James Martinez, Author
Articles
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It’s been a busy week for the Nice (No Internal Combustion Engine) car company at this week’s London Motor Show, with a handful of electric vehicles in every shape, size and form making... -
Chevrolet Camaro SS sets 8m 20s Nurburging lap timeWord from GM’s chief engineer for global rear-wheel-drive vehicles, Doug Houlihan, is that the V8-powered Camaro SS has run a Nurburging lap time of 8m 20s, putting it up against the likes of the E36 BMW M3 and the 993 Porsche 911 GT3 in terms of performance. However, the lap time is almost a...
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BMW 6-series CLR600 by Lumma DesignFollowing the release of its M5 derived CLR500 RS and its more recent styling kit for the BMW M6, German tuner Lumma Design has announced the addition of the CLR600 kit designed specifically for the standard 6-series range. Having already designed a kit for the M6, Lumma was able to easily modify...
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GM & EPRI join forces to develop electric infrastructureGeneral Motors' roll-out of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid is set to have a large impact on the United States power industry. In a bid to anticipate this impact, General Motors will likely team up with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) - an institute that conducts research for several...
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Nice Reveals Giugiaro-Designed MyCar Electric MinicarThe Nice (No Internal Combustion Engine) electric car company has taken the wraps of the third electric car it plans to debut at this week’s London Motor Show. Already we’ve seen the scissor-door sports car concept and the Ze-O MPV, and now we have an all-electric minicar designed for...
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Hamilton secures win at German GPLewis Hamilton has secured his second consecutive win and established a four-point lead in the drivers' championship at today’s German GP in Hockenheim. After dominating from the early stages but losing the lead near the end of the race after two safety car interventions, Hamilton proved his...
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General Motors today announced further steps to adapt to the changing conditions of the U.S. market, which has been affected of late by a weak economy, record high fuel prices, shifts in consumer... -
Volvo could be sold to Chery AutoDespite constant denials from Ford that its Volvo subsidiary is not up for sale comes new reports that China’s Chery Auto is considering bidding for the carmaker. Chery now joins a handful of other firms, including Renault, Shanghai Auto and Dongfeng Motors, as parties rumored to be bidding...
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Toyota voted world’s most respected companyTroubling economic times have hit many companies - especially carmakers - hard, tarnishing brand image and decreasing confidence in their fitness for the future. Toyota seems to have escaped untouched, however, with a recent survey naming it the most respected company in the world. A comprehensive...
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Lumma releases teaser for new CLR X 650 BMW X6Germany’s Lumma Design has released a preliminary sketch of its upcoming performance pack for BMW’s new X6 SUV, with the debut of the first production version set to coincide with the Paris Motor Show in October. Dubbed the CLR X 650, the changes to the X6 will be led by an extreme...
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Volvo looking to add more diesel and compact carsAs Volvo attempts to cope with tough new emissions regulations and its dire financial position, the carmaker’s chairman has revealed some of the strategies to help end the slump. Volvo has confirmed that it will cut up to 2,000 jobs worldwide and reduce production numbers, but that is just...
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GM 'Family Zero' engines to enter production in 2010Earlier this month GM revealed production plans for a new family of compact four-cylinder engines to be manufactured in the U.S. and power a new generation of small and medium sized cars. The engine lineup will displace between 1.0 and 1.4L and will be manufactured at a plant in Flint, Michigan...
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Bugatti's Veyron is the stuff of legend with over 1,001hp (746kW) and a stint as the world's fastest production car. It has since been dethroned by SSC's Ultimate Aero TT, but as a luxury supercar,... -
GM to shed further 18,657 workers through buyoutsUpdate: GM has confirmed that an additional 18,657 employees will be cut from its workforce through the use of buyouts and retirement incentives, and about half of these will be from its Michigan facilities. While GM isn’t expected to replace all of the workers who leave, some openings will...
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More powerful Scirocco and efficient BlueMotion version in the worksVolkswagen’s new Scirocco coupe was recently launched in Lisbon with a range of powertrain options but the company is already looking to expand the number of variants available to those that want to either save on fuel bills or get more power under the hood. Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn...
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Video: Leno picks up his 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8Comedian Jay Leno took delivery of a brand new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 earlier this month and the car has now starred in the latest episode of his Garage series. The latest clip shows Leno picking up his new car, the fourth SRT8 to enter production and the first to be delivered to a private...
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Ford holds meeting with UAW, plans more job cutsFord held talks with more than 300 plant managers and UAW officials in Detroit on Friday to discuss the future of manufacturing in North America and the shift from trucks and SUVs to cars. Other topics included the need for targeted buyouts of Ford’s manufacturing workforce and the...
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2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 UpdateThe Chevrolet Corvette was given a major overhaul for the 2008 model year, receiving a more powerful LS3 V8 engine, a new exhaust system and improved gearboxes, but for the car’s latest update engineers have kept the changes to a minimum. There will only be a few trim and content updates...
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Updated with new images.
Audi has confirmed production of its A4 cabrio will come to an end later this year and will be replaced early next year by the all-new A5 Cabrio. Unlike the previous A4... -
BMW presents next-generation hydrogen storage tankBMW’s research division, Forschung und Technik, has developed a next-generation hydrogen fuel storage system for cars and in the process has allowed the carmaker to edge closer to the volume production of hydrogen powered vehicles. Teaming up with partners, including Air Liquide, Daimler AG...
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Update: Hyundai announces pricing for Genesis SedanUpdated: Hyundai announced on Monday that it had already signed 700 customers onto its Genesis Sedan sales rolls before the car even arrived in the U.S., and now the company has disclosed the price those 700 customers - and everyone else - will be paying. Starting at $33,000 for the V6 version and...
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Next-gen Ford Mondeo rumored to adopt coupe stylingMercedes-Benz started the four-door coupe trend when it launched the original CLS back in 2004 and since then we’ve seen the introduction of the new Volkswagen CC plus prototypes of the upcoming Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide coupe-sedans. Ford, too, is rumored to have joined the...
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Kia Pro_ceed enters Nurburgring 24 endurance raceThere’s been no shortage of carmakers interested in competing in this weekend’s 24 hour Nurburgring endurance challenge. Already we’ve seen the likes of Lexus, Audi, Opel and Volkswagen enter race-prepped versions of their regular production models, as well as future models in the...
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Spy Shots: BMW V3 3-series based crossoverBMW is currently developing two new models based on its 3 and 5-series that are designed to take the carmaker into the burgeoning crossover market. The new vehicles will be loosely based on the current Touring wagons but will adopt a taller ride-height and high roof design to maximize interior...
James Martinez