Detroit 2009: Fords bid for survival…

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) is done and dusted. There were some crucial unveiling’s at the show. Mainly from the Detroit Three – to cement their survival for the long term. Here are all the Ford related products that appeared this year… (Keep checking back for updates!)

Cue the 2010 Taurus. Here we have the latest incarnation of Fords (ex-) best selling Taurus. This is the new medium sedan to take on the likes of Honda’s new Accord, Toyota’s Camry and Chevy’s Malibu.

Image credits: Autoblog

This is the (arguably) last chance for (not just) Ford in the sedan market in the U.S. If the Taurus flops – so does Ford… But it still has other markets open too. For the full rundown on this great sounding car, have a squiz at the AUTOBLOG VEHICLE  PREVIEW.

Image credits: Autoblog

Image credits: Autoblog

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Next off the line we have the new EcoBoost V6 engine which is debuting in the MY2010 Ford Flex. This new V6 offers turbocharged 6 cylinder performance (with 265kW / 355hp & 475Nm / 350lb-ft on tap) albeit with the fuel consumption of a run-of-the-mill family-car V6 engine – which in the EcoBoost’s case isn’t very much (~22mpg city!)! For all the info, follow the LINK.

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Also at the 2009 NAIAS was the official unveiling of the 2010 Shelby Mustang GT500… which we had a sneek peak at EARLIER…

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Last but not least is Ford’s update on their future plans – most with EV’s (Electric Vehicles). For the indepth report, follow the LINK to Autoblog…

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Moving on from Ford, we now branch out to Lincoln. First out of the box is the new Flex-based ‘CUV’ (crossover) MKT. Yes, another technology, luxury & sport clad Lincoln is here – for all the info, click HERE.

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Next we have news that the new EcoBoost 3.5 litre V6 is set to appear in the new Lincoln MKS some time this year…

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Here is an interesting concept from Lincoln called “Concept-C”. For all the details, head over to AUTOBLOG…

Ford Flex… flopping?

The Ford Flex has been on sale in the U.S for a year now but it is slowly under-performing to Fords standards. Will a new advertising campaign change this? Or is the Flex doomed to the scrap heap? The Detroit News’ Bryce Hoffman reports:

Ford creates a Photo Lab for you iPhone…

Now does your iPhone’s current apps. need another friend to keep them company? Well Ford, via the technical know-how of Tao Agency, have created a fantastic app. for you. Introducing the Ford Flex Photo Lab.

2008 Truck of Texas results are in…

The annual Truck of Texas contest has been run & now, the final results have been published. Here is the “Freeps” (Detroit Free Press) story:

Ford Motor Co.’s all-new 2009 Ford F-150 today won the coveted Truck of Texas award, which is essentially the Super Bowl in the truck industry, the president of the Texas Auto Writers Association, Harold Gunn, said.

This is the sixth consecutive year that a Ford truck has won the award, which is widely used in promotions in the Lone Star State, which is No. 1 in full-sized truck sales.

SEMA 2008 – CGS ReFlex

Here is ANOTHER sneak peak at ANOTHER Ford SEMA project. This time though, we can say thanks to CGS Motorsports for this top concept.

Ford Flex, Mazda CX9 & Ford Taurus X in top 10 of 3-row SUV’s…

Source: Freep.com

The new Ford Flex and upgraded Mazda CX-9 now rank among the top five three-row SUVs tested by Consumer Reports, the magazine reports in its November issue, which goes on sale today.

Made by yours truly!

Ford Flex flopping?

Source: LeftLaneNews.com

Ford was hoping that its squared-off new crossover, the Flex, would be a runaway success in the vein of the 1986 Taurus. The Flex, which vaguely resembles the box that the aerodynamic Taurus came in, has seen falling sales in the last two months – not a good sign for a vehicle that has been on the market for four months.

2010 Lincoln Flex-based MKT spied…

Thanks to LeftLaneNews.com:

Our (LeftLaneNew.com’s) spy photographers nabbed Ford’s (or rather Lincoln’s – ed) MKT crossover just hours ago – and they were able to grab one of the first shots of the MKT’s EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 engine. The MKT will be one of the first Ford vehicles to get the highly-anticipated engine, though judging by the stylized “T” and “F” on the plastic cover, it looks like Ford is planning to keep the Twin Force moniker for its upscale Lincoln brand – instead of EcoBoost, which it will use on Ford division products.

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Ford recieving $10mill for plug-in hybrids…

Ford Motor Company is set to receive a $10 million grant from the United States Department of Energy to be spent on plug-in hybrid research and development. The government is funding half of Ford’s three-year plug-in development and demonstration program that currently has 20 plug-in hybrid vehicles on test.

Lincoln MKT @ Detroit & MKZ facelift @ LA…

Thanks to The Motor Trend:

Ford Motor Company president of the Americas Mark Fields has confirmed that Lincoln will sell the Ford Flex-based MKT crossover next year after a January Detroit show reveal. Lincoln showed the concept last January at Detroit. And Lincoln will unveil a refreshed MKZ at the Los Angeles auto show in November.