Blog on 2040Parts

Keeping Shelby alive

Carroll Shelby, the wild-spirited 89-year-old racing icon and king of thundering garage hot rods, lay on his deathbed last May struggling to talk. He urged his younger friend and business partner John Luft to lean closer. "Keep Shelby American alive," Shelby strained to tell Luft in his final hours.

First Ferrari F12 in U.S. goes for $1.125 million

The first Ferrari F12 Berlinetta in the United States was sold on Saturday at the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas for $1.125 million. The auction benefited Hurricane Sandy victims.

2013 Honda CR-Z hybrid gets power boost

The slow-selling Honda CR-Z hybrid hatchback gets a new lithium-ion battery pack and more-powerful electric for the 2013 model year. The change from a nickel metal hydride battery pack helps boost output from the hybrid powertrain's electric motor from 10 kilowatts to 15 kilowatts. The powertrain's combined output is now rated at 130 hp at 6,000 rpm, up 8 hp from the 2012 model.

2014 Ford Fiesta gets three-cylinder EcoBoost power

Ford confirmed Monday its three-cylinder 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will arrive next year in the 2014 Ford Fiesta. The unit is expected to achieve an output of about 123 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. The Blue Oval says the engine has a higher specific output than any engine in its stable.

Usain Bolt Gold Nissan GT-R eBay auction starts 22nd November 2012

A ‘Bolt Gold’ Nissan GT-R – painted gold to mark Usain Bolt’s Olympic success in 2012 – will be auctioned on eBay starting on 22nd November 2012. The Nissan GT-R ‘Bolt Gold’ is a one-off 2013 GT-R painted in the only colour appropriate for Usain St. Leo Bolt, and is being auctioned on eBay to raise funds for the Usain Bolt Foundation  - which supports educational and cultural opportunities for children in Jamaica – and will be specced for whatever country the auction winner wants to take delivery.

Dacia Sandero really is cheap – from just £69 a month

Renault has boasted about how cheap their Sandero and Duster are, and with monthly payments from just £69, they right. Admittedly, you do need to stick a deposit of £1,845 down if you want to pay just £69 a month, but even if you can only rustle up £699 you can have the duster for £99 a month. At that sort of price – thanks to a deadline offering from just £5,995 – it’s about as cheap a way in to a new car as you could hope for.

Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid: Production underway

The world’s first production plug-in diesel hybrid – the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid – has gone in to production ahead of customer deliveries. Volvo are producing just 1,000 2013 V60 plug-ins, but are aiming to up production to between 4-6,000 a year from the 2014 model year and, despite the problems of integrating the V60′s complicated electric stuff in to a production car, the V60 plug-in is rolling down the same production line as the regular V60, V70, S80 and XC90. That complicated stuff includes two different powertrains and a battery pack – enough for up to 32 miles as an EV only – and a total of 300 additional parts compared to a regular ICE V60.

United States Grand Prix (2012) RESULT

The first U.S. Grand Prix at the Circuit of Americas in Austin, Texas, see Vettel on pole. Can he secure the drivers and constructors championship?

McLaren confirms limited run of 12C GT Can-Am racers

It's been a busy weekend for McLaren: not only did Lewis win the 2012 US grand prix, but the car-making division confirmed it would build the most powerful MP4-12C yet – the new 12C GT Can-Am Edition. It's the track-focused 12C racer and Woking has sanctioned a limited run 'of no more than 30 examples.' McLaren MP4-12C Can-Am: the background It's a maxxed-up version of the MP4-12C road car, which has so impressed us since launch. Here the 3.8-litre V8 bi-turbo is derestricted and boasts a maximum power output of 621bhp.

Jaguar Land Rover & Chery in business

The joint venture between Jaguar Land Rover and Chery Automobile in China is now official and will see new production and R&D facilities in China. Jaguar Land Rover has now received official approval for its joint venture in China with Chery Automobile from China’s authorities – something we predicted as long ago as February 2011 - which will see both JLR and joint branded cars rolling off production lines in China. The JV will be known as Chery Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Company Ltd.

McLaren P1 Spied

The McLaren P1 supercar has been spotted out testing in Diss in Norfolk making a visit to a McLaren supplier. We got the public reveal of the McLaren P1 – the spiritual successor to the iconic McLaren F1 – at the Paris Motor Show in September, and the McLaren boys told us the car was 95 per cent of how the final P1 would look. Which seems to be borne out by these spy photos of the P1.

United States Grand Prix: Vettel on pole for Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel has put his Red Bull on pole for tomorrow’s U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, moving him closer to the world championship. The United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, may be a new addition to the F1 Circus, but there was nothing new about qualifying for tomorrow’s 2012 U.S.

Ford 1.0 litre EcoBoost in a carry-on case

Ford has cleverly demonstration the compact dimensions of their 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine by taking it to L.A. in a carry-on case. Those who’ve ever got their hands dirty under the bonnet of an engines, hired a hoist and removed the engine, will know it’s not something you can really do with a quick unbolt and a few pounds of muscle.

McLaren 12C Can-Am goes in to production

The track only McLaren 12C – the 12C Can-Am – was revealed as a one-off at Pebble Beach but is now going in to limited production. The 12C Can-Am is aimed at the lucrative track day market in the States, and without the constraints of any production series McLaren has been able to play as they wish. That means the 12C Can-Am – developed by the McLaren GT Team which developed the 12C GT3 Race car – gets a new aerodynamic package that improves downforce by 30 per cent, including a carbon fibre splitter with winglets, a carbon fibre diffuser and huge rear spoiler.

2013 Toyota RAV4 teased (video)

Toyota is teasing the 2013 RAV4 ahead of a debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month and an on sales spring 2013. The Toyota RAV4 is a solid and reliable compact SUV, but it’s starting to struggle as the rest of the car world ups its came in the sector. So a new RAV4 is needed.

Saab 9-3 back with a petrol engine?

When National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) bought Saab they planned to produce electric Saabs. But now they’re looking at relaunching the 9-3 with an ICE engine. Finally, after what seemed decades of trying to find a way to divest itself of Saab, GM agreed a deal with National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) to take the reluctant Griffin down the dead-end route of mainstream electric cars.

Toyota RAV4 (2013) official teaser video

Toyota has released this teaser video for its new RAV4, ahead of the car's reveal at the Los Angeles motor show in late November 2012. The fourth-gen RAV4 will make its way to UK dealerships by spring 2013. From the brief glimpses of the RAV4 in the video, we can see the new car will get the same slim grille and headlight arrangement as the new Auris hatchback.

Autoweek in review: Supercars galore, revving up for U.S. GP, C7 Corvettes and the Best of the Best

The week started out in supercar heaven with the reveal of the Lamborghini Aventador roadster and our video review of the stunning 2013 McLaren 12C Spider. Both of these European rockets sticker on the north side of a quarter million dollars. Tuesday brought us C7 Corvette spy shots, hidden in the video game Gran Turismo 5.

Autumn issue of Interior Motives and special 10th Anniversary edition available now

The Autumn edition of Car Design News' quarterly interior design magazine Interior Motives is out now, featuring in-depth explorations of the very best interior designs from the recent Beijing, Paris and Moscow auto show Stories include the ground-breaking first concept from the newly launched, China-only Denza brand, created by Daimler and BYD to tap into the growing desire for luxury family cars, and Audi's Crosslane Coupé, which showcases the marque's new design philosophy. Also included in the latest edition is the full story behind the all-new Range Rover – widely considered to be the best SUV ever built – and the innovative Onyx concept shown by Peugeot at the Paris motor show. Combined with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the development of Lada's XRay (a stake in the ground by new design boss Steve Mattin) and a report from the 2012 Interior Motives Design Awards, the Autumn issue is essential reading for anyone working in automotive design.

Concept Car of the Week: Vauxhall VX Lightning

Both Ford and Vauxhall celebrated their 100-year anniversaries in 2003, but despite much of the attention being focused on the American giant, GM's UK subsidiary unveiling its own birthday present: the VX Lightning. Revealed at the Dorchester Hotel in London in May, the Vauxhall Lightning concept was a joint project between the GM North America (GMNA) Advanced Design Studio in England and the Opel/Vauxhall Design Center in Rüsslesheim, Germany. The Vauxhall ‘V' brand motif is a recurring theme throughout the car, despite the company's relative lack of global recognition.

Jaguar Land Rover in talks to buy Aston Martin

Talks have taken place between Tata – owners of Jaguar Land Rover – and the Kuwait Investment Dar – owners of Aston Martin. We reported a year ago that Aston Martin needed a big car maker behind it to have any chance of survival, and just last week the world caught up with that story as it was revealed the Kuwait Investment Dar – majority shareholder in Aston Martin – was seeking a buyer for Aston Martin. We said a year ago that Jaguar Land Rover was the best fit as a buyer for Aston Martin, but we doubted JLR would want to go back to being the poor relation to AML – as it was in the days of Ford’ ownership of the brands – where a Jag was a poor man’s Aston.

2013 Fiat 500e: Electric 500 revealed ahead of L.A. debut

The Fiat 500e – the electric version of the 500 – has been revealed ahead of a debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. On sale in U.S. 2013.

Mercedes Ener-G-Force: It’s a future Mercedes G-Class

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the Mercedes Ener-G-Force Concept – a tease for a future Mercedes G-Class to rival the Range Rover. For starters, the Ener-G-Force Concept is arriving at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month all dressed up as a Highway Patrol Vehicle as Mercedes’ entry in to the Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge. But it’s also pointing firmly towards Mercedes plans to give Land Rover – and in particular Range Rover – a run for their money.

Citroen DS3 hits 200,000

The upmarket Citroen C3 – the very appealing Citroen DS3 – has hit the 200,000 production mark this week, a little over 2 years from launch. But we had to do a complete volte face when we finally had the new Citroen DS3 in for review – it’s an absolute cracker. In fact, so impressed were we with the DS3, we thought it probably the best car we’d had in during 2010, something Top Gear ended up agreeing with us on when they made it their car of 2010.

Mercedes Ener-G-Force concept (2012) first pictures

Mercedes' latest concept car is, in its own words, 'pure, rendered science fiction'. This is the new Ener-G-Force, a one-off model depicting a civilian version of a futuristic police car. It's a product of the 2012 Los Angeles Design Challenge, which briefed manufacturers to dream up their vision for a highway patrol vehicle fit for the year 2025.

Land Rover Defender Harris Tweed (2012) prototype

Here's a curious mix of classic Britishness and modern modifications: a Kahn-tuned Land Rover Defender fitted with a butch bodykit, enormous multispoke wheels and knobbly tyres and - inside -tweed-trimmed bucket seats. It's like a Spitfire wearing a Damien Hurst-penned livery. This is, to give the car its full title, the Kahn Defender Concept 17 Wide Body - Harris Tweed Prototype.

2013 Honda Crosstour gets styling, interior changes

The 2013 Honda Crosstour gets a base price of $27,230, which is $525 lower than 2012 model. The sheetmetal is reworked for the new year, and some equipment has changed. The engine lineup is still four-cylinder and V6 units.

2013 Hyundai i30 3-door arrives on video

The next variant on the Hyundai i30 – the 3-door i30 – has arrived on video ahead of arriving in Hyundai’s Uk showrooms. Not only are there endless press releases for the news the car makers want you to know about, but there’s an even more endless stream of feeds coming in to make sure we miss nothing. Throw in all the car makers’ web sites, their press sites, their Facebook pages, their Twitter feeds and their YouTube channels – never mind keeping up with those who might just know something the rest of the world doesn’t yet know – and it’s a full-time job for a team of people before a story even gets written.

Toyota GT86 TV Advert BANNED

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a TV advert for the Toyota GT86 because it encouraged motorists to drive irresponsibly. But it seems the advert would “encourage motorists to drive irresponsibly” and “…was irresponsible and condoned dangerous driving”. Or at least it would according to the ASA, which made the ruling after being inundated with complaints about Toyota encouraging drivers to speed and be reckless.

New Mercedes A Class: 90,000 orders and counting

Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche has revealed that Mercedes already has 90,000 orders for the new A-Class just months after its reveal. It’s a credible, good looking and clever car that’s a serious offering in the premium compact market and, if the order book for 70,000 A-Class Mercedes already had by the end of October is anything to go by, it’s going to be a roaring success. That sales figure has now jumped to 90,000 A-Class – according to Mercedes boss, Dieter Zetsche – and stands at double the order book Volkswagen has for the new MK 7 Golf.