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Ford ending Focus, C-Max production in Michigan after 2018

Ford will no longer produce the Focus and C-Max at its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI, beyond 2018. United Auto Workers vice president Jimmy Settles confirmed this in a letter Thursday, which was posted on Twitter. According to the UAW Ford Department's tweet, production of the Focus and C-Max will shift to Mexico. Ford isn't confirming this, though – a spokesperson tells Autoblog, "We didn't say that." Instead, Ford issued the following statement about the matter: We will move production of the next-generation Ford Focus and C-Max, which currently are built at Michigan Assembly Plant, beginning in 2018. We actively are pursuing future vehicle alternatives to produce at Michigan Assembly and will discuss this issue with UAW leadership as part of the upcoming negotiations. Earlier this year, Ford announced layoffs of 700 employees at the Michigan Assembly Plant, citing slow sales of both the Focus and C-Max. The MAP was once heralded as a flexible, futuristic facility when it was retooled for C-segment car production in 2009. Prior to that, the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs were built at the Wayne facility. It also produced the iconic Ford Bronco. The future of the MAP is uncertain, but the UAW remains hopeful. In Settles' letter, he writes, "We are extremely confident that a new product commitment will be secured during the upcoming 2015 negotiations and that the Michigan Assembly Plant will maintain a full production schedule." Related Video:

Ford creates F-150 Sandcat to promote Halo 5: Guardians

Halo 5: Guardians is about to hit Xbox One, and Ford is celebrating with the reveal of this one-off F-150. Built by the Blue Oval specialists at Galpin Auto Sports, the Ford F-150 Halo Sandcat is designed for deployment by the United Nations Space Command. It's based on a 2015 Ford F-150 Lariat SuperCrew 4x4 with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and FX4 off-road package. It's then upgraded with a Baja XTR package from Addictive Desert Designs, complete with FOX Racing shocks, Deaver leaf springs, a Currie floating rear axle, 17-inch wheels, and upgraded fenders, side steps, and chase rack. It's all capped by a custom Halo-themed body wrap, and fitted with an Xbox One hooked up to displays in the back of the headrests. Fans will be able to check it out at the LA Convention Center during the E3 video game show, and dream of driving it on some far-off planet to combat whatever space monsters the Master Chief has been assigned to eradicate. Jun 12, 2015 | LOS ANGELES Ford F-150 Halo Sandcat Lands at E3 to Promote Halo 5: Guardians for Xbox One Ford, Xbox, 343 Industries and Galpin Auto Sports are celebrating the release of Halo 5: Guardians for Xbox One with a special version of the 2015 Ford F-150 that is so awesome, it could have been designed by the Master Chief himself. The Ford F-150 Halo Sandcat is a one-of-a-kind vehicle inspired by Halo's United Nations Space Command vehicle design. It will be on display at E3 2015. Based on the all-new Ford F-150, the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever, F-150 Halo Sandcat is special enough to have been officially designated the M552 codename by the United Nations Space Command – closely matching F-150's official Ford codename, P552. The F-150 Halo Sandcat started as a 2015 Ford F-150 Lariat SuperCrew 4x4 with 3.5-liter EcoBoost® engine and FX4 off-road package. To turn the truck into the Sandcat, Galpin Auto Sports added an arsenal of modifications to give it a United Nations Space Command militaristic style that Halo fans will instantly recognize. The F-150 Halo Sandcat starts with Addictive Desert Designs' Baja XTR off-road conversion kit, which includes custom FOX Racing shocks, Deaver leaf springs, a Currie full floater rear axle, ADD fenders, side steps, a chase rack and 17-inch wheels with off-road tires to go along with a full custom Halo body wrap. Inside, there's an Xbox One custom gaming system with displays mounted in the rear head restraints.

2015 Ford Mustang to offer solid-rear axle, sort of

One of the biggest knocks against the last Ford Mustang was its solid-rear axle. Not one to actively court criticism, Ford dutifully swapped out the old-fashioned rear end for something a bit more modern in the redesigned 2015 Mustang, adding an independent rear suspension across the board.
While an IRS Mustang is great news for those that value handling and ride comfort, there's one big group that it's bad news for - drag racers. See, a solid-rear axle is a big deal for drag racers, because not only is it more durable and cheaper, but it's better for the hard launches that can make or break a race.
To satiate this vocal demographic, Ford will sell a body-in-white version of the Stang, complete with a nine-inch rear axle, that will debut at the 2014 Performance Racing Industry show. The news came from gas2.org, which cited an unnamed employee of Ford Racing at this year's PRI show.