Blog on 2040Parts

140mph goalkeeper's sentencing way

THE SENTENCING of a former Premier League goalkeeper caught driving at 140mph has been adjourned after he failed to attend court. Carlo Nash, who has played for clubs including Manchester City, Everton, Wigan Athletic, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Stoke City and Norwich City, was clocked by a traffic officer on the A11 at Wymondham in Norfolk. The 40-year-old from Leftbank, Manchester, was stopped in a 70mph zone by a marked car with a speed detector on February 2 this year.

Businessman opens private toll road

THE BUSINESSMAN behind a private toll road by-passing a closed commuter route is confident he will not have to sell his home if the venture fails. Mike Watts, 62, has until Christmas to recoup his £300,000 investment or face losing his house. He is charging motorists £2 per journey to use his bypass made from rolled chippings and avoid the closed section of the A431 between Bath and Bristol.

Ed Balls faces driving ban

SHADOW CHANCELLOR Ed Balls could be banned from driving today as he answers a summons for failing to stop after bumping another car. The case, which arises from an incident in the Morley and Outwood MP's constituency on April 5, will be heard by magistrates in Leeds, although the Labour front-bencher is not expected to attend court. Mr Balls's office has said he will be responding in writing and will not contest the charge.

Rolls Royce Wraith Drophead OFFICIALLY confirmed

A Drophead version of the Rolls Royce Wraith (pictured) officially confirmed for 2016 The Rolls Royce Wraith – a Ghost Coupe in all but name – arrived in 2013 as an almost properly sporting Rolls Royce, one designed for driving rather than being driven in. But the arrival of the Wraith did beg the question ‘How long will it be before there’s a Wraith Convertible?‘, and we thought that question was answered when Rolls Royce boss, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, said in November last year that a drophead Wraith would make it in to production. But it seems the boss saying something doesn’t necessarily make it official, so Rolls Royce has now officially confirmed today that a new Rolls Royce model – offering effortless, open-top touring – is under development and will arrive in 2016.

Rolls-Royce confirms new convertible - a Wraith cabrio

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 05 August 2014 12:49 Rolls-Royce today confirmed a new, eighth model range - a convertible due to join the Phantom, Ghost and Wraith in mid-2016. Goodwood is being tight-lipped on the exact identity of the new Rolls, but CAR can confirm it is the Wraith convertible. Not that Rolls-Royce would do anything as vulgar as call it that; expect a new name.

Quarter of UK cars' brakes 'could fail without warning'

MORE THAN a third of all cars in Europe have brakes that could fail without warning, according to a new report. Research carried out for Cosan Lubricants’ Mobil Car Care range, at independent service garages across the UK found that 26.5% of UK motorists had defective brake fluid, with nearly one in 10 unintentionally risking their lives every time they drove. The research tested the quality of brake fluid – the liquid that allows the modern braking system to work.

2015 Kia Sorento teased – now it’s the interior

2015 Kia Sorento teased – now it’s the interior We sort of had the 2015 Kia Sorento revealed last week as Kia released a pair of design sketches of the new Sorento ahead of its public debut in South Korea later this month. And now we get the same treatment for the new Sorento’s interior. Frankly, the exterior design sketches were nothing more than a tease of what’s on offer – and doubtless far more dramatic than the real 2015 Sorento will be – and the teaser sketches of the interior are even less revealing of what will be on offer.

First ever LA Car Design Night – registration now open

For those who have attended one of our Car Design Nights at various auto shows around the world, you'll know they're a great place to catch up with fellow designers, make new contacts and unwind with an informal drink away from the show floor. This year we're excited to announce the launch of our first event in the US, to coincide with the Los Angeles Auto Show on the evening of 20 November at Elevate Lounge on Wilshire Blvd from 7PM. Head to the events page to register now and we hope to see you there.

BTCC stars arrive at race meet... with a race-insipred caravan

BRITISH Touring Car stars Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden arrived at their most recent race weekend with something a bit out of the ordinary in tow. The pair arrived in a Honda Civic Tourer, liveried up to look just like the racing versions the pair are more used to thrashing around. What’s more, they were towing a caravan just as covered in Honda Yuasa Racing graphics as the car, having meandered across the country stopping only for picnics and barbecues – although they did enjoy a spot of mountain biking too.

McLaren Special Operations (MSO) P1 and 650 S Spider Pebble Beach debut

The McLaren P1 MSO (pictured) will debut at Pebble Beach 2014 It may be Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations in the news at the moment, but McLaren’s own Special Operations has been around since 2011, creating extreme examples of McLaren’s cars for deep-pocketed customers. And they’re back with two new MSO specials for this month’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The most impressive of the two MSO cars is, of course, a special edition of the already very special McLaren P1.

'Crash for cash' scammers under pressure

SCAMMERS have been stopped in their tracks following an announcement that fees surrounding whiplash claims are to be capped. From October, new rules will mean medical professionals can only charge £180 for an initial whiplash report. At present, as much as £700 is charged.

Aston Martins voted 'best status symbol'

AN ASTON Martin is the car to be seen driving if you want people to believe you've 'made it', according to an offbeat new study. Research carried out by Auto Trader among 1,024 drivers showed that the British brand's cars are, perhaps unsurprisingly, the ones that most Brits think highest of, beating the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bentley down the order. In fact, the top three positions in the survey were filled by British car makers, with Bentley and Rolls Royce second and third respectively.

LaFerrari commanding £1 MILLION premium – and the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder attracting premiums too

LaFerrari commanding £1 MILLION premium Being at the top of the new owners list for a very desirable, and scarce, car can yield big benefits, and none more so recently than for Ferrari’s hypercar – the LaFerrari. Oracle Finance has been busy looking at the premiums being charged for desirable cars (and, presumably, willing to finance to premium too) and have discovered that those not on Ferrari’s VIP list – and therefore not invited to buy a LaFerrari from Maranello – are willing to pay a premium of £1 million to get their hands on Ferrari’s replacement for the Enzo. But it’s not just LaFerrari that’s commanding hefty premiums.

Daimler raises its stake in Aston Martin to 5%, as alliance deepens

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 04 August 2014 17:42 Daimler has raised its stake in British sports car maker Aston Martin as the Anglo-German alliance strengthens, it emerged today. The Mercedes-Benz parent company grew its stakeholding by 1% on 31 July 2014, the company confirmed. Daimler now owns 5% of Aston Martin.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster Pebble Beach debut alongside DP-100 Vision Gran Turismo

Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster Pebble Beach debut With Pebble Beach looming this month we’ll be getting plenty of high-end debuts and expensive four-wheeled works of art art to drool over. We’ve already had the news that Jaguar Land Rover will be debuting 3 cars from the new Special Operations Division – the Range Rover Sport SVR, Jaguar F-Type Project 7 and Jaguar Lightweight E-Type – and now we learn Aston Martin will have a couple of treats for Pebble visitors too. The debut of the Aston Martin you can buy at Pebble will be the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster.

Jaguar Land Rover SVO Pebble Beach debuts – Range Rover Sport SVR, Jaguar F-Type Project 7 & ‘new’ Lightweight E-Type

Jaguar Land Rover SVO Pebble Beach debuts include the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 Jaguar Land Rover’s new Special Operations Division may only just have come in to being, but that’s not stopping them delivering three cars for their North American debut at the Pebble Beach Event later this month. First of the SVO cars on show will be the new Range Rover Sport SVR, Land Rover’s most extreme performance car to date, which has just run the Nurburgring in a record time for an SUV (although we’re not sure many buyers will really care) and which should find a ready market in the US. Second of the SVO cars is the new Jaguar F-Type Project 7, which with its open-topped default mode will doubtless have American buyers from the sunny states opening their cheque books on sight.

German premium brands go SUV crazy: 10 new 4x4s coming

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 04 August 2014 11:15 Here’s a new trend among the German premium manufacturers that appears to be reaching boiling point: the insatiable rise of SUVs and crossovers. It’s been happening for a while, of course, but CAR can reveal that no fewer than 10 - ten! - new 4x4s are on the drawing boards at Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Plans To Drop Congestion Charge Pay-By Text

TEXT messages are to be dropped as a way for drivers to pay for their congestion charge under plans being considered by Transport for London (TfL). A new Smartphone app may replace text messages, which make up around 400 out of the 130,000 congestion charge payments made each day. TfL, which is launching a six-week consultation ending on September 12, describes texts as an "under-used SMS payment service" and claims the app would enable drivers to carry out a wider range of tasks.

AXE WOES

AN ORDINARY car journey almost turned into a horror film on a highway north of the US city of Boston when an axe smashed through the windscreen of a car. Massachusetts State Police say the axe bounced out of a dump truck. A photo was released showing the axe with a corner of its blade stuck in the passenger side of the car's dashboard.

Local man solves roadworks problem with his own toll road

A TEMPORARY TOLL road made from rolled chippings has been opened in south-west England. Businessman Mike Watts decided to open the thoroughfare to bypass a closed section of the A431 between Bath and Bristol. The Kelston Road was shut in February following a landslip and officials say it will not be repaired until the end of the year.

Lexus IS F ends production to make way for the new Lexus RC F

The Lexus IS F is no more The Lexus IS F was the car Lexus hoped would take the fight to cars like the BMW M3. But in the 7 years the IS F has been on sale it’s only managed to shift around 11,000 units, partly because it just didn’t have the dynamics or power of the M3, but also because few yet consider Lexus a ‘Performance’ brand. So the Lexus IS F has now ended production after a less than stellar sales showing, and Lexus are instead pinning their hopes for a credible M3 beater in the new RC F.

Top Gear Track Experience – now YOU can be a Star in a Reasonably Priced Car

Top Gear Track Experience – now YOU can be a Star in a Reasonably Priced Car Have you ever wanted to be Jeremy Clarkson, James May or Richard Hammond? Have you ever wanted to be a ‘Star in a reasonably price car’ and set a lap round the Top Gear test track? Well now you can.

Icon Helios: the Tesla Model S streamliner inspired by DC-1s

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 01 August 2014 07:04 US craft modders Icon have come up with an unusual take on the electric car: the new Icon Helios is a dramatically rebodied Tesla Model S inspired by streamliners and ‘30s aircraft. Better known for modifying Land Rovers and Jeeps, Icon CEO and lead designer Jonathan Ward has now turned his hand to a more futuristic idea - making electric cars truly desirable. The Icon Helios is the result.

Hyundai i20 (2015): the first design renderings

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 01 August 2014 04:30 Hyundai today issued this pair of design renderings of the new i20, revealing a supermini with even more aspirations to be German. With shades of mini Golf in both the front and rear design sketches, the new 2015 Hyundai i20 looks more European than ever. This, of course, should come as no surprise, since the new i20 has been styled at Hyundai Motor’s Design Centre Europe in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

Hyundai teases new 2015 i20 supermini

Hyundai has teased its new i20 hatchback ahead of its unveiling at the Paris Motor Show 2014. The company has released this design rendering of the new model, which appears to be much sportier than its predecessor. On Bing: see pictures of the 2015 Hyundai i20 Find out how much a used Hyundai i20 costs on Auto Trader The 2015 Hyundai i20, designed at the firm’s Russelsheim design centre in Germany, features a traditional hexagonal grille and a new, thin strip connecting the headlights.

Snake surprise for garage mechanics

MECHANICS attempting to jump-start a car were given a shock when they found a snake under the bonnet. Garage workers in Kelty in Fife called out animal charity the Scottish SPCA after they discovered the 2ft (0.6m) corn snake in the engine of the Fiat Punto they were working on. The reptile, which has been named Punto, is now being looked after at the Edinburgh and Lothians Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Balerno.

30% of drivers would do a runner after a parking scrape

Almost a third of drivers would consider leaving the scene of an accident if only minor damage was caused – while another 4% said they’d do a runner even after a more serious collision. The shocking stats come from a survey of over 2,000 people commissioned by ContractHireAndLeasing.com. The world’s weirdest car crashes revealed Cheapest cars to insure for 17-18 year olds The results show that honesty amongst drivers varies depending on their age and location.

Survey Suggests Dangers Of Mobile Phone Abuse Is Still Underplayed

A LEADING used car warranty firm has conducted a survey to find out what the public believe to be the most dangerous driving offences. Those driver surveyed by Warrantywise believed that by far the most serious offence was driving under the influence, with 67% of respondents listing this at the top. Ranked next highest with just 10% was ignoring traffic lights and 9% using mobile devices whilst driving.

UK drivers fear 'black box' tech in cars

EUROPEAN UNION plans to install ‘black box’ technology in all new cars from 2015 have met with an overwhelming ‘no’ from UK drivers. The EU regulations will see e-Call fitted to all new cars sold from November 2015. The e-Call technology automatically contacts the emergency services in the event of a collision and could save 2500 lives on the roads of Europe every year.

New 2015 Hyundai i20 revealed – debuts at Paris Motor Show

The front of the new Hyundai i20 shows a more purposeful look. The Hyundai i20 is a perfectly decent supermini that manages to hold its own against the European competition – VW Polo, Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa etc. – even if it’s not the most exciting choice in the looks department.