Ralph Hanson, Author
Articles
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Updated: Bertone’s financial problems have proven so severe that the longstanding Italian design house has been forced to pull out of this year’s Geneva Motor Show and drop plans for the... -
Castagna reveals Fiat 500 and Mini Clubman 'Woody'Italian coachbuilder Castagna has revealed a pair of wood-panelled cars it has developed for this week’s Geneva Motor Show. Designers used the new Mini Clubman as well as a stretched Fiat 500 hatch dubbed the ‘WoodyWagon’. The modified 500 is in fact the first stretched version of...
Ralph Hanson -
Chrysler President: Everything will be hybridWhen Chrysler rolled out its trio of hybrid concepts (ZEO, EcoVoyager, Renegade) at last month’s Detroit Auto Show, no one envisaged it would be a sign the carmaker was serious about offering a full hybrid lineup one day. Latest comments from Chrysler’s new President Jim Press reaffirm...
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250KM/H Peraves MonoTracer planned for GenevaSwiss company Peraves first revealed its MonoTracer at last year’s Geneva Motor Show but back then the enclosed bike was still in the early stages of development and it hadn’t even undergone official testing. For this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Peraves is back and this time...
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Holden unveils production VE Sportwagon in MelbourneHolden is using this week’s Melbourne Motor Show to unveil a host of new models. Already we’ve seen the Coupe 60 and HSV W427 Concepts and now we have our first look at the production version of the VE Sportwagon. First displayed in concept form at last year’s Sydney Motor Show...
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Italian Olympic team partners with FerrariThe Italian Olympic Committee has teamed up with Ferrari in order to develop more aerodynamical materials and better technical results in preparation for this year’s Beijing Olympic Games. The partnership surrounds the development for both winter and summer sports including materials for...
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Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg is prepping two special edition models for the upcoming Geneva Motor Show based on its CCX petrol and CCXR flex-fuel models. The new cars will go under the... -
Webasto Light Concept Revealed Ahead Of GenevaGerman automotive parts supplier Webasto has given us a preview of its latest concept car just weeks away from its Geneva Motor Show debut. Webasto is a specialist in roof and convertible systems for cars and as such its latest concept features an innovative folding soft-top that adds just 13kg to...
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Fiat to release 160HP 500 'SS' in NovemberFiat just took the wraps off its new Abarth 500 hot-hatch but the Italian carmaker is already prepping a new performance kit for the car that should lift output to 160hp. The new Abarth model, which develops a milder 135hp, will make its world debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show but come...
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Nissan Murano voted safest midsize SUV by IIHSNissan’s Navara pickup may have failed Europe’s tough NCAP crash test but its 2009 Murano SUV has been voted the safest choice by America’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the midsize SUV category. Testing showed that midsized SUVs have become safer, but side and...
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GTI Challenge hot-hatch showdownAs much as we like to read and talk about V12-powered exotics and twin-turbo track stars, for a large majority these cars will forever remain the stuff of dreams. The more realistic option for a significant number of performance enthusiasts is tiny economical runabouts with equally tiny...
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Elementz Kitcar concept roadsterThis Ariel Atom lookalike is the creation of Dutch designer Rob Wolkers, an engineer based in the Netherlands who created the car for a design contest last year. Dubbed the Elementz Kitcar, the concept ended up winning last year’s Burton Contest Design 2007 but there aren’t any plans...
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Tricksters can no longer dodge traffic through carpool lanes by using dummies or pets to fill that required extra seat. New technology developed at Loughborough University detects the number of... -
2008 Gumball 3000 rally announcedThe long wait is over for Gumball 3000 fans around the world as the official route for this year’s has been announced. The 10th anniversary rally will begin in San Francisco on the 9th of August, working its way through the West Coast of North America and stopping in San Deigo and Las Vegas...
Ralph Hanson -
Blast from the past: 2001 Volkswagen Nardo ConceptVolkswagen surprised many in the automotive field when it rolled out a new supercar concept at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show. VW, after all, was a brand synonymous with selling budget hatchbacks and frugal runabouts but then at the Tokyo event motoring press were presented with the 600hp W12 Nardo...
Ralph Hanson -
Volkswagen launches Scirocco microsite and teasersVolkswagen has given us an early look at some of the styling elements of its upcoming Scirocco hatch with the release of these new teaser images on the official microsite for the new car. Expected to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month, the new model will officially go on sale in...
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Spy Shots: Lamborghini Gallardo LP550 and faceliftClick here for our updated story, which includes an official teaser from Lamborghini. Last week reports emerged claiming Lamborghini was planning to reveal a facelifted version of its Gallardo at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show and could also launch a new high-performance LP550 model. At the same...
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Schumacher to go head-to-head with RaikkonenMichael Schumacher will make his debut at the wheel of Ferrari's 2008 contender at the final group test of the pre-season in Spain next week. We have learned that the 39-year-old German, who retired from competition at the end of 2006, is scheduled to run in the F2008 on Monday, as reigning world...
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To capitalize on the rapidly growing number of high net worth individuals in Asia Ferrari has announced it will be opening its first fully owned subsidiary this April based in Japan. Despite economic... -
Frugal A-Class from Mercedes-Benz FE lineWith greater public concern about how cars affect the environment, as well as rising fuel prices, many car manufacturers have released certain 'lines' of cars that cater to these concerns. Volkswagen's Bluemotion range, Renault's 'eco²' line and Ford's ECOnetic are all examples of this. Mercedes'...
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Volkswagen prepping 69MPG diesel-electric hybrid GolfYet another carmaker has revealed plans for a diesel-electric hybrid concept car for next month’s Geneva Motor Show, the latest being Volkswagen and its ultra-efficient hybrid Golf. We’ve already reported about BMW’s new X5 ActiveHybrid concept and before that the Peugeot‘s...
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Renault F1 'a long way behind' - AlonsoThree weeks before the formula one circus congregates in Melbourne for the season opener, Fernando Alonso has reported that his 2008-spec Renault is not in a position to compete for race wins. In fact, the former double world champion is quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE as suggesting that even...
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PSA working on luxury diesel-hybrid carsAfter months of the European Commission blocking French government subsidies to fund research into diesel-hybrids, PSA Peugeot Citroen is shifting its focus from mass-market hybrid diesels to diesel-hybrids made for high-end premium vehicles according to reports in the French media. While vehicles...
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New foam captures CO2 inside the tailpipeStrict emissions regulations planned for Europe has got carmakers across the globe worried about reducing the amount of pollutants their cars produce. Some of the solutions carmakers are investigating include downsizing of vehicles and engines, as well as the development of cleaner fuels, but...
Ralph Hanson