Alex Kaufmann, Author
Articles
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German tuning company WAM, short for ‘WheelsAndMore,’ is best known for its outrageous wheel designs but the tuner has proven that it can match the big boys like Brabus and Lumma with its...
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Mercedes working on $290 million Alabama plant expansion
As further evidence that the sky isn't on as fierce a downward trajectory as some would have you believe, Mercedes-Benz is working on a planned $290 million Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant expansion. The new 200,000 sq ft addition will produce SUVs and other new models for American tastes. Mercedes...
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Production Version Of Up! Minicar May Prove Too Expensive For Seat And Skoda
Even as fuel prices hover around pre-crunch levels, the automotive industry knows it's only a temporary respite and continues its gear-up for a new layer of high-quality small cars. On the German front, BMW is thought to be working on a sub-1-series minicar, Daimler already has its Smart, and soon...
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B&B Tuning gives the Volkswagen Tiguan a little more bite
Volkswagen's Tiguan SUV may not be designed for performance, but that hasn't stopped German tuners B&B conducting an extensive tuning program on the compact off-roader. With the range-topping Tiguan fitted out with all of B&B's modifications, customers are looking at a 300hp (225kW) SUV with around...
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Inside look at the technology behind Porsche's Panamera
With Porsche’s new Panamera sedan set to make its official world debut at the Shanghai Motor Show in just a few weeks, we thought it was time to take a closer look at the car and some of its features. The Panamera will debut with no less than five technological firsts for Porsche, and with...
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Daimler confirms Michigan for new hybrid lab
Daimler has chosen Michigan as the site for a new $10 million research center focusing on alternative propulsion systems, such as hybrid technology. The German auto giant was previously considering building the center in South Carolina or California but chose Michigan following the promise of a...
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Driving academies from high-performance carmakers are nothing new: AMG's has been around for years. Nissan offers one for GT-R owners, Lamborghini for their owners, Corvette for ZR-1 owners, and...
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Lexmaul pumps up the Vectra, adds flex-fuel capability
Ethanol is a hot topic among biofuels advocates - and opponents - and green-car fiends alike, but it has a long tradition as a performance fuel as well. Lexmaul taps into that tradition with their latest Vectra, converting the car to E85 flex-fuel capability for extra performance. The CO2 savings...
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Smart dealers left holding the bag on canceled orders
News of blockbuster sales and pre-orders of the Smart ForTwo in the U.S. last year is being tempered today with the revelation that a large number of depositors that had reserved cars are now backing out. With the economy still circling the drain and a great deal of uncertainty in many people's...
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Inden Design releases 680hp White Angel SL 65 AMG
It is the the chromatic opposite of AMG's own SL 65 Black Edition, but it comes out remarkably similar on paper. A generous 680hp (507kW) unleashes the potential of the SL 65 AMG, exceeding output of the Black edition by almost 20hp (15kW). The SL 65s are known for being a bit heavy, however, with...
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Mercedes-Benz takes BMW designer Karim Habib
Chris Bangle left BMW just a few weeks ago, and now 7-series designer Karim Habib has signed on with the company's main rival, Mercedes-Benz. The job puts him directly under Mercedes design chief Gorden Wagener. Habib will be responsible for the F-series of vehicles at Mercedes. One of the most...
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VW reveals plans to topple GM and Toyota
The global economic crisis has taken its toll on virtually every major carmaker around the globe but the effects have varied significantly between firms. General Motors’ financial predicament has been well documented, with the ailing Detroit carmaker teetering on the edge of bankruptcy...
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Special edition supercars are almost as plentiful as the base vehicles themselves these days, but hey, who's complaining? Lamborghini adds to the bounty today with the official unveiling of the...
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Maserati lends name to carbon-fiber infused pushbike
You may have read about the global financial crisis turning Bentley to furniture production to keep its staff occupied, but this week's instalment of 'weird products from carmakers’ at least is a little more related to the world of motoring - although not by much. Maserati's stand at last...
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BMW profit drops 89%
While German luxury rival Audi is posting record profits and sales, BMW’s performance is looking much more sour with the company announcing today that its profits have dropped 89% over the past 12 months. BMW still managed to earn a net annual profit of €330 million but analysts were...
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JMS offers unique look for new VW Scirocco
Love them or hate them, tuners are here to stay, and sometimes they even manage to improve the cars they tackle. Take the new JMS VW Scirocco for example. Though they recognize the difficulty in improving on a dramatically styled new car like the Scirocco, they've managed to make some basic changes...
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BMW announces new hydrogen tech that beats diesels for efficiency
Hydrogen fuel is often derided as an impractical and inefficient solution - and for the most part, the critics are right. But BMW is forging ahead with its hydrogen-burning cars, today announcing a technological development that has raised thermal efficiency to 42% - one percent greater than...
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Audi Starts Delivery Of R8 LMS Race Car
Audi’s motorsport division first announced plans in August last year to launch a 500hp-plus (373kW) version of the V10-powered R8 for use in the 2009 GT3 racing series. The first of these high-performance race cars has now finally been released, with Audi Sport Italia taking delivery on...
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Mansory expands range with Porsche 911 tuning program
Ever since Mansory acquired the former Porsche performance division of Swiss design firm Rinspeed, the Bavarian tuner has been releasing a slew of new models based around Porsche’s various models. Last week’s Geneva Motor Show saw several of the beasts unveiled, including the...
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Merkel reluctant to help Opel, but dealers rallying to buy stake
General Motors, like a lot of other carmakers, is having a tough time lately - some might say tougher than most. Opel, GM's German subsidiary, and Vauxhall, Opel's UK-based doppelganger, are taking it on the chin as well. Today German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the government would be...
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Germany’s Bitter Planning To Expand Lineup With Affordable Roadster
Small-scale German manufacturer Bitter is known for making its own breed of custom cars based on vehicles from the General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] stable. The company made a comeback last year with the release of the Vero saloon, which is based on the Aussie-made Holden Statesman and is sold in...
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Mansory tones it down for Porsche Cayenne ‘955’ performance kit
In the world of high-end car modification, there's extreme, there's insane, and then there's Mansory. But every now and then a tuner has to release something just a little ordinary to prove that it hasn’t completely lost the plot. That’s where Mansory 955 kit for the facelifted Porsche...
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Alfa Romeo Releases Info For MiTo GTA
Alfa Romeo CEO Luca de Meo first confirmed details about the upcoming GTA variant of the ultra-stylish MiTo hatch as far back as June 2008, revealing the car would arrive in the middle of this year packing a brand new 1.75L four-cylinder petrol engine turbocharged to the tune of 240hp (179kW)...
Alex Kaufmann