Ralph Hanson, Author
Articles
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Hummer could be the next acquisition target on Tata’s list now that its purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover is complete. The Indian conglomerate has previously expressed interest in developing... -
Subaru to launch Impreza coupe in 2010Subaru hasn’t sold a two door Impreza since the late 1990s but according to latest reports the AWD coupe is set for a comeback with a due date in 2010. The Impreza coupe was sold in most countries as a limited edition version of the potent STI model but it was eventually phased with the...
Ralph Hanson -
Ford offers employee pricing on F-150Rising fuel prices and greater concerns for the environment have seen sales of large SUVs and pickups fall sharply in the U.S., with even the country’s long-time sales champion, the Ford F-150 pickup, fall to fifth place below the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Camry, and the Honda Accord in...
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First 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Delivered To Jay LenoThe first 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 delivered in the world to customer, a black 6.1L Limited Edition model, was presented to none other than Jay Leno at Big Valley Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Van Nuys yesterday. The first batch of SRT8s only went into production last month and getting your hands on one...
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GM reveals North American restructuring planGM today announced a range of strategic initiatives in response to growing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles and to economic and market challenges in North America. The major initiatives announced include new car and powertrain programs to meet changing demand in the U.S., new production details...
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Kappa-based Breckland Beira V8 roadsterThis month’s Motorexpo at London’s Canary Wharf saw the reveal of a new British-built roadster based around GM’s Kappa platform, which underpins cars like the Opel GT, Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice. The new roadster is called the Breckland Beira and unlike its GM siblings the...
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The Detroit 3 have been berated from every direction for failing to anticipate the growth in sales of fuel-efficient vehicles, and now the trio are engaged in an uphill battle to reclaim market share... -
Video: Honda airs live ad for new Accord EuroHonda is known for its ambitious advertising projects, such as the recent ‘Cog’ television promotion for its previous Accord Euro sedan, which featured a ‘Rube Goldberg’ machine - a complex device built using different parts from the actual Euro sedan that was used to do the...
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Audi R8 now available with full-LED headlightsAudi is now offering full-LED headlamps for its R8 super-sports car as a €3,590 option. While currently the R8 gets LED daytime running lights, which use 54 LEDs per headlamp, the new option will get you LEDs for the turn signals, low-beam, and high-beam headlights. While the option may be...
Ralph Hanson -
U.S. car sales to hit 15 year lowsThe American auto industry is getting ready to take more losses this year as expectations for light-vehicle sales reach 13-year lows. Standard & Poor’s, a credit-rating agency, has expected light-vehicle sales to fall to 14.8 million units, and it will be the first time this figure has been...
Ralph Hanson -
Video: Michael Schumacher & the Ferrari F430 ScuderiaAll the excitement of late has been surrounding the reveal of the all-new California convertible but as this latest video reveals there’s still plenty to get excited about over the stunning F430 Scuderia revealed at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The new video takes you on on-board...
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March sees sharpest drop in driving on record, states losing fuel tax revenueWith fuel prices at record levels and the economy still reeling from a credit crisis, Americans have reduced the number of miles they’re driving each month in an effort to cut the fuel bill. The Department of Transportation (DOT) reported figures from March showing the steepest decline in...
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Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli has revealed that his company is open to sourcing more models from rival carmakers in its bid to offer more fuel-efficient models and adapt to changing consumer demand. Last... -
Volkswagen and Sanyo form lithium-ion battery JVVolkswagen is the latest carmaker to announce a co-operation with an electronics company over the joint-development of advanced lithium-ion battery technology for future hybrid vehicles. The German giant, together with Sanyo will work on a new and extremely efficient electric power storage system...
Ralph Hanson -
NHTSA to reveal new roof safety standards next monthThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will unveil its new regulations in regard to vehicle roof strength requirements this June, a standard that hasn’t changed in more than 35 years. The move is part of the U.S. government’s sweeping reforms in safety standards to...
Ralph Hanson -
GM hopes tax credits can reduce cost of Chevrolet VoltDespite earlier reports predicting the upcoming Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid vehicle would cost less than $30,000 when it arrives in November 2010, a source close to the project has now revealed that the final price tag is likely to be closer to $40,000. That figure is likely to be higher than the...
Ralph Hanson -
Official sketches for Mazda's Paris city car conceptThese are the first official images of a new compact city car concept Mazda is preparing for the Paris Motor Show in October. Rumored to be a preview of a future ‘Mazda1’, the new concept takes features of past design studies such as the Nagare, Furai and Ryuga but adds a few unique...
Ralph Hanson -
Update: Lewis Hamilton wins Monaco GPUpdate: Lewis Hamilton fought his way to victory yesterday at a rain-soaked Monaco GP after starting from third place on the grid and suffering a tyre puncture following an early scrape with a barrier. Poor weather conditions and two periods with the safety car saw the race end after the two hour...
Ralph Hanson -
Reigning Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen has shelled out 200,000 euros for a 1974 Chevrolet Corvette ('73 model pictured) once owned by Hollywood actress Sharon Stone.
Raikkonen bought the...
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BMW 3-series design studyWe’re used to seeing concept design studies for exotics like Ferrari and Lamborghini, and even a Corvette every now and then, but it’s not often that we come across designs for more mundane models such as the BMW 3-series sedan. The design seen here is the creation of Coventry design...
Ralph Hanson -
GM expects Volt to cost less than $30,000With the announcement last week initial prototypes for the upcoming Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid have already met their target of 40 miles of electric-only driving, GM CEO Rick Wagoner is confident the car could be released earlier than first predicted and has told German media that it could even...
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M5-powered Veritas RS III set for productionVeritas was a small German company formed towards the end of WWII by three employees of BMW who wanted a brand to fulfill their dream of building and racing sports cars. Under the Veritas label, they managed to build 75 cars before the company went bust in 1952. The group was reformed in the 1990s...
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Volkswagen Scirocco GT24 debuts at Wörthersee TourFollowing the lead of its Audi subsidiary, Volkswagen has debuted a new race-inspired concept at this week’s Wörthersee Tour tuning show in Austria. The latest concept is the new VW Scirocco GT24, a road-going version of the carmaker’s new Scirocco race car that’s set to...
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Update: Work resumes at Kansas Chevrolet MalibuUpdated: Workers from UAW Local 31 will resume manufacturing the Chevrolet Malibu after voting in favor of a new deal with GM, ending a 17 day strike that threatened supply of one of the carmaker’s most important models. Malibu sales in the U.S. are up more than 30% this year despite...
Ralph Hanson