The New 2026 Maserati MCPura: Updates (Not So) Galore
The MC20 is by no means a low performer, but we know there's room for improvement. It was recently beaten in one of our Edmunds U-Drags races by the much less expensive Corvette Z06, so there was certainly something Maserati could do to boost performance. But that's not exactly what's happened here.
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Noel Gallagher's One-of-a-Kind Jaguar MKII Convertible Finds a Buyer
Noel Gallagher's One-of-a-Kind Jaguar MKII Convertible Finds a Buyer originally appeared on Autoblog. Few classic cars flaunt British suave as well as a Jaguar. But the 1967 Jaguar MKII Convertible owned by Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher takes things to the next level, thanks to its story and unique character. While Jaguar's recent sales have struggled to keep pace in a changing market, this car reminds us of the marque's timeless appeal. Commissioned in the 1990s by Gallagher himself, it blends the elegance of 1960s Jaguar design with tasteful rock and roll upgrades. Today, this rare convertible is under offer, with a buyer's bid accepted and the sale moving forward. A Rock Star's Custom Dream Car Back in the mid-90s, when Oasis was dominating the music scene, Gallagher decided it was time to get behind the wheel himself. Despite not having a driver's license at the time, he still craved a car tailored to his needs. So he consulted with Jaguar specialist Vicarage to transform a Jaguar MKII sedan from 1967 — the same year he was born — into a one-of-a-kind convertible. The two-year project involved removing the rear doors and lengthening the front doors, turning the four-door sedan into a sleek two-door convertible. Gallagher requested modern touches like a fully electric folding roof, power steering, electric windows, and an automatic transmission, making the car much easier and more comfortable to drive than the typical MKII. Ironically, Gallagher never took the car out for a spin himself. Instead, this wife did once in a blue moon. Stored Away But Never Forgotten Most of its life, this Jaguar was carefully stored away, but it still caught the public eye now and then. It appeared in a music video for Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, driven by actor Matt Smith, best known for his role on Doctor Who. Then, in 2022, Jaguar Land Rover Classic acquired the car and showcased it during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, with iconic model Twiggy riding in the back seat. From music video star to royal celebration guest, these appearances helped cement the car's status as more than just a collector's piece, but as a British cultural icon, too. Quintessentially British Finished in glossy black paint with a rich red leather interior and chrome wire wheels, this Jaguar is one of the poshest cars money can buy. And thanks to its origins as a sedan, it still comfortably seats four adults along with their luggage. Noel Gallagher's Jaguar isn't just another low-mileage garage queen; it's a symbol of a moment in British history, bridging '90s rock royalty and royal tradition. Now that it's under offer, this one-of-a-kind MKII Convertible is ready to continue its story with a new owner who will appreciate its unique heritage. Noel Gallagher's One-of-a-Kind Jaguar MKII Convertible Finds a Buyer first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 10, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
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Engine Teardown Reveals A Simple Error That Destroys The Reliable M257 Engine
Engine Teardown Reveals A Simple Error That Destroys The Reliable M257 Engine originally appeared on Autoblog. One Of Mercedes' Most Prolific Engines No engine is perfect, but some are so well engineered that they're close enough, and the Mercedes M276 DE 35, a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6, is one of them. The engine has its minor common faults, like oil leaks and problematic camshaft adjusters/cam followers, but it was so good that, with the exception of front-wheel-drive-based vehicles like the A-Class and B-Class, Mercedes put it in everything it could between 2010-2017 - ML 350, C 350, E 350, S 350, GLE 350 (ML 350 replacement), and GLK 350. However, as YouTube channel I Do Cars shows in a teardown of a core exchange M276 (embedded at the bottom of this article), ignoring the small issues can lead to massive ones. With no VIN plate, mileage history, or other information, the only way to determine what killed this typically reliable engine is one step at a time. Deceiving Deconstruction View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Before anything is done, we can see a hole in the oil pan, and combined with the fact that the crankshaft refuses to turn over, this is worrying. However, with no evidence of a connecting rod escaping the black, and since this is a non-running core exchange engine, it's clear that the oil pan has simply been swapped from another broken motor. A good sign for the parts reseller is that no part of the electrical harness appears to have been torn, so whoever removed the engine (from a 2014 or 2015 ML 350) did it carefully. Moving on, this direct injection motor shows plenty of evidence of carbon buildup and some minor oil seepage in the head, but the valvetrain seems nearly perfect. At least, it did until the valve cover was pulled, showing a worn cam follower with scoring on the camshaft, too. Cam lobes also show some evidence of wear, but not enough to affect the journal bearings. Without complete timing failure, these factors are not to blame for this particular motor's failure. That becomes apparent under the timing cover, once the head is removed. The Cause Of The M257's Failure And How To Avoid It After removing the water pump, oil pump, and tensioners, and loosening the end caps, the crankshaft finally turns, allowing the removal of the main bearings (one of which was badly scored, though journal bearings were okay). The block looks good, with only some minor scoring on the cylinder walls, and there's no shrapnel in the oil filter or even the residual lubricant in the head. Thus, the diagnosis is this: an unaddressed minor oil leak spilled onto the serpentine belt. Over time, the belt became saturated and lost its tension, allowing it to move slightly backward and forward. Unfortunately for the original owner of this engine, this time, the belt moved toward the back of the engine, being sucked behind the crank pulley (N54 owners can relate). A loose belt is already bad for timing, but bits of the devoured belt then knocked the oil pump chain off its gear and onto the crank, where it got compressed. This, along with pieces of the crank seal and serpentine belt being in a tight space where they don't belong, led to an overextension of one of the oil pump tensioners, causing the oil pump to seize. The moment that happened, the engine died, and as the car coasted to the side of the road, the crank had already made its last rotation under power. This explains the lack of metal debris in the oil filter and other areas; the oil pump had no time to circulate any more oil once the first main bearing was scored. So what can you do? First, don't ignore oil leaks, even if minor. Even if they don't lead to this specific issue, this engine is notorious for dripping oil onto harness connectors, and if some of it gets into the ECU plug, that ECU is toast. Second, ensure that oil services and top-ups are performed with a funnel to avoid unnecessary drips on finicky components. And finally, don't just replace fluids and filters - tensioners have a limited lifespan, too. The M257 is one of the most reliable modern Mercedes engines ever, but it needs care and maintenance nonetheless. Engine Teardown Reveals A Simple Error That Destroys The Reliable M257 Engine first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 9, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
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Complexity could delay payouts in car finance compensation scheme
Car buyers and banks are bracing themselves for the outcome of a review into a multi-billion-pound scheme designed to compensate borrowers who paid too much commission for car loans. However, critics say the scheme may be overly broad and complex, potentially delaying claim resolutions for years. It follows a year-long battle between lenders, legislators and even the government over three cases centred around salespeople being incentivised to charge higher interest rates – without the knowledge of buyers – so they could bank an increased commission. This ended at the start of this month with a landmark ruling at the Supreme Court. Lord Robert Reed ruled that in two of the cases such arrangements – known as discretionary commission arrangements (DCA) – were legal, but he judged that in the the third, known as the Johnson case, the value of the commission (over half the sale price) and how it was disclosed pointed to an unfair relationship between banks and car dealers, making it illegal under the Consumer Credit Act. In the wake of the judgements, finance watchdog the FCA announced it will consult the finance industry on a scheme to compensate car buyers who paid excessive commission charges on car loans going back as far as 2007. The pot for those affected is set to be between £9bn and £18bn. While incredibly high, it is more than half the forecasted £44bn and leaves lenders – especially the likes of Black Horse – celebrating the rulings. During the review, which is set to be published in October, the FCA says it will examine how lenders should assess claims and what compensation may be due. There are concerns, however, that the process risks being held up by the complex natures of the cases as well as contradictory views held by the FCA and the courts. For example, the FCA deemed it was the nondisclosure of particular features within lending agreements, rather than the features themselves, that were deemed unfair, while the Supreme Court ruled that nondisclosure or partial disclosure of a commission paid by a finance company to a dealer was not. Faced with these partially opposing statements, the FCA's task will be to weigh up a range of factors and decide what it considers to be unfair. These will include the 'characteristics' of the consumer – a term it has yet to define but which relates to the Court's comment regarding their 'sophistication' – whether the loan complied with regulatory rules and the extent and manner of a commission's disclosure. The Johnson case, in which it was found the value of the commission relative to the loan was unfair, means this factor, too, will be considered, as will the nature of the commission. Alongside this, a major part of the FCA's review will be deciding what is an unfair commission payment, where that payment was not disclosed to the consumer, such as, for example, the 55% in the Johnson case. The FCA says in calculating compensation it will be informed by the degree of harm a customer suffered while considering the need to ensure that affordable loans for vehicles can continue to be offered. The Supreme Court decided the appropriate remedy in the Johnson case was the repayment of the commission. The FCA says it will consider this option alongside alternative remedies, but these are unlikely to exceed the full repayment of commission and could actually lead to lower payments. The FCA estimates most claimants will receive less than £950 in compensation per finance agreement to which interest of around 3% (per year) will be added. Following the ruling, the values of the major banks soared as the City realised the size of the compensation bill they faced had more than halved in size. This alone should tell car buyers who apply for redress that their chances of achieving it are much reduced. Added to this are the challenges facing the FCA's scheme, including the near-impossibility of lenders being able to produce documents relating to older finance agreements, many completed back in 2007. Philip Salter, former FCA director of retail lending, said: 'The FCA's statement is broad and complex. The Supreme Court provided legal clarity, but the challenge for firms now will be preparing for an immense operational and financial task. 'The FCA's approach requires firms to analyse their whole historical loan book against a complex matrix of 'unfairness'.' Others criticised the problems of establishing consumer loss. John Phillipou, chairman of the Finance and Leasing Association, said: 'The outline of the redress scheme is impractical. I understand the 'doing right' by the consumer, but one of the things is showing loss to consumers. That's going to be hard to prove.' In its defence, FCA chief executive Nikhil Rathi said: '[The] judgement helps us because we have been looking at what is unfair. Prior to this judgment, there were different interpretations of the law coming from different courts. It is clear that some firms have broken the law and our rules. It's fair for their customers to be compensated.' ]]>
