Archive for the ‘Ford Story’ Category

The 2012 Ford Focus Titanium beat out the 2011 Chevy Cruze LTZ  in nearly every category in a recent comparison test by Edmunds inside Line. Editors at Inside Line took the top trim level of each vehicle to test just how far small American cars have come. Both models offer power windows and locks, power seats, automatic climate control, cruise control and Bluetooth as standard features. The Focus, however, stood above the Cruze in handling, interior design, fuel-efficiency and track handling.

See for yourself how the two vehicles measured up in this short video:

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After recent wins in Sweden during the World Rally Championships with the Fiesta,  Ford rolled out its newest racing hopeful – the 2012 Ford Focus Touring Car at the Geneva Auto Show. As Motor Trend reports, Ford announced last winter its interest in using the new global 2012 Focus as platform for touring car races around the world, including the British Touring Car Championship.

Developed in partnership with BTCC veterans Arena Motorsport, the Focus Touring has a 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4, which has been slightly modified to meet the FIA’s S2000 class regulations. It is also equipped with a roll cage built to meet FIA standards.

This new BTCC Focus is the first result of a collaborative effort between Ford and race teams around the world that have already built and raced successful Focus race cars. – Jost Capito, Ford’s director of global performance vehicles

While other modification details were unavailable during the show, the Focus body sported flared fenders, slammed ride height, and wild rear wing. We can’t wait to see it in action.

Looking for your own Ford car, truck or SUV? Browse our latest online specials on new and pre-owned vehicles 24/7 at damerowford.com.

Not only is the Ford Mustang Boss 302 a hot-looking sports car, it can tear up some serious pavement. Edmunds Inside Line took the new Mustang for a spin on the famous Laguna Seca raceway and found the vehicle to be unrivaled in its performance.

The original Boss 302 was introduced in 1969 as a road racing car for the street. The 2012 version is more powerful, louder, quicker and offers better handling than any previous models. It is offered with two levels of equipment: the standard Boss 302 and the limited-edition Boss 302 Laguna Seca package. Both come with 5.0-liter engine that cranks out 444 horsepower.

Check out the test drive in this video:

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Ford was recently awarded Best New Technology by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) for the company’s rear inflatable seat belts. The announcement came at the 2011 Canadian International Auto Show over the weekend, according to Torque News.

In order to reduce injuries that could be incurred during an accident, Ford’s inflatable rear seat belts reduce pressure on the chest while helping to control head and neck motion. By spreading the impact force more than five times that of conventional belts, pressure is reduced on the chest which also affects head and neck motion. The Ford vehicle’s crash-sensing system determines exactly when the inflatable belt should deploy.

Traditionally, heat-generating chemicals would be used to inflate the belts, however, Ford uses cold compressed gas. This means, the inflatable belts do not get warmer than the wearer’s body temperature and they fill at a lower pressure than traditional airbags.

Ford’s rear inflatable seat belt technology will enhance safety for rear seat passengers of all ages, especially for young children who are more vulnerable in crashes. – Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.

Ford originally introduced the seat belts in the 2011 Explorer and has promised to offer the technology globally.

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The Ford Fiesta wins the Sweden track in the  2011 World Rally Championship Race despite deep snow and below freezing temperatures. Check out this video documenting the team journey to first place. Brrrrr…

Looking for your own Ford car, truck or SUV?  Browse our latest online specials on new and pre-owned vehicles 24/7 at damerowford.com.

For car enthusiasts, the 2012 Ford Focus is a much anticipated and long overdue vehicle. Many fans have been awaiting the day that the American market would experience some of the top-notch Ford vehicles only available in Europe. And they may just find satisfaction in the radically improved Focus.

In a recent Motor Trend review, the new Focus proved to be a solid, confident performer in both the sedan and four-door styles.  Touted changes included the combination of  the new direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with  the well-chosen gear ratios that make the engine feel stronger than the numbers may suggest. The optional five-speed manual and comfortable front bucket seats also won mentions.

As has been the trend amongst compact sedans lately, the Ford Focus has vaulted from forgettable to formidable in one fell swoop. The improvements to the new car are night and day compared to what we had, and we’d expect no less from an all-new car. – Scott Evans, Motor Trend Magazine

Ford’s new sustainability strategy has been receiving positive press since its release for its overall outlook and tangible action steps. And as further confirmation of their efforts, the company’s first all electric Ford Focus has been given the Green Car Vision Award.

Green Car Journal presented Ford with the award at the Washington Auto Show late last week. The award celebrates an industry-leading, environmentally focused vehicle that is in its early stages of commercialization or in demonstration programs, but not yet on sale.

The Ford Focus Electric will be out on the market in late 2011. The design is based on the all-new 2012 Focus global car platform and is powered by lithium-ion batteries and offers a projected 100 mile all-electric driving range. It can be charged in three to four hours with a 240 volt home charger.

The groundwork that Ford has laid with such advanced and sensible technologies as EcoBoost, hybrid drivetrains, and ethanol flexible-fuel vehicles has shown an understanding of what it takes to bring fundamental change to the marketplace, without sacrificing the features and the driving enjoyment that is so important to new car ownership. -  Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal

To check out your own innovative Ford car, truck or SUV by  browsing our latest online specials on new and pre-owned vehicles 24/7 at damerowford.com.

Ford Fiesta RS WRC

Ford has revealed the finalized paint scheme for its latest rally weapon, the new Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Championship car. The vehicle debuted at the Paris Motor Show back in September, but the exterior color theme has been hush hush until now.

Although similar to the paint scheme of the Focus WRC cars from last year, there are a few differences. Mainly, the bright green of former sponsor BP has been removed and the base color is white instead of blue. The overall point was to make the Fiesta look aggressive and clean, reports Motor Trend Magazine.

Hopefully, people appreciate it when it’s on the stages, that it will be eye-catching, and create an iconic image people will remember in the future. – Gerard Quinn, Motorsports Director for Ford Europe

The Fiesta RS WRC car is based on the Fiesta S2000 rally car, which has proven successful in global rally competition. Power comes from a turbocharged 1.6-liter I-4 based off Ford’s new EcoBoost 1.6-liter, and is channeled through an all-wheel-drive system.  The Fiesta RS WRC will debut at Rally Sweden on February 10.

To check out your own Ford car, truck or SUV,  browse our latest online specials on new and pre-owned vehicles 24/7 at damerowford.com.

Ford Motor company has received the 2010 Distinguished Service Citation from the national FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America.)  This award recognizes Ford’s commitment stretching over 62 years to programs like FFA scholarships. The company has awarded over $6 million through programs such as a $100,000 community college challenge grant encouraging the use of alternative energy in small farm operations.

Most recently, Ford has supported an award winning teen safe driving program, Ford Driving Skills for Life. This program is administered through the FFA national charter program.  One of the leading causes of teenage crashes and fatalities is inexperience and this program has helped to promote safer driving through peer education programs.  Offering interactive web tools like quizzes, interactive games and videos that highlight safe driving and eco-driving curriculums. These materials are available for for free to students, parents and educators.

To learn more about new Ford cars, trucks & SUVs,  browse our latest online specials on new and pre-owned vehicles 24/7 at damerowford.com.

The Ford Story wrote a great new article about the new 2011 Ford Focus electric car. The new cars start with a push of a button and will bring the convenience of refueling home with a 120V plug-in cord.  Ford Motors is researching ways to make the experience natural and comfortable with the supplier partner Yazaki.

Working together, they used internal ergonomic studies to create items the convenience cord. They drew inspiration from everyday objects like a hockey puck and curling iron. The handle was especially designed for ease of use. While owners are expected to charge their vehicles at home, remote charging stations will use a standard 120V convenience cord.

The Focus electric car will be released in late 2011 and is one of 5 electric vehicles to be produced at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant.

To see more new Ford cars, trucks & SUVs you can also browse our latest online specials on new and pre-owned vehicles 24/7 on our website, www.damerowford.com.