1989 Ford Ranger Extended Cab on 2040-cars

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Ford to add Android Auto and CarPlay to 2016 SYNC 3 cars via update

Ford is updating a large number of 2016 model year cars equipped with SYNC 3 infotainment software, adding Android Auto and CarPlay to the vehicles with a free, over-the-air update via Wi-Fi, or using either USB or going through their dealer. The upgrade will be available for around 800,000 vehicles in total, giving a huge number of Ford car owners the chance to get big infotainment improvements without having to buy a newer model car. The OTA update option is also a big step for Ford – it's the company's first for software ever, and it's one of the major reasons that Ford recently hired around 400 new mobile smartphone engineers, the company tells me. For CarPlay, users will still also need to upgrade their vehicle's USB hub to make this work (which will also incur a dealer visit and a cost), but for those on Android, all that's required is a simple software installation. The USB install method is also faster, but the Wi-Fi update option is the start of the company's efforts to really increase its OTA update program, which will be used for security improvements as well as infotainment bumps. Even with a dealer visit and hardware upgrade for CarPlay, this sounds like a worthwhile thing for 2016 vehicle owners to do. CarPlay and Android Auto are huge upgrades vs. most in-car software, offering navigation and entertainment options that follow you from your phone to your car. Retroactively offering this kind of thing to car owners is a definite change in tone for carmakers, since they typically use these kinds of things as incentives to get people interested in vehicle model updates. But as data becomes increasingly important to automakers as a business, it makes sense to encourage greater in-car use of devices.Written by Darrell Etherington for TechCrunchRelated Video: Auto News Ford Lincoln Technology Infotainment android

Will the Ford GT make 630 hp?

Ford intends to build just 250 examples of the next-generation GT annually when production begins next year. That's low even by supercar standards, but anyone with an Xbox One can drive the highly anticipated model right now in the demo for Forza Motorsport 6. The car is even on the cover of the retail version, but the game might be giving a glimpse at one of the upcoming vehicle's biggest secrets. According to the specs page, the GT makes 630 horsepower and 539 pound-feet of torque, according to Motor Authority. Weight is shown at 2,890 pounds with a front/rear distribution of 43/57. Until now, Ford's only comment on the GT's output from its 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 is "more than 600 horsepower," and that's certainly the case here. If accurate, the figures make the new model 130-hp more powerful than than the last GT, while also being hundreds of pounds lighter. Compared to modern competitors, the GT would be less powerful than a Ferrari 488 GTB and heavier than a McLaren 675LT. Unfortunately, Ford isn't commenting on the numbers in the game. "As we stated back at NAIAS, the Ford GT will produce more than 600 horsepower, and we can't speak to what Forza includes as specifications in their video game," company spokesperson Matt Leaver said to Autoblog via email. Don't think this is all doom and gloom, just yet. For one thing, more than numbers make a great car. Plus, the GT is still quite some way out from production, and spy shots still show it under development. Even if these figures are accurate at the time of Forza's development, that doesn't mean that they can't change in the meantime. Related Video:

Ford Edge Concept previews new look, can park itself remotely

It turns out the image we saw back in February did, in fact, reveal the next-generation Ford Edge - at least in concept form. We still have to wait to see what the design will look like in production guise, but until then, Ford is giving us a good idea thanks to the Edge Concept being introduced at the LA Auto Show.
The new styling is an evolution of the current crossover's face with narrow headlights and a prominently slatted grille, while the rest of the design adds a more dynamic appearance with interesting body creases and horizontal taillights. We haven't gotten a look inside the Edge Concept just yet, but Ford is promising a suite of advanced driver-assist technologies including a new self-park system that allows activation from inside or outside the vehicle along with obstacle avoidance and an adaptive electric power steering system.
Ford will continue to offer an EcoBoost engine option in the upcoming Edge, and it will get active grille shutters to help maximize fuel efficiency. No word yet on when we'll be seeing the next-gen Edge in production form, but as we reported recently, it will become a global model in markets including Europe, China and South America. Ford's press release is posted below, but we'll have more information and images up later today.