Shelby Gone Wild: 2012MY GT500 Super Snake with 800HP to be Unleashed at New York Auto Show

Renowned Ford specialist Shelby announced plans to unleash the latest iteration of its venomous pony car at the upcoming 2011 New York International Auto Show. The 2012 model year Super Snake package will add a mouth-watering 800-horsepower under the hood of the Mustang thanks to a heavily modified 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine.

Buyers will also get a variety of other styling and performance modifications such as 20-inch alloy wheels in sport tires, an adjustable coil over suspension, Eibach sway bars, a Baer 6-piston caliper rear brake system and an aero package.

As with previous models, Shelby plans to produce only a limited number of Super Snakes to ensure exclusivity. We’ll have more details and photos at the presentation of the car at this month’s New York Auto Show.

2011 SHELBY GT500 SUPER SNAKE

New European Market Ford Focus ECOnetic Expected to Return 3.5 lt/100 km or 67.2MPG

A new variant of the latest Focus with the ECOnetic moniker and a segment leading fuel efficiency will soon be added to Ford’s European lineup. According to the company, the diesel-powered Focus ECONetic is expected to use less than 3.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (equal to 80 mpg UK or 67.2 mpg US) and return ultra-low CO2 emissions of less than 95g/km when final certification is completed later this year.

Available as a five-door hatchback or wagon, the Ford Focus ECOnetic is powered by an all-new version of the 1.6-liter Ford Duratorq TDCi diesel engine, which delivers 105 horsepower and has a new injection system, turbocharger, enhanced charge cooling and further friction reduction measures.

Apart from the optimized engine, the car is fitted with Ford's Auto-Start-Stop system, Smart Regenerative Charging, Eco Mode and Shift Indicator Light. The Focus ECOnetic also features a unique aerodynamic package with an Active Grille Shutter, ultra-low rolling resistance tires and a revised final drive ratio.

The diesel engine is mated to a six-speed Durashift manual transmission optimized to eliminate frictional losses and operating with a special low friction transmission oil. Fuel economy is further improved by the revised final drive ratio, which reduces engine speed when cruising in top gear.

Aerodynamic upgrades focus on improving the airflow beneath the car but also at the front, where the Active Grille Shutter uses vents to control airflow through the grille to the cooling system and engine compartment. When no airflow is needed, the vents are shut, thereby reducing aerodynamic drag. When fully closed, the reduction in drag translates into 2 percent lower CO2 emissions.

Another interesting detail is that the car uses steel wheels combined with special low-drag ECOnetic wheel covers, which are more streamlined than a conventional alloy wheel design, at least according to Ford.

The new Ford Focus ECOnetic will be produced at the Saarlouis plant in Germany for the European market and will be introduced in early 2012. The car will receive its world premiere at the Amsterdam Motor Show next week.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Euro-spec Ford Focus to Bring Internet Access to the Masses in 2012

The European division of Ford announced on Monday that its Sync system with MyFord Touch will feature WiFi connectivity on the new Focus starting from 2012. The infotainment system will create a password-protected WiFi hotspot inside the car allowing up to five devices to be connected. The service will be free of charge, as the in-car internet connection will use customers' existing USB modems or compatible smartphones to access the web.

The Focus will be the first compact car sold in Europe to benefit from this feature of the Sync, but the technology will also be available later in other Ford models sold across the continent. The system delivers a secure wireless connection that is broadcasted throughout the car, with passengers being able to easily connect and access the internet via any WiFi enabled device.

“We’re finding that Ford customers are tech savvy and – while travelling as passengers in cars – they want to be able to use their WiFi enabled devices while on the move,” said Christof Kellerwessel, chief functional engineer, electronic and electrical systems engineering.

“A reliable in-car Internet connection is therefore extremely important to them, and that’s exactly what SYNC will offer when it makes its European debut on the Ford Focus in 2012. SYNC with MyFord Touch will offer rolling connectivity to Ford customers and everyone in a SYNC-equipped car can benefit at no additional expense,” added Kellerwessel.

In order to be compatible with the latest hardware and devices on the market, Ford will release software updates for the Sync whenever necessary. By default, the internet connection will be set to WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) in order to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the network.

By Dan Mihalascu

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NHTSA Investigates 200,000 Ford Escape and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs for Shattering Tailgate Glass

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has opened a preliminary investigation concerning 200,000 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner SUVs from the 2010 and 2011 model years, after receiving several complaints that the window glass in the tailgate allegedly shattered without warning.

The safety agency said it received 18 complaints noting that “the liftgate window glass shattered spontaneously, while opening the liftgate or while closing the liftgate. In one alleged injury incident, the complainant and her 10 year old son were cut by glass fragments."

According to the NHTSA, many of the incidents happened during cold temperatures. The organization mentioned that Ford has issued an internal technical service bulletin to its dealers on November 22 2010 referring to broken windows in 2010-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner SUVs. The bulletin said that “some 2010-2011 Escape and Mariner vehicles built on or before Oct. 15, 2010 may experience the liftgate window glass breaking, typically when colder ambient temperatures are present.”

The same document instructed dealers to “correct the condition by replacing the liftgate window glass after closely inspecting for any signs of impact or external damage that may have caused the glass breakage.” It recommended the replacement of the glass if no evidence of external damage was found.

Ford said it is aware of the investigation and will cooperate with the safety agency. The company had a similar problem in September 2004 when it recalled 955,000 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs from the 2002 and 2003 model years after a preliminary investigation from the NHTSA revealed the two models had faulty tailgate.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Ford Announces 45% Increase in Sales in India

Ford's India subdivision announced today that it sold 71,347 units from January 1 until July 31, which corresponds to a 45% increase compared to the same period of 2010 when it delivered 49,131 units.

The Detroit firm wants to further increase its presence in the country and has announced the signing of an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the State of Gujarat to invest approximately $1 billion to build two new plants in addition to the one in Chennai, for vehicle and engine manufacturing on a 460-acre site in Sanand.

“These are exciting times for Ford in India,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India. “We are investing in the future and reinforcing our long-term commitment to India by building two new plants in Gujarat and by adding the new Fiesta to our portfolio. The new Fiesta is the first of eight new vehicles we will bring to India by mid-decade”.

Ford India was established in 1995 and is owned by Ford Motor Company. Until now it operates one factory in Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai, which produces the Figo, the Fiesta Classic, the Endeavour and the new Fiesta which was launched in April this year.

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2012 Ford Edge with 240HP 2.0-Liter Ecoboost Returns up to 30MPG

Ford is slowly releasing the fuel economy numbers on its latest batch of vehicles to receive the firm's new EcoBoost engines.

Following last week's announcement on the 2012 Explorer with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit, Ford today revealed that the 2012 Edge with the same powerplant will deliver an EPA certified 21mpg in the city and 30mpg on the highway.

In the Edge, the EcoBoost four-cylinder engine produces 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and a 270 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm. Power is transferred to the wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

Ford made note that it currently has 13 model/powertrain variations in its range that deliver an EPA fuel economy rating of up to 30 mpg or more. You can see the models in following list:

- Edge with EcoBoost: 21 mpg/30 mpg

- Escape Hybrid FWD: 34 mpg/31 mpg

- Escape Hybrid AWD: 30 mpg/27 mpg

- Fiesta five-speed manual: 29 mpg/37 mpg

- Fiesta automatic: 29 mpg/38 mpg

- Fiesta SFE automatic: 29 mpg/40 mpg

- Focus five-speed manual: 29 mpg/37 mpg

- Focus automatic: 28 mpg/38 mpg

- Focus SFE automatic: 28 mpg/40 mpg

- Fusion 2.5-liter automatic: 23 mpg/33 mpg

- Fusion Hybrid: 41 mpg/36 mpg

- Mustang 3.7-liter Coupe automatic: 19 mpg/31 mpg

- Mustang 3.7-liter Convertible automatic: 19 mpg/30 mpg

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