1992 Ford Mustang Gt Hatchback 2-door 5.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford gathering data to improve how bikes and car interact

More than a hundred years ago, the Ford Motor Company changed the landscape of US cities with its cars, and the company is once again trying to disrupt the way Americans move around their metropolises by ditching four wheels for two. Ford is hoping data will make the difference in its quest to create a city friendly to both cars and bikes with what it calls a "mobility experiment" known as Info Cycle. Engineers are riding bikes with data sensors on the front fork around the tech town of Palo Alto, CA, according to CityLab. This data is analyzed and made public on Ford's open-source site called OpenXC. The sensors record everything from speed to temperature to ambient light. Ford hopes the data give city governments and biking activists the tools they need to make roads safer for all travelers. Along with data gathered from cars, Ford hopes to foster a better urban ecosystem for both bikers and drivers. Ford has tried to crack into the bike market before, but concepts like the Think and e-bike were never fully realized or came to market too early to capitalize on the current transportation revolution. Now that car ownership and miles driven are down and alternative modes of transportation are catching on in the United States, Ford wants to be on the cutting edge of the mobile revolution. Earlier this year, Ford introduced the MoDe:Flex, an electric bike concept, along with the previously announced MoDe:Me and MoDe:Pro. Related Video: News Source: CityLab Green Ford Driving Bikes data

Ford tops mid-year ranking of brands in the US

YouGov's mid-year Brand Index rankings of America's best perceived brands has been released, and Ford has found its way to the top. The Dearborn, Michigan based manufacturer beat out online shopping giant Amazon, The History Channel, and home improvement superstore Lowe's, to take the top spot.
Ford jumped from sixth overall in 2012 to first for 2013, but those that have been watching these rankings shouldn't be hugely surprised. Ford was rated the best perceived automotive manufacturer by the same organization last year. The Blue Oval's success on the overall brand rankings is made all the more impressive by the complete lack of other automakers on the list.
YouGov (that is, survey respondents) cited Ford's first quarter of 2013 business, which saw an increase in market share and the best earnings recorded in over 10 years. Successfully launching the Focus and Fusion (pictured) and keeping them fresh in the minds of consumers has also contributed to Ford's best overall score.

Ford Focus 1.0-liter Ecoboost to only get manual trans in US

Photos of the 2015 Ford Focus leaked earlier today, but now we're able to tell you more details of the global five-door hatchback. Bucking automaker's troubling trend of ditching manual transmissions in favor of automatics, Ford says the new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will come only in a six-speed manual in the US, because, well, American drivers aren't as sophisticated as our European brothers and sisters.
Ford didn't come out and say it that way, but it has found American drivers are more prone to complain about automatics in smaller-engine cars, Raj Nair, Ford's group vice president of global product development, said at a press conference last week. The recent JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study backs up Ford's claims, pointing out that drivers are complaining about rough transmission shifts, engine hesitation and lack of power, particularly in small cars. In Europe and other parts of the world, drivers seem to understand the quirks of these pint-sized engines, Nair said, so they'll have the option to buy an automatic. Ford is working on tuning its dual-clutch transmissions to make them more amenable to American driver's tastes.
Ford will show off the refreshed 2015 Focus at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. The car is due for an update, having been on sale in its current form since 2012. The automaker said it is jamming the car full of new technology - like a USB port that promises to charge your phone in half the time as a regular USB port. Features like Sync and a rear back-up camera will come standard. For a more in-depth look at the car, take a look at the full press release.