Ford has chosen a drawing from a European University as the one to depict a modern interpretation of what a Model T would look like in the year 2015. A team of eight students and engineers earned the Institute Of Automotive Engineering Aachen from the Aachen University in Germany as well as $25,000 in scholarship funds.
Ford will be revealing the new 2009 Ford Fiesta during the Geneva Motor Show. This new version of the model will be based on the same blueprints as the Mazda 2 and will be the first model to come from their new product-development process.
It looks like the plant in Wixom, Michigan that Ford used to use as a manufacturing plant will now be turned into a movie studio. Apparently Warner Bros. is thinking about using it for a short amount of time.
The production company has confirmed that it toured the plant for the first time about four months ago with officials from Ford present. When contacted for comment, a Ford spokesperson said only that the automaker would prefer to do something worthwhile with its old plant, but had no announcements to make.
Ford will be charging a premium o $700 for the new EcoBoost engine system - which goes on sale in 2009. A 3.5 liter V6 engine with the EcoBoost will be revealed in the new Lincoln MKS sedan next year and in the Flex crossover.
The V6 with EcoBoost is slated for the Ford F-150 in 2010, and the pickup application will produce “significantly more” than 340 hp and 340 lb-ft-torque, said Brett Hinds, Ford’s advanced engine design manager. That tops the 300-hp rating of the largest engine - a 5.4- liter V8 - in the current F-150.
For weeks we have been hearing rumors that Mercury is on its last leg and that we could be saying farewell to it. Now more than ever those rumors are being brought to life and we have found some proof that will help us to understand why.
At this time there is no Mercury vehicle that currently exists which isn’t a mild rebadge of a Ford product. While we have had hints of new models wearing the Blue Oval badge, not a peep has been provided regarding future Mercury products.
Ford sent out a mass e-mail to all of their salaried workers on Thursday that stated they would be delaying the merit raises and will be forced to cut a few benefits as well as reducing costs by 15%. Because of this many employees will find themselves being laid off.
Ford stated awhile ago that they would be producing a Fiesta that would be available to consumers in the U.S. The time to produce them is drawing near (or so we hope) and Ford is finally releasing a few details on where it will be produced.
It looks like the Fiesta will be made south of the border. The extremely low cost of labor in Mexico makes building inexpensive economy cars there a no-brainer, and Ford’s Cuatitlan plant already builds the current Euro Fiesta and a Fiesta-based vehicle for the Mexico/Brazil markets.
Ford’s famous F-Series looks as if it might be taking a serious hit as sales for the truck have slowly been declining over the past few weeks. Its competition is the Toyota Camry. Surprised? Many of us were surprised at first – but the fact that the gas prices have been so high is the reason for this situation.
The 2009 Ford F-150 is getting a much needed update to the 5.4 liter V8 engine. Ford will be increasing the horsepower (if only by a little) of the V8 by using the ‘open valve technology’ fuel injection process. You can expect the truck now to punch 320 horsepower instead of 300 and from 365 lb-ft. of torque to 390.
Ford has sponsored a contest with a goal to modernize the Model T. The Model T a car that began it all. Twenty four year old junior in college Dong Trang came up with an electric crossover. According to Peter Horbury, who is head of design for the Ford company in the Americas , because Henry Ford’s first Model T was high off the ground and had a modular design, capable of hauling people and their stuff at the same time.