ford

The 2015 Ford Shelby GT350 V8 – When Flatter is Better

This entry was posted in Carmakers Ford technology and tagged 2015 ford shelby gt350 mustang ford gt350 gt350r mustang shelby voodoo voodoo v8 on by (updated 3463 days ago)

gt350 v8 - 20

A few weeks ago we got an in-depth look the platform changes that the SVT/Ford Performance engineering crew made in the process of transforming the 2015 Mustang GT into the new Shelby GT350. However, a great chassis can only you get you so far. Every great sports car also needs a great powerplant and here the engineers appear to have come through again. Unlike the last couple of generations of SVT Mustangs, this time around the team have come up with something completely different, the 5.2-liter Voodoo V8.

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Ford SYNC3 Launching This Summer on Fiesta and Escape

This entry was posted in Carmakers Ford technology and tagged connectivity ford infotainment myford touch sync 3 on by (updated 3464 days ago)
The SYNC 3 home screen features three zones, Navigation, Audio and Phone, as well as a quick access function tray along the bottom making for a more straight-forward user experience.

The SYNC 3 home screen features three zones, Navigation, Audio and Phone, as well as a quick access function tray along the bottom making for a more straight-forward user experience.

In 2007, Ford changed the way we connect our mobile devices to our cars with the introduction of SYNC on the Escape. In 2011, Ford almost overnight destroyed the goodwill toward SYNC with the introduction of the hugely troubled MyFord Touch which was known internally as SYNC V2. While Ford made MFT much better over the last couple of years with software updates, it also began work on a complete reboot. The result of those efforts debuts this summer as SYNC 3 and the Fiesta and Escape will be the first vehicles to get this all-new connectivity and infotainment system.

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The Design of the 2017 Ford GT

This entry was posted in Carmakers Ford technology and tagged 2017 2017 ford gt design ford ford gt on by (updated 3485 days ago)

2016 Ford GT design - 18 of 61

When the all-new third-generation Ford GT hits the streets in 2016, it will in many ways be the most radical departure in the more than 50 year history of the brand. But that doesn’t mean this new edition has completely broken with its DNA. Enough hints of its heritage remain visible to connect this 21st century supercar to its ancestors while bringing it up to most modern technical and design standards. Ford recently invited us down into the secret basement room under its design studio to talk about how this car came to be.

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2015 Ford Shelby GT350 – Built From the Wheels Up

This entry was posted in Carmakers cars Ford technology and tagged 2015 Ford Shelby GT350 2015 ford shelby gt350 mustang brakes carbon fiber ford mustang suspension on by (updated 3490 days ago)

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2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Shelby-badged Ford Mustang, the 1965 GT350. With an all-new Mustang having hit the streets last fall, 50 years after the original, the first true GT350 since the 1960s is now in the final stages of development and it promises to be truer to the spirit of that first model than any of the cars to wear that badge since.

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From Mustang I to 2015 – Evolution of the Ford GT over 50 Years

This entry was posted in Carmakers cars Ford and tagged carroll shelby design ford ford gt ford gt40 mustang I sports cars supercars on by (updated 3081 days ago)
By July 1963, the upper intake had been added

By July 1963, the upper intake had been added, courtesy Ford Motor Company Archives

It’s not often anymore that automakers actually get to keep anything completely secret heading into auto show season. Aside, from the Buick Avenir concept which no one really saw coming, the closest thing to a true secret at this year’s North American International Auto Show was the all-new third-generation Ford GT. While rumors had been swirling about this car ever since someone associated with long-time Ford Racing partner MultiMatic mentioned something in passing last summer, there were none of the usual teasers from Ford, no spy photos, nothing at all in fact to indicate what the new Dearborn supercar would look like.

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2015 Ford F-150 XLT, 2.7 EcoBoost

This entry was posted in Carmakers cars Ford reviews Trucks and tagged 2015 ford f-150 auto start-stop car review car reviews ecoboost engine start stop ford fuel economy pickup trucks review on by (updated 3151 days ago)

2015 Ford F-150 XLT 01

The constant push to one-up the competition while at the same time meet ever tightening fuel economy standards is driving a transformation in America’s most traditional vehicle segment, the full-size pickup truck. This year, perennial market leader Ford has tried to leap-frog the competition with a dramatic shift from the traditional steel body and bed construction to aluminum intensive construction along with an all-new mainstream twin-turbocharged V6 engine. Is it enough to keep the F-150 out in front of the pack? I spent a week driving one in search of some clues.

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2015 Ford Fusion 1.5 EcoBoost

This entry was posted in Carmakers cars Ford reviews and tagged 2015 2015 ford fiesta ecoboost 2015 ford fusion car review car reviews ecoboost ford fusion review on by (updated 3151 days ago)

2015 ford fusion se 01Americans love their trucks, SUVs and crossovers with combined sales of all light duty trucks accounting for 52% of sales in 2014. Despite that seeming preference for high-riding vehicles, nearly eight million new cars hit the road last year and among those midsize sedans continue to the biggest share of sales. For more than a quarter of a century, the top-selling car in America has been either the Ford Taurus, Honda Accord and of course the Toyota Camry which has led the way since 1997. Ford launched the second-generation Fusion Into that fray in late 2012 in the hopes of grabbing a larger piece of this lucrative pie. Now approaching the mid-way point of its lifecycle I recently spent a week with Fusion to see if it’s still a strong contender in the segment.

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2015 Ford Expedition EL King Ranch – It’s Kind of Huge!

This entry was posted in Carmakers cars Ford reviews and tagged 2015 ford expedition car reviews ecoboost expedition ford king ranch suburban suv on by (updated 3151 days ago)

2015 Expedition ELKR 01At 18.4-feet long and well over three tons of mass, the 2015 Ford Expedition EL King Ranch is not a vehicle that says downsizing. In fact, as Ford’s largest SUV, the only aspect of the substantially updated Expedition that has shrunk is the powerplant, the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. Everything else about this beast is as huge as the home state of the eponymous ranch it is named for.

The EL is the longer of two Expedition variants that have been available since the heavy-duty Excursion was discontinued in 2005 after a six-year run. While the current Expedition is related to the mid-2000s era F-150 pickup, it’s actually pretty substantially different and can really considered a distinct platform. Unlike Ford’s pickup trucks that continue to support solid rear axles on leaf springs, the Expedition utilizes a multi-link independent rear suspension which gives it an important advantage over the segment leading Chevrolet Suburban in third-row room, but I’ll come back to that later.

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Track Testing at the ‘Ring Inspired Shelby GT350 Aero Updates

This entry was posted in cars Ford technology and tagged 2015 ford shelby gt350 mustang aerodynamics ford gt350 gt350r mustang naias 2015 naias2015 on by (updated 3602 days ago)

 

gt350 tail 2

The 2015 Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang gets a more prominent spoiler inspired by track testing at the Nurburgring

 

When the new track-focuse Ford Shelby GT350R drifted its way onto the stage in Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena on Monday morning, the most obvious visual difference compared to the base model was the massive rear wing.

When the white baseline Shelby was initially revealed at the LA Auto Show in November, only a subtle black Gurney strip was added to the trailing edge of the trunklid, the same setup that appeared on the prototypes that were spotted circulating the Nurburgring last July. Here in Detroit, that same baseline Shelby had a significantly larger, more aggressive rear spoiler similar to those found on non-Shelby Mustangs for 2015.

ShelbyGT350_24_HR

When it was revealed in Los Angeles in November, the GT350 had a subtle Gurney strip on the trailing edge of the decklid

 

It turns out the testing at the ‘Ring and other tracks was behind the change. I spoke with Chris Svensson, Ford design director, the Americas while checking out the new GT and the GT350R on the show floor in Detroit.

“After analyzing the data from testing in Germany and validating it in the wind-tunnel and other tracks, we realized need to adjust the total downforce and balance front to rear,” said Svensson. “The front splitter and the rear spoilers have all had some additional development to optimize the high-speed handling.”

The baseline 2015 GT350 also gets a more prominent rear spoiler for extra downforce and better balance

The baseline 2015 GT350 also gets a more prominent rear spoiler for extra downforce and better balance

The result is an even more aggressive look to the already mean looking Mustang although Ford has yet to reveal specific details about precisely how much downforce or power the new pony will generate. Let the battle between the GT350R and Z/28 begin.