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Spy Shots: Aussies developing Ford Falcon GT-H

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Ford, Australia

Ford FPV Falcon GT-H Spy Shots

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.

Gallery: Ford FPV Falcon GT-H Spy Shots

[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.

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Ford Excursion lives! Get your 2011 model right here

Filed under: Aftermarket, SUV, Truck, Ford

2011 Ford Excursion

2011 Ford Excursion – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Ford Excursion lives, though not through any fault of Ford. The clever craftsmen at Custom Autos by Tim can turn any 2010 or 2011 Ford F-250 or F-350 into what looks to be a factory-perfect interpretation of what the Excursion would look like if it hadn’t been axed in 2005. Buyers can get their behemoths with either four or six doors and it usually takes Tim’s crew around six weeks to turn a vehicle from a pickup to an SUV. In that time, the shop finds a 2005 Excursion from the southwest, drags it to their shop in Guthrie, Oklahoma and surgically removes the rear-end of the vehicle.

From there, the aft is grafted onto the new truck and a completely new interior is installed. The whole shebang will cost you $23,000 on top of the purchase price of your standard F-250 or F-350. Given that the F-250 starts at $29,480 without destination, chances are you’re looking at a price tag of over $53,000 by the time all is said and done. We think we’d just as soon stick with a Chevrolet Suburban were it our chips on the table.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Excursion

[Source: Custom Autos by Tim]

Ford Excursion lives! Get your 2011 model right here originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barrett-Jackson 2011: 2002 Ford F-150 Evel Knievel Gladiator *Update: w/video

Filed under: Truck, Auctions, Videos, Ford, Celebrities

2002 Ford F-150 Evel Knievel Gladiator at Barrett-Jackson 2011

2002 Ford F-150 Evel Knievel Gladiator – Click above for high-res image gallery

Beau Boeckmann is a huge Evel Knieval fan… he also happens to be the president of Galpin Auto Sports, which is tied to the largest Ford dealership in the world. To honor his hero, Boeckmann commissioned a limited run of customized Ford F-150s. Coming across the stage at the 2011 Barrett-Jackson auction will be the 2002 Ford F-150 Evel Knievel Gladiator; the prototype truck built to showcase the entire run and it’s identified as #000 of 2,000.

This 2002 F-150 wears custom Evel Knieval-themed paint complete with the blue and white stars and stripes running the length of the vehicle. Under the hood is the familiar 5.7-liter Triton V8 engine while a set of Boyd Coddington wheels outside and red, white and blue leather seats inside help set this limited-edition pickup apart.

Mr. Knieval used this has his personal vehicle towards the end of his life. All 19,023 miles have been used to shuttle Evel to events around the country, including an appearance together on The Jimmy Kimmel Show.

Check out both the the trucks official auction page on Barrett-Jackson, and watch Speed’s live online coverage here. Are you playing Speed’s Online Fantasy Bid Game? If not, test your auction pricing mettle by guessing what a series of featured vehicles will end up bringing at the auction block – you could end up winning a prize, like an Apple iPad. Enjoy!

*Update: Video of the truck crossing the block is available after the jump.

Gallery: 2002 Ford F-150 Evel Knievel Gladiator at Barrett-Jackson 2011

Continue reading Barrett-Jackson 2011: 2002 Ford F-150 Evel Knievel Gladiator *Update: w/video

Barrett-Jackson 2011: 2002 Ford F-150 Evel Knievel Gladiator *Update: w/video originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford dealer giving lessons on MyFord Touch

Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Crossover, Ford, Lincoln

MyFord Touch

2011 Ford Edge – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford dealers are beginning to realize some buyers aren’t comfortable with the virtual switchgear of MyFord Touch, and at least one dealer in Michigan is offering a free tutorial of the touchscreen controls.

Village Ford in Dearborn admits that while some of its younger buyers are more comfortable with the system, “… less tech-savvy customers need to come back in again.” And after Consumer Reports pulled its Recommended rating for the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX due to ease-of-use issues with MyFord/MyLincoln Touch, there’s little doubt Ford and its dealers want to proactively assuage concerns and get people comfortable with the controls.

However, as Jim Seavitt, the dealership’s owner tells the Detroit Free Press, one issue is the lack of choice. If someone buys a vehicle with SYNC, they can choose not to use it, but if they option up for a higher spec Edge, “they have to use MyFord Touch,” according to Seavitt.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Ford dealer giving lessons on MyFord Touch originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford investing $400M in Kansas City plant for unnamed new car

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

2009 Ford F-150 at Kansas City Assembly Plant

Ford has announced plans to invest $400 million in its Kansas City Assembly plant in Missouri. The company is shifting production of the Escape from that facility to its Louisville, Kentucky plant, which will open up a line for an unnamed model. There’s some indication that the FoMoCo crew is planning to build the Transit Connect alongside the F-150 at the Kansas City facility. Regardless of what model Ford plans to build there, the company’s investment will go toward new tooling, a new body shop and other improvements, while managing to save 3,750 jobs in the process.

Ford will receive around $150 million in tax breaks over 10 years for keeping the Kansas City plant up and kicking as part of the 2010 Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act. The legislation provides tax incentives for automakers who retain jobs through new investments.

The Blue Oval is now in the process of retooling a total of four plants for upcoming products. The company just recently announced that it is investing $600 million in the Louisville, Kentucky plant to produced the next-generation Escape. Hit the jump for the press release.

[Sources: Ford, Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Continue reading Ford investing $400M in Kansas City plant for unnamed new car

Ford investing $400M in Kansas City plant for unnamed new car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Torture-tested Ford EcoBoost V6 engine torn down at Detroit Auto Show

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Truck, Ford

Exactly as promised, Ford sent a couple of technicians to the show floor at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show in front of a live audience to disassemble the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine that was torture-tested for the equivalent of a few hundred thousand miles of rigorous duty on the dyno and in the engine bay of various F-Series trucks.

How’d it fair? Rather well, we’d say, and it managed to churn out 364 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque on the dyno after all the abuse it took. That matches up rather well with the factory ratings of 365 horses and 420 lb-ft.

As you might expect, there was a good amount of carbon build-up on the piston crowns and the valves – think of how much dust was surely ingested over the course of 1,062 miles of the Baja 1000 race, which this engine took part in, finishing first overall in its class – along with a 13-percent loss on one cylinder during the leak-down test. All other initial measurements were well within factory tolerances, and Ford will continue testing each individual piece from this engine to ensure its durability.

No doubt about it, this is an impressive showing for the EcoBoost engine. See plenty more pictures and a first-hand recounting of the tear-down process at PickupTrucks.com.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Torture-tested Ford EcoBoost V6 engine torn down at Detroit Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tanner Faust’s 2011 Ford Fiesta rallycross racer gets new livery

Tanner Foust’s 2011 Ford Fiesta rallycross racer – Click above for high-res image gallery

Tanner Foust is heading to Europe, and he’s bringing his new 2011 Ford Fiesta with him. The Top Gear USA co-host and wheel-man extraordinaire is going to participate in the 2011 European Rallycross Championship. The rallycross-prepped Fiesta is powered by a 600-horsepower engine whose power is routed to all four wheels.

Foust previously ran a few races during the 2010 European Rallycross season. He also competed in the inaugural U.S. Rallycross series where he finished on the podium at each event. The X Games held its own version of rally events, and Tanner Foust was able to capture a pair of gold medals for his efforts. Check out his Rockstar energy drink liveried Fiesta in our high-res gallery below.

Gallery: Tanner Foust’s 2011 Ford Fiesta rallycross racer

Tanner Foust's 2011 Ford Fiesta rallycross racer Tanner Faust

[Source: Tanner Foust Racing]

Continue reading Tanner Faust’s 2011 Ford Fiesta rallycross racer gets new livery

Tanner Faust’s 2011 Ford Fiesta rallycross racer gets new livery originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford releases new Fiesta RS WRC in full livery ahead of season debut

2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC – Click above for high-res image gallery

The World Rally Championship is downsizing. Not in the number of teams participating – that’s actually expected to increase – but in the size of its cars. While Formula One is set to switch to turbo fours, the WRC is switching to smaller cars, similar to the Super 2000 formula. And so, in-line with the new regulations, Ford is switching from a Focus-based rally challenger to the new Fiesta.

The WRC-spec Fiesta RS was revealed in tentative, showgoing livery back in Paris, but the team has now unveiled the car in the full competition livery in which it will take on the world’s most challenging rally stages. Similar to the livery featured on the outgoing Focus, the new Fiesta RS WRC is dominated by the logos of title sponsor Abu Dhabi – which takes over from BP – and secondary sponsor Castrol’s Edge range of motor oils.

Full specifications have still yet to be released, so we’ll have to wait until early February before the new Fiesta RS WRC hits the season-starting Rally Sweden from Feb 10-13. Details in the press release after the jump with high-resolution images of the liveried rally machine in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford releases new Fiesta RS WRC in full livery ahead of season debut

Ford releases new Fiesta RS WRC in full livery ahead of season debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Polk: Ford owners are most loyal buyers this year

Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, Toyota

Ford logo

Polk, the company that has been examining customer loyalty for 15 years, as Ford claiming the top spot in its most recent survey. After polling nearly 5 million “return-to-market” events, Polk found a majority of Ford customers returned to the brand for their next vehicle.

Ford didn’t stop at winning Polk’s Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer title, though. The Blue Oval also took top honors in the Overall Loyalty to Make, Ethnic Market Make (African American) and Mid/Full-size Pickup Truck categories.

Toyota also fared well in Polk’s survey, earning four awards. For the full list of winners, check out the press release after the jump.

[Source: Polk | Image: Drew Phillips/Autoblog/AOL]

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Polk: Ford owners are most loyal buyers this year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Ford C-Max Energi and C-Max Hybrid offer two options for fuel-sipping MPVs

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Ford, Electric

2013 Ford C-Max Energi

Ford C-Max Energi – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve already told you about the 2012 Ford C-Max, the Blue Oval’s new mini-minivan that’s set to launch here in North America later this year. The C-Max story doesn’t end with just the one gasoline-powered model, though – Ford is bringing two more versions of its small people mover to the 2011 Detroit Auto Show: the C-Max Energi and C-Max Hybrid.

What’s important to note is that while the gasoline C-Max with sliding doors is actually based on the three-row Grand C-Max that Ford sells in other markets, the Hybrid and Energi use conventional front-hinged rear doors and seat five, just like the shorter-wheelbase C-Max available in Europe. The automaker’s kinetic design language is in full force here, and the Aston Martin-like grille on these smaller C-Max models resembles what first debuted on Ford’s Focus Electric at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show.

2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid The C-Max Hybrid uses the Blue Oval’s next-generation gasoline/electric powertrain technology, and we’re told that fuel economy will be higher than the 41 miles per gallon that’s currently on tap in the Fusion Hybrid sedan. By building upon the powersplit technology currently used in the automaker’s hybrids, Ford says that the C-Max Hybrid will be able to operate in electric mode at speeds higher than 47 miles per hour.

The big story here, however, is the C-Max Energi, which is essentially a range-extended plug-in hybrid that’s not completely unlike the Chevrolet Volt. Ford is targeting an overall driving range of more than 500 miles using both the battery-backed motor and Atkinson-cycle engine, and much like the Focus Electric, the automaker’s new MyFord Mobile software will allow users to monitor the C-Max Energi’s charging state while on the go.

Both the C-Max Hybrid and Energi will be built alongside the standard C-Max at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant starting in 2012, with European models being built in Valencia, Spain starting in 2013. Follow the jump for the full details in Ford’s press release, and check out each version of the new C-Max in our high-res galleries below.

Gallery: 2013 Ford C-Max Energi

2013 Ford C-Max Energi

Gallery: 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid

2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading 2013 Ford C-Max Energi and C-Max Hybrid offer two options for fuel-sipping MPVs

2013 Ford C-Max Energi and C-Max Hybrid offer two options for fuel-sipping MPVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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