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Lincoln's MKS takes on the Europeans
And does a fair job keeping up
Yes, this is a video produced to help garner sales but at least it's well done. And it's good to see Lincoln be competitive among a fair sampling of quality European sedans.
I won't spoil it for you but it's worth watching to see how far Ford has come in a tough market.
I've written before about the Lincoln MKS. I concentrate a lot on styling and branding. I'm of the opinion that the MKS has broken some new ground for Ford and recent sales figures seems to point to a receptive public. Ford is making money. Yes, the MKS is a bit more "shiny" than its European competitors but at least it doesn't look a slug. It's a car you wouldn't mind being seen in.
Let me know what you think. Are you willing to consider a Ford or Lincoln based on a video comparison such as this?
Mustang: 45 years old today
This is certainly a day worth remembering. The Ford Mustang is 45 years old today.
As with any new car, a manufacturer is taking a chance. Will the time invested to develop a new model pay off with enough sales to justify it? Ford hoped they would sell 100,000 Mustangs a year. They sold 22,000 on the first day.
"When the Mustang was unveiled, the reaction was so positive that there was no doubt it was going to be a success," said chief designer Joe Oros.
The birth of this pony car launched an entirely new segment, with the likes of Dodge and Chevy introducing the Challenger and Camaro soon after.
With 9 million sold, Ford's Mustang played an integral role in the muscle car era. All I can say is, "Thank you!"
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The great shot above is from Fabio Aro on Flickr. Take a look at his stream. He's got some great car photography.
2010 Ford Mustang update
Ford has revealed the new 2010 Mustang following an event tonight in Santa Monica, California.
Ford had many Mustang dignitaries, including Carroll Shelby and Jack Roush, on hand to help introduce the new car.
As I mentioned in my previous post, Ford has a site dedicated to the new 2010 Mustang, with further updates to come.
The styling changes aren't huge but yet a nice evolution. The car appears more muscular, especially with the more pronounced rear haunches.
The new car will hit showrooms next March.
2010 Ford Mustang reveal
Ford Mustang enthusiasts should be excited about the prospects of tonight's reveal of the new 2010 model.
On the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford will reveal the new Mustang to a group of enthusiasts at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
The SPEED Channel will show a tape-delayed broadcast of the unveiling, one hour following the live reveal in California. The broadcast will begin at 11:00 p.m. (EST).
In addition, nine local Mustang Club of American-hosted events will enable Mustang fans to watch the SPEED broadcast live.
Ford has been teasing us for some time now with occasional images of the new Mustang, with both exterior and interior detail shots giving us a small glimpse of what the car will look like. It will, of course, be all put together tonight as the car is shown publicly for the first time.
If you've been following the photo time line from Ford, it's probably safe to say the new Mustang will be an evolution of the current design. From the looks of the photos, the retro-theme will continue but maybe just a little softer. The Mustang has been a hit and I'm sure Ford doesn't want to ruin a good thing, especially in today's climate of struggling US auto makers.
A site dedicated to the new car was launched some time ago and, according to Ford, will start showing on Wednesday more images of the new car, a 360-degree view of the car's exterior as well as information on features. A replay of the reveal should also be available.
Bullitt chase scene via GPS tracks
Any fan of Steve McQueen or movie car chases will love this. Through Seero's geo-broadcasting platform, you can experience the chase scene from McQueen's movie, Bullitt.
Through a veritable mashup of GPS tracks and Google Maps, you can watch the chase unfold while following a virtual Mustang through the streets of San Francisco.
With over 500 movie-house debuts, the Mustang has had its fair share of Hollywood roles. Ford has some interesting Bullitt movie trivia about the car.
• Hollywood pared down the original 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 to give the car a stealthy appearance for film, removing the driving lights, running pony grille emblem, Mustang lettering and even the GT badges.
• For his role as Frank Bullitt, Steve McQueen was voted “World Film Favorite” by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. But 1968 wasn’t the last time the legendary actor delivered on-screen thrills in a Ford Mustang. Thanks to the magic of special effects, audiences watched McQueen climb into a 2005 Mustang GT and race around a unique cornfield road course built especially for the duo by a farmer in a Ford ad entitled Cornfield. The commercial premiered in movie theatres nationwide in fall 2004 before it appeared on television.
• Two 1968 Mustang GTs with 390 cubic-inch engines were purchased and modified for the making of Bullitt. One was badly damaged by the time shooting ended and was destroyed. In 1972, the remaining car was purchased by its current owner, who bought it under the stipulation that his name remain anonymous. The car was kept at his father’s garage until 1990, when it was moved to a horse farm in the Midwest after a Mustang enthusiast took spy photos. Today, the location of the car remains a mystery. Some say the owner moved that car again to his house where it sits, unrestored, in the garage next to his Porsche.
• An emphasis on realism drove the chase scene in Bullitt to movie greatness – right down to the soundtrack. Rather than opting for high-powered music to support the heart-racing action, Bullitt’s 10-minute car chase showcased the throaty roar of the engine, frenetic downshifting and squealing tires. The natural sound of this quintessential action scene helped earn the film an Academy Award® nomination for Best Sound.
• Steve McQueen (and stunt drivers) buckled up before racing the Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390, specially modified to run the bad guys off the road, at speeds of up to 110 mph along the streets of San Francisco. Concerned residents along the film route reportedly called the San Francisco Police Department and City Hall during filming of the now-legendary jump sequence. Some say the San Francisco authorities were led to believe the cars wouldn’t exceed speeds of 35 mph.
• Bullitt’s 390 cubic-inch V-8 introduced big-block performance to the Mustang.
• Driver’s-view shots let audiences in on the thrill of the chase in Bullitt, along with giving them a glimpse of the Mustang GT’s spartan, no-nonsense interior.
• The chase scene in Bullitt took more than two weeks to film, resulting in 9 minutes and 42 seconds of edited footage that helped Frank P. Keller earn an Academy Award® for Film Editing. Filming in a working city, with locations spread out over a considerable part of San Francisco, helped generate a number of continuity lapses that are either overlooked or celebrated by Bullitt aficionados. A few disjointed street sequences emerge when the footage from certain streets is reused. (Audiences are tipped off when a green Volkswagen, yellow cab and white Firebird reappear several times.) The Dodge Charger driven by the villains loses no fewer than eight hubcaps during the chase. Still, for many, no other chase scene before or since has come close to equaling it.
• 1968 was the first year in which vehicle emissions were regulated by the U.S. federal government but cars still burned leaded fuel and catalytic converters were still years away. All 1968 Mustang engines incorporated an exhaust emission control system.
• The original 1968 Mustang GT 390 boasted a 0-60 time of 7.8 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 15.2 seconds at 94.0 mph.
And just in case you need your own copy of Bullitt, you can grab it here through Amazon. Yes, a disgusting plug to buy it through me but, hey, if you're a car nut or in love with Steve McQueen, you need this movie.
2010 Lincoln MKS
Several months ago, I wrote about Lincoln's new MKS and it's innovative styling, styling that is arguably ground-breaking for Ford. Production models began shipping to dealers in June of this year, with a national advertising campaign following soon after. According to Ford, 8,600 orders were placed for the MKS's prior to those vehicles reaching their respective destinations.
Just tune what you've got...
The current MKS is powered by a 3.7-liter V-6 derived from the 3.5-liter found in the Lincoln MKX and MKZ. It delivers 273 horsepower and 265 lb.-ft. of torque, using regular grade unleaded gas. An added benefit to buyers at current gas prices.
"This engine is tuned to maximize the increased torque to improve performance where the driver needs it most, in standing acceleration and passing," says Michael Celentino, Lincoln MKS chief engineer. "To help manage the extra torque, the Lincoln MKS's six-speed automatic transmission is equipped with a stiffer torque converter that delivers an immediate throttle response and a more connected feel."
But next year, a new twin-turbo V6
But what's more interesting are the details that have come to light regarding the twin-turbo V6 which will be available in the 2010 MKS.
Sometime next year, Lincoln will offer a direct-injected 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 to the MKS model line with an estimated 340-horsepower and more than 340 lb.-ft. of torque. Figures that certainly rival the output of some V8's. This new engine and others like it are part of Ford's EcoBoost line of powerplants, formally referred to as TwinForce. Ford should have stuck to the original name. It was a little more catchy.
Ford's turbo trend
No doubt Ford is trying to appeal to buyers with gasoline sticker shock. As I've discussed here before, efficiency is the new name for performance. And Ford hopes to capitalize on the trend with this new line of turbocharged engines.
This new turbo V-6 will begin life in the MKS but should also see service in the F-150 as well as the new Explorer and Mustang. As I mentioned, EcoBoost is a line of engines, so Ford plans on dropping turbocharged engines into the Fusion, Focus and Fiesta.
Is Ford playing catchup? You bet, but so are all of the American car makers. At least they can take advantage of the latest technology. Now the hard part is convincing American consumers to buy their cars. What do you think? Can Ford, or any other domestic car maker for that matter, convince buyers to go for their products? Let's hope so. They're survival may depend on it.
American Muscle helps Homes For Our Troops
American Muscle donates $4230.36 to charity benefiting our troops at annual picnic
We just received word that on Saturday, July 12th, our friends at American Muscle held their annual company picnic and charity fund raiser. Once again, this year's charity foundation was Homes For Our Troops which is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping those with serious disabilities and injuries.
This organization is committed to assisting those who have returned from their service to our country severely injured, and their immediate families, by raising donations of money, building materials, and professional labor to build a new home or adapt an existing home for handicapped accessibility.
Here's their breakdown of funds raised and how:
- Mustang Parts Sales Donation (5% Sales During The Event) - $3615.36
- Additional Company Donation - $500.00
- Phone Donations - $ 115.00
- Grand Total - $ 4230.36
In addition to their annual charity fundraiser, this event was also their annual company picnic. In their words, the picnic was "...a variety of fun activities, massive food consumption of previously unthinkable proportions, and shenanigans pursued including "American Gladiator" style jousting, expert mechanical bull riding, dunk tank dunking of boss, horseshoeing, a limbo contest 'How low can you go?', and of course the creme de la creme of picnic activities... the office employee versus the warehouse employee TUG OF WAR!" Sounds like they had a great time.
You can check out their pictures of the American Muscle crew cutting loose on their blog. They ask that you keep an eye out for next year's fundraiser picnic to help make it a bigger success!
Here at Ridestory, we'd like to extend a big "thank you" to American Muscle for their charitable efforts. The wounded soldiers you've helped out will no doubt appreciate it.
2009 Ford Focus RS
Apparently in a pitch to counter rumors floating around online, Ford has released a brief press release regarding the next Focus RS, set for it's world debut at next month's London Motor Show.
The release spills the beans on a few technical details as well as photos of the car rounding the Nürburgring. There's no doubt the car's aggressive styling has been taken up a notch with it's lower stance, pronounced fender flairs and deep front splitter.
The new RS's technical details sound interesting. Under the hood, power will come from a heavily modified version of the Ford ST's turbocharged five-cylinder from Volvo. The displacement is unchanged at 2.5-liters but the boost has been cranked up, increasing horsepower to 'more than' 276bhp, up from the Ford ST's 222bhp. Torque increases from 236lb.ft. to 295. It would seem smart to feature all-wheel drive on a vehicle such as this but Ford apparently has chosen to nix it for now. Ford says they are confident the RS's new limited slip differential can handle the increase in torque.
Jost Capito, Ford of Europe's Vehicle Line Director for Performance Vehicles, and head of Team RS, said, "In early prototypes based on Focus ST vehicles, the new system is more than meeting our targets for exceptional levels of traction, handling and steering."
No doubt as gas prices continue to rise small performance cars such as the RS will grow in popularity. This hot hatch may not be very fuel efficient but it's size will counter the complaints.
It looks to me like the "pocket-rocket" is set for a resurgence. What do you think? This RS looks like it would be a blast to drive, especially with 276 horsepower! If this car is available in your area, will you buy it? Have you owned a hot little hatch before? If so, what was it?
Will this Ford GT break a record?
The record? The ECTA Land Speed Record for a production supercharged vehicle with a stock bottom end. The current record is 186.853mph from a standing mile.
Robert Self, the Ford GT's 73-year-old owner, will attempt to smash the record April 5-6 at the East Coast Timing Asssociation in Maxton, North Carolina. Robert is hoping to hit 200-210mph on the ECTA's one-mile runway track.
Over and above the GT's $170,000 base price, Robert has installed a $15,000 Whipple Industries supercharger upgrade and another $30,000 in other performance and safety improvements. American Muscle is providing the proper tire setup for Robert in his attempt to break 200mph.
Anyone care to make a prediction? One could argue that this is the fastest Ford GT in existence. What do you think?
Your car goes digital
The digital car: mobile productivity or dangerous device?
Your hearing more and more about the growing trend to turn your car into a digital power house. The hardware is available to connect bluetooth capable phones and laptops plus an incredible variety of entertainment devices.
The car manufacturers are doing an amazing job helping consumers with their new found digital motoring lifestyles. Many auto makers are now building Bluetooth capability into their cars. For example, do you have a cell phone that has Bluetooth? By simply "pairing" it with your car, you can answer calls hands-free, hearing your caller over your car's stereo speakers. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's explain some of the technical details first.
I may have thrown you for a loop with the mention of Bluetooth and "pairing." You've finally got WiFi and hands-free down, but now you've got other gizmo terms to learn. Well, conveniently enough, here's the definition of Bluetooth straight from Bluetooth.com.
"Bluetooth wireless technology is a short-range communications technology intended to replace the cables connecting portable and/or fixed devices while maintaining high levels of security. The key features of Bluetooth technology are robustness, low power, and low cost. The Bluetooth specification defines a uniform structure for a wide range of devices to connect and communicate with each other."
"...Bluetooth enabled device(s), almost everywhere in the world, can connect to other Bluetooth enabled devices in proximity. Bluetooth enabled electronic devices connect and communicate wirelessly through short-range, ad hoc networks known as piconets."
So, in a nutshell, Bluetooth devices can talk to eachother, wirelessly, when placed a short distance away. Now, on to "pairing."
Again, I'll borrow a definition from the experts at Bluetooth.com. According to them, "Pairing is the process of establishing a new relationship between two Bluetooth enabled devices. During this process a link key is exchanged (either before connection establishment was requested or during connecting phase)." So think of it as two people introducing themselves with a firm friendly handshake.
Ford's new Sync feature in their cars offers Bluetooth connectivity to your phone as well as voice activated dialing. Definitely a hands-free system. Based on technology from Microsoft, Sync debuted last fall and is available on twelve 2008 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models: Edge, Explorer, Five Hundred, Focus, Freestyle, Fusion, Milan, MKX, MKZ, Montego, Mountaineer and Sport-Trac. Ford promises more Sync-equipped vehicles in the future.
But back to our cell phone example. Your car and your phone have Bluetooth. You'd like to make and answer calls, hands-free. Just enable Bluetooth on each, pair your phone and cars audio system and simply talk, freeing your hands for the task at hand, driving the car. It's worth mentioning the legal implications briefly here. Many citites and states are enacting laws controlling whether or not you can use your phone while driving. Talking hands-free while driving will help you be productive without breaking any laws. I'll get into this in more detail later.
But what if your car doesn't have Bluetooth? As long as your cell phone does, the simple solution is to purchase a Bluetooth-capable ear piece or headset. Many are available at different price ranges. Shop around online and you can find some great deals. Also take the time to research the best models. User reviews are a great source here. Business people as well as everyday folk use the various devices on a daily basis and share their experiences. See what they have to say and consider buying with their recommendations in mind.
Not only is Bluetooth connectivity possible between your car and mobile phone, but you can also turn your vehicle into a mobile WiFi hot spot. Trendhunter talks about WAAV's AirBox, a cool gadget you can slide under a seat in your car.
The AirBox is a broadband cellular router that gives you a high speed connection while on the move. With the AirBox installed, devices such as PDA's, laptops and game consoles will have access to a broadband connection, wherever you may be. Surfing and gaming is merely a cell tower away.
All this talk though about digitizing your car might make you wonder. How important is it? Many of us talk on our cell phones while driving. A distraction, definitely. Safe, probably not. The ramifications have already proven to be deadly. As cars become more like digital devices, the potential for driver distraction climbs rapidly. Phones, PDAs, and laptops being the primary distraction to the driver, but DVD players and gaming consoles, used by passengers, contribute to the danger as well.
City and state laws are changing nation-wide to reflect or deflect the trend. It's never a good thing when the government noses into your business but, in this case, safety on our roads trumps it. Many cities have passed laws outlawing talking on the phone or text messaging while driving. Phoenix is a perfect example. A recent accident involving a teen text messaging while driving prompted the city to enact a law banning text messaging while driving. We're not sure how you enforce it but it's in the books. Phoenix is just one example. Many other cities have already passed laws banner cell phone use while driving with others considering it.
The best way to approach all of this new vehicle technology is to first check with your local or state government and see if any laws exist regarding driver distraction while the vehicle is moving. Laws may cover cell phone usage, text messaging, even laptop or entertainment devices near the driver. If laws do exist, consider purchasing what you need for hands-free driving. Laws usually assume your driving safely as long as both of your hands are on the wheel. You are considered distracted holding a phone to your ear or sending a text message.
If your car shopping, look to the various car review sites for information about the availability of Bluetooth in cars by the various manufacturers. Not only will you have a new car but a car considered on the cutting edge. Being safe and technologically hip is a good thing. Not to mention you'll be better prepared and knowledgeable about what the future might bring in the automotive world.
