Ford previews 2012 B-Max MPV ahead of Geneva debut
Filed under: Minivan/Van, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Ford, Design/Style
You've seen the S-Max. You've seen the C-Max. Now get ready for the B-Max.
The latest European-focused mini minivan from Ford was previewed in concept form at last year's Geneva Motor Show, but has now been confirmed for production release at the 2012 edition of the same expo this March. Based on the Fiesta (the C-Max is based on the Focus), the new B-Max will arrive into a highly competitive segment overseas, so it will need to offer some alluring features to make its mark.
The edgy design should help, but the party piece for this diminutive people carrier is that it has no B-pillars. And we don't mean that the windows have no frame: we mean the entire pillars are incorporated into the doors themselves, so that when you open the doors there's no encumbrance to loading and unloading of passengers and cargo alike.
Motivation is provided by a 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine, with Duratorq diesels also on offer. After its unveiling in Geneva, the new B-Max will go on sale at dealers across Europe later this year. Follow the jump for the full press release and click the thumbnails below to view the pair of images released thus far in high resolution.
Continue reading Ford previews 2012 B-Max MPV ahead of Geneva debut
Ford previews 2012 B-Max MPV ahead of Geneva debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord reveals fresh new face for its 2013 Fusion NASCAR racer
Filed under: Ford, Design/Style, Racing
Win on Sunday, sell on Monday. It's a marketing motto nearly as old as racing itself, but while today's NASCAR stock cars may have about as much in common with the cars they represent as a Halloween superhero costume from Walmart will actually give your kid superpowers, NASCAR remains the biggest spectator sport in America. So you can imagine that participating automakers would think themselves foolish to pass up the opportunity to make the connection in fans' eyes to cars they can actually buy at their local dealership.
That's why the "stock cars" packing Chevrolet engines carry the name and tacked-on fascia of the Impala SS, Dodge racers that of the Charger, while Toyota models are made to look like the Camry and Ford makes its racers resemble the Fusion. The Blue Oval has gone with the Fusion since 2006, but before that it was the Taurus, and for the better part of two decades prior, the Thunderbird. Now that Ford has released a radically redone Fusion, however, it has updated its NASCAR racer to reflect its new look.
Unveiled today at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the 2013 Ford Fusion NASCAR Sprint Cup car is the product of a year's worth of design and aerodynamics work, and it's intended to bridge the widening gap between production and race car. It will undergo what you can bet will be rigorous testing throughout this year in preparation for its race debut at the Daytona 500 in February 2013, but you can check it out now in our high-res image gallery and the pair of press releases after the jump.
Continue reading Ford reveals fresh new face for its 2013 Fusion NASCAR racer
Ford reveals fresh new face for its 2013 Fusion NASCAR racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2001 Ford F-150 Lightning Rod Concept up for grabs at RM Auctions
Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Concept Cars, Performance, Truck, Auctions, Ford
We can't tell you how many times we've each been asked about concept cars, "Why can't I buy one of those?" Well you can. Not often, mind you, and not cheaply. But every once in a while, one of those glitzy concepts you see on a show stand comes up for sale. And now, it's time to grab your checkbooks.
The show car (or truck, to be precise) you see here was the centerpiece of the Ford display at the 2001 Chicago Auto Show. Dubbed the F-150 Lightning Rod, it takes the formula employed by the SVT Lightning to a more stylized extent, with a chopped roofline and raked windshield, flush-fitted neon head- and tail-lights, and a minimalist interior. The whole package is finished in metallic red with a tribal tattoo motif. A 5.4-liter SOHC V8 sat under the hood, mated to a four-speed automatic. The 21-inch aluminum wheels wear tires whose tread is cut to match the tattoo pattern.
This unique concept truck is expected to fetch around $50,000 when it crosses the block at the RM Auctions event in Arizona next week, but while it's in proper running condition, it isn't certified to drive on public streets. Check it out the listing after the jump and browse the attached photo gallery.
Continue reading 2001 Ford F-150 Lightning Rod Concept up for grabs at RM Auctions
2001 Ford F-150 Lightning Rod Concept up for grabs at RM Auctions originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord gears up with new Fiesta RS WRC livery
Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Ford, Misc. Auto Shows, Racing
Teams come and teams go from the World Rally Championship. But while this season will see the arrival of Volkswagen and Mini on the WRC stage as newcomers, one perennial challenger that will return is Ford.
Having replaced the long-serving Focus RS last season, Ford will carry on with the new Fiesta RS for another crack at the title it narrowly lost once again to Citroën last season. No fewer than twelve examples will be on the stage this season, but only two will be fielded by the factory-backed Ford World Rally Team, which has just revealed their new livery for the upcoming season at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, England.
Castrol returns once again as the main sponsor, its logo dominating the new color scheme which will be sported by returning five-time rally winner Jari-Matti Latvala (with co-driver Miika Anttila) and former champion Petter Solberg (with Chris Patterson). The latter replaces perennial runner-up Mikko Hirvonen, who left for Citroën this season. Check out the new livery in the high-res image gallery and the press release after the jump.
Continue reading Ford gears up with new Fiesta RS WRC livery
Ford gears up with new Fiesta RS WRC livery originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord GT designer takes his creation to artful zenith
Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Ford, Design/Style
Remember this chromed Buick Regal? At the time of publication, we said there were some cars that looked better in chrome than others, and this is what we had in mind.
A specialist aftermarket firm called GT Guy LLC solicited the talents of Camilo Pardo - the designer of the Ford GT - to create the one-of-a-kind supercar you see here. To create Merkury 4, the team started with a solid red Ford GT and gave it a Mirrachrome paint job with a black-bordered fluorescent orange stripe. Then they tweaked the supercharger to deliver a whopping 725 horsepower to the rear wheel. They painted the valve covers, smoothed out the clamshell intakes behind the doors, fitted ceramic-coated pipes, bolted on a fresh set of HRE wheels wearing Michelin rubber and more.
The result, as you can see from the photos in the gallery, is quite stunning - as if the stock Ford GT wasn't already a looker on its own.
Ford GT designer takes his creation to artful zenith originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsKen Block revisits Twin Peaks to test his Fiesta on gravel
Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Ford, Celebrities
You know you want another one of Ken Block's trademark hoonage videos, don't you? Of course you do. And so we're glad to oblige. But, Ken Block being Ken Block, "just another" video wouldn't do. No, he and his crew at the Monster World Rally Team have to make each episode count. And that requires a certain measure of creativity.
For this latest three-minute clip, Block and company headed to the Dirtfish Rally School in Snoqualmie Falls, Washington. That may not mean anything to you now, but do you remember Twin Peaks? Dirtfish is based in the very same location where the popular early-90s TV show was shot. Block and his team headed there to test out the new Ford Fiesta HFHV on gravel for the first time, and were kind enough to bring along a video crew to, um... "document" the process. Follow the jump to go fire walking with Block and crew.
Continue reading Ken Block revisits Twin Peaks to test his Fiesta on gravel
Ken Block revisits Twin Peaks to test his Fiesta on gravel originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord prices turnkey Focus ST-R racer at $98,995
Filed under: Hatchback, Ford, Racing
There aren't many American cars that approach $100,000. As excited as they were by the ZR1's performance figures, Corvette enthusiasts balked at how a 'Vette could cost so much. After steadily climbing since its announcement a few years ago, the Fisker Karma's base price just breached the $100k mark. And of course the Ferrari-slaying Ford GT went for a good $150k if you could get your hands on one, and was probably worth even more. But a Focus? You've got to be kidding, right?
No, we're not kidding, but this also isn't the same Focus filling shopping mall parking lots and rental fleets across America and around the world, either. This is the Focus ST-R, the turn-key racing car launched by Ford Racing back in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It packs a competition-spec 2.0 EcoBoost four, a full FIA-certified roll cage, racing brakes and a track-tuned suspension.
In short, it's all but completely ready to tackle any of a variety of touring car series the world over, from Grand-Am ST and SCCA World Challenge TC to the World Touring Car Championship and similar local series around the world. So while the reported $98,995 sticker price may seem like a lot for a Focus, it may be the turn-key bargain of the tin-top racing world.
Ford prices turnkey Focus ST-R racer at $98,995 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFinal Ford Ranger to be built mid-month, already sold to Orkin
Filed under: Truck, Work, Ford
The Ranger pickup has been an integral part of the Ford truck lineup for decades. But later this month, that will cease to be - at least here in the States. That's when the very last Ranger will roll off the assembly line in St. Paul, Minnesota. And what do you know, it's already found a buyer.
The last Ranger has been sold to Orkin, the pest control company that already relies on fleets of white Rangers (and Chevrolet Colorado pickups) with the red diamond logo on the door and all manner of insecticides and other tools of the trade in the back.
"Since 1983, Orkin has used the Ford Ranger as its primary fleet vehicle because it's a reliable and economical truck," Paul Youngpeter, Director of Fleet for Rollins, Inc. (Orkin's parent company) tells Autoblog. "We're honored that Ford has agreed that we will get the last Ranger, and we'll put into our regular service rotation before it's retired to our corporate archives or used for training."
Orkin says they've got enough Rangers to last them for now, and that the company will pick a successor when the time comes. For our part, it seems only fitting to us that a terminated model should be used by exterminators, but one way or another, at least the final Ranger will be put to good use.
Final Ford Ranger to be built mid-month, already sold to Orkin originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord denies starting search for Mulally successor
Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford
There's little question that bringing Alan Mulally on board at Ford was the smartest move the company made in decades, nor is there much debate that credit for the company's salvation is largely due to his office. But could his number be up?
Having joined Ford in 2006 as an outsider from aerospace giant Boeing, Mulally (pictured above, left) has been on the job for over five years now. And while he's showing no signs of slowing down, sources indicate he is unlikely to stay on the job beyond another year or two.
The question, then, is who might replace him. Citing internal sources, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Ford has begun putting together a short-list with four candidates: two internal and two external. However, TheDetroitBureau.com has offered a rebuttal saying that the Blue Oval denies beginning such a search.
Either way, at some point, a search will need to begin. Mulally's case notwithstanding, cases of successful hires from outside the business to the top of a major automaker like Ford have been few and far between, but the company could be forced by shareholders to consider outside candidates as well as internal promotions.
The list, according to the WSJ, currently includes Mark Fields (pictured above at right), currently Ford's President of the Americas; Joe Hinrichs (second from right), head of Ford's Asian operations; John Krafcik, a former Ford engineer who now runs Hyundai in America; and Phil Martens, Ford's former product development chief who now runs aluminum manufacturer Novelis.
Again, for its part, Ford denies that it has begun searching for Mulally's successor, but prudent management could very well dictate that it must begin looking - whether the much-lauded executive is ready to retire or not.
Ford denies starting search for Mulally successor originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2013 Ford Mustang redefines "badge engineering" with logo projector
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Technology, Ford, Design/Style
Most car marques can be easily recognized by their emblems. But some model lines have their own emblems, too. The Mustang stands out as a clear example, and now Ford is projecting that image even further. And we mean that quite literally.
For the new 2013 Mustang, Ford has fitted a tiny projector lamp into the side mirror that casts the shape of the galloping horse logo onto the ground beside the vehicle when the driver unlocks the doors. This illuminated "Easter egg" seems simple enough, but apparently it took Dearborn's engineers quite a while to get it just right, going through six or seven designs before managing to get it to work.
The result was apparently so captivating that it shut down Ford's Flat Rock assembly line when one of the auto workers hit the button and everyone came to look. We'll be interested to see it for ourselves when we get our hands on the new model. It might be purely aesthetic and almost entirely without function, but something tells us this could be one of those new gimmicks - like, say, illuminated sill plates or ambient cabin lighting - that we may see proliferating across the industry.
2013 Ford Mustang redefines "badge engineering" with logo projector originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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