Alex Kaufmann, Author
Articles
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Ford President of the Americas Mark Fields has confirmed that there have been no discussions between Ford and Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, despite news reports to the contrary. Ford intends to... -
New Bentley coupe to debut at Geneva Motor ShowWith an introduction of a coupe and convertible due from rival Rolls Royce, Bentley has revealed that it will unveil its own coupe at next year’s Geneva Motor Show. The announcement of the new car, which is said to be based on the Arnage platform, was made to dealers recently according to an...
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The DC designed Rolls Royce coupeAfter the huge response we experienced with the DC Design three-door Cayenne, we thought it’d be a good idea to put up some new images of one of the design company’s previous "masterpieces", a Rolls Royce inspired coupe. Official details are scarce, but we believe the car is based on...
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Three new BMW Z cars over three yearsBMW is set to launch three new Z cars with one for each year starting from 2009. The first model to be released will be the redesigned Z4 coupe that will be positioned more upmarket. Differences to the current car will be the roomier and more luxurious cabin combined with a less controversial body...
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OPEC cutting oil production, gas prices going upDespite the slight drop in fuel prices we’ve been enjoying lately, news that oil cartel OPEC is planning to cut production by up to 1 million barrels a day may put an end to the good times. This time the cuts will be from the official quota level and not just the actual production volumes...
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HUMMER production starting in South Africa after sales boostGeneral Motor’s HUMMER division has been enjoying positive results for 2006 with sales up a substantial 53.5 percent over 2005 for the first nine months of this year. The introduction of the smaller H3 was a major contributor to its performance, which recorded an increase of 158 percent over...
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Remember those semi-official pics of the 2007 Ford Mondeo we managed to get our hands on a week back? Well, Ford has finally decided to release the full set of pictures as well as details on the new... -
Return Of The VW SciroccoAfter bowing out from the auto world back in the early nineties, Volkswagen will reintroduce its Scirocco nameplate for its third iteration due in 2008 according to a VW spokeswoman at the Paris Motor Show. Production of the new car is likely to be handled by the Autoeuropa assembly plant in...
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Honda recalling 270,000 vehicles across Japan and Asia PacificHonda, a company that has a strong reputation for building reliable cars has announced that it will recall roughly 270,000 vehicles mostly sold in Japan, because of electrical problems and issues linked with engine components. The vehicles in question include the Odyssey MPV and Life small car. The...
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Updated: Meet the 2008 Mercury Mariner SUVAimed at buyers looking for a premium small SUV, the 2008 Mercury Mariner offers new levels of standard equipment in a completely redesigned body. Though labelled a 2008 model, the Mariner is scheduled to hit showrooms in early 2007 and should satisfy customers downsizing from larger SUVs. Design...
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Pimp my Rolls: Project Kahn’s customized PhantomWhen owning one of the most expensive vehicles on the planet is simply not enough to differentiate one’s self from the masses, the super-rich can always call on the guys over at A. Kahn Design to come and tweak their limos. The Kahn folks have created a customized Rolls-Royce Phantom that...
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Video: Discovery Channel’s Million Dollar Motors
Once in a while, between all the shows about copulating animals, Discovery Channel features something that really interests us: cars. This doco has everything you could want – shots of expensive cars, the development cycle for a supercar, and more shots of expensive cars. We suggest getting a...
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Kimi Raikkonen will be the replacement for Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher, who is retiring at the end of this season. Twenty-six year old Raikkonen, who currently drives for Mercedes-McLaren, has... -
Spyker MF1 Signs Supply Deal With FerrariAs previously rumored, Spyker has signed a deal with Ferrari that will see Ferrari supply its V-8 engines to the Spyker MF1 Team as well as the required technical assistance to run the engines in all races and tests. Spyker’s CEO Victor Muller said, "to reach agreement with the number one...
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Paris: Dodge Avenger conceptWe managed to catch a glimpse of the Avenger at the Paris show and we’re left fairly impressed with the overall look and dimensions. The car will share the front-wheel drive platform from the Chrysler Sebring and will come in both four and six cylinder flavors. This will include a mid-level...
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Fiat’s new Bravo revealedThe Fiat Bravo small car will be making a resurgence with an all new model due to replace the slow selling Stilo. Design sketches have emerged showing a car that will follow design cues from the stylish Punto hatch. The images were shown to a group of investors yesterday and have since been...
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Sivax Izana concept planned for ParisJapanese design house, Sivax, is planning to debut a new concept car labelled the Izana in the following week at the Paris Motor Show. Back in 2004 the company presented its Xstile concept (pictured below) at the same show and a Kira concept before that. This time round their new car adopts design...
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Dallas police ”bait” car is stolen for real
Yes it’s true. The Dallas police have actually had their “bait” car stolen and they have no idea where it is. The vehicle is used to lure would be car thieves into stealing it, and then normally it’s tracked using surveillance technology. This time round it has disappeared...
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French design company, Technical Studio, has managed to create the TS07 supercar in roughly twenty months - just in time for the Paris Motor Show. The team was led by Gregory Gambara, an automotive... -
Hammond's walking and cracking jokes after crashTelevision presenter and auto journalist Richard Hammond has been visited by his Top Gear colleagues and is said to up and well. Just 30 hours after the violent crash occurred, Hammond was up in bed and asking what had happened. His first line to colleague James May was, “Hello C**k...
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BMW’s planned updates for the 1 and 7-seriesBMW will soon update its still new baby 1-series small hatch. Most of the changes are merely cosmetic but a slight increase in power across the four-cylinder engine range is also expected. Visual changes include revised head and tail lights and more compact bumpers as well. The big news is that the...
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Richard Hammond slowly improvingRichard Hammond has been moved out of intensive care and is now in a stable condition after crashing a jet-powered car while attempting a speed record. Doctors have said that the 36-year old suffered a significant brain injury but expect he will recover fully. Hamster, as he’s affectionately...
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Happy Birthday! Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Turns 10It was exactly ten years ago that the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class made its debut in the showrooms. When it was launched in 1996, the SLK was a new market segment for Mercedes, but they managed to make it a success. Though Mercedes didn't invent the folding hard-top roof, the SLK was the car that...
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Nissan builds 5 mile high-speed test trackNissan has built a 5 mile (8.1km) high-speed test track at Rikubetsu, Ashoro on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. At a cost of close to 3.2 billion yen ($27.52 million), the newest addition to Nissan’s line-up of proving grounds is also its largest. It joins Nissan’s three other...
Alex Kaufmann