Autoblog Podcast #187 – Lamborghini rumors, Explorer economy, media plants, a sporty Leaf and premium Germans
Filed under: Podcasts, Ford, GM, GMC, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Toyota, Volkswagen
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Chris Shunk, Sam Abuelsamid, Chris Paukert and Dan Roth are the crew for Episode #187 of the Autoblog Podcast. We cover Lamborghini rumors, the new Ford Explorer's fuel economy with its rumored EcoBoost powertrain, the rumors swirling around the possibility that the Wall Street Journal printed an article that was a plant from Toyota, a sports car based on the Nissan Leaf, and the seemingly insatiable appetite for German premium cars. We hit your feedback and questions before throwing in the towel at the hour and a half mark. Thanks for listening, see you next time!
Autoblog Podcast #187 - Lamborghini rumors, Explorer economy, media plants, a sporty Leaf and premium Germans
In the Autoblog Garage:
Mitsubishi Outlander
Jaguar XJL
GMC Sierra 3500HD
Volkswagen Golf TDI
News:
- Rumormill: Lamborghini developing Touareg-based SUV, V8 Gallardo [w/poll]
- 2011 Ford Explorer with EcoBoost 2.0-liter delivers 30% better fuel economy than V6
- Followup: Toyota 'strongly objects' to NHTSA allegations it planted story in WSJ
- Rumormill: Nissan considering Leaf-based EV sportscar
- Report: German mfgs cleaning up as appetite for luxury cars is 'bottomless'
Dan Roth, Sam Abuelsamid, Chris Paukert, Chris Shunk
Runtime: 86:17
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Autoblog Podcast #187 - Lamborghini rumors, Explorer economy, media plants, a sporty Leaf and premium Germans originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments2011 Ford Explorer with EcoBoost 2.0-liter delivers 30% better fuel economy than V6
Filed under: Ford
Ford has got the gas mileage goods on its 2011 EcoBoost-powered Explorer, and it's news you might like if you want one: you'll get 30 percent better mileage with the inline-four than you could with the outgoing V6. Ford did, however, leave a key detail out of the press release touting this: it didn't reveal the actual mileage number, "pending EPA certification."
Nevertheless, with the 2010 Explorer's 210-horsepower, 4.0-liter V6 EPA rated at 14 miles per gallon in the city and 20 out on the highway, you're looking at a healthy increase all over with the four-pot turbo doing the work up front. Follow the jump for Ford's press release that details all the reasons your wallet won't be so sad if you end up buying a 2011 Explorer.
[Source: Ford]
Continue reading 2011 Ford Explorer with EcoBoost 2.0-liter delivers 30% better fuel economy than V6
2011 Ford Explorer with EcoBoost 2.0-liter delivers 30% better fuel economy than V6 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Explorer teasers keep coming, model to debut July 26 in NYC
Filed under: Budget, SUV, Ford, Celebrities
2011 Ford Explorer teaser images - Click above for high-res image gallery
The agonizing 2011 Ford Explorer striptease continues, made somewhat less painful by the fact that we now have what appears to be a solid unveil date and location. While the company has rolled out two new detail shots of the reworked SUV-turned-crossover - including a look at the rear hatch and roof rails (oooh!) - the Blue Oval has also graced the world with news that "a new Ford vehicle" will get a complete unveil in New York City's Herald Square on Monday, July 26. Less we've missed our mark by a wide berth, odds are that the vehicle is the 2011 Explorer.
According to Ford, the whole gang will be in attendance for the event, including CEO Alan Mulally and spokesperson Mike Rowe. Who knows exactly what kind of high jinks the company has planned for the 26th, but given the substantial buzz Ford has tried to build for the new Expy, we would be surprised if it were just a stage and a silk sheet. Stay tuned.
[Source: Ford]
Ford Explorer teasers keep coming, model to debut July 26 in NYC originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ford to give away 2011 Explorer on Facebook
Filed under: Budget, SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Ford
2011 Ford Explorer Teaser - Click above for high-res image gallery
Ford is continuing to milk the social marketing cow for all its worth. The company has announced it might give away an all-new 2011 Explorer to one lucky fan and slipped the web another teaser of the unibody ute. We say might because the whole shindig is dependent on whether or not the company can rustle up a total of 30,000 Facebook "likes" for the model. If the online community makes it happen, the company will work its legal magic to hand over the keys to one of its the new unibody 'utes. Something tells us they'll have no problem finding that kind of participation.
The campaign is a lighter version of the company's Fiesta Movement, which managed to put 100 Fiestas into the hands of the movers and shakers of the social media universe for six months in order to build buzz about the car. We aren't exactly market researchers, but we'd say the ploy was pretty successful. While the new scheme with the 2011 Explorer isn't likely to see the same kind of attention, it will likely build interest in the SUV just the same.
[Source: Facebook]
Ford to give away 2011 Explorer on Facebook originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: Ford shows off 2011 Explorer air leak and panel gap tests
Filed under: SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Ford, Design/Style
2011 Ford Explorer goes through air leak testing - Click above to watch video after the jump
Today's vehicles are quieter than ever, and while that's partially thanks to new computer modeling techniques, it also has plenty to do with repeated testing of each and every vehicle seal. For every door, hatch and window, some engineer has slaved tirelessly to make sure everything fits together just as it should. Ford has been kind enough to roll out a couple of videos showing that exact process on its forthcoming 2011 Explorer. The company uses some pretty high-tech equipment to take accurate measurements on panel gaps and detect potential air leak issues before the vehicle even goes through paint.
Watching the engineers play with their toys is entertaining and all, but we were most interested in what engineer Matt Machala had to say about just how much more stringent Ford's standards have grown over the past three years. It may mean boatloads of extra work for the company's employees, but from what we've seen of their product of late, there's no denying the impact those hours have had on the company's finished product. Hit the jump to see the videos for yourself. Hot tip, Sam!
[Source: Ford]
Continue reading Video: Ford shows off 2011 Explorer air leak and panel gap tests
Video: Ford shows off 2011 Explorer air leak and panel gap tests originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsDeep Dive: Curve Control on the 2011 Ford Explorer [w/video]
Filed under: SUV, Safety, Technology, Crossover, Ford
Curve Control on the 2011 Ford Explorer - Click above for high-res image gallery
When the new 2011 Explorer goes on sale later this year, Ford plans to highlight the new unibody 'ute's safety and fuel efficiency. The Explorer will be exclusively powered by four- and six-cylinder EcoBoost engines, which are expected to increase efficiency by 20-25 percent, while delivering the power consumers crave. Expect more drivetrain details to be forthcoming, but before then, Ford invited us out to its Dearborn proving grounds to see what it has in store on the safety front.
Ford confirmed last fall that the Explorer would be the first vehicle to get its new inflatable rear seat-belts, but the latest - and arguably more interesting - feature on the Explorer is dubbed "Curve Control." The system is a software enhancement built on top of the existing roll stability control (RSC) and electronic stability control (ESC) systems, and we had a chance to experience it first hand. Make the jump to find out more.
[Source: Ford]
Continue reading Deep Dive: Curve Control on the 2011 Ford Explorer [w/video]
Deep Dive: Curve Control on the 2011 Ford Explorer [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsReport: Ford Explorer to get ‘curve control’ system
Filed under: Budget, SUV, Safety, Technology, Ford
2011 Ford Explorer teaser - Click above for high-res image gallery
Brace yourselves. There's another level of electronic nannyism coming to the Ford range of crossovers and SUVs soon. The company has developed a new system that should help counteract understeer in the same way stability control nixes pesky oversteer in almost every new car on the road. The safety gurus at the Blue Oval have come up with a new system called Curve Control that works in coordination with a number of vehicles sensors to determine if the vehicle is turning as sharply as the driver needs it to. If necessary, the system can sample data from the steering wheel angle, wheel speed and vehicle pitch to cut engine power and engage the brakes to slow the vehicle by up to 10 mph per second.
Curve Control will come standard on the all-new 2011 Ford Explorer, and the company says it plans to spread the tech to 90 percent of its high-riding 2012 models.
[Source: The Detroit News]
Report: Ford Explorer to get 'curve control' system originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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