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

Jay Leno puts a classic Corvette Stingray under the lens

Jay Leno's Garage has been on a British vehicle streak for the last several weeks. A true American classic finally puts that to an end with the latest feature focusing in on a 1963 Chevy Corvette Coupe with a fuel-injected V8. Leno says that he bought the car sight unseen and shortly afterward shipped it out to be restored. Don't expect to find any resto-mod cues here, though, like modern wheels or a throaty exhaust. This 'Vette is just like it came out of the factory in December 1962.

Of course, the major thing that makes the '63 famous is its one-year-only, split rear window. However, Jay invites the restorer to go through it from stem to stern to explain what else makes an early '63 Corvette coupe different from later models. There are a ton of tiny changes most people would never notice, like the unique sideview mirrors and the way the rear gas cap is held down. They even get into detail about the fuel injection system found on Leno's car. If you love these bits of minutiae, then this is definitely the video for you.

The point of the restoration was always to keep the car completely stock and correct to its original specifications. Leno wanted a vehicle where you could feel exactly what it was like to drive when new.

Source: autoblog.com

2015 Ford Mustang dealer order guide surfaces

Details about the all-new, 2015 Ford Mustang continue to leak out. In fact, at this point, it's more of a stream than a drip. Its option prices are already available, and now the full ordering guide is on the web for all of the trims thanks to the Mustang 6G forum. Ford is rapidly running out of secrets to keep about its new sports coupe.

The 21-page guide can be perused in the gallery below and contains all of the standard features, colors, options codes, descriptions. Generally everything you might want to know about the 'Stang is there, other than its price or power. It even shows off the available wheel designs.

The guide finally gives away the contents of the Performance Package for the EcoBoost and GT trims. TheEcoBoost's package includes: A larger rear sway bar, new chassis tuning, larger brake rotors, 19-inch black wheels, retuned driver assistance systems, an aluminum dash panel, added gauge pack, 3.55 limited slip rear differential, larger radiator, heavy-duty front springs and spoiler delete. When the options pricing leaked, it indicated the package would cost $1,995. If that is the case, it seems like quite a deal.

For the GT trim, the performance package includes most of the same upgrades from the EcoBoost plus a strut tower brace, K Brace, a 3.73 Torsen limited-slip rear differential and – only for cars with a manual gearbox – Brembo six-piston front brakes. The leaked options pricing indicated that package would sell for $2,495.

If you are in the market for the 2015 Mustang, this ordering guide is a must-read. Happy planning.

Source: autoblog.com

GM updating fullsize pickups for 2015

As Ford prepares to hit the market with its x-factor, aluminum-intensive F-150 and Ram sales stand tall enough to meet General Motors truck sales eye-to-eye, GM is putting the word out that it's going to add more features to its trucks and do so more regularly. An executive engineer for pickups told reporters that "a whole array" of changes are on the way as soon as the 2015 model year and then would likely come "the year after that, the year after that, the year after that."

Only GM knows the way it plans to go with its fullsize trucks, with almost everyone else – including its dealers – griping about market share at the same time as they applaud profits and hope for clarity and growth. GM raised prices on the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra not long after launch even as it was losing market share and getting called "the least successful large pickup launch over the last 15 years," further upsetting dealers, then Ram outsold the Silverado in March of this year and led GM to increase incentives. But transaction prices rose with the premium; in the first quarter of this year more than 37 percent of the trucks costing more than $40,000 were the Silverado and Sierra, leading one dealer to say of the Sierra, "You can't sell a cheap one," and the analyst who made that "least successful launch" comment to opine, "GM may have made the right call to go for price over share."

We won't know for a few months what any of these updates will be, but the rumored changes for the Silverado and Sierra appear to cover all the bases, including appearance, capability and fuel economy. Rumors run to higher gear counts, stop-start technology and diesel engines before brand-new pickups come for the 2019 model year, those next-generation models supposedly to be engineered with a lot more aluminum.

Source: autoblog.com