Ralph Hanson, Author
Articles
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BMW has lost a court battle in Canada to prevent Nissan from using the letter ‘M’ for what BMW describes as its rival's "inferior and more modestly priced" models. The latest announcement... -
Preview: 2010 Fiat Bravo crossoverThe new Bravo is an important model in Fiat’s revamped lineup and is key to the Italian carmaker expanding into more diverse markets. The one model will not only be spawning wagon and crossover variants, but possibly a new cabrio and MPV as well. This latest rendering reveals what the...
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Spy knowledge boosted McLaren - BriatoreFlavio Briatore has suggested that McLaren was only able to keep up with Ferrari this year because of the spy scandal. The Renault boss, who respectively beat McLaren and Ferrari for the world championships in 2005 and 2006, said he does not believe his counterpart Ron Dennis that no-one except...
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Toyota production to top 10 million units next yearToyota has told its parts suppliers to expect its production numbers to surpass ten million vehicles next year as sales numbers in the US and new emerging markets continue to grow. Execs are predicting production will rise in ’08 by six percent on current levels, topping out at an estimated...
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Porsche claims new GT2 will lap Nordschleife in 7:32The official brochure for Porsche’s new 997 GT2 was leaked last month, revealing most of the general details about the super-coupe as well as a few crucial tidbits that have been overlooked until now. As outlined in the brochure, Porsche’s claim for the GT2’s lap time of the...
Ralph Hanson -
Russian billionaire buys stake in GMThe owner of Russian carmaker GAZ, billionaire tycoon Oleg Deripaska, has bought a five percent stake in General Motors according to latest reports from Russian newspaper Vedomosti. Deripaska is the second richest man in Russia, commanding an estimated fortune of approximately $16.8 billion, and...
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BMW will be launching the updated 3-series range next month with the biggest change being the addition of more powerful engines and a reduction of fuel consumption across all models. Unfortunately,... -
Diesels slowly make their way to JapanDiesels have long been the preferred choice of fuel across Europe, and, slowly, it’s starting to penetrate the US market, but, surprisingly, motorists in Japan have never really taken to the efficient fuel. Now, Nissan hopes to make inroads in its home market with the introduction of a diesel...
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BMW M Sport package for the 3-series coupeBoth BMW dealers and M fans alike will be happy to know that the latest M Sport package for the new 3-series coupe is now available. Like the 5-series version, the new 3-series M Aero Pack has been styled to resemble the kit used on the new M3. The pack comprises an aggressive front bumper with...
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Peugeot launches 307 SW BioFlex in EuropeDespite the arrival of the new 308 hatch, Peugeot has launched a flex-fuel version of the previous-generation 307 SW that goes on sale next month in several European countries. Powered by a modified version of Peugeot’s 1.6L four-banger, the new car will be able to run on ethanol blended E85...
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Chery to build Alfa Romeos in ChinaFiat and Chery are likely to sign-off on a new joint-venture next week to start assembly of several Alfa Romeo models in China. The first cars to be assembled will likely be the Alfa Romeo 159 sedan, followed closely by the 147 hatch. Under the deal, Chery will be assembling the cars from imported...
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Godzilla pops bonnet to help save livesEveryone’s eagerly waiting for Nissan to release the new Skyline later this year. The car affectionately dubbed ‘Godzilla’ is expected to bring us Porsche 911 performance at Boxster prices and will revive the famous nameplate that’s been gone for too long. One little-known...
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For the first time in the US auto industry’s 102 year history American carmakers in July commanded less than 50% of the market. Import brands accounted for 51.9% of sales in July, with GM,... -
A1GP organizers announce 3rd season calendarOnly in its third season, the calendar of the fledgling A1GP has expanded to eleven events and sees several location changes for the 2007/08 season. Launched back in March of 2004, the A1GP is described as the World Cup of Motorsport as competing teams represent individual countries instead of...
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Bentley's facelifted Continental GT and new GT SpeedBentley has revealed its facelifted Continental GT as well as the new GT Speed, the fastest and most powerful production Bentley ever. Both cars feature a wider and lower air intake plus a more upright radiator grille to improve airflow to the 6.0L W12 powerplant. The GT Speed outputs 600bhp...
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Former World Champion Piquet Snr loses road license
Triple world champion Nelson Piquet lost his driver's license in Brazil last month, according to reports. The news agency Globo News said the 54-year-old, whose son Piquet Jr tests for the Renault team, lost all of his demerit points due to a range of traffic infringements, including speeding...
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Bugatti Veyron Pegaso Edition spotted in DubaiPossibly one of the rarest Bugatti Veyrons on the planet was spotted at a car show in Dubai sporting an equally rare United Arab Emirates ‘1’ license plate. You’d think that only the Sheik would have enough influence to own such a car and number plate but info sourced from...
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Long-wheelbase Ford Mondeo spotted in ChinaFord has developed a special long-wheelbase version of the new Mondeo sedan and the model was spotted recently in China where it joins other China-specific LWB models from the likes of BMW and Volkswagen Group. The first pictures of the stretched Mondeo have turned up on the Chinese forum...
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Set to be unveiled at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Peugeot’s new 308 RC Z concept car shows that its French engineers can develop a sporty coupe with enough performance credentials...
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Cadillac developing small RWD sedan for 2011Cadillac is hoping to shed its image as a developer of luxury barges by rejuvenating its lineup with the addition of a new entry-level small sporty sedan. The new model, which will be sold in both North America and Europe, will be based on GM’s mid-sized RWD Alpha platform and should arrive...
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Review: Fiat 500 1.3L MultijetLike the new Volkswagen Beetle and BMW Mini currently on sale, Fiat’s new 500 minicar has been designed to reignite the nostalgia and the glory days of carefree motoring in Europe during the 1950s and ‘60s. Marking the 50th anniversary of the launch of the original 500...
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FIA publishes first 2008 F1 calendar, Valencia and Singapore GPs confirmedF1's governing body on Friday published a provisional grand prix calendar for the 2008 season. Contradicting earlier press reports, Australia is listed as the season opener atop an 18-race schedule; one more than this year. With a May date, Turkey's round is much earlier than usual, while the...
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Nanjing Fiat partnership exporting cars from ChinaFiat’s joint venture with China’s Nanjing Auto will soon start exporting cars outside of China with the first batch expected to be sold in Brazil and Egypt. The partnership has already received 8,300 firm orders for the Chinese built cars with the first shipments due to arrive later...
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Mercedes developing US-spec B-classMercedes engineers are working on a new B-class model that will likely be sold in the US for the first time, and which could be on the market by 2011. Prototypes are currently being developed to meet strict North American regulatory requirements according to Mercedes’ US Chief Ernst Lieb, who...
Ralph Hanson