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Source: https://www.motor1.com/news/681350/europe-seven-big-car-brands-free-fall-20-years-except-one/ As the European car market continues to change (thanks to the Tesla boom and the arrival of Chinese brands) a lot has happened to the traditional segment leaders. Europe is by definition a very competitive market with high safety/emissions standards. It is the third largest in the world, after China and the United States, and second in the adoption of electric vehicles. But who has won and who has lost in the last 20 years? Between 2003 and 2023, one of the most important moments in the European automotive market was the shift in brand dominance. The region has traditionally been led by seven major automakers: Fiat from Italy; Citroen, Peugeot, and Renault from France; Volkswagen and Opel from Germany, and Ford from the UK. In 2003 these seven brands (Opel including Vauxhall) controlled almost 58 percent of new car registrations in Europe (considering 29 markets). Their placement in their respective home markets has allowed them to occupy a relatively strong position compared to Japanese and Korean brands. For example, market share in their home markets ranged from 10 percent of Opel in Germany to 27 percent of Renault in France. While these figures were significantly lower than those of the 1990s, they were satisfying because at that time Korean brands had not yet taken off and Japanese brands were trying to win over European consumers. This started to change with the SUV boom, ushered in by the first-generation Nissan Qashqai. Meanwhile, Hyundai and Kia opened plants in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, producing competitive cars that have met the taste of local motorists. The result? In 2013 the Big-7 accounted for almost 49 percent of volume in Europe, down 9 points from a decade earlier. Between 2003 and 2013, the market share lost by six of these brands varied between 0.9 points for Fiat and 4 percentage points for Renault. The only exception was Volkswagen, which increased its market share from 9.8 percent in 2003 to 12.6 percent in 2013. This year, in June, the situation for these brands was even worse. Fiat, Citroen, Opel/Vauxhall, Ford, and Peugeot hit their lowest level in 20 years. Renault placed second among the lowest market shares, after gaining 0.2 points from the full-year 2022, when it had recorded an all-time low. On the other hand, Volkswagen managed to increase its market share, or at least maintain it. With a share of 10.6 percent in the first half of 2023, it lost 2 points compared to 2013 but gained 0.8 points compared to 2003. The Dieselgate scandal was certainly offset by high-quality cars and the ability to introduce products in the right segments at the right time. Who Won? In addition to the small gain the German manufacturer recorded, the big winners over the past 20 years have been German premium brands, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, and, most recently, Tesla. All of them have something that the big European brands don't have: greater flexibility. This allows them to offer fresh products on a quicker scale that better fit the latest consumer needs. At the same time, most of them were less exposed to the European crisis than there were between 2011 and 2014, and many have used their strong global presence to save costs. Will their struggling colleagues take note?

<Noble M500 Supercar Packs EcoBoost V6 With a Gated Manual and No Airbags Don't count on anti-lock brakes to save you, either. Boutique British automaker Noble has reappeared with a fresh look at its long-coming supercar, the M500. Marketed as a slightly more tame version of its M600, the mid-engine sports coupe was first announced at Goodwood in 2018. When the hype faded, the world kind of forgot about the M500...until now. Recently, Noble broke its silence during a sitdown with Autocar. Noble’s Managing Director Peter Boutwood revealed how far the company has come in finalizing the M500, and how close the brand is in bringing the low-volume exotic to market. VIA NOBLE Just like its more powerful (and expensive) M600 brethren, the M500 is a two-seater, mid-engine sports coupe built to satisfy the person in the driver's seat—which is a Recaro Podium, by the way. The heart of the car is its 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 sourced from Ford; a definite departure from the M600's Volvo-bred V8. Presently, the Blue Oval's EcoBoost motor has been tweaked to produce 506 horsepower and 594 pound-feet of torque. Noble plans to up that figure to 550 hp at launch. Another change—arguably, for the better—is the lack of the originally promised dual-clutch automatic transmission in the M500. Instead, it will come with a proper gated six-speed manual transmission sourced from Graziano. No automatic option will be offered, period. Autocar warns that this means it likely won't have the straight-line acceleration figures of a supercar competitor with an automatic transmission, so don't bet on this against a McLaren 570S. Even still, it ought to be plenty fun to drive. Just about everything on the M500 is as mechanical as it can get. Each corner is supported by a double-wishbone suspension and coilover springs paired with passive dampers. Power steering is hydraulic to keep the driver connected to the road, and it doesn't even have anti-lock brakes or airbags. Noble elaborates that this M500 is a "working prototype" and as such, some things are still set to change. The rear wing might get a bit more angle once it completes high-speed testing, and it may fluctuate in poundage like a wrestler trying to make weight. The M500 prototype presently tips the scale at around 3,086 pounds (1,400kg), but its production-ready version could reportedly shave off another 330 pounds. Noble says it will also offer the M500 with some carbon fiber upgrades, meaning that the weight could dip down even further. VIA NOBLE Noble says that despite not having an MSRP set in stone, the first customer orders—and subsequently, deliveries—will begin later this year. Boutwood says that the company is aiming for a price of around $205,000 (150,000 British Pounds, or around $70,000 less than the Noble M600), which it hopes puts the car in the realm of purchase for Porsche owners. With a less labor-intensive build and (relatively) more affordable price, Nobel hopes to pump out around 50 examples of the M500 each year. However, the chance of any making their way to the United States seems slim for now.>

https://www.motortrend.com/news/fastest-stick-shift-car-2012-ford-mustang/ <Fastest Stick Shift Car? Monster Manual Mustang Sets Drag Racing Record How fast can you shift gears? Joel Steele ran a 6.81-second quarter in his stock-block Coyote. Joel Steele made a name for himself after his 2012 Mustang became the first domestic, H-pattern manual transmission car to break into the 6s at FL2K earlier this year. That achievement made his car the fastest/quickest stock-block Coyote. Now he just upped the ante, becoming the overall fastest/quickest H-pattern car in the country, beating out Joel Granna's Supra in a heads-up race this past weekend at the World Cup Finals—Import vs. Domestic. Right off the trailer, Steele and team fought traction issues, but they discovered it was because their new bullhorn exhaust exits were leaking condensation onto the track ahead of the tires. They fixed that and made minor adjustments to the clutch before their last round of qualifying. "I was coming up to the staging lanes and saw Joel Grannas [previous overall stick-shift record holder] in the left lane so I jumped in the right. I thought I may not have another opportunity," said Steele. "I couldn't have asked for a better scenario; it was like a grudge race we set up three months prior." Steele made a 6.81 at 208 mph pass, beating out Grannas, then backed it up with a 6.81 at 210 mph in the first round of eliminations. A knocking noise ended their weekend early, however. The stock-block Coyote is heading back to engine builder TKM Performance, and Steele hopes to make the Mod Nationals this weekend. The driveline features a Tick Performance Ultimate Race Trans based on a Tremec Magnum XL. It features a PPG dog-ring/faceplated gear set and Tick Performance billet front plate with integrated spray bar, which coats the front gears with oil. He leaves the line with the slipper clutch, but all the following shifts are clutchless, using the Holley Dominator ECU to cut torque between shifts. Jonathan Atkins, owner of Tick Performance is Joel's new tuner. Jonthan campaigns the GrubbWorm Camaro powered by a stock-block Gen-II LT1 with a forged, destroked rotating assembly and Precision Turbo Pro Mod 102mm single turbo. It also features the Tick Performance Ultimate Race Trans based on a T56 with G-Force faceplated gear set and Tick Performance billet front plate. Right off the trailer, Atkins fought some intermediate traction issues, too. The team tried nitrous for the first time, but the car spun once the nitrous hit, so they opted against it for the remainder of the weekend. During Saturday's qualifying, Jonathan laid 6.97 at 211 mph and a 6.96 at 208 mph during eliminations. That was his first time breaking into the 6's, a goal the team has been chasing for over a year. He fought his way through eliminations, running against Joel Grannas, who unfortunately blew an engine on their heads-up pass. Atkins spun right off the line and backed out. "My run was over when I noticed a fireball from Grannas' car," said Atkins. "So, I got back in, spun, let out, back in it again, and thought I blew my engine. It was the ugliest pass in drag racing history, but it put us in the finals." Atkins and team finished in second place in the stick-shift class. Quickest And Fastest Stick Shift Car: Build Details 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302: Engine Gen-1 Coyote stock block, unfilled Frankenstein ported stock heads and oversized valves Ford Performance Boss 302 crank, Manley rods, Wiseco pistons 16 Holley injectors, Dominator ECU, and Holley dash Twin Forced Inductions 76/83mm turbochargers TurboSmart wastegates and blowoff valves Runs on methanol from Renegade Performance and Lubricants 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302: Drivetrain Tick Performance Ultimate Race Trans 4-speed conversion based on a Tremec Magnum XL Tick Performance Billet front plate and integrated front oil spray bar PPG billet dog-ring/faceplated gear set Hammer Concepts and Designs rear axle housing with Moser center section and axles MGW Shifter>

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a38036111/ford-patent-exhaust-tips-retractable/ "Retractable Exhaust Tips Star in New Ford Patent The point of the 'exhaust tip retract module,' or ETRM, is to protect it during off-road driving. Don't worry, the "where's the problem, we have a solution" squad over at Ford has been busy, apparently, with figuring out a way to make your truck's exhaust tips disappear. Well, at least retract back into the safety of the rear of the truck when you're going off-roading, for example, in order to allow for better departure angles. The idea is called ETRM, for "exhaust tip retract module," and it appears in an application Ford filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.. It's nuts what some people will hang off of their truck's rear bumper. A new Ford patent shows that strange ideas can be a part of the entire back end of a truck. Say hello to the retractable exhaust tailpipe. While this kind of chrome turtle head has elicited its share of ridicule online, it's not like having an exhaust tip that doesn't stick out as far is a worthless idea. Especially when installed on a truck that is going to see some off-road time, thinking about departure angles is a worthwhile experience. Ford's patent even says a system like this "reduces a probability of vehicle tailpipes contacting a ground surface in an off-road condition." Ford calls this invention the "exhaust tip retract module," or ETRM. The idea here, as Ford takes great pains to point out in its patent application, which was published earlier in October, is not just to extend the tailpipe, but to retract it to protect it. The ETRM "enables the exhaust tips to be retracted a certain length when in an off-road mode in order to take the exhaust tips out of the way and changing the limiting component to be a rear bumper instead of the tips," the application reads, after talking about two other, similar patents for retractable exhaust tips that didn't solve the off-road problem. Ford really thinks it's solving a problem here. What are the benefits of a tailpipe that moves instead of just building the exhaust system so that the tips don't stick out in the first place? you might ask. The obvious answer is that Ford knows how worried some truck drivers are about how they might appear to the outside world if their exhaust tips don't poke out. Or, in Ford's words, "the application of this system does not interfere with the looks, styling, or aesthetics of a vehicle." Ford's ETRM patent was filed in both the U.S. and Europe, according to CarBuzz, which first surfaced the application, so if Ford ever wants to build a real-world ETRM, it might do so on both markets. It is worth noting, though, that a lot of European cars have faux tailpipes due to insurance policies. If the actual tailpipes are too close to the rear bumper, a small rear-end accident can cost more if the exhaust system gets damaged."

No no no, Ford is not going to build our HDB, but adopting the Build-to-order business model. BTW, KYM stands for Ke Yi Ma (coined by EDMW?), not Kuan Yin Mah hor... Ford Wants To Move Away From Dealer Stock And Toward Build To Order The ongoing pandemic and an unprecedented chip shortage have created a terrible car market right now. Unlike before, where you could walk onto a lot at any time and find over 100 cars with three other back lots with hundreds more cars, inventory is tight and dealers are greedy. The pandemic forced an industry to adapt quickly to customers wary of visiting a showroom with a potentially deadly virus going around. Ford is trying to read the room and as Car and Driver noted, wants more buyers to custom order their vehicles rather than choose from dealer stock. The move comes amid long wait times and delays for buyers and their vehicles. Speaking on a conference call last week, CEO Jim Farley noted that he wants to keep dealer inventory low while simultaneously moving to an order based system: “We are really committed to going to an order-based system and keeping inventories at 50 to 60 days’ supply.” Speaking to Reuters, Farley also admitted that building too many cars hurts them. Throwing cash on the hood, aka incentives, to move vehicles that have been sitting has always been a win for customers. But it hurts the company’s bottom line with Farley saying “I know we are wasting money on incentives. I don’t know where.” Ford has started to move toward that car buying future, introducing services like Ford Express Buy. But dealers have the option to participate in it. See the problem? Ford wants to move in the right direction, but dealers have the option to participate. And, right now, the service is available at select dealers and only on the Mach-E. Will other auto manufacturers follow suit? Even if they don't follow the same business model but cutting production volume while raising sales price (so that their P&L are not affected), buyer like us will still be impacted, especially after taking into consideration of the high vehicle taxes we have been paying...

Should Singapore Bring in Ford Focus ST Wagon? I have watched some of the media launches ystd from Taiwan media and was shocked that the Focus is a well-positioned and well-liken car in Taiwan! I wish that Singapore will have such responses towards car like this too! Maybe our TP can consider too?

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a32961590/2021-ford-f-150-work-surface-sleeper-seats/ f150-interior-work-surface-loop-1593111725.mp4 Ford is introducing new features in the 2021 F-150 that aim to make it easier to work out of your truck and relax in the cabin. The optional Interior Work Surface creates a sort of desk-like flat surface between the front seats. The optional Max Recline Seats fold nearly flat to give you a comfy place for some shut-eye. Today's full-size pickup trucks already offer nearly everything but the kitchen sink, and the 2021 Ford F-150 is now attempting to become even more like your home or your office. Newly optional features include a foldable shifter and center console that creates a sort of desk or table, and lay-flat front seats that create a place to rest. The so-called Interior Work Surface (pictured above) is an option for all trim levels of the 2021 F-150. In models equipped with bucket front seats, it's enabled by a movable console-mounted shift lever and a foldable center console lid. Push a button to fold the shifter down flush into the console and fold the top of the center armrest forward and you've got a flat work surface. Ford also says the option is available in models equipped with a front bench seat; in this configuration, the middle seatback folds to create a console, and the top of that console can slide out and rotate to create the table. Sleeper Seats https://hmg-h-cdn.hearstapps.com/videos/f150-max-recline-loop-1593111614.mp4 Ford calls this option Max Recline Seats, and it is available on King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited trim levels. The front seats fold almost flat and the bottom cushion rises to meet the backrest, similar to the lay-flat seats in first-class airline cabins. Ford has not yet released prices for either these new options. The 2021 F-150 is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. later this year, so we should have more information before it reaches dealerships. It will be great if this is in cars too. Next time can sleep or lie down and watch shows on iPad while waiting for someone.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a32690069/ford-testing-software-heat-police-vehicles-kill-coronavirus/ Ford has developed and is now testing software that can heat the cabin of Police Interceptor Utility vehicles—the Ford Explorers built for police use—to 133 degrees for 15 minutes, which Ford claims can reduce the concentration of the virus by 99 percent. The software heats the vehicle to 133 degrees through tapping into the vehicle's own climate control and powertrain. Ford worked with researchers at Ohio State University to reach the conclusion that maintaining the temperature for 15 minutes was long enough to kill the virus. “Our studies with Ford Motor Company indicate that exposing coronaviruses to temperatures of 56 degrees Celsius, or 132.8 degrees Fahrenheit, for 15 minutes reduces the viral concentration by greater than 99 percent on interior surfaces and materials used inside Police Interceptor Utility vehicles," Jeff Jahnes and Jesse Kwiek, laboratory supervisors in the OSU department of microbiology, said in a statement. The software isn’t something that can only come on new vehicles; if Ford eventually makes it available, it can be uploaded by dealers into any of the 2013 to 2019 model Interceptors currently on the road. As Ford notes, this method, if proved effective, will be more thorough than using disinfectants to clean the interior of a vehicle and could be especially useful in a vehicle that may be used to transport sick. "Officers can now use this self-cleaning mode as an extra layer of protection inside the vehicle in areas where manual cleaning is prone to be overlooked," Stephen Tyler, Ford police brand marketing manager, said in a statement. "This virus is an invisible enemy, and we are proud to provide a solution to help the law enforcement community fight it."

Anyone own these model?

What comes into the mind when you see this 2 logos? Nope, it is neither a JV nor acquisition (I hear some screaming heng ah), but for the development of sustainable material as part of the corporate initiative to go green. Ford is turning McDonald's coffee waste into headlights New York (CNN Business)Ford has tapped McDonald's to help it turn coffee parts into car parts. Starting this year, Ford is incorporating coffee chaff — coffee bean skin that comes off during the roasting process — into the plastic headlamp housing used in some cars. It's asked McDonald's, which doesn't roast its own coffee, to connect it with suppliers. In recent years, as consumers become more concerned about plastic pollution and carbon emissions, companies have made sweeping commitments to reduce their impacts on the environment. They've also been developing innovative, sustainable materials to build consumer products. Traditionally, Ford uses plastic and talc to make its headlamp housing, explained Debbie Miewelski, senior technical leader of materials sustainability for Ford. The coffee version is more sustainable because it's lighter and doesn't use the talc which, as a mineral, isn't renewable. Coffee chaff, on the other hand, is widely available, Miewelski said, and much of it goes to waste. Eventually, Ford hopes to incorporate the material into more cars and use it for more parts. Ford decided to work with coffee chaff a few years ago. But it's been experimenting with organic materials for over a decade. The auto company has been using soy-based foam in its cushions since 2011. It also uses waste from wheat, coconut, tomato and other plants in its cars in order to help meet some of its sustainability goals, which include using more renewable materials. "If you came to our lab, it looks somewhere between a landfill and a farm," Miewelski said. Her team decided to examine the potential of coffee because the beverage is so ubiquitous. Once the Ford team figured out how coffee chaff could be used to build car parts, it reached out to McDonald's because of the restaurant chain's scale and its comparable sustainability goals, Miewelski said. Like Ford, McDonald's also wants to incorporate renewable and recycled materials into its products. The partnership between Ford (F) and McDonald's (MCD) is an example of how brands with distinct sustainability initiatives can work together. McDonald's recently achieved its goal of sourcing all of its US coffee sustainably, one year ahead of schedule, and is also working with competitors to develop more environmentally friendly coffee cups. When Ford approached it about the coffee chaff product a few years ago, the company was able to consider another way to make its coffee greener, said Ian Olson, senior director of global sustainability at McDonald's. "We've conventionally thought of collaborations as within the food industry," Olson said. The Ford partnership can help McDonald's see "what kind of larger impacts are possible," when it works with a company in another sector. "This is just scratching the surface of trying to understand what's possible," Olson said.

I think this will hold the record for the ugliest car title for a long long time... @Mustank @Davidtch and other truck lover, what is your take? Tesla Cybertruck Tesla Cybertruck is designed to have the utility of a truck and the performance of a sports car. The vehicle is built to be durable, versatile and capable, with exceptional performance both on-road and off-road. Tesla Cybertruck will come in three variants: Single Motor Rear-Wheel Drive, Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive, and Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive. Tesla Cybertruck Specs Range: 500+ miles 0-60 mph acceleration: <2.9 seconds Towing capacity: More than 14,000 lbs Payload: Up to 3,500 lbs Vault length: 6.5 feet Storage capacity: 100 cubic feet of exterior, lockable storage including the vault, frunk, and sail pillars. Suspension: 4" in either direction Touchscreen size: 17" Body: Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless steel. If there was something better, we'd use it. Seating capacity: Up to six adults Charging: Can be charged at home, at Destination Charging locations, and with our network of more than 14,000 Superchargers, including on our newest V3 technology, which is helpful for long hauls and towing.

So I had a choice between this car movie and Midway and initially I had my misgivings about a car movie being exciting or being a big screen movie. I was wrong on both counts. This movie stars Matt Damon and Christopher Bale as Shelby and Miles the two people behind the true story of Ford racing against Ferrari in the Le Mans race. Firstly the two of them make a lovely bromance pair which fuels the tension between them and the bureaucrats running Ford, and Josh Lucas has the unenviable task of playing the chief suit who stands in their freewheeling ways. He does well as the sort of villain and the rest of the cast work well to portray the urgency, the humor and the thrill of racing. But it's about the time off the track especially the trials and tribulations of trying to put together a car worthy of challenging the mighty Enzo Ferrari that makes this more than just another racing show. The son and wife of Miles are actually my favorite characters. Their presence adds a certain subtle element that grounds the movie and fills in an important role to keep this about the human drama and elevates the whole movie to more than pit stops and engine roars. The choices of actors in this show are spot on. But petrol heads fear not, the subwoofers will be all pumping throughout the show whenever there's an ignition, acceleration or even when the engines are purring. You will not be starving for action here. But what Damon and Bale put together is a tale of friendship, a David vs Goliath, show in a way the Fast and Furious franchise miss out on.. you will still get your thrills and spills, but more than that, you get tears, laughter and heart stomping moments of victory whilst enjoying an era of danger and unbridled adrenaline rush with cars built for speed and not safety. I have a new found respect for Le Mans drivers and their teams. Highly recommended

This Mustang-inspired EV will be revealed on 17 November, ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Ex-Top Gear and The Grand Tour host Richard Hammond is in a new sponsored video for Ford's Ranger Raptor again. This time round, he tries to impress his daughters by being a cool dad. Published on the DriveTribe YouTube channel, Hammond proclaims that the 210bhp 2.0-litre, twin-turbocharged diesel Ranger Raptor is a “brilliant family car” and proceeds to show us what he means by sending his two teenage daughters the local shops for some shopping. At the shopping center, we can then see him getting bored while waiting for his daughters to return. After quite some time spent trying to entertain himself, his daughters return from the shops with their loots. Probably sick of talking to himself, he then proceeds to entertain himself by bringing the Raptor through a "shortcut" on the way home. Of course, the daughters have no idea the shortcut is actually an off road track and we can see in the video later that they are probably not going to be happy with all the bouncing about in the truck.

With The Grand Tour’s Richard Hammond turning 50 soon, he has earned the rights to celebrate his mid-life crisis. Thanks to Ford, Hammond reckons he has found the solution to make his life whole. Yup, he thinks the latest Ford Ranger Raptor would do him good and the British journalist then proceeds to show us how capable the pick up truck is. Interestingly, Drive Tribe openly admitted that this video was sponsored by Ford, leaving us slightly confused on the video's take away...

A Tennessee-based Ford dealership specializing in Roush-tuned Mustangs has developed a real corker to celebrate this year's 50th anniversary of when a GT40 in Gulf Oil livery won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That was back in 1969, though the same car, also wearing the Gulf Oil livery, was also a winner at the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans. The special Mustang honoring those wins has been developed by Brown Lee Ford of Nashville, Tennessee. It's called the Brown Lee Performance Gulf Heritage Mustang, and just 119 examples will be built, each priced from $139,995. That's a steep price to pay for a Mustang, especially with the Shelby GT500 offering up 760 horsepower for just $73,995. Well, Brown Lee Ford's Mustang goes further with an output of 808 horsepower and 677 pound-feet of torque generated by its 5.0-liter supercharged V-8. Paired with a 6-speed manual transmission or 10-speed automatic, the engine will rocket the car from 0-60 mph in as low as 3.3 seconds and past the quarter-mile in under 10.7 seconds. Beyond the supercharger, the Brown Lee Ford team upgraded the fuel injectors and added high-flow intake and exhaust systems, as well as intercooler. There's also track-tuned suspension, carbon fiber aero elements including a wicker bill spoiler, a few unique interior appointments, and of course the famous Gulf Oil livery. And for a bit of peace of mind, the car even comes with a 3-year/36,000 mile limited warranty. “We are incredibly proud to have this opportunity to honor the Ford and Gulf racing legacy in such a special build,” said Brock Patterson, Brown Lee Ford's global specialty vehicle manager. “With over 800 horsepower carrying this licensed icon from 0-60 mph in under 3.5 seconds, the Gulf Heritage Edition Mustang pays homage to the accomplishments of the Ford and Gulf racing teams from 50 years ago, on all levels.” The Brown Lee Performance Gulf Heritage Mustang will be presented on August 18 at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The event caps Monterey Car Week which is currently under way. For our complete coverage on the event, head to our dedicated hub.

Going to Europe for a road trip? Then you might want to go into Northern Portugal for a drive as Ford thinks that it is the best driving road. With the help of senior journalist Steve Sutcliffe and the latest 276bhp Focus ST, Ford has presented to us ten of the best driving roads in Europe with the winning road called N304 that cuts into the Parque Natural do Alvao region It scores nearly full marks across multiple categories such as Thrill Factor, Hospitality, Scenery and Food and Drinks. “In three days of filming, we barely saw twenty other cars on it,” said Sutcliffe. “There are other roads that head north and south, so I guess the mad and somewhat twisty N304 is not everybody’s cup of tea… but for keen drivers it’s an unforgettable route.” Want to find out more about the N304 and the other roads? Click and the video below and see for yourself!

https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/motoring/ford-agent-lands-byd-dealership I'm excited by the prospects of the introduction of BYD cars, but I'm apprehensive about Vantage Motors as their agent... Their track record with Ford has not been the best.. As for the idea of buying an electric car, there's a whole debate on how green they really are, especially when you take into account the carbon footprint of making the battery and it's disposal. As for buying Chinese, that's ok, there are different levels of QC - their local Chinese market ones can be quite nasty, but their better ones are very impressive. I think they will want to put their best food forward.. and already BYD cars are being used as taxis.. Vantage will be pleased, their business has been rather slow recently.. BTW mods: BYD is not a selectable option in the list of car brands for discussion... FYI...

20th Century Fox has released the first movie trailer for the upcoming automotive movie, Ford v Ferrari. Starring Matt Damon as Caroll Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles, it tells the story of the fight between Ford and Ferrari to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. This is the fight which gave birth to the legendary Ford GT40 and we all can't wait to catch the movie in theatres when it opens on the 15th of November.

Could Ken Block take a stock Ford F-150 and have a blast ripping it around the desert? Yes. Would that be the Hoonigan Ken Block way? Absolutely not. First, he needed more speed, more lights, more graphics and more custom off-roading gear. Block debuted this new Ford Raptor at the beginning of the year, but he never gave it the full proper video feature that it deserved. The first portion of the video details exactly what has been done to this beast to make it a supertruck. He relied on California-based Raptor-focused SVC Offroad, which also did Block's RaptorTRAX, for all the work. Nearly every important piece on the Avalanche Grey 2017 Raptor has been altered, including the engine. SVC took the twin-turbo V6 and gave it a new tune, an SVC intercooler, an SVC intake, SPD turbo adapters and a Stainless Works exhaust system. Block estimates power to be around 550 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, up from about 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. Giving the truck a meaner look, the Raptor's new exterior parts include a Gen2 Mojave front bumper with a skid plate, a Gen2 Baja rear bumper, a Gen2 Bypass bed rack with tire storage and wide ADV fiberglass front fenders. A 50-inch light bar up top and a 30-inch bar in the front bumper from Rigid Industries will add extra visibility in the dust. The flashiest feature, however, is the HOONIGAN logo graphics that reflect light, for the illusion of glowing in the dark. The real cred comes from the off-road bits. SVC gave it a Mid Travel Kit with Fox 3.5 bypass shocks in the front, and Deaver Suspension leaf springs, SVC traction bars and Fox 4.0 five-tube bypass shocks in the rear. The Raptor rides on 17-inch Fifteen52 Turbomac HDs wrapped in 37-inch Toyo Tires Open Country M/T rubber. Watch it all come together, as Block shreds up some dirt in the Moab desert.

With the help of his Hoonigan squad, Ken Block is building an empire. After his Ford Escort RS Cosworth rally race car burned to the ground in 2018, Block unveiled a back-from-the-dead Escort version 2.0 this week, and he plans to take it on a world tour. Since he gained fame through his racing and his Gymkhana video series, Block has done nothing but expand his reach, grow his team, and built bigger and more ambitious projects. And when his modernized Escort RS Cosworth was incinerated, Block didn't really accept that, building this new Cossie and planning a Cossie World Tour. First, the car. It's an Escort RS Cosworth that's been given some of Michael Jordan's Secret Stuff. Block said he wanted it took look as if the Escort had come out today and was given to the World Rally team to be fitted with a full aero package. The exterior was designed by Ash Thorp, a graphic designer who has worked on movies such "Ghost in the Shell," "X-Men: First Class," "Prometheus" and "Assassin's Creed," to name a few (the car stuff is just his hobby). Thorp built numerous variations and modeled them with CGI on a computer. After several renderings, he and Block settled on the widebody beast seen here. In the video, Thorp explains the tiny details most people would never think about, such as matching the lines of the rear diffuser to the taillights. On top of the body, Cali-based Troy Lee expressed his creative mind with a livery that's just as wild as the car itself. It features gradients, stars, dark colors, light colors and gobs of decals. Compared to the previous Cossie livery, this one feels much more vibrant and lively with its multiple shades of blue. Watch both videos for more detail on how Block chose the Escort, how he helped build and design both cars, and what it's been like getting to know the car through racing.

Hello all! I am about to buy a truck. Not sure which one yet but it will definitely be one of Fords. I want to stay on budget, so I am thinking of buying used. And I'm not sure will I be shopping private-party or at a dealership but it's good to know what you'll get — and what you won't so I want to do a mechanical inspection and a vehicle history report. I know that a report isn't going to guarantee I'm getting a good used vehicle, however I think it's a good start for used-car shopping. I want to compare the results of those two checks out of curiosity. Can someone recommend good and not very expensive vehicle inspection software? I know that there is Carfax but their reports are pretty pricey: one for $39.99, three for $79.99, and five for $99.99. I was recommended these two apps, have someone tried them: UVIScan and VIR ? anyway, thanks for any contribution and Happy New Year to all! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that in 2019 Dotard Trump won't throw a lot of fits.

The 2020 Ford Explorer and a New Truck Will Debut Before the New Ford Bronco: Report https://jalopnik.com/the-2020-ford-explorer-and-a-new-truck-will-debut-befor-1831206305 As thirsty as we all are to finally see a new Ford Bronco, an allegedly leaked product plan suggests that we’ll have to wait until we get through reveals of the 2020 Ford Explorer and likely a refreshed Ford F-150 first. The supposed product plan was seen by the folks over at OffRoad.com, and apparently it outlined a plan to reveal the 2020 Ford Explorer, which we’ve already kind of seen, and a new F-Series which is likely a refreshed F-150 before we can get to the goods. The Explorer will drop at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month, and OffRoad speculates that the new F-Series “full-size pickup” will follow sometime in the second half of 2019. The new F-Series will also probably introduce a hybrid pickup, which will be, well, something. But just don’t count on too many surprises for the Big Bronco any time soon, unless something leaks. The Baby Bronco already leaked (also through OffRoad.com), but evidently there was no mention of it in this newly seen product plan. Considering Ford’s already issued a fairly revealing teaser of the Baby Bronco, that could also show up in Detroit, or New York show a few months later, or even Los Angeles much later. Now, Ford has already promised everybody that the new Bronco is coming in 2020, but it’s not clear if that means it’ll be a 2020 model year revealed in 2019, or a 2021 model year revealed in 2020. Model years are stupid that way.

It has been a while since the Ford Focus got its global launch. Enthusiasts are eagerly waiting for the go-faster version of the hatch to surface. Interestly, several pictures of the hot hatch surfaced on a private forum. Looking less aggressive and sleeker than its predecessor, the 2019 Focus ST still features a prominent honeycomb mesh grill at the front. Other than a new front and rear bumper, the car also gets new side skirts and gloss black door handles. Inferring from the photos that we saw from Carscoops, one can see an uprated high-performance braking system with red calipers and new wheels. Moving inside, one of the more obvious changes compared to the normal hatch is the hugging Recaro sport seats with ST badge and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with white contrast stitching. Powertrain wise, nothing has been confirmed but the car is likely to use a 2.3-litre EcoBoost four cylinder that should output more than 247bhp in the last ST. There is also no word on when the car will be launched in 2019.

Photos of 2020 Ford Bronco Leak from Dealer Meeting https://www.off-road.com/blog/2018/11/13/photos-of-2020-ford-bronco-leak-from-dealer-meeting/ This is it, folks. We’ve found pictures of the 2020 Ford Bronco. Found on a publicly accessible part of a Ford website hosting pictures of the 2018 dealer meeting in Las Vegas, these pictures give us a dandy look at the new Bronco. A pair of superbly retro round LED headlights paying homage to the original Bronco bookend a bold grille featuring the word FORD in block letters, which appear to be illuminated. This mirrors some of the teaser images officially released by Ford, so we’re confident this is the real deal. The side profile shows a lantern-jawed machine with square lines. A vent of some sort, likely decorative, is ahead of the front door. There is also a neat character line that kicks up into the rear side glass just aft of the rear door. Its white roof is a take on a styling flourish that’s rapidly permeating all corners of the crossover industry. And, yes, the new Bronco is most definitely a four-door crossover, not an enormous SUV as we remember it. However, it’s styling as shown here is appropriately chunky, as if the designers were given a T-square as their sole tool. We’re OK with that. The Bronco shown on the far right has a satisfyingly chunky set of tires, indicating that while this rig may not be a direct competitor to the Wrangler, it will likely be able to take on terrain similar to that conquered by machines like the Cherokee Trailhawk. Which raises a good question – what would Ford call an off-road focused Bronco? FX4? Adrenalin, maybe? Your guess is as good as ours. The reason we think this image here is the Bronco and not some sort of ‘baby Bronco’ (which has also been alluded to in potential product plans) is thanks to the other images being shown to the audience in these photos. Marketing-speak like “authentic off-road capability” and “an SUV that means business” could refer to anything but the image of the word ‘Bronco’ by itself leads us to believe we are looking at that machine. Also, recall that Ford did tease something earlier this year that could be a smaller crossover with a similar style to the one shown here. However, its headlights are just ever so slightly more upswept than this rig’s, whose round peepers have decidedly square frames. Now we know what the Bronco will look like, our next job is to speculate on powertrain options. Four-cylinder? EcoBoost V6? What type of four-wheel drive system will it have? Stay tuned for that speculation.