Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Work, Ford, Police/Emergency

Earlier today, Ford unveiled its next generation Police Interceptor (they'd rather you not call it a Taurus) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway before a group of police agency fleet buyers. The event was webcast live, but you can now watch a replay as Ford president Mark Fields and vehicle line director Scott Tobin explain the process of developing the new cruiser and how it differs from a civilian Taurus.

The Dodge Charger has been stomping all over the Crown Vic and Impala in recent years during the annual Michigan State Police vehicle test, but that process could end this year when the new Taurus Police Interceptor hits the track. The 365-horsepower Ecoboost-powered Interceptor should be right up there with the Dodge and may well provide better fuel economy to boot.

Ford isn't talking price yet for the new cop cars, but it aims to make it competitive with the rest of the class, and a claimed 25-percent boost in fuel economy compared to Crown Vic should help ease the pain of transitioning. Check out the video after the jump.



[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor

Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled, second utility model announced

Filed under: Sedan, Ford, Specialty

The Ford Crown Victoria has been the chariot of choice (well necessity really) for police officers and cabbies all over America since the demise of its numero uno competitor, the Chevrolet Caprice, back in the mid-'90s. The Crown Vic and its ancestors have been around with a minimum of mechanical changes since roughly the same time as the Model T, or at least it seems that way. However, in recent years the Crown Vic has been increasingly challenged by the Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Impala. Even more troubling for Ford is the impending arrival of a new rear-wheel-drive drive police car from Chevrolet based on the departed Pontiac G8.

At a private fleet sales event in Las Vegas today, Ford finally took the wraps off a new generation Police Interceptor model based on the 2010 Taurus. The new car has big shoes to fill as the Crown Vic has accounted for 70 percent of all police vehicle sales over the past five years. Read on for more on the new Police Interceptor.



[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled, second utility model announced

Officially Official: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled, second utility model announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: First images of Ford’s new Taurus-based Police Interceptor revealed!

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Ford, Specialty

Later today, Ford will officially unveil its new Police Interceptor at a private fleet sales event in Las Vegas, but the first images of the new vehicle were posted this morning on the company's website. As has been rumored for some time, Ford will be adapting the Taurus to take over for the aged Crown Victoria, which is finally being euthanized in September 2011.

At this point, we don't have any mechanical details on the new cop car. We wouldn't be surprised if Ford offers the Interceptor in two forms: a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 version with front-wheel drive could serve for all those local applications like liaison officers, supervisors, etc. where extra performance is not needed. The true Interceptors for highway patrol applications will probably use the SHO powertrain with the 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 and all-wheel drive.

This twin-turbo cop car would provide the first real performance challenge to the increasingly popular Dodge Charger while likely getting much better fuel economy (not to mention GM's upcoming V8-powered, RWD, Zeta-based cruiser), and we presume that the Blue Oval will field the new units with the obligatory upgrades, including a more robust suspension, cooling system, electrical system and, hopefully, brakes. We should have all the answers for you around lunch time.



[Source: Ford]

BREAKING: First images of Ford's new Taurus-based Police Interceptor revealed! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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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