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Video: 2011 Ford Fiesta is so pimping, so sexy

Filed under: Budget, Videos, Hatchback, Ford

Ford Fiesta Film Riot video

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.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Ford Fiesta SES

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.

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Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility prepares to serve and protect

Filed under: Crossover, Ford, Police/Emergency

Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility

Ford Police Interceptor Utility – Click above for high-res image gallery

When Ford took the wraps off of its Taurus-based Police Interceptor sedan earlier this year, we were told that a second, utility-oriented police pursuit vehicle would be coming down the pipeline. Enter the Police Interceptor Utility, based off the 2011 Explorer crossover. A Flex-styled paddy wagon would have been cool, but the Explorer’s higher ground clearance makes it more versatile for law enforcement officials who require all-terrain capability.

Unlike the sedan, which will be available with two different powertrains, the Explorer Interceptor only comes with Ford’s 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6, delivering “at least 280” horsepower and mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations are available, and it appears that the Explorer’s terrain management system will not be offered on the Police Interceptor. The latest host of driver aids like curve control and Ford’s AdvanceTrac Roll Stability Control are standard on the Interceptor Utility, as are larger brakes, a tougher suspension and 18-inch steel wheels.

Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility Inside, new seats have been fitted up front with reductions in side bolstering to accommodate an officer’s utility belt, and the gear shifter is now mounted on the column in order to provide space for computer equipment in the center console. Much like the Taurus Interceptor, Ford specifically designed the spacing between the seats to ensure that existing police equipment can be carried over to the new vehicles without issue. Things aren’t exactly luxurious in the rear seats (duh), but occupants out back do get their own climate control system (Ford says this is ideal for K9 units) as well as stab plates in the front seat backs to keep the driver and passenger safe.

Ford has also gone the extra step to rework some of the Explorer’s interior functions to better suit police needs. The steering wheel buttons, for example, are remappable and can be programmed to operate a host of auxiliary functions (lights, sirens, etc.). What’s more, Ford’s SYNC system is on hand and can be used to voice-activate the different police communication and audio equipment.

Don’t expect to see the Police Interceptor Utility out on the road until 2012 at the earliest. Ford says that production will begin in late 2011 alongside the sedan at the automaker’s Chicago assembly plant. For now, check out our high-res galleries of both live and official images, and follow the jump for the presser.

Gallery: Ford Police Interceptor Utility

Gallery: Ford Police Interceptor Utility: Live Shots

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility prepares to serve and protect

Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility prepares to serve and protect originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: AutoExpress pits Ford Focus RS against Porsche Boxster

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Porsche

Ford Focus RS vs. Porsche Boxster – Click above to view the video after the jump

When it comes to a German-American face-off, you could do a lot worse than pitting the BMW M3 against Ford’s 5.0-liter V8 powered Mustang. How much worse? How about a comparison test between a base Porsche Boxster and Ford’s turbocharged, torque-steering Focus RS.

Granted, the rationale for the shoot-out came down to cost. Across the pond both the Boxster and the Focus sticker for about the same amount. But that’s about where the similarities end. Almost.

While the Focus channels over 300 horsepower to the front wheels, it also tips the scales 3,200 pounds. Compared to the 2,900-pound, 255-hp, rear-driven Boxster, Ford’s hottest hatch comes off as rather portly, although both manage to run to 60 mph in under six seconds.

But beyond the stats and the all-too-important lap time, the real question is how best to spend your sports car money and which vehicle is the most entertaining to drive. For that, you’ve got to jump.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Continue reading Video: AutoExpress pits Ford Focus RS against Porsche Boxster

Video: AutoExpress pits Ford Focus RS against Porsche Boxster originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Ford made vehicles safer with a cadaver’s help

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Ford

Ford’s inflatable seatbelt – Click above for high-res image gallery

While we’re all accustomed to seeing crash test vehicles packed with loveable dummies, the truth is that manufacturers can’t always rely on high-tech mannequins to get the information they need. Sometimes, they have to resort to other testing procedures to research how new safety tech will impact the human body. And, as Jalopnik points out, those other procedures involve genuine human cadavers.

Now, don’t start thinking that your favorite manufacturer has a covert team of grave robbers on the pay roll. According to the Jalop, automakers typically partner with universities that have the facilities for that kind of work. In every case, the family members of the deceased are informed of what kind of research their loved ones’ body is being used for, and the cadaver is disposed of respectfully and properly after the trials.

So why use a body when we have all of these fancy computer models at our disposal? Because unfortunately, neither dummies nor our modeling systems have caught up with the complexities of the human body. Most recently, Ford used the deceased to test the impacts of its inflatable seatbelts on internal organs. Head over to Jalopnik to read the full piece.

Gallery: Ford’s Inflatable Seat Belts

[Source: Jalopnik]

How Ford made vehicles safer with a cadaver’s help originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Ford Mondeo gets spiffed up

Filed under: Sedan, Europe, Ford, UK

2011 Ford Mondeo at sunset

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

When a car comes with a 48-page press release, well, you know its maker has some special things in mind for it. The 2011 Ford Mondeo, in five-door and wagon styles, is just such a car, with The Blue Oval calling it “the most stylish and technologically advanced Mondeo ever.” Visually, the car’s main lines haven’t changed, but the details have been made sharper: a sleeker front bumper with new LEDs and more aggressive lip, the twin character lines down the side, the chrome trim all around the windows and the new chiseling in the rear valance.

Inside is the familiar story of upgraded materials wrapped around new techno bits. Ambient LED illumination falls from overhead, where also resides a new woven headliner. Driver aids include Lane Departure Warning system, Auto High Beam, Driver Alert, Smart Regenerative Charging and Active Grille Shutter, which opens and closes the grille aperture automatically to promote either cooling or increased aerodynamic efficiency.

Under the hood are new engines, including the Mondeo’s first crack at Ford’s 237-horsepower, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder EcoBoost. That will be an option alongside the current, 203-hp version. There’s also a reworked 2.2-liter Duratorq TDCi diesel putting out 197 hp, the most powerful such engine yet.

It goes on sale as soon as next month at the same starting price as the current Mondeo, £17,295 ($26,842 U.S.), although the Titanium trim gets bumped up £200 to £19,945 ($30,958 U.S.). Follow the jump for an abridged version of the presser, and take your time perusing our huge gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Mondeo revealed

[Source: Ford]

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2011 Ford Mondeo gets spiffed up originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Ford Windstar recalled over rear axle risk

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Recalls, Safety, Ford

Ford Windstar recall

Back in May, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started investigating cases of rear axles breaking in late model Ford Windstar minivans after receiving hundreds of complaints from owners. Over three months later, an official recall has just been announced that covers 575,000 1998-2003 Windstars sold in “Salt Belt” states – places where road salt is used to melt away snow and ice during the winter months. Road salt can accelerate corrosion on the rear axle, which can cause the axle beam to break completely.

Ford says that only a small number of reported cases involve instances of the rear axle beams actually snapping, even though NHTSA supposedly received over 200 complaints from owners. Still, Ford will be notifying owners of this potential hazard starting on September 27, and naturally, the problem will be fixed free of charge.

Interestingly enough, this recall does not mention anything about the Windstar’s front subframes – another easily corroded area that triggered a second NHTSA investigation in late July. More than 900,000 vehicles could have been affected by this, and we assume that NHTSA’s findings did not warrant a full recall. Still, this rear axle issue will be the eleventh recall placed on the Windstar, a model that was only built for a total of nine years.

[Source: Associated Press via Google]

Official: Ford Windstar recalled over rear axle risk originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Despite meeting with governor, Ford set to close Minnesota Ranger plant

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

2010 Ford Ranger – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to The Detroit News, Ford officials met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty yesterday to discuss the future of the automaker’s St. Paul assembly plant. The facility, which builds Ford’s Ranger compact pickup has been earmarked for closure for some time, but despite the roundtable session, the Blue Oval says it still plans to shutter its operations.

Pawlenty’s administration had been hoping that the signing of a new state law in April allowing the government to offer Ford a series of tax breaks would be enough to keep the Twin Cities operations open, but apparently it wasn’t enough – the plant will close, although an end-date remains uncertain.

Closing the plant will also close the book on the aging Ranger, though Ford has confirmed that the model name will live on with other, larger models in foreign markets. Thus far, rumors of a new North American Ranger (and even an on-air slip by Ford president Alan Mulally) have amounted to nothing, and with Ford committed introducing more economical engines to its F-150 full-size pickup, it appears highly unlikely that a U.S. Ranger will receive an encore any time soon.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: Despite meeting with governor, Ford set to close Minnesota Ranger plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Who’s got a 300-horsepower Ford Festiva Shogun? Jay Leno, who else?

Filed under: Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Celebrities, Specialty

Jay Leno’s 300-horsepower Ford Festiva – Click above to watch video after the jump

Ford is hosting a round-the-world trip in its new Fiesta, and somehow that led Motor Trend to visit Jay Leno’s Garage and have a look at his ’80s-era Ford Festiva Shogun. There’s no way a bog-standard 63-horsepower runabout could last longer than a fruit fly in Jay’s garage, so this one does its best impression of a Renault 5 Turbo down to the engine in the rear and the blistered arches and vents.

For those who don’t know what a Shogun is exactly, it’s the perfect marriage of a Taurus SHO’s original 3.0-liter Yamaha V6 and a Ford Festiva. You take the motor and drivetrain from the Taurus SHO and place it front-to-back in the Festiva, then season to taste with wheels and body kit. Leno’s Shogun is also boosted by nitrous oxide for a total of about 300 horsepower, which is pretty good for a Korean-built subcompact from 1989.

Leno cites two compelling reasons for the Shogun: “Because there are certain parts of the world where people are going to chase you,” and “I live in a hilly area.” Of course, Jay, of course. Follow the jump for the Shogun’s story.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Continue reading Video: Who’s got a 300-horsepower Ford Festiva Shogun? Jay Leno, who else?

Video: Who’s got a 300-horsepower Ford Festiva Shogun? Jay Leno, who else? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Land Rover Evoque to get 2.0-liter EcoBoost from Ford?

Filed under: Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Ford, Land Rover, Luxury

Jaguar’s got a good thing going with its use of Ford engines, and even an engine shortage isn’t enough to deter Land Rover from getting in on the game. A report in Autocar suggests that the Land Rover Evoque could make use of the 2.0-liter, four-cyliinder Ecoboost engine that Ford just installed as the premium engine into the 2011 Explorer.

On the ‘sceptered isle, the same Ecoboost serves in the Mondeo, but with 203 horsepower instead of the 237 that the Explorer variant outputs. Since Land Rover won’t say anything about the report, probably trying to maintain the surprise until the Evoque is revealed at the Paris Motor Show, we don’t know which tune the Evoque might get. But that engine and the possibility of using Ford’s six-speed, dual-clutch Powershift transmission could go all the way to backing up Land Rover’s assertion that the Evoque will be the most fuel-efficient vehicle it has ever produced.

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Land Rover Evoque to get 2.0-liter EcoBoost from Ford? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 2011 Ford Fiesta nabs IIHS Top Safety Pick, Autoblog watches

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Sedan, Safety, Technology, Hatchback, Ford

2011 Ford Fiesta gets IIHS Top Safety Pick – Click above to watch video after the jump

We have mountains of respect for the men and women who work at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. After being invited to the institute’s Charlottesville, Virginia facility for a front-row seat to the 2011 Ford Fiesta’s frontal-offset test, we can honestly say that if we had their job, we’d have a hard time getting into just any old car ever again. While the Blue Oval’s new sub-compact passed its battery of evaluations with flying colors (being the first and only minicar to earn a Top Safety Pick nod since the institute added a rollover test), we were also treated to a tour of some of the more poorly engineered models from the recent past.

Manufacturers have made an impressive amount progress on the safety front in the last decade, thanks largely to a close partnership with the IIHS. The institute has worked to revise crash tests to more accurately reflect the composition of vehicles on the road. One of its primary functions is to identify crashes where people die in otherwise well-rated vehicles and to adjust crash tests accordingly. While the public identifies the institute with bouncing perfectly good cars off of chunks of aluminum and concrete, the truth is that crash testing is only a small part of the IIHS mission. Of course, it’s also the most fun part. Follow the jump to take a look at a video of the Fiesta’s frontal-offset test.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Fiesta IIHS Crash Tests

Gallery: IIHS Crash Test Exhibition Hall

Continue reading Video: 2011 Ford Fiesta nabs IIHS Top Safety Pick, Autoblog watches

Video: 2011 Ford Fiesta nabs IIHS Top Safety Pick, Autoblog watches originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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