Hennessey Ford GT hits 212.9 mph in the standing half-mile
Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Ford
Mark Heidaker's Hennessey Ford GT is back to work snagging records. Sean Kennedy once again took to the wheel of the machine at the Houston Half Mile Shootout, and just as before, the duo didn't disappoint. Kennedy was able to pilot the wicked GT to an astonishing 212.9 miles per hour in a mere half mile, successfully snagging the world record in the process. Not too shabby.
As you may recall, this same team walked away with the standing mile world record back in March. At that time, Kennedy shot the GT to 257.7 mph in the allotted distance. We have to wonder what these guys have up their sleeves for the next stunt. Click Scroll down to check out the understandably quick half mile video for yourself.
Continue reading Hennessey Ford GT hits 212.9 mph in the standing half-mile
Hennessey Ford GT hits 212.9 mph in the standing half-mile originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Taurus SHO Performance Package adds track day bite
Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Videos, Ford
Ford has made a Performance Package available for the the 2013 Taurus SHO, promising "uncompromised response, road-holding and durability." There's no extra horsepower added to proceedings, but parts like the firmer suspension springs and dampers, upgraded cooling system, high-performance brake pads and stability control that can be turned completely off are meant to help you make the most of its 365 horses.
Have a look at the diagram in the gallery above for the details, and check out the video by scrolling below to watch the SHO doing laps and hear its story.
Continue reading Ford Taurus SHO Performance Package adds track day bite
Ford Taurus SHO Performance Package adds track day bite originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsWhy your next car may not come with a CD player
Filed under: Technology, Ford, Design/Style
Michael Arbaugh, chief designer of Ford interiors, describes center console space as "oceanfront property" - already fully populated, with more tenants trying to move in every year. Speaking to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, Arbaugh said one tenant he'd like to evict is the CD player because it's dead weight for audio Luddites.
Ok, so he didn't say that exactly. But Arbaugh believes they're out of fashion with people under 30, and that growing lack of interest means they occupy space that could be better employed. CD players also add weight that has to be countered somewhere else in the march to meet CAFE regulations, an endeavor with nearly aerospace tolerances anymore.
The CD-less car is just talk at the moment, but there's no doubt it's coming. More and more computers are being sold without optical drives, and as it goes in the tech world so it shall go in the car-tech world. If we could just get carmakers to properly integrate connections for other PMPs that can play lossless codecs and don't mutilate the music, we wouldn't mind at all.
Why your next car may not come with a CD player originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsThis is what the 2013 Ford Focus ST sounds like [w/audio]
Filed under: Performance, Hatchback, Ford
To say that we're eager to drive the 2013 Ford Focus ST is one of the understatements of the year. After seeing lots of photos and videos, we can't wait to get Ford's new hot hatch out on the road, and now, we have a pretty good idea of what sort of aural stimulation the turbocharged Focus will provide while we're tossing it about.
Ford understands that a good engine and exhaust note is an important part of any performance car's overall experience, and to that end, the automaker has implemented some interesting technology with its Focus ST. Engineers have added a special sound tube - called a sound symposer - to the ST, which specifically enhances the throaty, low-end frequencies of the exhaust. This sort of sound tube has been used before (on the Mustang and Mazda MX-5 Miata), but here in the Focus ST, there's an electronically controlled valve that opens and closes based on specific driver inputs. What's more, this valve is mapped more aggressively in lower gears for great sounds during acceleration, but stays shut more often in higher gears to allow for quieter highway cruising.
But enough of the technical mumbo-jumbo. Click the play button below to hear what the end result sounds like during an acceleration run in the Focus ST.
We like what we hear, though we'll wait to see just how it sounds when things like road and wind noise are factored in during the overall driving experience. Scroll down for Ford's official press blast.
Continue reading This is what the 2013 Ford Focus ST sounds like [w/audio]
This is what the 2013 Ford Focus ST sounds like [w/audio] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord of Europe’s VP of manufacturing leaves after just 5 months
Filed under: Europe, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford
Mike Flewitt, Ford's vice president, manufacturing, Ford of Europe, has decided to "pursue other career interests" according to the company's press release. Jeff Wood, director of manufacturing for Ford's North America operations, will replace Flewitt beginning June 1.
Automotive News reports that the resignation comes after Ford of Europe reported a first-quarter, pre-tax loss of $149 million. The company has also cut working days at plants in Spain and days and production rates in Germany. Ford of Europe CEO Stephen Odell has previously said Ford's second-quarter production will fall by 65,000 vehicles from last year.
Flewitt began working at Ford in 1983 as an assembly plant trainee. Eventually he wound up at Rolls-Royce in 1995 as production director then moved to managing director at AutoNova AB Volvo in 1998 and operations group manager at TWR in 2000. In 2003, Flewitt returned to Ford of Europe as production quality director. Flewitt was installed in the VP position in January, 2012.
Automotive News says Flewitt has left Ford's European headquarters in Cologne, Germany for his UK birthplace.
Read Ford's press release after the jump for details and other personnel news from Ford.
Continue reading Ford of Europe's VP of manufacturing leaves after just 5 months
Ford of Europe's VP of manufacturing leaves after just 5 months originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsCarroll Shelby, 1923-2012
Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Performance, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Celebrities, Racing
It's darn near impossible to overemphasize the impact that Carroll Shelby has had on the automotive world as we know it today. Born in 1923, Shelby took part in his very first race, a quarter-mile drag, in 1952. Later that year, he'd go on to win his first road race in an MG-TC. By 1956, Shelby had garnered enough race wins to earn the title "Driver of the Year" from Sports Illustrated. He would win that award again in 1957.
Carroll Shelby was nothing if not a keen businessman. In early 1957, Shelby opened his first car dealership in Dallas, Texas. Bolstered by his success behind the wheel - Carroll won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959, driving an Aston Martin - Shelby went on to build the iconic Cobra using a chassis built by AC Cars in England and powered by a Ford V8 engine. Officially homologated in 1962, the Cobra Roadster won its first race in January of 1963.
Driven by legendary drivers like Phil Hill, A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney, the Shelby Cobra and its aerodynamic Daytona Coupe sibling won the Sports Car Club of America's A-production title and the United States Road Racing Championship in '63. The following year brought with it the big-block 427 Cobra, and the machine went on to deal serious blows to Ferrari, the dominant sports car manufacturer of the time.
Shelby began his long-running relationship with the Ford factory in 1965, as the Shelby GT350 hit both the street and the race track. That year, Shelby secured the FIA World Championship of GT cars. In 1966, a Shelby-backed Ford team finished in first, second and third place at Le Mans; this was the first time an American team claimed victory in the historic race, but it would not be the last - Shelby's team would go on to win Le Mans again in 1967. The Ford GT40 ended up in first place four straight years from 1966-1969.
The Shelby GT350 claimed the Trans Am racing title in 1967, and in that year, the very last 427 Shelby Cobra was built. In 1970, Ford ended its partnership with Shelby, and the man would remain mostly quiet in the automotive industry until the 1980s, when Lee Iacocca approached Carroll about building high-performance versions of Dodge products. The Omni and Charger would Go Like Hell for several years, embarrassing V8-powered Mustangs and Camaros along the way.
Carroll Shelby received a heart transplant in 1990 and would go on to reintroduce Cobra 427 S/C continuation cars and 4000-series cars throughout the 1990s. Shelby was also involved heavily with both the Dodge Viper and Ford GT programs. No wonder why Carroll Shelby was inducted into the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
Today, the name Shelby may be most often tied to the latest and greatest GT500 models from Ford, but it's clear that the man has impacted the performance world for decades. While he may no longer be alive, there can be little doubt that Carroll Shelby's influence will be felt by enthusiasts for as long as cars move us from one place to another.
We've collected a couple of videos that we thought were a fitting tribute to Shelby's unending legacy. Join us in watching them by scrolling down below.
Continue reading Carroll Shelby, 1923-2012
Carroll Shelby, 1923-2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsIcon Bronco dissected in detail
Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, SUV, Etc., Ford, Design/Style, Luxury, Off-Road
The crew from Cool Hunting finally got around to stopping by the Icon headquarters for a little chat with founder Jonathan Ward. The man has made a name for himself by crafting some of the most detail-oriented interpretations of classic cars on the planet.
The Icon Bronco features all of the vintage style of a late '60s SUV with a hand-built frame, modern running gear and electronics underneath. We are, needless to say, smitten with the creation. Ward gave Cool Hunting the complete tour, including showing off a number of Icon Bronco models in various stages of completion.
Ward brings up an interesting point about modern vehicles about halfway through the clip. He says that with manufacturers continuing to pile on unnecessary technology, today's machines are almost guaranteed to be obsolete in five years or so. In contrast, Ward says he builds each Icon to be durable enough to last decades without needing serious revision. We like his style. Scroll down below to watch the video.
Continue reading Icon Bronco dissected in detail
Icon Bronco dissected in detail originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord to boost production by 40,000 units, shorten summer plant shutdown
Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Ford, GM
The Detroit Free Press reports Ford is set to boost production by 40,000 units. The company plans to half its summer shutdown to just one week at 13 plants this July. Ford says that it is already operating most of its facilities at maximum capacity, and adding a week of production is a good way to balance manufacturing with demand. The automaker is also adding extra shifts at three of its production facilities this month. Overall, Ford will increase its production this year by a whopping 400,000 units to three million vehicles by October.
But Ford isn't the only domestic manufacturer to step up production. Chrysler is also skipping the summer shutdown at four of its plants and idling two more for one week instead of two. General Motors, meanwhile, will continue its summer plant stops as planned.
Ford to boost production by 40,000 units, shorten summer plant shutdown originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 09:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2012 U.S. auto sales on pace to be best in five years
Filed under: Car Buying, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Toyota, Earnings/Financials
Bloomberg reports that if U.S. auto sales continue at their current pace, 2012 will mark the best year for the industry since 2007. The news comes after word that both Ford and Chrysler have slimmed or entirely eliminated the traditional summer shutdown at their manufacturing facilities to keep pace with demand.
All told, sales may reach 14.3 million cars and light trucks, according to analysts, thanks to factors like a gradually improving economy and easier credit. If the pace continues, 2012 will mark the third year of 10-percent gains, which marks only the fourth time that's happened since the Great Depression.
Car sales stalled in 2008, and 2009 saw manufacturers move just 10.4 million units. As Bloomberg points out, that's the lowest number since 1982, but buyers took home 11.6 million vehicles in 2010 and 12.8 million in 2011. The industry saw a 10.3-percent increase through the first four months of this year. As a result, General Motors, Ford and Toyota have adjusted their yearly sales forecasts accordingly.
2012 U.S. auto sales on pace to be best in five years originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 May 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAutomakers tussle over owners of ‘orphan’ makes
Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, GMC, Hummer, Lincoln, Mercury, Pontiac, Saturn, Toyota
When General Motors put down several of its brands in recent years, it also let loose thousands of brand-loyal customers who will eventually need another car.
R.L. Polk Associates estimates there are more than 18 million cars from 16 discontinued makes on the road today. Those "orphan owners" have sales-hungry competitors seeing dollar signs. GM is offering Saturn owners $1,000 cash toward a Chevy Cruze, Cadillac CTS or a GMC Acadia. Ford is giving its Mercury lease customers a chance to get out of their contracts with no early-termination penalty and offering to waive six remaining payments if they drive off in a Ford or Lincoln.
Edmunds.com research shows the efforts are paying off somewhat for GM, with 39 percent of Pontiac owners, 37 percent of Hummer owners and 31 percent of Saturn owners taking delivery of another GM-branded vehicle. But that leaves as much as 69 percent of owners going elsewhere. Ford, Honda and Toyota seem to be attracting many former GM owners.
As Forbes points out, if you're driving an orphaned nameplate, you just might be able to use that to your advantage when shopping for a new vehicle.
Automakers tussle over owners of 'orphan' makes originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 May 2012 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments