Ralph Hanson, Author
Articles
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As Hyundai moves up the ranks of the global sales charts, so too does it strive to rise to new heights of quality and value. The next step on that path was taken earlier this month with the launch of... -
Report: GM merger could axe all but seven Chrysler modelsOne of the more worrying scenarios resulting from a possible merger between General Motors and Chrysler is that the Auburn Hills carmaker could be absorbed entirely by GM, meaning most of its models, plants, dealers, and employees would be dropped. Chrysler, along with Dodge and Jeep, would then...
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McLaren F1 Brings $4 Million Price Tag At AuctionThe McLaren F1 was to the 1990s what the Bugatti Veyron is to today—a super-expensive limited volume hypercar that at one time was the world's fastest production car. Last night, an 11-year-old example proved that despite an intervening decade, the McLaren is not only still in high demand but...
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Lamborghini establishes new branch in ChinaChina is rapidly becoming one of Lamborghini’s primary markets, with sales this year alone for the country expected to grow by 186% on last year’s figures. It comes as little surprise then that the Italian supercar brand plans to set up a new branch office in Beijing, China’s...
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Ferrari CEO flatly rules out dieselsThe Germans are embracing diesels wholeheartedly, and many of the Fiat Group's companies have a standing relationship with the oily fuel, but Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa has ruled out any move toward the technology, at least within the next five years, and probably beyond that. "Diesel is not a...
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Alfa boss discusses successor to Duetto, 159 and US returnAlfa Romeo's Duetto Spider may have shot to fame in the 1967 film The Graduate, but even this Hollywood endorsement couldn't stop the car from being axed in 1993. Now, Alfa Romeo's CEO, Luca de Meo says that he has dreams of bringing back the iconic Alfa Spider, along with his plan to sell 300,000...
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Diesel-loving fans of mid-range Japanese luxury sedans are mourning today, because the latest reports are indicating the long-awaited 2009 Acura TSX fitted with a 44mpg diesel engine will be delayed... -
Flotilla of Ford Mustangs, F-150s headed to SEMA 2008The Specialty Equipment Market Association's annual industry-only car show is a well-known place for excessive automotive exuberance, and Ford's presence this year will be massive, with at least nine Mustangs and four F-150s rolling onto the floor. Only one of the Mustangs will be a 2009 model-year...
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New details emerge on Audi's upcoming TT RSAudi took the wraps off its new TT-S range back at January’s Detroit Auto Show and then followed it up with the new TT 2.0L TDI diesel and entry-level 1.8L TFSI, however there’s one more TT variant in the works and it could potentially be the fastest production TT ever. The new car is...
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Gene Stefanyshyn to succeed Corvette chief Tom WallaceGeneral Motors’ Corvette brand will lose its chief at the start of next month when Tom Wallace retires amid rumors of an indefinite hold on development of the C7 Corvette. His successor, Gene Stefanyshyn, is currently the vehicle line executive of rear-wheel-drive vehicles at GM, and will add...
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Techart aerokit for the 2009 Porsche 911Techart is well known in the aftermarket tuner scene for creating some of the best functional aerokits for Porsche cars, so it comes as little surprise that there has been plenty of interest in the German tuner’s latest kit designed for the facelifted 911 range. The pieces are constructed...
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Branew releases new GT-R appearance kit ahead of SEMAModifications for Nissan's GT-R are notoriously difficult to make successful, in part because the car is already at a very high level of performance, and in part because Nissan chose to lock down the car's computer in so many ways. The appearance side of modifications for the car is wide-open...
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A report over the weekend has linked talks between BMW and Ford to a potential sale of the Volvo brand. Despite consistent denials by Ford that it is shopping Volvo around, the rumors of such talks... -
Alfa Romeo U.S. relaunch delayed until 2011The worsening global financial crisis has forced Fiat to postpone two major targets it had planned for its Alfa Romeo brand in 2010 – a U.S. relaunch and reaching 300,000 sales in China. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has confirmed that Alfa Romeo won't return to American shores in 2010 as...
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Report: Nissan Working On Four-Door Infiniti Based On GT-REarlier this year reports emerged claiming Nissan was seriously considering an Infiniti version of the GT-R supercar. The first hint came when Nissan’s global design Chief Shiro Nakamura revealed that managers were looking at the feasibility of a new high-end flagship saloon, and further...
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Tesla teases new Model S sedanDespite receiving more than a thousand orders for its $100,000 all-electric Roadster, Tesla has been bit by the financial crisis bug and was recently forced to make several major cost cutting measures. Last week the company announced a new CEO and confirmed plans to layoff up to half its staff as...
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Luxury vehicles outclassed in latest reliability studyJapanese and South Korean firms have once again been voted the most reliable auto manufacturers, with Toyota’s youth-oriented Scion brand taking out top honors. While most luxury brands showed some improvement, the top ten was once again dominated by mainstream manufacturers. There were some...
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Spy shots: Acura crossover caught testing at the ‘ringAcura confirmed recently a number of plans to expand its lineup with several all-new models in an attempt to compete with more established tier 1 luxury brands such as its German rivals, which offer full range lineups. The upmarket Honda label is limited to a just handful of sedans and a pair of...
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An American auction house will be selling off one of the rarest and most valuable Corvettes in history – the mighty 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, chassis no. 002.
Often referred to as... -
Low-cost camera-based safety system sees danger before you doA company in the Netherlands has developed a new camera-based monitoring system that can drastically improve road safety for drivers at a relatively low cost. Mobileye Vision Technologies has created a small camera that mounts behind a car’s rear-view-mirror, and looks out to the road ahead...
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Bond Star Daniel Craig Lands Lifetime Deal With Aston MartinBeing James Bond has its perks, and one of them is getting an open invitation from Aston Martin's bosses to drive any car he pleases. Since part of the job description for Daniel Craig, the actor that plays Bond in the new film Quantum of Solace, includes deliberately crashing Astons into rock...
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Ford announces winner of "modern" Model T design contestTo celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Model T, Ford challenged students at six schools from around the world to create a modern interpretation of the Model T that shared the same attributes as the original. The common themes were a simple and practical design, a light and durable chassis, and a...
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'Buckypaper' carbon composite could revolutionize automotive constructionCarbon nanotubes have been a hot topic in popular science culture for some time now, but so far few real-world products have benefited from the high-tech material. That could change very quickly thanks to the development of a thin sheet of carbon paper known as 'buckypaper'. When pressed together...
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GM updates Duramax V8 to be lighter and more efficientGeneral Motors has finally taken the wraps off its new Duramax 4.5L V8 turbodiesel, with several innovative features that separate the new mill from the previous generation design. Last year GM showed off the top half of the engine, which showed the turbocharger positioned where the intake manifold...
Ralph Hanson