Blog on 2040Parts

Cadillac CTS gets limited-edition colors ahead of redesign

Cadillac added a pair of limited-edition CTS vehicles to its lineup on Friday. Silver Frost and Stealth blue will join the car’s color palette. Only 100 Silver Frost Cadillac CTS-V coupe will be produced with the low-gloss matte finish while the new blue will appear on all body styles.

Autoweek in review: Geneva previews, IndyCar troubles and Ram goes diesel

On Monday we talked about the 2014 Corvette Stingray and its place in Corvette history. We also checked out a used Porsche race car on Bring a Trailer and looked at which Formula One teams are not at risk of collapsing. We awoke on Tuesday to see video of a helicopter crashing during filming of “Top Gear Korea.” We looked at the interior of the McLaren P1 and saw some shots of the Alfa Romeo 4C before its reveal at the Geneva motor show.

BMW recalls 30,000 X5s to fix brake problem

BMW said Friday it is recalling more than 30,000 eight-cylinder X5 SUVs built between 2007 and 2010 due to a potential power assist braking malfunction. In a statement to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, BMW noted that a small amount of lubricating oil could leak into the vacuum hose that connects the vacuum pump and the brake booster. This leak could cause power-assist braking to malfunction.

Acura has high hopes for the new RLX

What Is It? The new RLX is the luxury leader of the Acura division, and the brand is hoping to dazzle the market with an array of features when the car hits showrooms March 15. Everything from its “jewel-eye” LED headlights to its LED taillights and a laundry list of high-tech features in between, from four-wheel steering to improved AcuraLink infotainment connectivity.

RM Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum Auction begins

Thursday was not a good day for microcar coverage. In fact, the day was spent answering three questions: One: Who the hell leaves their wallet on a plane? Two: If that person is outside of the terminal when he realizes he's lost his wallet, how does he get back into the terminal without ID?

NY Times reporter says he followed Tesla's advice

A New York Times reporter says he was following the advice of Tesla employees when he drove an electric Model S sedan beyond its indicated range in an effort to reach a recharging station. Responding to a blog post by Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk highly critical of his original article, Times reporter John Broder on Thursday said he did not set out to sabotage the test drive -- refuting one of Musk's most-damning points. Broder also refutes Musk's claim that he drove the car around a parking lot in a deliberate attempt to fully discharge the battery -- Broder says he was looking for the recharge station in a poorly lighted rest stop at night.

First Sight: Qoros 3 Sedan, Wagon and Cross Hybrid

'Drive New Answers'. That's the tagline for the all-new Qoros brand, a company set to take the European world by storm and shake up the status quo doing so. With an in-house modular platform, hybrid drivetrain and team of big hitters behind the company scenes there's plenty of reason to take this Chinese-Israeli joint venture very seriously indeed.

2013 Kia Pro_cee’d specs and prices: Costs from £17,495

Kia has revealed price and specification for the 2013 Procee’d, starting from £17,495 for the Pro_cee’d 1.6 GDI S rising to £20,795 for the SE. The new Procee’d comes in two trim options – S and SE – and with a choice of a 1.6 litre GDi petrol engine or 1.6 litre CRDi  diesel, all with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard although you can opt for a DCT ‘box on the Pro_cee’d 1.6 GDi SE. The 1.6 GDi offers 133bhp and 164lb/ft of torque, does 52.3mpg and takes 9.8 seconds to 62mph.

New Range Rover to get 3.0 V6 Supercharged engine for 2014

The new Range Rover is to get the new 3.0 litre Supercharged engine in place of the naturally aspirated 5.0 litre in the U.S. for the 2014 model. That explains why a dealer marketing bulletin from Land Rover has gone out on the new Range Rover explaining to dealers what differences there will be between the 2013 and 2014 Range Rovers.

Concept Car of the Week: Citroën Zabrus (1986)

Designed by Marcello Gandini for Bertone, the quirky BX proved to be a big success for Citroën. Eager to improve its brand image and to boost its already healthy sales figures, the brand put the popular BX on steroids and entered the World Rally Championship. Unfortunately the beefed-up BX 4TC didn't shine on the rally stage and despite a powerful engine, the road-going version didn't sell well either.

New Hyundai Sant Fe delivers up a ‘Storm’ for London Fashion Week

Hyundai has delivered a fleet of new Santa Fe’s to Storm Model Management to ferry models round the shows at London Fashion Week AW13. We often wonder how car makers decide which placements give them the best return for their investment. Is there a little man in a cupboard with an abacus working out ROI?

Koenigsegg Tease: It’s a customised 2013 Agera S for Geneva 2013

Koenigsegg has released a teaser image for a new Koenigsegg at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, which will be a customised Agera S. The last news we had from the intrepid Swedes at Koenigsegg was news of a new model for China – the Koenigsegg One:1, when we were exclusively able to reveal that the One:1 was a run of five cars for China that will deliver 1hp for every 1kg of weight. Now, we have a teaser image from Koenigsegg of a car that’s heading for the Geneva Motor Show next month, and all Koenigsegg has officially revealed is the teaser image (above) and a single line of information: “Celebrate 0 – 100 – 10 with Koenigsegg Automotive at Geneva 2013″.

Renaultsport Clio 200 RS (2013) full spec low-down

The new Renaultsport Clio RS 200 Turbo is lighter, more powerful, faster and more economical than the outgoing car. It's also got a wealth of performance aids that wouldn't embarrass a Porsche 911 Turbo. Renault unveiled this new Clio RS 200 at the 2012 Paris motor show, but now it's released the full technical spec.

Ram 1500 diesel changes the pickup truck game

It's ironic perhaps that I spent yesterday evening driving a Ford F-150 equipped with the excellent EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 engine. It's got loads of low-end torque and, on paper, its fuel economy is better than that of a comparable gas V8. It even sounds a bit like a diesel…but it isn't.

Holden reveals VF Commodore SS V before Chevy SS bows

General Motors’ Australian arm, Holden, revealed the new VF Commodore SS V before its brother-in-arms, the Chevy SS, gets revealed this weekend at Daytona. The show car is finished in a color named Fantale orange metallic. Unfortunately, Holden and GM kept hidden the most exciting parts of the new full-size, rear-drive platform: the engine and price.

2014 Range Rover adds supercharged V6

In addition to a complete inside-and-out redesign, the big story for the new-for-2013 Range Rover was the weight savings -- about 700 pounds worth thanks to an all-aluminum unibody structure. On Wednesday, we caught wind of the 2014 model. Word on the street is Jaguar-Land Rover's 3.0-liter supercharged V6 will replace the normally aspirated V8 for next year.

McLaren P1

McLaren has revealed the first interior images of the production-ready P1 ahead of its debut in Geneva next month. The interior was hidden with heavily tinted windows in Paris, but these pictures show a sparse cabin with a considerable amount of carbon fiber on display. The woven wonder stuff is used for the dashboard, floor, pillars, doors and rockers while a single piece is shaped for the center stack.

Tesla uses data to refute New York Times report

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk says data don't lie. He's using information from a Model S loaned to New York Times writer John M. Broder to dispute a report the electric sedan didn't deliver enough driving range to take advantage of Tesla's Supercharger stations in the Northeast.

2014 Ram 1500 diesel in the works

Chrysler has announced that a diesel-powered Ram 1500 pickup is in the works. It's expected to hit dealer lots -- and presumably, America's family farms -- in the third quarter of 2013. Set to be released as a 2014 model year vehicle, the oil-burning 1500 will get a 3.0-liter V6 wearing Chrysler's new EcoDiesel branding.

Porsche purchases Andial performance brand

Porsche announced on Thursday that it has purchased the legendary Andial name that has become a staple in the realm of Porsche racing and performance tuning. In 1975, the late Arnold Wagner (AN), Dieter Inzenhofer (DI), and former Porsche Motorsport North America president and current consultant Alwin Springer (AL) came together to build Andial (an anagram of the principals names), a successful and respected independent authority on Porsche-performance tuning. Since the last active owner, Inzenhofer, is retiring later this month, timing was ripe for Porsche to jump in and offer to carry the Andial torch.

California's crawlin' with concours

If you live in California or if you might be coming through, here are some car-related events you'll want to see. You may even want to make a special trip to see them. Feb.

Vauxhall Zafira Tourer gets new, frugal 1.6 CDTi Diesel

The Vauxhall Zafira Tourer is the first Vauxhall to get the new 1.6 CDTi Diesel engine offering 68.9mpg. Debuts at Geneva 2013. Now we get news that Vauxhall are also giving the Zafira the new 1.6 CDTI diesel with stop start – the cleanest Vauxhall diesel ever.

Jaguar F-Type stars in Lana Del Rey’s Burning Desire video

The new Jaguar F-Type has a starring role in the new Burning Desire video from Lana Del Rey, Jaguar’s F-Type ‘Ambassador’. Last summer, as the new Jaguar F-Type stared to garner headlines, Jaguar announced that they were signing up the talented Lana Del Rey to help promote the new F-Type, imbuing their new sports car with a bit of cool in the process. And Ms Del Rey was a clever choice; just like the F-Type she manages to be very ‘now’ yet still manages to evoke the cool of the past without relying on that to define herself.

McLaren P1: The Bahrain Photo Shoot

On a tour of the Middle East – and ahead of a debut at the Geneva Motor Show – the McLaren P1 has been photographed at the Bahrain International Circuit. That drip of information has included everything from the development version of the P1 on video, the first view of the instruments on the P1 and, most recently, the first interior photos of the P1. Now, whilst McLaren are busy touring the P1 round the Middle East, they’ve taken the opportunity to get a new set of stunning photos of the McLaren P1 at the Bahrain International Circuit showing the P1 in a set of beautifully lit and shot photos.

Lexus ranks highest in J.D. Power dependability study

Lexus remains the most dependable vehicle brand after three years of ownership but the Detroit 3 continue to close the gap with foreign rivals, J.D. Power and Associates says. Lexus, Porsche, Lincoln, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz top Power's 2013 Vehicle Dependability Study.

McLaren P1 basks in Bahrain photo shoot

Following its Middle East debut in Bahrain in January, McLaren brought the P1 back to the desert for some glamour shots before the car's arrival on the market. The land is full of oil, sand, sheiks, princes, sultans and an amazing amount of car enthusiasts. Every supercar maker stops there with something new, knowing a few sales are guaranteed.

Chevrolet Spark EV going on sale in Europe

The electric Chevrolet Spark is heading for a European debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and will go on sale in Europe in 2014. Chevrolet has revealed that the Spark EV will; make its European debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show and that there are plans to launch the Spark EV in Europe in 2014. Well, in ‘Select European Markets’ at least.

Jaguar Land Rover sales up 32% in January 2013

Jaguar Land Rover sales continue to power ahead, with sales up 32 per cent in January 2013 – 31 per cent up for Land Rover and 40 per cent for Jaguar. We’ve got used to ever increasing sales from both Jaguar and Land Rover in recent years, and 2013 has started for JLR in the same manner as 2012 – with sales up by 32 per cent. JLR are reporting sales up in every major market, with China topping the list with an increase of 74 per cent, but even the UK (up 33 per cent) and USA (up 24 per cent) performed well and, despite sales falling across Europe for most car makers, Jaguar Land Rover managed to increase their sale by 10 per cent on the Continent.

Mercedes A45 AMG: Official

The Mercedes A45 AMG – Mercedes’ first ’Hot Hatch’ – has been revealed ahead of a debut at Geneva 2013. It gets 355bhp and does 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds. The 2.0 litre turbo 4-cylinder engine under the bonnet of the A45 produces a very healthy 355bhp and 332lb/ft of torque, enough to scoot the A45 AMG to 62mph in 4.6 seconds yet still returns official economy of 34mpg.

Mercedes A45 AMG (2013) first pictures of new hot hatch

This is the Mercedes A45 AMG: the first time Merc’s in-house tuning arm has tried its hand at building a hot hatch. Packing 355bhp, all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch paddleshift transmission, the A45 AMG will outpace a Porsche 911, but cost less than £40,000. It’s on UK sale from July 2013, but if you can’t wait that long, Merc’s baby barnstormer is appearing at the Geneva motor show from 5 March 2013.