Click to enlarge

Prodrive has developed a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine for the Australian Ford Falcon, a full sized RWD rival to the Holden Commodore. There will be two states of tune for this ‘Miami’ engine – 422 hp in the Falcon GS and a 449 hp version in the Falcon GT, GT-E and GT-P.

“The old 5.4-litre ‘Boss’ unit used by Ford Performance Vehicles was a tough act to follow but it had reached the limit of its emissions development and mechanical strength,” explains Bryan Mears, MD of Prodrive’s Asia Pacific division. “It took three years and AUD 36 million but the result is a new benchmark for a high-performance V8.”

Following the downsizing trend, the Miami replaces a 5.4L NA V8, saving 47 kg yet providing more power. The supercharger also delivers more torque at lower rpms. The 449 hp/570 Nm (from 2,200-5,500 rpm) unit does 0-100 km/h in under five seconds. 47 kilos is quite a lot saved, and it allows a more neutral front/rear weight bias, according to Ford.

Click to enlarge

The Miami started life as a ‘Coyote’ V8 block and DOHC cylinder heads from America’s 402 hp Mustang. By optimising the supercharger installation, especially the drive ratio and intake runners, it was possible to reach targets without an intercooler. “This leaves untapped potential for future upgrades using higher boost levels with an intercooler,” Prodrive says.

New parts include uprated exhaust valves, pistons, connecting rods, the complete intake and exhaust system, a high-capacity sump and oil cooling jets to control piston temperature. Parts that were carried over from the Mustang’s 5.0 have been optimised for this application and to gel with the new bits. Unlike a ‘bolt on’ supercharger conversion, long term reliability is ensured here.

All engines are hand-built at FPV in Australia and they’re expecting to churn out 1,500 of these brawny Miamis per year.

Ford’s Mercury sub-brand has finally joined Pontiac on the list of Detroit brand names consigned to the automotive history books – the last Mercury, a Grand Marquis, rolled off the production line at the Ford assembly plant in St. Thomas, Ontario, yesterday, marking an end to the brand commercially.

The phasing out of the brand, which began life in 1939 with the debut of the Mercury 8, wasn’t a surprise when Ford made an official announcement in June last year of its ending – commercially, it was suffering, doing less than 90,000 units a year in the US, equivalent to about one percent of the automotive market, a far cry from the heyday in the 1950s.

Those into American rides will certainly know the 1958 Park Lane, the 1967 Cougar – effectively a Mustang done up cosmetically to offer a more European presentation – and the likes of the Sable sedan, which has come through five generations since its introduction in the 1986. The Grand Marquis itself has been in production for 25 years, through four series incarnations.

In all, Mercury managed to sell more than 21 mil vehicles in its lifetime, a decent enough number for the fleet-footed brand.

To go on sale in the US early this year, the third generation Ford Focus will be available with a brand new vehicle stability control (VSC) system that will employ torque vectoring to improve handling. Apparently, inspiration came from downhill skiing and snowboarding techniques!

“The new Focus is the first North American Ford vehicle to offer torque vectoring control. This is a technology that has been offered on high-end sports cars, yet Ford is making it standard on their new small car,” said Rick Bolt, program manager for the Focus.

He added that torque vectoring will be included across the range. “Torque vectoring control elevates the dynamic capability of the entire Focus model range, from an S series sedan through a Titanium Sport Package hatchback.”

The principle is simple. The system will apply slight braking on the inside wheel when the Focus takes a bend; this prevents slippage as it then travels a shorter distance while doing the same speed as the outer wheel. It’s not very different from what a mechanical limited-slip differential does, but this is a cheaper solution. Another inexpensive new car that has torque vectoring is the Nissan Juke with All-Mode 4X4-i

Following the tattoo-ed Fiestas that we showcased recently, Ford has also unveiled a selection of “Tattoo graphics” for the new 2012 Ford Focus. Ford claims there are a total of 200 unique vinyl wrap tattoos available for the Focus – though I suspect these are multiple colour variations of a set of designs. The tattoos are made of 3M Scotchprint film and will cost between US$120 to US$470, depending on the design. They can be installed at Ford dealerships with a 3 year warranty.

It seems that research by the Pew Research Institute shows almost 40% of “Millenials” have at least one tattoo, and it looks like Ford hopes this trend of decorating their bodies will continue with their cars. “Millenials” are supposed to be people born between 1980 and 1995, which come after the Gen X generation of late 70s to early 80s. Gen Xers are slightly less ‘expressive’ at 32%.

“The migration to vehicle tattoos is a natural progression of the tattoo craze. The one-size-fits-all model isn’t really relevant to today’s consumers, and it’s not necessarily a desire to stand out from the crowd. It’s more of a desire not to be lost in the masses. People are personalizing everything – cell phones, computers and clothing – and it’s no different with automobiles,” says Sheryl Connelly, Ford Global Trends and Futuring manager.
[Read more...]

There’s no doubt that tattoos can – most times and if done well – help turn a body into art, but away from flesh, they can also dress up something like a car and make it into a fashion statement. Over in the US, Ford is taking the trend one step further by offering car buyers a quick and inexpensive way to express themselves with tattoos for a range of its models.

Ford Custom Graphics is offering a personalisation program in the form of vinyl wrap car tats; from geometric patterns and racing stripes to whimsical imagery like splashes and swirls, with more than 200 patterns to choose from, it’s a way to make your Ford stand out in the crowd, if you so choose to do so.

Or rather, not. The company says that while the one-size-fits-all model isn’t really relevant to today’s consumers, it’s not necessarily a desire to stand out from the crowd. It’s more of a desire not to be lost in the masses, given that people are personalising everything – cell phones, computers and clothing – these days, and it’s no different with automobiles.

All the tattoos are made with 3M Scotchprint Personalised Vehicle Graphic Film, plus a clear graphic protection layer, and are professionally installed at Ford dealerships and include a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty. Original Wraps developed the tattoos and the website for Ford, and the company says that tattoos offer customers the look of custom paint at half the cost.

Custom Graphics are currently available for the Ford Mustang, F-150, Explorer and Fiesta. Because orders are processed at individual dealerships throughout the country, there is no way to track how many tattoos have been sold, but consumer response to the site has been strong with an average of 15,000 unique hits per month. As for Focus graphics, they’re expected to be online in mid-January.

Nothing like a show in LA to get them tuning kits out, and that’s what Ford has done, with no less than three spruce up custom jobs for its Mk III Focus to portray what life would be for the everyday passenger hatch if you were to allow it to let its hair down.

The first iteration is from Ford Vehicle Personalisation, which shows just what can be done when you add Ford Custom Accessories into the mix. The car, which is finished in white tri-coat paint with hints of Caribbean Blue, features a new white body kit with an expressive concept graphic on the side panels.

Click to enlarge

The Caribbean Blue accents continue throughout the vehicle, and you’ll find the shade in the headlights, mirrors, wheels and foglight bezels – one thing’s for sure, never be blue again, even if your car is. Liquid silver paint was also applied to the roof spoiler, mirrors, headlights and foglights, showing off extra attention to detail.

As for the interior, this one has a black and white theme featuring all-leather seats with accent stitching. The steering wheel also showcases white and black leather, and the centre console uses soft-touch white paint, and etched scuff plates and aqua accent lighting round out the interior treatment.

Click to enlarge

The second tuner car is from FSWerks, and mods include 19-inch DPE R16 wheels matched with Continental ExtremeContact DW tyres and a 3dCarbon roof wing, as well as an FSWerks stainless steel performance exhaust, cold air intake and engine cover.

The FSWerks Focus also gets an H&R Springs coilover kit and a ride height that’s 76mm lower than standard Foci.

Click to enlarge

Finally, there’s the 3dCarbon Focus, and sinister-looking is the name of the game with this one. The exterior features a 3M VentureShield Paint Protection Matte Finish Film, and smoked-out windows with 3M window film complete the darkened topic. Except for the glossy black bonnet, the rest of the black body panels have a film foil wrap offering a satin-like appearance.

The car comes with 20-inch Series KM650-KMC wheels, also finished in gloss black and highlighted by a red pinstripe. It also sports a 3dCarbon roof wing and H&R sports springs as well as a FSWerks cat-back exhaust system.