James Martinez, Author
Articles
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Last month we reported about Lamborghini celebrating the sale of its 3,000th Murcielago, a pale Telesto grey Murcielago LP640 that went to an individual in Florida. Just one month after taking... -
Luxury cars ditching V8 enginesEnvironmental concerns on both sides of the Atlantic have got carmakers worried about fuel efficiency and emissions. In Europe, governments are set on introducing strict carbon-emission limits for new cars, while in the U.S. regulators want to see marked improvements in fuel-economy levels. The...
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Volkswagen Phaeton may return to U.S.The Phaeton limo may have been a major flop for Volkswagen but officials are keen to the launch of a successor. The car was priced similarly to BMWs and Audis but it wore a humble VW badge, and there was nothing particularly exciting or innovative about the car either. It had mundane styling, poor...
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Indian group confirms Aguri takeover talksThe Indian telco Spice Group has confirmed that it is interested in buying into the struggling formula one team Super Aguri. The Mohali-based company is reportedly leading a consortium of fellow Indian corporates, possibly including the business group Tata as a potential sponsor, who are keen to...
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Toyota and Honda top Consumer Reports’ brand perception studyInfluential magazine Consumer Reports has come out with its annual list of the top rated car brands and once again Japanese makes have dominated the field. First and second places were taken up by Toyota and Honda but this year’s result also saw U.S. automakers improve their standings, with...
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EPA seeks end to horsepower arms raceAmerica’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the latest organization to speak up against the current horsepower war raging between carmakers. The group wants an end to the development of high horsepower models because of the negative impact they have on the environment. Instead they...
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The personalized number plate ‘F1’ has been sold for a whopping $740,000 in the U.K. to the man behind one of our favorite tuners, A. Kahn Design. New owner Afzal Kahn is said to be... -
Mercedes-Benz to introduce entry-level SL280With the introduction of the facelifted SL convertible Mercedes-Benz will be launching a new entry-level model powered by a 231hp six-cylinder engine. The facelifted SL range will now kick off with the new SL280 variant and top out with the V12-powered SL600. Other models include the SL350 and...
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Tata to develop electric vehicle for ChryslerChrysler could be adding another foreign carmaker to its growing list of global partners if reports coming out of India prove to be true. The reports claim Indian carmaker Tata has signed a deal with Chrysler to develop an electric version of its current Ace, a mini truck sold exclusively in India...
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Lotus Exige Sprint celebrates 40 years of productionLotus has used one of its models from the early 1970s as inspiration for a special edition version of its current Exige, designed to commemorate the start of Lotus production at Hethel back in 1967. The Exige Sprint honors the colour scheme of the legendary Elan Sprint, which entered production in...
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Redesigned Acura TSX and TL arriving next yearAcura may be having troubling with the design of its NSX flagship but the launch of its next-generation TSX (Accord Euro) is still on track for a mid-2009 introduction. The model will adopt styling similar to that previewed by the Honda Tourer concept unveiled at last year’s Frankfurt Motor...
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Borgward Starts Testing New PrototypeGerman car manufacturer Borgward, which went bankrupt back in 1961, is set to make a revival according to latest reports from Dutch media. Leading the company’s return is Christian Borgward, the grandson of Carl Borgward who was the original founder. Borgward, with the help of several...
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If you can’t find a stock Lamborghini that fits you and you’d rather not put one under the tuner’s knife, what are you to do? Lamborghini has just what you’re looking for:... -
Saleen’s $100K limited edition S302E Ford MustangIt’s hard to imagine Steve Saleen’s performance shop has been around for 25 years, but the company today is celebrating the milestone with the launch of the SA-25 Sterling Edition Ford Mustang. The car is based on the uprated S302 Extreme edition pony car, which means it’s packing...
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Daimler wants more compact carsMercedes-Benz has made no secret of its desire to develop a new platform for its future A and B-Class models, and has even gone so far as at arrange formal talks with both Fiat and BMW over a possible deal to share development. It’s now been revealed that Mercedes’ Smart brand also...
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U.S. to get Holden Ute but misses out on sports wagonMore rumors suggesting Americans will soon be seeing the Australian-built Holden VE Ute Stateside have flared up again, with GM insiders claiming the utility will be sold as the new Pontiac G8 ST sometime later this year or early next year. Unfortunately, these same insiders claim plans for a G8...
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Official: BMW M3 CabrioUpdated: Thanks to the premature leak of M3 Convertible images earlier this week BMW was forced to released full details of the svelte muscle car even though it’s not due to make its debut until Geneva’s Motor Show in March. This is the third and latest body version of the new M3 after...
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Another record year of sales for BentleyIt’s never been easier to get behind the wheel of a new Bentley, well, at least if sales numbers are anything to go by. Last year Bentley’s worldwide sales reached 10,014 vehicles, a new record for the ultra-luxury manufacturer from Crewe, and this year is expected to be even better...
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Just a week before the NAIAS show in Detroit, Cadillac is at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), an international technology trade show, with its high-tech Provoq concept. Another iteration of... -
Pollution charge in Milan - the start of a new trend?Last year London Mayor Ken Livingstone announced an increase in London’s daily congestion fee for vehicles entering the UK’s capital city. Along with the fee hike came a new fee of £25 (US$50) per day - this time aimed at high CO2-emitting vehicles including trucks, buses, SUVs, luxury...
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Will Chevy purify the SS badge, bring back glory days?Chevrolet’s ‘SS’ moniker stands for Super Sport, and once upon a time Chevrolet really meant it. Legendary SS cars include the first-ever SS car, the 1961 Impala SS, the bulging and muscular Camaro SS, the Chevelle SS and even the Monte Carlo SS. But it wasn’t long before...
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GM exceeds 1m sales in China this yearDespite the recovery plans for GM still in full swing in the United States, the company has managed to have some success in overseas markets. China, in particular, has been an important market where GM exceeded 1m sales for 2007, becoming the first global manufacturer to do so. Just five years ago...
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Spyker’s new cars to get American power?Dutch supercar company Spyker has had quite a year. After buying a F1 team and joining the backmarkers on the grid, it ran into financial trouble and was forced to refinance the company. The Spyker F1 team was sold to an Indian businessman and Spyker admitted it was unable to build production...
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Best and worst selling vehicles of 2007MSNBC has released a list of the best and worst selling cars of 2007. There weren’t many surprises with the Ford F-Series topping the list once again, and the Camry making an appearance at third. The bottom of the list was dominated by luxury cars such as the Porsche Boxster, Jaguar S-Type...
James Martinez