2011 Ford Explorer Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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2015 Ford F-150 gets Power Wheels treatment [w/video]

With the introduction of its forthcoming 2015 F-150, Ford is breaking with convention by shifting from steel-intensive construction to aluminum. But what if it weren't made of metal altogether? What if it were made of plastic instead, and packed an electric motor instead of an internal-combustion engine?
Feast your eyes, boys and girls, on the new Power Wheels F-150. Built by Fisher-Price and licensed by Ford, the third-generation ride-on toy started development nine months before the full-size version debuted at the Detroit Auto Show this past January, and is hitting sidewalks and driveways across the country this September.
The Power Wheels F-150 carries a sticker price of $349.99, and there's a special version at Toys R Us with LED headlamps (just like the real F-150) for an extra $10.

Ford Mondeo Hybrid could beat unloved diesels in Europe

Predicting changes in the European auto market isn't easy, and Ford is hedging its bets there with the introduction of the Mondeo Hybrid. The Blue Oval has no expectation of the electrified version of the sedan being a rollicking sales success, but the model is a fuel-efficient alternative in case the recent backlash against diesel turns into an outright ban somewhere. This is the first time Ford is selling a hybrid version of the Mondeo (a cousin to the Fusion in the US) in Europe. The vehicle pairs a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder with a 1.4-kWh battery pack to make a total of 185 horsepower and emit 99 grams per kilometer of CO2. The Blue Oval expects to sell around 100,000 units of all versions of the sedan annually there, according to Automotive News Europe. However, fewer than 5,000 of those are predicted to be the gas-electric model. "Legislation around Europe is so different it's very difficult to predict," Roelant de Waard, Ford of Europe sales boss, said to ANE. "If you're betting only on one horse you might be lucky, but you also may be very unlucky." Ford is probably smart to have alternatives ready, and it also already offers the Focus Electric and hybrid C-Max there. Governments in Europe are rapidly turning against diesel, especially in France. The country considered offering buyers 10,000 euros ($11,300) if they trade in an old oil-burner on a new electric vehicle, and the prime minister calls backing the fuel for so long a mistake. The UK's Labour Party is making similar declarations. News Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Ford Government/Legal Green Ford Emissions Green Driving Diesel Vehicles Hybrid Sedan

Watch how Ken Block spent his weekend in Barbados

Regardless of what you think of his skill as a racer, Ken Block is an expert showman. At this point, he has a career of showing up around the world to do vehicular stunts, and he's still able to go racing as well. It's a pretty sweet niche to carve out. Recently, Block was in Barbados to participate in Top Gear Live and the first event of the Global Rallycross Championship season, and Ford Racing produced a short video to show off his exploits.
It looked like a great show. Block got to race Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes-Benz Formula One car and had a very weird crash during a Rallycross race that put his Ford Fiesta on its roof. Top Gear also released an extended look at Block and Hamilton's spectacle with the two of them expertly sliding around. Scroll down to watch the videos and get a taste of Block's tropical racing adventure.