Alex Kaufmann, Author
Articles
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Though the excitement over the 2009 Detroit Auto Show is just starting to settle - its public days still remain in the future - already carmakers are gearing up for and releasing the cars that will... -
Spy shots: 2011 Ford C-Max test-muleThe current Ford C-Max was first launched in Europe back in 2003 and was treated with a mild facelift last year as part of its mid-cycle upgrade. New test-mules of the C-Max spotted in Germany suggest that Ford is already conducting public road-tests of the next-generation model due sometime in...
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GM will build Volt battery factory in the U.S. with LG ChemDespite the movement towards electric and hybrid propulsion by many manufacturers over the last few years, none of them actually manufacture the most important component of the vehicles – the batteries. That’s about to change as GM builds its own factory in Michigan to produce battery...
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Ford drops plans for new RWD sedansThe Blue Oval has been vocal about its plans to develop a new generation of RWD sedans for both its Ford and Lincoln brands, but with demand for big and powerful sedans on the decline management have revised those original plans. In light of rising fuel costs and toughening fuel economy standards...
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RORMaxx working on wind-powered Formula AE sports carTwo car enthusiasts located in Beverly Hills, California, are working on a sports car prototype that emits zero emissions and draws its energy from the wind. The car is the RORMaxx Formula AE and the first prototype could be rolling as early as this August. The duo behind the car are Rory Handel...
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Lexus rolls-out HS 250h dedicated-hybridLexus today announced an all-new dedicated hybrid model for its lineup in the form of the HS 250h. The HS fits between the current IS and ES models and is designed to make luxury hybrids more affordable. According to the company almost 60% of entry level luxury car buyers would consider a hybrid...
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Though most of the world associates green with environmentally-friendly technologies, Mercedes Benz and a few others use the color blue to denote their ecologically advanced vehicles and drivetrains.... -
Volkswagen rolls out Touareg Lux Limited and V6 TDI SUVs at Detroit Auto ShowDiesels are quickly joining hybrids and plug-in electrics as the new show-car theme. The reasons are simple: efficiency, both in terms of fuel and finance, is driving carmakers and consumers to give diesel-fueled vehicles another chance. In keeping with this, Volkswagen is once again showcasing its...
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Spy shots: Test-mule for next-generation BMW 3-SeriesThe current E90 BMW 3-Series has only been on the market since 2005 but details about the next-gen model are already circulating with most agreeing that the new version will feature styling lifted from the Concept CS. Due in late 2011 as a 2012 model, the next BMW 3-Series will be the first of a...
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Mercedes-Benz hit with second-largest fuel efficiency fine ever by NHTSAMercedes-Benz has been fined $28.9 million for failure to meet federal fuel efficiency standards by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this week. The amount is the second-largest in the history of agency. Part of the U.S. CAFE standards, enforced by the NHTSA includes a...
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Porsche 911-based W3 Triposto extreme customCustom Porsche 911s are almost as common as the cars themselves, but the W3 Triposto is not likely to be lumped in with the crowd. With a center-seated driving position, speedster profile and outlandish design, the Triposto is anything but common. Built in 2005 by Clyde and Hugh Kwok, a father-son...
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Porsche determined to acquire 75% stake in VWEarlier this week we saw Porsche finally acquire a majority stake in the Volkswagen Group, with its direct ownership in the German giant moving up to 50.76%. While Porsche is no rush to increase its holding, the sports carmaker has confirmed that it is still planning to raise its holding to 75%. A...
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With such an opulent base as a Rolls Royce to begin with, many modification houses - even Rolls Royce's own Bespoke program - end up with creations so extravagant they are nearly obscene. Project... -
New Details On Audi S1 Sports HatchNext year will the launch of a new compact hatch in the form of the Audi A1, which is expected to arrive on the market as a 2011 model. The car won’t be an affordable city car in the same vein as the Toyota iQ and the production version of the Volkswagen up! concept, but rather a premium...
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Pininfarina exits contract building, focusing solely on electric vehiclesThis year has been a hard one for a lot of people, companies and industries. It has been an especially tough one for Pininfarina, losing its CEO, Andrea Pininfarina, to a traffic accident in August. Today news is breaking that the company has decided to end its stint as Italy's last contract...
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Mercedes' SL65 AMG Black Series takes its first dyno runsBuyers of the 2010 Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series coupe will be happy to know they are getting what they paid for, as Automobile has proved with its hands-on dynamometer testing of the car. Generating 573hp and 682lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels, the car's big V12 will still have its work cut...
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Hartge BMW Z4 M with M5 V10 engine for saleShoehorning big engines into little roadsters is a classic operation - take the Breckland Beira V8 and Irmscher GT40 for a pair of recent examples - but the tuners at Hartge have accomplished what may be one of the most impressively OEM-looking engine swaps of recent times. The combination of BMW...
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Lotec updating Sirius supercar for 2009The Lotec Sirius was a German supercar launched earlier in the decade by former Group C2 championship race winner Kurt Lotterschmid. It was powered by a twin-turbocharged Mercedes Benz 6.0L V12 and was offered in several performance levels, ranging from about 850hp (635kW) up to 1,200hp (895kW) in...
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German racing and engineering firm Reiter Engineering has unveiled a road-going variant of its Lamborghini Gallardo racing car called the GT3 Strada. Reiter Engineering is the factory-backed entry...
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BMW prices the new 7-series, raises prices across the boardThe all-new BMW 7-series just made its official debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, and today BMW announced pricing for the 750i and 750Li models, which start at $81,125 and $85,025 respectively. That represents an increase of $3,500 on the 750i and $4,300 for the 750Li, or about 5%...
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Report: Insider reveals trouble brewing at FerrariAn anonymous inside source has contradicted claims that Ferrari is holding up fine during the global financial crisis, claiming that things are not as rosy as the Maranello automaker would have us believe. According to the source, mainline production of the four-seater Ferrari 612 Scaglietti has...
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DStyle aerokit for the BMW Z4 Coupe and RoadsterWith BMW’s new 2010 Z4 just around the corner, this latest kit for the current-generation E85 Coupe and Roadster from Germany’s DStyle may be one of the last of its kind for this particular model. The kit is the new Z4CS (Coupe version) and Z4RS (Roadster version) and it contains a...
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Pagani Zonda F Meets Untimely DemiseThe death of a supercar is never a pretty sight, because they tend to go out as they lived: spectacularly. This Pagani Zonda F coupe is no exception, its tangled body a mess of shattered carbon fiber and melted rubber. Leaving the roadway backwards at what appears to be a high rate of speed, the...
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1,300hp 9ff DraXster based on the Porsche 911Porsche tuning specialists 9ff has unveiled its latest supercar, this time a modified Porsche seemingly focused on drag racing. Featuring a 4.0L twin-turbo flat six engine, the new 9ff puts out around 1,300hp (970kW) while torque spikes at 877lb-ft (1,190Nm). All that horsepower is contained in a...
Alex Kaufmann