Alex Kaufmann, Author
Articles
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In line with Chrysler’s global strategy turnaround plan officials have decided to close the carmaker’s Pacifica Advance Product Design Center located outside of San Diego in California.... -
Only 11% of new car buyers willing to pay extra for green vehiclesOne of the biggest challenges carmakers face in selling eco- friendly vehicles is convincing customers to pay a premium for the privilege of knowing that they’re doing their part to help the environment. One of the key problems is that the majority of new car buyers aren’t willing to...
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Ford Model T turns 100The car that put the world on wheels, the Ford Model T, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and to mark the occasion Ford is planning a year-long series of events to honor the iconic vehicle. Celebrations will commence at this weekend’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and...
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Self-cleaning paint likely to enter productionAnyone who’s ever washed or waxed their car only to find bird droppings on it moments later will be pleased to know that exterior coating specialists Nanovere has unveiled a new paint technology that can not only clean itself but is also scratch resistant. The new paint is a clear surface...
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No VW Scirocco For U.S. Due To Weak DollarVolkswagen has consistently dismissed rumors the new Scirocco would be sold in North America and now the carmaker’s sales and marketing chief has confirmed the bad news. Despite the high level of interest in the car, VW has decided against selling the Scirocco in the world’s biggest car...
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Ford Fiesta 5-door debuts in GenevaFollowing the reveal of the three-door Fiesta hatch last month, Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] has introduced the new five-door version of the car at the Geneva Motor Show today. Both variants share the same dimensions and will arrive in showrooms in Western Europe in the second half of the year. The...
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Just as Mini did with its Challenge racing series, Fiat will be launching a new competition for its 500 minicar called the 5Hundred Cup. The new series is being sponsored by Speedway Communications... -
Mitsubishi reveals future plans, working on all-electric modelsA few days ago, Mitsubishi Motors released a mid-term business plan entitled "Step up 2010", which gave an outline of the carmaker's intended direction from 2008 to 2010. The plan includes details on several new models that Mitsubishi is interested in developing, with a focus on creating 'global...
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Morgan AeroMax Coupe Enters ProductionJust two years after its debut at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show as a custom model built to order for one of Morgan’s discerning customers, the AeroMax coupe has entered limited production and will be on display at this year's Geneva event. Such was the interest surrounding the original design...
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Another General Lee Charger up for saleAnother General Lee Charger, one of 23 surviving cars produced for the television series The Dukes of Hazzard, is about to go under the hammer on March 10 at the Melbourne Motor Show. The car is being sold through Shannons auctions and is expected to fetch between $220,000 and $260,000. Between...
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Gumpert Prepping Two Apollo Supercars For GenevaThe Gumpert Apollo has remained relatively unchanged since its launch back in 2005, but considering only 31 cars have been produced since then we can understand why. Despite the lack of updates the car will once again be on display at the Geneva Motor Show, with officials planning to show off two...
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Mazda trials vehicle-to-vehicle safety systemMazda will commence public road trials of its ASV-4 advanced safety vehicle in Hiroshima next month as part of the Japanese government’s efforts to promote technologies aimed at reducing the number of traffic accidents. Mazda’s latest system uses a vehicle-to-vehicle communications...
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BMW is about to debut a new diesel-hybrid version of the X5 SUV at next month’s Geneva Motor Show and previously it unveiled a hybrid version of its new X6 crossover, but both of these vehicles... -
Pontiac planning G8 GXP with Corvette LS3 V8?Down in Australia where the Pontiac G8 is manufactured, GM offers a high-performance version of the car tuned by Holden’s HSV performance arm complete with a LS2 V8 engine and a generous 411hp. The U.S., meanwhile, is only scheduled to get milder V6 and V8 models with the most powerful...
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Electric future for off-road vehiclesSerious off-road vehicles from the likes of Jeep and Land Rover aren’t the first vehicles that spring to mind when one thinks of cutting edge powertrain technology but if recent concepts are anything to go by the future of off-roading will be full of advanced electric-hybrids. At last...
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Kicherer tuned Mercedes ML 420 CDI - quicker than a Porsche Cayenne SGerman tuner Kicherer has turned its mad scientists onto Mercedes’ ML 420 CDI, increasing the SUV's horsepower and torque as well as altering the interior and exterior of the oil-burner. While the standard vehicle was no slouch in terms of output, the latest ICE tuning kit pumps up horsepower...
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Jaguar unveils 2009 'Portfolio Edition' XKR and XJJaguar has unveiled the latest 2009 Portfolio versions of its XKR and XJ models ahead of the planned debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. The new Portfolio cars are essentially more exclusive versions of the regular models and have been adorned with minor styling changes both inside and...
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VW Analyses Phaeton Failure, Reveals New Details About Next-Gen ModelBy all accounts, the Phaeton limo has been a major flop for Volkswagen and nowhere has it performed more badly than in the U.S. where the decision to drop the car came just two years after its launch. Since going on sale back in 2003, VW America managed to find a home for just 3,354 cars in total...
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Ford has finally taken the covers off its long awaited Falcon sedan, the first all-new version of the popular family hauler since 1998. This is the car that competes with Holden’s VE Commodore... -
Obama promises to help Detroit 3, encourages hybridsDuring a speech at GM’s oldest running production plant, U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama made it clear that he will help the Detroit 3 and the economy in general. This is in contrast to his previous criticisms towards the domestic carmakers, especially in regards to low-mileage SUVs...
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Champ Car and IRL set to mergeAmerica’s Champ Car and Indy Racing League are in the final stages of merging into a single series, with only the settlement of some conflicting race dates keeping the deal from being finalized. The conflicts surround calendar events at Long Beach, Edmonton, Alberta and Surfer's Paradise in...
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GM posts record $38.7 billion loss for 2007GM’s financial results for 2007 have finally been revealed and as predicted its net loss for the period amounted to a whopping $38.7 billion, a new record for the General. Of course, most of this figure is the result of a tax write down undertaken in the second half of last year but GM's...
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Video: Audi’s sporty TT-SThe Audi TT shook up the sports car scene when it was first released nearly a decade ago. Since then both the front and all-wheel drive versions have won numerous fans across the globe, prompting Audi to expand the lineup with even more potent models. The latest model to join the TT family is the...
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F1 to axe Australia for Russian GPBernie Ecclestone is determined to scratch Australia from the F1 calendar so as to make room for a Russian grand prix in the near future, according to reports. After Melbourne GP chiefs ruled out bowing to the F1 chief executive's demands for a night race beyond 2010, the British tabloid Daily...
Alex Kaufmann