“Add lightness,” is the world famous maxim of Lotus founder Colin Chapman, and decades on, the British specialty firm rigidly adheres to their mantra, producing cars like the Elise, Exige and Evora that can hang with the world’s best supercars and still deliver terrific fuel economy, thanks to their featherweight construction and efficient powertrains. But...
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Ford posted a $2.1 billion profit for this quarter, beating market expectations by a full year despite a lull in the new vehicle market. Ford has undergone a series of cost-cutting measures, including plant closures and layoffs, but has also introduced a torrent of new product in nearly every segment. Ford hasn’t earned $2 billion...
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As reported in Autosport Magazine, the two Nissan teams competing in the new FIA GT1 World Championship have threatened to boycott the next round and to launch a protest unless the weight penalty heaped on the GT-R ahead of the Abu Dhabi series opener is removed. The first race of the season took place last weekend...
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Rental car giant Hertz is set to buy rival rental agency DollarThrifty for $1.17 billion in cash and stock, in a deal that would see Hertz add another 1,500 locations and cut $180 million in costs. DollarThrifty saw its stock dip below $1 in early 2009, due to low demand and uncertainly regarding its main...
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Scott Rothstein was once a prominent South Florida lawyer, famous for his humble roots, flashy lifestyle and philanthropy. But after a suicide attempt and a failed escape to Morocco, Rothsetin turned himself in after federal agents exposed his 1.2 billion dollar Ponzi scheme. Now, the United States government has seized his assets and is auctioning...
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After yesterday’s reveal of the Audi A1 lookalike Ford Start Concept, comes word that the car’s tiny EcoBoost engine will make its way to North America. Ford won’t say what the direct-injection turbocharged 4-cylinder will find its way into, and we have to think the only possible candidate right now is the Fiesta. Ford claims...
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Surely, being part of a much smaller company affords Land Rover employees certain…perks. Other than a company blog (rare for an automaker), it seems the U.K.-based off-road specialists also allow employees like Andrew Polsinelli, general manager of product planning for Land Rover North America to say things that would have been censored in a larger...
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Ford has just released a selection of photos of a futuristic-meets-retro mini car, powered by a “near production” EcoBoost 3-cylinder engine. Using a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder combined with a turbocharger and direct-injection technology, Ford says the new engine in the Start Concept delivers power comparable to that from a traditional 4-cylinder engine. On the concept car...
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With Ford just about ready to launch its new Fiesta in North America, the American automaker is celebrating the car’s success overseas where it has just surpassed the perennial top seller, the VW Golf, to become Europe’s best selling car. While Ford somewhat erroneously reported last week that it had topped VW in overall sales,...
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Ken Block might not be driving for Subaru any more, but he’s still sponsored by Monster Energy Drink and is still up to his old tricks. Ahead of its debut later today, Ken Block’s Ford Fiesta Monster Rally Team has released a teaser of Gymkhana Three – featuring the new Ford Fiesta rally car. The...
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The 2011 Mustang is receiving quite the attention these days thanks to a recently updated design and the new high-horsepower, fuel efficient 3.7-liter V6 and 5.0-liter V8. With all things Ford Mustang, we knew it wouldn’t take long before Saleen SMS Supercars would produce its own version, specializing in high performance while accenting the newest...
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As reported on Marc VDS Racing, a Belgian-Canadian joint effort is preparing to take on the competition in the FIA GT3 European Championship with a pair of freshly built Ford Mustangs. Canada’s Multimatic Motorsports has prepared the Mustangs for Belgium-based Marc VDS Racing, an experienced racing outfit that runs a pair of Ford GTs in the...
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While Ford has made the decision to turn the Explorer from an SUV into a crossover, it seems committed to making that crossover as capable as possible. Ahead of its debut, Ford has announced the new Explorer will get a “terrain management system” to help owners get the most out of the 4WD system. After...
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Ford has just announced in a glowing new press release that it is the number one automaker is Europe for the month of March. Can that really be true? What about Volkswagen, Fiat and Peugeot? Last time we were in Europe we didn’t see all that many Fords. Well, as it turns out our friends...
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Having just announced the new 6.2-liter V8 is now available for the F-150 SVT Raptor, Ford will also reportedly deliver a SuperCrew version of the popular on-road/off-road truck. News comes from the folks at InsideLine, who have also spotted the truck in question testing in Detroit. The SuperCrew version will come with four fully functional...
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Oh, Apple. Always coming up with ways to improve the user experience. The picture above is from the 2011 Ford Edge and its groundbreaking MyTouch dashboard, which we’re using because it’s currently the most advanced in-car display. But it looks like everything, plus the kitchen sink, was put onto the screen. The result is very...
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Last week we reported that the Ford RS500 had “sold out” in 12 hours based on the interest it garnered with official news of its release. Following hot on its heels and noticing the overwhelming demand on the RS500, Ford has released news of the MP350 package for regular Focus RS owners. For those currently...
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If you were wondering which U.S. automaker was making the biggest strides toward next-generation powertrain technology, wonder no more. In a bold move, if you’ll excuse the reference, Ford will be introducing turbocharged engines on some of its largest and smallest vehicles by the end of 2010. Here’s our run down of the increasingly prolific...
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When spy photos first showed up on the Internet of Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s new 2011 drift Ford Mustang, many were curious on why it didn’t sport the atypical Falken Tire paint scheme. We knew he was out testing with the rest of the team, so it was clear that his “secret sponsor” would be huge...
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When Ford introduced the F-150 Raptor about a year ago, the only real complaint anyone could make against it was the truck’s engine. Not there was really anything wrong with the 5.4-liter V8, it’s just that with so much of the rest of the F-150 turned into a badass off-roader, the engine had been untouched...
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The Ford Focus RS500 debut has been a little interesting, to say the least. Ford had built a new website, teasing the release of the car over several days. They claim however that the website was “hacked” and the official (and enticing) photos of the Ford Focus RS500 were released 48 hours early. Perhaps it...
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In a recent episode of Autoline After Hours, top Mustang engineer Dave Pericak commented on what it might take to bring the iconic American sports car to Europe, raising the possibility that a diesel engine could help solve emissions and fuel economy issues. After all, currently Ford builds a capable V6 diesel engine for the...
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Ford has reportedly given the green light to a hot-hatch version of the new Fiesta sub-compact, which will be called the ST. According to a report by AutoExpress, the Fiesta ST will get a version of the 1.6-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder used in the C-Max MPV. It is expected to make around 180-hp and deliver a...
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Ford is excited to announce the start of production for its new six-speed PowerShift dual clutch transmission, set to appear in the new Fiesta, is now underway. “Who cares,” you’re most likely thinking. Well, this little transmission is actually quite a big deal for several reasons, like fuel economy and performance. The dual clutch system...
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