Siddarth Raja, Author
Articles
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The Dodge Challenger isn’t officially set to go on sale until after its world debut at the Chicago Auto Show next February but if your keen to get your hands on one before then and are willing...
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Hamilton nears $110m five-year McLaren deal
Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of signing a $110 million deal to stay on at the McLaren team until the end of 2012. The German newspaper Bild claims the contract, representing a mammoth pay-rise over his debut salary, is worth $17m every year plus - oddly for a McLaren contract - the ability for...
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Vauxhall revives Corsa SRi, Opel gets GSi
After a two year hiatus, the Opel Corsa SRi has returned to showrooms sporting a new 148hp 1.6L turbo petrol engine or a 123hp 1.7L CDTi diesel. The petrol unit is based on that found in the Corsa VXR, and gives the SRi the ability to sprint from 0-60mph in just 7.6 seconds and on to a top speed of...
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Mazda2 three-door in the works
Mazda will release a three-door version of its new Mazda2 compact in the second half of next year as well as a possible hotted up MPS (Mazdaspeed) version further down the track. The news comes from Mazda’s European boss James M. Muir, who revealed that Mazda wants to expand its sales in the...
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Preview: 2011 Mercedes-Benz B-Class
The current B-Class has enjoyed reasonable success in most of the markets it has been launched in, selling over 120,000 units in its first year alone, but the next-gen model due in 2011 is expected to sell in even higher volumes and will be sold in the U.S. for the first time. To increase sales...
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Hyundai exec gives details on new RWD coupe
Most of the information on Hyundai’s new RWD coupe is based merely on speculation and a few spy shots, as any official details are incredibly hard to come by. We know that it will be based on a shortened version of the carmaker’s new RWD platform that will debut in the upcoming Genesis...
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Ford is planning to offer HD Digital Radio across most of its lineup and will even retrofit it on many earlier models dating back to 2005. The dealer-installed HD radio option is now available on...
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Modern day Duesenberg gets delayed
A production version of the Duesenberg Torpedo Coupe pictured in this concept drawing was promised to be on the market by August of this year but, as the guys at Hemmings have spotted, the release date has now been pushed back to mid 2008. The modern day version of the American luxury classic is...
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Acura exec details future lineup
Apart from Lexus, Japanese luxury brands still pale in comparison to their German rivals in terms of the number of models they produce. As demand for premium cars continue skywards, execs at both Infiniti and Acura are keen to see product lines expanded. One Infiniti exec revealed his company was...
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Preview: 2010 BMW X3
The current BMW X3 will have to soldier on for a few more years until the arrival of an all-new model at the end of the decade. Spy shots of a suspicious 3-series wagon with a much taller ride-height than the standard model are believed to be of the prototype for the new X3. The images only...
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More BMW M3 variants arriving soon, dual-clutch gearbox in tow
Update: The dual-clutch gearbox is now official. Read about it here. BMW will use the launch of its upcoming M3 Sedan to introduce its first dual-clutch gearbox. The company is expected to show the sedan and touring versions at an upcoming American motor show, which leaves Los Angeles and Detroit...
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First 3 Dodge Challengers to be auctioned for charity
Fans of the Dodge Challenger who hope to be among the first in the world to park the retro-styled muscle car on their driveway better be willing to pay a premium because the first three cars are destined to be auctioned for charity. The cars will all be 2008 model Dodge Challenger SRT8 versions...
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It didn’t take long for all five ‘Pur Sang’ versions of the Bugatti Veyron to sell out. Just 24 hours after the car was first revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the...
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McLaren's $100m penalty: the fallout begins
The fallout has begun after the FIA on Thursday penalised McLaren for its involvement in the espionage scandal. The Independent called the $100m fine "Draconian, and clearly designed to grab world headlines". Many English-language websites, including the FIA's, crashed as unprecedented millions of...
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SSC Ultimate Aero TT breaks top speed world record
America’s Shelby Supercars (SSC) is now officially the manufacturer of the ‘World’s Fastest Production Car’ thanks to its Ultimate Aero Twin Turbo supercar. The 1183hp (882kW) speedster set a new top speed record with an average Vmax of 255.83mph (411.76km/h), 3.11mph...
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Fiat to partner with Tata in Jaguar & Land Rover bid?
Update 2: A Fiat official has now confirmed they will be working with Tata to provide "technical support" to their bid. Jaguar owned by the Indians and Italians. Who'd have thought? Update: Fiat has released a statement denying any involvement in buying Jaguar and/or Land Rover. However, this is...
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Daihatsu Presents OFC-1 Concept
Daihatsu has previewed a future open-top sports car with the unveiling of the OFC-1 Concept at this week’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Not only does the new OFC-1 Concept share a striking resemblance with the original Copen mini-roadster, the two cars also feature a similar powerplant under their...
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Revealed: BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe Concept
BMW has finally taken the wraps off its long-awaited X6 crossover, a new model described by Chief designer Chris Bangle as a coupe with off-road capabilities. Though BMW is calling its new show car a concept, an almost identical version of the car will hit the market early next year. The car...
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It appears Chinese companies are just as happy to clone tire designs as they are cars, with Continental the latest manufacturer to suffer lost sales due to fake Chinese imports. However, unlike BMW...
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Side-impact airbags mandated on all U.S. cars by 2013
Passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. from 2013 will be required to have side-impact protection as standard under new regulations introduced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The new laws are expected to save hundreds of lives every year by reducing the severity of the impact on...
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Video: BMW M3 "Helix" commercial
BMW’s latest commercial for the M3 shows the new coupe darting around a racetrack. A DNA helix shows little clips of the BMW Sauber F1 machine within the spiral, and the advertisment is designed to signify the use of racetrack technology in the M3. The car can only be heard for a short part...
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More details on Audi’s hybrid Q7 SUV
The new electronic driver trainer was not the only fuel-saving technology talked up at Audi’s TechDay 2007 seminar in Germany last week. Officials also gave details about what to expect for a new hybrid version of the carmaker’s Q7 SUV. Though still in concept form, the technology...
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Toyota F1 eyes Alonso
Toyota has admitted harboring at least a superficial interest in F1's reigning double world champion Fernando Alonso. With the Spaniard plainly unhappy at McLaren in 2007, his former boss and mentor Flavio Briatore this week explained that "everybody" in pitlane would be interested in making a bid...
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G-Power packs the M3 CSL with an M5 V10
German tuner G-Power has created a monster M3 CSL with a tweaked version of the M5 V10 under the hood. Ditching the venerable inline six in favor of the potent 5.0L V10, engineers then proceeded to modify the engine to an even higher state of tune. The V10 now produces a supercar-like 550hp (410kW)...
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