Alex Kaufmann, Author
Articles
-
According to BMW's 'MINI Space' team of engineers and designers, race cars of the future may be built out of old oil drums, bomb shells and BBQ grills - oh and did we mention goldfish? While it may...
-
Porsche Panamera makes world debut at Shanghai Auto Show
Porsche today unveiled its new Panamera grand tourer at the Shanghai Auto Show, ahead of its official European sales launch scheduled for September. The car will arrive in U.S. showrooms just one month later, although only the V8 variants will be offer initially. These include the naturally...
Alex Kaufmann -
VW returns to Nurburgring with Scirocco GT24 CNG race car
At the Nurburgring 24 hour endurance race on 23 and 24 May, Volkswagen will field two Scirocco race car concepts that have been modified to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). Last year, VW clinched a one-two victory in the 2.0L turbo class even before the Scirocco's market launch with the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Hartge takes the diesel X6 to new highs - and lows
Style is undoubtedly a subjective thing, but sometimes agreement is nearly universal. The Mona Lisa has been revered through the ages, while the bowl-cut hair style is a perpetual laughing stock. Somewhere toward the latter end of the spectrum lie creations like Hartge's latest X6 variant, sporting...
Alex Kaufmann -
Irmscher launches new 7 Turbo based on legendary Lotus design
German outfit Irmscher has just unveiled its latest rival to the Caterham and Ariel Atom set - the new 7 Turbo. The roadster is constructed in the same vein as the Lotus Super Seven, and its focus on lightweight performance means that it should be a formidable track machine, especially in its most...
Alex Kaufmann -
Mercedes Benz releases AMG sports pack for new S-Class and CL Coupe
Having already unveiled its facelifted S-Class Sedan at last week’s New York Auto Show, Mercedes Benz released today new images of the svelte saloon wrapped in the carmaker’s latest AMG styling package. The package includes a number features not available individually and provides a...
Alex Kaufmann -
We've already seen the Mercedes Benz E63 AMG Sedan make its debut at the recent New York Auto Show, as well as the new E-Class Coupe at last month’s Geneva event, but it appears that...
-
Hurtan releases new 1950s-inspired Grand Albaycin roadster
We thought for sure that carmakers like Morgan and Weismann had cornered the retro-convertible market, but it now seems that they may have a strong competitor in the form of Granada’s Hurtan and the company’s handsome Grand Albaycin. The 1950s-inspired Grand Albaycin builds on Hurtan's...
Alex Kaufmann -
WAM releases CL45 upgrade for the Mercedes Benz CL550
German tuning outfit WheelsAndMore (WAM) has just unveiled its latest project, this time taking on the V8-engined Mercedes Benz CL500/550. A number of aesthetic and mechanical modifications have been made to the car, including power upgrades that take the new WAM CL45 closer in muscle to its big...
Alex Kaufmann -
All 49 FIA GT Cars Take To The Track
The 2009 season of the FIA GT Championship got underway with the official media launch and test days, which took place at the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit earlier this week. Cars from the FIA GT Championship, the FIA GT3 European Championship and the GT4 European Cup were entered for the test days...
Alex Kaufmann -
mcchip Audi TTS bumps power to 315hp
No matter how far the carmakers take the horsepower wars - or how much they back down from them - the aftermarket is always prepared to go farther. Too much is never enough for a determined tuner, and the latest example is mcchip's Audi TTS. Rolling off the factory floor with 272hp (203kW) from its...
Alex Kaufmann -
MTM’s new Audi R8 leaves onlookers green with envy
Audi’s R8 already delivers stunning performance in standard guise, coming close to rivalling the cars from Ferrari and Lamborghini, but with a little help from Germany’s Motoren Technik Mayer (MTM) there would be no stopping it. The tuner’s latest program for the R8 is without...
Alex Kaufmann -
BMW will be using next month’s Nurburgring 24 hour endurance challenge to continue testing its GT4-class M3 race car, which will take place over the weekend starting on the 23rd of May. Behind...
-
Mitsubishi puts a Lancer face on the new Outlander GT Prototype
When the Mitsubishi Lancer's new design first appeared, sporting its huge trapezoidal grille area, the reactions were mixed. Now after about a year to grow accustomed to it, it looks at home even on the family-oriented Outlander GT Prototype, revealed today at the New York Auto Show. Aside from the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Volkswagen Golf Mark VI Declared 2009 World Car Of The Year
Not to be outdone by the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards from the Detroit Auto Show, the organizers of the New York Auto Show are heavily promoting their own ‘World’ and ‘Performance’ titles and today revealed the winners for this year’s awards. We...
Alex Kaufmann -
Porsche celebrates 40th anniversary of the 914
It was a quiet day in 1969 when Porsche first had the idea to build a low-cost mid-engined sports car, something that could sit below the famous 911 but still be sporty enough for discerning drivers. It was this simple idea that led to the creation of two cars that helped push Porsche to become the...
Alex Kaufmann -
First photos of Lorinser's take on the new E-Class break cover
Noted for its sleek, stylish and almost stealthy modifications of Mercedes Benz vehicles, Lorinser occupies a special place in the German tuner scene. Apparently that place is very special because Lorinser has developed a tuning program for the 2010 E-Class before the car has even been delivered to...
Alex Kaufmann -
Spy Shots: Updated Ferrari 612 Scaglietti With New V-12 In The Works?
It seems like just yesterday that Ferrari's 612 Scaglietti was launched but it's been almost five 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 it an edgier, more up-to-the-minute look, however, the...
Alex Kaufmann -
German tuning firm MTM has done some remarkable work over the years, taking anything from Ferraris and Porsches or even dropping two engines into an Audi TT. Now, the engineers at MTM have worked...
-
Mosley reveals plans for FIA 'world engine'
Max Mosley has revealed plans for a "world engine" that in 2013 would be capable of powering FIA categories including formula one, world rally and F2. On a visit last weekend to the rally of Portugal he said: "It would work in turbocharged form for F1 and then all the way down to naturally...
Alex Kaufmann -
Ford Capri turns 40
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Ford Capri, a sporty four-seater that was popular with younger buyers across Europe. While the car certainly looked like it had some oomph, initial models were anything but exciting, especially in the engine department. The Ford Capri began life as the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Relux makeover for the Mercedes Benz S-Class leaves mixed results
If you've ever wondered what might happen if you gave a $100,000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class to a group of blind school-children, German tuners Relux may be able to give you a clue as to the result. Perhaps that may be a little harsh, but we're positive the design of this latest tuner S-Class will leave...
Alex Kaufmann -
BMW Unleashes X5 M And X6 M Performance SUVs
We bet there are still thousands of BMW M fans out there reeling from the fact that the performance division is launch its first ever SUV model, and a turbocharged one at that. Those fans better get used to it fast as BMW has just revealed its new X5 M and X6 M SUVs ahead of their New York Auto...
Alex Kaufmann -
Reiter Engineering shows off new GT2-class Lamborghini Gallardo race car
German tuner Reiter Engineering specializes in taking Lamborghini models and making them formidable racing machines. Previously we've seen their work on this road-going Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT model, as well as this Gallardo GT3 Strada. The company has moved on from these two projects, and its...
Alex Kaufmann