ambiguous videos, which give few details of the car, all feature members of the band Swedish House Mafia, which end with the words "Leave The World Behind" and the date of its official debut. You can catch sight of the vehicle in the distance during the second video (left), however, which looks to be the rumoured XC40 compact crossover, rather than the larger XC90 SUV.

Ford streamlines design process with latest 3D technologies

Ford has released details of its use of new digital technologies in streamlining its design process. Designers use what they call the 3D CAVE – Computer Automated Virtual Environment – to recreate a car's interior by projecting images onto the large white walls and roof. 3D polarizing glasses framed with motion sensors are used to transport them into the car's virtual interior.

Listen again to Autodesk ‘Seamless data preparation pipeline in VRED Professional’ webinar

Autodesk presented its latest webinar, ‘Seamless data preparation pipeline in VRED Professional' on 15 May. This is latest edition of a series of eight free webinars via CDN throughout 2013, explaining user techniques and introducing new features from its suite of automotive design software. The webinar was presented by Claudio Bräuer, an SQA engineer and VRED trainer at Autodesk.  The full series is: 1.

Porsche 918 Spyder: New specs and new photos

The Porsche 918 Spyder specification have been revealed Porsche has tried to keep weight in check on the 918 Spyder, but having a big, heavy electric hybrid setup on board hasn’t made that easy, and nor has making that setup 4WD. So Porsche has built the monocoque chassis from carbon fibre reinforced polymer to keep weight in check, despite which the 918 Spyder still comes in at a weighty 1640kg, even in ‘Weissach’ trim (more in standard guise). So Poprsche has had to be clever about the way they use the power they have on offer.

Mercedes C 63 AMG Edition 507: Price from £66,960

Available as Saloon, Estate or Coupe, the C 63 AMG Edition 507 will cost from £66,960 (for the saloon) and £68,160 (for the estate and coupe), or at least it will until you start to bother the options list. But for the base price you do get a fair bit already, with the AMG Drivers Pack as standard – which gives you extra horses (500bhp) and a higher top speed (174mph) and a free day out at an AMG BASIC Training Power and Passion Event so you can learn to drive your new C63 properly. As well as the extra power and freebie outing, you also get a selection of cosmetic and equipment teaks to the standard C 63 AMG including 19″ AMG Cross-Spoke alloys, composite brakes with red brake callipers, AMG bonnet with power dome and gloss black air vents and gloss black highlights for stuff like the mirrors and grill.

Honda back in F1 as engine supplier to McLaren from 2015

We reported that Honda were looking likely to be heading back in to F1 as engine supplier to McLaren nearly two years ago, and this morning Honda has confirmed they have formed a joint project with McLaren to supply engines and energy recovery systems to McLaren from 2015 in a joint project with the McLaren team becoming McLaren Honda. The new F1 partnership revives a very successful period for McLaren when it last used Honda engines and Prost and Senna dominated F1 with Honda powered McLarens, and fits in nicely with Honda’s return to making supercars with the new Honda NSX. Formula One engines will drop to a 1.6 litre V6 in 2015 – with a turbo – and it will be very easy for parallels to be drawn with the V6 hybrid plant Honda are using on the new NSX, which is going to do its credibility no harm whatsoever.

Gran Turismo 6 confirmed for launch: full details here

Sony has announced that its latest racing simulator game, Gran Turismo 6, will go sale in this November with more cars, expandability and even more impressive realism than before. Gran Turismo, which launched in 1998, is the most successful Sony franchise with sales of more than 70 million games sold in in its 15-year history. What's new in Gran Turimso 6?

One Lap of the Web: Dancing grandmas, fun with captions and drunken driving

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- Here's your daily giggle: Watch some dancing grannies cruise in their Mitsubishi i-MiEV in an ad for Cambio, a Belgian car-sharing company.

2014 Cadillac XTS adds new twin-turbo V6

Cadillac is adding a new 420-hp, twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 as an option for its XTS sedan for 2014. General Motors unveiled the engine back in March, confirming that it will be an option on the new-for-2014 Cadillac CTS, and recent Cadillac press materials confirm that the engine option will be expanded to the XTS. The all-aluminum engine makes use of direct-injection technology and is the highest-output V6 in GM history.

Former VW and Renault designer Markus Haub turns artist with 'Racing Legends' collection

Former Volkswagen and Renault designer Markus Haub has merged photography, painting and digital effects to create a 'Racing Legends' series, which focuses on racecars from the 1960s and ‘70s. Haub, a Pforzheim University graduate, who now teaches at the Barcelona campus of the Instituto Europeo di Design school (IED) when not producing his unique artwork, uses software to manipulate his photography which is then printed and made into a collage. He then works into it with paint and other artists' tools, creating what you can see here.

BMW and Pininfarina to show Gran Lusso Coupé concept at Villa d'Este

BMW and Pininfarina have collaborated on a concept car – the Gran Lusso Coupé – for the 2013 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Previewed in these teaser images, the gloriously glamorous-sounding Gran Lusso (lusso being Italian for ‘luxury') appears to fuse BMW iconography – the front fender vent, Hofmeister kink DLO and horizontal rear lamp treatment – with a little more Latin flair with a rocker that flicks up the rear lamp and joins the shoulder line. The full-width rear lamps also promise to be suitably exotic.

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-class arrives

Mercedes-Benz has pulled the wraps off of the 2014 S-class at a media presentation in Hamburg, Germany, revealing a technological tour de force that the firm hopes will continue the plush sedan’s traditional dominance at the top of the global luxury car market. Set to arrive in North American showrooms in September, the Mercedes-Benz flagship is charged with the task of replacing not one but two different model lines. On the one hand, it has been developed to fill the role of the previous generation S-class on sale since 2007.

Bentley Blowers take on the 2013 Mille Miglia

The first is the No.2 Team Car raced by Tim Birkin – one of the Bentley Boys – at Le Mans and bought back by Bentley in 2000. Perhaps best known for its tussle with Mercedes’ awesome 7 litre Kompressor at Le Mans in 2013, the car has been regularly put to good use round the world since Bentley bought it back. The second Blower was originally a Bentley demonstrator, completed in 1930, and has a Vandan Plas Open Sports Four Seater body and after its life as a demonstrator was sold off but bought back in 1997 and it too has been carrying the historical banner for Bentley around the world ever since.

2014 Mercedes S Class LIVE reveal

The new S Class (W222) gets a bit longer than the current S Class (by 20mm), a bit wider (28mm) and a bit lower (25mm) but the wheelbase of the standard S Class stays the same at 3035mm with the long wheelbase S Class getting an extra 130mm for extra sprawling room. There will be a variety of engines on offer in the new S Class (from parsimonious 4-cylinders to mighty V12s) but we’re expecting at launch that just three will be on offer – the S350 diesel with a 255bhp V6, the S400 with a 300bhp V6 petrol and the S500 with a 4.7 litre turbo petrol with 450bhp. In terms of styling, Mercedes appear to have taken away much of the bulbous look of the current S Class and replaced it with a more flowing shape, but one that’s still very much S Class.

BMW Gran Lusso Coupe Pininfarina teased

Does that mean the Gran Lusso previews a new 8 Series from BMW? Probably not, any more than last year’s BMW Zagato Coupe from Villa d’este spawned a new BMW, but it’s an interesting idea to revive a big V12 coupe when the rest of the car world is downsizing. BMW aren’t giving much away about the Gran Lusso beyond these few photos, but it’s clear from those tease photos that it has a makeup similar to the 8 Series, with a long nose, two doors and swooping coupe roofline.

BMW Grand Lusso Concept (2013) first official pictures

What happens when BMW and legendary Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina get together? The BMW Grand Lusso Concept. These teaser images show the handsome two-door coupe (complete with provocative V12 badging) that would give BMW something to take on the Bentley Continental GT and forthcoming Mercedes S-class Coupe. What could be better than German quality and Italian design flair?

Mercedes S-class (2013) first official pictures

This is the new Mercedes-Benz S-class. It’s one of the most important new cars of 2013, and the decade: it's a complete gadget and tech fest, with everything from suspension that can 'see' the road ahead, to heated armrests, plus a four-cylinder diesel hybrid model that'll do over 64mpg and emit just 115g/km CO2. Read on for the full story on the new Mercedes S-class...

2014 Mercedes S Class REVEALED

There’s not a huge more to say about the new S Class than we already have, but it does look convincing. It takes styling cues from many of Mercedes latest models, but even without the big bulbous wheel arches at the back it’s still very recognisable as an S Class – just a new one. We already know much about what ‘s likely to be on offer at first – S350, S400 and S500 – and what’s to come – S250, S63 AMG, S Class Pullman – and that we’ll see, in due course, both an S Class Coupe and a convertible S Class.

Toyota Auris Hybrid emissions cut to 84g/km

We’ve long believed that car makers better serve their customers by offering ‘Green’ options as add-ons to regular car models, and adding the hybrid option from the Prius to the Auris has seen Auris sales climb steeply whilst Prius sales drop off. There’s only so many buyers who want to shout their green halo from the rooftops, so incorporating green technologies in the regular range opens up far more possibilities for a sale. Now, with the Auris Hybrid sales growing by 69 per cent year on year in the UK, Toyota has had a play to make the Auris Hybrid even more efficient.

BMW are rolling out their ‘BMW Genius’ programme across UK dealers

Even when you’re immersed in the latest car news day in and day out, it’s often quite tough to keep up with the new technologies car makers are offering, so many buyers must struggle to know exactly what their options are. That should be a job for the car salesman, but most car salesmen only worry about explaining how good the deal is and how it’s better than any other deal, so buyers often come away with a car that doesn’t fit their needs as well as it could. But with fewer new car buyers really wrapped up in performance and dynamics and more interested in the tech behind the wheels, BMW has been trying out an idea borrowed from Apple Stores by employing ’BMW Geniuses’ at 10 of their UK dealerships to explain the advantages of much of their technology to customers.

New 2015 Honda NSX – Made in America

The new Centre – costing $70 million, stretching to 184,000 square feet and housed inside Honda’s old logistics facility – will employ 100 of Honda’s most skilled workers in Ohio to bolt the new NSX together, and even the engine will be assembled at Honda’s engine plant in Anna, Ohio. Not only has Honda revealed where the US-designed NSX will be built, but they’ve appointed their R&D chief engineer, Ted Klaus, to lead the team developing the new NSX and Clement D’ Souza, associate chief engineer at Honda USA, to head up production. Ted Klaus said: This new plant will be as unique as the vehicle we will build here.

918 a match for Ferrari and McLaren in corners, says Porsche

Had you forgotten about the third contender in the hybrid supercar wars, given the furious competition betwen Ferrari and McLaren? Porsche’s hybrid 918 Spyder is that third competitor, which mates a 4.6-litre normally aspirated V8 to an 84bhp front-drive electric motor and a 127bhp EV motor helping drive the rear tyres. It costs £768,026, and though Porsche won’t quite admit as much, you can still buy one of the 918 being produced - unlike the sold-out LaFerrari.