If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what about this video below? Take a behind the scenes look at the icy roads of Gladwin, Michigan, as Ken Block puts his WRC Ford Fiesta up to the test.
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Ford has long reserved a number of stunning models for the European market, including the high-performance Focus RS. Unfortunately, while Ford’s emphasis on a more streamlined global product lineup is yielding new models for us here in the US, including the new Fiesta, there’s no word yet on whether we’ll be able to get our hands on the lightweight RS Clubsport or the next generation RS based on the recently unveiled 2012 Ford Focus.
The updated Ford Focus RS Clubsport is expected to break cover later this year. In addition to utilizing lightweight components, copious amounts of carbon fiber, and Fe inely tuned suspension, this Focus is expected to be quite light on its feet thanks to a 2.5-liter five cylinder engine that produces 350 horsepower. The RS Clubsport is said to launch from 0-60 mph in a mere five seconds flat. [click to continue…]
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The Sports Sedan is back in Detroit and it’s already making a splash. NADAguides.com awarded the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO as the Car of the Month for February.
While monthly awards are normally nothing to get worked up about, this particular victory speaks well for a vehicle that has been buzzing for a while. The redesign was part of an innovative mobile marketing campaign that achieved some spectacular numbers and opened the door for similar campaigns in the future. Between the buzz and the award, there is plenty of momentum coming on the tails of recent hardships from Toyota.
The buzz mixed with the delivered promise of a V-8 engine with V6-like gas mileage has Ford poised to retake the top spot in a segment that it dominated in the 80s.
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Alan Mulally miscalculated when he predicted that Ford would be profitable in 2011. With $2.7B in profit in 2009 after $14.7B in losses a year before, the Michigan automaker turned one of the worst years in the automotive industry into a victory despite not accepting federal bailout money.
In an interview on Fox Business News, Mulally discusses the company’s successes in 2009 and offers hints of a promising 2010.
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Buoyed by strong products and just a bit of accounting legerdemain, the Blue Oval has announced its balance sheet was firmly in the black in 2009, marking Ford’s first full year of profit since 2005.
True, it took some financial maneuvering to come with up a final profit figure of $2.7 billion—there were some billion-dollar bumps from debt refinancing and other special items—but even with all that stuff accounted for, the company saw a pre-tax operating income of $454 million in 2009. For comparison’s sake, this is a positive swing of more than $7 billion when compared to Ford’s 2008 pre-tax operating loss of $6.8 billion. [click to continue…]
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The Ford Explorer debuted in 1990, and it’s no stretch to say it quickly became the face of the full-size SUV revolution. The original was still rough around the edges—especially compared to today’s big sport utilities—but Ford civilized it enough to attract mainstream customers who were looking for an alternative to station wagons and minivans.
Fifteen years and more than six million customers later, the “civilization” process continues, with Ford hoping the new Explorer’s success will likewise continue. And it’s all going to start with a new design that will likely have certain truck lovers ready to tear their hair out: Yes, it’s true, the next-gen Explorer will forgo body-on-frame construction and join the ranks of unibody crossovers that currently includes the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia. [click to continue…]
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With all the safety and quality problems emerging from Toyota, many current Toyota owners are understandably bit anxious these days. With the NHTSA attributing 19 deaths to the unintended acceleration caused by defective Toyota accelerator pedals, many current Toyota drivers could be shopping for a new car very soon.
Following a similar incentive from General Motors, Ford has announced that any current Toyota owner that trades-in their vehicle for a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury vehicle will receive $1,000 cash towards their new vehicle. [click to continue…]
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After discovering that its Transit Classic diesel commercial van was equipped with the same CTS accelerator pedal featured on recalled Toyota models, Ford and its partner Jangling Motors Corp immediately halted production Thursday.
Several million Toyota vehicles have been recalled due to the CTS pedal, which are said to have a mechanism that can wear prematurely and lead to unintended acceleration. CTS began to supply this commercial van with the faulty pedal in December, but the pedal has not been used in any other Ford vehicle. [click to continue…]
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Once on the verge of bankruptcy and accepting a government bailout, Ford has turned its operations around and emerged from one of the worst years in the history of the automotive industry with gained market share in the US and Europe and reduced operating costs.
Ford reported earnings of $2.7 billion for the full year in 2009. That’s a stark contrast to the year prior when Ford managed to lose a record $14.6 billion. Needless to say, the company has performed better than many expected, and much of the turnaround could be attributed to Ford’s dramatic cost-cutting efforts. [click to continue…]
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Ford is a confident company. They realize how strong their American car company is right now. Stock experts like Jim Cramer, on CNBC, have been raving about the company’s leadership. This has resulted in their stock performing very well over the past year. They have been the only domestic automaker that did not have to file for bankruptcy last year. Therefore, they gained a significant amount of market share in 2009. Why is Ford such a hot company again? All you have to do is look at their cars and the accolades they have been receiving lately.
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