Ralph Hanson, Author
Articles
-
When General Motors' financial situation turned from serious to bankruptcy-bound, two of the first models to get pushed back or canceled were the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible and the...
-
Report: Audi A1 May Reach U.S.The Audi A1 would be positioned as rival to the top selling MINI range of premium compact cars.
Ralph Hanson -
Report: Growing Support Within GM For Production Cadillac ConverjIf given the green light the Converj wouldn’t appear in showrooms until 2014.
Ralph Hanson -
Tesla Releases Fresh Images Of More Powerful Roadster SportThe new Roadster Sport is finally shown off in actual images, rather than computer renderings.
Ralph Hanson -
Fisker Karma Plug-in Hybrid Makes Public Driving Debut At Laguna SecaThe Pebble Beach Concours was the Karma's coming out party, and the vehicle got to stretch its legs at the legendary Laguna Seca circuit.
Ralph Hanson -
Tesla reaches profitability, quiets naysayersTales of the financial success of a carmaker are rare enough these days, much less tales of an upstart electric vehicle maker. But according to Tesla's latest news, the company has reached profitability against all odds. Fulfilling a promise made back in June, the company's claims of profitability...
Ralph Hanson -
That was quick. Just a month after President Obama signed in the $1 billion ‘cash for clunkers’ bill, and less than a week of it running, the program has already run out of money once and... -
Video: Colin Braun shows Queen Latifah the ropes in the new 2010 Mustang GTIt's not everyday that a hip hop artist and actress like Queen Latifah climbs into the cockpit to hit the track for some high-speed driving lessons, but with Ford's marketing department eager to boost sales of the 2010 Mustang in the face of competition from the very hot 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, the...
Ralph Hanson -
Fiat given approval by Italian government for Bertone acquisitionThe past year has been unkind to coachbuilding and contract manufacturing firms, especially with the wealthy reining in their more extravagant purchases and automakers bringing their production back in-house. Carrozzeria Bertone, the manufacturing arm of the Bertone Group, is feeling the pinch of...
Ralph Hanson -
GM Chairman wants to see models on sale ahead of scheduleIn a market where only about 10 million cars are expected to be sold annually - down from 16 million last year - every tenth of a percent of market share counts. That's why Board of Directors Chairman Ed Whitacre sees a strong need to act quickly to prevent further market share erosion. Despite the...
Ralph Hanson -
Next AMG Black Series coupe will pay more attention to grace than powerFinding a way to make productive use of more than 500hp in a standard two-wheel drive configuration is a tough thing - at least without going to ridiculous tire and wheel sizes. So the next generation of super-performance coupe from Mercedes-Benz's AMG division won't focus on pushing the outer...
Ralph Hanson -
Alfa Romeo could kick off US return with Giulia sedan instead of MiTo hatchAmericans still haven't fully embraced the concept of the hatchback as a useful, practical vehicle for families, and nowhere is this more true than in the luxury segment. BMW and Mercedes-Benz both make premium small cars, but neither sells the hatch versions in the U.S. And so it appears Alfa...
Ralph Hanson -
Picture it: you're halfway into a hot lap of the Nurburgring's Nordschleife, braking hard for the infamous Bergwerk turn when your peripheral vision catches a glimpse of the rear-view mirror and you... -
GM returns to luxury leasingGeneral Motors announced a new leasing program today with enhanced lease deals on select 2009 and 2010 Cadillac and Buick models as well as several GMC and Chevrolet models. The leases, offered by U.S. Bank, are part of a pilot program that includes select GM vehicles sold in New York, New Jersey...
Ralph Hanson -
47% of first 80,000 'cash for clunkers' sales from American brandsFord may be the only American carmaker reporting a rise in sales for July, but Detroit's beleaguered trio didn't fare too badly - almost half of the fuel-efficient upgrades sold in the CARS 'cash for clunkers' bonanza were GM, Ford or Chrysler vehicles, according to the White House. Only little...
Ralph Hanson -
Turnaround reached? Ford announces first sales rise in 19 monthsIt's already August and the industry isn't expecting to see much more than 10 million sales, but Ford today announced it is up 2% overall and 9% in retail versus a year ago thanks in part to the government's CARS (aka 'cash for clunkers') program. Could this turnaround be the beginning of the...
Ralph Hanson -
Former VW powertrain chief builds super-efficient engineIt seems that the current spate of environmental consciousness encircling the globe has spawned a number of entrepreneurs wanting to cash in on the need to go greener - including legitimate operations like Tesla and its electric cars, as well as some more dodgy operations such as the proponents of...
Ralph Hanson -
Chrysler officially extends PT Cruiser's lifespan by another yearOn the back of falling sales and a model run that has lasted more than nine years, Chrysler decided back in January to end production of the PT Cruiser by the middle of this year. In June, we brought you word that the retro-styled wagon would live on for at least another year, and now Chrysler has...
Ralph Hanson -
Legendary Dodge dealer and tuner Mr. Norm has already shown off its 'Super' Challenger and Cuda models earlier this year, but now the firm is back with some new Dodge Challengers and Cuda models on... -
First Porsche Panameras reach U.S. soilWhether you love it or loathe it there's no stopping the Porsche Panamera now, with 31 models already transported to the U.S. via the cargo hold of a 747 jet. The 31 Panamera models will be the cars used for the model’s official North American debut, where the public will be able to see the...
Ralph Hanson -
Last Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roll off the lineGeneral Motors’ announcement back in April that the Pontiac brand would be phased out by the end of the year and Saturn sold off, many of the automaker’s top models were immediately given a death sentence. Some of the cars that will be missed the most include hot items like the Saturn...
Ralph Hanson -
2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: New Lexus Compact for Europe?We've told you about the new Lexus compact car being developed for markets outside the U.S. Now, Autocar magazine reports the new vehicle will have a fall debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show in September. The proposed new Lexus would challenge the likes of the BMW 1-Series and the new Mercedes A-...
Ralph Hanson -
Lincoln downsizing models, possible compact car and small crossover in the worksLincoln will reportedly be taking a new approach to what sort of vehicles it produces, with plans to downsize vehicles in the wake of flailing sales of the Navigator SUV and other large cars. The new approach will see the American brand focusing on cars that will likely be the smallest Lincolns...
Ralph Hanson -
GM gets 5 new board members appointed by U.S., Canadian governmentsGeneral Motors' recent bankruptcy proceedings have seen the company transformed as it leaves behind failing assets, and according to the company these changes have also been reflected through a restructured board of directors. Five new members have been added to the board following the bankruptcy...
Ralph Hanson