Blog on 2040Parts

Ford to enter 2014 Dakar with Mustang-engined Rangers

Quick show of hands: how many people here would sell their car, their kidneys, their child for a Mustang-powered Ford Ranger? Sounds appealing, right? Well, keep the child.

Porsche 911 parade at Silverstone Classic hits record breaking 1,208

1,208 Porsche 911s hit the Silverstone track to celebrate Porsche-s 50th anniversary Last month, we reported that plans by Silverstone Classic to run a record-breaking parade of Porshe 911s to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Porsche had garnered so many applications that Silverstone has to stop accepting applications nearly two months ahead of the event. Now the 2013 Silverstone Classic 911 Parade has happened it seems Silverstone decided to go for broke, and instead of the originally planned parade of 911 911s, they actually managed to drive 1,208 911s round the Silverstone track at the same time – a new record. As well as 1208 911s, Porsche and the organisers of the Silverstone Classic managed to entice a number of names along too, including Mark Porsche – great grandson of Porsche founder, Ferdinand Porsche – former F1 and Le Mans driver Derek Bell and Le Mans drivers John Fitzpatrick and Richard Attwood.

BMW i3 EV revealed. It’s clever, but it’s not exactly pretty

The BMW i3 electric city car (pictured) has been officially revealed The BMW i3 – the first of BMW’s production ‘i’ electric cars – has finally been revealed at events in London, New York and Beijing as BMW plots its course to bring a premium electric city car to the world. Looking much like the original Mega City Concept, the i3 debuts a number of innovations from BMW – which are very clever – but it also debuts perhaps the worst looking BMW we’ve ever seen, with its incongruous lines, bulging bonnet, odd shapes on the flanks and slab-backed rear view. But what underpins the i3 is clever indeed, with a lightweight inner body made from carbon fibre and carbon fibre reinforced body panels providing the skin, all conspiring to make the i3 light – 1195kg, despite 25 per cent or so of that being batteries – and very rigid.

Audi teases new car for Frankfurt. 2014 Audi A8 or new Quattro?

Audi are teasing a new car for the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show It does feel like September is still a long way off, but the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show is only six weeks away, and Audi are already teasing a new model for the show in a new teaser video. They’re not exactly giving much away – the video reveals just the front nearside corner of the new car – but what is it? The two most likely candidates are the 2014 A8 and the production Quattro, although there is a chance we could see a new, range-topping, Audi A9 coupe.

Mercedes S Class Coupe & GLA SUV Spy photos – from Mercedes

The new Mercedes S-Class Coupe & GLA Compact SUV have been testing in Death Valley With the petrolhead world getting used to seeing spy photos of new cars to come on a daily basis, car makers are getting in on the act with their own photos of suitably camouflaged new models. Mercedes already has a history of releasing spy photos of upcoming models, and we’ve recently had photos from Mercedes of the ‘baby’ SLS – the new Mercedes SLC – as well as previous spy shots of the SLS and SLK before they were launched. Now we have the head of Mercedes-Benz in the US, Steve Cannon, taking to Twitter to show the world what they’re busy hot weather testing in Death Valley.

Johnson Controls engineer presents 'Driven Mavens' free design tutorial videos

Free online video tutorials on the car design process are being presented on an interactive blog launched by a Johnson Controls lead engineer. Arvind Ramkrishna, who has worked in the automotive sector for over 10 years, set up ‘Driven Mavens' to teach students and enthusiasts how to design cars using both traditional methods and the latest digital software. Two full free courses are offered, one of which is ‘How to Draw Cars: Drawing in Perspective'.

Armored Škoda Superb from SVOS has a few tricks up its sleeve

We've all read about armored BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars, and a few of us can even spot them in traffic, but there are plenty of armored options for slightly less flash transportation. Large German sedans make great platforms for armoring, and are one of the most popular choices in countries where there is a need for that sort of thing, but they're far from being the only sedans that can offer security-minded customers the relative peace of mind that comes with ownership of such a car. Besides, if you need to travel discreetly, a Mercedes-Benz S-class isn't always the best option -- which is why armoring companies will gladly modify less-obvious cars like the new Škoda Superb.

2015 BMW i3 official photos

The BMW i3 has been officially released as of today, simultaneously worldwide in London, New York City and Beijing. The city car is powered by an electric motor producing the equivalent of 170 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. The rear-wheel-drive, 2,635-pound car can sprint to 62 mph (100 kph) in 7.2 seconds and can achieve a range as high as 118 miles.

CAR tech: how to eliminate turbo lag

CAR has tested a new breed of experimental super-diesel that literally leaves current technology standing and may banish turbo lag forever. We drove an Audi A6 3.0-litre V6 prototype fitted with an electric bi-turbo system which delivers a massive dose of torque from idle. The effect is radical, firing the saloon off the line like an R8 when the driver floors the throttle.

BMW i3 (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

The new BMW i3 offers the potential dream ticket of carbonfibre construction and zero tailpipe emissions (not to mention a posh badge) for £25k. It’s an electrically driven city car designed from the ground up to be as eco-friendly as possible, but still a decent drive. The all-new city car's order books will open this summer, with the i3 range officially launching on 16 November.

CAR tech: Audi's miracle e-fuel (2013)

Global warming; sky-high oil prices as reserves peak; spiralling crop prices and intense pressure to find fertile land – society faces immense challenges, as it strives to protect the planet and keep our cars on the move. Audi is working on a miracle fuel that could help mitigate these problems, in a facility under construction in the uncompromising, scorching environment of New Mexico, USA.  Not content with having a range more diverse than London’s World Pride parade, Audi is moving into the fuels business, in partnership with US biotech firm Joule Unlimited. The pair are developing carbon-neutral synthetic fuels, called e-fuels in keeping with Audi’s E-tron eco brand.

Top Gear Tonight: Crossovers & Caravans, Lamborghini Aventador & Sesto Elemento & Steven Tyler is SIARPC

Jeremy and James play with Crossovers and Caravans in tonight’s Top Gear Surprisingly, we’re almost at the end of Series 20 of Top Gear, with tonight’s episode, episode 5, the next to last in the current series. The ‘consumer advice’ bit of tonight’s show focuses around crossovers and caravans. James and Jeremy have concluded that crossovers are the perfect cars for caravanning, so they grab a pair of crossovers – one from Volkswagen and one from Mazda – and do a day living life as a caravanner in  the New Forsest and back at the Top Gear track.

Hungarian Grand Prix (2013) RESULT

Lewis Hamilton wins the Hungarian Grand Prix The story of Lewis Hamilton’s first season at Mercedes has been on of qualifying highs and race lows, but could Hungary be the place Hamilton turns all that promise in to a win? In a word – yes. Lewis Hamilton has won his first Grand Prix for Mercedes at the Hungaroring – a race he’s won three time before – in a brilliant drive, helped by a few lucky breaks, and despite Mercedes having problems all weekend with overheating.

Lewis Hamilton takes pole in Hungarian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton (pictured centre) takes pole in the 2013 Hungarian F1 ahead of Vettel (L) & Grosjean Sebastian Vettel had looked the man in form, and most likely to take pole position for tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix, but L:ewis Hamilton surprised him – and surprised himself – with a stunning final lap in the last moments of final qualifying. Hamilton’s storming lap beat Vettel in to second place and was stunned to be told on the radio he was in P1. “Is that pole?”, said a surprised Hamilton, before whooping with glee.

Bugatti honors past heroes with 'Les L

Evidently spurred onwards by corporate sibling Bentley -- and running out of precious jewels, pure bloods, and Harry Potter artifacts to name their limited-edition cars -- Bugatti is trotting out a limited-edition run of Veyrons to honor its past drivers and past glories. And Bugatti, of course, is nothing without its past glories. Bugatti is nothing without its special editions, either.

Mini Vision concept previews future cars

Mini has just given fans of the British marque a glimpse at the future design elements that we're going to get with upcoming cars -- and those design elements and ideas can be seen in the Mini Vision concept. Perhaps the first thing that jumps out visually about this concept car is the fact that the bumper and the auxiliary lights have been integrated into the grille, giving the car's nose a slimmer appearance. All the classic Mini design cues are still there, though the car seems to have gotten a bit taller.

Mazda brings diesel back to Indy with 6 Skyactiv-D

Diesel has enjoyed great success lately as a racing fuel, but there's one place it hasn't appeared for more than six decades: Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mazda's breaking that dry spell this weekend, when its Mazda 6 Skyactiv-D race car will head to Indy for the Grand-Am race. We like the 6 in both road trim and racing livery, but that previous diesel-powered racer -- the Cummins Diesel Special -- is pretty neat too.

MINI Vision Concept shines a light on the 2014 MINI Mk 3

The MINI Vision Concept (pictured) previews the arrival of the new MINI Mk 3 in 2014 We’ve had spy shots of the 2014 MINI Mk 3 running around the Interwebs for quite some time, to such an extent that MINI revealed their own ‘spy photo’ of the new MINI earlier this month. But now we get the real deal – or at least the concept version of the real deal – in the form of the MINI Vision Concept revealed by MINI in Munich yesterday. Much of the MINI Vision is covered in a layer of concept frippery, but looking through the toys and flights of fancy, we still get to see a lot of what thye Mk 3 MINI will offer.

Concept Car of the Week: DeTomaso Zonda (1971)

Not satisfied in producing one of the most astonishing sports cars of the ‘60s with the Mangusta, Italian carmaker DeTomaso asserted its ambitions in 1970 by presenting an even more striking sports car, the Pantera, alongside the luxurious Deauville four-door sedan, both powered by the same Ford V8 engine. Those new gorgeous models were the work of Dutch-born Tom Tjaarda, then head of design at Ghia. Despite those amazing cars, the styling house was struggling to make a profit and that same year, Alejandro DeTomaso sold Ghia along with a large chunk of his company to Ford, which was looking for that exotic Italian touch.

One Lap of the Web: Jay Leno does the T-REX, Porsche 912 restoration and cars with swimming pools

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- Watch as Jay Leno explores the 2013 Campagna Motors T-REX, a three-wheel, street-legal motorcycle that is insanely fast, especially since one of the powertrain options is a six-cylinder BMW engine and the thing weighs practically nothing.

Electric cars enjoyed one of the best months of sales in June 2013

If you think you've been seeing more Teslas and Nissan Leafs on the streets, it's not your imagination -- there really are more of them on our roads. Just in the month of June of this year, almost 9,000 plug-in electric vehicles have been sold in the U.S. This adds to more than 110,000 plug-in electric vehicles that have been sold in this country in the last two and a half years, the Electrification Coalition reports.

Honda NSX supercar (2013) testing on video

The new Honda NSX isn’t just motor show fantasy: it’s headed for production, and here’s the first image of the hybrid supercar in testing. This very NSX prototype will lap the Mid-Ohio Sport Car Course racing circuit in Ohio, USA, ahead of the Honda Indy 200 IndyCar Series race on 4 August 2013. It’ll be the first time the new NSX has turned a wheel in anger in view of the public, as it gears up for a showroom debut in 2015.

Mini Cooper (2013) New Mini previewed by Mini Vision Concept

The Mini Vision Concept has given the best indication yet at what the Mini 3, due to be shown this autumn, will look like. Shown at a design event in Germany, the Vision, says Mini, is intended to show the future design direction of the BMW sub-brand, but when compared to scoop images of the car, essentially previews the new model in all its glory. Mini Vision Concept: the need-to-know The Mini 3 will keep the familiar styling cues of the first two generations, but there’s a longer wheelbase and a waistline that’s rising more sharply towards the roofline, which lowers more aggressively than before.

2014 Subaru WRX Concept at Frankfurt Motor Show – could be coming to the UK after all

The new Subaru WRX Concept) pictured is heading for Frankfurt and, it seems, the UK Subaru in the UK had decided that their future lay with eco cars, crossovers and other fluffy-bunny models instead of with budget supercars like the WRX. So when the next generation Subaru WRX arrived at the New York Auto Show in March it looked like it was tease for a car UK buyers could never own. But it looks like things have changed.

Subaru WRX to return to the UK in 2014?

Making its European debut at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show in September is the aggressive-looking Subaru WRX concept. First shown at the New York motor show earlier in 2013, the low-slung four-door breathed life back into the idea of future hot Imprezas, but UK enthusiasts were set to miss out. Spy shots of bewinged test mules at the Nurburgring have appeared, but Subaru confirmed it had no plans to replace the outgoing WRX STI once stock ran out.

One Lap of the Web: DeLorean engine swaps, 2013 Women's World Car of the Year and the best French cars

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- We've driven the new BMW 4-series and found it worthy of being the 3-series coupe's successor.

IDSA's 3D-printed car design contest gets underway

Aspiring designers have the chance to see their 3D-printed car designs launched down a miniature model of a ski jump and crash in the Launch Day 2013 competition due to take place at the 2013 IDSA conference, which runs from 21-24 August. Up to five designs can be entered for free until 12 August in the competition, organized by The Industrial Designers Society of America. All submissions will then be judged for both aesthetics and for "using unique attributes of 3D printing" which will whittle them down to just 10 designs that will be printed before the launch.

Volvo City Safe means lower insurance preniums for Volvo drivers

Volvo’s City safe has reduced insurance premiums for Volvo owners Volvo are on a mission to ensure that no one dies or is seriously injured in a Volvo by 2020, and that means more and more clever technology to protect Volvo drivers from the dangers of driving. One of those technologies is Volvo’s City Safe, a low speed (up to 31mph) collision avoidance system, that uses a laser at the top of the windscreen to monitor traffic and will automatically brake the car if its senses no reaction from the driver when a collision is imminent. So good is City Safe that Thatcham – the people who set insurance groups for cars – has decided Volvos fitted with City Safe should be rated in a lower group.

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille Special Edition. Yes, another Veyron ‘Special’

The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille (pictured) is the latest Veyron ‘Special’ We haven’t tried to do the sums yet, but we’re beginning to wonder if Bugatti has produced more ‘Special Edition’ cars than MINI has? Certainly, in a sales volume to special edition ratio, they must be streets ahead. And now we have yet another Special Edition Veyron. The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille Special Edition (for that is the catchy little moniker Bugatti has bestowed on their latest effort) will be a limited run of three cars and is the first of six special edition ‘Bugatti Legends’ Veyrons planned for the VW supercar.

Aston Martin to use Mercedes AMG V8 engines (2013)

It’s a new era for Aston Martin: the Gaydon brand has announced today (25 July 2013) that it’s in the early stages of a deal with Mercedes’ in-house tuners AMG, which will allow it to use Mercedes-honed engine and electronics technology. Has Aston Martin sold its soul to the Germans? Not quite – Daimler AG is set to take only a 5% share stake in Aston Martin, sitting alongside majority shareholders Investment Dar and Investindustrial.