Blog on 2040Parts

Range Rover Evoque rally car: the Desert Warrior 3

It was only a matter of time before someone took the slammed and attitudinal Range Rover Evoque and turned it into a rally raid vehicle capable of competing in the Dakar. The new Desert Warrior 3 is the result: a rally racer powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre diesel, tuned to produce between 275-300bhp depending on event restrictions, and a whole host of serious off-roading equipment to transform this from road to race car. Range Rover Evoque rally car: the lowdown Made by British race outfit Rabe Race Cars, the Desert Warrior 3 is designed to compete in the FIA's T3 championship for rally raid events.

Classic Ford Bronco bodies go back into production

The ever-expanding range of officially licensed reproduction car bodies has grown to include everything from the 1967 Camaro to the 1940 Ford Coupe that debuted at SEMA. Now, vintage sport utility vehicle enthusiasts can get in on the fun as well. Hemmings reports that Dynacorn—a company that already produces Camaro, Mustang and Chevy truck bodies—will add the Ford Bronco to its reproduction lineup.

Ferrari adds Apple executive to board

Ferrari has tapped a high-ranking Apple executive responsible for iTunes and the App Store to serve as a new member of its board. Eddy Cue has worked for Apple for 23 years and reports directly to company CEO Tim Cook. He serves as senior vice president of Internet and software activities for the Cupertino, Calif., company.

Hamann Motorsport tie-dyes McLaren MP4-12C

Tuner Hamann Motorsport is going after BMW's art car with its new creation. The colorful memoR package for the McLaren MP4-12C turns the angry supercar into a Technicolor rolling sculpture for Timothy Leary fans. Of course, this car is from Hamann, so it's equipped with a carbon-fiber body kit.

Obama's second term: More EVs, safety

President Barack Obama's second term likely will include a return to an agenda of support for electric vehicles and also could clear the way for new rules on tailpipe emissions and auto safety that his appointees have been eager to release. Obama's fellow Democrats retained control of the Senate, while Republicans kept their House majority In his victory speech, Obama said he plans to meet with Republican challenger Mitt Romney in coming weeks to discuss ways to move the country forward. He also saluted Romney's father, George, who once ran American Motors, a company absorbed by Chrysler in 1987 and whose Jeep became a flashpoint during the campaign.

Hyundai busted over performance claims before

It was revealed Nov. 2 that Hyundai Motor and its Kia Motors affiliate had overstated mpg ratings on 900,000 vehicles. And it was not the first time Hyundai has been caught in its own false claims.

BMW and Local Motors announce contest winners

BMW and Local Motors have announced the winning ideas in the Urban Driving Experience Challenge after phase one of the contest closed on 16 October. Anthony Franze of Australia won first prize and a cash award of $7,500 with his design for a premium car sharing service called ‘BMW Reward Me.' He also earned himself a trip to Munich, Germany, to meet with the head of BMW's Group Research and Technology, Dr. Christoph Grote.

Jaguar Land Rover doubles its profits

Jaguar Land Rover has reported sales up by 29 per cent in the second quarter of their financial year and profits up by 100 per cent. It’s a rough car market out there – especially in Europe – but Jaguar Land Rover continues to grow its sales with revenues up by over 13 per cent, sales up by 29 per cent and pre-tax profit up by 100 per cent to £431 million. These are strong figures from JLR and reflect the strong sales of the Evoque around the globe (100,000 and counting) and remarkably strong sales for the old Range Rover, despite the 2013 Range Range Rover about to hit showrooms.

Lexus CT 200h Advance tops CT 200h range

Lexus has revealed a new range-topper for its smallest car – the Lexus CT 200h Advance – with extra equipment and small price premium. The new range-topping Lexus CT 200h Advance We’re not entirely convinced that Lexus has got their baby car quite right – we’d rather see it drop its rather harsh suspension setup and offer proper compact cosseting - but there’s a ready market from buyers wanting a touch of Japanese luxury in a more compact form. But it seems Lexus are at least heading in the direction they should with the CT 200h by launching a new range-topping model - the Lexus CT 200h Advance – with more toys as standard to appeal to the downsizer who wants their luxury setup ready-made.

UK Car Sales up again in October 2012

New car registrations rose in October by 12.1 per cent in the UK, the ninth month of 2012 to see rising car sales. The European car market may be in a real mess with carnage looming for production facilities run by mainstream car makers, but the UK continues to grow its new car market with sales in October up by 12.1 per cent. Total new car registrations (which includes pre-reg) rose to 151,252 units, the ninth monthly increase of 2012, and the SMMT are now predicting total sales for 2012 of over 2 million, back to 2010 levels after a fall in 2011 to below the 2 million mark.

Vauxhall Insignia VXR SuperSport – under £30k

Vauxhall is replacing the Insignia VXR with the Insignia VXR SuperSport, with a 170mph top speed and costing just £29,995. But don’t run away with the ieda that the VXR SuperSport ios some sort of new, super-powerful version of the old VXR without the SuperSport badge, because it’s not. Vauxhall has simply taken the limiter off the old VXR – and in the process upped the top speed to 170mph – and actually dropped the price to £29,995.

Vauxhall Insignia VXR Supersport (2012) first pics

Want a car christened ‘Supersport’ but can’t stretch to a Bugatti Veyron, Bentley Continental or Jaguar XJ? In that case, this 170mph Vauxhall might be of interest. This is the Insignia VXR Supersport, a speed-derestricted version of the hot saloon, and it comes with a hefty price cut against the previous VXR. What’s Super-sporty about this new Insignia VXR?

The Bloodhound SuperSonic Car is a rocket-powered land missle

The ambitious British Bloodhound SuperSonic Car project took a significant step forward in the quest to raise the world's land speed record to 1,000 mph when the machine's main power unit—a spectacularly forceful rocket engine—was successfully test fired Oct. 3. The rocket is believed to be the largest designed in Europe in decades, and its 185-decible noise level is said to be many times louder than a Boeing 747 during takeoff.

Suzuki loses the American Dream, dies an unloved death on our shores

On Nov. 5, 2012, the American Suzuki Motor Corp.filed for bankruptcy and announced that no more Suzukis will be sold in America—not now, not ever. (Unless someone has the Bricklin-like foresight to import Wagon Rs to our advanced civilization in, say, 50 years.) And with that news, the Stateside automotive journalists filed their respective stories, drove home and sat on the couch to twiddle their thumbs.

ZF boss thinks 9 speeds is enough for transmissions

The nine-speed transmission might be where the race to add gears ends, ZF Friedrichshafen CEO Stefan Sommer said. He referred to nine speeds as the "natural limit" because going beyond that number adds weight and complexity that cannot be offset by gains in fuel efficiency. "There is no hard line, but you have to consider the law of diminishing returns.

Maserati Quattroporte

Maserati has revealed the first pictures and details of the 2013 Quattroporte ahead of its official debut at the Detroit auto show in January. The sixth-generation Quattroporte, a high-performance sports luxury saloon, will be the first of three new models that Maserati hopes will begin to increase its annual sales. The car retains some of the design cues from the outgoing model, namely the front grille, three side vents and the triangular C-pillar, while it also features a sharp beltline that rises towards the car's rear and runs through the side of the car.

Renault and Caterham to develop affordable sports cars

Renault and Caterham are to join forces to create new, more affordable sports cars under the Alpine badge. The two groups will establish a jointly owned new group – Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham – under the leadership of Bernard Ollivier and will develop models to be sold as both Renault Alpine and Caterham. Tony Fernandes, Caterham Group Chairman, said: "We know the markets we are going into and, particularly in my playground in Asia, there is a huge opportunity to replicate the AirAsia model and give consumers access to exciting, affordable products that marry our interests in F1 and technology and help make their dreams come true." At this year's Monaco Grand Prix Renault unveiled the Alpine A110-50 concept, which was seen as a relaunch of the brand despite it being essentially a reworked version of the Renault-branded DeZir concept from the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

2013 Maserati Quattroporte revealed

Maserati has revealed the new flagship Quattroporte saloon ahead of a debut at the 2013 Detroit Motor Show. The new Quattroporte – revealed this morning ahead of a public debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show – is a bigger, lighter and slicker version of the current car, designed to give Maserati a car that competes on more even terms in the luxury car market. Maserati are being very stingy with detail on the new Quattroporte, so we’re going to have to make some educated guesses.

VW Amarok gets an update & BlueMotion Technology

Volkswagen has updated the ‘Bob the Builder’ VW Amarok for 2013 with new options, more power and BlueMotion Technology. The market for the pick-up that also doubles as a family car for the weekends is strong, and Volkswagen’s offering – the VW Amarok – is one of the best-built on the market. And now it’s not only well-built, but more powerful and more frugal too.

Jaguar XJ_e PHEV Plug-in Hybrid wins RAC Awards

The Jaguar XJ_e PHEV plug-in hybrid has won the RAC ‘Most Energy Efficient Luxury Car Prototype’ and ‘Technical Panel’s Award of Merit’. This year, Jaguar rolled out its experimental hybrid XJ – the Jaguar XJ_e, which we saw at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed – which managed to win the award for ‘Most Energy Efficient Luxury Car Prototype’ and also grabbed the Technical Panel’s ‘Award of Merit’ for its clever tech and frugal transit. Jaguar entered three XJ_e PHEV experimental cars in to the FCC, which managed to do the Brighton to London run on just 1.2 litres of petrol and 11kWh of electricity which adds up to an mpg of around 125mpg.

Maserati Quattroporte (2013): the first official pictures

Maserati has unveiled the new 2013 Quattroporte – the luxury sports saloon which has been the mainstay of Modena since the current car's launch in 2004. The new Maserati Quattroporte will be shown at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, with left-hand drive sales starting in spring 2013. However, right-hand drive UK sales of the new QP are unlikely to begin before June 2013.

Nissan GT-R gets light upgrades for new model year

Nissan revealed the next iteration of the Japanese-spec GT-R supercar last week. The 2013 model will enter that market sometime this month, but those sold in the U.S. will debut in January and be sold as 2014 models.

American Suzuki to pull out of U.S. auto market, file Chapter 11 bankruptcy

American Suzuki Motor Corp., beset by low sales, cutthroat competition and unfavorable foreign exchange rates, said it will pull out of the U.S. auto market and file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company, in a statement today, said it will continue its motorcycle and marine engine business units and will continue to honor customer warranties.

Renault, Caterham form joint venture to build sports cars

Two lightweight two-seat sports cars, likely to be on sale in 2015 or 2016, will be the first output of a joint venture between French automaker Renault and U.K. sports car maker Caterham that was announced Monday. Renault will put its Alpine factory in Dieppe and its 300-person workforce into the 50:50 joint venture.

New Toyota Auris starts rolling out at Burnaston

The new 2013 Toyota Auris – Toyota’s modern Corolla – has commenced production at the Toyota plant in Burnaston. Toyota revealed the new Auris back in August – ahead of a public debut at the Paris Motor Show – which, although pretty much the previous Auris when you dig deep, does offer a more dynamic look and the promise of better driving dynamics too. With the new Auris a big deal for Toyota in Europe, Toyota are trumpeting the start of Auris production in Burnaston and have rolled out Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, to mark the occasion.

Vauxhall launches new extended used car warranty

Vauxhall has launched a new extended warranty for use cars, available for cars up to 70,000 miles for one, two or three years. Two years ago, Vauxhall launched its Lifetime Warranty for new cars, spurred on by warranties from the likes of Kia and Hyundai, offering buyers long-term peace of mind – and which was actually a 100k mile warranty rather than a lifetime one, but a welcome assurance for motorists nonetheless. Now Vauxhall are extending their enhanced warranty offer to use car with the launch of an extended warranty aimed to give owners of used Vauxhall’s a similar level of cover to new car buyers.

Car Finance: ING pull out of UK luxury car finance market

ING has pulled out of the UK luxury car finance market leaving a finance hole estimated at around £1.2 billion. If you’re in the market for a high-end car, chances are you’ve sought out the services of a finance broker after the car dealer’s finance rates came as a bit of a shock. And if you have, there’s a very good chance you’ll have ended up with a cracking finance deal written by ING.

Official: Renault & Caterham to build Alpine sports cars

Renault has confirmed it is to partner with Caterham to build a range of Alpine sports cars in Dieppe from 2015. The partnership between Renault and Caterham is a logical extension of their F1 partnership but now, with the joint venture to produce their own sports cars, goes much deeper than the almost badge-engineering Williams Renaults. A new company - Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham – will be jointly owned by Caterham and Renault and will develop models in small and large volumes to be marketed as both Renault Alpine and Caterham, and will be built in Renault’s Dieppe factory that currently churns out Renaultsport models for the road and track, and is the historical home of Alpine.

2013 SEAT Ibiza Cupra arrives

The recently facelifted SEAT Ibiza now gets its hot hatch credentials back in order with the arrival of the 2013 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. The changes amounted to the new SEAT nose with a new grill and headlights and a crease up the bonnet, a set of bigger air intakes, a new bumper and lights at the back and a very small titivate for the interior. Now those modest updates have been applied to the 2013 SEAT Ibiza Cupra – as previewed by the Ibiza Cupra Concept at this year’s Beijing Motor Show – as well as a set of LED running lights, a set of butch bumpers and a big hexagonal exhaust tip at the back.

Seat Ibiza Cupra (2013) production car shown

Seat has shown the production version of the new Ibiza Cupra - six months after showing the concept at the 2012 Beijing motor show. And, as predicted, very little has changed for 2013's new Ibiza hot hatch. It's powered by VW's 1.4 TSI engine, complete with twin-charging by super- and turbocharger.