James Martinez, Author
Articles
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Motorsport has always been the driving force in automotive innovation, although it has also proven to be paradoxically resistant to new forms of propulsion. By jump-starting a one-make electric... -
Volkswagen shifts Golf into high gear with 7-speed DSGModern automotive technology is getting so advanced, and the timeline for development so short that an item exclusive to the sacred province of the upper echelon of motorsport a few years ago can be found in economical hatchbacks today - quite literally. Volkswagen’s seven-speed Direct Shift...
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Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 GT coming to AmericaThe U.S. is the luckiest nation on earth when it comes to cars. Aside from a few models here and there (the Euro-spec Focus RS being a real sticking point) Americans can buy pretty much every car worth having within their borders. Today America gets a whole lot luckier - Mercedes’ SLR McLaren...
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Toshiba’s high-tech batteries could be EV revolutionThe main problem with modern electric vehicles (EVs) is the range and recharging issue. Tesla’s Roadster, for example, is probably one of the most advanced and developed pure EVs in the world, and it’s still struggling with range and recharging issues even as it nears production. But...
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Nissan and Chrysler considering swapping modelsRenault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has made no secret of his desires to form an alliance with one of America’s major carmakers, and now we have reports claiming Nissan and Chrysler are in preliminary discussions about a possible tie-up. According to a source close to the talks, the two carmakers...
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Nissan wins 14th straight Ward’s 10-Best Engines awardThey’ve done it again. Nissan’s familiar VQ series engine has been included in the latest ‘10 Best Engines’ list by Ward’s, making it the 14th straight year a VQ series engine has earned that distinction. This also makes it the only engine to be included in the list...
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America’s Factory Five Racing has created a do-it-yourself kit car, which owners can build with the powerplant of their choice.
The GTM is a ready-to-drive, V-8 powered, mid-engined supercar...
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Topless Bugatti Veyron already sold outIt appears there will be a new Bugatti model gracing the stands of car shows around the world from next year onwards, a new Targa or Spider version with a removable roof. Only 80 models are expected to be produced and according to latest reports the entire production run is already sold out...
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Former top UK traffic cop banned from drivingIf the irony of being a traffic cop caught speeding isn’t enough for you, Meredydd Hughes has the cure. His hypocritical behavior has landed him a 42-day ban from driving and a £350 fine, not to mention the scorn of nearly every pro- and anti-speeding activist in Britain. The Chief Constable...
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Proposed Specs For Hennessey’s Venom GT SupercarMore details are starting to emerge surrounding Hennessey’s upcoming supercar including this latest image of the car’s rear. We already now that its powertrain will be based on the 1,000hp (745kW) twin-turbo 8.5L V10 unit from Hennessey’s Dodge Viper Venom, but according to the...
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Mercedes and BMW deal expected by year endMercedes-Benz and BMW are expected to make an announcement before the end of the year about a new partnership in regards to the development of four-cylinder engines for the next-generation B-Class (codenamed C412) and Mini. The information comes from an inside source, who revealed to Automotive...
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GM opens new design studio in IndiaAs more and more car makers are beginning to realize, India is one of the biggest emerging markets for automobiles. Vijay Mallya’s Force India Formula 1 team is getting ready to start its first season in the world’s premier motorsport series. Porsche is considering moving some of its...
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The Nardo track is a high-speed circuit where cars from around the world come to test their top-speed capabilities. It even plays host to a tuner showdown each year. AC Schnitzer’s GP3.10... -
Bugatti driving school for Veyron ownersIn a move that we’d like to see common to all supercar makers - if only to avoid having to see scenes like these - Bugatti is now offering a driving course for all Veyron owners. The school is held on the Anneau du Rhin track located near Colmar, which hugs France’s border with...
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Tesla Motors names new CEOTesla Motors gets a new CEO from December 3 onwards in the form of Silicon Valley pioneer Ze’ev Drori. Back in August Tesla founder and current CEO Martin Eberhard stepped down from the top job in order to concentrate more on technology and development. Drori started a semiconductor chip...
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Nissan X-Trail scores four stars in Euro NCAP crash testSUVs have traditionally fared poorly in safety tests but a majority of the new-generation compact soft-roaders have scored at least four stars in the Euro NCAP tests, with a few, like the Volkswagen Tiguan and Land Rover Freelander/LR2, even getting the coveted five star rating. In its latest round...
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HWA to enter F1 with Mercedes-Benz?German racing car company HWA is reportedly likely to enter formula one in 2009. The news magazine Focus reports that the outfit, which since 2000 has built Mercedes-Benz’s cars for the DTM series, could become involved in the current McLaren-Mercedes collaboration. It was reported in June...
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China's Guangzhou And Torino Design Unveil A-HEV Hybrid ConceptChina's Guangzhou Auto took the wraps off a new hybrid concept at the Guangzhou Auto Show today, showcasing the carmaker's hybrid and drive-by-wire technology. Guangzhou Auto is a Chinese joint-venture partner for Honda and Toyota and, for the latest concept vehicle, they called upon Italy's Torino...
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We’ve all heard the hype: China’s car industry is taking off and soon the market will be flooded with cheap - if somewhat homely - people movers. It turns out the hype is just hype. The...
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Mercedes C-class to get Universal Media InterfaceMercedes-Benz will be equipping European and U.S. delivered C-class models early next year with its Universal Media Interface (UMI), designed for connecting mobile entertainment and communication devices such as a cell phone or MP3 music player. Inside the glovebox of cars equipped with the UMI are...
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BMW exec hits back at London MayorMotorists in the UK are already faced with some of the highest fuel prices and road taxes in the world and things are only set to get worse with people like London Mayor Ken Livingstone (pictured) in power. Proposals that the heavily criticised Mayor has in place include raising London’s...
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Fiat 500 designer to handle all Fiat designExecs at Fiat have been so impressed with the cute and cheeky design of the 500 that they have promoted its designer, Roberto Giolito, to the head of design at Fiat Automobiles. During his time at the Fiat advanced design studio, Giolito created the Trepiuno concept that was unveiled back in 2004...
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Updated: Maybach 62 Landaulet StudyMaybach’s newest model has been revealed ahead of its world debut at the upcoming Dubai Motor Show in a couple of week’s time. The car is a new semi-convertible version of the 62 saloon that officials will be calling a concept, but a limited production run of just 20 examples is all but...
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Arden launches updated AJ20 Jaguar XKRFollowing on from its brilliant take on the XK, German tuning-house Arden has taken Jaguar’s more capable XKR and created a machine even more impressive than the last. Using the same supercharged engine Arden had specially developed for the XK, the new XKR pushes out a healthy 480hp from its...
James Martinez