Alex Kaufmann, Author
Articles
-
German tuner and custom coachbuilder Hamann is perhaps best known for its work with BMW's machines, but now it has unveiled a new kit for the Bentley Continental GT and GT Speed. Called the... -
Volvo cuts XC90 pricing by 8% for 2009The poor car market has led many carmakers to take drastic action with their workforces, to ask for government assistance or to offer unprecedented incentives, but so far most carmakers haven't taken the knife to their base pricing. Volvo bucks the trend today by cutting the price of their XC90 SUV...
Alex Kaufmann -
Ferrari 599 GTB styling update in the worksIt seems like just yesterday that Ferrari's 599 GTB Fiorano took over for the 575 M Maranello, but it's been three years already - time for a mid-cycle restyling. That restyling is expected to be primarily focused at the front of the car, with a focus on giving the car an edgier, more...
Alex Kaufmann -
MTM takes on KTM's X-BowKTM's X-Bow doesn't really need any help to be extreme. It is born that way. But MTM wasn't satisfied, so they took their tuning ways to the car's engine and brakes to make it even more of a trackday star. The standard X-Bow only sports a 240hp (179kW) four-banger but it's strapped to a lightweight...
Alex Kaufmann -
MTM builds Audi TTS to 380hpAudi's TT platform has shown some seriously long legs, running in updated but still very familiar form from its debut in 1999 to the present. Now it's showing even more potential remains with the upgraded TTS and TT-RS models. But even that's not enough for the aftermarket, and MTM has answered the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Alfa Romeo rolls out new MiTo VeloceAlfa Romeo will launch its high-performance MiTo GTA later this year but a second sporty variant of the stylish hatchback has just been unveiled. Making its debut at the 2009 AutoRAI in Amsterdam this week, the new hot hatch pick up Alfa Romeo’s longstanding ‘Veloce’ badging and...
Alex Kaufmann -
Audi’s A8 flagship will have to soldier on in its current form for just a little while longer as the all-new 2011 model is a little more than a year away, so to help it along in showrooms Audi... -
Ford goes X-Road at Amsterdam's AutoRAI ShowIt seems like every year the list of special-edition hatchbacks, sedans, wagons and SUVs grows for Europe while every year Americans see fewer and fewer on the road. Maybe it's a 'grass is always greener' syndrome, but there a definite sense of cross-pond jealousy when it comes to up-rated versions...
Alex Kaufmann -
Spy shots: 2010 Volkswagen Golf R20Following the success of the Golf R32, a replacement for the car based on the Mark VI platform was always going to have big shoes to fill. However, with news that the torquey 3.2L V6 engine from the Mark V model was being phased out, the outlook for the car’s successor was looking grim. That...
Alex Kaufmann -
China to be world's largest auto producer by the end of the yearDespite the global economic downturn, the nation of China is still on track to become the world's largest automaker by this year. Currently, China remains in second place to Japan, but last year the Chinese managed to overtake the U.S. to claim their current second-place position, and this trend is...
Alex Kaufmann -
IKEA Leko turns out to be new car sharing programWhile it never turned to be the April fool’s day joke we had all thought it to be, IKEA’s mysterious ‘Leko’ has turned out to be a new car sharing program launching in France next month. The new program is an online car-sharing service that will allow motorists to book...
Alex Kaufmann -
Heico Sportiv upgrades full Volvo XC60 lineupSpecialist Volvo tuner Heico Sportiv has just come out with what it’s claiming is the world's first complete upgrade program for the Volvo XC60. The program alters both the internal and external features of the car, with various engine upgrades for the different trim levels of the XC60. When...
Alex Kaufmann -
Volkswagen's Eos is something of a misfit - more luxurious than most of VW's lineup, but not as nice as the A5 Cabrio, and not quite powerful enough from the factory to run with the likes of the... -
Vin Diesel shows up at Fast & Furious premiere in Eibach Dodge ChallengerWhen rolling up to the premiere of the latest instalment of one of the biggest car movie franchises in recent history, what better car is there than the Dodge Challenger? Okay, maybe there are plenty of better options but considering the nature of the new Fast & Furious movie and Vin...
Alex Kaufmann -
Pagani Releases First Official Zonda R TrailerFew automakers still build each element of a car by hand, four at a time, in a single workshop, and end up with a product anywhere near the league of the Pagani Zonda, but the Italian supercar brand has decided to one-up itself with the introduction of the Zonda R. Adding more performance, power...
Alex Kaufmann -
G-Power goes the supercharging route for new BMW X5 TyphoonGerman tuner G-Power is known for its lack of restraint when it comes to modifying BMWs – the firm’s modified M5 currently holds the title of the world's fastest street-legal sedan. Now, G-Power has turned its focus to another BMW stablemate, the X5 SUV. Known as the Typhoon, the...
Alex Kaufmann -
GM and Saab agree to five-year parts sharing dealWhen the news of Saab being splintered from General Motors' holdings, many lamented the demise of the Swedish carmaker, assuming it would be unable to stand alone. But a new parts sharing agreement between Saab and General Motors offers some hope that the brand born from jets might yet live to fly...
Alex Kaufmann -
JE Design takes the wraps off Progressor CayennePorsche itself has recently gotten into the game of modifying its Cayenne SUV, so it's no wonder the vehicle has been a favorite of the tuner crowd for years. Though JE Design's latest creation may not have the exclusivity of the GTS Design Edition 3 revealed today, it does have a flavor all its...
Alex Kaufmann -
With its skinny, spoked open wheels and an open-air cabin, the Mercedes Benz F-CELL Roadster looks more like the cars of the turn of the 20th century than those of the 21st, but design students... -
Porsche ups the exclusivity of the Cayenne GTS with new Porsche Design Edition 3Compared to the regular Porsche Cayenne models like the S and Turbo, the GTS is just that little bit sportier and more exclusive. After all, it features an enhanced 4.8L V8 engine, has been lowered 24mm, and comes with the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system as standard. Porsche has...
Alex Kaufmann -
Opel waters down Astra OPC Nurburgring 24 endurance race car for the streetThe Astra hatch is approaching the end of its product cycle, but in the lead up to the arrival of an all-new model later this year Opel has seen fit to release one more special edition based on the sporty Coupe. Using last year’s 300hp (225kW) Nurburgring 24 Astra endurance race car as its...
Alex Kaufmann -
Report: Production Lexus LF-A and Toyota-Subaru coupe to debut at Tokyo Motor ShowThe supercar that almost wasnt, and still might not be - the Lexus LF-A, or LFA as it's known to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, recently underwent a special kind of exhibition in Milan during Fashion Week, and now it could be shown off in final form come October's Tokyo Motor Show. A report...
Alex Kaufmann -
Porsche considering 356 Speedster revivalLooking back on some of the cars that made sport driving great, and built the legend that has become today's Porsche, you'd wonder how we ever got to 3,500lb, 500hp twin-turbo monsters. The 356 Speedster, for example - considered by many to be one of the first modern sports cars - weighed a mere...
Alex Kaufmann -
Audi to offer smaller 1.8L TFSI in TT RoadsterSince its debut the Audi TT has stirred emotions and imitations with its daring looks, just as fresh now as when introduced just over a decade ago. The Roadster is even more image-conscious, and in recognition of that, Audi is reportedly considering a downsize for the drop-top's engine to a 1.8L...
Alex Kaufmann