Alex Kaufmann, Author
Articles
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All our American readers look away because pictured here is a new high-performance variant of the Volkswagen Scirocco coupe, a car that has officially been ruled out for U.S. sale. VW first hinted at... -
Porsche and VW merger back on the tableLike the Ouroboros, Porsche and Volkswagen have been considering an arrangement that would have heavily indebted Porsche Automobil-owned Volkswagen purchasing Porsche AG. A tentative solution was reached earlier this month that would have seen Porsche and VW combine to put 10 brands under a single...
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Video: Volkswagen shows off GLORIA advanced infotainment systemCars playing music and movies with touch-based interfaces isn't news - but doing it the way Volkswagen is with its new Global Open Infotainment Architecture System (GLORIA) is definitely something different. It's being developed by VW's Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL), and it features some...
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Daimler Acquires 10 Percent Stake In Tesla To Spur Electric Car DevelopmentElectric vehicles are popularly perceived as the front-runner of the alternate fuel competition, but successfully developing EVs has proven to be a difficult and expensive task. To help share the burden and the expertise necessary to get an electric car to market, Daimler AG, parent company of...
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GM ties with Saab will remain in future modelsThe future of Saab is starting to look much brighter, thanks in part to important concessions from General Motors to help it build and design its own range of cars in the future, as well as a likely extension from Swedish courts for its restructuring deadline. For a while it looked as though Saab...
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Geiger Corvette Z06 biTURBO: 890-HP, 7.6-Liter MonsterThe overall capability of the modern Corvette platform is simply amazing. Available in stock trim from tame to insane, the car adapts easily to modification, generating impressive performance. The team at Geiger have proven exactly that with their latest creation, the Corvette Z06 biTURBO. Starting...
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German tuner Hamann usually specializes in tuning exotic sports cars but occasionally the firm lends its expertise to more sedate segments in the car world. Now, Hamann has announced a tuning package... -
Flying cash stops traffic in GermanyIn a new case of a driver having more dollars than sense, or in this instance more Euros, a 23-year old man in Germany managed to shutdown a highway when an envelope full of cash he was carrying sprayed all over the road. The man was out testing an Audi A3 Cabrio and carelessly left the envelope of...
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Audi enlists popular 70s/80s icons for new motorsport theme songFast cars and rock and roll - it's a classic combination that never gets old. So Audi's decision to tap into some of the 1970s and 1980s top musical talent for its new motorsport theme song is no surprise, though the result is certainly interesting. Leslie Mandoki (pictured), one of Germany's most...
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Wimmer custom Porsche GT2 puts down 680hpWith the tight tolerances, high-quality materials and top-level engineering that goes into today's cars, there's often a surprising amount of potential left inside their engines. It appears the Porsche GT2 is no exception, with the tuners at Wimmer Rennsporttechnik Solingen finding another 150hp...
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MG prepping new lower-cost TF 135 for UKChronicling MG's path through the last decade is tough enough, and delving further back borders on the arcane, but under SAIC's ownership, the line of British-built roadsters has been brought back to life, starting with the currently-available TF LE-500, and soon to be joined by an updated version...
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Electric Volkswagen up! minicar coming in 2013Volkswagen's upcoming up! minicar project is destined to go electric but the first examples won’t be around until 2013. Currently, the up! is being developed with conventional petrol and diesel options and will be sold under various guises through the VW, Seat and Skoda brands by 2011. The...
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While the horsepower wars may or may not be over, the efficiency wars are just shifting into high gear, with every carmaker on the planet searching for ways to get more power for less fuel.... -
Opel Releases Full Details For All-New AstraAfter months of previews, teasers and small official photos, the 2010 Opel (Vauxhall) Astra has finally been let out of the bag. The hatch has been revealed in high-res photos and a few key details, though full official information is still waiting in the wings. The new Astra is crucial for Opel as...
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Official: Ferrari threatens to pull out of 2010 F1 seasonAs predicted as the budget cap row escalates, Ferrari’s Board of Directors, chaired by Luca di Montezemolo, has confirmed that the Italian company won’t be competing in Formula 1 next year. The announcement comes following the FIA’s decision to introduce two different sets of...
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First Mercedes Benz E-Class Coupe delivered to customer in GermanyThe new Mercedes Benz E-Class Coupe may be a month away from its U.S. release but the first of the stylish two-doors was delivered to a customer in Germany today. The ceremony, conducted at Mercedes' E-Class plant in Bremen, saw Siegfried Möller taking the keys of his new car, an E500 Coupe...
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Toyota and Red Bull threaten F1 exit over 2010 rule changesRed Bull has followed Toyota in declaring that it will not enter next year's world championship under the current regulations. Toyota's team president John Howett made the threat this weekend in Barcelona, as other teams including Ferrari and BMW also openly baulk at the governance of the sport by...
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Lorinser dresses up the Mercedes Benz GLKSome people change clothes twice a day to stay fresh and sharp-looking. Those that can afford it change cars almost as often. It's that sort of world that Lorinser's GLK is designed to step into - one where appearance takes precedence over performance. And the 2010 Mercedes Benz GLK is one of the...
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Last month we saw some concept sketches for a retro-designed gullwing coupe based on the original Mercedes Benz SL300 Gullwing from the 1950s.
The car we’re talking about is the disturbingly... -
Avus Performance takes on the Mercedes C63 AMG, pushes power to 585hpAfter a very unfortunate naming/translation incident with their Audi RS6 'White Power', Avus Performance have followed up with two more strong contenders for the tuning market's elusive 'most tasteful' award. Proving they have what it takes to build on - but not screw up - high-performance German...
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Audi adds new features to help drivers save fuelWhile BMW has gone to great lengths to promote its range of EfficientDynamics fuel-saving features, rivals Audi and Mercedes Benz are only starting to make inroads with their own respective technologies. Audi has announced plans today to step up its game in the field with several new technologies...
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Report: Audi A3 hybrid coming in 2012Hybrid versions of all sorts of cars - even sports cars like the Nissan 370Z - are in the works or on their way, and now Audi is adding to the list with reports of an A3 hybrid confirmed for production. The hybrid hatch is expected to use an Audi-adapted version of Volkswagen's TwinDrive hybrid...
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Second crash on Sorcerer's Apprentice set injures 9There's a reason stunt drivers are at the wheel of the supercars in those high-speed chase scenes, and it's not just that the actors can't be trusted behind the wheel. It turns out weaving in and out of traffic, even when in a controlled environment, can be dangerous. A wreck of a Ferrari into a...
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German cars tops in latest ADAC Breakdown StatisticsReliability is the main concern for most car buyers, and for obvious reason - for such a large investment, the car better start up and take you where you need to go. And while all brands have their issues, it turns out German cars fared best this time around, mirroring last year's results. The...
Alex Kaufmann