Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Editor
Articles
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If you asked someone whether they would be willing to help the environment, more often than not they would give you a resounding yes as their answer. Ask them if they would be willing to pay extra... -
Mazda 2 Wins 2008 WCOTY AwardMazda’s diminutive Mazda2 (Demio) hatch has taken out the annual World Car of the Year (WCOTY) awards in New York, beating 38 other cars for the top spot including the Ford Mondeo and Mercedes-Benz C-Class in the top three. The Mazda2 was nominated by 47 World Car jurors from 24 countries and...
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Kia KOUP Concept debuts in New YorkKia has taken the wraps off a new two-door concept at this week’s New York Auto Show that previews the shape and evolution of the carmaker’s future models. Designed by Kia’s America Design Center in California, the Koup concept showcases a new fluid design theme as well as an...
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Peugeot prepping hybrid-diesel racer for 2009 Le MansLe Mans could soon be vying with F1 in the technology stakes with news today that Peugeot is planning to race a hybrid-diesel car in next year’s 24 hour endurance race. The news comes from the carmaker’s new CEO Jean-Philippe Collin who revealed that a prototype hybrid-diesel racing...
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Update: Insurance company sponsors 100MPG X Prize challengeUpdated: The Automotive X Prize challenge has officially started with the announcement today of a title sponsor at the New York Auto Show. Progressive Casualty Insurance will front the $10 million cash prize for the first team to successfully build and race a commercially viable 100mpg vehicle. The...
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Coachbuilt Karvajal Designs ZX-1 C6 CorvetteNewly formed coachbuilder Karvajal Designs has made a big splash with its inaugural custom-designed Corvette presented at the New York Auto Show today. The company plans to offer several hand-built packages for the C6 Corvette including a range topping version equipped with a 560hp supercharged LS2...
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Nissan may have fallen behind its rivals in the race to launch a hybrid car but it won’t be making the same mistake with its new generation of all-electric vehicles. The carmaker today rolled... -
Ferrari suspects McLaren-sourced ECU to blame for Aus woesWith Ferrari-McLaren relations at an all time low, paddock gossip is inevitably doing the rounds that Ferrari is now unhappier than ever about tackling this season and beyond with the new McLaren-developed control electronics. Following the investigation back at Maranello this week into Ferrari's...
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Both young and old wanted off the roadsIt seems that these days your driving skills tend to follow a parabolic curve - for those of you who aren't mathematically inclined it means you have next-to-zero skills when you’re in your teens, gradually get better during mid-life and then the skills fade away as you approach the twilight...
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Virago to unveil new sports car at Top Marques MonacoNiche UK carmaker Virago Cars is prepping a new version of its sports coupe for the upcoming Top Marques auto show in Monaco in the hope that it will attract potential investors and customers. Designed to compete with the likes of Noble and TVR, the new model is estimated to cost about $100,000 and...
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Nissan Denki Cube all-electric conceptNissan may have fallen behind its rivals in the race to launch a hybrid car but it won’t be making the same mistake with its new generation of all-electric vehicles. The carmaker plans to introduce its first all-electric car in 2010 in both Japan and the U.S., and will preview one of its...
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Aston Martin sued by Middle-East distributorAston Martin is being sued for $50 million by one of its own distributors because of an apparent breach of contract. The lawsuit, filed by Middle East Aston Martin (MEAM), claims one of the new owners of the carmaker, Kuwaiti investment group DAR, is planning to refinance its stake in the company...
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Another legendary marque could be sold off to an Indian firm with news coming out today claiming Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is one of a number of firms interested in purchasing Italy’s... -
Male drivers more likely to be distracted behind the wheelA recent survey of 1,350 drivers has found that male drivers are more likely to get distracted while driving than their female counterparts. Respondents were given a list of common distractions and were asked to admit which of the occurrences on the list they were guilty of. The biggest overall...
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50-50 chance Audi V12 TDI R8 will make productionAudi has already shown us two concept versions of its V12-powered R8 oil-burner but whether this means the concept is headed for production is still up in the air. The new 6.0L diesel mill has already appeared in production trim in the upcoming Q7 V12 TDI, which goes on sale in the middle of the...
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Saab and Volvo start hybrid partnershipSwedish carmakers Volvo and Saab have joined forces with local power company Vattenfall, battery technology consortium ETC and a government environment agency to help bring to market a new range of plug-in hybrid vehicles. Volvo has already shown us a plug-in hybrid concept based on its C30...
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Chrysler pegs hopes on dieselCarmakers have a number of solutions for reducing their fleet-average fuel consumption and emissions levels, but for a cash-strapped company like Chrysler the options are limited. Some of the ideas being suggested include launching more fuel-efficient models, introducing compact turbo engines and...
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Mercedes-Benz unveils 2009 B-Class faceliftAfter just three years on the market Mercedes-Benz has revised the design and engineering of the B-Class MPV, giving it a range of more efficient engines as well as a new look. The facelift program focused on improving the car’s green credentials and includes an engine lineup that burns up to...
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As car buyers around the world become savvier, carmakers can no longer afford to build a single car for the entire globe. At the two extremes, a customer in a Western country wouldn’t seek the... -
BMW Z4 successor due next yearThe 2010 BMW Z4 has officially been revealed. Click here for all the details and images. BMW’s next-generation Z4 roadster is due to arrive next year as a 2010 model, and contrary to numerous reports the new model will grow in both size and price. Heavily camouflaged prototypes caught testing...
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Bentley earns record profitMainstream carmakers may be worried about a downturn in the market but the ultra-luxury marques have nothing to fear if current sales levels are anything to go by. Bentley, for example, has posted record sales of 10,014 vehicles for 2007 and this in turn has led to new operating profit record of...
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Mercedes-Benz prepping three new diesels for U.S.In order to boost the image of its diesel range in the U.S. Mercedes-Benz will be adding three new models to its lineup in August, all of which are equipped with the latest in Bluetec-diesel technology. The new vehicles include the ML and GL-Class (pictured) SUVs and the R-Class luxury MPV. All...
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Prodrive improves handling with Active Toe ControlMotorsports company Prodrive is developing a new vehicle dynamics system that actively adjusts toe angle (the symmetric angle that each wheel makes with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle) to improve vehicle handling. Dubbed ‘Active Toe Control,’ it works on the rear axle of front...
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Preview: Audi A5 cabrio arriving in 2009Audi has confirmed production of its A4 cabrio will come to an end later this year and will be replaced early next year by the all-new A5 cabrio. Unlike the previous A4 version, which was built by Karmann, the new A5 drop-top will be built by Audi at its Neckarsulm plant in Germany alongside the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran