Blog on 2040Parts

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.

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.

Acura NSX prototype will drive Mid-Ohio prior to IndyCar race

Acura's new, long-awaited NSX is still two years from arriving in customers' impatient hands, but attend the Izod IndyCar Series race at Mid-Ohio on Aug. 4 and you'll have the opportunity to see and hear the car in action. Acura on Thursday released an image of a prototype NSX, and said the car will take to the racetrack just prior to the Honda Indy 200 in Lexington, Ohio.

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.

Official: Aston Martin gets its hands on Mercedes AMG engines & Electronic Architecture

Aston Martin & AMG confirm they’re getting in bed together Back in December we reported that Aston Martin had new investment from Investindustrial and wondered if that would mean – thanks to an existing relationship between Investindustrial and AMG – if we’d see Aston Martin finally getting access to AMG’s engines and platforms. By May, things had moved on and it was clear that Aston Martin and AMG were in talks for Aston Martin to get access to their engines for the next generation of AML’s cars. Now those talks have borne fruit and AMG and AML have signed a letter of intent for Aston Martin to “access significant Mercedes-AMG GmbH and Mercedes-Benz Cars’ resources, allowing the development of bespoke V8 powertrains and the use of certain components of electric/electronic (e/e) architecture.” Interestingly, there’s no talk of V12 engines – which could mean Aston Martin are going to move from the current Ford V12 for the DB9 and Vanquish to a powerful V8 from AMG – and nor is there talk of sharing platforms.

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.

New Range Rover is the most ‘APEAL-ing’ car, according to J.D. Power

The new Range Rover (pictured) is J.D. Power’s APEAL winner 2013 J. D.

Ferrari LaFerrari la spotted la testing on la road

Yesterday, we received an e-mail from Hendrik Nuyens, who you may know as a member of the Dutch rock band brainphArt. It seems Nuyens recently caught Ferrari's idiotically named LaFerrari testing on the open road near Fiorano. Even if the name is dumb, the LaFerrari's specs are impressive.

Mazda announces pricing, fuel economy of 2014 Mazda 3

Remember the Mazda Mazda 3 (according to the DMV forms) that we drove a few weeks ago? Yeah! You want one?

Cadillac S-class fighter confirmed

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson recently revealed to USA Today that a new Cadillac S-class and 7-series fighter is in the works. He suggested it would be released in about two years. The large luxury sedan will utilize a rear-wheel-drive chassis loosely based on the CTS, though there will also be an all-wheel drive version.

One Lap of the Web: Aston Martin Works, 'Gran Turismo' movie and the Mercedes-Benz S-class build process

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. -- Along with the “Need for Speed” franchise, the “Gran Turismo” series may be the latest in line to make the leap to the big screen.

Ford Evos Concept joins Salon Privé lineup

The 2011 Ford Evos Concept has become the latest model to join this year's Salon Privé. Held from 4-6 September, the Evos will feaure in the Concepts and Prototypes Display at the West London event, due to be held on the lawns of Syon House. When it was unveiled, the Evos Concept showcased Ford's global design language and vision for customer-focused intuitive technologies.

The Jaguar F-Type's a closet Star Wars geek

Our friends over at Jalopnik are currently at Jaguar F-Type media event over in Seattle, where they had a chance to catch up with its design Wayne Burgess (check out our full interview with him here), who revealed some interesting sources of inspiration for some of its detailing. The first is a real easter egg - a detail that once you've discovered it you can't help but see - the front lamp cans are based on Star Wars' TIE Fighter. What has been seen can not be unseen.

RCA's Dale Harrow: Car design more crucial than ever

As well as serving as head of the RCA's Vehicle Design Program, Dale Harrow is also a Financial Times columnist. His latest piece suggests the car is in the process of change, and at a rate beyond that undertaken in its first century of existence. Manufacturers have 'solved' the function of the car, and as reliability is no longer a concern for the consumer, design is now crucial.

Bugatti Veyron Vitesse Legends Edition (2013) first official pictures

Yes, it’s another special edition Bugatti Veyron. Frankly, it’s good news for owners of regular, non-limited edition Veyrons, whose cars are surely soon to be more exclusive than the endless commemorative iterations of Bugatti’s 1000bhp icon. Why is Bugatti creating a new series of special Veyrons?

Mercedes launch new 9G-Tronic gearbox on E350 BlueTec

New Mercedes E350 BlueTec (pictured) gets 9-speed 9G-TRONIC auto It’s not exactly a million years ago that automatic gearboxes offered poorer performance and economy than manual gearboxes, and came as standard with just three gears. But now, automatic gearboxes are so good they can  change quicker than any driver and, with the proliferation of eight-speed auto ‘boxes, offer improved economy and performance too. The next logical step is even more ratios in an auto ‘box, and Land Rover has already revealed they’ll be fitting the Evoque with a 9-speed ZF ‘box from 2014, and the new Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a nine-speed auto ‘box too.

Sebastien Loeb's 2014 WTCC Citroen racer revealed

This is the Citroen that will be driven by Sebastien Loeb in the 2014 FIA World Touring Championship as the brand joins the series for the first time. Based on the Citroen C-Elysee saloon, the WTCC is the first model homologated for the new regulations that come into effect next season, with the series set to kick off in Europe in mid-April. What is the Citroen C-Elysee?

BMW M5 Nighthawk special edition revealed in Japan

BMW has released a special limited edition of the M5 for the Japanese market called the Nighthawk. The special run of just 10 examples will feature a matte paint BMW calls "Frozen Black," which will extend to the 20-inch wheels fitted on the car. Other custom touches will include a blacked-out grille, with the Frozen black paint on a number of exterior details.

2014 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution to sell for $34,995

Everyone’s favorite Mitsubishi is back for the 2014 model year. The Lancer Evolution GSR will cost $34,995 when it hits dealerships while the twin-clutch-equipped Evolution MR comes in at $38,195, not including destination. Both of those prices are $300 more than last year.

Bentley confirms luxury SUV for 2016

Citing “extremely positive customer response” to the idea, Bentley has officially given its super-luxury SUV the go-ahead. Since the VW board already greenlit the project back in February, the only thing holding the vehicle back is the time it will take Bentley to set up production lines -- and perhaps to work out the design. The announcement confirms that Bentley is joining Porsche and Maserati, and possibly Lamborghini, in jumping into the high-end SUV game.

Ford Edge, Ram 1500 lead list of month's best deals

Going to a dealership and paying below the sticker price of the car you're looking to take home always elicits a good feeling. TrueCar's monthly “Steals on Wheels” list details the best deals on vehicles currently on the market to make your bargain shopping dreams come true. Leading the pack so far this month are the 2013 Ford Edge SE and the 2013 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman.

Infiniti prices 2014 QX60 and QX70

Infiniti said last Friday that the 2014 QX70 SUV -- formerly known as the FX -- will start at $45,945, including destination. The 2014 QX60, formerly the JX, will sticker for $42,545. The QX70 comes in both rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive setups, with either a 325-hp, 3.7-liter V6 or a 390-hp 5.0-liter V8.

One Lap of the Web: The Stig's riding mower, Satan's rat rod and Cuban cars

It's One Lap of the Web: Our daily digest of car news, features, videos and photos you may not otherwise have heard about. -- The video demons at Drive take a look at a nasty 1931 Ford colloquially named Satan's Rat Rod. You be the judge, and note that this clip isn't recommended for the thin-skinned environmentalists among us.

Mercedes-Benz unveils 'golf cart of the future' design study

Designed at its Carlsbad studio in California, Mercedes-Benz presented its ‘Vision Golf Cart' to the golfing world during this year's Open Championship in Scotland. Having called upon car fans and followers of the sport to submit their ideas for a future Mercedes buggy, a jury then went about sifting through all the submissions until they found the best entries. Electrically driven and powered by a battery kept continuously charged by solar panels on the roof, the buggy is controlled by a joystick mounted on the center console allowing either passenger to drive.

Alfa Romeo Spider and next-gen Mazda MX-5 details

Details on the new Alfa Romeo Spider continue to come in. Alfa sources say the car will blend lightweight engineering and modern styling with an accessible chassis and power output around 170 hp. It will go on sale in late 2015, sources said.

Cadillac to update logo?

Cadillac is working on the first major change to its logo in more than a decade, pruning away the classic laurel wreaths that surround its crest, several sources told Automotive News. The modified emblem is likely to appear on a concept vehicle that Cadillac plans to show next month at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California. The redesigned badge would appear on production cars no earlier than the 2015 model year, and the plans could change, the sources said.

Architects design extravagant portable EVs solar-charging pavilion

Architects Synthetic Design + Architecture has designed a portable, solar-charging pavilion for electric vehicles using integrated photovoltaic cells. A beautiful, flowing form made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) mesh fabric incorporating the photovoltaic panels, allowing the pavilion to act as a charger. Designed to combine structure, form and performance, carbon rods are twisted into curves by the digitally-designed mesh contours.

Bentley SUV is go: production to start in 2016

The Bentley SUV has been officially confirmed for production. In announcement by the company today (Tuesday July 23), Bentley will build 3500 SUVs at its Crewe, UK, factory from 2016. First scooped by CAR in August 2011, the yet-to-be-named SUV, codenamed internally as ‘Falcon’, is expected to start from around £140,000.

Seat Leon ST (2014) at Frankfurt motor show

The new Seat Leon ST is the first time the Spanish marque has offered the Leon as a wagon, which will be the third body style alongside the three-door Leon SC and five-door hatch versions. Based on the impressive new VW Golf Estate the Leon ST will be cheaper than the Golf wagon when it arrives in UK showrooms in January 2014. Is it just a Golf Estate with a different look?

New SEAT Leon ST Estate revealed

The New SEAT Leon ST Estate (pictured) has been revealed ahead of a Frankfurt debut As estate cars have become more stylish, more and more buyers have fallen in love with the idea of a ‘Wagon’ version as their family transport, as it now offers little downside and much more practicality. So it’s no wonder SEAT has decided to bite the bullet and launch an Estate version of the Leon – the Leon ST – as the third model in the Leon line-up. The ST estate shares its wheelbase with the five-door Leon but gets a small – and reasonably stylish – shed bolted on the back to offer 587 litres of space with the seats down and a reasonably commodious 1470 litres with the seats down.