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Hands on with Ford Sync 3

It's kind of funny (not funny) how the infotainment systems in our vehicles seem to lag behind the consumer products in our pockets. Long after we had easy-to-use touchscreens on our phones, the glass panels in the center stack of our cars remained obstinately mired in the muck of technology past. We are happy to report it's getting better. We had a chance to go hands-on with the new Sync 3 system from Ford at a technology event. Not once were we struck by the urge to reach out and offer a bit of knuckled encouragement. The processors kept swiping smooth, and the voice recognition could understand even our mumbly mouthings. The voice prompts were certainly fewer and less frustrating than in times past. Ask for the nearest Indian restaurant, and it quickly brought up a list to choose from, ready to offer directions. Want to listen to NPR, just say the word. Sync 3 also improved its ability to get along with others, by which we mean it nicely integrates a range of apps from your phone and can incorporate their individual areas of expertise. With Pandora installed, we could ask for a particular playlist and it would begin streaming. If we wanted a certain artist, it would pull it from the phone's memory upon request. To get a sense of what how the new system functions, check out the video above for a quick look at the improved layout and a demonstration of its smoothness and smarts. To get a look at how it integrates with music streaming services, scroll down for a Pandora-centered Short Cut below.

2015 Ford Mustang to make world debut on Dec. 5 [w/video]

Between a bevvy of spy shots, speculative renders and insidery images from the halls of Car and Driver, we've got a pretty decent idea of what the 2015 Ford Mustang might look like. Still, we're excited to see the real deal as soon as possible.
Turns out that Ford has told us just when that first official look might come, too, although it has chosen somewhat of a backdoor fashion for dropping the news.
The video below popped up on the Ford Mustang YouTube channel this morning, promoting a social media effort called #MustangInspires on. The video and hashtag ask fans of the pony car to share pictures of the car - or "photographic stories of inspiration" - on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. But the truly interesting part of the video description is that which mentions taking "the cover off the all-new Mustang" on December 5. Consider our calendars marked.

Ford F-150 could be affected by tornado-damaged supplier in S.C.

The disruption caused by a tornado that severely damaged a South Carolina auto-parts plant and killed a contract security guard last week could be felt by more automakers than just Ford and affect more than just its best-selling F-Series pickup, which is due for an update. And there’s still no estimate for when operations might resume at the plant. The Detroit Free Press reports that the BorgWarner plant in Seneca, near Greenville, makes transfer cases for F-150 and Super Duty pickups, the Ford Explorer and Expedition, Transit cargo vans, and Lincoln Navigator and Aviator SUVs. ItÂ’s also a supplier for the Ram 1500 and Toyota Tundra trucks. Transfer cases shift power from the transmission to the front and rear axles in four-wheel-drive vehicles. BorgWarner says it still has no update for when it might partially or fully resume operations. The tornado that ripped through the area in the western part of the state on April 13 tore the roof, walls and signage off the factory and killed a 77-year-old contract worker when the security building he was sheltering in collapsed. Only four or five others were inside the plant, which has been idled because of the coronavirus outbreak, when the tornado struck. In an SEC filing on Friday, Ford said it has sent employees to the site to help BorgWarner and assess the damage to FordÂ’s tooling. “Initial assessments indicate that the Ford tooling was not materially damaged in this incident,” Ford said in the filing. “We do not have sufficient information to estimate when the facility will be back on-line or whether or the extent to which this incident will impact our plans to resume production of four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles.” A Fiat Chrysler spokeswoman also told the Freep the company was working with BorgWarner on recovery plans. A Toyota spokesman told Autoblog that "we are collaborating with BorgWarner to help restore production for transfer cases for Tundra assembly. We are confident that theyÂ’ll fully recover over time." Like other automakers, Ford shut down production at its U.S. plants last month as a precaution against the coronavirus pandemic. But Ford hasnÂ’t yet said when it plans to reopen its factories. FCA is targeting May 4 to resume production. Models like the F-150 and Lincoln Navigator are major sources of profit for Ford, which estimated it lost $2 billion in the first quarter.