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Ford Explorer made from LEGO, all 382,858 bricks of it

September 30, 2011 at 12:13 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News

Yet another full-scale vehicle replication with LEGO bricks has come about, and this one is of a Ford Explorer. The bright red LEGOLAND Florida edition Explorer is set to be the lead display at the new 150-acre LEGOLAND Florida theme park in Winter Haven, near Orlando.

Crafted by 22 Ford employees in Connecticut, the ‘vehicle’ is made up of 382,858 LEGO bricks, and those numbers translate into a rather hefty beast – the structure is supported by a 348 kg interior aluminium base, and with all the bricks in place, tips the scale at 1,203 kg.

The vehicle ‘rolled off’ the line at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant earlier this week, and will now make its way to Florida, where it will be loaded on to a trailer with transparent sides and serve as a display at the theme park, which opens on October 15. In 2004, a life-sized LEGO replica of a Volvo XC90 was built, also for a LEGOLAND, this one in California.

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Ford to buy 60 billion baht of Thai made parts per year

September 29, 2011 at 11:59 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford

Things look good for the Detroit of the East, a nickname given to our neighbour Thailand. New models are on the way, more factories are being built and figures are up. Now Bangkok Post reports that Ford has committed to buy nearly $2 billion or 60 billion baht worth of locally made parts per year, once its new plant in Rayong starts operating next year.

This is a separate factory from the AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT) Rayong plant, in which Ford and Mazda are equal partners. The 60b figure includes purchases by AAT, which rolls out the current Ford Ranger, Ford Fiesta and Mazda 2.

In a statement that will make its host happy, the US brand said its expansion in Thailand would create 33,000 local jobs. Of this total, 8,500 will be directly employed by Ford and 25,000 indirectly through Ford’s suppliers and dealers. The company is the second largest automotive investor in Thailand, with $2.5 billion brought in to date.

Allan Mulally, president and CEO of FoMoCo, reiterated that Thailand was a critical component of Ford’s Asia strategy. Our region is expected to account for 40% of global auto industry growth over the next five to seven years, and Thailand is now the world’s 12th largest auto producer in terms of volume, but is expected to get into the top 10 by 2014.

Mulally was in the Land of Smiles to grace the Job 1 Ceremony or start of production of the new Ford Ranger pickup truck. Thailand will be one of three global production and export hubs for the Ranger, the others being South Africa and Argentina.

It looks good, and it’s scheduled to reach Malaysia next year – read our preview of the new Ranger here and view the gallery from the Bangkok Motor Show here.

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Ford Fiesta Metal special edition for the UK – 134 PS!

September 29, 2011 at 2:36 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News

Here’s a special edition that’s more than just trim and colours. Ford is introducing this Fiesta Metal special edition in the UK, which will be limited to just 1,000 examples. Besides looking more special, the Metal comes with more ponies under the hood: 134 PS, which is 14 pferdestärke more than the usual 120 PS 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT petrol engine.

Also up is torque, which now stands at 160 Nm at 4,250 rpm, up from 152 Nm. 0-100 km/h is done in 8.7 seconds, down from 9.9 seconds. These figures are all similar to the Fiesta Sport+ (in Europe) and the limited edition Fiesta S1600 (in UK).

The Fiesta Metal boasts chrome twin exhaust pipes, silver-painted front grille surround, front aerofoil and front fog light bezels, piano black centre stack bezel, air vent rings and door pulls, Ebony Black leather sports seats with silver stitching and unique floor mats with silver piping. Also in are stainless steel door scuff plates with Fiesta logo, 17-inch black alloys and sports tuning with lowered ride height.

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Frankfurt: Ford’s Fiesta ST Concept takes centre stage

September 15, 2011 at 12:04 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Cars, Concept Cars, Ford, International News

Ford has arrived to Frankfurt with the Fiesta ST Concept which previews a high-performance global Fiesta, just like the production Focus ST that was launched at the same venue as well. At first glance, you can definitely spot the aggressiveness in the concept with features such as the trapezoidal grille which was carried over from the Focus ST. There is also a diffuser at the back which channels out a twin exhaust tail pipe.

The concept also sits on 17-inch alloy wheels and is also slapped on with a full ST body kit inspired by the Ford Fiesta WRC rally car. The car is finished in Molten Orange which is also used by the Ford SVT F-150 Raptor pickup sold in North America. The sportiness continues with the interior thanks to a high-contrast design along with Recaro sports seats for the driver and front passenger.

The suspension geometry has been retuned as well to offer a sportier handling characteristic, although the details were not revealed. Under the hood lies a 1.6 litre EcoBoost unit which produces 177 hp and 240 Nm of torque, allowing the concept to hit 100 km/h in less than 7 seconds while top speed is figured at slightly over 220 km/h.

This turbocharged engine also features Ford’s Twin-independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) and is connected to a 6-speed manual transmission. Ford also revealed that the engine produces less than 140 g/km of CO2 emissions. Continue reading to check out a high-res image gallery.
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Frankfurt: Ford reveals the 2012 Focus ST and ST-R

September 13, 2011 at 11:21 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Cars, Ford, International News, Motorsports

Ford has taken the opportunity at the Frankfurt Motor Show to unveil its latest iterations of the all-new Focus. Say hello to the Focus ST and ST-R! The Focus ST is based on the ST concept which was shown at the Paris Motor Show. This production version which is available as a 5-door and as a wagon is motivated by a retuned 2.0 litre 4-cylinder EcoBoost unit which makes 250PS and 360Nm of torque.

Interestingly, the 2.0 litre EcoBoost offers more power and is 20% more fuel efficient than the 2.5 litre 5-pot unit which was used in the previous ST. The engine is connected to a 6-speed manual cog box and it comes with a sports suspension that is made up by uprated shock absorbers, lowered springs (by 10mm) as well as unique parts for the rear suspension. The wagon variant features a slightly different setup at the back, with angled shock absorbers which are also used in the standard wagon.

Other goodies include a Sport Steering System (electric) with variable ratio depending on speed, Torque Steer Compensation and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) which is tuned to be less intrusive to the driver. There is also an Enhanced Torque Vectoring Control system which is a revised version of the Torque Vectoring Control found in the base Focus.

The conventional version of the Torque Vectoring Control system basically applies brakes to the inner wheel of the Focus through a corner, reducing understeer and giving more traction. In the ST, the system implements this more aggressively and also adds on Cornering Under Steer Control (CUSC) which applies torque to create yaw torque based on the vehicle’s understeer behavior right before ESP kicks in, both in power-on and power-off conditions. Not bad huh?

In the aesthetics department the Focus ST is treated to a full body kit, 18-inch light alloy wheels shod with Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber, a functional roof spoiler and a centre-exit exhaust. The ST is also available with a new colour called Tangerine Scream.

The inside is finished with specially designed pedals, steering wheel and gearshift to the unique Recaro seats, darker headlining, a special rear bench seat sculpted using special foam to help secure the rear passengers and so on. The Focus ST is being positioned as Ford’s first global performance car and it will be sold in over 40 markets following a worldwide launch in 2012.

Ford also revealed the Focus ST-R which is a track-only variant and will be used in various racing series including the Canadian Touring Car Series, Grand-Am ST and World Challenge TC. It comes with a race-tuned suspension, beefier brakes and a stripped out interior along with an FIA-approved roll cage.

Continue reading to check out an image gallery of the Focus ST and its demonic sibling.
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Ford Evos Concept – four seater fastback C-segment car

August 31, 2011 at 7:31 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Cars, Concept Cars, Ford

This is the Ford Evos Concept, a four door four seater fastback concept car that will make its public debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Ford says the Evos Concept is a showcase of Ford’s first truly global design language, which Ford says is an evolution of the existing kinetic design language found on existing global Ford products like the Fiesta and the new Focus.

The Evos Concept has the length of a C-segment car, but with the width of a CD car, so I suppose you could say it’s about as long as a Focus but as wide as a Mondeo. It’s got a 2,740mm wheelbase. I wonder if producing a fastback like this means Ford is interested to bring a car like the Ford Capri back into its line-up.

We’ve heard such rumors in the past. Other manufacturers have done similar things, resulting in cars like the Scirocco. Two years ago, Ford decided to randomly release a press release about the classic Ford Capri, complete with a long history and file photos.

Like all modern concept cars, things just wouldn’t seem to be complete without some kind of alternative fuel powertrain, so Ford has given the Ford Evos Concept a lithium-ion battery plug-in hybrid system, which Ford says is reflective of the system in the upcoming Ford C-MAX Energi, scheduled for introduction in the US in 2012 and Europe in 2013.

The system allows the vehicle’s electric motor and internal combustion engine to work together or separately to maximise efficiency, making this a full fledged hybrid system instead of just having a simple motor assist system.

Look after the jump for a small gallery of the Evos Concept.
[Read more...]

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Ford and Toyota to collaborate on new hybrid system for SUVs and pick-ups, as well as telematics standards

August 24, 2011 at 11:37 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News, Toyota

Ford and Toyota will be working together as equal partners to develop a new, advanced hybrid system for pick-ups and SUVs in North America. The system is expected to be ready for the market later this decade, and will equip Toyota and Ford rear-wheel drive models.

The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding, with a formal agreement expected to be in place by next year. Under the MOU, the two companies will specifically jointly develop the new rear-wheel drive hybrid system and its component technology, as well as independently and separately integrate the new hybrid system in their future vehicles.

Both companies have been working independently on their own future-generation rear-wheel drive hybrid systems, and are now committed to working together, stating that they can deliver these hybrid technologies to customers sooner and more affordably than if they worked alone.

Ford and Toyota also agreed to work together in developing each company’s telematics standards, helping to makes more internet-based services and information available to customers around the world. Each company will, however, continue to develop its own in-vehicle products and features. Currently, Ford has items such as SYNC and MyFordTouch in place, while Toyota has the likes of G-BOOK and G-Link.

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Ford Fiesta Centura – marking 100 years of Ford in the UK

August 9, 2011 at 10:09 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News

Over in the UK, Ford has introduced a special edition Fiesta called the Centura, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of Ford in Britain. Available only in a metallic Panther Black finish, the variant pays tribute to the first Ford vehicle to be manufactured in the UK, namely the Model T in 1911.

The Centura is based on the Fiesta Zetec, in its 82 PS 1.25 litre petrol form, but adds on a comprehensive list of additional standard equipment worth nearly two thousand quid, including LED daytime running lights as well as automatic headlamps and windscreen wipers.

Also in the package are chrome mirror and door caps, 16-inch seven-spoke alloy wheels, reverse parking sensors and a parking camera mounted in the rear view mirror.

Just 1,000 examples of the Fiesta Centura edition will be made, in both three-door and five-door form. The Fiesta remains the UK’s best-selling car, with 52,327 sold in the first half of this year, and the edition should happily add to those numbers.

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Ford Performance Vehicles GT BLACK – a limited edition

August 8, 2011 at 2:03 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News


Click to enlarge.

Following the overwhelming positive feedback received on its FPV Concept that was revealed at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne last month, Ford Performance Vehicles has decided to go with a limited production run of the car.

The GT BLACK, as it’s called, retains the black-on-black treatment of the concept, and just 125 units of the variant will be made. The car is based on the current standard supercharged Boss GT version, which features a 5.0 litre Miami V8 engine offering 455 hp at 5,750 rpm and 570 Nm across 2,200-5,500 rpm in its V2G guise.


Click to enlarge.

The Silhouette black paintwork, including styling matt black stripe decal package on the bonnet, rear wing and bodysides, covers the entire car, including the front and rear bumpers, rear diffuser and upper and lower grilles.

The fog lamp bezels have also been made black, as have the exhaust tips, while completing the exterior will be GT premium five-spoke, 19-inch alloy wheels finished in gloss black with black wheel nuts.


Click to enlarge.

Inside, it’s black throughout too, with black leather trim, a black finish around the Interior Command Centre (ICC) unit, tissue box and door spears, and a unique black gear shift badge to be found on manual transmission models.

To enhance the collectability of the GT BLACK, each vehicle will come with its own unique build badge and certificate of authenticity.

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Ford in Frankfurt: Four world debuts including Focus RS?

August 5, 2011 at 6:26 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Cars, Ford, International News

Ford, now the fastest growing brand in Malaysia, is planning something big for the upcoming Frankfurt show in September. How big is big? Well, Ford has a 3,200 sq.m stand – its largest ever at Frankfurt – and a 2,800 sq.m track where visitors can test out things such as Active City Stop and Active Park Assist in Ford’s ‘Drive Experience’.

The Blue Oval’s big guns are going to be overseeing the show in Frankfurt, including European chairman and CEO Stephen Odell, J Mays, design group VP and chief creative officer, and Derrick Kuzak, group VP of global product development.

“Ford plans to make a strong statement at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with several very exciting global product reveals and our significantly expanded show stand,” said Odell. “We’re excited to be showing customers our best-ever vehicle line-up and a special glimpse of the future,” he added.

So what can we expect? Ford will bring “four global product reveals” including a major new design concept and details of the next Focus performance car. The latter must be the Focus RS! Stay tuned!

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