Blog on 2040Parts

A trio of 2014 Range Rover Sport spied on video

The new Range Rover Sport - expected to arrive in 2013 as a 2014 model – has been spied out testing ahead of a probable reveal at Geneva 2013. The 2013 Range Rover is almost upon us (it will officially arrive at the Paris Motor Show next month and we should have a reveal before), but what of its lively sibling, the Range Rover Sport? The Range Rover Sport is expected to arrive at Geneva 2013 and go on sale towards the end of 2013 – as a 2014 model – and it will be a very different animal to the current Range Rover Sport.

Autoweek in review: We drive the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, Olympian Kim Rhode builds a Shelby and a missing Corvette is found

Autoweek gets behind the wheel of the new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. The impression? Brilliant.

Will your next new car stop itself?

Last week in Park City, Utah, a group of us were discussing the chutzpah that some manufacturers have in charging hundreds of dollars for outboard mirrors that dip downward when the vehicle's placed in reverse. The consensus was, “Since the electric motors in the mirrors are already there, and the computers know the car's set to back up, it's only a line of code. A very expensive line of code.” The European Union seems to be thinking along the same lines.

A look at Toyota future products

Toyota has slipped behind competitors in drivetrain technology and now must play catch-up against the likes of Ford, Hyundai and Mazda. Much of Toyota's lag stems from engineering resources being diverted by the unintended acceleration crisis and other quality miscues in the past two years. Now expect Toyota to focus more on turbocharging and direct injection, and it may even bring a couple of diesels to the United States as part of midcycle changes.

Kia scoops three design awards

Kia has won three design awards in this year's Automotive Brand Contest, continuing its strong showing in last year's competition. The second-generation cee'd, launched in June, topped the exterior category table as well as receiving an honorary special mention for exceptional innovation in the interior category. The car's exterior features a chrome-framed glasshouse and muscular lines on the bonnet, while inside an ergonomic, driver-oriented control panel impressed the judges enough to receive the special mention.

Revolutionary seat design offers new possibilities

Lufthansa has introduced an innovative business class seat, the result of five years of development by design agency PearsonLloyd. PearsonLloyd has decided to move away from the conventional technique of placing seats in different directions to allow reclining and has opted to arrange the seats in a ‘V' formation. This does not mean there is any invasion of personal space – far from it, as when passengers lie down their seat's consoles hide their heads.

A look at Lexus future products

Lexus is reworking its sedan lineup as part of an effort to vault past Mercedes-Benz and BMW and retake the luxury sales lead. It also aims to add sparkle to the lineup with a coupe based on the wild LF-LC concept and possibly a coupe derived from the GS. The lineup also is likely to expand to include a smaller five-passenger crossover.

Is the 2013 Aston Martin Rapide getting more power and a facelift?

The rumours are growing that Aston Martin are giving the Rapide a makeover for 2013 with more power and cosmetic tweaks. The rumours have been bubbling around for a while that Aston Martin are planning a more powerful Rapide for 2013, perhaps the Rapide S. But that rumour seems to be only partly true, as it looks like the Rapide is going to get more power – and a bit of a cosmetic tweak – but as a facelift and upgrade for the existing Rapide rather than a new Rapide S.

Now it’s the Hyundai Veloster in Harrods’ window

Harrods is hosting a ‘Korea Loves London – Innovation and Technology 2012’ exhibition and the centrepiece of the window display is a Hyundai Veloster. This isn’t the first time Hyundai has had a spot in a Harrods window. Two years ago, when the Hyundai ix35 was fresh and new, Hyundai took over a window at Harrods to show off its compact SUV to the visiting shoppers, perhaps in the hope one or two would grab one for the Nanny.

Is this the production version of the Porsche 918 Spyder? (video)

We have what appears to be official video of the Porsche 918 Spyder being previewed by a private audience in New York. The Porsche 918 Spyder is hardly a secret, but all the cars we’ve seen so far have been concept cars; prototypes evolving as the 918 Spyder moves from concept to production. But this video looks different.

Who is the greatest car designer at work today?

6 August 2012 update: Click here for the full CAR design power list story - from CAR magazine August 2010 issue It's a classic pub banter for anyone with a drop of petrol in their veins: who is the greatest car designer? Stylists are the rock stars of the car industry, the ones who bring to life the metal boxes that transport you and I around our daily lives. The new August 2010 issue of CAR Magazine, out on Wednesday 21 July, reveals the CAR Top 30, as we count down the most influential, successful and downright talented designers in the auto industry.

Travel tips for people with physical disabilities

Why these special stories on mobility? According the U.S. Census, nearly 10 million people age 18 to 64 have an ambulatory difficulty that could affect their ability to drive.

Special editions join 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 lineup

The 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee will arrive in dealerships this month with more new special editions and a price of $60,920 including $995 in destination and handling. That's just about the same as last year's price. Output from its 6.4-liter Hemi V8 stays the same at 470 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque.

Carroll Shelby's 2009 Mustang GT500 KR to go up for auction

The unseemly fight over Carroll Shelby's remains is thankfully over. His creations and legacy are due for a massive celebration in two weeks' time in Monterey. And Vicari Auto Auction has just announced the sale of one of his personal cars.

Photos suggest EcoBoost, independent rear for 2015 Ford Mustang

What purportedly is a 2015 Ford Mustang mule was caught testing in the daylight by spy photographers. Hooniverse has the photos here. The photos show a current-generation Mustang with what looks to be a new center stack and an independent rear suspension setup.

Mercedes E300 BlueTEC Hybrid gets 65.7mpg & costs £39,645

Mercedes-Benz has revealed that the Mercedes E300 BlueTEC Hybrid has official fuel consumption of 65.7mpg and will cost from £39,645. There’s no denying that the Mercedes E 300 BlueTEC hybrid is a very clever car, and that it ‘Games’ the daft company car BIK rates to perfection. It’s entire reason to be is to drive down official fuel consumption figures to garner the most benefit possible from company car taxation, and in that it succeeds very well.

New 2013 Mazda 6 Estate revealed

Mazda has revealed the new 2013 MY Mazda6 Estate in Japan ahead of its debut at the Paris Motore Show in September. When Mazda revealed the new Mazda6 (well, most of it) a week ago, we did say we half expected they’d arrive with the new Mazda6 at the Paris Motor Show in September with the new Mazda6 Estate alongside. Looks like we were right.

Volkswagen Up gets auto ‘box

VW has added an automated manual gearbox across the Up! range which improves emissions and economy. Costs £595.

Fiat launches Abarth 595 Turismo & Abarth 595 Competizione

Fiat has re-jigged the Abarth 500 range in the UK with the launch of the Abarth 595 Turismo & Abarth 595 Competizione. Fiat really does make something of a pickle of its Abarth models and their names. Take the Abarth 500, for example.

2013 Nissan Pathfinder arrives – but not for the UK & Europe

Nissan has revealed a new, slicker Pathfinder for 2013, but the UK and Europe won’t be getting it. Nissan started teasing the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder even before the old year ended, with plans to show a concept at the Detroit Show in January. Which they did.

Buy a Renault Laguna – get a free Renault Twizy EV

Renault in Spain is offering buyers of the Laguna or Espace a free Twizy EV as new car sales plummet in Spain. Renault has solved the problem of slow selling cars in the UK by simply no longer offering them. Which means the UK no longer gets the Wind Roadster, the Espace, the Modus, the Kangoo and even  the Laguna. But in Spain it’s different, so Renault dealers on the Iberian Peninsula are stuck with having to sell big mainstream cars no one actually wants, plus they have Renault’s obsession with producing daft EVs to contend with too.

Abarth 595 (2012) Turismo and Competizione join range

Two new versions of Abarth's 500 hot hatch have been revealed, coming as standard with more power, upgraded toys and even more personalisation potential. There's also a handy price-drop for the standard Abarth 500, which gets a few tweaks to keep the Scorpion-badged pocket rocket fresh. How does the new Abarth range stack up?

Lexus LS

Lexus has revealed its new LS model range, consisting of the LS 460, LS 600h and, for the first time ever, an F Sport version of its flagship model. The new LS is the latest development of Lexus' model range, seeing more than 3,000 changes made to the current LS, responding to customer feedback throughout its development. The inverted trapezoidal upper grille and slanted lower grille - first seen on the GS sedan - are integrated into one element.

U.S. sales rise 9 percent in July

U.S. demand for light vehicles continued to defy mostly weak economic indicators by rising 9 percent in July. Big sales gains at Japan's and Europe's top automakers--Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Volkswagen--offset declines at Ford Motor Co.

Ariel Atom 700 is a turbo-supercharged 700-hp track weapon

If you're willing to ditch sleek supercar looks and just about every automotive creature comfort in the pursuit of pure performance, you might consider the Ariel Atom 3. Powered by a 2.4-liter Honda I4 engine cradled in an exoskeletonlike frame, the Atom 3 boasts a 0-to-60-mph time of just 2.9 seconds But maybe those performance numbers just aren't enough for you. If so, Piedmont, S.C.-based DDMWorks might have a solution.

Mercedes-Benz prototypes spotted

Modern technology makes it harder for automakers to hide their upcoming products from prying eyes. Take, for example, these images sent to us from Autoweek subscriber Jonathan Peters while he was in Utah. Peters speculates that what he saw was a gathering of a varied Mercedes-Benz cars being tested, along with cars from other carmakers for comparisons.

A look at Acura future products

Acura is in the middle of a major product changeover, reflecting plans to challenge second-tier luxury rivals Audi, Buick, Infiniti and Volvo rather than Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus. Acura has launched the ILX compact sedan and redesigned the RDX compact crossover. It will redesign the RL flagship this fall and make changes to the MDX crossover and TL mid-sized sedan in 2013.

Vehicles for Veterans

Why these special stories on mobility? According the U.S. Census, nearly 10 million people age 18 to 64 have an ambulatory difficulty that could affect their ability to drive.

Porsche Macan caught on video

The Porsche Macan – a Porsche Cayenne on a boil wash – has been spied out testing and caught on video. We’ve seen spy photos of the Porsche Macan before – Porsche’s take on the Audi Q5 – and they look more like a cut down Cayenne being used as a mule for the Macan’s underpinnings than an actual Macan. But it seems that the shots so far are actually the Macan as it’s heading for production, which means Porsche has, perhaps unsurprisingly, chosen the 911 school of car design as its inspiration for the Macan and just stuck a Cayenne on a boil wash.

Vauxhall Astra & Astra Sports Tourer get BiTurbo diesel

Vauxhall has decided to bolt their BiTurbo diesel engine in to the Astra Hatch and the Astra Sports Tourer. Vauxhall revealed last month that the Astra GTC was getting the frugal but lively 2.0 litre CDTi BiTurbo engine, offering a tempting combination of 53mpg official economy and sub 8 second 0-62mph performance. With levels of economy unthinkable just a few years ago combined with performance a hot hatch would have been proud of, the BiTurbo Astra GTC is a clever combination.