Ralph Hanson, Author
Articles
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General Motors has earned a lot of brownie points with its Volt plug-in hybrid, which showed that the world’s largest carmaker is serious about building electric vehicles again. Ford has now... -
Toyota developing bargain-basement modelToyota is planning an ultra-low cost vehicle for sale in emerging markets, which would sell for less than Renault's Logan budget car. Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe has told reporters "the focus will be on low-cost technology," something that will require a reform of current design and...
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Danish designed RoadRazerThis strange looking one-seat roadster is the creation of Danish enthusiast Mikkel Steen Pederesen, and was displayed recently at the UK’s Autosport International Show. Labeled the RoadRazer, the light-weight roadster is powered by a 180hp, 1.3L Suzuki Hayabusa four-cylinder motorbike engine...
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Future ’smart’ tires will warn of potential flatsResearchers at Purdue University are experimenting with ‘smart’ tires designed to warn the driver of weak points in the tire that may lead to a blowout or flat before they occur. The technology differs from current air-pressure measurement systems as the entire tire becomes a sensor...
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Images of Hammond’s 288mph crash releasedImages of the near-fatal crash of Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond, which occurred almost five months ago, have just been published for the first time. The 36-year old survived a crash at 288mph in an uncovered jet-powered dragster while filming a stunt for the highly-rated motoring program. The...
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New MINI One and Cooper DMINI has released information on two new cars that it will add to its lineup positioned below the Cooper and Cooper S models. First up is a new sporty diesel called the Mini Cooper D. The previous generation MINI had a diesel model that was powered by a 1.4L four-cylinder motor sourced from Toyota...
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BMW has officially announced its updated 1-series hatch that’s set to go on sale in the coming months. The introduction of a three-door model and a revised five-door come as a raft of new... -
"Budget" Rolls to get its own platformRolls Royce is currently developing a new entry-level model for launch in 2010 with an estimated sales price of between $250,000 and $300,000. Automotive News reports that the car’s design work was completed and approved last month and the project is now in its engineering phase. RR’s...
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Aussie sourced Pontiac G8 to feature Solstice front-endPontiac’s replacement for the Grand Prix, the Australian sourced VE Commodore, will feature new front-end styling when it goes on sale in 2008 as the new G8. Automotive News reports that the car will feature a unique nose similar to that seen on Pontiac’s smaller Solstice roadster...
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Suppliers confirm BMW X6 productionBMW is currently preparing its Spartanburg plant in the US to start churning out as many as 40,000 units of its upcoming X6 crossover vehicle, according to one of BMW’s suppliers. The X6, which is based on the same platform as the recently released X5 SUV, will be positioned as an up-market...
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Mugen S2000 Open-Top Pure Sports ConceptThe Honda S2000 is at the end of its life but that hasn’t stopped Mugen, Honda’s performance division, from creating a one-off concept version labeled the Open-Top Pure Sports Concept. The car was developed as part of Mugen’s “Exciting 2007” promotion and will join...
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GM planning global fuel cell vehicle testGeneral Motors yesterday unveiled its plans for a large-scale test of fuel cell vehicles across the globe, which will include stints in Asia, Europe and North America. The tests are set to be the largest and most comprehensive ever for a car manufacturer and will range anywhere from several dozen...
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The latest 5-series update was more than just a tweaking of the car’s sheetmetal and powertrains. BMW has introduced a regenerative braking system, for the first ever on a non-hybrid vehicle,... -
Video: Ford Sync in actionHere’s a video demonstration of Ford and Microsoft’s Sync system, which integrates your car’s communications and entertainment systems with a host of external devices such as music players, PDAs and mobile phones. See our previous report for more details.
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More details on Ford’s new TwinForce V6First shown on the Lincoln MKR concept, Ford’s new TwinForce engine technology is said to deliver V8 power with V6 fuel economy. Although appearing in concept form only, the new technology is expected to feature in future vehicles for both the Ford and Lincoln labels. Combining direct...
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Ford announces 2008 Focus and new Coupe variantIt’s been no secret that Ford was planning to introduce a new coupe model for the 2008 model year, but Ford has now made the official announcement and released more details about the update of its flagship small car. To begin with, Ford has decided to drop the wagon variant due to a lack of...
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GM's Plug-In Volt ConceptThe Chevrolet Volt concept sedan is General Motors' answer to the movie Who Killed the Electric Car? General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] has been slammed for shutting down its EV1 program, but the Volt gives us a peek at what's in store for us over the next decade. The Chevrolet Volt is a...
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Toyota develops anti-drunk driver technologyRecently, we reported that the backlash in Japan had caused Nissan to develop a system to prevent drunk-drivers from using their cars. Never one to be left behind, Toyota has released details about it’s own technology, which uses sweat sensors embedded in the steering wheel that detect the...
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Jaguar has finally lifted the embargo on the new C-XF concept, the four-door sedan that paves the way for the S-type replacement due in 2008. The new concept is almost a clean-sheet design for... -
Vehicle blackboxes go high-techVehicle data recorders are designed to store information about acceleration, speed, and mechanical faults inside your car and over 60% of 2005 year models in the US are currently fitted with this type of device. Now, a Korean company is developing black boxes that also store images just before and...
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Lincoln MKR Concept Officially UnveiledThough we’ve previously shown you a video and images of the Lincoln MKR, Ford has officially shown the concept today. The MKR introduces a new design language of “elegant simplicity” on a four-door coupe that also features fuel-saving technology, including its new TwinForce...
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Microsoft claws its way into Ford vehiclesFoMoCo has penned a deal with Microsoft that will see all Ford vehicles from the 2008 model get optional Bluetooth handsfree and Microsoft’s automotive operating system. The new system will be called “Sync” and will include the ability to receive email directly to the car. It will...
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Toyota to introduce new line of hybridsA brand new hybrid-only model will join Toyota’s Prius in 2009 to help the Japanese carmaker boost its sales of hybrid vehicles past 1m. The new model will be a midsize sedan and come fitted with a 2.5-3.0L engine, rather than the anemic 1.5L engine currently found in the Prius. The sedan...
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Nissan Shows Rogue CrossoverNissan has taken the wraps off its new entrant to the compact crossover market, the 2008 Rogue. Despite the “x-treme marketing” billing, the Rogue is actually a relatively small crossover, fitting in above the Honda CR-V but below the Hyundai Santa Fe. It has front-wheel drive as...
Ralph Hanson