Ralph Hanson, Author
Articles
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Apex Motorsport has revealed the first images of its Jaguar XKR GT3 race car that it will be entering into the new FIA GT3 European Championship. The GT3 series is only in its second year but already... -
VW’s Thunder Bunny & R GTI hot hatches at SEMAWhen the original Thunder Bunny Golf GTI tuned by California based firm Automotive Performance Systems (APS) was delivered to Motor Trend magazine late in 1981, the testers wrote that “the little white wonder packs its own kind of lightning-quick rabbit punch — one that’s...
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Stunning Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione galleryAlfa Romeo has just released a new set of photos of the 8c Competezione, this time with a more stylistic approach. We’ve placed them in a gallery after the jump, all sized to 1600px wide so you can use them as wallpapers. They’re that good.
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Ford goes Mustang crazy at SEMAFord has gone big at SEMA this year, displaying no less than three hotted up Mustangs GT500s in drag, street-racer and full race specs. The most extroverted was easily the Shelby GT500 Professional Road Racer, complete with Ford Racing's 5.0L Cammer engine. Power is said to be significantly higher...
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Volvo's hot C30 tuner conceptsVolvo has finally unveiled the three C30 concepts it developed for SEMA with the help of tuning companies Evolve, Heico, and IPD. Built purely as design concepts and prototypes, each tuner took a decidedly different take on what the ultimate Volvo C30 could be. Volvo supplied each company a...
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U.S. Debut For Caparo T1 At SEMACaparo will be showcasing its T1 supercar for the first time in the US at this week’s SEMA Auto Show. The US is probably going to be the T1’s largest market and according to Caparo Vehicle Products chief executive Richard Butler, “the US already offers the world’s largest...
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Peugeot has released limited edition versions of its popular 307HDi vehicles that release less pollution than they take in from the air. Utilising Peugeot’s HDi diesel engine technology, the... -
Jay Leno and GM build 650HP EcoJetAuto aficionado Jay Leno may be adding the weirdest car yet to his massive collection of historic and wacky automobiles. The late-night talk show host collaborated with General Motors’ Advanced Design Studio to design and build a 650hp supercar powered by a jet-turbine that runs on bio-diesel...
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New Audi A2 could be based on next-gen SEAT IbizaAudi wants to make good on its previous failed attempt at delivering a small car positioned below its A3 hatch. Audi sold the original A2 supermini up until 2005, and managed only average sales results. Total production numbers are estimated at only 175,000 units, which pales in comparison with its...
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DCX opens its UK brand experience centreDaimlerChrysler Group has opened the doors to its latest and biggest brand experience centre located next to the world’s oldest purpose built racetrack in Weybridge, England. The UK centre is the sixth complex of its kind from DCX and is the largest and most unique thanks to the historic...
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Mitsubishi launches the Delica D:5Mitsubishi’s Delica has always been an odd vehicle, probably the only MPV we’ve ever liked thanks to its bubble shape, range of turbodiesel engines and AWD configurations. Sounding more like a Japanese sports car than people mover, the new Delica D:5 combines full off-road capability...
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Dual-speed supercharger for HUMMER H3Europe’s Antonov, a specialist in automotive technology, has developed a two-speed gearbox that it’ll showcase at next week’s SEMA show in a Hummer H3 and Ford Mustang GT. Providing a massive boost to power and torque during mid-range rpm levels, the system will be tested and...
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It’s rare to see a supercar that can compete in both the fuel economy stakes as well as race track performance. Featuring a modified General Motors diesel 6.6L twin-turbo diesel engine and a... -
Ethanol injection improves vehicle efficiencyScientists have found that injecting small amounts of ethanol fuel into a regular gasoline engine during moments of peak demand, such as accelerating hard or climbing a steep hill, could actually improve fuel efficiency by between 20 and 30 percent. Work is being carried at the Massachusetts...
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388km/h is not fast enoughUpdate: This attempt is now scheduled for 5th November. The reason for the delay is poor weather conditions at the test track. It’s well known that the Bugatti Veyron is the fastest production car on the planet with test cars reaching speeds beyond 400km/h. What many do not know is that the...
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Chrysler 300C Pullman Set For SEMAThe Big Three will be out in full force at this year’s SEMA show, and we can confirm that Chrysler will be unveiling a long wheelbase version of the 300C labelled the Pullman. The name actually comes from the stretched Mercedes Benz limos of yesteryear, and this Chrysler version will...
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L.A. Design Challenge EntriesEight of the major car manufacturers have entered the third annual Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge, whose goal for this year was to design a new car that meets the environmental challenges of living in L.A. A winner won’t be announced until the end of November at the L.A. motor show...
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New images of the SAIC Roewe 750EThe first car from the newly appointed Roewe label from China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp has already been captured numerous times in prototype form, but we now have some new images depicting the final version. The car is expected to make its public debut in November’s Beijing...
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BMW’s latest 3 Series Convertible has been officially launched and includes several firsts for the German automaker. The biggest difference over the outgoing model is the introduction of a new... -
Hammond’s first interview on the crash that nearly killed himTop Gear host Richard Hammond has given his first interview since his near-fatal crash, giving some important insights onto how close he came to death and what was going though his mind. Some memorable comments from the interview included Hammond stating, "I was upside down inhaling a field. My...
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Video: Richest people of the Middle East
Here’s a very interesting documentary from Discovery channel about four of the Middle East’s richest men and the cars they drive. Some of the highlights include the rallying Sheikh who's good friends with Michael Jackson and his ten million dollar collection of supercars, plus the...
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Toyota’s next small carsThe small car market is about to heat up with the introduction of two new models from Toyota. The first is the production version of the Auris concept that was displayed recently at the Paris Motor Show. The official unveiling of the Auris is expected at an engine systems exhibition in Bologna...
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Fiat announces mid-size Linea sedanFiat has chosen the upcoming Istanbul Motor Show to launch its important new C-segment car, the Linea. If you’re wondering “why Turkey?” it’s because Turkey is considered mainly a sedan market, and Fiat wants to make inroads to the fast-growing auto sector. The Linea is...
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US embassy gives London Mayor the fingerOfficial dignitaries from the US embassy based in London have racked up over 1 million pounds in road tolls but are refusing to pay them. Most of the bill came from the UK capital’s congestion charge that motorists have to pay for travelling through the city centre. According to London...
Ralph Hanson