Siddarth Raja, Author
Articles
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Chinese car companies are notorious for copying (or stealing) the designs of western carmakers, and these latest images from China’s BYD CAR show that they aren’t afraid to hold back... -
Hennessey's Viper Venom 800RHennessey has taken the already menacing Dodge Viper and turned it into a 585-cubic inch (9.5-liter) monster, just in time for Halloween. You’d expect that this much displacement would deliver a mountain of torque, and thankfully the Venom 800R, as its known, doesn’t disappoint. Claimed...
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Attack of the clones - round 2Another Chinese car manufacturer has been caught out producing almost identical copies of cars made by foreign companies, in this case Toyota with its Scion brand and Italy’s Fiat. The cars seen here are copies of the Scion xA & xB and Fiat Panda that were built by China’s GreatWall...
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Big plans for Toyota's new crossoversToyota will be adding a number of new crossover and SUV models into its lineup to help address the consumer shift away from large truck-based SUVs. In a recent interview with Wards Auto, Toyota’s North American president, Jim Press commented that the “The trend towards crossovers will...
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Peugeot 4007 CrossoverCould this be the face of Peugeot’s new 4007 crossover? Looking at these supposedly official images, it’s clear that the new car features trademark Peugeot design cues lifted from its more recent concepts. Namely, the centred bonnet bulge, which leads to its nose-like logo, as well as...
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Video: BMW 3-series convertibleHere's the first video of BMW's new E93 convertible, launched a couple of days back. Running at just under 10 minutes long, you'll be able to see how the retractable hardtop works and how much space is in the boot/interior when the roof is down. There are also driving shots and shots from all...
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Just days after his thrilling race in the Brazilian GP and subsequent retirement, Schumacher has been given the gift of a private island from the crown prince of Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al... -
Hyundai in F1 by 2010?Korean car maker Hyundai is rumoured to be readying its own Formula One team to start racing by as early as the 2010 F1 season. The launch of the new team would coincide with Korea’s first F1 event, which is also scheduled for 2010, at its new circuit in the country’s south. News...
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GM’s bringing the big boys to SEMAGeneral Motors will be super-sizing its display at this year’s SEMA show with a range of full-size pickups, SUVs, crossovers, celebrity cars and crazy accessories. Major show-stoppers include a one-of-a-kind Chevy Silverado off-road concept designed in conjunction with NASCAR star Dale...
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Chrysler aims to cut $1,000 per vehicleTough competition from its Japanese rivals, namely Toyota, has seen Chrysler assign teams to find ways to increase efficiency and cut costs by $1,000 per vehicle. The plan, code-named “Project Refocus,” was rushed to address Chrysler’s expected $1.5 billion loss for its third...
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Heidfeld and Kubica will drive for BMW in 2007In F1 news, BMW has confirmed Germany's Nick Heidfeld and Poland's Robert Kubica as the team’s race drivers for the 2007 Formula One season. Test driving duty will be relegated to 19-year-old German Sebastian Vettel, who will also be the official reserve driver. Heidfeld's contract was...
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Gas prices drop, SUV & pickup sales go upThe recent decline in gas prices has seen resurgence in the popularity of large pickups and SUV models. Lest than two months ago, prices at the bowsers were hovering around the $3 per gallon mark and the effects were seen almost immediately in the number of trade-ins and slow sales of larger...
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Skoda’s replacement for the Octavia, due for release by the end of the decade, will share a platform with the next generation Volkswagen Golf. These renderings sourced from CocheSpias, depict a... -
Mercedes Benz S600 Guard hits the roadsThe final variation of the new S-class has been announced with news that Mercedes has developed an armoured special-protection model. Labelled the Mercedes S600 Guard, the new car has had its protective elements fully integrated into the vehicle direct from the Sindelfingen plant in Germany...
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GM looks to Daewoo for small car platformsGeneral Motors is desperate for more small cars in its line-up, but instead of looking to Opel, its European arm, the company has decided to base its entire range of small cars on Daewoo platforms. GM should be ashamed for not having a proper small car strategy in place, something that almost every...
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SEAT Displaying Intelligent Leon At Tech ShowSEAT is displaying a prototype vehicle at the Intelligent Transportation Systems show that’s currently running in London. The vehicle, which is based on the SEAT León, will showcase the latest breakthroughs in driver and vehicle interaction. In development for over two years in...
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Video: Car park lift turns one spot into twoHere’s an innovative idea that solves the problem of what to do with two cars and only one garage. American Custom Lifts has created its PhantomPark twin-deck vehicle parking system that can fit two vehicles in the footprint of one. The heavy-duty scissor style lift is capable of lifting two...
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BMW Individual Launches In The USBMW has announced that it is offering its Individual program in the US for the first time. The Individual program was established back in 1991 to designing and creating customised versions of BMW cars for customers who were looking for made-to-measure solutions. Until now, the program was never...
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With the introduction of low sulphur-content rated diesel fuels set for sale in the US from the 15th of this month, we have news that most of the major German car manufacturers are planning an... -
Bosch improves its ESP with Plus and Premium versionsAccording to Bosch, 25 percent of all accidents are caused by skidding and that 60 percent of all fatal injuries occur because of side-impact crashes caused mainly by skidding. In an attempt to prevent situations like this, Bosch has improved its ESP systems, creating two new packages in the...
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Move over hybrids, carmakers focusing on dieselsDespite hybrid technology being regarded as one of the most technological and innovative new trends to sweep the motor industry, in real-world conditions, simple diesel powered vehicles are achieving mileage rates similar to and in some cases better than their hybrid counterparts. Diesel technology...
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Carbon fiber coming to a car near youWe’re seeing more and more production cars now featuring the exotic material, and for good reason. Carbon fiber is five times stronger than steel but weighs significantly less. Further, it has the flexibility to be formed into virtually any shape and the unpainted version has the appeal of...
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US car makers face widening profitability gapEven when the American auto manufacturers manage to sell one of their vehicles, they’re still losing significant amounts of cash. According to a recent study conducted by automotive consultant Harbour Felax Group, American companies are losing money while they’re Japanese rivals are...
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Formula One moves into South Korea from 2010South Korea is pegged to host a new F1 event after a deal was signed today between Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone and the province’s leader, Park Joon-young. The new location of South Jeolla, 240 miles (385km) south of Seoul will host the event starting in 2010 for a period of seven...
Siddarth Raja