Blog on 2040Parts

Lamborghini Aventador Roadster launches – at Miami Airport

Lamborghini has launched the new Aventador LP700-4 Roadster in the U.S. with an event at Miami International Airport. The new Lamborghini Aventador LP 7004 Roadster was revealed back in December at the Los Angeles Auto Show as the perfect posing car for deep-pocketed residents of warmer climes.

Audi A3 Cabriolet signs off with A3 Cabriolet Sport and S line Final Edition Models

Audi signals the end of the current A3 Cabriolet with two run-out models – the A3 Cabriolet Sport and S line Final Edition. Price from 23,775. The end of the current Audi A3 Cabriolet is fast approaching, but not before Audi wring out extra sales this spring (yes, spring really isn’t that far off) with the launch of a pair of final edition A3 Cabriolets.

Kia Cross GT SUV Concept teased ahead of Chicago debut

A new Kia Concept for a larger CUV/SUV – the Kia Cross GT – is being teased ahead of a reveal at the Chicago Auto Show. Kia may have made big strides in the last few years – along with sister company, Hyundai – but there’s no sense they’re resting on their laurels despite declaring 2013 the year when brand perception is key rather than huge sales growth. We already know that the Kia pro_cee’d GT and the five-door Cee’d GT, both the with a 200bhp petrol turbo – are heading for the Geneva Motor Show in March and will sit alongside the the Kia Urban Concept, which appears to be Kia’s take on the Nissan Juke.

Transportation secretary Ray LaHood to step down

WASHINGTON -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, 67, who raised awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, said he will leave President Obama's Cabinet after a replacement is confirmed. LaHood, a former Republican congressman from Illinois, has led the Department of Transportation since 2009. He announced his departure today on the agency's website.

Sex sells in 2013 Super Bowl ads

Super Bowl car ads are big business. To create even more of a buzz, many automakers pre-release commercials on YouTube in the days leading up to the big game. So far Audi, Volkswagen, Fiat, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz have released ads.

Spring Mountain opens Cadillac V-Series Academy

While half the country is slogging through snow this time of year, some of you -- like Cadillac -- are prepping for the racetrack. The Cadillac V-Series Academy at Nevada’s Spring Mountain Resort and Country Club is now open to the public. The resort, just outside Las Vegas, has four miles of racetrack and 125 feet of elevation change.

Lamborghini Aventador Roadster takes to the air(strip)

Lamborghini kicked off its 10-day Aventador LP700-4 Roadster media launch and dealer-education program on Monday, and it started off with a bang. Actually, with a roar. Five new Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadsters took to the south runway of one of the busiest United States airports for a photo shoot, some video and some fun.

Tesla Model S Performance is the quickest electric car…in the world

A Tesla Model S Performance has set a world record as the fastest production electric car with a 1/4 mile run of just 12.371 seconds. Yes, we still believe – certainly with the current and prospective battery technology – that the only real use an electric car has is as a small urban runaround or a local deliver vehicle. But that doesn’t stop us being impressed by the Tesla Model S.

Audi RS6 Avant ‘Plus’ planned with 600bhp

Audi are planning a ‘Plus’ model of the new RS6 Avant which will come with around 600bhp and be a full production model. Just as they have with the launch of the TT RS Plus, Audi are planning to give the new RS6 Avant even more power than it already enjoys in an RS6 Avant Plus model, and it won’t be a limited edition model but a full production option. Talking to Car Magazine, Stephan Reil, Audi Quattri Division boss, said that Audi were planning a range of RS Plus models which could get not just a performance boost but less weight too.

Daimler, Ford & Nissan Hydrogen Alliance

Daimler (Mercedes), Ford and Nissan-Renault have formed an alliance to co-develop hydrogen fuel cell technology for a range of new cars. Yesterday, we reported that Mercedes has postponed the launch of their hydrogen fuel cell B Class until 2017 and is in talks with Nissan and Ford to co-develop hydrogen fuel cell technology. Those talks have now turned in to an alliance between three of the world’s biggest car makers.

Pagani Huayra sets Top Gear lap record and places marker for McLaren P1

The Pagani Huyra set a stunning record time on the Top Gear track last week and in the process laid down a marker for the new McLaren P1. The return of Top Gear at the weekend for Series 19 saw Richard Hammond get to grips with the Pagani Huayra – successor to his beloved Zonda – and after a thoroughly positive test drive Hammond handed over to the Stig to take the Huayra round the Top Gear track. In the hands of the Stig, the 6.0 litre V12 AMG engine with 730 horses powered the Huayra to a time of just 1:13.8, beating the previous record for a production car, held by the Ariel Atom V8, by a sizeable 1.3 seconds.

Michelin Challenge Design announces 2014 theme: ‘Driven/Undriven: The Duality of Tomorrow’s Automobiles’

Michelin has announced the theme for the 2014 Michelin Challenge Design competition – ‘Driven/Undriven: The Duality of Tomorrow's Automobiles'. Participants will explore the human-to-vehicle connection, focusing on how this can evolve automotive design. The exploration of autonomous vehicles has gathered pace in recent years, with Toyota displaying its autonomous Lexus car at the recent CES in Las Vegas, while other carmakers and even Google have been investing heavily in the concept.

Hyundai's Super Bowl ads highlight speed

Having been batted about regarding their fuel-economy claims, Hyundai has decided to use their Super Bowl ad dollars to highlight the raw power of the Sonata Turbo and the Genesis R-Spec sedan. We find the above Sonata ad a whimsical piffle, featuring a couple utilizing their family sedan's turbocharged 2.0L four to handily pass obnoxious/dangerous motorists. We're partial to the whipping, slimy ropes of dog drool.

Mumford's Brizio-built '27 Track Roadster wins AMBR

As is often the case with the great roadsters, the Kelly Brown Track T has been a known commodity in rodding circles for somewhere around 30 years. All it needed was to finally get built and finished. For a while it was in the shop of Stevie Davis, the famous tin man who could shape anything into aluminum art.

Daimler, Ford, Nissan team up on fuel cells

Ford Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co. and Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler AG have formed a partnership aimed at speeding up the commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicle technology. Together, the automakers plan to develop a common fuel cell stack and fuel cell system to be used in what they describe as "highly differentiated, separately branded fuel cell electric vehicles" as early as 2017.

Chevy Malibu Eco hybrid is a tough sell

Most prospective Chevrolet Malibu buyers at Castle Chevrolet in suburban Chicago quickly decide that they don't want to pay nearly $3,000 more for the Eco mild-hybrid version. "For most people, it's hard to justify the extra money based on the extra fuel economy" of a combined 3 mpg more than the base model, says Jeff Tuckman, the dealership's inventory manager. "You've got the base LS model sitting next to it that's just as nice and luxurious." It's a problem flagged by many Chevy dealers.

Kia pro_cee’d GT: Official

The Kia pro_cee’d GT has been officially revealed and will debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show alongside the new cee’d GT. But although Kia has sent us details of their new warm hatch, they haven’t exactly given us extensive detail. In fact, apart from a set of photos of the new pro_cee’d GT, we have little more than yesterday.

New Mercedes B Class Hydrogen Fuel Cell delayed until 2017

Mercedes has decided to delay production of its B Class Hydrogen Fuel Cell car until 2017 as it seeks partners for economy of scale. We learnt last year that the new Mercedes B Class would spawn a version powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, and that Mercedes were planning to launch it in 2014. But that’s now been pushed back to 2017.

Peugeot 208 GTi price from £18,895

Peugeot has revealed that the new 208 GTI will cost from £18,895, with the order book for the 208 GTi opening in March. That price will be £18,895 – almost £2k more than the new Fiesta ST - and includes the usual GTi stuff like 17″ alloys, new grill, LED running lights, twin exhausts, leather and cloth upholstery, red trim details, DAB, rear parking and a smattering of GTi badges. Peugeot also say that the 208 GTi has been fettled to make it a more sporty prospect than the standard 208, with retuned suspension and wider track.

2014 VW Golf R Mk 7 teased ahead of Geneva debut

Volkswagen has started the tease for the Mk 7 Golf R with the new Golf R hidden in a block of ice as a ‘Frozen Beast’ ahead of a Geneva 2013 debut. Now that Volkswagen has the Mk7 Golf in the wild – and the MK 7 VW GTi too – they’re ready to turn the wick up to 11 with the launch of the MK 7 Golf R – or at least the concept version – at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. And now they’re starting to tease.

Is the McLaren P1 order book about to close?

We’re hearing that McLaren is ready to close the order book for their P1 supercar before the specification – or the car – have been fully revealed. We’ve had the reveal of the P1 Concept – and seen it floating round the world as McLaren drum up potential customers with enormous bottomless pockets – and we’ve even seen the P1 on the move as McLaren shake down the development version of the P1. But so far we haven’t had the full specs of the P1 revealed and, as far as we can tell, McLaren hasn’t even divulged the full details of the P1′s power and performance to potential customers – no matter how wealthy they are.

Kia Proceed GT (2013) first official pictures

This is Kia's new Proceed GT, a 201bhp hot hatch set to take on the VW Golf GTI. It's Kia's first ever sporty model, and it'll be available as both a slinky three-door Proceed GT (pictured) and the more sensible five-door Ceed GT. What's under the bonnet of the new Kia Proceed GT?

Top Gear Tonight: Pagani Huayra, Bentley Continental GT Speed & SIARPC is Damian Lewis

Top Gear Returns for Series 19 tonight with the first episode featuring the Pagani Huayra, Bentley Continental GT Speed and Damian Lewis as SIARPC. It’s a long time since we did a ‘What’s on Top Gear Tonight’ piece ahead of a showing on BBC2. And that’s because series 18 ended in March 2012 – more than ten months ago.

Kia Pro_Cee’d GT Turbo first photo leaks out

We have the first of the 2013 Kia Pro_Cee’d GT – Kia’s Pro_Cee’d with the Veloster Turbo engine – ahead of its debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. We reported back in October that Kia were definitely going to stick the 1.6 litre petrol turbo from the Hyundai Velsoter in to the 3-door Pro_Cee’d to create a quite warm hatch to start chasing the hot hatch market, and Kia themselves teased the Pro_Cee’d GT in November. And now, ahead of the reveal of the Pro_Cee’d GT in March at Geneva, we get the first photo of the Pr0_Cee’d GT complete with the added butchness we expected to differentiate the GT from its more prosaic siblings.

Kia Soul Shaker returns & Kia Picanto White arrives

Kia is reintroducing the Soul Shaker to its Shaker Originals range and launching a range-topping Kia Picanto White. With metal to shift, economic gloom and snow on the ground, car makers turn to new variations on existing models to get bit more footfall – and sales – at their dealers. So Kia is reintroducing the Soul Shaker to its Originals offerings (along with the Soul Quantum and Soul Inferno) to sit at the top of the Soul range with its Vanilla Shake paint job (or, as a no cost option, Quartz Black), 18″ alloys, Houndstooth upholstery with beige trim and a rear-view mirror that comes with a built-in reversing camera.

BAC Mono finally hits the U.S. (video)

Sector 111 – US importers of the epic BAC Mono – have finally revealed the first US Mono at Cars and Coffee in Irvine, California. It’s more than a year since we reported that Sector 111 would be offering the BAC Mono in the US and now, having completely sold their 2012 allocation of just 12 Monos, the first US built (well, bolted together from a CKD kit by Sector 111) has been revealed to petrolheads at the Cars and Coffee meet in Irvine, California. And the Cars & Coffee meeting is a great place for Sector 111 to show off their first Mono as its attended by a bunch of knowledgeable and wealthy Californians, just the sort of potential buyer Sector 111 are looking for.

Kia announces upcoming concept

Kia will unveil an, as yet, unnamed concept car at the Geneva motor show this March. The concept, which the carmaker calls ‘provocative and racy', features a new take on Kia's signature tiger nose aesthetic that integrates the headlamps into the grille design in a narrow, full-width strip. The lamps themselves seem to be contructed of a pixelted, mesh-like light source.

Concept Car of the Week: Chevrolet Express (1987)

A fantastic selection of concept cars from the ‘80s were featured in Back to the Future II such as the Pontiac Pursuit, the Ford Probe or the Saab EV-1, but my personal favorite was the Chevrolet Express that almost ran over Marty upon his arrival in the year 2015. Before being a movie extra, the Express was presented in 1987 as another attempt from GM to adapt aircraft engineering to automotive requirements. GM had been experimenting with gas turbines for more than 20 years, dating back to the 370hp XP-21 Firebird from 1954, but that concept was quite primitive compared to its younger brother.

Ferrari F70 spotted testing in Europe

A Ferrari F70 mule was spotted testing in Europe recently, and it's now sporting a Daimler SP250 or '58 Packard look at the front end. Unlike the Daimler and the Packard, this catfish is long, wide and low. We're still expecting the F70 to be powered by a V12 with a KERS-like hybrid system.

Mercedes CLA starts to roll off production line in Hungary

The Mercedes CLA – the baby Mercedes CLS based on the new A Class – has started to roll off the production line at Kecskemét in Hungary. But that’s probably unfair; based as it is on the new A-Class, the CLA is a very good car under the skin, even if its big USP is the dramatic styling. Now, just over a week after the CLA got its first public reveal (if you don’t count the Mercedes Concept Style Coupe on which its based), the first production car has rolled off the line at the Mercedes plant in Kecskemét, Hungary.