Alex Kaufmann, Author
Articles
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After winning at Monza last year, Sebastian Vettel's former school changed its name to honour the young German. Now, the 21-year-old's arrival at his home grand prix at the Nurburgring next month as...
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JE Design cranks the VW Scirocco 2.0 TDI up to 205hp
America's love affair with diesel is just being rekindled, but in Europe, it's already in full swing. But even now diesel isn't typically associated with high-performance. JE Design is hoping to change that perception with its new Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI. To make its case, JE starts with...
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Lorinser preps 500hp Mercedes Benz C-Class for 2009 Tuner Grand Prix
Modified Mercedes Benz vehicles are far from uncommon, and the methods applied are likewise becoming rote: big, flashy wheels, aggressive bodykits and, of course, more power. Lorinser sticks with this tried and true formula and ends up with something not too dissimilar to the original...
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Porsche Design releases new luxury collection for the ultimate Panamera fan
Following the introduction of the updated 911, Boxster and Cayman and Cayenne over the past 24 months, Porsche is now presenting its fourth model line in the form of the new 2010 Panamera. The four-seater Gran Turismo, marrying the comfort of a luxury saloon with the outright performance of a...
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First pre-production Chevrolet Volt prototypes hit the road
You may think you've already seen the 2011 Chevrolet Volt inside and out (online at least) but in truth you've only seen mock-ups. The first real, complete pre-production Volts are currently testing on the streets around GM’s Warren test center in Michigan and these are the first images of...
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Video: Red Bull Racing shows off F1 prototyping, construction techniques
It's not every day that you see a complete, three-dimensional F1 prototype part emerging from a milky polymer soup on its way to the wind tunnel, but today is one of those days. In addition to the prototyping process, a new video released by Red Bull Racing shows off how the testing and...
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As the world's automakers go back to the drawing board on what they need to compete in today's market, both structurally and in terms of product, parts sharing and efficiency are increasingly...
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Early look at BMW’s next-gen EfficientDynamics technology
As automakers seek ways to create more efficient cars without compromising power or driveability, eyes are increasingly turning to new technologies and ideas. One of the leaders in this field is BMW, which has already shown off several innovative ideas such as using electricity generated by exhaust...
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Candidates For 2010 Car Of The Year Awards Announced
Europe’s annual Car of the Year awards is on again and the candidates for the 2010 title have been revealed. As expected, this year’s field includes everything from fuel-efficient minicars to big and brawny luxury saloons and as always some of the choices will be considered quite...
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Porsche commemorates 75th anniversary of the order to build the Volkswagen
The past several months have seen a number of anniversaries, often centennial celebrations, but none have been for a vehicle that's seen 75 years of production. Today marks the 75th anniversary of the order to Porsche to build the iconic people's car. The history of the Volkswagen later known as...
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Report: BMW to introduce upgraded 306hp twin-turbo diesel
Diesel is just beginning to make its comeback in the U.S., and BMW is ready to capitalize on that with a more powerful version of its 3.0L twin-turbo six-cylinder diesel engine. The extra grunt will help to move larger cars around more efficiently. And larger cars are likely to be the first...
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BMW 7-series M-Sport package makes early debut
Up until the end of last year BMW was in the process of developing a brand new performance car positioned above the current 7-series flagship and destined to enter the premium four-door coupe segment. Then the global economic crisis hit and on the back of weak financial results BMW decided not to...
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Even as the rest of the industry - including its parent company, BMW - contracts, Mini USA is getting ready to expand with 17 new dealerships across the country. The new outlets will bring the total...
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Lexus tops J.D. Power Initial Quality study, Porsche and Cadillac close behind
When it comes to luxury-car quality, taste often plays as big a role as fact, but J.D. Power tries to boil the issue down to a simple metric: problems per 100 cars. The resulting ranks are dubbed the Initial Quality Study, and used to guide consumer decisions. As usual, Lexus rates at the very top...
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HS Motorsport joins growing list of Volkswagen Scirocco tuners
The Volkswagen Scirocco is proving to be popular with tuners, with famed German performance shop HS Motorsport also releasing its own hotted-up version of the svelte sports coupe. HS Motorsport is a relative newcomer here at MotorAuthority, but the company has a long history of modifying VWs and...
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Empire Coachworks builds custom Audigier-designed Ed Hardy Mercedes-Benz CL63
The marriage of fashion and automobilia is a natural, if at times awkward, relationship. No mass-market manufacturer knows or exploits this fact better than Mercedes Benz, and now the fashion industry is returning the favor. Designed by Christian Audigier, branded by Ed Hardy and built by Empire...
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Mercedes planning to phase out CLC, replace with new C-Class Coupe
The switch in nomenclature from the CLK to the E-Class Coupe made a bit of a stir when word began to leak last year. And then last month the issue was broken back open when it was revealed that the new E-Class Coupe is actually based on the C-Class platform - much like its CLK predecessor. So what...
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Renault will preview production EV with Frankfurt Motor Show concept
French automaker Renault has been working on its own electric car concepts for the last couple of years, and last year we saw some of the fruits of its labor in the form of the Z.E. electric vehicle and Ondelios hybrid concept vehicles. This year, Renault plans on unveiling three new electric...
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Reports are starting to fly that Ford may be working on a dramatic new segment-starter in the form of a three-door Kuga Coupe. Laying the groundwork for yet another segment of car design might not...
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BMW hands out flyers to employees telling them to buy its cars
BMW may be topping the luxury sales charts here in the U.S. but over in Germany things aren’t so peachy and the automaker is resorting to some drastic actions to help boost its sales. At a number of its German factory parking lots, the automaker has attached more than 7,000 cards requesting...
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Ford releases new high-res Taurus SHO photos, configurator alongside launch event
The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO launch event is currently underway, and driving impressions are still under wraps for a few days yet but Ford has seen fit to let our eyes feast on a new set of high-res photos of the forced-induction family sedan with a mean streak. The AWD, twin-turbo 365hp EcoBoost V6...
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New Ferrari F450 Will Be Packed With Latest F1 tech
The first examples of Ferrari’s latest model, the California convertible, are still arriving in showrooms around the world but already development on several all-new models is well underway. Late last year we saw images of a shortened 599 testing in Germany, suggesting that Ferrari may be...
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Porsche Wins 'Best New Engine Of The Year' Award For 911 Carrera S 3.8-Liter Six
The eleventh International Engine of the Year Awards winners have just been announced and this year it's been a big victory for Porsche, which has taken out the coveted ‘Best New Engine of the Year’ title for its 3.8-liter flat-six engine from the 911 Carrera S. Output of the 3.8-liter...
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Mercedes Benz offers new Special Edition trim for C-Class range
Mercedes Benz is set to expand its C-Class range with the addition of the new Special Edition line, a new range-topping model with exclusive styling and a host of standard equipment. Available in both the Sedan and Estate bodystyles, as well as the complete C-Class engine range, the new Special...
Alex Kaufmann