Ralph Hanson, Author
Articles
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Rumors, reports and even the odd video of its slick dual-clutch AWD gearbox grenading itself into oblivion have plagued the Nissan GT-R since shortly after its release into the wild. A short while... -
Branew modified 370Z to debut at 2009 Tokyo Auto SalonJapanese tuning house Branew has revealed some early shots of its customized 2009 Nissan 370Z - two weeks before the car is due to be unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon. The images reveal the new 370Z with handsome aerodynamic modifications and adorned in Branew's familiar satin white coloring...
Ralph Hanson -
First 2010 Ford Mustang, Shelby GT500, and Chevrolet Camaro to be sold at Barret-Jackson auctionNext year's Barret-Jackson vehicle auction promises to be a stunning event, with news coming in that the first 2010 Ford Mustang and the first 2010 Shelby GT500 will both be auctioned off at the event. As if that wasn't enough, the auction will also include bidding for the first 2010 Chevrolet...
Ralph Hanson -
ings reveals N-Spec kit for Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XSpecialist Japanese tuning company and racing house ings has unveiled a new aero kit for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. The new kit consists of a race-inspired front bumper, new front canards, brake ducts and intercooler shrouds, as well as a large rear wing, known as the Z-Power Wing. The new...
Ralph Hanson -
Original 1965 Turin Salon Lamborghini Miura chassis foundOriginally shown at the 1965 Turin Salon, the Lamborghini Miura show car chassis has been in storage since 1978 on the island nation of Cyprus in the Mediterranean. Uncovered just a month ago sitting in the collection of Marios Kritikos, Cyprus' original Lamborghini dealer, the car has been...
Ralph Hanson -
Buick to shun large sedans in favor of midsize segmentThe upcoming Buick LaCrosse, sitting on GM's global mid-sized car architecture, represents a new direction for the brand according to the vice-president of Buick-Pontiac-GMC, Susan Docherty. Docherty claims that falling demand for full-sized cars means that GM will not be abandoning large cars...
Ralph Hanson -
The board of directors at General Motors has been actively involved in steering the company through regular board meetings and weekly conference calls, but the situations surrounding the bridge loans... -
Visteon and Immersion working on touch-based controls for carsAs more and more electronic devices become integrated into our cars, we need new ways to control them effectively and safely while driving - or at least that's what Visteon and Immersion are thinking. The two have teamed up to share their expertise in developing touch-based, or haptic, controls for...
Ralph Hanson -
Audi expands U.S. A4 range with FWD and manual modelsAudi is expanding its 2009 A4 lineup with two new models, one featuring front-wheel drive and one featuring a six-speed manual transmission. The front-wheel-drive model, known as the 2009 Audi A4 2.0T FrontTrak, will be using the carmaker’s award-winning 2.0L TFSI engine mated to a...
Ralph Hanson -
Imola Racing builds widebody Ferrari 612 ScagliettiAs their name suggests, the tuners at Imola Racing specialize in Ferrari modification, and their latest creation demonstrates their art in a particularly dramatic manner. Building on the base of the already excellent Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, Imola adds a widebody kit and a range of performance...
Ralph Hanson -
Ford to close 10 plants in JanuaryAs Chrysler teeters on the brink of total shutdown, and rumors of a merger with General Motors fly about, Ford is adhering closely to its plan to 'rightsize' its operations, chopping production at 10 plants in North America. The closures, which start January 5, will only last a week as part of the...
Ralph Hanson -
Vizualtech renderings of Dodge Challenger GT racerVizualtech, a Swedish design firm that specializes in constructing virtual 3D models of cars and boats, has just released this set of nine images on its blog, depicting a Dodge Challenger decked out in GT racing livery and aerodynamic modifications. Side-mounted exhaust pipes, a chunky rear...
Ralph Hanson -
General Motors has implemented new direct injection technology into the four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines found in the Chevrolet Equinox range, helping the General's 2010 model overtake Ford's... -
IIHS small car crash tests reveal improved safety across the boardWe've all heard the argument for why someone drives that big SUV instead of a fuel-sipping mini-car on their epic two-hour commute: crash safety. And while there's a good bit of sense to that point, at least from the SUV driver's perspective, small cars are improving their safety marks according to...
Ralph Hanson -
China’s BYD first to market with mass-produced plug-in hybridChinese manufacturer BYD is planning to have plug-in hybrid vehicles on sale in the U.S. within two years, with similar ambitions for the European market. The company took a step closer to reaching those goals by launching the world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid vehicle in China this...
Ralph Hanson -
NHTSA report reveals excessive speed responsible for only 5% of crashesWe've all heard the phrase 'speed kills', and it's been widely applied to situations both apt and not. A recent study conducted by the NHTSA examining over 5,400 crashes across a nearly three-year period presents some evidence that excessive speed, while it may cause more serious injuries, is not a...
Ralph Hanson -
Ford confirms Fiesta for U.S. in early 2010The Big Three Detroit carmakers are struggling right now, but their plans for the future are still bright, or at least optimistic - perhaps all the more so thanks to the focusing nature of the current crisis. As part of the Blue Oval's future, the Fiesta small car will finally be making its way...
Ralph Hanson -
GM speeds up powertrain development with new simulation softwareIn a bid to reduce development costs and bring vehicles to dealerships sooner, General Motors is using simulation software to develop software control systems for all of its future powertrains. This method of development allows GM to emulate control systems before being stuck with expensive...
Ralph Hanson -
January's Detroit Auto Show will be playing host to the 13th annual International Car and Truck of the Year awards, and the final nominees for each of the categories have been announced. Competing... -
Self-lowering speed bumps to benefit slow driversA pair of engineers have come up with an innovative way to reduce carbon emissions and encourage drivers to slow down - all by simply reworking the humble speed bump and updating it for the 21st century. Jae-yun Kim and Jong-Su Lee have developed a new speed bump that can vary its height according...
Ralph Hanson -
GM's Project Driveway fuel cell program rolls past 500,000 miles next weekWith all that's going on in Washington lately, the slow economy and a general apathy or even hostility toward the automotive industry, it's nice to see a technological bright spot on the horizon. While it's not a ground-breaking or earth-shattering development, General Motors' fuel cell test fleet...
Ralph Hanson -
GM studying plug-in hybrid recharging infrastructureGeneral Motors and Spanish energy company Iberdrola have joined forces to determine what is needed in terms of infrastructure to implement a mass embrace of plug-in electric vehicles in the European market. The study will examine how cars will be recharged, and the effect this will have on...
Ralph Hanson -
Honda may delay U.S. diesels due to fuel costsHonda and Acura have been contemplating bringing diesel engines to the U.S. for some time, but in late October word broke that the engines had been delayed. At the time the reason had been thought to be trouble with 50-state emissions certification, but now the company has revealed the real issue...
Ralph Hanson -
2009: The beginning of the Detroit 2?Detroit's major auto manufacturers could soon find that three certainly is a crowd when it comes to the world automotive market. CSM Worldwide is predicting 2009 to be the worst year in U.S. automotive sales in over a quarter of a century, and that Chrysler will not make it through the storm...
Ralph Hanson