Lifted Ford Explorer On 33's With G2 Gears on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford could use Raptor name on Ranger in Australia

Ford might be flying the Raptor name into the market Down Under, but rather than on a high-performance F-150, the aggressive moniker could be used for a mean Ranger. The Australia-based site Car Advice recently spotted the Blue Oval testing a modified Ranger over some off-road terrain. The pickup was equipped with a snorkel over the roof for wading into deep water, a brush bar to protect the front, a higher ride height, and fender flares. The regular version of the truck launches Down Under later this year, including the somewhat rugged Wildtrak trim level (pictured above). So where does the Raptor name fit into this? Ford filed a trademark in Australia on June 5 for the Ranger Raptor. There's no guarantee for that as the truck's moniker, though. As of May 28, the Blue Oval also owns the right to the Ranger FX4 title. Although, don't start saving yet. With the Ranger remaining unavailable outside of the US for the latest generation, there's no chance of a Ranger Raptor coming here. Hopefully, Aussie off-roaders get plenty of enjoyment out of the truck, if it sees production. Related Video:

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.

Ford hiring 800 more salaried workers than originally expected

Ford is on a roll this year, with excellent quarterly earnings and better-than-expected vehicle sales leading to 800 more job opportunities with the Blue Oval. In January, Ford announced that it wanted to hire 2,200 salaried employees, but, since then, that figure has been revised to 3,000, representing a 36-percent increase over original projections. About 1,500 of those jobs remain, 80 percent of which are technical professional positions.
"Engineers and technical professionals are in as much demand as our cars, trucks and SUVs," says Felicia Fields, Ford Group Vice President for Human Resources. Helping to spur this job growth are increasing market share on both the West and East Coast and robust demand for the Ford Escape and F-150.
To find job candidates, Ford is reaching out to them via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, in addition to the company's corporate career site. The Blue Oval is also ramping up its presence on college campuses.