All-New Ford Focus Hatchback and Sedan Officially Revealed, Identical in All Markets

The next-generation Ford Focus made its worldwide debut today at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. One of the key highlights is that Ford’s new C-segment competitor with rivals such as the VW Golf / Jetta, Chevy Cruze, Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, is that it will be nearly identical in all markets sharing 80 per cent of its parts around the world.

At Detroit, Ford showed off the five-door hatchback and four-door sedan versions of the new global Focus. Both models share the same styling that marks the next evolution of Ford’s kinetic design form language.

That translates to a crispier and more dynamic design that combines styling features seen in the new Fiesta and the European Mondeo.

The same can be said about the Focus’ interior design that was previewed through the MPV variants of the car, the five-seat C-MAX (Europe) and seven-seat Grand C-MAX (Europe and North America).

Ford says that one of the key elements of the interior is the quality of craftsmanship with the soft-touch materials and the choice of trim all helping to give occupants “the feeling that they are travelling in a higher-class car”.

The new Focus has been developed by a global team, led from the firm’s European small and medium vehicle centre in Merkenich, near Cologne, Germany, with powertrain development spearheaded by the company’s technical centre in Dunton, England

Underneath, the 2011 Focus makes use of Ford’s new mid-sized architecture. The company claims that the Focus will raise the benchmark in handling once more blending “outstanding steering precision and road feedback with significantly improved refinement and ride control.”

The 2011 Focus sticks with front-wheel drive, powered by a new family of engines. European buyers will get 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter Ecoboost turbocharged petrol units as well as improved Duratorq TDCi common-rail diesels offering reductions in fuel consumption between 10 and 20 per cent over the outgoing models.

In North America, the Focus will be offered with a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) and direct injection (DI) delivering an estimated output of 155-horsepower and 145 ft.-lb. of torque.

Depending on the market, the engines will be linked to either manual gearboxes and Ford’s new dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission designed to deliver better fuel economy than comparable automatics.

Production of the next-generation Ford Focus will begin simultaneously in Europe and North America in late 2010, with sales set to start globally in 2011. Ford said that initial production will be concentrated at the Saarlouis (Germany), Michigan (United States) and Chongqing (China) Assembly Plants.

Within the next two to three years, the Focus range will expand to include a three-door hatchback, a station-wagon and quite possibly, a coupe-convertible model, though it remains to be seen if these variants will be sold in all markets.

Ford Displays Customized 2011 Fiestas at Los Angeles Auto Show

Together with the standard variants of the new 2011 Fiesta, Ford also reveled four ticked-out versions of its North American-spec subcompact car aimed at customization enthusiasts at the Los Angeles International Auto Show today. The modded Fiestas featured an array of styling goodies such as body-side tattoo graphics, body kits and alloy wheels.

“We expect the Fiesta will be wildly popular among people who like to personalize their vehicles because of its affordability, great driving dynamics and award-winning design,” said Ford Designer Melvin Betancourt. “We’ll offer these customers a variety of appearance and performance accessories to choose from so they really can make their Fiesta their own.”

2011 Ford Mustang GT with 412HP 5.0-liter V8 Officially Revealed

Check out AmericanMuscle.com and their giant selection of

Custom Mustang Parts.

The Mustang 5.0 or as purists prefer to call it, the 302, makes a comeback for the 2011 model year with the presentation of the new GT that will be shown to the public for the first time at next month’s Detroit auto show. No thanks to Ford’s special relationships with certain media outlets, we already know the basics of the 2011 Mustang GT.

To recap, the GT’s new 5.0-liter V8 engine employs 32-valves and Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) delivering 412 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque, compared to the outgoing 2010 Mustang GT 4.6-liter V8′s, 315HP and 325 lb-ft.

Ford says that the V8 engine, as shipped, weighs 430 pounds or 195 kg representing a weight savings of more than 20 percent over the previous 5.0-liter offering.

The new 5.0-liter Mustangs also replace the previous GT’s five-speed transmissions with either the 6R80 six-speed automatic transmission or the MT82 six-speed manual gearbox.

With the automatic transmission, the 2011 Mustang GT will deliver up to an estimated 25 mpg highway and 17 in the city, up from 23 mpg highway and 17 city for the 2010 model. The Six-speed manual transmission Mustang GT models are projected to deliver 24 mpg highway and 16 city, matching the 2010 model.

Ford has not disclosed performance figures, but just to get an idea, the current 315HP GT hits 60mph (96km/h) from standstill in just 4.9 seconds. In other words, the new GT should give the 426HP Camaro SS and 425HP Challenger SRT-8 a run for their money.

Along with the new engine and transmissions, the new GT also gets a specially tuned Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS), 11.5-inch front and 11.8-inch rear vented disc brakes, and an enhanced suspension featuring an improved rear lower control arm and stiffened rear stabilizer bushings.

There’s also an optional Brembo brake package upgrade that includes 14-inch vented front discs from the GT500 Mustang, specific 19-inch alloy wheels and summer performance tires.

Other updates include the 5.0 fender badges, the speedometer that increases to 160 mph and the tachometer redline that climbs from 6,500 to 7,000 rpm.

More information on the 2011 Mustang GT will be released at the Detroit Motor Show in mid-January 2010.

VIDEO: 2011 Ford Mustang GT V8 Rollin' on its 5.0

Check out AmericanMuscle.com and their huge selection of

Mustang Bodykits.

Now that you’ve seen the photos and read the (official) specs on the highly anticipated 2011 Ford Mustang GT, here’s some audioluscious video footage of the reborn 5.0. The first clip contains driving and static shots of the pony car while the second video shows a dyno test of its 412-horsepower 5.0-liter 32-valve V8 engine. Watch both clips after the jump.

New Ford Mustang BOSS 302R: A $79,000 5.0 GT Track Racer

Check out AmericanMuscle.com and their giant selection of

BBK Intake.

Along with the new 2011 Mustang GT 5.0-liter V8, Ford also took the covers off a track version of its updated pony car called the BOSS 302R in honor of the 40th anniversary of Parnelli Jones’ 1970 Trans-Am championship in a Mustang BOSS 302 prepared by Bud Moore Engineering.

Set to replace the Mustang FR500C, the BOSS 302R features the GT’s new 5.0-liter V8 engine coupled to a six-speed manual transmission and comes equipped with a roll cage, race seats, safety harness, data acquisition and race dampers/springs, and a Brembo brake and tire package.

The base Mustang BOSS 302R racer retails at $79,000.

If you’re looking for something more hardcore, Ford also offers the M-FR500-BOSS R1 that’s eligible to compete in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series (formerly known as KONI Challenge), starting with the season-opening race in Daytona on Jan. 29, 2010.

Priced at $129,000, this version features a sealed high-output race engine with an upgraded cooling system, a close-ratio six-speed transmission with integral shifter, a seam-welded body, race suspension/KONI dampers and ABS brake tuning, race performance exhaust and a high-speed balance one-piece driveshaft.

Ford said that a total of 50 BOSS 302R Mustangs will be built by the firm’s racing division with first deliveries anticipated in the third quarter of 2010.

BS of the Day: GM Planning to Rebadge the 2010 SAAB 9-5 as a Buick in the USA

The folks over at Saabsunited were quick to pick up an article from Swedish business daily Dagen Industri claiming that, according to an unnamed inside source, GM will re-badge the 2010 SAAB 9-5 sedan as a Buick in the USA and use some of the tech on a future flagship Opel sedan in Europe. The author of the fable story, Ian Wadenal, goes on to tell us how well the 9-5 would fit in Buick’s range, sitting atop the new 2011 Regal a.k.a. the U.S-spec Opel Insignia.

You’ll probably read the same story elsewhere, and if you’re a car guy, you’ll shake your head with stupefaction because Buick already has a similar-sized model in the States, the new LaCrosse that shares the same Epsilon II platform and possibly other hardware with the 9-5.

A more compact version of the Epsilon II is also used on the Opel Insignia – Buick Regal.

We’re not saying that there’s no place for a re-badged Saab 9-5 in GM’s global portfolio, but we can’t see it being done for Buick in the States (obvious why) nor for Cadillac and Opel (at least in their core markets) simply because both of these brands have spent money and time to create their own design language.

We’re all in for saving SAAB and we respect the efforts of enthusiasts, but if anything else, some common sense is necessary when re-telling / reporting stories…

Source: Dagen , Via: Saabsunited