Tag Archives: Ford

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The 2021 British Motor Show Will Feature The Mundane Alongside The Exquisite

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The British Motor Show has announced that it will introduce a new display category for this year’s event. The “Mum and Dad’s Cars” exhibit will seek to highlight mundane cars from the past alongside the flamboyant supercars of today.

The cars in the display will be selected based not on their market value but rather on their unmatchable sentimental value as a nod to the regular cars that, for many petrolheads, started it all.

“This is the only car show where you’ll find a Nissan Bluebird rubbing shoulders with a brand new McLaren,” said The British Motor Show CEO, Andy Entwistle. “But it’s the cars our mums and dads owned that were the catalyst for most of us developing a love of cars, and The British Motor Show is all about the love of cars.”

Read Also: This Is Why The Mazda 626 V6 Is “The Official Generic 1990s Sedan”

If you’ll allow me a bit of a tangent, one of my favorite TV chefs growing up, Pasquale Carpino, used to always say that “mama is the best chef in the world.” What I liked best about it was that it was something that he said sincerely, a nod to the great power early experiences have over us to create interests and define taste.

Similarly, the car that feels the most like home to me is the 1998 Ford Contour (or Mondeo, depending on your location) that I learned to drive on. It was the first car I can remember my dad owning that wasn’t a wagon and he deliberately chose the V6 with the 5-speed manual transmission. To me, it was the best car in the world.

At the risk of turning this into a lowkey QOTD, I invite you to sound off in the comments with the car from your past that fills you with the most sentiment.

People in the UK who would like to turn that QOTD into a real-life conversation can head to the British Motor Show running from August 19 to 22 at Farnborough International, southwest of London. The show will also be the first major event in the UK to go on with no COVID restrictions – but we’d advise visitors to be extra careful anyway.

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Top Gear America’s Future Classics Special Doesn’t Go Well For A Saab

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When it comes to choosing a used car, one of the reasons most people play it safe instead of going for something left-field is that many of them can turn out to be problematic. Case in point: Rob Corddry’s choice for Top Gear America’s future classics episode.

Pitted against Jethro Bovingdon in an BMW E46 330Ci and Dax Sheppard in a fox body Ford Mustang V8, Corddry opts instead for a Saab 900 Turbo. A hipster choice if ever there was one – and one that he suffers for.

As laid out in a behind-the-scenes featurette, Corddry suffers many, many problems in his Saab. Sadly, or perhaps smartly, he doesn’t reprise his Arrested Development persona, Frank Wrench, and lets the mechanic at Chuckwalla raceway take a wrench on his car instead.

Turns out there’s a turbo issue that doesn’t appear to get fixed. It likely wasn’t the mechanic’s fault since the Saab got towed there behind an RV, suggesting that the problems with this particular future classic went beyond what any mechanic was likely to be able to fix in the hours before a track day.

Also Read: The Cadillac CT6-V Is Shaping Up To Be A Future Classic, So Buy This One With Just Over 1K Miles On It

The Saab wasn’t the only one suffering. The 330Ci, although its faults weren’t enumerated in quite the same way as the Saab’s, was also apparently falling apart. The fox body Mustang, meanwhile, was apparently mechanically sound.

That may come down to the budget, which appears to have been $6,000. I guess you have to spend more than that on a European future classic to get something you can drive away in.

Top Gear America premiered on Motor Trend on Demand on January 29.

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Your New Ford Kuga Can Keep Its Windshield From Fogging Up

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Imagine yourself out for a jog or riding a bicycle on a particularly cold day, and then having to get in your car immediately afterwards. It can easily result in the entire cabin steaming up, which can make you late if you’re in a hurry to get somewhere.

However, if your car is a latest-generation Ford Kuga, such issues are things of the past thanks to the so-called Windscreen Weather Station system.

It works by detecting moisture in the air, as well as changes in the temperature of the glass, and automatically activates the air conditioning system if necessary, selecting the required airflow setting before the glass has a chance to mist over.

Read: Ford Kuga’s Clever AWD Disconnect System Improves Both Traction And Fuel Consumption

The unit itself measures 5×3 cm (2×1 inches) and is located on the windshield, near the rear-view mirror. Its several sensors not only help the Kuga with this minor visibility issue, but will also help improve fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions by reducing the usage of the air conditioning system’s compressor.

“Waiting for your windscreen to clear after exercising is one of life’s little irritations – but driving without being able to clearly see the view ahead can be dangerous. This technology anticipates the problem and deals with it without the driver even knowing.”

Furthermore, drivers can use the FordPass app in order to defrost the windshield and set a cabin temperature before even starting their journey. Then there’s the carmaker’s patented QuickClear technology, which Ford claims will de-ice the glass in seconds at the touch of a button.

In Europe, the Ford Kuga is available with three electrified powertrains: plug-in hybrid, hybrid and mild-hybrid, featuring front and all-wheel drive.

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Is The Lamborghini Urus Immune To The 770 HP Shelby F-150 Super Snake’s Bite?

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The Lamborghini Urus needs no introduction. It’s the brand’s first modern-day high-rider, shares its platform with other flagship SUVs from the VW Group and has a whopping amount of power.

With 641 HP and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque produced by its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, it does the 0 to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) in just 3.5 seconds and runs out of breath at 190 mph (306 km/h).

Watch Also: Can A 700 WHP Mercedes-AMG G63 Match A Stock Lamborghini Urus?

Many fast vehicles have fallen victim to the Urus so far, including some that were more powerful, so is the Shelby F-150 Super Snake going to be one of them? The tuned pickup truck boasts a neck-snapping 770 HP from its supercharged 5.0-liter V8, which translates in just 3.45 seconds needed to hit the 60 mph (96 km/h) mark, according to Shelby, and a 0-100-0 mph (0-161-0 km/h) of 8.3 seconds.

Other highlights include an aftermarket suspension, Borla exhaust system, uprated brakes and 22-inch wheels shod in grippy tires. To make sure that no one mistakes the Super Snake for the regular Ford F-150, Shelby has also modified it inside and out, with custom bumper, grille, splitter, badging and racing stripes, a leather interior, new gauges, racing pedals and tinted windows. The 770 HP variant starts at almost $94,000, whereas the 395 HP non-supercharged model is priced from nearly $86,100.

Now, does this tuned pickup truck have what it takes to put the big, bad Lambo in its corner? Head on down to see them go head-to-head in a couple of drag races from a standing and a rolling start.

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Mustang GT500 Quicker To 60 On Street Than Track Tires, But There’s A Totally Good Explanation

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Ah, track performance, the be-all and end-all of sports cars. Even if the majority of owners won’t engage in such activities, it makes for great marketing. However, sometimes surprises pop up – such as Car and Driver’s recent test which showed that the GT500 is quicker to 60 mph with street than track tires.

That’s right; if you’re in a GT500 with the $18,500 Carbon Fiber Track Pack and you pull up next to a GT500 without it, you’re better off not racing from light to light. First of all, because street racing is dangerous and illegal.

But also because, according to Car and Driver, the GT500 with the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is 0.2 seconds faster to 60 mph than with the optional Pilot Sport Cup 2. Ford’s lead development engineer, Steve Thompson, isn’t surprised.

Read Also: The Ford Mustang GT500 Is An Animal On The Track

“It’s not atypical to see a PS4S equal the Cup tire or go a bit faster,” Thompson told C&D. As is often the case with performance driving, the reasons are manifold.

Put simply, the PS4S was made to maximize longitudinal grip, while the Cup 2 prioritizes lateral grip to get you going around corners faster. In fact, Thompson said the street tire is designed with occasional drag racing in mind.

According to C&D testing, the Cup 2 track tire offers 1.13 G of lateral grip on the skid pad, which is impressive for a big, heavy car. The Pilot Sport, meanwhile, tops out at 0.99 G, which is still very good, just not as good as the Cup 2.

On the other hand, the GT500 on street tires hit 30 mph in 1.6 seconds and 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and the one on track tires hit 30 in 1.7 seconds and 60 in 3.6. Down the quarter-mile, they posted a time of 11.3 seconds (PS4S) and 11.4 seconds (Cup 2), with both cars crossing the line at 132 mph.

Sure, that’s a pretty small difference and one that could easily be overcome by reaction times in the real world, but it’s worth remembering when you’re speccing the car. The track pack really is, like its name says, focused on the track, not the strip.

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Is All-Wheel Drive Coming To The Next-Gen Ford Mustang?

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Will the Ford Mustang family welcome a new all-wheel drive derivative? Well, according to a new report, such a model could see the light of day.

Talk about an AWD Mustang is nothing new, and while it may not appeal to all customers, there’s little doubt that it could drum up additional sales in some of the colder parts of North America and Europe where this feature is often favored by drivers.

Read Also: Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Gains New Performance Edition For A 0-60 in 3.5 Sec

Quizzed by Ford Authority about the possibility of an all-wheel drive model, Ford Mustang brand manager Jim Owens said: “Well as you know, the Challenger has AWD. We’re always looking at different kinds of performance, but we have nothing to announce at the moment.”

Of course, that statement alone doesn’t mean all that much, but there’s no doubt Ford is aware of the spike in Challenger sales Dodge reported after introducing an all-wheel drive variant. Admittedly, the Challenger is based on the same platform as the Charger, which made the inclusion of all-wheel drive relatively straightforward for Dodge.

As Fox News notes, the current Mustang is based on a unique platform, but it’s possible the next-generation model could share some of its DNA with Ford’s SUV models. We also know that the Mustang will be sold as a hybrid at some stage, so maybe it would make sense for such a variant to send its power to all four wheels.

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Mustang Driver Hits Motorcyclist And Flees The Scene, His Father Calls The Police On Him

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Shocking dashcam vision has captured the moment the driver of a Ford Mustang hit a motorcyclist in Bogota, Colombia and then fled the scene.

Video from the incident shows the cammer stopping in the middle of the road to kindly let the driver of a silver Porsche Boxster merge into traffic. Following closely behind the Porsche is a red Ford Mustang. Seconds later, as the cammer and the driver of the Porsche slow down as they approach a red light, the Mustang comes into view in the left lane.

Directly in front of the Mustang is a motorcyclist. Showing a clear disregard for those around him, the Ford driver ploughs into the biker, knocking him down and then speeding through the red light.

Watch Also: Supercharged Ford Mustang Driver Hits 178 MPH, Crashes While Fleeing The Police

The incident happened on the night of October 31st and, according to local publication Semana, the Mustang was found parked near a residential complex when the father of the driver called the authorities and said it was his son that was involved.

Footage of the Mustang in the aftermath of the incident shows that it suffered a significant amount of damage to the driver’s side door. In addition, parts of the bumper have been ripped off and the wheels have also been wrecked.

It is understood that the driver of the muscle car appeared before the authorities the day after the incident and has been hit with multiple charges.

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Ford Mustang Mach 1 Launching In Australia Next Year, Capped At 700 Units

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Ford has confirmed that the Mustang Mach 1 will launch in Australia next year and be capped at 700 units for the local market.

This news comes just a couple of days after the American automaker confirmed the Mach 1 would indeed be a global model, unlike the GT350 and GT350R siblings that are heading for retirement. Right-hand drive models will be produced at Ford’s Flat Rock plant in Michigan and when it does arrive Down Under, it will be offered alongside the Mustang 2.3L High Performance and the Mustang GT.

Read Also: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Is Back, Combines 480 HP V8 With Shelby GT350 Goodies

Two-time Bathurst winner and former Supercars champion Rick Kelly will be the official ambassador for the limited-run model in Australia.

“It’s a stunning looking vehicle, but above all it really is a Mustang made for enthusiasts – it is all about how it drives around a track, which is why I’m so pleased to be working on this project with Ford,” Kelly said. “Racing a Mustang Supercar around tracks like Mount Panorama, where we’ll be this weekend, has been a highlight of 2020 for me, but Mach 1 is such a unique opportunity for fans and customers, so I am pumped for its arrival here next year.”

Ford will announce Australian specifications and details for the Mustang Mach 1 closer to its launch.

Powering the car is a modified 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 480 hp at 7,000 rpm and 420 lb-ft (569 Nm) of torque at 4,600 rpm, just like the 2020 Mustang Bullitt. The Mach 1 comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission but can be optioned with a 10-speed SelectShift automatic.

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Ford Kicks Off Bronco Pre-Production, Shows Exclusive Lightning Blue Color For First Edition

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The 2021 Ford Bronco is inching closer to dealerships as pre-production models have rolled off the assembly line at the Michigan Assembly Plant, which is the historic home of the Bronco.

Posted by Bronco Nation, the pictures show a two- and four-door Bronco going from a shell to a finished vehicle.

The site says the four-door variant is a Bronco Badlands with an Oxford White exterior and a removable hardtop. It’s equipped with a ten-speed automatic transmission and a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that produces 270 hp (201 kW / 274 PS) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque.

Also Read: 2021 Ford Bronco Returns To Blow The Jeep Wrangler’s Doors Off

The two-door model is the entry-level Bronco and it looks pretty underwhelming. Putting that aside, it has an Iconic Silver exterior and a 2.3-liter engine paired to a seven-speed manual.

These models won’t be headed to eager customers as they’re pre-production units which will now be subjected to a barrage of testing. That’s important as Ford has received more than 165,000 reservations for the Bronco and Bronco Sport, and the company can’t afford to botch the launch like they did with the Explorer.

Of course, it will be months before the Bronco arrives at dealerships as the first deliveries aren’t scheduled until the spring of 2021. Many of them will be First Editions and Ford recently confirmed they will be offered with an exclusive Lightning Blue exterior. It looks pretty sharp and will hopefully appease fans who will shell out over $60,000 for the model which is limited to 7,000 units.

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Picture credits: Bronco Nation

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Here’s More Intense Off-Roading With The 2021 Ford Bronco

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A pair of new videos showing the 2021 Ford Bronco being tested in Moab, Utah along the extremely difficult Hell’s Revenge Trail have hit our desks.

In these videos, a handful of camouflaged and non-camouflaged Bronco prototypes are driven up and down large rock faces along the 6.5-mile long trail. At one stage in the second video, a Bronco is filmed at ‘Mickey’s Hot Tub,’ a difficult obstacle along the trail where vehicles drive into a large hole and then have to drive out the other side via a near-vertical face of rock. With the exception of some wheel slip, the Bronco deals with the obstacle very well indeed.

Both 2- and 4-door Bronco prototypes are featured in the video with various different wheel and tire packages. All of them seem superbly capable in tough off-road conditions, something that will be welcomed by enthusiasts and prospective owners alike.

Also Watch: See The 2021 Ford Bronco Get Tested To Its Limits In Utah

Aiding the Bronco’s off-road abilities is the fact that it offers best-in-class ground clearance of 11.6 inches (294 mm) and best-in-class water fording at 33.5 inches (851 mm). It also has a maximum breakover angle of 29 degrees with a departure angle of 32 degrees. The short front and rear overhangs prove to be particularly useful in these videos.

When order books for the 2021 Ford Bronco open, it will be available with two EcoBoost engines; a base 2.3-liter four-cylinder producing 270 hp and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque and a 2.7-liter V6 with 310 hp and 400 lb-ft (542 Nm). A hybrid model is also thought to be in the works.

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