Ford EcoSport urban CUV unveiled in China
Filed under: Budget, China, Crossover, Ford, Beijing Motor Show
Ford has unveiled the production version of its EcoSport crossover at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show. The small five-door utility should offer buyers plenty of functionality in a compact and efficient package thanks to a range of drivetrain configurations including a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder Ecoboost engine. The small-displacement engine is good for 118 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque, which should be more than enough to move the little machine around. All told, Ford says the EcoSport will see duty in over 100 world markets, though the CUV isn't expected to show up in our neck of the woods.
The EcoSport Titanium is currently on display in Beijing, complete with 16-inch wheels and a massive chrome grille. All models feature Ford Sync with voice control, while smart keyless entry and remote start are also available. As expected, the crossover also comes laden with safety tech, including dual front and side-curtain airbags.
The EcoSport will be a cornerstone of Ford's aggressive expansion into China that will see it roll out some 15 new models by 2015. In the CUV segment, Ford of China presently only sells the Edge, but it will add the EcoSport, Kuga (read: Escape) and Explorer to its showrooms as part of this initiative. Hit the jump for the full press release.
Continue reading Ford EcoSport urban CUV unveiled in China
Ford EcoSport urban CUV unveiled in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord introduces cargo van version of Transit Custom
Filed under: Minivan/Van, Europe, Work, Ford
European buyers now know what to expect from the Ford Transit Custom cargo van. The work version of the van bowed at the Birmingham Commercial Vehicle Show this week with the new exterior and more refined cabin that first appeared on the Ford Tourneo Custom passenger van.
Buyers outside of North America will be able to choose between a short wheelbase version with a total length of 16.3 feet or a long wheelbase configuration that spans 17.5 feet from stem to stern. Indoors, the van can deliver up to 212 cubic feet of cargo area, or three european pallets stacked three-feet high. In addition, the floor offers enough space between the wheel wells to accommodate a 4x8 sheet of material.
The Transit Custom isn't headed to the North American market, though, which begs the question: Why do we care? Ford is set to replace the aging E-Series with a different Transit van that's specific to our continent, though that vehicle will be based on the global Transit Custom we see here. According to Ford, our van will yield 25-percent better fuel economy than the current E-Series thanks to either the same Ecoboost 3.5-liter V6 currently found in the nose of the F-150 or a diesel powerplant. The North American Transit is also supposed to weigh in 300 pounds less than its predecessor.
Continue reading Ford introduces cargo van version of Transit Custom
Ford introduces cargo van version of Transit Custom originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsMustang Club of Poland inspires Mustang Club of Parana to make video
Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Ford, South America
It looks as if the Mustang Club of Poland has inspired its South American counterparts to get in on a little movie-making action. The Mustang Club of Parana got together with a few local sponsors to commemorate the group's eleventh anniversary with a brief flick starring some of Brazil's most diehard Ford Mustang fans.
Every generation of Mustang development gets at least a little time on screen, from less-loved members of the clan like the Mustang II to a few ever-popular Eleanor replicas. The video took its creators just over three months to produce, and the final product is clean and well-edited.
There's plenty of engine note, smoky burnouts and sharp sheet metal to obsess over, too. So, is this better than the Polish original? We aren't picking sides on this one. Both videos are a great way to blow a chunk of the work day. Be sure to check out Brazil's ode to the Pony down below and click back for a look at the original inspiration behind the new film.
Continue reading Mustang Club of Poland inspires Mustang Club of Parana to make video
Mustang Club of Poland inspires Mustang Club of Parana to make video originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsJay Leno’s garage grows by one thanks to BaT
Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Ford, Celebrities
It turns out Jay Leno shops for classic cars just like the rest of us do: by
So, what made this particular coupe worthy of such admiration? The '63 had undergone significant revision at the hands of the previous owner and builder, including a substantial weight reduction, suspension tweaks with input from the gurus at Koni, along with a fully blueprinted 302 V8. With an aluminum intake and heads as well as a lightweight T5 transmission, the seller claims to have plucked around 200 pounds from the vehicle's nose.
The idea was to build the car in the image of the Holman Moody Falcons that once competed in the legendary Monte Carlo Rally. Head over to BaT for both the initial sale listing story and the tale of Leno's buying.
Jay Leno's garage grows by one thanks to BaT originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentseBay Find of the Day: Parnelli Jones 1971 "Big Oly" Ford Bronco tribute [w/video]
Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, SEMA Show, Classics, Truck, Etc., Ford, Celebrities, Specialty, Racing
We see tribute vehicles come and go. Most of the lot are slaves to every last detail of the original, offering little more than a few engine upgrades to the mix. Then there are beasts like the one above. Built as an homage to Parnelli Jones' 1971 "Big Oly" Ford Bronco Baja 1,000 bruiser, this machine uses a modern trophy truck chassis wrapped in larger-than life fiberglass first-generation Bronco body. With 723 horsepower on tap, the truck is fully capable of bashing the desert into submission. Owner Marshall Mardruga originally built the machine to tackle the Baja 1,000, but decided to turn it into a show truck instead.
Every visible component was then plated in brass or nickel and protected with a clear powder coat in preparation for SEMA 2011. If you like what you see, this machine can be yours for a heady sum. Available in San Diego, California via eBay Motors, the street-legal tribute commands a $535,000 Buy It Now price. You can see the auction here or scroll below to check out a few videos.
Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: Parnelli Jones 1971 "Big Oly" Ford Bronco tribute [w/video]
eBay Find of the Day: Parnelli Jones 1971 "Big Oly" Ford Bronco tribute [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Focus will be first all-electric pace car in NASCAR
Filed under: Motorsports, Technology, Hatchback, Ford, Electric
If you thought pacing a NASCAR race with a Ford Fiesta was an odd choice, prepare to be properly shocked. Ford has announced the company is once again heading out onto the nation's tri-ovals, this time with the Focus Electric. The automaker claims the battery-powered hatchback will be the world's first all-electric pace car when it leads the field at the Richmond 400 later this month. The public will get its first shot at seeing Focus Electric Pace Car on April 25, when Lt. Governor Bill Bolling drives the EV to Richmond International Raceway.
Earlier this year, Ford announced the Focus Electric will offer buyers a range of around 75 miles depending on driving conditions. We assume that figure will fall off precipitously at pace speed. With around 123 horsepower on hand, Ford has been quick to brag that the company's EV offers buyers more horsepower than the Nissan Leaf. Of course, at $39,200, it is also $4,000 more expensive.
Continue reading Ford Focus will be first all-electric pace car in NASCAR
Ford Focus will be first all-electric pace car in NASCAR originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsNext Ford Mustang going global
Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Japan, Ford, Australia, UK, Design/Style
It was only a matter of time before Ford pushed the Mustang out of the American nest and into the global market. According to PopularHotRodding.com and Auto-Motor-Und-Sport.de, that time has come. The German site quotes Barb Samardzich, head of development for Ford Europe, as saying the next-generation Mustang is being designed to meet European Union pedestrian safety regulations, despite the fact that no formal decision has been made on whether or not buyers in the EU will be able to get their hands on the Pony.
Then there's Popular Hot Rodding, which has gathered news from far and wide into a lengthy composite of what the future may bring for the Mustang. Tucked among sourceless whispers of a hybrid drivetrain, an independent rear suspension and a whole new design language is the indication that the performance coupe is being prepped for sale in the UK, Australia and even Japan.
That's good news for buyers who have been forced to content themselves with grey-market imports until now. Popular Hot Rodding also indicates the new model may shave as much as 300 pounds to increase performance while maintaining today's power levels. How much of this is true? We'll find out when the 2015 Ford Mustang debuts in 2014.
Next Ford Mustang going global originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2013 Ford Taurus SHO
Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Ford, New Car Reviews
The Most Fun You Can Have In A Full-Size, All-Weather American
The American full-size segment isn't an overly welcoming place for those of us who worship at the altar of skinny-pedal antics. While European automakers are happy to deliver their customers a raft of monolithic luxury barges with Saturn V levels of thrust, We The People have been largely left with coma-inducing hardware like the Cadillac DTS, Chevrolet Impala and Lincoln MKS. Meanwhile, bruisers like the Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic, BMW 550i xDrive and Audi A6 all boast all-wheel drive capability with sports-car besting performance cocooned in the threads of a tailored three-piece suit. These days, if you want serious big-car, bad-weather go with a domestic badge on the hood, you have just a few options, including the 2013 Taurus SHO.
So far, Ford says it hasn't had any trouble convincing buyers to abandon traditional big-boned performance vehicles for the SHO resurrection. Around 10 percent of all Taurus sales leave the showroom with a SHO badge on the fender, and half of the performance sedan's sales have been conquest buyers sniped from brands like BMW and Audi. For 2013, this D-class athlete boasts a slew of mid-cycle changes to keep the model fresh. If, like us, you have a hard time imagining a buyer skipping the 5 Series for a Taurus, a few new exterior tweaks, a more aggressive brake system, a reworked version of MyFord Touch and a new track performance package are all designed to help change your mind.
Continue reading 2013 Ford Taurus SHO
2013 Ford Taurus SHO originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2013 Ford Explorer Sport mugs for the camera in NYC
Filed under: New York Auto Show, Performance, Crossover, Ford
No one may have asked Ford to drop the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 found in the Taurus SHO behind the headlights of the Explorer, but that doesn't mean we're complaining. Ford has just debuted the higher-performance crossover at the 2012 New York Auto Show, complete with its full 350 horsepower. Ford says the newly menacing softroader will be good for around 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, and the nudge in power shouldn't do anything but help the vehicle's ability to tow up to 5,000 pounds. Engineers have also thrown in bigger brakes and a little extra bracing to help the chassis cope with the additional muscle, not to mention a quicker ratio steering rack for a slightly more responsive cornering.
The available horsepower drops to the pavement via a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive system. The Sport features a unique version of the Terrain Management System found on lesser Explorers, though the software has been uniquely calibrated to handle the additional power on hand.
A handful of aesthetic tweaks are also part of the package, including blacked-out bodywork on the mesh grille, side-view mirrors and lower fascia. Unique wheel choices are also part of the package. Hit the jump for the full press blast.
Continue reading 2013 Ford Explorer Sport mugs for the camera in NYC
2013 Ford Explorer Sport mugs for the camera in NYC originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsUAW membership climbs 1.1% thanks to automakers adding jobs
Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Chrysler, Ford, GM, UAW/Unions
The United Auto Workers has seen an increase in membership for the second straight year, according to Bloomberg. Last year, the union saw its ranks grow by 1.1 percent to 380,719 members, thanks in part to increased hiring by domestic automakers. In 2010, the UAW grew by six percent, but today's total is still a fraction of the 1.5 million members the union boasted in 1979. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are expected to hire around 14,750 union workers by 2015, according to the report. That number is likely far below what the UAW will need to be able to secure significant bargaining leverage.
To that end, the UAW has made it clear that organizing a foreign-owned manufacturing facility is crucial to its survival. UAW president Bob King vowed to unionize one such plant last year but failed to do so. Now the UAW is reportedly handing out authorization cards at the new Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Workers there have reportedly had mixed-reactions to the prospect of unionization.
UAW membership climbs 1.1% thanks to automakers adding jobs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments