The New Old Reliable | Covert Ford Chevrolet Hutto TX

Ford Social Member,

 

9/19/2014

 

For Loveland, Ohio lawyer Doug Nienaber, Ford has always been a family name. “We’ve had Fords in my family for as long as I can remember,” says the 38-year-old father of two. “My dad was a business manager at a Ford dealership, and he was always bringing home demo vehicles. We got a lot of attention. One time he brought home an early Taurus. Sometimes he’d bring something even more exotic.”

He brought home a Mustang in 1979, the year it was the pace car at the Indy 500. “That was amazing,” Nienaber says. “The car had a graphic logo on the side, and everybody wanted to know more about it.”

And while Nienaber loved the glitz and glamor that rolled into the driveway with each new Ford his dad brought home, he always felt a deeper connection to the Blue Oval.

“We’ve always been attracted to the quality,” he explains. “The first car I ever had was an Escort that I bought from my dad back when I was in college. It wasn’t a muscle car by any stretch, but it served me well for a long time, gave me a lot of great memories—I dated my [now] wife, Jennifer, in that car—and it never let me down.”

That Escort carried Nienaber to the purchase of his first Focus in 2002—a car that, he says, became a trusted member of his family. “I bought it the year I graduated from law school, and it was the first time I bought a new car with my own money. It endured 130,000 miles and took me through everything my twenties had to offer. I brought my daughter home from the hospital in that car!”

In fact, he loved that Focus so much that he didn’t want to part with it. “I cared for it like it was one of my kids. I changed the oil, did the repairs. I didn’t want it to leave the family, so I sold it to my cousin. It still rides like it’s brand new.”

What’s new in his garage is a 2013 Focus ST. He wanted something that he could depend on, but that would also be exciting to drive. “It’s a lot more powerful and a lot faster [than my 2002 Focus], but it’s got a similar feel and the same reliability,” Nienaber says. “It’s reminiscent of the old car, but it’s modern. My kids love it.”

“It’s also great for hauling around all the kids’ stuff and friends,” he explains. “I coach my son’s T-ball team, and we can fit all the equipment in the back.” The five-door hatchback makes loading and unloading the kids easy.

No matter the task at hand, the Focus ST always adds a little Ford fun for the Nienaber family.

Happy Birthday Everyday | Covert Ford Chevrolet Hutto TX

Ford Social Member,

 

10/3/2014

 

Growing up in rural Tennessee in the 1960s, Glenda Brown spent her childhood going to NASCAR® stock car races with her family.

Her father worked at the Ford Glass Plant. Her mother worked part time as a bookkeeper in a flower shop in their hometown of West Nashville. When the owner of the flower shop passed away, his widow decided to sell his 1967 Mustang. Brown’s folks jumped at the chance to buy it as a gift for their daughter. Hiding it in the barn, they kept the car a secret until her sixteenth birthday.

“Mom had it wrapped like a present,” Brown recalls. With wide florist ribbon, she tied a bow on the Mustang and wrote “Happy Birthday.” Glenda cried when she saw the car.

None of her friends had their own vehicle. “My friends and I expected to drive family sedans that our parents would loan us when we needed to go out.”

Not only did she have a car, but a Mustang. “I felt so lucky! I never dreamed I would own a car like this.”

Her Mustang was a coupe, automatic with a 200 6-cylinder engine. The Pony had a Vintage Burgundy Metallic exterior and a black vinyl top. It was reliable and safe, and delivered great mileage. Her father thought it was the perfect first car for his daughter.

Brown packed her friends in the Mustang and drove them to school and ball games, to church and school functions. After she left for college, Brown relished driving the Mustang on the long road trips back home.

The car stayed with her until 1977. By then, she was married with two kids. She and her husband, Bob, wanted a truck for camping and to accommodate their growing family. Brown’s father bought the Mustang and gave it to Glenda’s brother, who was just turning 16. The timing was perfect.

A few years later, her brother asked to trade the Mustang for Glenda’s Ford farm truck. She was thrilled and couldn’t wait to be gripping the wheel of the Mustang once again.

Today the couple owns an F-250 diesel truck, a ’99 Mustang convertible, and that first ’67. With more than 300,000 miles on it, the ’67 Mustang is still going strong. Brown saves it for days when the weather is sunny and mild and they can cruise through the Tennessee countryside. She notes, “It always takes me back to a sweet and simpler time in my life.”

2015 Mustang-based Saleen S302 to boast as much as 640 hp

The Ford Mustang is obviously a famous performance vehicle in its own right, but it often works even better as a platform for the aftermarket to upgrade. With the all-new 2015 model just now hitting the scene, the famous tuners at Saleen are getting their improvements for the new pony car ready for the world.After recently teasing it, the specs for its fresh S302 model are officially here, along with a first look at it in profile.

Of course, the biggest question on everyone's mind is how much power the company can get from the Mustang's V8. With the 2015 V8 model rated at 435 horsepower and 400 pound-feet, Saleen expects to bump the Ford factory numbers slightly to 450 hp and 410 lb-ft in naturally aspirated form, or with the benefit of a supercharger, it will rocket the engine's output figures to 640 hp and 565 lb-ft. No matter which powerplant a buyer chooses, there are a wide variety of available final-drive ratios with a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox.

Available as either a coupe or convertible forms, Saleen will offer its S302 in three trim levels – White Label, Yellow Label and Black Label. The White Label is the only naturally aspirated one of the bunch, but it still benefits from upgrades like a new exhaust, limited-slip differential, improved suspension, heat extractor hood and rear wing.

The real action is in the supercharged Yellow and Black Labels. The Yellow version basically follows the same path as the White trim, except with extra power. However, the Black gets the full suite of mods, including a center induction hood, side skirts, a new rear fascia integrated with the exhaust, further suspension upgrades, illuminated sill places, leather and Alcantara seats, plus a whole range of optional colors.

The company is currently taking reservations for the S302 for $2,015 (we see what you did there, Saleen).

Source: autoblog.com

Ford to rebrand SVT as 999?

Ford operates a number of performance divisions around the world. There's SVT in the US, Team RS in Europe and Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) in Australia. But the Blue Oval has been steadily integrating its performance operations into one unit, and here we might have our first indication of what it will be called.

A reader at Jalopnik sent in a survey in which respondents were asked to gauge the name for a new performance brand from a "major automotive manufacturer," and while the identity of that automaker was not disclosed, according to the survey, the automaker is considering the name 999 for its new go-fast unit.

As our compatriots point out, the 999 was Ford's first racecar, a rudimentary chassis with a 19-liter inline-four campaigned by Henry Ford around the turn of the 20th century. (Ford also used the number to designate aFusion fuel-cell racer a few years back.) That could prove the tie-in Dearborn is looking for in rebranding its performance operations worldwide, replacing the letters SVT, RS and FPV globally under one name.

Of course that doesn't mean that models like the upcoming Shelby GT350, F-150 Raptor, Focus ST or FPV Falcon will necessarily be rebadged 999 as part of their nameplate, but if the customer clinics prove positive, the number 999 could come to stand for Blue Oval performance wherever Fords are sold.

Source: autoblog.com

Ford begins testing right-hand-drive Mustang

Ford has officially kicked off testing of the right-hand-drive variant of its sixth-generation, 2015 Mustang, according to a statement issued by the company, which came with the above photo.

According to Ford, this will mark the first time a right-hand-drive 'Stang has traveled down the company's assembly line alongside its LHD brethren. It is far from the first of the legendary pony cars to feature its wheel on the wrong side, though, as converters in RHD markets across the globe have been making swaps for years.

Ford is planning on using the white, droptop Mustang for RHD development ahead of the car's arrival in the UK, Australia and South Africa, among other markets. Scroll down for the official press blast.

AUG 15, 2014 | DEARBORN, MICH.
TESTING ON ALL-NEW RIGHT-HAND-DRIVE MUSTANG BEGINS
Ford's new Mustang goes on sale this fall in the U.S. and globally in more than 120 countries next year
This is the first time in 50 year history that the Ford Mustang will be available in a factory-built right-hand-drive configuration
More than 25 new right-hand-drive markets will be able to purchase the new Mustang, including the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa
For the first time ever, a right-hand-drive Ford Mustang will roll off a Ford assembly line when global production begins. The addition of a right-hand-drive Mustang to Ford's lineup of global vehicles will allow the iconic pony car to be exported to more than 25 right-hand-drive markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa.

Mustang engineers recently finished construction of the very first right-hand-drive sixth-generation Mustang. The prototype Mustang will be used to conduct various development tests in preparation for the car's entry into the global market in the coming months.

While the United States is the largest market for Mustang with more than 9.2 million sales since the car's debut in 1964, more than 161,000 Mustangs have been sold outside of North America in that time. In 2012 alone, more than 4,000 Mustangs were sold in 35 countries outside of North America, ranging from the United Arab Emirates to Chile to the Philippines.

While Mustang has more than 100 fan clubs around the globe, and was recently voted "Europe's Most Wanted Classic Car" by AutoScout24, bringing a right-hand-drive Mustang to market will allow more enthusiasts to experience the car than ever before.

50 years of Mustang
Ford Mustang is the newest member of a very exclusive club – vehicles in continuous production for 50 years. The car has a worldwide base of fans, including more than 7.6 million on Facebook – the most of any vehicle nameplate. From the beginning, Mustang's unique combination of style, performance and affordability established an entirely new class of sporty cars, and it has led the segment ever since.

The sixth-generation Mustang goes on sale in the United States this fall, and will eventually be available in more than 110 countries worldwide.

Source: autoblog.com

Ford Fusion getting substantial refresh for 2017

It's only been a couple of years since Ford rolled out the current Fusion, but if these spy shots are anything to go by, it's already planning what appears to be a substantial update for the mid-size sedan.

According to our paparazzi on the ground, the new Fusion is being prepared for launch late in 2016 or early 2017. Although heavily camouflaged to keep it from prying eyes such as ours, it appears that the updated Fusion will tone down the Aston Martin-style grille, ditch the small corner window with revised front side glass and tweak the vehicle's overall shape. But there's more to the new Fusion than a styling adjustment, and our spy photographers have caught a glimpse inside and taken us along.

Apparently the new Fusion is to get a completely overhauled interior with soft-touch surfaces and matte wood trim to make it seem more upscale. There's an all-new rotary gear selector (like you'd find on a Jaguar, for example) hinting at the implementation of a new nine-speed automatic transmission. The prototype appears to be packing the Microsoft SYNC system, suggesting that the new Blackberry QNX system isn't ready quite yet – though that doesn't necessarily mean it won't be ready by the time the new Fusion is.

Source: autoblog.com

2015 Chevy Corvette Z06 is most powerful production GM car ever with 650 hp, 650 lb-ft

Well, consider the cat officially out of the bag. Nearly five months after its debut at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show touting "at least 625 horsepower," the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 has now been SAE-certified to produce an impressive 650 hp.

For reference, the new Z06 is bested only by the following bits of exotica: the Ferrari LaFerrari, the McLaren P1, the Porsche 918 Spyder, the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, the Lamborghini Aventador and the Ferrari FF. That's some mighty good company.

Complementing the 650 supercharged ponies is an equally impressive 650 pound-feet of torque. Lovely as that second figure is, we really need to break down where the power is available. According to Chevy, 457 pound-feet of torque is available at idle, while 96 percent of peak torque arrives by 2,800 rpm. Honestly, if the Z06 can't hit 60 in under three seconds, we'll be shocked. Talk about a whole lot to handle.

Source: autoblog