Ralph Hanson, Author
Articles
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The Hennessey Viper may soon own the title of the world’s fastest car in production with a claimed top speed of 255 mph. With a sticker price of $225,000, the Hennessey-tuned speed king is a...
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RX-8 owners beware - Mazda plans massive recallMazda plans to recall all 2004, 2005, and most of its 2006 model RX-8s due to an issue in the design of its rotary engine. Problems due to excessive heat have been prevalent amongst many RX-8 buyers, and this latest recall will only add insult to injury. According to the source, many owners may be...
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F1 rule changes will cost jobsFIA president Max Mosley has admitted that new F1 changes that are set to take place could cost the industry thousands of jobs. This comes ahead of the announcement that engine manufacturer, Cosworth, will be forced to cut almost 40 percent of its staff by years’ end. At most risk are British...
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Preview: VW’s EOS Highway 1 hits Pebble BeachLabelled a design study by Volkswagen’s California Design Center, the new EOS Highway 1 made an appearance at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance over the weekend. Based on the regular EOS coupe, the new convertible sits about one inch lower thanks to a set of H&R Special...
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Perry McCarthy on life as ‘The Stig’Former Formula 1 and Le Mans racer Perry McCarthy is best known for his stint as the masked and mysterious Stig on Top Gear. He was the Stig for 22 episodes during which he tested some of the world’s most expensive auto exotica. In an interview with Crash.net, he talks about what it was like...
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Russian carjackers use naked girls to distract driversA group of imaginative thieves in Moscow came up with a novel idea to steal cars by distracting the drivers with naked women. Before you think this has no chance of working, the Russian car jackers were able to steal 4 luxury vehicles plus 10 stereos in 15 minutes. The girls would stand completely...
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TVR, famous for building crazy sports cars with no driver aids, will keep manufacturing cars in Blackpool, England. TVR bosses are still dealing with union chiefs, but we can confirm that the company...
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Studiotorino’s Cayman-based RK CoupeOne of the problems with many of the Euro-tuners is that their cars are often considered gaudy because of the huge wheels and overcreative bodykits. Sure, they may go like stink, but there’s not a whole lot of class to it. That’s why we really like the work done by Italian based Studio...
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Move over Prius, Iran's building its own hybridIran’s largest auto manufacturer, Khodro, is well underway developing a hybrid petrol-electric vehicle in an attempt to reduce emission levels for cars in that region. Spurred on by the Iran government, Khodro plans to manufacture around 100,000 vehicles based on a number of existing models...
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MG to create five modelsIn a recent interview, head of MG Cars’ North American and European division, Duke T. Hale, has confirmed that the reformed MG group now owned by China’s Nanjing Automotive Corporation, is returning to the US with bold plans to manufacture cars in Oklahoma. Major details such as the...
Ralph Hanson -
NYPD cops get ChargedPolice in New York are about to get their hands on a small fleet of 15, new 2006 Dodge Chargers. The promotion was setup to deter offenders from trying to outrun the police in deadly car chases and not only does the new Charger out accelerate and outrun the old Ford Crown Victorias and Chevrolet...
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Custom Pininfarina designed 612 Scaglietti 'K'It seems the boys and girls over at Pininfarina are as busy as ever. Their latest creation is a one-off, customised 612 Scaglietti built for billionaire auto enthusiast Peter S Kalikow. Adopting a “K” designation in its title, the new Ferrari was designed with the intention of retaining...
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Motorists are now able to try an updated version of Fiat and Microsoft’s combined efforts in the world of automotive technology in the new Grande Punto. Don’t worry. This doesn’t... -
Charting the changes for F1 in 2008Confirmed at a meeting between representatives from the Grand Prix Manufacturers Association (GPMA) and FIA rep, Max Mosley, are the changes that are to occur for the 2008 Formula One season, and lays the groundwork for regulation changes for 2009 and beyond. Of most significance is a stop in...
Ralph Hanson -
Shelby GT-H Mustang, now not just for rentalFord’s plan to develop a retail version of the GT-H Hertz Mustang has been confirmed. The original car which had limited availability as a rental, will be converted to a full production model complete with the 325hp (243kW) V8 engine. The new version of the Mustang will carry the Shelby GT...
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Get Ready For Chevrolet’s New CamaroGeneral Motors Company [NYSE:GM] head-honcho Rick Wagoner will officially announce production plans for the new Camaro in a speech on Thursday taking place in Traverse City, Michigan. With the amount of public support as well as a new Challenger from Dodge and the current star-seller, Ford’s...
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Revealed: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado And GMC SierraWe now have the official photos of the new 2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. These trucks represent two of General Motors Company’s [NYSE:GM] most important vehicles, and are the figure of GM’s confidence that rising fuel costs will NOT deter buyers from such vehicles. The new...
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A gold Porsche worthy of Auric GoldfingerFrom Germany’s city of gold, Pforzheim, comes the first ever gold Porsche. The creation of small company by the name of Visualis, the golden Porsche was gilded out of 22 carat beaten gold at the hands of artists rather than factory workers. The car of choice was a Boxster (since it's...
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German tuning house BRABUS has built one of the most powerful Mercs ever by modifying a SL600's V12 engine to generate 730hp (537kW). Performance is stunning - 0–100 km/h in 4.0 seconds and 200... -
Audi RS = Really SoonAudi is about to embark on an all-out performance onslaught with the release of an entire range of new RS models. RS is Audi’s performance arm, similar to the M division of BMW. Manufactured by Audi’s quattro GmbH subsidiary, the RS series of vehicles are some of the fastest performance...
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Yet another 100+ MPG sports carWho would have thought a car developed for racing would be able to achieve a fuel efficiency of 131 miles per gallon? A slightly modified version of the Caterham Seven Roadsport, a lightweight sports car based on an original Lotus design, achieved this astonishing result at a recent Eco-car event...
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2008 Audi R8 spy shotsAudi’s entrance in to the burgeoning supercar market is the R8, a two-seater coupe with a V-10 engine and a 0-62 mph time of around 4 seconds. It’ll be built by Audi subsidiary Quattro and will go on sale next year for upwards of $200,000. The R8 is based heavily on the Le Mans quattro...
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What to drive when you’re singleAh, the single life, you may get lonely but at least you have the freedom to go out and buy whatever car you want without having to consult the significant other. The people over at Forbes.com have put together their annual list of cars that they feel best suits the single life. What kind of cars...
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Preview: BMW’s Z2 CoupeBMW is working on a new model to enter its lineup, which will sit in between the 1- and 3-Series. The sketch shows what the car may look like in coupe form, but there’s also a rumor that there might be a roadster version. The car is expected to go on sale in 2009 and may even come with a hot...
Ralph Hanson