2011 Ford Explorer SUV: First Official Teaser Photos, More to Come

Hidden somewhere in these cryptic photos is the all-new 2011 Ford Explorer SUV. The pictures were just released a few minutes ago on FoMoCo's dedicated Facebook page.

They don't show much of the new SUV model but the plan is to slowly undress the 2011 Explorer through a series of pictures that will be uploaded on the much-criticized lately, yet massively powerful, social network site in the same way Honda did with the Accord CrossTour last year.

So, when will we see the new Explorer? There's no specific date, but Scott Monty, Ford's head of social media, told the New York Times today that the company's new SUV model will be fully revealed sometime in July.

Read more �

2012 Ford Explorer Illustration the Real Deal? Nope, it's a CGI by Josh Byrnes.

You may be wondering if this rendering of the 2012 Ford Explorer SUV that appeared on several automotive sites / weblogs is real. While the illustration appears to very close to the prototypes we've seen in spy shots (as well as the official teaser picture), a quick search on the internet reveals that it's actually a CGI or Computer Generated Image that was made by Josh Byrnes for Australian website 'Caradvice'.

Read more �

Chevrolet Camaro Outsells Ford Mustang by Almost 20,000 Units at Year One, But Loses in May '10

Yesterday we learned that the refreshed and more powerful 2011 Ford Mustang sold 10,225 units in May 2010 beating GM's Chevrolet Camaro by almost 1,300 units (8,931 sales monthly total).

The General's reaction? Early this morning, the Detroit automaker came out with a press release stating that from May 2009 (the 2010 Camaro's first full month of sales) to May 2010, Chevy's pony car posted 99,872 total sales, outselling the Ford Mustang by nearly 20,000 vehicles (80,340 units total).

The company added that the Camaro has led the pony car sales race for 11 of the last 12 months.

Read more �

It's Official: Ford Dumps Mercury Brand

Like GM, Ford Motor Company is continuing to shrink its brand portfolio. Following the recent sale of Volvo Cars to China's Geely, with which it completed the dismantling of the premium group that once included Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover, the Deaborn automaker made it official today that it will terminate the Mercury division in the fourth quarter of this year.

Given Mercury's declining sales over the years (the brand holds a pitiful 0.8 percent market share in the U.S. - overall Ford has 16%) and the fact that its entire lineup comprises of re-grilled / re-badged Ford models, the announcement was no surprise.

Some had suggested in the past that Mercury should do what GM is doing with Buick - enhance its U.S. lineup with Ford's European models, but apparently that role is partially going to Ford with the new Euro-style Fiesta and Focus cars.

Ford admitted that the majority of current Mercury sales are to fleet buyers and customers purchasing through employee, retiree and friends and family discounts, which the company anticipates can be satisfied by Ford brand vehicles.

Read more �

Ford May Announce Mercury's Death at a 3:00 PM EST Press Conference

If we are to believe a report from Detroit News, Ford Motor Company may very well confirm the axing of its Mercury brand in a press conference this afternoon in which the automaker is said to talk about "brand and product strategy". The report goes on to say that Ford is also likely to announce that the new compact model that was planned for Mercury will be launched under the Lincoln brand. Stay tuned on Carscoop for more details on this developing story.

Read more �

Ring a Bell? Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Probed for Floor Mats After Complaints About Sticky Accelerators...

Remember Toyota's recall-woes over specific floor mats that could slip forward and snag the gas pedal? Well, we could be heading for a second round of recalls on the same issue but for a different automaker.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a formal investigation into the 2010MY Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan models to examine allegations about pedals becoming trapped in the depressed position by unsecured floor mats.

Read more �

Designer Revives Ford Thunderbird with Hardtop Roadster Concept

The last time we saw the Thunderbird nameplate in Ford's lineup was in 2005, and from what we know, the Detroit automaker has no immediate plans to revive it. Nevertheless, this hasn't stopped Brazilian designer Eduardo Oliveira from coming up with a conceptual proposal for a new Ford Thunderbird model with a retractable hardtop.

Read more �

Report: Ford Planning to Kill Mercury Division, Maybe as Soon as Year's End

Mercury, the maker of higher grade Ford models with waterfall grilles such as the Milan and Grande Marquis, will have the same fate of GM's Pontiac and Saturn brands, according to a report from Bloomberg citing two unnamed people familiar with the plan.

The news agency said that Ford Motor Co executives could ask the automaker's board of directors as early as July to green-lit the (eventual) axing of the Mercury brand.

Read more �

Ford Adds Top-End Titanium Model to Flex Lineup

Ford is enhancing its 2011 Flex crossover lineup with the addition of the new range-topping Titanium model. Set to arrive in U.S. showrooms later this summer, the Titanium is based on the Limited series model adding certain unique exterior and interior details as well as some new features.

Read more �

Ford Hires Santos, a Virtual Soldier Turned Into Worker

After GM announced its R2 space robot, how long could it be before the Blue Oval had something futuristic to show off? Ford recently introduced Santos, a new virtual-reality stress-testing digital man.

Santos, derived from the Department of Defense's Virtual Soldier Research program, is Ford's next stage of virtual work assistance. He works in a simulated Ford factory and measures the effects of real-world stress by combining a "complete biomechanical muscular system" with "predictive dynamics".

Ford ergonomics technical specialist Allison Stephens thankfully explains it in layman's terms:

Read more �

MG XPower to be Well-Represented at UK's Historics Auction

Set to hit the block at the UK's Historics at Brooklands event are these two MG XPower SVs.

The carbon fiber-bodied MG XPower Sport Veloce, based on the less aggressive X80 concept, was designed by Peter Stevens (responsible, among others, for the McLaren F1 and Jaguar XJR-15) and is underpinned by a platform from Qvale's Mangusta.

Powered by Ford's 4.6 liter 4-valve Cobra V8, the standard SV made 320 horsepower with an advertised top speed of 165 mph when new.

Roughly 82 of the rear-wheel drive MG coupes were built and sold to consumers before a lack of sales forced MG to stop production. At around �75,000 when new, it's easy to see how that could happen.

Read more �

New Ford Fiesta Rated at 40mpg Highway and 29mpg City, See How it Compares with its Rivals

The official EPA (that's short for Environmental Protection Agency) numbers for Ford's highly anticipated new Fiesta are in.

According to the agency's calculations, the 2011 Fiesta with Ford's new six-speed PowerShift automatic transmission achieves an EPA certified 40mpg highway and 29mpg city (equal to 5.9lt and 8.1 lt/100km respectively).

The five-speed manual transmission model is EPA rated at 37 mpg highway and and 29 mpg city.

Read more �

Ford Windstar Axles Breaking, NHTSA Investigates

The NHTSA is going to take a break from scrutinizing Toyota to have a look at Ford's '99-'03 Windstar, which is having an issue with its rear axles (mainly in high-corrosion / high-road-salt areas).

According to the New York Times, of the 900,000 or so Windstars sold, there have been 234 reports, 2 accidents, and no injuries so far. The NHTSA claims that "fracture of a rear suspension axle could result in loss of vehicle control".

Read more �

2012 Ford Explorer SUV Officially Teased

Pictured here next to Jim Holland, chief engineer behind the new Ford Explorer, is (trumpets, please), well, the new Explorer - or at least, a smidgen of it.

The successor to Ford's 90's break-out hit is supposed to debut this year, but there's still no official word from Ford.

We know the new Explorer will be sharing its underpinnings with the Flex, something that usually wouldn't make sense. The Flex is a quirky crossover, and the Explorer is supposed to be an SUV.

That is, unless Ford has some crazy off-roading, efficiency-themed crossover technology coming out. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Power would hopefully come from some Ecoboost 4- and 6-cylinder engines.

Sadly, there's really nothing to be said about the styling...yet. If it has a hint of Ford's 2008 Explorer America concept in it, that would be nice. And sliding doors need to make a comeback, too.

Read more �

Ford Receives Over 3,000 Orders for 411HP F-150 Raptor 6.2

SVT's Baja-bombing Raptor pickup with the optional 6.2 liter V8 is moving like hotcakes, with 3,000 orders already in for the $41,995 truck.

The big V8, derived from those used in Ford's Super Duties, has a special cam profile to help get that little extra oomph for the Raptor. The result is 411 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque.

Read more �

New Ford Fiesta Takes on a Lamborghini Gallardo, Lives to Tell the Tale [Video]

Ford's looking to make a big statement with its upcoming Fiesta, and it seems like the new-age consumer-driven marketing has been a success. Now, the gurus behind the campaign have come up with a new one.

Recently, they put out a challenge to the public: come up with different tests to help assess the Fiesta and see how it stacks up against some major players. This one pits the upcoming Fiesta hatch against a Lambo in some real-world (and Fiesta-centric) tests.

It's a tad cheesy, but you should still be able to enjoy the show. Video after the break.

Read more �

Detroit 3 Closing Worker Pay Gap with Foreign Competitors

Sean McAlinden, an economist working for the Center for Automotive Research, says that due to shifts in UAW retiree / health planning US auto manufacturers may end up with a labor-cost advantage in the next few years. GM is used as the prime example.

Here's a look at the timeline:

In 2007, per-vehicle labor costs for GM were $1,400 more than Toyota, its largest international competitor. $950 of that was for retiree benefits.

In 2008, Detroit's Big 3 manufacturers (Ford, GM and Chrysler LLC) were reportedly paying their hourly employees $69,368 per year on average versus $70,185 being earned by employees at foreign-owned plants. Salaried employees at the Detroit automakers were making $122,963 versus $81,506 earned by foreign-based counterparts.

Read more �

Ford to Launch C-MAX Full-Hybrid and Plug-in Electric in Europe in 2013

Ford said today that it plans to launch full-hybrid and a plug-in electric derivatives of its new C-MAX five-seat minivan in Europe in 2013. The Detroit automaker said that both hybrid variants of the C-MAX will be built at the company's Valencia plant in Spain when the company plans to invest close to $410 million (over �300 million) over the next three years.

The Valencia Plant also will produce the seven-seat version of the minivan called the Grand C-MAX for export to North America beginning in late 2011.

"The Hybrid Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Electric derivatives of the all-new Ford C-MAX are great news for the Valencia plant and region, for Spain, and for Ford customers across Europe, said John Fleming, CEO of Ford of Europe

Read more �

The Folden: New Zealanders Create Half Holden HQ, Half Ford Mustang Mechanical Frankenstein

Is it a Holden? Is it a Ford? Well, according to the folks from the New Zealand music radio station, 'The Rock', neither. They say it's a Folden and it was born from the unholy -or so to speak- union of a Holden HQ and a 1969 Ford Mustang.

The culprits are The Rock's Drive show announcers, Robert Taylor and Jono Pryor, who claim that they created the Folden because they were "fed up with the ongoing battle between their listeners over who is mightier - Ford or Holden."

Their goal was to fuse the rear 3/4s of a 1970's Holden HQ sedan with the front-end of a 1969 Ford Mustang with power being provided by 302 cubic inch V8 Ford engine.

Read more �

Rollin on DUBs: Ford Introduces DUB Edition of 2011 Mustang

In order to connect with "a whole new generation of buyers", Ford has teamed up with DUB magazine and Roush to release a special "DUB" edition Mustang.

Based on the 305-horse 3.7 liter V6 model, the DUB package supplies the V6 Stang (coupe, convertible, or glass-roof coupe) with 20-inch TIS rims wrapped in Pirellis, a Roush appearance package, special striping, and the DUB logo embroidered on the headrests.

Read more �