Rendered Speculation: Ford Taurus SHO wagon is the apple of our eye

Filed under: Performance, Wagon, Ford, Design/Style

Many of us who sit around the Autoblog campfire every day are fans of station wagons. We love cars and love the idea of having some extra utility without giving up the generally superior driving dynamics of cars versus SUVs or crossovers. We also like the idea - if not necessarily the execution - of the Ford Taurus SHO.

Being aware of that fact, one of our readers put his Photoshop skills to work and created the rendering you see here of a SHO wagon. Ford, of course, has never officially built an official SHO wagon - either with the current model or with its predecessors. Naturally, there have been some aftermarket and homebuilt conversions over the years, and even at least one that we know of that was built inside Dearborn.

Of course, building a wagon off of previous models was substantially easier because Ford actually marketed a wagon bodystyle in the first couple of Taurus iterations. Not so with today's massive-yet-handsome sedan. Judging by reader Josiah's rendering above, that's a real shame, because the 2010 Taurus could really put some of its continental bulk to good load-lugging effect with an estate variant. Unfortunately, we'll likely never see anything like this slick wagon produced. The closest we figure to get is an Ecoboost Flex, which isn't exactly a bad alternative. Thanks for the great rendering, Josiah!

[Source: JosiahLacolla.com]

Rendered Speculation: Ford Taurus SHO wagon is the apple of our eye originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who says Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers don’t race each other?

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford

Last week in The Wall Street Journal, writer Ben Austen publised an article in which he ruminates on why no one appears to be racing the Detroit Three's neo-muscle offerings - the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger. That the piece succeeds overwhelmingly at, however, is highlighting the myopia of America's mainstream press when it comes to motorsports. Many people in media seem to be completely unaware that there are forms of automotive competition other than NASCAR, because the cars the WSJ article focuses on most assuredly are involved in active competition.

NASCAR may be the big dog in terms of the number of races, sponsor participation, and even people at the track. But by no means is anything about modern stock car racing in any way relevant. A more important question might be why automakers continue pour hundreds of millions of dollars into NASCAR every year, but we'll leave that for another day.

All three of the current crop of pony cars compete in a wide variety of racing, from drags to ovals and road courses. Ford in particular has offered turnkey Mustang race cars for several years, and they've been very successful in a number of classes, including the NASCAR-owned Grand-Am series. In fact, fans watching the 2010 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will see Mustangs, Camaros, and at least one Dodge Challenger slugging it out on a regular basis.

Pratt & Miller racing currently runs a program in which it converts Grand-Am Pontiac GXP.Rs to Camaro bodies. Dodge Challengers can be found at many drag strips (along with innumerable Mustangs and Camaros). And let's not forget that NASCAR is running Challenger- and Mustang-branded stockers in a few Nationwide Series races this year as part of its own "Car of Tomorrow" program.

Admittedly, it would be nice to see a revival on the level of the old Trans Am series, with all three of these machines running in force, but journalists like Mr. Austen would do well to remove the NASCAR blinders before summarily dismissing the modern pony cars as being absent from today's racing scene. It's just not so.



[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Who says Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers don't race each other? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford to expand electric and hybrid offerings to Europe from 2011

Filed under: Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Technology, Ford, Electric

Ford has big plans for electrification of its fleet over the next decade, and while most of the emphasis has been on North America so far, Europe will be joining in on the party starting in 2011. Nancy Gioia has announced that between 2011 and 2013, Ford of Europe will get five new hybrid and battery electric models added to its lineup. About six to nine months after each of the new models rolls out in North America, they will be introduced in Europe.

Ford's first new battery-powered vehicle, the Transit Connect Electric goes on sale this fall in North America followed by a European launch in the middle of 2011. The battery powered van is just the beginning of Ford's global electrification plan. Read more about it after the jump.



Photos by Drew Phillips, Sebastian Blanco / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford to expand electric and hybrid offerings to Europe from 2011

Ford to expand electric and hybrid offerings to Europe from 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Ford Focus Wagon to be shown in Geneva

Filed under: Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Ford

With the debut of the 2012 Focus Wagon at the Geneva Motor Show, Ford has reached the halfway point in the roll-out of its new C-segment platform. When Ford first announced the new C-Max and Grand C-Max at the Frankfurt Motor Show last fall, it said the C platform would eventually spawn at least 10 different variants. The two MPVs were joined by the four- and five-door Focus at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The new station wagon is number five and we expect it to be joined by a three-door hatch and coupe-convertible in the coming months. Ford also revealed that a small SUV will join the C-segment lineup soon.

While the new wagon will likely be a popular configuration on the continent, there are currently no plans to make the estate available in North America. Frank Davis, executive director of North American product programs at Ford, told Autoblog that when a wagon was last offered as part of the U.S. Focus lineup, the market share never got over 14 percent and only hit four percent in the final year of availability.

Davis wouldn't rule out offering a wagon in the U.S. at some point if it were justified by market demand. Since Ford will be using common manufacturing processes for the new Focus globally and the lines are flexible, it would not be difficult to add production at the Michigan Assembly Plant where the North American Focus will be built. Davis emphasized that over 80 percent of the parts on the new Focus are common globally, considerably more than the 60 percent commonality on the new Fiesta.

Design-wise the new Focus wagon differs little from the sedan and five-door hatch. It is identical back to the B-pillars with only the extended roof-line and cargo area setting it apart. Ford has integrated the cargo rails into the roof in order to maintain the sleek looks of the latest iteration of its Kinetic design.

Inside the wagon gets the same up-scale interior shown in the sedan and hatch including the first European availability of the new MyFord Touch system as part of the latest generation of Sync technology. Unlike here in the U.S. where we will initially get only one 2.0-liter engine, Europeans will get a range of updated gas and diesel engines to choose from. Production of the Focus starts simultaneously late this year in Europe and the U.S.



[Source: Ford]

Continue reading 2012 Ford Focus Wagon to be shown in Geneva

2012 Ford Focus Wagon to be shown in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Euro-Fords first to get four-cylinder EcoBoost this summer

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Technology, Ford

Ford is expanding its EcoBoost engine strategy to Europe this summer with the introduction of 2.0-liter and 1.6-liter inline-four cylinder engines. The EcoBoost range of turbocharged and direct injected gasoline engines debuted last summer here in North America with the launch of the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 in the Ford Taurus SHO, Flex and Lincoln MKS and MKT.

Ford will debut refreshed versions of its S-Max and Galaxy minivans this summer, both of which will use the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine that will also be available in the updated Edge later this year. In the European van applications, the 2.0-liter will be rated at 200 horsepower, which is on the low end for an engine of this type and displacement. Power numbers for the four-cylinder turbo in U.S. applications haven't yet been announced but will likely be in the 230-240 hp range to match the current 3.0-liter V6 used in the Fusion and Escape.

The smaller C-Max and Grand C-Max will be the first vehicles to use a 1.6-liter EcoBoost when they go on sale in the fall. The 1.6-liter will be offered in two power levels, 148 hp and 177 hp. For now Ford is only committing to installing the 1.6-liter in the two MPV variants. However, when we got our first preview of the Focus models that debuted in Detroit, Ford officials acknowledged that an EcoBoost-powered Focus would eventually join the 2.0-liter normally aspirated engine in North America.

American enthusiasts hoping for a chance to buy Ford's raucous 300-hp Focus RS that launched in Europe last year won't be getting that particular car. However, Ford is confirming this week at the Geneva Motor Show that a global performance car based on the new Focus is definitely coming with EcoBoost power. When the Explorer America Concept was unveiled in Detroit two years ago, Ford also talked about a 275-hp 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, which would certainly be plenty in the Focus, especially if it stays front-wheel drive.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Euro-Fords first to get four-cylinder EcoBoost this summer

Euro-Fords first to get four-cylinder EcoBoost this summer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mark Fields tells dealers new compact Mercury is coming in 2011

Filed under: Ford, Lincoln, Mercury

At the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Orlando, FL on Sunday, Ford's President of the Americas Mark Fields announced the first new product for Mercury in several years. The fate of Ford's middle brand has been in doubt for over a decade as models like the Tracer, Sable and Cougar have been discontinued. In what's surely welcome news to Lincoln/Mercury dealers, Fields informed NADA that Mercury would get a new small car based on the new global compact platform that underpins the forthcoming 2012 Focus and Grand C-Max.

The new baby Mercury will be one of 10 different vehicles that come off that platform and it's expected that a small Lincoln based on the Concept C that debuted at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show will also join it. The Mercury Mountaineer is not expected to be replaced when the new Explorer debuts later this year, leaving Mercury with the Milan, Mariner and the new compact. Fields gave no other details about the new car, but it could be a version of one of the other European Focus models, such as the coupe-convertible or the smaller five-seat C-Max.



[Source: Reuters]

Report: Mark Fields tells dealers new compact Mercury is coming in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Ford Shelby GT500 finally gets aluminum engine, loses 120 pounds

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Ford

Ever since Ford introduced the modern Shelby GT500 four years ago, almost no one has complained about the prodigious power levels produced by its supercharged 5.4-liter V8. With as much as 540 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque in the 2010 model, there was no shortage of grunt. No, the issue was an excess of mass.

Before the contemporary GT500 was born, Ford had a blown aluminum block 5.4-liter V8 in the short lived GT supercar. However, when the engineers at Ford's Special Vehicle Team developed the GT500, they opted to mount the GT's cylinder heads on the cast iron block used in the big F-Series pickup trucks. After debuting a visual refresh for the Mustang a year ago, Ford has spent the last two months announcing fresh new powertrains for the base and GT models. That process has now come full circle with SVT rolling out a heart transplant for the Shelby GT500. The 2011 model finally has the aluminum powerplant we all wanted when it debuted, and the effect is absolutely en-lightening. Read on to find out more.




Live photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 finally gets aluminum engine, loses 120 pounds

2011 Ford Shelby GT500 finally gets aluminum engine, loses 120 pounds originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford releases two new crate engine options for racers

Filed under: Motorsports, Ford

Racers and project car builders have two fresh engine options to choose from in the Ford Racing parts catalog. Fans of the classic 302 cubic inch V8 and a lighter budget can opt for the 340 horsepower X302 crate engine. At $3,495, the X302 offers the classic cast iron block and aluminum cylinder heads mated with forged aluminum pistons and die cast aluminum valve covers.

Those in need of a bit more oomph can opt for the new 427 FE, based on the Boss 351 block with four-bolt main bearings carrying the forged steel crankshaft and rods. The block is topped with Ford Racing aluminum cylinder heads with 10.5:1 compression ratio, netting 535 hp and 545 lb-ft of torque and commanding $8,800. Both engines get the standard Ford Racing one year warranty. Press releases are after the jump.



[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford releases two new crate engine options for racers

Ford releases two new crate engine options for racers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford’s direct ethanol injected Bobcat engine not based on new 5.0L V8

Filed under: Technology, Ford

Last year we heard about a very interesting experimental engine that Ford was working on called the "Bobcat." The engine in question is a 5.0-liter V8 that features turbocharging and two independent fuel injection systems. The primary system utilizes traditional port injection to deliver gasoline to the cylinders, while the secondary system injects E85 directly into the combustion chambers. The idea was to create an engine that could match a diesel's power and torque figures for less money.

Now that Ford has officially revealed the new 5.0-liter V8 for the 2011 Mustang GT, we began wondering whether the new engine was the basis for the Bobcat. We had a chance to chat with Mike Harrison, the chief engineer on the 5.0-liter and the 6.2-liter truck V8, who told us that the 5.0-liter Bobcat was actually derived from the old 5.4-liter V8 currently used in the F-150 and the Shelby GT500.

For the Bobcat experimental engine, the longer-stroked 5.4 was used in combination with a smaller bore that provided thicker cylinder walls needed to withstand the high internal pressures of the boosted 750 pound-foot engine. According to Harrison, the Bobcat was part of a Department of Energy funded research project and there are no current plans for a production engine based on the technology. He also tells us that the extra cost of the dual injection systems and more robust block and heads negates much of the savings from not needing a diesel after-treatment system.

[Source: Ford]

Ford's direct ethanol injected Bobcat engine not based on new 5.0L V8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next-Gen Ford Focus unveiled! U.S. and Euro models finally united

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Budget, Sedan, Hatchback, Ford

As we begin 2010, it looks like the compact C-segment is shaping up to be one of the most highly competitve segments in the auto industry. The Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, VW Golf and Jetta, along with the new Chevrolet Cruze are fighting for the hearts, minds and dollars of the masses. And then there's the Ford Focus.

This week in Detroit, Ford is unwrapping an all-new Focus for the 2012 model year. When the original Focus debuted internationally in 1998 and then in the U.S. a year later, it was more or less a common design. The U.S. version, however, suffered from a series of manufacturing issues and recalls within its first year of sales. Meanwhile, the overseas model got a full redesign in 2004, but Americans kept the MK1 Focus until three years ago when it got an unfortunately awkward re-skin. This time around the new Focus is truly global and adopts the latest evolution of Ford's European "Kinetic" design language. Judging by our first exposure to the 2012 Focus, every other contender in the segment may have a real problem to deal with next year. Learn more about the new Focus after the jump.

Continue reading Next-Gen Ford Focus unveiled! U.S. and Euro models finally united

Next-Gen Ford Focus unveiled! U.S. and Euro models finally united originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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