James Martinez, Author
Articles
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Acura has made it clear it wants to be a top tier luxury brand but to do this it will need to change its lineup to suit the tastes of wealthy buyers, who more often than not demand RWD cars with... -
Saleen launches ‘SMS Limited’ supercar brandLess than a week away from unveiling a brand new supercar concept, Saleen has announced the formation of ‘SMS Limited’ as its new flagship brand. SMS Limited joins other Saleen nameplates such as Saleen Autosport, Saleen Speedlab and Saleen Inc, and will be used for a new range of...
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Nissan GT-R and Porsche 911 Turbo dyno resultsThere’s something very puzzling about Nissan’s all new GT-R supercar. Its official output figures read 480hp and 588Nm (434lb-ft) of torque and its mass registers at 1,723kg, but it can still outrun the 911 Turbo to 60mph even though the Porsche weighs in at a lower 1,633 and has a...
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Mercedes-Benz reveals facelifted M-Class SUVMercedes-Benz has updated its M-Class SUV for the 2009 model year, redesigning the car’s front end, upgrading the interior and improving mileage across the range. The ML63 AMG also gets an extensive revamp and remains the most powerful SUV in its class two and half years after its launch. The...
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Sydney willing to host F1 night raceSydney has counted itself as still in the hunt to snatch the Australian grand prix from rival city Melbourne. Even though Bernie Ecclestone recently dismissed the famous Australian city's positioning for the event, the F1 boss might be interested in new claims that Sydney would be prepared to...
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SUB G1 three-wheel roadsterThis odd-looking roadster is the new G1 three-wheeler from Southern California’s Sub Vehicles, a small start-up consisting of three individuals with a passion for high speed driving at low cost. The new G1 is the first vehicle to be spawned from the new company but it’s based on an...
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It’s hard to believe that one of the most expensive cars in the world has racked up 220 sales in a little over two years but when you factor in that it’s also the fastest production car... -
Toyota rules out diesel hybridsA number of Europe’s major carmakers used this week’s Geneva Motor Show to unveil new concepts combining the frugalness of a compact diesel engine with the fuel-saving capability of a hybrid electric drivetrain. Some of the concepts, such as Volkswagen’s new TDI Hybrid, return...
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Alfa Romeo considering Mexican plantThe spreading exchange rate differential between the strengthening euro and weakening U.S. dollar means importing European manufactured models to North America is now significantly more expensive than just a few years ago. Established import brands like Volkswagen and Audi are already finding it...
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K.O 7 Spider unveiled at GenevaKen Okuyama Design has introduced two limited production cars at Geneva. The industrial design studio and coachbuilder unveiled the K.O 7, a lightweight two-seater roadster with a 2L, four-cylinder, 240hp engine. While there have been Caterhams and Lotus 7's around for years now, as a package, none...
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French Grand Prix likely to move to Paris for 2009Bernie Ecclestone insists that formula one will not be returning to Magny Cours after this year's race. The F1 chief executive told Germany's SID news agency that he is busily trying to arrange for an event in Paris so that there can be a French grand prix in 2008. "I hope we can put something...
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Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept revealedSaab has finally taken the wraps off its new 9-X BioHybrid concept car ahead of its official reveal later today at the Geneva Motor Show. The new car is a preview of a new entry-level model from Saab that’s likely to go into production early next year as the new 9-1. The concept also...
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Spyker has revealed it hasn’t reached a final agreement with Orange India for the sale of its F1 team despite the gala launch of the new Indian-backed team last month. A number of issues of... -
Honda wants 400,000 hybrid sales per year by 2012Honda wants to reassert itself as a technology leader and a green company by launching several different hybrid models over the next couple of years and setting itself a goal of selling 400,000 hybrids per year in five years’ time. This would be quite an achievement for Honda, which sold just...
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Lotus updates 2008 Europa rangeThe only major new attraction on Lotus stands at this year’s Geneva Motor Show will be an updated Europa lineup, which will go on sale across Europe starting from June. The range now includes a new entry-level model priced from €37,500 and tops out with the Europa SE flagship, which...
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Brabus prepped Mercedes-McLaren SLR RoadsterThe new Audi Q7 Coastline won’t be the only maritime-inspired vehicle at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. German tuner Brabus has followed the boating theme by dressing the Mercedes-McLaren SLR Roadster with a new pearl-white paint job along with an aerodynamics update, engine tuning and...
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2009 Infiniti FX teaser leaksInfiniti’s next-generation FX SUV has been spotted a number of times in testing over the past month but those pre-production models were always obscured by camouflage material covering the headlights and grille. Now, an official teaser image has been released prematurely on several internet...
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Update: Porsche 911 production resumes after explosionUpdated: Porsche has confirmed production of its 911 models will resume at its Zuffenhausen plant on Monday following the explosion in the plant’s paintshop earlier this week. Porsche said the explosion was due to a technical defect and that damage amounting to several hundred thousand euros...
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Italian design house Zagato has developed a unique coachbuilt body for Bentley’s new Continental GT Speed, which it plans to unveil at next week’s Geneva Motor Show. Labeled the 'GTZ',... -
Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK BLUETEC HybridDiesel hybrids seem to be the flavor of the month. Already we’ve seen hybrid oil-burners from Peugeot, BMW and Volkswagen, and now Mercedes-Benz has revealed a hybrid version of its GLK with a BLUETEC diesel engine. Labeled the Vision GLK BLUETEC Hybrid, the new concept features an already...
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Rally-ready Mazda2 ExtremeMazda has unveiled a rally-ready Mazda2 at the 2008 Melbourne Motor Show. Dubbed the Mazda 2 Extreme, the car is the fourth model in the line of 'extreme' cars created by Mazda Motorsport in Australia. While the engine is still under development for the Mazda2 Extreme, the plan is to increase the...
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VW Scirocco, Golf TDI Hybrid and Passat EcoFuel debuting in GenevaOfficial images of the new Scirocco have been leaked, which you can view by clicking here. Volkswagen has a number of new models set to be unveiled at next week’s Geneva Motor Show, namely the production Scirocco hatch (pictured above is the Iroc concept) and Golf TDI Hybrid concept, but it...
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Hyundai's i2 program creates new 'niches'While most car manufacturers are scrambling to get economical hybrids and diesels onto the market, Hyundai has headed in the opposite direction with its new Genesis sedan, a large segment, 4.6L V8 sedan putting out 368hp through the rear wheels. In a market yearning for more fuel efficient...
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Saleen S5S Raptor Concept Headed To New YorkLate last month we reported that Saleen was planning to expand its lineup with a host of new modified muscle cars and possibly a new mid-engined sports car. We can now confirm that a concept version of the mid-engined sports car will be appearing at the upcoming New York Auto Show and that it will...
James Martinez