2009 Ford E-series Van Automatic 4-door Van on 2040-cars

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Ford considering bringing Ranger pickup back to the US

When Ford announced last month that it was moving Focus and C-Max production out of the Michigan Assembly Plant after 2018, it said that it was looking for other products to build at the facility and such proposals would be part of discussions with the UAW on a new contract. According to a report in The Detroit News, one of those vehicles could be a new Ford Ranger midsize pickup. We're a long way out from a decision being made, and both the UAW and Ford's board of directors would have to sign on, but the report says it's in the air. The last Ranger was built in the now-shuttered Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul, MN, in December 2011. After 29 years on the market, slow sales for the truck itself and the midsize truck segment doomed it, annual Ranger sales numbers having dropped from a peak of roughly 350,000 in 1999 to just 70,832 in 2011. The midsized truck market is still coming out of its own doldrums, with 211,797 sold through July 2015, the Toyota Tacoma accounting for 50.1 percent of that, followed by the Chevrolet Colorado, Nissan Frontier, and GMC Canyon. Even with analyst predictions that the market will grow to 300,000 in the near future, compare that to the fullsize truck market that has already sold 1.2 million units this year. The Wayne plant has built trucks before over its 57-year history, but it would likely need more than just the Ranger to keep it afloat; it builds five vehicles now, pumping out 265,000 units last year. According to Bloomberg, this could also mean the possible return of the Bronco. If we do get a new Ranger, it probably won't be anything like the old Ranger. Ford still makes it for 180 global markets, but if you've seen one you know it's a different animal. The wheelbase on the 2015 Ranger sold in Australia is fifteen inches longer than our 2012 Regular Cab model, about an inch longer than the 2012 Supercab. It has a bulkier design, weighs 700 pounds more, and can be had in numerous configurations we didn't get like a five-seat Dual Cab. A new version for us would also need updating for US regulations, and Ford would want to make sure it could be built with price and size separation from the fullsize F-Series.

Volvo to shake off Ford ties with new platforms, engines

It would seem Volvo is finally getting around to throwing all of Ford's things out of the apartment. Automotive News reports the Swedish automaker is preparing to unleash a range of new engines as well as a fresh platform designed entirely in house. The powerplants include an all-new four-cylinder engine set to bow before the end of this year before arriving in the US by 2014. Shortly thereafter, the world should get its first glimpse at the next-generation XC60, which will the company's first model to make use of the Volvo scalable platform architecture (SPA). US buyers can expect to see that machine on their roads by early 2015.
The next V70 and S80 will also use the SPA, though those models will carry V90 and S90 designations when they hit dealer floors. But that doesn't mean Volvo has completely weened itself off of Ford technology. The V40 will continue to ride on Ford bones until the model's next chassis can be co-developed between Volvo and Geely.

Here's what it's like to drive the very first Ford Mustang cop car

As we recently discovered, there's something different about driving a police car. That's true whether you're talking about a modern Dodge Charger Pursuit or, yes, the legendary Ford Mustang SSP. Former Autoblog staffer and current Road and Track web editor Zach Bowman discovered this when he shanghaied a 2015 Mustang GT and made the trip to Nashville, TN to drive the very first Mustang SSP police car. The two-tone, V8-powered prototype was delivered into the welcoming arms of the California Highway Patrol back in 1981 for evaluation. Bowman chatted up cop-car aficionado Mike Strinich, the prototype's current owner, and managed to score some seat time in the car, which provided a unique interesting contrast to the SSP's 435-horsepower junior. Head over to R&T for the complete read.