1999 Ford F-250 Super Duty Xl Crew Cab Pickup 4-door 5.4l on 2040-cars

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Ford Escort returns, just not for US

Ford is set to give the burgeoning Chinese market its very own C-segment model, while also reviving one of the brand's more notable nameplates. The new Escort, which will make its world debut at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show will be built in the People's Republic at the Changan Ford joint venture facility.
The Escort's exterior is best thought of as a mix of the finer points from the US market Focus and Fusion, with the Aston Martin-ish grille and narrow, wraparound taillights presenting a clean look at either end of the car. It's all fairly true to the concept car from last year's Shanghai Motor Show. That said, this exterior job is almost too clean. There doesn't seem to be a lot of character or substance beyond the typical Ford looks.
There's a similar issue in the cabin - it all looks pretty nice, but the design is rather plain, particularly when viewed alongside the display-filled cabin of a US-spec car. Still, there looks to be a fair amount of space in both the front and back seats, and the trunk isn't exactly tiny, either.

2017 Ford GT spied in the raw

The Ford GT supercar is finally going outside to play, and it has been captured for the first time prowling the streets near Ford's compound in Dearborn, MI. Due in late 2016, the GT has been one of Ford's most closely guarded projects and was developed under a veil of secrecy. The prototype revealed at the Detroit Auto Show stunned enthusiasts, and these shots illustrate that it's making the leap to production reality. As our spy shooter wryly notes, the mule captured in these photographs looks like a Mad Max prop. It's colorless, is missing key body parts – note the ringless taillights and lack of a rear bumper or diffuser. It also looks to be even lower to the ground than the concept from the Detroit show. It appears to have different mirrors and windshield wipers. The lack of some body panels also calls out the exhaust pipes, which look like tail guns in these shots. Otherwise, this test car looks just like the auto show star, and sans paint it manages to appear even more sinister. Though these spy shots indicate the GT is on track for production, Ford has been pretty up front about what the car will be when it arrives in showrooms. We know it will have a twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It will make extensive use of carbon fiber and feature a driver-oriented, contemporary-styled interior. Canadian company Multimatic will build the GT. The Le Mans-inspired supercar is the standard-bearer for Ford's renewed performance push. The automaker plans to roll out at least 12 sporting cars by 2020 as it looks to lure new buyers to its fold. Ford also using developments from these high-end cars to improve its lineup, and will it spread aerodynamics and materials technologies across its portfolio. "It's another proof point about how serious we are in developing innovation through performance," Ford product chief Raj Nair has said. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Ford GT Spy Photos View 25 Photos Related Gallery Ford GT Concept: Detroit 2015 View 45 Photos Image Credit: Chris Doane Automotive Motorsports Ford Coupe Performance Supercars

Ford director says company has big efficiency plans, but no dedicated EV

The annual autofest known as the North American International Auto Show previews a plethora of exciting new products that we'll see and drive later in the year, from tiny urban commuters to family sedans and crossovers to hard-working big pickups and SUVs. It's also a once-a-year cornucopia of auto executives and leaders from around the world. "There will be some really fun stuff that you'll hear about in the future" - Ford's Kevin Layden So, in-between dozens of cool new-product unveilings on rotating stages during the two press days preceding the public show, we auto scribes grab what planned and impromptu interviews we can. Sessions with top industry leaders can be hard to get, but I was able to score a seat in a group session with then-General Motors North America president (now executive VP of global product development) Mark Reuss, and I also managed brief one-on-ones with a trio of vehicle electrification leaders, one each from Ford, BMW and GM, and what they said then remains relevant now. First up is Kevin Layden, Ford's Director of Electrified Powertrain Engineering. ABG: Where will Ford go beyond its current Focus EV and hybrids, and will there be a Ford EV and/or hybrid on its own energy-optimized platform one day. KL: We don't want to do a dedicated electric vehicle with all the development costs borne by a niche product. At the Michigan Assembly plant right now we're building the Focus electric, PHEV and EcoBoost on the same assembly line. Also the C-Max, with both a hybrid and an Energi plug-in, and we use that same power pack in the Fusion Hybrid and Energi. We want to be, "The power of choice" [a Ford marketing slogan], so having that choice for customers is very important. And if I want to sell the Fusion, Focus and C-Max globally, we can use these power packs wherever it makes sense. So as we go forward, you'll see us proliferating the power packs we have today. Then the question is, what do we do next? There will be some really fun stuff that you'll hear about in the future. ABG: Is the efficiency difference between a dedicated ultra-efficient vehicle platform and a shared multi-use platform getting smaller as all platforms get more efficient? KL: Exactly. Were going through aero studies now on wheels and tires and hood sealers on base vehicles. We have full aerodynamic wind tunnel studies going on with the base Focus and C-Max, so all of that [aerodynamic improvement] will be there for EVs.