Siddarth Raja, Author
Articles
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After failed co-development talks with Fiat, it seems now that negotiations with BMW as well have come to an end for Mercedes-Benz. Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche has reportedly suggested that it would... -
Volvo’s future safety techVolvo has long been recognized as one of the leaders in automotive safety technology, and this is a reputation its likely to keep thanks to a raft of new technologies the carmaker will be rolling out in coming years. Collision warning with automatic braking for pedestrians, collision avoidance by...
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Chevrolet Lumina SS wins ‘Best Sports Saloon’ for 2007A leading UAE-based magazine, CAR Middle East, has named the Chevrolet Lumina SS as the ‘Best Sports Saloon’ for 2007 as part of its annual ‘Car of the Year’ awards. This is the same car that will be arriving in the U.S. as the Pontiac G8 GT, so it’s good to see the...
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Luca De Meo steps in as CEO of Alfa RomeoFollowing this week’s resignation of 42-year old Antonio Baravalle, 40-year old Luca De Meo has been appointed as the new CEO of Alfa Romeo. De Meo will also maintain his current position as the chief marketing officer of Fiat Group, which he started back in September. As CEO of Alfa Romeo...
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G-Power Hurricane BMW M5With Audi’s RS6 pumping out 580hp thanks to its force-fed V10 engine, BMW is tipped to be testing a prototype of its M5 saloon with a pair of blowers attached, possibly for a midlife upgrade, to match its rival. Several tuning companies, however, have already proven that a supercharged M...
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Mercedes-Benz in possible talks with Aston MartinNow that all negotiations between Mercedes-Benz and Fiat are off, there’s rumors the premium carmaker is in talks with the owners of Aston Martin. Although previous talks surrounded the possibility of platform sharing and the co-development of new powertrains, these latest talks are said to...
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But isn’t Nissan’s supercar-killer already rated at 480hp? Well, yes and no. It’s rated at 480PS, or metric horsepower, which translates to 473hp - as we reported shortly after the... -
Production Dodge Challenger SRT8 teasersThe drip-fed details for Dodge’s upcoming Challenger continues with the release today of five new teaser images of the high-performance SRT8 model. Chrysler already revealed pricing for the flagship model, which starts at $37,995, and then information on the car’s options list leaked...
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Audi Q5 expected to sell 24-40K units per yearThe Cross Cabriolet concept (pictured), Audi’s automotive Frankenstein’s monster, is believed to be essentially a Q5 in show-car dress. The upcoming small crossover is expected to join the A4 and Q7 as a volume leader for the company. Add a roof and more sedate colors, and the Q5 will...
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2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 pricing starts at $37,995The flagship model of the remade Dodge Challenger, the new high-performance SRT8, will be priced from $37,995 when it goes on pre-order from December 3 onwards. The first batch of cars will be a limited edition run, each with a numbered dash plaque, and will be available in black, silver or HEMI...
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Opel Vectra replacement to be called InsigniaOpel will debut its new mid-size sedan at next year’s British Motor Show in July, a car which drops the familiar Vectra nameplate in favor of the new Insignia title. Prototypes of the car have been spotted recently by spy photographers, revealing its basic shape, but this official teaser...
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Bertone Seeks Bankruptcy ProtectionBertone has been in financial doldrums ever since a deal between it and Fiat to build several new Lancia models went sour back in April. The Italian coachbuilder is yet to secure any major projects since then and is relying on government handouts to pay its staff but this is expected to dry up...
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Officials at Fiat and Daimler have been in negotiations since the middle of the year over a possible deal to co-develop several new models for their respective Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz brands.... -
Mercedes-Benz C-class estate by CarlssonBefore even going on sales, Mercedes’ new C-class estate has come in for a series of modifications from Germany’s Carlsson including a range of power upgrades and a more luxurious interior. The exterior also gets a makeover with new aerodynamic parts and alloy wheels. For diesel fans...
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VW to employ Porsche tech to save weightAs Porsche ramps up for a takeover of Volkswagen Group, engineers at both companies are analyzing and discussing new areas of cooperation between the two firms with most of the focus centered on the use of new super-light technology. Porsche developing the technology for its upcoming Panamera and...
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Revealed: Mazda2 (Demio) sedanMazda brought a new level of style and dynamism to the compact car segment when it launch the new Mazda2 (Demio) back in March. It showed the world that econo hatches didn't have to be boxy and boring and with the right engineering (the new Mazda2 is smaller and lighter than its predecessor but...
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Video: BMW Powered Ascari A10 SupercarAscari's hand-built A10 supercar is just as quick as the million dollar Bugatti Veyron in the sprint to 62 mph, requiring only 2.8 seconds to reach the mark and an additional 3.2 seconds to pass the ton. Jeremy Clarkson found out just how brutal the car is in this latest video review...
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Nissan GT-R super-coupe to get ‘Super Mechanics’The all new GT-R is like no other car Nissan dealers across Europe and the U.S. have ever sold before so it’s little wonder scores of maintenance workers and sales staff around the globe are being specially trained in readiness for the car’s official launch. The highly-strung twin-turbo...
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Mercury may be on its last legs but that doesn’t mean Ford has given up on its pseudo luxury brand. Officials today announced the launch of a new line of trim for Mercury called the... -
Chrysler’s SRT division won’t be feeling the pinchAfter having recently reported the cost cutting to take place at Chrysler we are relieved to bring word the exciting SRT (Street and Racing Technology) performance division will be hardly affected. Last week Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli announced plans to cull four models and cut up to 10,000 jobs but...
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GM and Carnegie Mellon win DARPA driverless challengeIf you’re unfamiliar with the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Urban Challenge, it’s basically a competition between vehicles that drive themselves in a mock urban environment. This year’s event, which lasted more than six hours, took place at California’s...
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Edo Competition’s 750HP Ferrari 599 GTBGermany’s Edo Competition is an expert when it comes to modifying ultra-rare exotics so who better than to tune one of Ferrari’s fastest cars ever produced, the 599 GTB Fiorano. Squeezing more power from a highly strung engine like a Ferrari V12, where peak power levels are developed at...
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2009 Toyota Matrix unveiled at SEMAMore reveals from the SEMA showroom floor today, this time from Toyota. The second-generation Matrix evolves the five-door crossover utility vehicle concept that the first Matrix helped to pioneer. Toyota says more coupe-like styling and better performance are the focus of the new model. A variety...
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Hyundai prepping RWD Genesis Coupe for L.A. auto showHyundai has finally dropped some official info on its future RWD coupe and has released a preview of the new model in the form of this concept teaser sketch. The final production version is expected to debut late next year as a 2009 model but a near-production concept version will be unveiled at...
Siddarth Raja