1956 Ford Thunderbird on 2040-cars

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A cool boost to turbocharger performance

Since the advent of the forced-induction engine, we have been looking for ways to get every drop of performance we can. There are many approaches to getting additional power using better intercooling, water injection, or even adding nitrous oxide. One take on a short instant burst of power is being researched by Mahle and involves providing supercooled air to an engine, which allows it to burn a leaner fuel mixture and produce more power. The supercooling idea is not new and was examined by Ford in 1993 on the Mustang Mach III concept car, then brought up again in 2003 with the SVT F-150 Lightning concept. Ford called its system the SuperCooler; it was designed to work with any turbocharged or supercharged engine equipped with a water-to-air intercooler. The system on the Lightning concept used a small tank of antifreeze that was hooked up to the truck air conditioning compressor. The air conditioning compressor cooled the antifreeze down to about 30 degrees. The other side of the tank was hooked up to the air-to-water intercooler, which usually had a temperature over 100 degrees. Once the antifreeze was circulated from the tank into the intercooler, it would lower the intercooler temperature and provide for a cooler, denser air charge into the engine; the result was around 50 extra horsepower for a burst of about 30 seconds to a minute, depending on the size of the tank. The system for the Lightning was to be offered as a $750 option and would have been targeted towards drag racers and the like, as it could be used for a run down the drag strip and then re-cooled by the time the truck was back in line. The system was fairly non-intrusive – it only weighed about 25 pounds and did not require a new compressor or intercooler. But as with many concepts, it was ultimately scrapped. The technology was always stuck in the back of my mind, but with larger and more powerful engines being produced it could not find its place. With the advent of new fuel economy standards, we have seen small-displacement turbocharged engines pop up and they seem like the perfect candidate for this type of technology. Ford's EcoBoost 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine, as used in the Fiesta and Focus, is one such candidate for this technology. It would add a negligent amount of weight but could provide a boost of 10 to 20 horsepower when needed, like merging onto the highway or catching up to traffic.

Ford reveals 345-horsepower output for new Focus RS [w/video]

When Ford revealed the new Focus RS at the Geneva Motor Show, it promised it would deliver "well in excess of 315 horsepower." It didn't say exactly how much that would come to, but now it has. On the eve of its dynamic debut at the hands of Ken Block at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Ford has confirmed that its new hot hatch will pack 350 metric horsepower. Those reaching for their calculators will find that works out to 345 horsepower by our standards. The power output is backed up by 324 pound-feet of torque, capable of being boosted up to 347 for up to fifteen seconds at a time. Those figures come from a retuned version of the same 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo four as the one available in the Mustang, but produces over ten percent more power thanks to a new turbocharger, upgraded intake and exhaust, and a larger radiator. All that muscle will be channeled to all four wheels through Ford Performance's new all-wheel drive system with dynamic torque vectoring, launch control, and selectable drive modes, including a Drift Mode that (as you can see from the video below) allows the hot hatch to get more than a little sideways. Ford still isn't saying what those specs will translate to in terms of measurable performance figures, but as far as output goes, things are looking pretty good. The 30th Ford RS model already packs more power and torque than the new Honda Civic Type R (306 hp, 295 lb-ft), Volkswagen Golf R (292 hp, 280 lb-ft), Subaru WRX STI (305 hp, 290 lb-ft) or the Nurburgring-conquering Renault Megane 275 Trophy-R (271 hp, 266 lb-ft) and Seat Leon Cupra (276 hp, 258 lb-ft). It even respectably holds its own against the more upscale BMW M235i (320 hp, 330 lb-ft), Mercedes A45/CLA45 AMG (355 hp, 332 lb-ft), and Audi RS3 (362 hp, 343 lb-ft). Whether it'll outshine them all in real-world conditions remains to be seen, but we're looking forward to finding out whenever Ford deems fit to drops those performance stats on us. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Ford tops GM in US vehicle sales in May, driven by fleets

DETROIT - Ford, bolstered by heavy sales to fleet customers, surpassed General Motors in US new vehicle sales in May, according to figures reported Thursday. Ford said May sales rose 2.2 percent from a year ago to 241,126 units. GM sales dropped 1.3 percent to 237,364. GM said it had been trimming sales of heavily discounted vehicles to car rental companies. Such fleet sales made up about 19 percent of its total sales in May. Ford's fleet sales rose 8.4 percent, representing more than 34 percent of total sales. The industry average is around 20 percent. Analysts had expected mixed results for the industry, with sales likely propped up by heavy discounts. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said May sales dipped 0.9 percent to 193,040. Toyota's US sales dropped 0.5 percent to 218,248. Nissan said US sales in May rose 3.0 percent, to 137,471. After demand fell in March and April, analysts estimated May sales at just over 1.5 million. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales in May was estimated at 16.8 million to 16.9 million vehicles, about the same as April. A year earlier, sales stood at 17.55 million vehicles. Early reports indicated that sales over the three-day Memorial Day weekend were helped by heavy discounts. "While demand for new vehicles is still relatively strong, it's a bit of smoke and mirrors," said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of industry analysis at Edmunds, the car shopping website. Manufacturers and dealers "really pushed the deals over the holiday weekend to prop up their May numbers," she said. "Incentives were up sharply, and it seems automakers are putting more cash on the hood to nudge car shoppers to buy versus lease." General Motors dealers were offering discounts of up to $12,000 on the full-size Chevrolet Silverado pickup, while some dealer discounts on Ford Motor Co's F-series pickups were more than $10,000 on 2017 models and more than $14,000 on leftover 2016 models. The 2017 model year started eight months ago. Reporting by Paul LienertRelated Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Nissan Toyota US