Introducing New Cars: Ford

Showing posts with label Ford. Show all posts

Friday, January 27, 2012

Ford Posts Biggest Profit Since 1998 but only Thanks to One-Time Gain, Gives $6,200 Bonus to Workers

5:31 AM Hell No comments

Piggybacked by a one-time tax gain, Ford Motor Company has posted its highest annual profit since 1998 and the second biggest in the firm's 109-year long history. The Blue Oval's net income for 2011 was US$20.2 billion or US$4.94 per share, an increase of US$13.7 billion, or US$3.28 per share, from a year ago.

However, most of the profit came from a one-time, non-cash special item of US$12.4 billion from eliminating a valuation allowance against the company’s net deferred tax assets.

Ford said that full year pre-tax operating profit was US$8.8 billion, or $1.51 per share, an increase of US$463 million from 2010.

Ford Plans to Triple Production of EcoBoost Engines in 2012

10:03 AM Hell No comments

Downsizing, direct injection and force induction are the way to go for internal combustion gasoline engines to meet the ever-tightening fuel and emissions standards.

Ford has followed this recipe to the letter with its EcoBoost “family of engines and so far it has paid off nicely, recording 127,883 sales in 2011.

The best-selling F-150 pickup truck is the perfect example. In 2010, all units sold in the U.S. were powered by V8 engines. Last year, more than half of F-150 buyers (56 percent, to be precise) downsized to a V6, choosing either the base 305HP 3.7-liter or the 365HP 3.5-liter EcoBoost.

Ford Mustang Shows Audi R8, Ferrari California and BMW M3 who's the Boss at Hockenheim

8:41 AM Hell No comments

While not uncommon, it’s not actually often that we hear about American sports cars beating European models on their home turf. Case in point, the Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca that was featured in the latest issue of German car magazine Sport Auto.

Sport Auto editor Christian Gebhard took the track-orientated Mustang special over to the Hockenheim circuit for a fast lap recording a best time of 1:13.2, which puts it behind the likes of the BMW M5 F10 (1:12.9) but in front of the Audi R8 4.2 FSI (1:13.4), Aston Martin DBS (1:13.5) and Ferrari California (1:13.5).

Ford Focus ST-R to Make its Racing Debut at Daytona Grand-Am 200

5:25 AM Hell No comments

After a year in development and nearly five months after its public debut at the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show, Ford’s Focus ST-R will make its racing debut this Friday at the Grand-Am 200 that takes place at the Daytona Motor Speedway.

Competing in the Continental Tire Sport Car Challenge ST class, the racing version of the production Focus ST is a fully prepared competition car. It sports a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, a new suspension specially tuned for track use, updated brakes and an FIA-approved roll cage.

This is the New 2013 Ford Fusion NASCAR Racecar

11:37 AM Hell No comments

The presentation of the 2013 Fusion at the Detroit Motor Show earlier this month has brought a new look for Ford Motor Company's representative at the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

And by that we mean only looks as the actual 2013 Fusion sedan you'll find in your local Ford dealerships has nothing else in common with the NASCAR racer seen here. Nevertheless, Ford sees the NASCAR racer's familiar looks as a good promotional tool to sell more Fusions to the masses.

WRC: 2012 Season Kicks Off With 80th Monte Carlo Rally [Videos]

7:36 AM Hell No comments

After a three-year hiatus, the most famous rally in the world, the Rallye Monte Carlo, has returned to the WRC calendar. As it was the 80th event, the Automobile Club de Monaco, which organized the race, decided to design a route that combined memories of past years with demanding stages.

The 2012 Monte Carlo rally started on January 17 with a ceremony north of Monaco, in the city of Valence. The real action, which consisted of 430 kilometers (267 miles) spread over 18 special stages, begun three days later, on January 20.

New Survey Shows which Owners Would Buy from the Same Brand Again

11:36 AM Hell No comments

Brand loyalty among customers is something all carmakers aspire to achieve, but sometimes that's easier said than done as proved by the results of J.D. Power and Associates' 2012 Customer Retention Study.

There's a lot to say about the survey that measures the rate at which automotive brands retain their existing customers and which is now in its ninth year, but we can't help but to start from the winner.

Amazingly, the brand that manages to keep most customers is Hyundai with a retention rate of 64%. The South Korean brand's feat is even more impressive if you consider that just two years ago it ranked below average with 47%!

The Drift Wars: Bikes and Cars Engage in Sideways Challenge Videos

5:01 PM Hell No comments

A year ago in a track not so far away from here, Nick “Apex” Brocha rode a 2005 Kawasaki ZX-10 in a drift war against a Corvette-engined RX-7 with professional racecar driver Jim Guthrie behind its wheel at the Sendia, New Mexico speedway.

That was episode one of the High Planes Drifters video, which proved quite popular on YouTube.

The sequel features Nick, his teammate Ernie Vigil and two Roaring Toyz-tuned Triumph Speed Triples. What the two riders don’t know is that, while they’ve been searching for the perfect stretch of tarmac to perform their sliding stunts, police officer Dan Brockett is out to get them. And his 550HP Mustang Cobra is also capable of going sideways, too.

You can watch the two videos right after the jump.

Germany Makes Twice as Many Cars as the U.S. Even though it Pays its Workers Twice as Much

4:37 PM Hell No comments

You’re bombarded by the same message over and over again on the news and perhaps have even experienced it at your work as well: there is a global economic crisis, things are not going well, workers have to adapt and accept lower wages in order to keep their jobs.

It’s happening all over the world, from Europe to the United States. Even the current administration’s “car czar”, Steve Rattner, said that the government should have pushed the UAW to take wage cuts in order to enhance U.S. automakers’ competiveness.

It seems to make sense: cutting costs is a tried method of increasing a company’s profitability. But what if it’s all a lie created by profit-hungry, greedy mega corporations and perpetrated by the media – which, in some cases, are owned by the same people?

That’s the question posed by Kevin C. Brown on his article in Remapping Debate. The argument he makes is quite compelling: how are German car workers at companies like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and VW paid twice as much as their counterparts in the U.S., yet manufacture twice as many cars?

President Obama Praises Ford’s “Insourcing” of Jobs

5:30 AM Hell No comments

Last October, Ford signed a new four-year contract with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union that included adding 12,000 hourly jobs at its U.S. facilities over the next four years moving production from its plants in Mexico, Japan and China back to the States.

On Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama praised Ford’s decision as an example of companies that are bringing jobs back to the country and contributing to the growth of its economy.

“You’ve heard of outsourcing. Well, these companies are insourcing”, said Obama adding that this deal wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the UAW.

Ford to Cut Down Number of Global Platforms to 9 Sooner than Expected

11:17 AM Hell No comments

At this week's 2012 Detroit Motor Show, Ford revealed the new Fusion sedan, which unlike the outgoing model that shared its platform with the Mazda6 and was only available in North America, is based on a new global mid-size architecture and will be offered internationally under the Mondeo nameplate.

The Blue Oval did the same with the latest generations of the Fiesta, Focus as well as the Ranger pickup truck that were all developed as global models under its "One Ford" plan global product development strategy.

U.S. Auto Industry Speeds Up as China and Europe Slow Down

9:57 AM Hell No comments

What difference only three years can make: in 2009, U.S. sales had dipped to their lowest point in the last 25 years, while sales in China were increasing exponentially.

Today, the picture is quite different. The U.S. auto market has recovered and according to a report from Autonews, it may be the safest bet for profitable growth. Emerging markets including China, India and Brazil, which until recently looked like the land of opportunity for carmakers, are slowing down.

FoMoCo Recalling Close to Half a Million Ford Freestar, Mercury Monterey and Ford Escape Models

8:29 AM Hell No comments

The Blue Oval has issued two separate recalls that collectively involve nearly half a million vehicles in the States.

The first action concerns 205,896 units of the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans from the 2004 and 2005 model years as they may have defective torque converter output shafts.

Auto Execs Take a Swipe at Each Other at the Detroit Motor Show

2:45 PM Hell No comments

Good manners dictate that unless you are provoked, you can politely ignore your adversaries. In the case of those involved in the auto industry, politely point out to your clients and/or the press why and in which areas your products are superior. That's a common practice. Openly attacking your opponents is considered rude.

But Not anymore. At the 2012 Detroit Motor Show, some pretty poisonous remarks were uttered by several executives. BMW North America boss, Ludwig Willisch, dismissed the new Cadillac ATS and Lincoln MKZ saying that, despite their claims, they are simply not in the same league as the 3-Series.

“We don’t produce trucks, nor taxis or buses”, said Willisch. “We don’t produce sofas on wheels – and we don’t take mass-market vehicles and rebadge them as premium.”

Purple Haze: Aussie Ford Falcon XA Coupe's Colorful Burnout

2:05 PM Hell No comments

The Summernats is an annual festival for gearheads that takes place in the Australian capital city of Canberra in January drawing some 1,500 heavily modded street machines along with more than 80,000 visitors from Australia and overseas.

Among the highlights of the four-day long car fest is the burnout battle. In this year's event, one of the more impressive burnouts came courtesy of Gary Myers who fitted his tuned 1972 Ford Falcon XA Coupe with a set of purple tires.

You can see the result in the video that follows after the break.

First Official Photos of European Market 2013 Ford Mondeo Sedan

6:01 PM Hell No comments

We already knew that the new generations of Ford's global Mondeo and American market Fusion are one and the same, but just in case you had any doubts, here are the first official photos of a pre-production European specification model.

The only visible differences concern the headlamp assembly with the European Mondeo featuring different turning signals and the rear bumper trim, which, at least on this model, is painted in the same color as the body.

2013 Ford Fusion Sedan Officially Revealed, will be Marketed as the Mondeo in the Rest of the World

4:59 AM Hell No comments

The second-generation Fusion is the most important model Ford will launch at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. And this is because it's the Blue Oval's contender in the popular mid-size class not only in North America, but also in the rest of the world where it will replace the Mondeo.

The outgoing Fusion was the first model to feature Ford’s then-new five-bar grille, which was later adopted by the rest of its U.S. range. Likewise, its successor is the model that introduces the next evolution of Ford's design language previewed by the Frankfurt Motor Show Evos concept.

It is distinguished by the slim headlights and the hexagonal, Aston Martin-like front grille, while the bodywork looks like a sportier, tauter evolution of the European Mondeo.

“The previous Fusion was an easy purchase for a customer to rationalize”, said Chris Hamilton, chief exterior designer. “Our design goal for the new car was to give the mainstream sedan buyer a top-drawer visual experience, adding some emotional appeal to an already sensible choice.”

2013 Ford Fusion / Mondeo Leak? Czech...

6:44 AM Hell No comments

Tis the weekend of leaks. After pictures of the 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan made the internet rounds on Saturday, Czech website Auto Forum posted two blown photos of what they say is the 2012 Mondeo, and which as you already know, won't be any different from the 2013 Fusion that will receive its global premiere at the Detroit Auto Show next week. Read more »

2013 Ford Fusion Shows its Face on App, Aston Martin Asks for its Grille Back

10:25 AM Hell No comments

While not a leak in the strictest sense, the ghost of the 2013 Ford Fusion sedan made an unexpected (but hasty appearance) on Ford's dedicated iPad application giving us our first look at the mid-size sedan model that will be officially revealed on Monday at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

We Hear: 2013 Ford Fusion to get Two Turbocharged Gasoline Engines Plus Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid Variants

6:00 PM Hell No comments

In roughly two days from now, Ford will lift the covers off the next generation Fusion at the Detroit Motor Show.

While the Blue Oval has not released much information yet on the Fusion, which will be marketed as a 2013 model in North America, we were able to confirm the initial engine lineup.

The 2013 Fusion will arrive in U.S. dealerships later this year with a choice of four powerplants. The gasoline range includes a pair of EcoBoost four-cylinder gasoline units with a displacement of 1.6-liters and 2.0-liters.