Blog on 2040Parts

Pricing announced for 2013 Volkswagen CC R-Line

Pricing for the 2013 Volkswagen CC R-Line four-door will start at $33,020—about $2,000 more than the base-level CC Sport. The newly created R-Line trim package adds 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels; a modified front fascia that features more aggressive styling cues; stainless-steel scuff plates; and R-Line badges to the base-level CC. VW's RNS 315 navigation system also comes standard on R-Line vehicles.

Lexus LF-LC turns blue for Australian motor show

Lexus has changed the color of its LF-LC for the 2012 Australian motor show in Sydney. We first saw the LF-LC in January at the 2012 Detroit auto show where it appeared in deep metallic red. To spice it up for the Australian show, Lexus has sprayed the exterior Opal Blue, inspired by the base color found in the naturally occurring semi-precious opal stone found in the Australian outback.

Nissan to show GT-R crossover in Sao Paulo?

Nissan has teased a concept car to be unveiled later this month at the Sao Paulo motor show in Brazil with two renders. It's hard to tell what format the car is, but these obscured images could show a GT-R-branded coupe/SUV crossover designed specifically for the Brazilian market. This would make sense in a market where rugged SUVs with high ground clearance for sub-standard roads are so commonplace.

New Jeep Grand Cherokee S-Limited launches

Jeep has revealed a limited edition Grand Cherokee with the looks of the SRT8 but without the price or outright power – the new Jeep Grand Cherokee S-Limited. Reports of the death of the SUV have been greatly exaggerated in recent years, and the whole SUV sector – from compact to full size – still holds a lot of appeal for buyers. And when it comes to full size SUVs few do it any better than Jeep – certainly as far as off-road experience goes – even if previous versions of their full size Grand Cherokee have been a bit below European standards in terms of materials and on-road ability.

Want to see the new Jaguar XF Sportbrake ahead of the pack?

The new Jaguar XF Sportbrake is heading in to Jaguar showrooms next month, but Scottish Jaguar dealers Taggarts are ahead of the game. In fact, the first XF Sportbrakes are due to turn up in dealer showrooms next month, but Taggarts Jaguar has jumped the pack a bit with a couple of special reveals of the XF Sportbrake for its customers – and prospective customers – ahead of that mid-November date. So if you’re a Jaguar fan – or even if you aren’t – you should pop along to Taggarts in Motherwell on 23rd October or Taggarts in Glasgow on 22nd October to see what the new XF Sportbrake has to offer.

Porsche Panamera Platinum Edition UPDATED

Ahead of a Panamera facelift next year, Porsche are aiming to keep sales bubbling along with a limited edition Panamera – the Porsche Panamera Platinum Edition. And with that facelift for the Panamera likely to arrive in 2013, Porsche are aiming to keep up interest in the now three year old Panamera with a new limited edition Panamera – the Porsche Panamera Platinum Edition. The Platinum Edition Panamera comes with a platinum silver metallic finish on the air intake grills, bottom of the door mirrors, boot trim and rear diffuser and on the side vents on the front wing – just like the  Panamera Turbo – which have been added to the Platinum Edition.

Lexus LF-LC turns Blue

Lexus are taking the LF-LC Concept to the Australian Motor Show to show what they’ve done since Detroit. Painted it Blue seems to be the answer. But it seems all Lexus has actually managed to do to the LF-LC Concept since the Detroit Motor Show in January is paint it a fetching shade of blue.

VW Passat Hiighline tops Volkswagen’s Passat range

Volkswagen has added the VW Passat Highline at the top of the Passat, replacing the Passat SE and adding more equipment. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the VW Passat; it’s well built and very able. It’s just very anonymous and rather dull.

Lamborghini Gallardo (2012) new Spyder and Super Trofeo racer

Lamborghini has pulled the wraps off a facelifted version of the Gallardo Spyder, just a couple of weeks after showing the restyled coupe at the 2012 Paris motor show. We've also been given our first look at the revamped Super Trofeo racer, which gets similar styling tweaks and an improved aero package. First up, the facelifted soft-top Lambo Or, to give the car its full moniker, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder.

Dacia Sandero (2012) priced from £5995

Buying advice doesn't come more pragmatic than this: if you want a brand new car for the least possible amount of money, then this is your next drive. It's the new Dacia Sandero, which has been officially priced at £5995. That's £2000 less than the cheapest Citroen C1, and £3800 less than a similarly-sized Ford Fiesta.  Exactly how much car do I get for a fiver under six grand?

Opel Insignia Sports Tourer wagon spotted near GM's proving grounds

Just like my parents used to say, “You can't get anything by us, we have eyes everywhere.” Ominous threats aside, GM's European unit Opel tried to sneak an Insignia Sports Tourer station wagon onto the roads of Michigan. Luckily our roving eyes spotted the car--complete with turbo badges--and sent some photos back to the mothership. A wagon version of the European sedan has been spotted on Michigan roads before.

2013 Scion iQ EV to join car-sharing programs

The diminutive 2013 Scion iQ EV battery-electric vehicle will join car-sharing programs in the United States. The automaker says that details on which car-sharing programs the iQ will join will be announced in the coming weeks. The iQ EV sports a 12-kilowatt-hour battery, which provides an estimated range of 50 miles on a full charge.

Nissan developing supercharged hybrid for Infiniti

Nissan Motor Co. is developing a supercharged hybrid powertrain likely to arrive in 2014 in the Infiniti JX crossover. This configuration advances the system used in the rear-wheel-drive Infiniti M35h Hybrid but has been revised for use on the front- and all-wheel-drive JX.

New Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo introduced for race series

The Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo single-make race series wrapped up for the year in Los Arcos, Spain, on Oct. 14. The championship was won by Cedric Leimer, racing for Autovitesse Garage.

Nissan prepares electric NV200 minivan

The commercial sector could be getting a jolt of electricity from Nissan in late 2013. The company is testing all-electric versions of the NV200 minivan with the aim of offering the vehicles in taxi and delivery van models. The NV200 runs the same powertrain as the Nissan Leaf.

Opel reveals Cascada convertible

Opel, General Motors' financially embattled European unit, has revealed its new midsize Cascada convertible in a series of photos. The car goes on sale in early 2013. The two-door soft top, which is widely expected to be sold in North American by the Buick brand, enters the Opel lineup as a replacement for the Astra TwinTop.

Opel/Vauxhall Cascada [w/gallery]

The Opel/Vauxhall Cascada effectively replaces the Astra Twin Top, but attempts to move the model upmarket as a separate product line. It has moved up a size to reflect its prestige aspirations: at 4,697 mm long and 1,840 mm wide, it's longer than an Audi A5. Like many of the latest generation of convertibles, the Cascada ditches a folding solid hardtop in favor of a lighter, more space-efficient and cheaper soft fabric set-up.

Infiniti Steer-by-Wire on the way (video)

Nissan has revealed that it plans to install an electronic steer-by-wire system in to its Infiniti models in 2013. As car makers seek to squeeze every last fraction of a mile out of their cars to hit economy and emissions targets, computer control of many of a car’s functions are controlled by computer, which means the official tests for economy and emissions can be guaranteed to produce predictable results. Now Nissan are to take electronic steering to its logical conclusion by eliminating any direct connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels (except in an emergency) with the first fly-by-wire steering system in a production car.

Mercedes S Class production cut as sales fall

Mercedes is cutting production of the range topping S Class to a one shift operation as sales fall ahead of the new 2013 S Class. But there are now plenty of signs that even premium car makers are not immune from the economic climate – particularly in Europe – as sales start to slide. We recently commented that Jaguar sales are not as strong as they were and now it seems Mercedes is starting to feel the punch as sales of the range-topping S Class falter.

2013 Lexus LS: Price & Spec announced

Lexus has revealed that the 2013 Lexus LS will start at £71,995 for the LS 460 Luxury rising to £99,495 for the LS 600h L Premier. Lexus has brought back the LS 460 for those who don’t want the hybrid LS 600h, so you can now have your new LS with a 4.6 litre V8 with 382bhp and no electric gubbins. Not only that, but you can opt for the LS 460 in Luxury or F Sport spec for a little dynamic edge.

2015 Land Rover Defender WON’T look like DC100 Concept

Gerry McGovern - Land Rover’s Design Director – has said the 2015 Land Rover Defender won’t look like the DC100 Concept. Most of the feedback Land Rover got was pretty positive, although there were comments from traditional Defender owners that the DC100 looked like a toy Defender and not the rugged icon they wanted. But it looks like those traditional buyers of the Land Rover Defender can stop panicking that their wheels of choice will be turned in to a style statement instead of a workhorse after Gerry McGovern - Land Rover’s Design Director – told CarAdvice that the 2015 Defender won’t look like the DC100 after all.

Dacia Sandero: Price from £5,995

The new 2013 Dacia Sandero – revealed at Paris 2012 – is to cost from just £5,995 when it arrives in the UK in January 2013. The Sandero joins the Dacia Duster SUV in an attack on the burgeoning ‘Budget’ market in the UK and stands out as a Fiesta rival at almost half the price you’d pay for entry in to Ford’s evergreen supermini (£9,795). The Sandero’s styling isn’t cutting edge, but nor does it shriek ‘Cheap’ at first glance.

Vauxhall Cascada: Official

The new 2013 Vauxhall Cascada – a full size convertible and the modern version of the Astra Twin Top – has been revealed. For some reason best known to Vauxhall, they chose not to debut the Cascada at the Paris Motor Show – perhaps to give the new Adam its moment in the sun – but now we get Vauxhall’s latest model in its revised line-up. The Cascada is a proper full size, four seat convertible – it’s only a couple of inches shorter than a Mercedes E Class Cabriolet – and has its underpinnings based on elements from both the Insignia and Astra and comes with a folding fabric roof instead of the tin-top folding roof in the Twin Top which can be raised and lowered in 17 seconds at speeds of up to 30mph.

Small price hike for 2013 Toyota Prius family

Toyota has set small price increases for most Prius vehicles for the 2013 model year. It has yet to announce a price for the 2013 Prius c. The 2013 Toyota Prius will sticker for $23,975, including a $760 destination charge.

2013 Audi S8 engine tech laid bare in new videos

Here's one for the tech geeks: Earlier this month we drove the 2013 Audi S8 sedan, where we came to the conclusion that the 520-hp, 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 was just right for the executive-class cruiser. The S8 is a heavyweight, but it moves like a cruiserweight or better. The 0-to-60-mph sprint takes just 3.9 seconds, or about the same amount of time it takes to sneeze, wipe your nose and get blessed.

CDN-GM/PATAC Interactive Design Contest 2013 launched

After the overwhelming success of its European and North American interactive design competitions, GM and Car Design News are excited to announce the launch of their first competition exclusively for the Chinese market, the CDN–GM/PATAC Interactive Design Competition China. According to Bryan Nesbitt, Vice President of Design at GM International Operations, "We are excited about the potential regarding a China-dedicated competition. Design is the initial product differentiator in the automotive retail space, so demand for top design talent will continue." This is a great opportunity for young designers who are currently enrolled as students of Chinese universities to showcase their work on a global stage.

Jaguar C-X16 concept scoops 'Design Concept of the Year' award

The Jaguar C-X16 concept car has won Design Concept Car of the Year at the 2012 Scottish Car of the Year Awards. The two-seater concept – which acted as a teaser for the recently revealed production F-Type model – was first seen last year at the Frankfurt motor show and was designed to indicate Jaguar's future design direction. Collecting the award was Ian Callum, Jaguar's Director of Design, who said, "With the C-X16 concept, we set out to move Jaguar's award-winning design language on to the next generation, creating a car that is the very essence of future Jaguar performance." John Murdoch, association president, declared: "Many of these show stunners don't see the light of day but they are valuable for gauging public reaction to new ideas.

Nissan Juke-R: First customer car ready for delivery

The first Nissan Juke-R #001 – Nissan’s Juke with the heart of a GT-R – is ready for delivery to its owner. It will have cost at least £400k. Now the very first Nissan Juk-R is ready to roll out to its owner – who will have paid at least £400,000 for the privilege of owning a Juke with the running gear from a GT-R – and built by Motorsports outfit RML, with advice from Nissan Technical Centre Europe.

Hyundai Veloster Turbo gets 400bhp

Hyundai in the US has created a Veloster for this year’s SEMA show – the Hyundai Velocity – with a 400bhp Cosworth makeover. SEMA show cars are always extreme and always completely over the top, but they do show just what can be done with mainstream cars when car makers are let off the leash of marketing constraints. This year Hyundai is out playing, and as well as creating a Genesis Coupe with Cosworth power they’ve also taken the new Hyundai Veloster Turbo and created a 400bhp monster SEMA car.

Ford C-Max & Grand C-Max get 1.0 litre EcoBoost

Ford has announced that the C-Max and Grand C-Max can now be had with the 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine with either 100PS or 125PS. It looks like Ford are determined to offer the little 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine in every car they make. In fact, if they still built a proper D-Segement car like the Scorpio it would probably find its way there too.