Ford – Page 48 – Automobiles Review

Ford Capri – The Legend Is Back

After the Scirocco, the Beetle and the Mini, it is time for another legend to comeback on stage. Ford has announced that for the 40^th anniversary of the Capri, a new model will be launched on the market both to revive the legend and to compete the Megane coupe and the Scirocco.

The design of the car is expected to follow the lines of Iosis Max, a concept first revealed in 2009. Many people will wonder, if we have a sporty Focus, what’s the use of another Capri? The answer is simple: This will not be a hot hatch, but more a coupe, what is more it will be the new face of Ford and will have the responsibility to show the world Ford’s new vision and design concepts.

Of course sooner or later it will come down to power – and Ford has definitely something to offer – up-to-date with modern tendencies, the engines used will be turbocharged. Unlike the ancestors the new Capri will also be offered with diesel engines 130HP-197HP (expected). The petrol engines will be a 1.6 liter with either 148HP or 178HP and a 2.0 liter with about 200HP. The set up is expected to propel the coupe to 100 km/h (62mph) in about 6 seconds and reach 250 km/h (155 mph).

To be honest this is a pity. Remember, the top versions back then were 6 cylinders, I do not think anyone needs to be reminded what is the sound of a well balanced 6 cylinder engine. At least in terms of power, things seem to be on the right track. I don’t know if you have ever driven a Capri, but let me tell you something, being too hard on the throttle would make the car drift and smoke would come out of the rear tires. If you are too hard on the new Capri, well, you will definitely feel the G force violently pushing you to the seat, but, there is always a “but”, the plans for the new Capri is to make it FWD. On the one hand this is what car manufacturers tend to do nowadays, but on the other, can you imagine a FWD Mustang or Camaro? This is not how a legend is brought back to life.

So this car is expected to cost some $30 000. Is it worth it? Yes and no to be honest. It is indeed a well shaped car with a lot of sports elements on the body, turbocharged engine and the Capri badge in the back. Which is in my opinion its greatest drawback? No 6 cylinders, no RWD fun, no Capri. You cannot put a “chocolate” badge on cereal and convince your kid it’s made of cocoa, can you?

July 5, 2011

Cars in movies – top 5

Each car enthusiast has a movie that makes them smile just thinking of it. You will have the opportunity to read a little more about some of the most cherished cars used in movies.

Number 5

AUDI A8 W12- Transporter 2

This car is taking a serious part in the plot of the movie. Jason Statham needs to chase the bad guys all over the place and the Audi is a serious partner in his mission. The movie is abundant with stunts that the A8 has to perform. Thanks to the massive twelve-cylinder 6.0 liter engine and some driving skill of course, it almost looks easy to do.

Number 4

Nissan Skyline R34- The Fast and the Furious

One of the fastest cars in the world, the dream of the PlayStation generation. The Skylines used in the movie are GTRs but not quite – the purpose of these cars was to draw attention and being all wheel drive, the grip was too much for burnouts and fun. That’s why the Skylines used, had their front driveshafts excised and the magic was done. As you already know the GTRs are claimed 280 hp from the factory, which is ridiculous for a 6 cylinder 2.6 twin-turbo engine. Still one of the two fastest skylines used in the movies is claimed 505 hp, which is enough to do 12 seconds in the quarter mile run. The main car used in the movie has been equipped with HKS tuning parts, JIC’s suspension and 3 NOS bottles, neither of which had something to do with the engine. Being so full of “extras”, AWD and AWS removed, the performance is not quite as what is expected from a skyline though.

Number 3

Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works – The Italian Job

Complicated relations, a lot of money, a lot of thrill and a couple of Mini Coopers as a final touch. In the plot several old friends are trying to get to a huge amount of gold. For the purpose they need small, maneuverable and still fast cars. The Mini Cooper turns out to be the best option for the job. The Aero body kit makes the cars look stunning. Did you know that gasoline-powered vehicles were not allowed in the subway system of LA, that’s why a couple of electric cars were built for these scenes? In total 32 Minis were used in the movie, some of them specially customized to make some of the incredible stunts possible.

Number 2

Volkswagen Beetle – Herbie Fully Loaded

This is a car with a lot of history in the movie world. It has participated in a couple of Disney movies starting in 1968 – The Love Bug. What is strange and interesting about Herbie is that it is almost a human being – has his own thoughts, soul and drives himself. 30 Beetles were used for the footage of the last movie of the series – “Herbie Fully Loaded”. One of the beetles has a 200hp engine that is capable of getting the car to over 135 mph. Unfortunately having all the effects of modern cinema, the car looks normal no more. It moves its bumper, blinks, gives out noises etc. Unlike the first movies from the series, where you could just feel that there was something special about the car, some kind of emotion, without making it look human.

Number 1

Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 ‘Eleanor’ – Gone in Sixty Seconds

The dream machine from “Gone in 60 seconds”. Alike the movie, this car is a true masterpiece and quite a mystery. The car is named Eleanor, but initially the plan was not to use a mustang at all. At first the idea was to have a GT40 grabbing the attention. However, it turned out that building one would cost a fortune even considering what the purpose was. Basically it was all making a car from scratch – literally. The car was first put on paper and then various specialists started creating the separate parts and adapt them to fit the Mustang. What not too many people know is that the side exhausts are not functional and neither are the side air feeds. The car in the movie is shown so fast that the driver was scared of it and would talk to it prior to driving. The car ended up in a private collection, $216 700 were paid for the beauty. Still, there are garages that can build another one for you for some (in) decent amount of money.

July 4, 2011

Ford Performance Vehicle Concept

Ford will exhibit FPV GT Concept at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne. The sinister all-black GT-based FPV concept features a number of bespoke features and design solutions not seen before.

“Taking our iconic FPV GT, we have put together a package of performance and design enhancements to demonstrate what could be done by FPV in the future,”, said Rod Barrett, Ford Performance Vehicles General Manager.

“The black-on-black treatment looks spectacular and it really changes the look of the car, so I’ll be very interested to hear what FPV enthusiasts think.”, he added.

The car is powered by the Boss 5.0 liter V8 with 455PS (335 kW) and a hefty 570Nm (420 lb-ft) of torque. No further technical data is revealed, but you have to expect RWD with LSD and manual gearbox, hopefully.

The FPV stands on enormous 8J x 19” rims at the front and 9.5J x 19” at the rear fitted with Dunlop SP Sportmaxx GT tires. The brakes are decent, too – 6-piston up front and 4-piston for the rear wheels.

The interior boasts black leather trim throughout and an all-black dash treatment that includes the interior command centre (ICC).

Source: Ford

July 4, 2011

2012 Ford B-MAX 1.0 EcoBoost

Ford will add all-new 1.0 litre EcoBoost three-cylinder petrol engine to the model line-up. The engine is developed in Europe and it is the smallest one Ford has ever built. Furthermore, the manufacturer confirms that its next generation of hybrid vehicles, including the C-MAX in 2013, will have a Ford-designed, engineered and built transmission.

The 1.0 litre EcoBoost has the same performance as a four-cylinder, but with much higher fuel economy and lower emissions.

“No one has ever built a three-cylinder engine quite like this.It’s one of the most technically advanced and efficient engines we’ve ever designed,” commented Joe Bakaj, vice president of Global Powertrain Engineering.

“The new engine introduces many new technologies that could be part of the DNA of future Ford engines.”, he added.

The all new 1.0 litre EcoBoost will be offered with the 2012 Ford B-Max, but full details of the new power unit will be released in September at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Innovative efficiency solutions:

An offset crankshaft that reduces friction
An advanced, Ford-designed split cooling system that allows the cylinder block to warm up before the cylinder head. Faster cylinder block warm-ups save fuel, especially in cold weather
An exhaust manifold cast into the cylinder head. The one-piece assembly lowers the temperature of the exhaust gases. This enables the engine to run in a wider rpm band with the optimum fuel-to-air ratio. The new design also saves weight and allows the engine to operate more smoothly
EcoBoost technologies, such as turbocharging, direct-injection and twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT)

Ford B-MAX

Source: Ford

June 3, 2011

2012 Ford Focus refined by Loder1899

Loder1899 has unveiled a new tuning package for the latest 2012 Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi, so now the hatchback is not only a bland car with economic engine, but a fashionable vehicle with real style.

The German tuner offers both – performance and styling package. The 2.0 liter diesel engine is boosted to 195PS (143 kW) and 395Nm (291 lb-ft) of torque, instead of the factory’s 140PS (103 kW) and 320Nm (236 lb-ft).

The exterior tuning consists of stainless-steel dual sport exhaust system as well as full body kit, which is also available in carbon fiber as an option. Furthermore, the stance of the hot hatch is lowered with 35mm and big wheels are added – 18”, 19” and 20” in different designs.

Finally, Loder1899 offers LED daytime running lights and carbon covers for the headlights.

The prices start at €27 695, including the car, of course.

Loder1899 2012 Ford Focus

Source: Loder1899

June 1, 2011

2012 Ford Mustang Mayhem

Ford has announced a special version of 2012 Mustang V6, which will be offered with a new Mayhem performance package.

“We saw great enthusiasm from fans, with tons of creative, unique names coming in,” commented Brian McClary, Ford social and emerging media specialist.

“The contest was twofold – it let us engage with fans by letting them have a say, and it helped build awareness for the package.”, he added.

2012 Ford Mustang Mayhem is powered by a 3.7 liter V6 engine with 309PS (227 kW) and 379Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque. It is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and returns 19 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.

The car comes with a sport-tuned suspension, a strut tower brace and a revised electronic stability control system. Mustang Mayhem features a high performance braking system. It stands on big 19” alloy wheels fitted with Pirelli high-performance tires. The power is put on the road through LSD (limited slip differential) with ratio of 3.31.

2012 Ford Mayhem Mustang Package:

3.31 rear axle ratio for quicker off-the-line acceleration
Mustang GT coupe front and rear stabilizer bars
Mustang GT front struts and rear shocks/springs
Shelby GT500 rear lower control arm
Unique 19-inch wheels
Pirelli performance tires for improved grip
Mustang GT front and rear brake calipers with Performance Friction pads
Strut tower brace for increased body rigidity
Unique electronic stability control calibration with sport mode for performance driving
Unique badging

2011 Ford Mustang GT

edit: Ford Mustang GT on the pictures

Source: Ford

May 11, 2011

Ford Focus ST Prototype

Ford will soon introduce the new version of Focus ST, which will feature unique paintjob, lowered syspension, huge alloys wheels fitted with performance tires and central rear double exhaust.

“The new Focus ST is eagerly awaited around the world, which is appropriate as this is our first global performance model,” commented Jost Capito, Ford’s director of Global Performance Vehicles.

“It must live up to Ford’s reputation for producing affordable yet exciting and sporty versions of its smaller cars that reward and delight enthusiast drivers, but can also be used every day.”, he added.

“We’ve done all the engineering groundwork, and now we’re using some of the most demanding roads we can find in Europe and North America to validate and fine tune the performance and driving dynamics.”, mr. Capito finished.

The new Focus ST will be powered by a specially developed engine with 2.0 litres of displacement. The EcoBoost power plant will deliver 250PS, while the fuel consumption will be significantly improved.

The drivers will be helped by highly tuned Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) system. The new ST will also have driver-orientated seats, sports steering wheel and some other goodies. The car will bring staggering performance and unique driving pleasure.

“Fuel efficiency is a key leadership target for Ford Motor Company globally. We want to be class-leading even with a performance vehicle, so we’re working on getting the best possible blend of high power and fuel economy from the new ST,” said Matthias Tonn, chief program engineer, Global Performance Products, Ford of Europe.

“We’re fine-tuning, testing, and fine tuning again many of the small but critical details to make sure it is worthy of the ST badge,” Tonn said.

“We will build upon and improve the ride, steering and handling strengths that defined the current European Focus ST.”, he added.

“The seats and seating position were very good in the previous Focus ST, but the new model is sleeker and the driver will sit lower. The new seats which will provide even more support,” Tonn finished.

Ford Focus ST Prototype

Source: Ford

May 11, 2011

2011 Diesel Car Awards – Ford with double victory

Ford managed to get two awards at the 2011 Diesel Car Awards. The two honoured models are the latest Focus and refined Mondeo. Diesel Car evaluated the 1.6 and 2.0-litre Ford Focus TDCi models – each available in two power outputs.

“The Ford Focus is quite simply the best handling, most dynamically accomplished car in its class – the one the others have to match. A new benchmark has been set for this size of car, because the bar has been raised by new Focus.”, commented Ian Robertson, Diesel Car editor.

Mondeo TDCi is powered by 1.6 litre diesel with Auto-Start-Stop as standard. It achieves the amazing 65.6 mpg and emissions of just 114 g/km of CO2.

Ian Robertson added: “The Mondeo delivers driving dynamics that are second-to-none. There’s a magic about the way this car handles. It is superbly nimble and poised, with great handling and excellent steering feel that crisply communications what’s happening down there at the road surface.”

“This is a sizeable market for Ford, with 45 per cent of Focus cars bought being diesels and 86 per cent of Mondeos. To receive independent endorsement of these cars from Diesel Car is recognition of the UK-based Ford engineers and manufacturing specialists producing these engines.”, commented Jon Wellsman, Ford Britain sales director.

ford mondeo titanium

Source: Ford

May 11, 2011

Superchips Ford S-MAX 2.0 Ecoboost

Superchips Ltd has developed another performance package for the latest Ford S-Max with 2.0 liter direct injected turbocharged Ecoboost engine.

The ECU re-map boosts the 2.0 litre petrol engine with 40BHP at 5648RPM and 67Nm at just 2065RPM. With all that new power, the family vehicle is even more friendly to drive than before. Furthermore, the exceptional mileage is unchanged – 35 mpg on combined cycle. So despite the performance increase produced by the upgrade, if a Superchips remapped S-MAX is driven in a “like for like” manner, fuel consumption will not be adversely affected.

Customers will get a full Service Guarantee and an industry-leading 12 month / 30 000 supplementary full vehicle warranty.

The performance upgrade is suitable for all Ford S-MAX 2.0-litre, 203 PS Ecoboost models produced from March 2010 onwards. The result is 243PS and 367Nm of torque. The price is £455.00, so don’t compromise, optimise.

Superchips Ford S-MAX 2.0-litre Ecoboost

Source: Superchips

May 9, 2011

2012 Ford Mustang Shelby GTS

Ford has revealed the new 2012 Mustang Shelby GTS at the 2011 New York International Auto Show (NAIAS). The vehicle is a successor to the staggering 2007-2008 GT model.

The engine range includes 3.7 liter V6 and 5.0 liter V8. There is no performance data for both engines, but the mighty V8 will have at least 500HP to play with.

The development of the Ford Shelby GTS started when the 2011 Mustang was first launched, and involved Ford Racing, Borla, Baer and Shelby American. Practically, this is a sport version of Ford Mustang and includes stiffened suspension, bigger brake system and of course, more horsepower.

Still, the company priced Ford Shelby GTS post-title package $9 995, but the options list is huge.

2012 Ford Mustang Shelby GTS is expected to go in production in the end of this year, but they has already begun taking orders.

2012 Ford Mustang Shelby GTS

Source: Ford

April 22, 2011

2013 Ford Taurus

2013 Ford Taurus - Interior Ford has exclusively released detail specifications and high-end images of the refined for 2013 model year – 2013 Ford Taurus.

Housing improvements in the areas of efficiency, technology and styling, the 2013 Taurus large sedan is also showcasing significantly bettered driving dynamics, achieved thanks to the addition of an EPAS system, which improves the steering response by speeding up the steering ratio and rigidly mounting the steering rack to the subframe.

Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas, stated: “We have significantly upgraded Ford’s flagship sedan through obsessive attention to detail. The new Taurus builds on the transformation we achieved in the 2010 model. Delivering so many upgrades so soon further underscores Ford’s leadership and commitment to delivering high-quality, fuel-efficient cars for our customers.”

For 2013 model year, Ford Taurus’ power compartment offers a choice of two extremely well balanced units, the turbocharged 2.0 litre EcoBoost engine with gasoline direct injection, which produces 237 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of peak torque yet estimates best-in-class highway fuel economy of at least 31 mpg, and the standard Taurus 3.5 litre V6 unit that delivers total output of 290 horsepower. Both engines will be linked to Ford’s unique -speed automatic transmissions that offer optimized gear selection for off-the-line power delivery in lower gears, while benefiting fuel economy with higher gears that keep the engine turning efficiently at lower revolutions while cruising.

In technology terms, 2013 Taurus full-size sedan hosts the latest version of SYNC with MyFord Touch system, which offers customers simplified operating, replacing many traditional buttons, knobs and gauges with clear, colorful LCD screens and steering wheel-mounted five-way toggles. Additionally, the new Taurus will be also packed with some amazing sense-pleasing features, including:

New heated steering wheel adds to the comfort of the heated and cooled leather-trimmed seats
Multicontour seats with Active Motion™, a Taurus class-exclusive offering, help to reduce driver and first-row passenger fatigue with a subtle rolling massage pattern
Intelligent Access with push-button start, allowing the driver to enter the car and start the engine via push button simply by having the key fob in his or her possession
Auto high beams employ a sensor to switch headlamps to high beam when no oncoming traffic is detected
Rain-sensing wipers use an advanced optical sensor to detect the intensity of rain and/or snowfall to automatically adjust wiper speed
Rear view camera activates when reverse gear is selected, projecting via the center stack-mounted 8-inch screen
Rear window power sunshade, a luxury-class feature that shades the rear glass at the touch of a button, helping to keep the cabin cooler

Source: Ford

April 20, 2011

MR Car Design Ford Focus RS

MR Car Design, the Erftstadt-based retrofitter has released an extraordinary enhancement program for the Ford Focus RS, boosting its output to a new height. (more…)

April 19, 2011

Tag: Ford