Ralph Hanson, Author
Articles
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If you missed out on one of last year’s 540hp 40th anniversary Shelby GT500KR Mustangs you’re in luck because the Ford tuner is planning an additional run of 746 cars for the 2009 model... -
Lotus celebrating 60 years with unveiling of new EagleLotus has confirmed it will unveil an all-new model at this year’s London Motor Show in June as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations. Although no official details have been given as to the identity of the new model last month’s release of the car’s front suspension and...
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Saleen Releases Gurney Signature Edition MustangSaleen has partnered with American racing legend Dan Gurney to develop a limited edition Ford Mustang, which was unveiled today at the New York Auto Show. The car is called the Gurney Signature Edition and it's been designed to mimic Dan's original 1969 Trans Am series Mustang racer. It's...
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Saleen S5S Raptor Supercar ConceptCoinciding with the launch of its new SMS Limited brand, sports car manufacturer Saleen has unveiled a new supercar concept at today’s New York Auto Show that boasts a 650hp V8 engine running on ethanol. Already being touted as the successor to the current S7 flagship, the new car is still in...
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BMW super-sports car to get twin-turbo V10?BMW prides itself on having some of the most dynamic and involving vehicles on the market today, but its fleet is still lacking a genuine sports car. Some may argue that BMW already offers the 507hp V10-powered M6 Coupe, but to the purists the M6 is an overweight four-seater GT that compromises...
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Pontiac unveils 2009 Solstice CoupeOn show at this week’s New York Auto Show is a brand new coupe version of the Pontiac Solstice that will go on sale early next year in both standard and performance GXP trims. The new hardtop is based on the original Solstice coupe concept that debuted as far back as the 2002 Detroit Auto...
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A Hyundai exec has revealed that by 2010 the Korean carmaker will launch its own separate luxury division complete with a new name and logo. The new luxury brand will initially be launched in the... -
Opel reveals car camouflage secretsCarmakers go to great lengths to ensure their pre-production prototypes are protected from the prying eyes of spy photographers. Most of us assume developers simply place black tape randomly over the car, but according to Opel the process of camouflaging the car starts as soon as it progresses...
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Mercedes says carmakers likely to absorb CO2 costsWhile governments around the world rush legislation to raise fuel efficiency standards, premiums on cars will have to inevitably rise as new technology is developed to meet these standards. The question on everyone’s lips is who is going to pay for the implementation of all this new...
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End of the line for Maybach?With no new models in the pipeline and a paltry 146 units sold in all of 2007, Mercedes’ ultra-luxury Maybach line could be facing the cutting block. Considering rival brands Rolls-Royce and Bentley are experiencing record sales and growth, walking away from Maybach may seem like a bad idea...
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Volvo CitySafe could feature on future Ford modelsVolvo has always been regarded as a leader in automotive safety technology and with new features such as the latest CitySafe system, a device that can detect other vehicles and automatically apply the brakes if it predicts a collision could occur, the carmaker is only set to improve upon that...
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GTM planning new 40th anniversary 40TR roadsterGTM’s 40TR roadster was only launched last year but the ultra-light racer has already undergone a major overhaul and is set to appear in revised form at this year’s Autosport show in the UK. The upgrade was done to create a special anniversary model to celebrate 40 years of GTM Cars and...
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Diesel fueled cars are already associated with the negative image of heavy trucks clogging the air with their dark and sooty exhaust plumes, and a new study only goes further to damage it's... -
Aston Martin interested in Mercedes-Benz hybrid techGovernments around the world are bowing to public pressure to reduce the levels of greenhouse gases their respective countries produce, and more often than not, the first sector they look at is the auto industry. The European Council has proposed a ruling that could see carmakers forced to limit...
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Toyota mulls Prius eco-brandToyota is looking to take advantage of the green image its Prius petrol-electric hybrid vehicle enjoys by building upon the ‘Prius’ name and launching a new family of eco-friendly vehicles under it. Earlier reports claimed Toyota could launch a second dedicated hybrid brand but now its...
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Strong demand causes Jaguar XF delaysDealerships around the world have been taking in pre-orders of the model that many hope will revive Jaguar’s ailing sales and reputation but the hotly anticipated car, the all-new 2009 XF, is proving so popular that high demand for the car has led to delays in some deliveries. The XF...
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Mercedes-Benz SL63 picked as 2008 F1 Safety CarAs we enter another year of F1 we can say hello to a brand new official safety car in the form of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL63, which replaces last year’s CLK63 Black Series car. Another AMG model, the C63 Estate, was also picked to be this year’s official Medical Car. The two...
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Talks on for US GP return in 2009Talks between the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and Bernie Ecclestone to resurrect the US grand prix may have begun. Tony George, the famous Indy 500 venue's chief, told an audience at the IU business conference in Indiana this week that he is pursuing options to patch up the relationship with...
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Updated: Latest reports are claiming Tata is seeking $3 billion dollars in loans to acquire the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. The information comes from people close to deal, who told Bloomberg Tata... -
Smart unveils 'limited two' fortwoSmart has unveiled its 'limited two' model at the Geneva Motor Show. The limited two is a special edition version of the Smart fortwo and will only be produced as a limited series of 2,000 units. The limited two will get a number of high quality upgrades to the exterior and interior, including...
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Next-gen GM hybrid system announced in GenevaGeneral Motors has announced plans for a new hybrid system that’s set to debut in North America in 2010. The new system will feature lithium-ion batteries sourced from Hitachi and will be significantly cheaper than current hybrid systems while also improving fuel economy by up to 20%. Some of...
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Jaguar unveils lightweight XKR-S coupeJaguar has lifted the covers off a new limited edition version of its XK coupe that will go on sale in Europe by the middle of the year. The new car is called the XKR-S and it rates as the fastest production XK to date thanks to a series of weight saving modifications and engine upgrades over the...
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Audi Presents Second V12 TDI R8 ConceptAudi has taken the wraps off its second R8 concept vehicle powered by its mighty V12 TDI engine at an event in Geneva today. The new concept sports the now familiar 6.0L V12 turbodiesel engine, developing a healthy 500hp and 1,000Nm (737lb-ft) of torque. Like the previous V12 diesel R8 shown in...
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Porsche board gives green light for VW takeoverThere’s been a great deal of speculation in recent months claiming Porsche would increase its stake in Volkswagen Group beyond the current 31% and now the carmaker’s board has given approval to raise the stake to more than 50%. Porsche CEO Wendeling Wiedeking has openly admitted to much...
Ralph Hanson