Ford 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.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVBH thrashes Ford Mustang Boss 302 at Le Mans for Fifth Gear
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, Ford, UK
Just a few days ago, we brought you footage of Fifth Gear hostess Vicki Butler-Henderson flogging the Ferrari 458 Spider along the hills outside Maranello. Epic, to be sure, but is Ferrari the only show in town? Of course not.
Many have challenged the legendary Italian marque over the years, but among the proudest moments - for Americans, at least - was when Ford, still reeling from a snubbed takeover deal with old man Enzo himself, took to Le Mans to take on Ferrari.
The showdown went down in the books as one of the most grueling battles in motorsport history. And now Vicki has relived the experience by taking one of Ford's latest performance machines - the Mustang Boss 302 - down to La Sarthe to take on a few Prancing Horses of her own. She may cite some tired chapter and verse from The Standard List of British Complaints About American Cars, but Butler-Henderson still seems to enjoy herself a great deal. Follow the jump to watch the segment.
Continue reading VBH thrashes Ford Mustang Boss 302 at Le Mans for Fifth Gear
VBH thrashes Ford Mustang Boss 302 at Le Mans for Fifth Gear originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAutomobile names its 2012 All-Stars
Filed under: Coupe, Minivan/Van, Crossover, Hatchback, Audi, BMW, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Land Rover, Porsche, Volkswagen, Ferrari
'Tis the season, boys and girls. Sure, the holidays are around the corner, but with the end of the year in sight, it's time for every magazine and its sister (publication) to choose its favorite car(s) for the year. And the latest to do so is Automobile magazine.
The venerable glossy book has already announced its 2012 Automobile of the Year, the Audi A7, along with its Man of the Year (Kia design chief Peter Schreyer), Technology of the Year (the trifecta of turbocharging, direct injection and variable valve timing) and Design of the Year (Fisker Karma). But now Automobile has revealed its ten favorite cars for the annual All-Star list.
The final list represents an eclectic cross-section of American, European and Asian vehicles - all available in the U.S., naturally - including the:
- Audi TT RS
- BMW 3 Series
- Dodge Charger
- Ferrari 458 Italia/Spider
- Ford Focus
- Ford Mustang Boss 302
- Honda Odyssey
- Porsche Boxster & Cayman
- Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
- Volkswagen Golf TDI & GTI
Continue reading Automobile names its 2012 All-Stars
Automobile names its 2012 All-Stars originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Police Interceptor vehicles pacing NASCAR races in Miami
Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, SUV, Ford, Police/Emergency
Oh, how far things have come. NASCAR, as you may have heard, traces its roots back to moonshiners trying to outrun police cars. Now it'll be the stock cars chasing after the police when NASCAR rounds out the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The vehicles in question are Ford's latest "purpose-built" Police Interceptors - the Taurus-based sedan and Explorer-based utility - which Dearborn rolled out last year to replace the old-school Crown Victoria-based squad cars patrolling America's highways and city streets. The pair have been selected, much to the anticipated delight of race-loving cops, to serve as the pace cars for the upcoming Ford Championship Weekend, where all three of NASCAR's major series - Camping World trucks, Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup - wrap up their seasons.
It's not the first time, of course, that Fords have been used as pace cars in NASCAR - far from it - but while the Focus, Explorer, Fusion Hybrid and Mustang GT have all taken their turn recently as what they'd call "safety cars" overseas, this is the first time in the many years of leading the field in law enforcement vehicles that Ford will use its cop cars for the task.
Continue reading Ford Police Interceptor vehicles pacing NASCAR races in Miami
Ford Police Interceptor vehicles pacing NASCAR races in Miami originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsWinners of second annual SEMA Awards announced
Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Chevrolet, Ford, Jeep, Fiat
The suspensions are lowered, the dubs are mounted and the votes are tabulated: with the SEMA show in full swing, organizers have announced their top pics for the show.
Rather than name the top tuned cars, the SEMA Awards name the best cars for tuning, in several categories. And so, the winners of the second annual SEMA Awards are...
The hottest car overall is awarded to the Chevrolet Camaro (like the Hot Wheels concept pictured above), the hottest sport-compact is the Fiat 500, the hottest SUV goes to the Jeep Wrangler, and the hottest truck has been named as the Ford F-Series.
All the award recipients are domestics, save for the Fiat 500, and even that is effectively a Chrysler product made in Mexico. So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Now crack open your aftermarket parts catalogs and have at 'em.
Winners of second annual SEMA Awards announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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