Video: 2012 Ford Focus ST is still our orange crush
Filed under: Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Ford
2012 Ford Focus ST hits the road - Click above to watch the video after the jump
We haven't heard much about the 2012 Ford Focus ST lately, but never fear, it's still destined for our shores. After all, it would be downright cruel for Ford to not offer the hottest variant of its new global Focus here in the States, especially when we've been denied all of the Euro-spec hot hatch fun for so long.
To recap, the Focus ST uses FoMoCo's 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-four, good for 247 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. There's a six-speed manual gearbox to send that power to the ground, and though the car is fitted with front-wheel drive, the automaker's torque-vectoring power control system is on hand to keep things from getting too squirrely. Inside, there are Recaro sport seats, orange trim and a thick steering wheel that we can't wait to get our hands on.
Until the Focus ST officially hits the road, we'll have to satisfy our craving for Blue Oval hot hatchery with this video, which you can view after the break. It's certainly not the most exciting piece of film ever published on the Interwebs, but it's enough to make us fall in love with the ST all over again.
[Source: YouTube via Carscoop]
Continue reading Video: 2012 Ford Focus ST is still our orange crush
Video: 2012 Ford Focus ST is still our orange crush originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: Sights and sounds of Ford’s Mustang Boss 302S race car
Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Ford, Racing
2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302S - Click above to watch the video after the jump
With the launch of the 2012 Mustang Boss 302 street car in the books, Ford has turned its attention to the racetrack and has begun testing the Boss 302S race car that is set for production later this year. The Boss 302S was unveiled in December as a replacement for the FR500S Mustang and is a notch above the Laguna Seca package but not quite as hardcore as the Boss 302R.
Fortunately, Ford Racing had the cameras rolling at the recent test session at Homestead-Miami Speedway and has uploaded some footage of the Boss 302S on track. The car sounds even better than the street car and is capable of hitting 150 miles per hour on Homestead's front straight. Turn up your speakers, then click past the jump to watch the video.
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading Video: Sights and sounds of Ford's Mustang Boss 302S race car
Video: Sights and sounds of Ford's Mustang Boss 302S race car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideos: Ford launches new TV spots to promote 2011 F-150 powertrains
Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford
TV spot for the 2011 Ford F-150 - Click above to watch the video after the jump
The Ford F-150 is an outrageously important vehicle here in America. Not only has it been the best-selling pickup truck for the past 33 years, it has out-sold every single vehicle in the country for 28 of those years. So when it comes time to update the bread-and-butter pickup, Ford has to make sure it is still poised to be a high-volume seller.
For 2011, Ford hit a bullseye by adding four new powertrains to the F-150 lineup - a 3.7-liter V6, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, and two V8 engines measuring 5.0 and 6.2 liters. By doing this, Ford says that there's no need to compromise when shopping the F-150 because its range of powertrains provide the most power, best towing capacity and best fuel economy in the class. Checkmate.
To promote this, Ford has just launched its latest series of television ads that showcase the "no compromise" theme. The automaker has signed comedian Dennis Leary to provide the voiceover, and you can check out both of the new ads, as well as Ford's press release, after the jump.
Question: How do Ford's new advertisements compare with these latest examples from Chevrolet?
Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL
[Source: Ford]
Continue reading Videos: Ford launches new TV spots to promote 2011 F-150 powertrains
Videos: Ford launches new TV spots to promote 2011 F-150 powertrains originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: 2012 Ford Focus worked out on the track
Filed under: Sedan, Videos, Ford
2012 Ford Focus prototype out on the track - Click above to watch the video after the jump
We can't divulge the details about the production-spec 2012 Ford Focus just yet (you'll have to wait for next week's Paris Motor Show coverage), but when it comes to what Ford's new global C-car will be like to drive, this video should explain a lot.
It's no secret that the new Focus was heavily tuned by Ford's European team, meaning both the hatch and sedan should prove to be pretty engaging steers - just like their Fiesta siblings. In this video, we see a nearly completed prototype running around Ford's handling course, and judging by the sights and sounds from this two-minute clip, we're pretty eager to get our turn behind the wheel.
If the standard-spec Focus looks this good, imagine what FoMoCo has in store for the hotted-up ST. Follow the jump to watch the video of the Blue Oval small car doing some test laps. Thanks for the tip, Yaroukh!
[Source: YouTube]
Video: 2012 Ford Focus worked out on the track originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord introduces airbags with enhanced crash protection, debuting on 2012 Focus [w/video]
Filed under: Safety, Technology, Ford
Ford's next-generation airbag technology - Click above for high-res image gallery
Ford has given us a sneak peek at its production-ready 2012 Focus, and while our lips may be sealed about its specs and our impressions, we can now give you the lowdown on the Blue Oval's new airbag technologies that will debut in its forthcoming C-segment stunner.
For the driver, the new steering wheel airbag uses a tether system that pulls in the lower section of the bag back toward the dashboard. This creates a small pocket that Ford engineers say will soften the blow of the airbag to the driver's chest and ribs, reducing the threat of bodily injury in a frontal crash.
The side airbags also work to prevent injuries to the driver and front passenger by adding shoulder vents that stay open during inflation, reducing pressure for smaller occupants. Taller folks will block these vents with their shoulders, and this added pressure can actually prove to be helpful.
Along with the shoulder vents, Ford has used an adaptive venting system in its passenger-side front airbag, which diverts some of the inflation gas outside of the bags. This better protects passengers by enhancing head and neck protection by matching inflation force with the size of the occupant, which is monitored by the weight sensors already built into the seats.
As you'd expect, these safety features won't just be limited to the 2012 Focus. Ford says that this technology will quickly spread to the rest of its model range within the next few years. To see exactly how these systems work, follow the jump to watch an instructional animated video, as well as actual crash test footage. Ford's press release is available for your reading pleasure, as well.
[Source: Ford]
Ford introduces airbags with enhanced crash protection, debuting on 2012 Focus [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: 2011 Ford Fiesta is so pimping, so sexy
Filed under: Budget, Videos, Hatchback, Ford
Ford Fiesta "You so Pimping, You so Sexy" ad by Film Riot - Click above to watch the video after the jump
Ford may have its own ad campaign for the Fiesta, but we're mildly amused by this one-off, three-minute-long ad created by the folks at Film Riot, an online how-to show about filmmaking. The Blue Oval currently sponsors the Film Riot crew, so it makes sense that the funky new Fiesta hatch (in Lime Squeeze, of course) would be the star of their ad spoof.
One part Swagger Wagon rap and one part Sprockets, the Euro-inspired dance track fits the Fiesta perfectly. Note to Ford: Edit this down to a 30-second television spot posthaste, or keep it in its entirety for next year's Super Bowl. Follow the jump to see Film Riot's ad for yourself.
Photos Copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading Video: 2011 Ford Fiesta is so pimping, so sexy
Video: 2011 Ford Fiesta is so pimping, so sexy originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideos: 2011 Ford Explorer shows off its tech
Filed under: SUV, Technology, Videos, Crossover, Ford
2011 Ford Explorer Terrain Management System - Click above to watch this video after the jump
Unless you've been in seclusion for the past 24 hours, you know Ford officially unveiled the 2011 Explorer yesterday. (Be sure to read Part One and Part Two of our deep dive for the full details.) The new Explorer is a pretty drastic departure from the generations preceding it - Ford has opted to use a unibody construction and a car-based platform rather than a traditional body-on-frame SUV, and naturally aspirated V8 power has been ditched in favor of more fuel-efficient four- and six-cylinder powerplants.
So while the Explorer seems to fit better in the crossover classification, Ford is confident that traditional SUV shoppers will still be pleased with what the new Expy has to offer. There are a host of new technology features on the 2011 model, including things like blind spot monitoring, trailer sway control and a terrain management system (similar to what you might find on a Land Rover). These features will be attractive selling points to SUV-oriented customers, and they get detailed in the videos after the jump.
[Source: Ford]
Continue reading Videos: 2011 Ford Explorer shows off its tech
Videos: 2011 Ford Explorer shows off its tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: Mulally unwittingly confirms next-gen Ford Ranger for U.S. market? [*UPDATED]
Filed under: Truck, Videos, Work, Ford
Alan Mulally on CNBC - Click above to watch the video after the jump
Our trusty spy photographers have captured the next-generation Ford Ranger out testing several times now, but speculation continues to swirl over whether or not this trucklet will be available for U.S. consumption. After all, there's been talk of a more entry-level F-150 that would sort of fill the void of not having a dedicated Ranger replacement, but Ford has never ruled out the possibility of an all-new small pickup.
While talking about the new 2011 Explorer on CNBC's Squawk Box this morning, Ford's president and CEO, Alan Mulally, appears to have unintentionally confirmed a new Ranger for North America. While discussing the whole lineup of Stateside Ford products, Mulally specifically says "new Ranger," which leads us to believe that all of these test mules we've seen might not just be for our overseas friends (something that we've been wondering about anyhow, as we've seen more Stateside evaluations of this 'overseas' truck than any other foreign market vehicle in recent memory). No, Mulally doesn't come right out and say that an all-new Ranger is headed our way, but we've continued to hear scuttlebutt about just such a truck from our sources, and given that his remarks were otherwise confined to North American products, we're beginning to think that a new Ranger is all but confirmed.
To see what we're on about, follow the jump to watch the CNBC interview, and pay close attention beginning around the five-minute mark for Mulally's Ranger remark. A big ol' tip of the cap to Dan!
*UPDATE: Ford continues to tell Autoblog that the new global Ranger is not planned for North America. As we've previously reported, the new F-150 will receive an EcoBoost powertrain that should deliver similar economy figures to the Ranger while providing improved size and capability, thereby negating the need for bringing a smaller pickup in this market.
[Source: CNBC]
Video: Mulally unwittingly confirms next-gen Ford Ranger for U.S. market? [*UPDATED] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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