Ralph Hanson, Author
Articles
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The Ferrari brand is synonymous with desirability and exclusiveness, a combination that leaves buyers often waiting close to 18 months just to take delivery of their purchase. Execs at Maranello are... -
More carmakers unlikely for F1 - Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone thinks it is unlikely that more manufacturers will enter formula one in the near future. Six of today's eleven teams are major carmakers, leading F1 supremo Ecclestone to conclude that names including Volkswagen and Porsche are not likely to join the circus. "It is very difficult...
Ralph Hanson -
Spyker makes its first ever profitDutch sports carmaker Spyker Cars has announced that it made a profit for the 2006 financial year, the first time it has been in the black since the company was established back in the year 2000. The past twelve months has seen Spyker ramp up its involvement in Formula One with the purchase of the...
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2008 BMW M3 Coupe RevealedThese are the first images of the all-new 2008 BMW M3, revealing the car ahead of its sales launch later this year. The star of the show is the new high-rev 4.0-liter V-8 engine. Based on the larger 5.0-liter V-10 unit from the M5 and M6, the new powerplant features the same 90-degree cylinder-bank...
Ralph Hanson -
Chrysler Crossfire production coming to an endChrysler will be ceasing production of its slow-selling Crossfire sports coupe by the middle of the year after a brief run that lasted close to five years. The ailing carmaker has already stopped producing the performance SRT-6 range, but as from the coming summer the entire production run will...
Ralph Hanson -
Fiat Rejects Bertone Rescue PlanStruggling Italian coachbuilder Bertone will have to scramble to come up with a new survival plan before investors meet this week after Fiat Group rejected earlier plans to help fund its rescue. Fiat’s CEO Sergio Marchionne said talks between the two over a possible joint-venture to build a...
Ralph Hanson -
BMW will give a preview of a possible flagship sports car with a new concept vehicle that’s expected to make its debut at the Shanghai Auto Show on the 22nd of April. The concept is said to... -
F1 bans traction control from 2008Starting from 2008, traction control will be banned from use in Formula One as part of a number of changes approved by the FIA. The decision came after all competitors agreed to the changes at the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Wednesday. Traction control was introduced by the...
Ralph Hanson -
Official Mercedes Benz CL65 AMG detailsThe latest addition to the potent AMG range is the 2008 Mercedes Benz CL65 coupe, a car that bows in as the performance division’s new flagship model. Packing a 6.0L bi-turbo V12 motor as shared with the S65 and SL65 AMG models, the new CL65 is capable of reaching 100km/h from rest in a brief...
Ralph Hanson -
First look at Infiniti’s EX ConceptInfiniti has previewed its next generation mid-sized CUV with this official rendering of the EX Concept car that’s expected to make its debut at the upcoming New York Auto Show. Based on a revised version of Nissan’s modular FM platform, the EX Concept rides on a 112in wheelbase and...
Ralph Hanson -
SSC fails to top Bugatti Veyron in high-speed challengeAmerica’s Shelby Super Cars has failed to eclipse Bugatti as the maker of the world’s fastest production car, with its Ultimate Aero TT managing to reach a top speed of 230mph, 23mph shy of the Veyron’s 253mph mark. The widely publicized challenge, which was run yesterday on a...
Ralph Hanson -
Aston Martin DBX flagship in the works?With cash-starved Ford out of the picture and new owners David Richards and Co. at the helm, Aston Martin is ready to expand its range with the introduction of several new models including a possible high-end flagship. The DBS coupe and four-door Rapide models have been confirmed, but according to...
Ralph Hanson -
Volvo is busy preparing its entry to the mid-size sedan market in the shape of the S60, which will feature radical new styling under the direction of design chief Steve Mattin. Having already... -
Caparo T1 Gets Engine UpgradeEveryone’s favorite F1-style road car, the Caparo T1, is getting an engine upgrade before it’s even released. The bespoke lightweight, all aluminium V8 has a higher capacity of 3.5 litres and is now normally aspirated. The Caparo designed engine uses the latest in F1 derived technology...
Ralph Hanson -
Video: New Fiat 500Fiat is officially back. The company that GM paid $2 billion not to take over just two years ago has gone from strength to strength in the hyper-competitive European market. By introducing new products with sharp styling and improved reliability, the ‘new’ Fiat range has been selling...
Ralph Hanson -
JE Design transforms the Audi TTThere seems to be no end to the number of performance packages being released for the new Audi TT. This latest kit from JE Design takes the output of the already impressive 2.0L TFSI TT to similar levels of the bigger V6 powered version. Spawned from a workshop in Leingarten, Germany, the feral TT...
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Preview: 2009 Mercedes Benz CL-ConvertibleMercedes Benz is expected to add a brand new model to its lineup with the possible introduction of a convertible version of its CL coupe as seen in this latest rendering. News of the model’s existence was first dropped by DaimlerChrysler's Vice President of Program Management, Hans Dieter...
Ralph Hanson -
F1 cars returning to the (in)famous NordschleifeThe Nordschleife, notorious for its spectacular crashes during the Formula One days of the 1950s and 1960s, will see the BMW Sauber F1 team return to the circuit late next month as part of a promotion celebrating BMW’s racing past. The team will be running the new F1.07 car piloted by Nick...
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Flagging sales in Japan has Nissan’s CEO so worried that he’s placing a new executive in charge of its American markets so that he can concentrate on the trouble back home. Carlos Ghosn,... -
Spy Shots: 2008 Mercedes Benz CLS faceliftWith many of its competitors planning sleek four-door coupes of their own, Mercedes Benz has decided to update its original CLS sedan, the car that created the segment back in 2004. Similar models from the likes of Porsche, Aston Martin and Jaguar have been confirmed, but it’s also rumored...
Ralph Hanson -
GM planning new crossover family for global marketsGeneral Motors is currently deciding whether to build a family of small crossovers based on a single global small-car platform. The new vehicles would be smaller than the recently introduced Saturn Vue and be limited to a maximum of five passengers, but the flexibility of the design would allow GM...
Ralph Hanson -
SSC gunning for world’s fastest production carAmerican performance car manufacturer Shelby Super Cars, SSC, is prepping its Ultimate Aero TT to end the reign of the Bugatti Veyron as the world’s fastest car. Led by its founder and lead designer Jerod Shelby, SSC has announced today that it will commence initial testing on the 21st of...
Ralph Hanson -
Cadillac introduces BLS wagon in EuropeCadillac will be adding the BLS wagon to its European lineup where it joins its sedan cousin and the larger, more up-market CTS. The new BLS variant is the first Caddy wagon in the label’s 104-year history, but the car’s roots are based on the Saab 9-3. The front-wheel drive wagon range...
Ralph Hanson -
Video: Up close and personal with the BMW M3 ConceptBMW’s next generation M3 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting cars of 2007 and this latest video gives us the best look at the concept car that will eventually spawn the new M3.
Ralph Hanson