2006 Ford Gt Base Coupe 2-door 5.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford owns Automotive Loyalty Awards, Audi and Subaru are king of conquests

Customers are a commodity in the automotive industry, and like any other commodity, automakers trade them back and forth. Only nobody wants to give up their customers - just to keep the ones they have and try to attract others.
That's what the Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards are all about. Every year the industry research body names the automakers, brands and models that manage to keep their customers coming back for more - and attract buyers to switch from other makes. Ford usually does pretty well, but this year it rose above even its own track record.
Not only did Dearborn win the Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer award, but also the Overall Loyalty to Make. Ford also took the African American category, and the F-150 was named the top full-size half-ton pickup in customer loyalty. Ford COO Mark Fields (pictured above) accepted the awards and gave the keynote address at the awards ceremony.

Ford shareholders happy as the Blue Oval stays in the black

Ford posted slightly falling global sales and revenue in its first-quarter financial announcement, but pre-tax profits and operating margins were up. Apparently, that was plenty to keep shareholders happy, though. The Blue Oval's recent investor meeting in Delaware lasted less than an hour, and a vote on the approval of the board passed by over 93 percent. Ford CEO Mark Fields continued to predict a strong year financially and increasing profits, according to the Detroit Free Press. The growth comes thanks in large part to the company's 24 global vehicle launches last year and 15 more this year. The likelihood of significant profits from the strong-selling 2015 F-150 should be especially lucrative, too. In the Q1 announcement, the Blue Oval forecast pre-tax profits between $8.5 billion and $9.5 billion for 2015. During the meeting, Fields said that the next 15 years of changes in the industry represent the "ultimate opportunity as a company. As big as when Henry Ford put the world on wheels more than 100 years ago," according to the Free Press. Investments like the expanded technology center in Silicon Valley should push that work along. Related Video:

Ford GT racer sounds wicked during testing at Sebring

The Ford GT racecar is still deep in development ahead of a much-anticipated trip to the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year. If the sound in this clip is any indication, the honing of this racecar is going quite well. Like any proper racer, you hear the GT rumbling well before it enters frame, but then the beauty comes into view at Sebring with a massive rear wing and an even bigger diffuser. Rather than an ear-piercing shriek, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost in the GT sounds like a grumbling monster. The previous development video from Ford Performance hints at this angry exhaust note, but it's on full display here. Thankfully race fans around the world get to hear this wonderful noise when the GT hits the track next year. Two of them are competing in the United SportsCar Championship, and two more are in the FIA World Endurance Championship. All of the members of this quartet are also lining up at Le Mans, too. Hearing them making this wonderful growl together should be a major highlight of motorsports in 2016. Related Video: