Blog on 2040Parts

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.

SsangYong Korando CSX Commercial: It’s a van – sort of

SsangYong are continuing their Korando offensive with the Korando CSX Commercial, a van based on the Korando. The Ssangyong Korando is a decent effort to take on cars like the Hyundai ix35 and Ford Kuga, and now they’re having a punt at turning the Korando in to a ‘van’. But they haven’t exactly gone overboard with the detail and appear to have simply removed the back seats and painted out the back windows so no one can see what you’re carrying.

Mercedes Ener-G-Force: The shape of SUVs to come

The Mercedes Energ-G-Force, which will debut at the Los Angeles auto show, could be the shape of Mercedes SUVs to come--if you like it. “If people really like it and reaction is good then yeah, we might have to think of making it happen in reality,” said designer Huey Lee, who was part of the team that penned the Energ-G-Force at Mercedes' Advanced Design Studio in Carlsbad, Calif. Metalcrafters built the carbon fiber composite roller you see here.

Toyota Prius recalled for two fixes

Toyota Motor Corp. will recall 2.77 million vehicles worldwide--including 670,000 Prius hybrids in the United States--to fix a possible water pump problem and steering defect. The electric water pump recall covers five models globally for a tally of 630,000 vehicles.

GM's green future: EVs, plug-in hybrids

General Motors' future green-car efforts will focus on plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles rather than conventional hybrid powertrains, product chief Mary Barra said Wednesday. Barra said GM has narrowed its future development emphasis in an effort to defend its leadership position attained with the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. GM will unveil an electric Spark minicar in late November at the Los Angeles auto show.

Porsche Design marks 40th birthday with exhibition

40 years of Porsche Design is being celebrated in an exhibition at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. The Porsche Design Studio was founded in 1972 by automotive legend Ferdinand Alexander Porsche – better known for his design of the iconic Porsche 911 – and has since developed consumer products for the public. Porsche designed a number of classic men's accessories such as watches, sunglasses and pens as well as a number of industrial products and household appliances, collecting honors and awards along the way.

Toyota Avalon [w/gallery]

Toyota has revealed more details and pictures of its Avalon sedan, first seen at last year's New York auto show. The Avalon, designed at the carmaker's Calty design studio, offers a glimpse of Toyota's new emphasis on design and to help reposition its flagship sedan within the premium mid-size segment. The height has been reduced by 25 mm while the overhangs have been reduced by 15 mm at the front and 45 mm at the rear.

How CATIA helped to create the SilverBull concept bike

Dassault Systèmes' latest CATIA has helped a French industrial designer to realize his concept bike, SilverBull. Strate Collège graduate Marc Boulangé set out to create a concept that would integrate both engineering and design into a finished product that would showcase the qualities of both disciplines. Boulangé calls his vision of design ‘Mechanical Poetry', and has described how it is thanks to CATIA technology that his cherished SilverBull project came to creation.

Vauxhall, Opel, Pegueot, Citroen merger talks fail

Talks between GM Europe and PSA (Peugeot Citroen) have failed as a French government bailout for PSA looks imminent. When we reported in March that G.M. Europe (Vauxhall and Opel) has signed an agreement with PSA (Peugeot Citroen) to cut costs and share platforms we thought it a pointless gesture; the savings, compared to the huge losses, were minimal.

Toyota Avensis, Prius & Corolla recall affects 75,000 UK cars

Toyota is recalling 75,000 Corolla, Avensis and Prius models in the UK – and 2.7 million worldwide – to fix a steering fault. Last month, Toyota revealed a recall for the Auris, RAV4 and Yaris to fix a fault with electric window switches, and just to make sure those cars weren’t the only faulty Toyota’s, they’ve managed to find a fault with the steering on the Corolla  Avensis and Prius. Oh, and the Prius might have a water pump problem.

2013 Suzuki Jimny facelift from £11,995

Suzuki has given their evergreen pocket SUV – the Suzuki Jimny – a facelift for 2013, but prices still start at £11,995. Suzuki has been building the little Jimny SUV – in one form or another – since 1970, and the current Jimny has been with us since 1998. But despite the Jimny being from another age, Suzuki aren’t giving up on it yet and have managed to churn out a facelift for 2013.

Top Gear U.S. Supercar Road Trip Take 2

Top Gear is filming another U.S. road trip for the next series with a Lexus LFA, the new SRT Viper and the new Aston Martin Vanquish. Just over two years ago, Messrs Clarkson, Hammond and May were in the U.S.

Scion FR-S stars in cautionary tale for those considering marriage

The Scion FR-S—or Toyota GT86 as it's known in Europe—is the answer to many a gearhead's prayers. The streetable, trackable wondercar is reasonably cheap to buy and should be pretty economical to own over the long haul. Driving it is pure magic and it's even a bit of a looker, especially in Subaru BRZ guise.

Honda introduces dual-clutch hybrid transmissions

Honda explained its three new hybrid transmission options on Monday. There's one for small cars, one for plug-ins and one high-performance unit, which we assume will be in the next Acura NSX. Amazingly, none are continuously variable.

2014 Chevy Corvette appears in Gran Turismo 5

Information on the seventh-generation Chevy Corvette has been popping up in different places for months. First we saw the front end leaked by a supplier. Then we saw mules testing with C6 bodies.

Chevrolet Test Track to open at Walt Disney World Dec. 6

Since 1999, car nuts stranded at Walt Disney World knew they could find respite from the Small Worlds and Magic Kingdoms at Epcot's GM Test Track—until it closed its doors this past April, at least. Fortunately, the attraction won't be shuttered forever. A team of GM designers and Disney Imagineers—that's Disney-speak for the individuals responsible for making the entertainment empire's theme parks a reality—have been laboring to redesign and rebuild the ride as the Chevrolet Test Track.

2014 Ford Transit Connect Wagon announced

Ford has introduced the 2014 Transit Connect Wagon, a vehicle the automaker is calling “so unique it is a revolution in seven-passenger transportation.” We won't know whether or not it is truly revolutionary until we can get behind the wheel, but at first glance, the new vehicle appears to be a very tall wagon or a small minivan, or a Transit Connect with larger windows. The Transit Connect Wagon is tied to Ford's current car lineup aesthetically via the characteristic Blue Oval hexagonal grille, but it's the van/wagon's utility that will likely become its biggest selling point. Ford claims the Transit Connect Wagon will be able to swallow a 1,200 lb.

Gibbs begins production of Quadski amphibious ATV

During our test of the Gibbs Quadski, a high-speed amphibious ATV manufactured by Gibbs Sports Amphibians Inc., representatives stated that the first production vehicles would be ready for sale by mid-November. The company seems to have made good on that promise. According to a statement, the first production Quadskis were completed earlier today at an Auburn Hills, Mich., factory.

Eterniti Motors opens London shop

Eterniti Motors officially opened its doors in London on Monday. The 10,000-square foot building in Park Royal not only hosted the opening-day party, but also displayed the company’s first production model, the Eterniti Artemis SUV. We saw the Artemis back in 2011 at the Frankfurt auto show.

Visteon reveals e-Bee 2020 mobility concept

Visteon has unveiled its new e-Bee concept at the Electronica 2012 Trade Fair in Munich. The e-Bee is a study of mobility in the year 2020 and explores alternative transport ideas such as car-sharing and short-term rental as well as intelligent mobility. Predictable vehicle architecture is transformed by moving the climate system outside, reducing the e-Bee's weight, increasing the cabin space as well as providing easier access to comfort and infotainment features.

Lamborghini Aventador Roadster: Easy remove roof (video)

We have video of the new Lamborghini Aventador Roadster at a private reveal in Miami showing that the roof really is easy to remove. It’s a great-looking car – even if it’s more Targa than Roadster – and comes with the same 6.5 litre V12 and 0-62mph of just 3.0 seconds as the coupe. More importantly, especially if you get caught in a shower, the Aventador Roadster actually has a roof that can be removed and re-fitted in quick sticks.

Jaguar Land Rover sales up 10% in October

Jaguar Land Rover has revealed another rise in sales for October 2012, selling 10 per cent more cars than a year ago. Jaguar Land Rover has reported sales of 25,176 cars in October 2012, an increase of 10 per cent on last year, and sales for 2012 up by an impressive 35 per cent compared to the same period in 2011. But those sales are really a game of two halves – Jaguar and Land Rover.

Ford B-MAX off to a strong start in UK

The new Ford B-Max compact people carrier is off to a strong sales start in the UK, with 1,000 already delivered to customers. And that eye-catching advert (we’ve posted it below – Ford in Europe need all the help they can get to garner sales!) will no doubt raise awareness of the long-awaited replacement for the old Fiesta-based Fusion MPV and help make the B-Max a success for Ford in a segment they once dominated, but which they’d left to wither on the vine. But eye-catching  advert for the new B-Max or not, the B-Max is already selling well with over 1,000 cars delivered to customers in the last few weeks and orders for 2500 cars received by Ford in the UK before the B-Max even appeared in showrooms.

Nissan LEAF: Fleet sales double

Nissan has revealed that fleet sales of its electric LEAF have doubled in the UK, with overall Nissan fleet sales up 9 per cent. Sales of electric cars are not exactly stellar, but there is a light at the end of a very long tunnel shining dimly on UK EV sales – the fleet sector. Nissan has reported that its fleet sales in the UK – with 89 per cent of all fleets sales of cars actually built in the UK – has risen by 9 per cent so far in 2012, but the Nissan LEAF EV has seen its fleets sales more than double.

CAR interviews head of Audi design Wolfgang Egger (2012)

After years of producing near-identical looking Audis which even we struggle to distinguish, Ingolstadt is about to embark on a range redesign. CAR magazine caught up with Audi's head of design Wolfgang Egger for a quick interview to find out what he has planned for the four-ringed executive brand in the coming years. CAR: The Audi brand is about to reinvent itself.

Chevrolet and Disney develop virtual design experience

Chevrolet designers and Disney ‘Imagineers' will offer Walt Disney World Resort guests a glimpse inside a professional design studio. After 18 months of collaboration in the fields of industrial, automotive design to architecture and animation, visitors will be immersed in a multi-sensory virtual experience. The experience gives visitors the chance to create their own designs – cars, trucks or crossovers – with some help from Chevrolet designers before test driving it on virtual track surfaces that imitate the real performance tests.

Wolfgang Egger outlines Audi's future design strategy

Audi is shifting its design strategy as it changes the way it designs and develops its cars. The carmaker's head of design Wolfgang Egger believes that a closer cohesion of the car's exterior and interior will create a ‘seamless entity' to help differentiate its models. The first example of the strategy is Audi's latest show car, the Crosslane Coupe, revealed at the Paris motor show in September.

2013 Ford Fiesta production starts

Ford has started to build the new 2013 Fiesta at their plant in Cologne which means the new Fiesta will be in a showroom near you soon. The facelift for the 2013 Fiesta sees the arrival of the ‘Aston Martin’ grill bolted to the front of the new Fiesta – a pitch for the AM Cygnet contract, perhaps – together with new headlights with LED running lights and a bulge up the bonnet. Small changes, but they do make the new Fiesta bolder, even though it loses some of its finesse in the process.

BMW X4 debut at Detroit 2013

The BMW X4 – a coupe version of the X3 aimed at the Range Rover Evoque and Porsche Macan – will debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. The BMW X4 – a baby X6 – has been on the cards for some time. We first reported BMW were planning on building a coupe version of the X3 in early 2010 and by late 2010 we were hearing that BMW had signed off the X4 for production.