1952 Ford F1 Pickup on 2040-cars

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‘Ford v Ferrari’ Ford GT40 and Ferrari P330 coming to 3 Midwest hot-rod shows

A Ford GT40 and Ferrari P330 that were used in the Oscar-winning blockbuster film “Ford v Ferrari” are going on a tour of the American Midwest, appearing as part of a custom show-car series starting this weekend in Kansas City and later making stops in Detroit and Chicago.  The Detroit Free Press reports that the GT40, in a green-and-white livery adorned with the number 95 on the bonnet and doors, is an original race car developed for the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans, while the P330 was fabricated to spec for the film. The former is owned by 20th Century Studios, while the latter is on loan from a private collector in Minnesota. “People will probably never get a chance to see these again,” Peter Toundas, president of Championship Auto Shows, told the publication. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Both cars will make their debuts this weekend at the World of Wheels, which runs from Friday to Sunday, Feb. 21-23, at the Kansas City Convention Center. From there, theyÂ’ll appear at Autorama in Detroit, Feb. 28-March 1, and then make their curtain call at the World of Wheels in Chicago March 6-8 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. "Ford v Ferrari" tells the tale of the 1966 Le Mans race, where Ford famously vanquished Ferrari following years of domination by the Italian sports car maker, and after Enzo Ferrari famously rebuffed Henry Ford IIÂ’s attempt to buy the company. It stars Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles, the British race driver who drove a different GT40 than the one going on tour. Since opening in November with a production budget of $97 million, “Ford v Ferrari” has grossed almost $225 million worldwide as of Feb. 17. It was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture and won two Oscars, for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Editing. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 50th Anniversary of Ford GT40 Le Mans Victory

Recharge Wrap-up: Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive is a rock star, FedEx tests electric trucks

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive is in a new music video for I Lived by OneRepublic. The band's singer, Ryan Tedder, has also been brought on as a brand ambassador for the German automaker. OneRepublic will also be performing the song at the Mercedes-Benz Media Night on the eve of the Paris Motor Show. No word if Mercedes plans to offer hordes of screaming teenage fans as an option package with the B-Class Electric Drive. See the video (the car shows up around the four-minute mark) or read more in the press release below. FedEx is testing converted electric delivery trucks with diesel range extenders. Looking to shrink its carbon footprint, the company has converted a handful of trucks as part of a pilot program. In addition to battery packs, each truck is equipped with diesel turbine generators (supplied by Ian Wright's company, Wrightspeed) to provide electricity when the battery is depleted. Because the diesel motors aren't powering the vehicle directly, they can continuously run at their most efficient speed, making the trucks about twice as efficient as those powered by traditional means. Read more at Wired. Ford's new aluminum-bodied F-150 will be 5 to 20 percent more efficient, the company says. The fuel economy gains depend on the particular version of the truck, but the biggest improvement will likely come from the 3.5-liter V6 and the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6. Automotive News predicts the F-150 SFE to be rated at 21 mpg city/28 highway/23 combined, which are identical figures to the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. The result could be a noteworthy fuel economy battle between Ford and Ram trucks. Learn more at Automotive News. The US Department of Energy is providing $25 million in funding toward reducing the price of algal biofuels. The goal is to get the price of these renewable fuels below $5 per gasoline gallon equivalent (gge) by 2019, and less than $3 per gge by 2030. The money will fund projects to develop better algal cultures that produce biofuel and other useful bioproducts, and projects to boost biomass productivity. The DOE says it wants to help develop a "bioeconomy" that provides jobs, helps the environment and ensures energy security. Read more at Energy.gov. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid recalled over lack of roof padding

Ford is recalling 33,021 units of its 2013 C-Max Hybrid not equipped with optional panoramic roof panels. During testing, the model in question returned testing results for occupant head injuries that fell outside of criteria laid out in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. The issue puts occupants at greater risk of injury in the event of a crash if they are in an affected car.
The recall will begin August 19, at which time C-Max Hybrid owners can take their cars to dealers to have energy-absorbent material installed between the headliner and roof. The bulletin below from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has more information.