2002 Ford Explorer Xls on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Second trailer for 'Ford vs. Ferrari' hints at a good racing drama

The second trailer for the movie "Ford vs. Ferrari" just dropped, and ooooh, the movie that director James Mangold calls "Butch and Sundance in the world of racing" is looking good. We previously covered Entertainment Weekly's sneak peak into the film, and we've also included the first trailer, below, in case you missed it. The new trailer, above, focuses on Ford's motivation to get into the race, which was Enzo Ferrari backing out of a deal to sell his car company to Ford when Ferrari realized Ford wouldn't let him run Ferrari's racing department the way he wanted. And with Enzo's flair for final words, he apparently sent Ford emissary Lee Iacocca off with various insults of Ford's cars, factories and CEO. The second trailer lays into the battles within Ford over the GT40 program, specifically the clashes of ego and temperament between Henry Ford II, GT40 impresario Carroll Shelby, star driver Ken Miles, and various Ford Motorsport functionaries. At one point, Henry Ford II mentions to Carroll Shelby that Ford Motor Company knows how to go to war, referring to the battle with Ferrari. Based on the trailer, the more pressing matter might have been getting everyone to stop waging war on everyone else. The second trailer is below. The film, based on an original screenplay, stars Tracy Letts as Henry Ford II, Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby, Christian Bale as Ken Miles, Caitriona Balfe as Mollie Miles, and Jon Bernthal as Lee Iacocca, and is due in theaters Nov. 15. If the movie ends up turning you off, though, you can hang out for the television series about the same events, to be based on A.J. Baime's book, "Go Like Hell." This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Performance cars driving sales gains

We're living in a fantastic time for performance cars. For drivers, there are a bevy of exciting models either already here or on the way that cater to different demographics within the niche, like the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, Ford Shelby Mustang GT350 and Dodge's Hellcat-powered products. While trucks and crossovers still offer a booming market at the moment, sporty vehicles are another way for automakers to make some cash, too. According to Ford Performance director Dave Pericak speaking to Automotive News, "Performance vehicle sales around the world continue to grow – with sales up 70 percent in the United States and 14 percent in Europe since 2009." Automakers love this popularity because the sporty models create a perfect storm to make big money on each sale. One reason for the strong margins is that performance vehicles are generally based on existing models or platforms. That keeps development costs lower and allows for a focus on tech like turbocharging or light-weighting to subsidize investments for future products. When it comes time to arrive in the showroom, automakers can load them with equipment, according to Automotive News. With transaction prices already growing thanks to longer loans, buyers have been willing to pay more as of late, as well. The customers in the segment also tend to be younger and more affluent. For example, 30 percent of customers for Ford's ST models have a household income over $100,000 and Millennials buy them twice as much as other products from the brand, according to Automotive News. Despite popular myths, young people still like to drive, which could mean possible return customers. The performance trend certainly isn't on the wane yet. In fact, vehicles like the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Focus RS and Fiat 124 Spider show more fun is on the way. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 Ford Fiesta ST View 47 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Scott Olson / Getty Images Ford Car Buying Car Dealers Performance sales performance car

Bill Ford op-ed argues we can't just build and sell more of the same cars

It's hardly a secret that the auto industry is undergoing an enormous, tectonic shift in the way it thinks, builds cars and does business. Between alternative forms of energy, a renewed focus on low curb weights and aerodynamic bodies, the advent of driverless and autonomous cars and the need to reduce the our impact on the environment, it's very likely that the car that's built 10 years down the line will be scarcely recognizable when parked next to the car from 10 years ago.
Few people are as able to explain the industry's many upcoming changes and challenges as clearly as William Clay Ford, Jr., better known as Bill Ford. The 57-year-old currently sits as the executive chairman of the company his great-grandfather, Henry Ford, founded over 110 years ago.
In an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Ford explains that the role of automakers is, necessarily, going to change to suit the needs of the future world. That means changing the view of not just the automobile, but the automaker. As Ford explains it, automakers will "move from being just car and truck manufacturers to become personal-mobility companies."