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The Edsel has passed into popular modern mythology as the ultimate in corporate blunders. It was a marque pitched by Ford at the lower medium market sector, between the much bigger Fords and the budget Mercury models. By the time it was launched, the market was in a slump, buyers were looking for smaller cars and the Edsel, the wrong car at wrong time, became an unfortunate victim of its own massive type. Forecasting 200,000 sales in the first year, Ford claimed that the new car, named after the dead son of Henry Ford, had cost #250 million to develop. When only 62,000 buyers were tempted, critics blamed the styling, with its unusual vertical grille. In fact, the Edsel was reasonably restrained by the excessive standards of the period, its fins well clipped with a clean side profile. Spanning 15 separate models, the Edsel was actually something of a separate Ford division, with saloon, convertible and station wagon bodies on the same ultra conventional floor pan. As usual with Ford at the time, there were six cylinder and V8 engine options, ranging in output from 145 bhp to 345 bhp, with three speed manual and automatic transmission versions.

There was a mid restyle for 1959, when Ford bosses tried to arrest dramatically falling sales. A totally new shall in a much reduced line up followed for the 1960 model year. In fact, the Edsel line was dead by the end of 1960, cancelled due to lack of interest. The ill omened name came to represent just how badly motor manufactures could misjudge the marketplace and a car’s appeal to the public.

Posted March 11, 2010 Comments(0)

The Ford Focus ST with tweakage by Mountune. Available on new and used STs, the Mountune St receives engine tuning – the chassis remains unfettled. A larger intercooler, new air filters and electronic map push power up form 222bhp to a mighty 256bhp and the torque swells by 59lb ft to 259 lb ft – and all for $1120 plus two hours of labour. The result is knockout 5.9 sec 0-62mph sprint but, more importantly, a vast amount of real-world performance form the charming, warbly turbo five cylinder engine. Few cars overtake like the Mountune STi; turbo lag and gear selection simply aren’t an issue. Just prod that right pedal and go. Indeed the Sti chassis copes with the extra horses with aplomb. Torque steer is only a problem when exiting slow corners and traction on the exit of medium speed bends is greater than the type-frying but similarly powered Astra. The Focus is a ‘softer’ driving experience compared with other cars, but it’s this squidge (technical term) that affords the Focus a degree of feedback when grip turns to slip.

In contrast when the Astra breaks traction it’s often sudden and you have little choice but to back off and wait for the chassis to regain composure; with the Focus you are aware of the limit approaching and you can power through it or adjust your trajectory with an accurate lift. Grumbles are few. The seat is too high, the gearshift vague and some may find the STi overall refinement unbecoming of a 256bhp hot-hatch. In fact, at the end of our test some wondered if the Focus’s character was more suited to the next class up.

Posted November 30, 2009 Comments(0)

Few cars have captured the imagination of the performance world as the Cobra did in the mid sixties and the legend has lived on through the many replicas to emerge again in the Viper, its spiritual successor. It was the time honoured recipe of getting the biggest possible engine into the lightest frame that could handle the power and clothing it in an attractive two seater body, preferably an open top for maximum enjoyment on the open road. While the AC marque was founded back in 1901, the Cobra story starts with 1953 introduction of the second generation Ace. Engineer John Tojeiro had created his own sports two seater modeled on the Ferrari 166 Barchetta(little boat), the car was powered by MG or Bristol. He sold the design to AC who installed their own 85bhp 2 liter six cylinder engine; in 1957, a Bristol 2 liter version was introduced giving another 30bhp and maximum around 115mph. a ford 2.6 liter version followed in 1961 with anything from 100-170 bhp. All was to change in 1962 when Carroll Shelby, impressed by the performance of the AC Bristol’s in American racing, persuaded AC to drop a Ford V-8 into the spacious engine compartment. Fitting the initial 260cu.in (4.2 liter) lightweight engine was little problem but the suspension and drive train needed considerable beefing up to take double the previous power output. AC were soon turning out five engine less cars a week for the Shelby to install ford engine and gearboxes; the 4.2 liter would soon be replaced by the 271bhp 4.7 liter (289 cu.in)

Not content with a mere 270-350bhp from the small block ford, Shelby wanted even more power, so the 7 liter Ford (427 cu.in) was inserted, but only after the chassis had been given the Ford computer treatment. The standard output for the 427 was 425bhp, but they could also be bought in street/competition from with 458bhp.

Posted November 14, 2009 Comments(0)

The latest ford fiesta is the live aid of new cars launches in Beijing, Bristol, North America and Asia. Ford is suffering back home in the world richest economy, where it lost $1.3 billion in the last financial quarter. American punters are running into the arms of foreign brands, and ditching fords profitable truck lines due to the soaring cost of fuel. Throw in excess plant capacity, massive burden paying staff pension and healthcare costs, rising raw material prices and an economic downtown deterring new cars buyers, and you have a world of pain for every car makers, but Detroit’s Big three in particular. The answer is ‘one ford’, according to company president Alan mulally. Out with exotic distractions like Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover, leaving executives to focus on creating cars that are smash hits around the world. Economics of the scale go up, costs and complexity go down and ford staggers back from the brick as the global plan is rolled out to the next generation Focus and Mendeo. The strategy starts here, with MK6 Fiesta. Legend has it that Mulally, fresh at ford having restructured Boeing Commercial Airplanes saw the development the fiesta and asked when it would reach the US market. Cue some embarrassed shuffling among the suits and a new vision for the company with Europe anointed small cars leaders and told to take the fiesta to the world.

Car run an early MK2 Focus powered by this engine, with variable camshaft timing to optimize economy and power output, but it had a frustrating, peaky character. The engine is transformed for the fiesta. It revs sweetly, delivering a constant rush of tongue peaking at 112lb ft at 4050rpm, and with a spiky engine note. It’s peach: smooth and pretty brisk, although you won’t exactly feel pinned back in your seat – 0-62mph takes 9.9sec. So, as Bob Geldof would have it, should you give Ford your focking money? Well, you will be doing your bit for a charity case, while getting something very special in return. Rather like Aid.

Posted November 10, 2009 Comments(0)

Raw power is actually what feeds a drag racer and it is also quite an important diet for the regular racers too. Just imagine going on a machine filled with pure horsepower and the sound of the engine that comes out when you step on the accelerator. Only a few cars come under the dragster’s list and one of the best in the line is the all new Ford Mustang.Ford had shown us this piece of beauty in 2008 and the production time has just arrived.The design of the Ford Mustang has improved quite a lot for our astonishment. The Ford Mustang returns with a muscular physique and also along with that a more aerodynamic body. The lights of the Mustang have also been redesigned to give a crystal outlook and the turn indicators are integrated in the lights as well. The indicators are special LEDs that blink in sequence doing their job. The new Mustang has been fitted with fog lights on its front grill as the predecessor and on the GT edition the fog lights have been placed on the lower side of the grill. The trunk release has been changed from a key hole to a remote release edition.

The performance has been kept up to the racing stallion. The Mustang is equipped with a 4.6 Liter V8 engine giving you nothing but horsepower. The engine is capable of producing up to 315 bhp at an engine speed of 6000 RPM. The exhaust tips have been increased quite a lot. Ford’s AdvanceTrac has been installed for better stability and traction. This is operated when the user switches on a Sport Mode. So as the racing stallion has been upgraded it is like racing on a whole different level now. So you better strap up your self for more adrenaline boy!

Posted August 29, 2009 Comments(0)

Inspiration leads to many great feats. And in the world of cars it is the thing providing us with the best cars for the future. This is usually because the experience and outcome of the root car is improved and redesigned to give more than ever. Well one of the car that inspired a currently produced supercar is the Ford GT 40. If we compare both the cars we will come to know that the racing gene has been perfectly transferred in the new super car commonly known as the Ford GT. And there is no doubt that the Ford GT is an awesome supercar.Produced as a halo car, Ford leaves no exception in keeping the Ford GT the best of their line. The new Ford GT is 3 Inches taller than its predecessor the GT 40. The designing has also been picked up a basic design of the old GT 40. But Ford has kept it up to the date with installing in it a unique hood with air inlets that help cool the engine. The Ford GT also has intakes just beside its doors too. Custom made round fog lights have been added in the front bumper. Apart from that the Ford GT comes with racing stripes on it making it look just as sporty.

The performance of the Ford GT being a supercar is just as interesting. The Ford GT derives performance from a 5.4 Liter V8 engine made entirely from aluminum. This allows for the power output to reach up to 550 hp. The braking system has been created by Brembo and features its calipers and rotors. The fuel system is custom capless filler made by Ford itself. All this combine to remind us of the GT 40, by which the Ford GT lives today!

Posted August 27, 2009 Comments(0)

The Ford Mustang called as the pony car segment way back in 1964 and was a runaway sales winner. Admiringly, Present days Mustang, shown off three years ago, is a superb illustration of the genre it has crossed over. The Mustang GT comes loaded with a muscular 300-hp V8 and is an unconditional whoop to drive, producing all the right sounds, lynching onto corners stubbornly, and showing of thrilling acceleration to provide an irony performance. The American pony car has on no account been superior than the current hulk of the Mustang GT.

The Mustang is obtainable as a coupe or convertible versions. The Mustang V6 Deluxe is a tuned up cruiser and its 4.0-liter V6 engine is a concrete performer, all for around $20,000. But the Mustang GT spells out manly performance and that is what the Mustang is all about and that’s the real basis of the legend. For 2008, a novel Bullitt model joins the flock. Authentically styled to commemorate the hero car that performed in the famous chase scene starring Steve McQueen, the 2008 Mustang Bullitt is factory tuned to a much higher performance standards level than the standard GT. Ford utilized technology procured from the development of the Shelby cars, and the chief engineer for the Mustang reveals that the technology knowledge gained from the expansion of the Bullitt will be utilized in the next-generation Mustang. Ford plans to produce just about 7,000 Bullitt models of this MUSTANG Variant.

Posted April 20, 2008 Comments(0)

Ford’s all new 2008 model of the heavy-duty pickup trucks get an innovative turbo-diesel engine, restructured interiors, and a peripheral facelift especially for this version. Mainstream Super Duty variants comprise 3/4-ton capacity F-250s and 1-ton capacity F-350s. The line also proposes F-450, 550, and 650 variants. F-250 and 350 are obtainable in 5 trim levels. XL and XLT present a 2-door regular cab, an extended Super-Cab with rear-hinged accesses that don’t open autonomously of the fronts, and a crew cab with 4 full doors. FX4 and Lariat spruces are available as Super-Cabs and even as the crew cabs. The top-end variant King Ranch is a crew cab option only. The Harley-Davidson version is discontinued for this year 2008.

Customary cabs have cargo bed of 8-ft-long; Super-Cabs and crew cabs are designed some what lesser in some at 6.75-ft or 8-ft beds. F-350s are accessible with drive mechanisms of single- or dual-rear wheels. A 300-hp V8 engine is typical on all but the F-350 dual-rear wheel crew cab. Usual on that model and discretionary on others is a 362-hp V10. Also variants on offer are on all F-250s and F-350s is a new 350-hp turbo packed diesel V8 that replaces an old timer of lesser spruced 325-hp turbo-diesel V8.

All engines, come with a 6-speed manual transmission as a standard, a 5-speed automatic transmission can be made optional. All except the FX4 are obtainable with rear-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive that should not be left employed on dry asphalt road, but includes low-range gearing option also. FX4s are strictly 4WD only.

Posted April 14, 2008 Comments(0)

Ford attended the Geneva show this year having big plans for their models. One of the attractions of the stand was the new version of a big seller for them the Focus. The Coupe-Cabriolet revealed features numerous enhancements over its predecessor.

The new facelift works wonders on the car and also comes with a few other goodies for Ford enthusiasts: equipped with a Pininfarina retractable hardtop, the new model now offers the best luggage volume in its class. The facelift itself brings it closer to the sedan model, creating a good mix of appeal and daily driver usability. The model is also packed full of new options making it just a little more attractive than it already is. A keyless start, a tire deflation detection system, improved audio systems which support Bluetooth and USB connectivity, and multiple navigation systems pretty much paints a clear picture of what the designers at Ford are trying to do with this model. This array of gadgets may seem as a financial setback for potential buyers but this aspect hasn’t been overlooked. The first navigation system uses SD cards which helps to keep the option affordable, the second system is a more traditional DVD based unit which features a 7-inch color touchscreen.

When it comes to the engineering part of the new model, Ford has come up with various motoring options. Powering the new Focus CC are a host of engines including a 1.6L with 100HP or a 2.0L with 145HP Duratec petrol. For the diesel version, Ford came up with a 2.0L, 136HP Duratorq engine that develops 320 Nm of torque. As if it wasn’t enough there will also be a port package with a retuned suspension, special 17” alloy wheels, and tinted headlights, for the most adventurous customers. All in all only good news to report from the Ford stand at the Geneva show this year.

Posted March 13, 2008 Comments(0)