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UK Mustang buyers want big American V8s

Just before Ford ended its marketing partnership with Europe's UEFA Champions League soccer tournament last year, it showcased the 2015 Mustang during the event final in Lisbon, Portugal. Ford put 500 Mustangs up for pre-order to viewers in 20 countries, 130 of them right-hand-drive models for the UK. It didn't take 30 seconds for every car to be snapped up because almost 10,000 people tried to buy them. That's how hungry Europe is for the Mustang. That helps explain why orders for the pony car in the UK already number almost 2,000 units, which ties up production past July 2016. Ford UK released a few details on the order habits of that kingdom united, saying 80 percent have taken the coupe over the convertible, and 70 percent have gone for the 410-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8. That compares to 52 percent of US buyers taking the V8 instead of the V6 or the 2.3-liter Ecoboost. The UK V8 output number is 25 ponies down on our US model because of the switch to right-hand drive, the steering assembly location requiring a new exhaust manifold. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost is the only other engine offered there. The row-your-own set nips the slushbox crowd, 55 percent of buyers choosing the six-speed manual, and Race Red is the most popular of the ten available colors with 23-percent uptake. The graphic above breaks it all down, the press release below spells it all out. Related Video FIRST UK DELIVERIES IN SIGHT AS FORD MUSTANG ORDERS ACCELERATE TOWARDS 2,000 BRENTWOOD, Essex, UK, August 24, 2015 – Almost 2,000 Ford Mustang orders have been taken in the UK since January as the first right-hand drive cars begin to roll off the production line at Flatrock Assembly Plant in Michigan, North America. The Ford Mustang – introduced in the U.S. more than 50 years ago – has excited fans across the globe, but has never been available to order with right-hand drive, until now. The first UK customer deliveries are expected from November, with extra supply secured to meet the greater than expected demand. So far, 80 per cent of UK customers have opted for the fastback body style over the convertible and 70 per cent have specified the 416PS 5.0-litre V8 engine over the more fuel-efficient 317PS 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine. Mustang's six-speed manual transmission is the slightly more popular choice (55 per cent) over the six-speed automatic, which comes with sporty SelectShift paddle control.

Amid Mulally rumors, Bill Ford praises company's deep bench

Bill Ford went on the offensive to combat the rumors that CEO Alan Mulally would leave Dearborn for Steve Ballmer's vacated position leading Microsoft, adding that even if the 68-year-old, former Boeing exec were to depart, the Ford executive team is in a good place.
"I'm happy [Mulally] is going to stick around. But we also feel really good about where we are in terms of succession," Ford told Bloomberg TV, according to Automotive News. Rumors first cropped up about Mulally leaving Ford when AllThingsD speculated that he was in the running, early last month. In that same report, which you can read here, Ford's board of directors reportedly okayed the CEO stepping down ahead of his planned retirement in 2014.
That opened the floodgates, culminating in a report from a few days ago that the rumors over Ballmer's successor just might be true. The story is especially troubling, as Ford hasn't had Mulally under contract, according to AN. "He's here as long as he and I would like it to happen," Ford said, "We're also cognizant of training the next generation and getting them ready to go as well."

Ford starts GoDrive carsharing service in London

Automaker-supported carsharing services like BMW's DriveNow and Daimler's Car2Go are already well established in many cities around the world. Ford is no stranger to this business, either, with collaborations with companies like ZipCar in the US and Flinkster in Germany. Now, The Blue Oval is taking a new step by establishing its own dedicated offering in London called GoDrive. The operation is actually the expansion of an earlier 100-person pilot program and allows the automaker to test out ideas on a small scale. GoDrive is now growing to support 2,000 people in London, and they can share 50 vehicles that are scattered around 20 locations in the city. The fleet is split between Focus Electric models and Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoosts. One of the major selling points for the service is that users can take one-way trips through the city and have a guaranteed parking spot at their destination. Like any high-tech service today, much of the user interface for GoDrive works through a smartphone app that allows users to book cars and pay for trips. The driving is covered under an all-inclusive, pay-by-the-minute model, which includes London's congestion charge, and the first five minutes are free. To entice new users, the company is currently offering a free membership and 20 pounds ($31) in credit to sign up. GoDrive's small size also lets it gather and adjust to customer feedback quickly. For example, users reportedly enjoy getting to try out a vehicle with the latest infotainment and safety features. The company is already working on different pricing plans and parking options for the future, as well. The video below shows a little more the service in action. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. FORD BRINGS DYNAMIC CAR-SHARING EXPERIMENT TO LONDON; FIRST SERVICE TO OFFER ONE-WAY TRIPS WITH GUARANTEED PARKING Ford will offer Londoners flexible, practical, and affordable GoDrive car-sharing service; invites 2,000 members to register free for service that offers 50 cars across 20 locations GoDrive is unique in offering one-way trips with guaranteed parking. Pay-as-you-go approach with pay-per-minute pricing covers all fees. Drivers book and access cars via smartphone app Zero-emission Focus Electric makes up half of the GoDrive fleet; fuel-efficient Fiesta 1.0-litre EcoBoost available.