The Auto Car Lover's

Friday, June 17, 2011

All-new Fiesta: Powerful car, classy looks, engaging experience

Ford Fiesta

The all-new Fiesta’s got modern, fuel-efficient powertrains that not only deliver exceptional power, but also superior fuel efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. These engines also help Fiesta achieve class-leading fuel economy of 17 km/L for the petrol engine and 23.5 km/L for the diesel engine#. So you have a fantastic ride every time (smooth and zippy!), don’t cringe when you see your fuel bill.

For customers going for a combination of power and fuel efficiency, the 1.5-litre Duratorq intercooled and turbocharged diesel engine fits the bill perfectly. With power rated at 67 kW (91 PS), the engine also delivers an outstanding 204 Nm of torque from 2000 rpm to 2750 rpm. The result is strong acceleration from standstill along with flexibility that can reduce the need for gearshifts. The compact fixed-geometry, low-inertia turbocharger and intercooler provide optimised performance, particularly at low speeds.

This mouthful of a term (we call it EPAS for short) with Pull Drift Compensation technology is a first in the segment. While improving fuel economy, the intelligent EPAS system is an all-knowing tech! So it measures your steering input, adapts to changing road conditions and helps compensate for slight directional shifts caused by crowned road surfaces or steady crosswinds.

Nothing, we repeat, nothing, is more important than your safety. Under the stylish exterior of the all-new Ford Fiesta is a powerful body structure that can protect occupants in case of a collision. More than 55 percent of the body structure is high-strength steel, including dual-phase steel and ultra-high-strength aluminised boron steel, an element so incredibly strong that it is used in the aerospace industry.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

2013 Ford Focus RS

The current Ford Focus RS is a beastly little hatch, piping 305 horsepower through its front wheels, slinging pointy bits at you from every angle, and, of course, not being available for purchase here in the U.S.–and that’s before you even consider the RS500. It looks like the next-gen car could add to the mix with a hybrid all-wheel drive system–and, according to these spy shots, possibly a wagon, shown testing alongside its five-door hatchback sibling.

Though the wagon is not fully decked out in RS gear, it does feature RS seats and a wide central exhaust outlet like the hatch it was spotted with.

A Focus RS Wagon? Well, it would be known as the Turnier in some parts. As the long-roof model in the Focus stable, we’re more familiar with the wagon name. Either way, we doubt we’ll see it in America. Why? Because Americans don’t like wagons, for whatever reason, and even more so because of the price: it should sit around the $40,000 mark, which is beyond the pale for most of us when it comes to a tarted-up Ford.

If the next RS does go all-wheel drive and hybrid, though, our green-eyed monster is likely to rage even more fiercely: a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine plus an electric motor could still top 300 horsepower, deliver fuel economy in the mid- or upper-30 mpg range, and offer the same or similar performance to the current RS.

We’re still looking at about a two-year wait until we see the next Focus RS, in hatch, wagon, or any other body style, however. The cars spotted here are development mules for testing near and on the Nurburgring. At CARiD, we have nothing but the highest quality Ford accessories you need to make the new and exciting changes that you desire. OEM or custom Ford parts can always give a fuller look when seeking those new additions you’re after. Beware of imitators-we are truly the “One Stop” for all Ford accessories. We want to make it easy for you. After all, isn’t that what’s important? At CARiD.com, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

2013 Ford Focus ST

The new Ford Focus ST will debut at the Paris auto show on September 30. The 2013 Ford Focus ST will go on sale in the U.S. in early 2012. The theme name of the new color is ‘Tangerine Scream’, like yellow with more strong and more elegant color.

The new Focus is at last debuting in the U.S., with a 2.0-liter, direct-injected, 160-hp motor and variable valve timing, as well as a five-speed manual. But, the car to wait for is the 2013 Focus ST, which debuts in early 2012.

It gets a six-speed manual with the same EcoBoost (turbocharged) 2.0-liter as the much larger Edge and Explorer and will be good for somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 hp, which puts it in league with hot hatches like the MazdaSpeed3 and beyond the output of the VW GTI. Ford is also promising a tauter suspension and meatier tires as well as bigger brakes to go with all that horsepower. Expect to pay at least $25,000.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

2013 Ford Taurus SHO

The 2013 Taurus SHO will continue to produce 365 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque from its 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. Sure, that's still plenty of oomph for the SHO, but with rumors of a higher-output version now dashed, all we can say is, "shucks."Let's not dwell on that, though. There are still plenty of improvements for the 2013 SHO to talk about.

Much like the rest of the refreshed Taurus line, the SHO features styling tweaks at both the front and rear. Unlike the base model, the SHO uses a unique mesh grille pattern up front and adds a new rear spoiler out back, as well as chrome-tipped dual exhaust pipes. A new 20-inch dark wheel option is also part of the SHO package, matching the black finish found on the mirrors and body trim. We like what we see.

There may not be a bump in power, but the 2013 Taurus SHO does get a new performance package option that is said to improve the car's performance prowess. Most notably, a 3.16:1 final drive ratio means initial acceleration is enhanced, and revised suspension tuning features new dampers and springs specific to this package. Additionally, the electronic steering system has been tuned, the stability control now has a track mode with a true 'off' setting and performance brake pads are now available with unique, "track-tuned" calipers. Still, we'd love to see an additional 40-ish horsepower.

Monday, May 16, 2011

2013 Ford Mustang Bullitt

The 2013 Bullitt will likely feature an upgraded interior. The last Bullitt had retro-inspired aluminum trim as well as aluminum shift knobs and pedals. It also took the seats and steering wheel from the GT500 for a slightly more upscale look. Based on the past, the new Bullitt will more than likely have the same interior appointments, but with a more modern feel. It’s also likely that interior bits from the Boss 302 should make their way into the Bullitt.

The Mustang Bullitt first appeared as a special edition model on the 2001 Mustang. Paying homage to the legendary ’68 Mustang fastback that Steve McQueen drove in the movie of the same name, the Bullitt featured a lot of retro design cues both inside and out. In terms of performance, the 2001 Bullitt was lowered ¾ of an inch with Tokico shocks, featured the same 13” brakes that were available on the Cobra of that year, and also featured a 5 horsepower boost over the standard GT, putting out a whopping 265 horsepower out of its 4.6L V8.

The 2013 Bullitt will probably be most notable for its lack of exterior features– it’s supposed to be the “stealth” Mustang, after all. It will likely delete the GT’s signature grill-mounted fog lights, the decklid spoiler, and all of the exterior badging, save for a special edition Bullitt faux gas cap on the trunk. It should also feature the signature American Racing Torq-Thrust style wheels that were on the same Bullitt that Steve McQueen used while escaping the baddies on the streets of San Francisco a touch over four decades ago.

2013 Bullitt would feature a million horsepower, that, frankly, would be a bold-faced lie. The new Bullitt will use the same 5.0L V8 as found in the GT, and it should get a modest horsepower bump through both ECU recalibration and a new exhaust system. Based on speculation, it should be making between 420 and 430 horsepower, that way it wouldn’t be stepping on the Boss 302’s toes too much. Also, expect the Bullitt to feature upgraded brakes in the form of the GT’s Brembo brake package as standard. Lastly, the new Bullitt will ride around almost an inch lower than the standard GT, helping improve both the car’s handling and stance.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

2013 Ford Escape

Ford Escape is at last getting a ground-up redesign, and spies have caught this development mule out on an R&D mission. Although its innards are hidden beneath the curvy body of the current European Ford Kuga—which itself could have made a fitting second-gen Escape years ago—this vehicle gives away its actual identity with covered air intakes up front and ill-fitting tailpipes out back. However little we can actually see here, it is certain that the second-generation Escape will be a vastly different creature, both aesthetically and dynamically, from the Clinton-era ute we know now.

We expect that Ford will offer a choice of powertrains in the next Escape, but we don’t expect any available engine to have more than four cylinders or be paired with a transmission containing fewer than six ratios. Ford’s ubiquitous 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which produces 168 hp and 167 lb-ft of torque in the C-Max, is likely to be the base powerplant.

The same EcoBoost 1.6-liter inline-four that powered the Vertrek could lend its 180 hp and 173 lb-ft to the production vehicle, and the mighty 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-banger is a possibility for the top-shelf Escape. With about 237 hp and 250 lb-ft, it could make for an interesting Escape Sport. And, of course, the return of the Escape hybrid is a no-brainer. Expect to see upgrades to the system used in today’s hybrid, if not a completely new system or a plug-in version like that found in the C-Max Energi also shown in Detroit.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

2012 Ford Focus

Focus going on sale in the U.S. as a 2000 model and Mulally taking over, product development in Europe and North America took off in different directions. Hence, Europe was rewarded with a heavily reworked second-generation Focus in 2004. The next year, North America got a warmed-over version of the first-gen Focus sedan and hatchback.

The 2012 Focus certainly looks terrific, especially in five-door form. The engineers and designers felt able to make the Focus sportier (by lowering its seating position and overall height) due to the upcoming C-Max—a tall-roof, five- or seven-seat derivative off this platform—that fulfills the family-car mission. Compared with the current U.S. Focus, the new car is 0.5 inch lower (at 58.1 inches tall) and 3.0 inches longer (178.0 inches overall), and it has a 1.3-inch-longer wheelbase (104.2 inches). The 2012 model’s dimensions are close to the current Euro car’s, save for a wider track and lower stance.

he Focus will go on sale with two available transmissions: a base six-speed manual and a very fancy six-speed dual-clutch gearbox co-developed with Getrag. Derrick Kuzak, the global product-development chief, says: “There will be no conventional automatic on this car.” Electric power steering is a new feature, along with “torque vectoring,” which, similar to the systems of many other automakers, uses the anti-lock brakes to approximate a limited-slip differential.

The interior looks like a winner, but there’s a caveat: The styling mockup we examined had hard surfaces, even if Ford assures us everything will be soft-touch in the production version. The mockup had cool piano-black and aluminum finishes and a stitched dashboard. This upscale trim is called “Titanium” in Europe, and it’s hard to imagine that the base U.S. model, which should still retail around the current car’s $16,690 price, will look as stylish.