Ford Fiesta ST tackles the ‘Ring
Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchback, Ford
Ford Fiesta ST spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery
Ford's tiny-tough Fiesta ST is getting closer to production, and our spies recently captured this revised prototype being put through its paces out on the Nürburgring. This latest tester clearly sports a huge grille opening with a visible intercooler, large wheels and a revised rear exhaust.
The Fiesta ST will be powered by Ford's 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline-four, with an expected 180 horsepower running to those front wheels. We don't doubt that the boosted Fiesta will be a pretty slick little hot hatch, and we'll have the full details when the car makes its official debut later this year. In the meantime, click through our high-res image gallery to see the three-door test mule running 'round the 'Ring.
The Fiesta ST will be powered by Ford's 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline-four, with an expected 180 horsepower running to those front wheels. We don't doubt that the boosted Fiesta will be a pretty slick little hot hatch, and we'll have the full details when the car makes its official debut later this year. In the meantime, click through our high-res image gallery to see the three-door test mule running 'round the 'Ring.
Ford Fiesta ST tackles the 'Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 May 2011 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2013 Ford Flex caught sporting first major update
Filed under: Spy Photos, Etc., Crossover, Ford
2013 Ford Flex spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery
The engineers and designers at Ford are hard at work on the next take for one of its largest crossovers. Our spy photographers have managed to snap a few photos of the 2013 Ford Flex ahead of its debut later this year, and from the looks of things, the vehicle will borrow more than a few styling cues from its platform-mate, the 2011 Explorer. Expect to see a more corporate face, complete with a new grille, angular headlights and a revised front fascia among other tweaks. Projector fog lights seem to have made their way to the option sheet for the first time and new wheels should also be available.
Out back, the 2013 Flex looks like it will make use of a restyled tail gate as well. So far, it's unclear exactly what sort of interior upgrades the three-row CUV will receive, though we'd feel comfortable in guessing that MyFord Touch will likely make an appearance in the cabin for the first time. In addition, Ford may pull some fuel economy tricks from the ether as well.
[Source: Brenda Priddy & Company]
2013 Ford Flex caught sporting first major update originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSpy Shots: Ford Focus ST caught cold-weather testing and track tuning
Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchback, Ford
Spy Shots: Ford Focus ST test mule - Click above for high-res image gallery
We saw the 2012 Ford Focus ST in the flesh at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, but at the time, the hot-hatch unveiled to the waiting press was merely a close-to-the-real-thing concept version. The production Focus ST should be arriving at an auto show in the near future. Apparently it's not quite ready, however, because our spy photographers managed to capture Ford engineers working over a mule-bodied example, both at the track and in the snow.
It may appear to be a standard Focus from the outside - note the standard front fascia instead of the show car's more aggressive look - but a closer inspection reveals a few unique touches first seen on the concept. For instance, a centrally mounted exhaust outlet at the rear expels emissions from the 2.0-liter EcoBoost unit lurking under the hood. Speaking of which, power is expected to be up around 250 horsepower, and the engine will be paired with a six-speed manual transmission.
We hope to see the 2012 Focus ST hitting dealer showrooms by the end of 2011. We also hope to score some seat time before that happens. Until then, we'll just stare at the spy photos in the gallery below, and dream about the sporty action going on under the suspiciously plain wrapper.
[Source: CarPix]
Spy Shots: Ford Focus ST caught cold-weather testing and track tuning originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSpy Shots: Next-gen Ford Mondeo spotted testing
Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Ford, Design/Style
Next-gen Ford Mondeo spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery
Ford is hard at work on the next generation of its Mondeo mid-size sedan. Spy photographers caught a snow and camo-covered version of the new mid-size sedan as it waits to be shuttled to its next testing location. The car shows hints of adhering to Ford's Kinetic design language, and we expect the front-end to - ahem - focus in on that style.
The next Mondeo will serve as a true global vehicle like its smaller Fiesta and Focus siblings. Lincoln and Ford will use the upcoming Mondeo as the guts beneath both the Fusion and MKZ skin. Rumor has it that this future Mondeo will also be offered as a wagon and four-door fancy-coupe, as well.
[Source: CarPix]
Spy Shots: Next-gen Ford Mondeo spotted testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSpy Shots: 2012 Ford Taurus SHO spotted in the wild – are there 400 horses underhood?
Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Ford
2012 Ford Taurus SHO spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery
Our elite squad of spy photographers has managed to nab a few photos of the 2012 Ford Taurus SHO splashing through the rain. Word on the street is that Ford has a few aesthetic changes for the sedan in the pipes as well as a serious boost in power. Steve Ling, the company's North American car marketing manager, recently dropped a big-fat hint that the SHO would soon boast 400 ponies. That's a full 35 more horsepower than the current generation SHO, though word is that the extra pep will come from the same Ecoboost 3.5-liter V6 engine.
In addition to the new muscle, it looks like the 2012 Taurus SHO will wear new headlights as well as re-sculpted front valance. A new cross-hatch grille is shown in these shots, and a slightly altered hood may also be in plat. The whole package is intended to give the SHO a little more breathing room from the rest of its more subdued kin. That's all well and good, but we're still convinced the SHO needs better brakes more than it needs additional power. Hopefully improved stoppers are part of the 2012 updo as well.
[Source: Chris Doane for Brenda Priddy & Co.]
Spy Shots: 2012 Ford Taurus SHO spotted in the wild - are there 400 horses underhood? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSpy Shots: 2013 Ford Escape caught!
Filed under: Spy Photos, Etc., Crossover, Ford
2013 Ford Escape Spy Shots - Click above for high-res image gallery
We may not know whether Ford will stick with the Escape name when the vehicle's successor comes along in 2012 as a 2013 model, but thanks to the quick shutters of our crack team of spy photographers, we now have a vague idea of what the machine will look like. Peek beneath all of that camouflage and you're likely to see a vehicle that borrows nearly all of its proportions from the recently-unveiled Vertrek Concept. That boxy aft-end appears to be nothing but floppy camouflage designed to hide the vehicle's arching rear hatch.
The Escape successor is slated to ride on the Blue Oval's global C1 platform - the same bones that make up the Focus, C-Max and Transit Connect, among other future products. There's word that Ford will banish the V6 in favor of an Ecoboost 2.0-liter engine at the top of the line. At this point, it's unclear whether that four-pot will be a 1.6-liter or a larger 2.0-liter mill. Lower rung trims will likely still pack a 2.5-liter four-cylinder lump.
[Source: Chris Doane/Brenda Priddy & Company]
Spy Shots: 2013 Ford Escape caught! originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSpy Shots: Aussies developing Ford Falcon GT-H
Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Ford, Australia
Ford FPV Falcon GT-H spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery
Word on the web is that there's something big brewing from Ford Performance Vehicles. The Australian team responsible for building some of the meanest factory Blue Oval beasts down under has been rumored to be slaving away on a new sedan packing a potent supercharged version of the same 5.0-liter V8 found in the nose of the North American Mustang GT. As you may recall, FPV just recently turned out a pair of four-doors with forced-induction 5.0-liter mills under their hoods, but power on those machines was kept to a relatively tame 430 ponies.
Now it looks like FPV is keen on turning loose an unleashed version of that engine in the new Falcon GT-H. A set of twin intercoolers and more aggressive boost will likely help the car dish out close to 500 horsepower. For now, we just have a handful of spy photos to go from, but Ford is expected to unveil the Falcon GT-H at the Melbourne Motor Show later this year.
[Sources: CarPix, Motor Authority]
Spy Shots: Aussies developing Ford Falcon GT-H originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSpy Shots: Next Ford Territory caught nearly naked
Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Ford, Australia
It's becoming harder and harder for manufacturers to hide from the all-seeing eye of the internet. A user with a quick lens over on Ford Forums managed to lay his aperture on a nearly completely uncamo'd example of the new Australian Ford Territory. While the Aussie Blue Oval has been showing off shadowy, stylized photos of the high-rider ahead of its debut, this is probably the best look yet at the new crossover. According to CarAdvice, the next-generation Territory will get its power from a turbo-diesel 2.7-liter V6 engine borrowed from the Land Rover Discovery 3 (a.k.a. LR4). A six-speed automatic transmission will handle shifting detail.There's also some indication that buyers will be able to opt for an inline six-cylinder gasoline mill if the oil burner doesn't quite suit their wallets. At this point, it's unclear whether Australian buyers will get to play with the new MyFord Touch system that American buyers have been jockeying with in products like the 2011 Ford Edge, but it's a good possibility.
Ford Australia is the midst of a serious product barrage with 85 percent of the company's products receiving significant updates over the next 18 months. Head over to CarAdvice to see the full photos. Thanks for the tip, Andrew!
[Source: CarAdvice]
Spy Shots: Next Ford Territory caught nearly naked originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSpy Shots: Ford Mustang GT EcoBoost spotted?
Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Technology, Ford
Forced induction may be making its way back into the Ford Mustang bloodstream very soon. A gaggle of fresh spy shots have cropped up on the interwebs showing a FoMoCo mule with a few interesting attributes, including a new fascia that may or may not be scooting air to an intercooler, and a hefty 9,000 rpm has been spotted on the tachometer. Even more telling is the huge PREMIUM ONLY sticker slapped across the dash. Now, the last time we checked, the meaty 5.0-liter V8 in the 2011 Mustang GT didn't spin to those lofty heights, and while it makes maximum power on premium fuel, it can just as happily chug along on regular 87 octane swill. So what gives here? It's entirely possible that Ford has plopped a massaged version of its twin-turbocharged, direct-injection EcoBoost V6 under the hood. In fact, Ford officials have said that they plan to offer EcoBoost technology in just about everything.
If that's what this is, it would seem to account for the higher octane fuel requirement and the bodywork up front, but what about that redline? As it sits, the Ecoboost sixer is happier at around 6,000 rpm, so either Ford has been putting some serious time into helping that engine spin much faster, there's something that we haven't seen yet lurking under the hood, or it could be that engineers may have simply let out the redline just for durability testing purposes. Head over to Inside Line for a better look at what could be a latter-day SVO.
[Source: Inside Line]
Spy Shots: Ford Mustang GT EcoBoost spotted? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSpy Shots: Ford Fiesta-based crossover headed for the UK
Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Ford, UK
Spy Shots: Ford Fiesta-based crossover mule - click above for high-res image gallery
Ford is enjoying early success with the Fiesta here in the United States, but in Europe, where the Fiesta has been on sale for years, it's time to start thinking about the future. Our friendly neighborhood snappers at CarPix have scored spy shots of what appears to be a high-riding Fiesta-based crossover designed to slot in below the Kuga crossover in the automaker's European lineup.
A Fiesta crossover might sound a little odd at first take, but when it comes to production, it should be roughly the same size as a Nissan Juke or Mini Countryman. That in mind, don't rule out the possibility of the Fiesta CUV making its way to the U.S. Expect to see a variety of powertrains offered for European customers including some EcoBoost options, and both front- and all-wheel drive configurations should be available. Check out our gallery of high-res pics before to get a closer look at the forthcoming Blue Oval tall boy.
[Source: CarPix]
Spy Shots: Ford Fiesta-based crossover headed for the UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments