2001 Ford Expedition Xlt 4x4 on 2040-cars

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Ford Escort returns... as a concept

Ford is kickin' it old school at the Shanghai Motor Show for 2013 with a new Escort Concept - "a name that stirs up thoughts of basic, affordable transportation rather than great driving dynamics or bold design" as we said in our initial preview of the small C-segment sedan. Or, as Ford puts it, "Customers in China described seeking a vehicle that is stylish - but not one that is arrogant or pretentious." Potato, potahto...
It's an interesting amalgam of design notes with Ford's recent and stylish hexagonal grille up front, flanked by some pretty busy LED light clusters and chrome-trimmed air intakes at the lower extremities of the fascia, but the Escort Concept is not altogether unattractive. Besides its external appearance, we really don't have much information to report - Ford has not yet hinted at what may be powering this little machine, but we'd expect something with four cylinders and less that 2.0 liters of displacement sending a modest number of horses to the front tires.
It probably goes without saying, but we don't expect to see this Escort make its way to the United States, since we already have the Focus and the Fiesta battling it out in the econobox segment. That said, it's very likely to spawn a production model that will roll out here in China and in other developing market where multiple C-segment entries are becoming increasingly common. Check out our high-res image gallery of live images above, and let us know what you think of the car's styling, then scroll down below for the official press release.

Detroit 3 to implement delayed unified towing standards for 2015

Car buyers have a responsibility to be well-informed consumers. That's not always a very simple task, but some guidelines are self-evident. If you live in a very snowy climate, you generally know a Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro might not be as viable a vehicle choice as an all-wheel drive Explorer or Traverse, for example. If you want a fuel-efficient car, it's generally a good idea to know the difference between a diesel and a hybrid. But what if it's kind of tough to be an informed consumer? What if the information you need is more difficult to come by, or worse, based on different standards for each vehicle? Well, in that case, you might be a truck shopper.
For years, customers of light-duty pickups have had to suffer through different ratings of towing capacities for each brand. For 2015 model year trucks, though, that will no longer be a problem. According to Automotive News, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler Group have announced that starting with next year's models, a common standard will be used to measure towing capacity. The Detroit Three will join Toyota, which adopted the Society of Automotive Engineers' so-called SAE J2807 standards way back in 2011.
The standard was originally supposed to be in place for MY2013, but concerns that it would lower the overall stated capacity for trucks led Detroit automakers to pass. Ford originally passed, claiming it'd wait until its new F-150 was launched to adopt the new standards, leading GM and Ram to follow suit. Nissan, meanwhile, has said it will adopt the new standards as its vehicles are updated, meaning the company's next-generation Titan should adhere to the same tow ratings as its competitors.

Forza Motorsport 6 shows off the Ford GT's active rear spoiler

We knew that among the many technical treats provided by the Ford GT is an active rear wing, and we knew that the domestic exotic is going to grace the cover of Forza Motorsport 6. What we didn't know is how that rear wing looked when deployed, and thanks to Forza, now we do. If the driving game is being its usual model of accuracy, then the GT wing is no joke - everyone will know when you mean business. We've seen this kind of setup on the Bugatti Veyron and, more subtly, on the McLaren P1. Like those two examples, the GT flap automatically changes its angle in different conditions, such as under braking. When Ford gave us a tour of the GT interior we noticed a lot of buttons, now we're wondering if any of them allow the driver to deploy the wing at will. There is a button marked "aero," but no associated graphic to explain what it's for. The AR12 Gaming host of the video above isn't there for the GT, though - he's responding to audience requests for 60-frames-per-second gameplay footage in Forza, and to see how the tire smoke looks while drifting. But his stop-and-go drifting efforts give us plenty of footage of the wing in action, so check it out.