Is this the 2012 Ford Explorer? *UPDATE

Filed under: Crossover, Ford

We're going to go out on a limb and say... maybe. Judging by the recent teasers and previous spy shots, this single image of the 2012 Ford Explorer appears to be the real deal. And we like what we see.

Although the futuristic lines of the Explorer America Concept have been considerably toned down, the new crossover is notably more svelte than its predecessors. The exterior styling is more an amalgamation of current FoMoCo design cues, specifically the Edge-like headlamps and de-chromed tri-bar grille. The contouring on the front bumper is an interesting touch and the darkened A-pillars do their best wrap-around windshield impression.

If all goes according to plan, the all-new Explorer should arrive early next year, riding on a Flex/Taurus-based unibody platform with EcoBoost power being sent to either the front or all four wheels.

UPDATE: As some of you have pointed out in the comments, the Explorer rendering above looks remarkably similar to one of the spy shots in our gallery below. A little bit of digging returned this rendering on CarAdvice.com.au by artist Joshua Byrnes. Mystery solved.



[Source: TheMustangSource]

Is this the 2012 Ford Explorer? *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mercury’s demise coming at 3 PM EST *UPDATE

Filed under: Ford, Mercury

We're a few minutes away from hopping onto Ford's monthly sales call, but according to the Detroit News, the Blue Oval has called a press conference at 3 PM EST that could announce the demise of the Mercury division. Full report to come as soon as we hear more...

FULL DETAILS HERE

[Source: Detroit News]

Report: Mercury's demise coming at 3 PM EST *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford custom vinyl graphics now available for F-150, Mustang

Filed under: Aftermarket, Ford

With the launch of the 2011 Fiesta, Ford's put an emphasis on customization, primarily in the form of interior amenities and infotainment. But as we learned during our First Drive, the range of modifications won't be limited to the inside - Ford's making exterior graphics packages available for its new B-segment player, and the Fiesta won't be the only model from the Blue Oval to don custom vinyl.

Ford's added the Mustang and F-150 to the range of vehicles you can coat in a custom wrap, with over 50 available designs ranging from the predictable flames and matte black racing stripes to the decidedly more feminine flowers and bubbles.

If you click on over to FordCustomGraphics.com you can start creating your own 3M Scotchprint wraps, and within the next few months the entire Ford line-up can be had with multi-colored vinyl to suit every available taste. So if your black-on-white Flex isn't standing out from the crowd at the soccer field, you can add a smattering of camo and a dash of "faux diamond plate aluminum look" to spruce things up. All of it will be available at a fraction of the cost of a custom paint job and will carry a three-year/36,000-mile warranty when it's installed by a certified Ford dealership. Hit the jump for the details and check out the gallery below for a few designs.

Continue reading Ford custom vinyl graphics now available for F-150, Mustang

Ford custom vinyl graphics now available for F-150, Mustang originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost V6

Filed under: Spy Photos, Truck, Ford

The 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost is one of the worst kept secrets out of Dearborn, and the crew at PickupTrucks.com have managed to snag some of the first shots of a SuperCab FX4 model undergoing testing.

While the changes to the exterior don't divulge much, the cut in the lower air dam clearly shows an intercooler mounted in front of the radiator.

The direct-injected, turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 is rumored to be rated at around 400 horsepower and more than 400 pound-feet of torque, enough to keep up with the standard 6.2-liter V8's 411 hp and 434 lb.-ft. of twist, while returning fuel economy somewhere in the range of 23 mpg on the highway.

Sales are expected to begin later this year or in early 2011, and it's safe to assume that the EcoBoosted F-150 will carry a slight price premium over its V8-powered counterpart.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Spy Shots: 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost V6 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 May 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford’s cloud-computing future starts with students [w/video]

Filed under: Technology, Ford

If you're even marginally interested in mobile technology, you know the future is in the cloud. Remote servers store your data, allowing you to access everything from contacts to music from a range of devices. That technology has largely been limited to mobile phones and PCs, but Ford's pioneering a new system that's set to connect the cloud to your car.

Six teams of students enrolled in Cloud Computing in the Commute at the University of Michigan have partnered with Ford's Research and Advanced Engineering program to develop a handful of applications utilizing real-time vehicle data, GPS and social networking to create a connected in-car experience like no other.

The software, dubbed "Fiestaware" and built atop Windows 7 and Microsoft's Robotics Developer Studio, allowed the teams to create services and software that utilize the vehicle's on-board internet connection to deliver a variety of information to the driver.

Each team created an app they felt would best utilize the available services, and the programs included everything from a real-time fuel consumption tool to traffic alerts and point-of-interest sharing. All the programs were tested and honed by Ford's user interface engineers, and a panel judges from FoMoCo, U-M and Microsoft picked one app as the winner.

Caravan Track (pictured above) allows drivers to set a route on a website, track participating vehicles and send the driver hazard notifications, along with a host of other information. The team that created the program will get to test out their app on the road when they depart from Ann Arbor, MI on May 14th and drive cross-country to the Maker Faire in San Mateo, CA in a kitted-out Fiesta.

Judging by the pace of development and Ford's continued innovations in the infotainment space, expect similar cloud-based services to be included in future Blue Oval products. A data-over-voice system will be available on the 2011 Fiesta and upgrades to the SYNC system are sure to make connectivity even easier going forward. Get all the details on the system, the teams and their creations, along with a video, after the jump.

Continue reading Ford's cloud-computing future starts with students [w/video]

Ford's cloud-computing future starts with students [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 May 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So it begins, again: Ford reveals DUB Edition 2011 Mustang V6

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Coupe, Ford, Specialty

Limited edition Mustangs were all-too-common with the last generation pony car, and Ford has teamed up with DUB magazine and Roush Industries to get the party restarted with the 2011 model.

Based exclusively on the 305-hp V6 'Stang, the DUB Edition is available in coupe, convertible or glass-roof variants, and comes equipped with a Roush front fascia and splitter, quarter window covers, windshield banner, stripe package and a black interior with the DUB logo embroidered into the headrests.

Fittingly for a Mustang fettled by the lifestyle pub, the DUB edition rolls on 20-inch TIS wheels wrapped in Pirelli rubber, with Roush lowering springs dropping the Mustang for a more aggressive stance. Although the engine remains stock, a 3.31 rear axle is fitted out back to provide, in Ford's words, more "spirited acceleration."

Sales of the DUB Edition will begin this fall, with either an automatic or six-speed manual gearbox, and a choice of four exterior colors: Black, Grabber Blue, Ingot Silver or Race Red. Make the jump for all the details.

Continue reading So it begins, again: Ford reveals DUB Edition 2011 Mustang V6

So it begins, again: Ford reveals DUB Edition 2011 Mustang V6 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 May 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford UK gets new tarted-up Fiesta S1600

Filed under: Hatchback, Ford, UK

Having driven the 2011 Ford Fiesta on more than one occasion, if there's anything it doesn't lack, it's flash. However, Ford's UK arm saw fit to imbue the standard three-door model (which we won't get a crack at in the States) with a new body kit, 17-inch matching white wheels and contrasting stripes. Combined with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, new handbrake cover, gear knob and "Motorsport-branded" floor mats, it all adds up to create the Fiesta S1600. What? You were expecting the ST already?

Although the 1.6-liter four-pot remains the same, as we noted in today's First Drive, the Fiesta could use a bit more oomph in the horsepower department, and to that end, UK consumers can order their S1600 with the Ford-approved Mountune engine upgrade which boosts output another 20 hp, dropping the Fiesta's 0-60 mph time by two seconds.

Ford's limiting the S1600 to 650 examples, available now from dealers for £16,645. Or, you can just wait for the ST to really exploit the Fiesta's exceptionally competent chassis and suspension. Make the jump for the details.

Continue reading Ford UK gets new tarted-up Fiesta S1600

Ford UK gets new tarted-up Fiesta S1600 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta aims to be the new subcompact king [w/video]

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Hatchback, Ford, First Drive

With over 750,000 Fiestas floating around Europe and a highly-successful social media campaign (if one can quantify such a thing) under its belt, the 2011 Ford Fiesta is nothing if not overexposed. And we've driven it. Thrice. So is there really anything left to learn?

As a matter of fact, yes.

The Fiestas we've sampled over the last year have all been European-spec models, which had us constantly questioning whether Ford would neuter its soon-to-be least expensive offering on its way to U.S. shores. After two days of fruitful flogging on the roads surrounding San Francisco, those concerns have largely been laid to rest. However, like any inexpensive conveyance, it's all about compromise. But Ford has managed to restore some balance to the B-segment while putting the rest of the subcompact class on notice.



Photos by Damon Lavrinc / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta aims to be the new subcompact king [w/video]

First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta aims to be the new subcompact king [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ken Block’s Gymkhana Three Ford Fiesta revealed

Filed under: Aftermarket, Ford, Specialty, Racing

When Ken Block switched alliances earlier this year - ditching his Subaru Impreza WRX STI for a a rallified 2011 Ford Fiesta - there was no doubt in anyone's mind that an all-new Gymkhana variant was right around the corner. Tonight in San Francisco, we finally got an eyeful of Block's new ride, and as you'd suspect, it's meaner, wider and ridiculously more powerful than its predecessor.

The Gymkhana Three Fiesta was built by the same team that produced his Monster World Rally Team hatch, and includes a boosted 2.0-liter four-pot capable of 850 horsepower (de-tuned with a restrictor plate to output 650 hp in the name of tractability) and 660 pound-feet of torque. Partnered with a Olsbergs Motorsport-developed MSE Maktrak six-speed sequential transmission and powering all four wheels, the new Gymkhana contender will hit 60 mph in two seconds flat and according to Block, can "handle loose, while still providing complete control."

We plan to grill Block about his plans this evening, but in the meantime, make the jump for the official details and check out the teaser from earlier today.

Continue reading Ken Block's Gymkhana Three Ford Fiesta revealed

Ken Block's Gymkhana Three Ford Fiesta revealed originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 01:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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