Alex Kaufmann, Author
Articles
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The month of August has seen healthy sales for Germany’s three major luxury marques, with BMW managing to take top spot as the world's largest premium carmaker for the month. BMW’s sales... -
Revealed: Renault’s new Laguna Coupe ConceptThe new Laguna is a crucial model for Renault, so much so that CEO Carlos Ghosn has admitted the carmaker is staking its reputation on the launch of the new sedan next month. Not surprisingly Renault plans to launch several variants of the car including a new two-door model due to arrive on the...
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Revealed: 2008 Mazda6The new Mazda6 has been revealed in all its glory ahead of its unveiling at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The new model, once again available in sedan, five-door hatch and wagon bodystyles, brings a new sense of style and design that we predict will lure away customers of more expensive...
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FIA says 'new evidence' in spy sagaThe espionage saga involving McLaren and Ferrari took a fresh turn on Wednesday. F1's governing body revealed in a statement that it has received "new evidence" and had therefore decided to convene another hearing of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris. The meeting will happen on September 13...
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Seat Tribu Concept set for FrankfurtSeat will unveil a new SUV concept vehicle at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show said to signal a new design theme for the Spanish carmaker. Called the Tribu, the new concept car only features two doors but is still expected to enter production by 2009. It will be joining the Altea Freetrack as...
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Europe wants F1 to kick tobacco habitThe European Commission has vowed to redouble its efforts to stub-out formula one's persistent last links to tobacco. The EC's health commissioner Markos Kyprianou will specifically target Ferrari, the last team on the grid still accepting sponsorship from a cigarette brand (Marlboro), and the...
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GM will be debuting a new direct-injection petrol engine in the 2008 Cadillac CTS but according to a new report the power-boosting technology could carry over into more models within the next couple... -
Mallya admits 'Team India' desired nameF1's newest team owner has refused to reveal the new name for his team. But Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya, to be the 50 per cent owner of formula one's Silverstone based team that is currently called Spyker, admitted that he would like the word 'India' to feature in the new identity for 2008...
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Mercedes close to absorbing Maybach?At a time when Rolls-Royce and Bentley are both making record sales, Stuttgart's luxury-limo brand Maybach seems to be sharing in none of the glory. According to executives at Mercedes-Benz it doesn't cost much to keep Maybach on the market, but its a very different story when you head down the...
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Saab developing new compact carSaab’s currently ailing product line can look forward to a revamp, according to the carmaker’s US general manager Steve Shannon. The exec also confirmed that a new compact model is at the top of Saab’s wishlist, along with a new crossover and redesign of the aging 9-5. Careful to...
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Fiat’s eco-friendly Panda Aria conceptFiat will be displaying its Panda Aria concept at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show, a new vehicle highlighting green technologies the carmaker plans to unroll in its future production cars. The Panda Aria emits just 69g of CO2 per km and runs a 80hp (60kW) turbocharged 0.9L twin-cylinder...
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Toyota not rushing lithium-ion tech, focusing on plug-insToyota admits lithium ion battery technology is still too hazardous to use in its production cars despite GM announcing earlier this year that it expects to have a plug-in hybrid vehicle with lithium batteries by the end of the decade. The Japanese giant doesn’t want to rush out products with...
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The sale of the Dutch formula one team Spyker has been agreed and will be officially confirmed shortly. The buyer is Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, who in recent days joined with the Michiel and... -
Preview: 2010 BMW MinicarThere have been numerous reports pertaining to the possibility of BMW building a new model positioned below the 1-series hatch that’ll share its underpinnings with the current Mini. Not only would the car be the first FWD BMW, it would also be cheapest as it’s rumored to cost less than...
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Video: BMW E92 M3 ReviewThe E92 M2 isn’t even officially on sale yet in most markets but already we have a pretty extensive video review of the super-coupe, the particular test car finished in glistening white. Head over to our friends at AutoJunk to watch the clip, and look out for an in-depth review of the car on...
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Audi looks to electronic driver trainers to save fuelAt its recent TechDay 2007 seminar in Germany, Audi talked up a new system under development that’ll analyze driver behavior and give fuel saving driving tips to help curb fuel consumption. Some of the initiatives include plans for a satnav system that records “consumption-relevant...
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Audi's RS6 will get <i>more</i> than 571hpWe recently reported that leaked vehicle chassis codes for the new Audi RS6 specced the output from its twin-turbo V10 engine at 571hp (426kW). Recent information from a source at Audi, however, has put this figure in doubt. The reliable source claims that the 571hp will only be the specified...
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Jaguar launches the 2009 XF saloonOne of the most talked about new cars of the year, Jaguar’s replacement for the aging S-Type has just been revealed ahead of its debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The all-new XF is a crucial model for Jaguar and is the first expression of its new design language in a four-door sedan...
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As car manufacturers around the world strive to reduce costs, a new plan that would see rival labels sharing more parts is quickly gaining favor. Purchasing chiefs of several major carmakers have... -
More details on the Jaguar and Land Rover saleAs Ford’s sale of the Jaguar and Land Rover labels ensues, more details surrounding the sale have emerged. Ford exec Lewis Booth has denied claims that an announcement of the sale is to be made at Frankfurt and instead hints that this year’s end or early 2008 is a more likely date for...
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DCX in deal with Ford to win back Daimler nameThe Daimler name is actually owned by a small UK carmaker owned by Ford Premier Auto Group’s Jaguar, which sells re-badged Jaguar XJ saloons as the Super Eight. Jaguar attained the rights to the company in 1960 when it bought the UK subsidiary established by Germany’s Gottfried Daimler...
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Ford considers more exports for South AmericaFord is considering increasing the number of North American-built vehicles it sells in South America as demand in the continent experiences record gains. Though no plans have been finalized, Ford’s president of its South American division Dominic DiMarco says there are a number of options...
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Volvo presents ultra-efficient C30 hatch and Powershift dual-clutch gearboxJoining its new focus on biofuel and hybrid technology, Volvo will be introducing a series of new fuel-saving and emissions reducing technologies in several of its models for the 2008 model year. The first of these will debut in the Volvo C30 Efficiency that will make an appearance at next...
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Rumormill: Lamborghini building a new Murcielago based supercar?Rumours have recently surfaced suggesting Lamborghini is releasing an exclusive new model worth 1 million euros (US$1.6 million). Details are sketchy, but it is believed that only 20 cars will be built, of which only 10 are possibly heading to the US. Last week a 25% scale model of the car was...
Alex Kaufmann