EcoBoost Engine Propels Ford Mustang Sales Explosion

Last year the 2015 Ford Mustang finally went on sale to a rabid Blue Oval fanbase, and it should come as no surprise that sales of the legendary muscle car have outpaced its aging rivals. Through the first five months of 2015, Mustang sales are up 55% compared to this time last year, with the new 2.3 liter EcoBoost engine driving much of that growth, reports the Detroit News.

Through the month of May, Ford has sold over 56,000 Mustangs, compared to just 33,000 Chevy Camaros and 30,000 Dodge Challengers, giving the Blue Oval a sales lead for the first time since the new Camaro debuted in 2009. While there’s little doubt that the overall newness of the Mustang is helping drive sales, Ford has noted that Millennial buyers now make up 35% of Mustang sales, and in hot markets like Southern California, that number is up around 40%. In fact, SoCal Mustang sales are up a whopping 117% so far this year, with most younger buyers opting for the more fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine, rather than the thirsty 5.0 V8.

Sure, you get about 120 more horsepower with the V8, but the price is much higher and the fuel economy is significantly worse. Us Millennials are a price-sensitive group, and Ford is catering to us by offering a car that doesn’t compromise much in the way of performance, and won’t have us cringing every time we fill up the tank.

Ford isn’t alone either; the 2016 Chevy Camaro will offer a four-cylinder turbocharged engine, and there are rumors abound that the next Dodge muscle car (be it Challenger or something else) will also make use of a forced-induction four-banger. The muscle car world is changing for the better if you ask me, as we now have four-cylinder engines that make nearly as much oomph as the V8s of just a couple generations ago.

Ford resurrects GT midengine supercar

Bill Ford and Mark Fields with the GT supercar. Said Fields: "I think people want scintillating performance with this kind of vehicle."
Photo credit: BLOOMBERG

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is resurrecting the GT midengine supercar as a 600-plus hp demonstration of the performance side of its EcoBoost engine technology.

The car, slated to go on sale in the second half of 2016, is designed to rev up excitement in dealer showrooms and represent the prime showpiece of a new global performance division.

Ford unveiled the new GT, which it is calling Phoenix, today at the Detroit auto show. It also introduced a new aluminum-bodied F-150 Raptor pickup and a Mustang Shelby GT 350R, both of which are lighter and more powerful than their predecessors.

The GT, a nameplate last seen nearly a decade ago when it sold for more than $150,000, is a radically different sort of vehicle than the practical crossovers and fuel-efficient sedans that Ford has introduced since then.

But CEO Mark Fields said the car fits with Ford’s efforts to show how technological advances are transforming the company and the transportation industry.

“As we at Ford drive innovation into every part of our business, it’s worth remembering that our first innovation as a company was not in a laboratory, but on the racetrack,” Fields said. “We are passionate about innovation through performance and creating vehicles that make people’s hearts pound.”

The GT is powered by a twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 and makes “extensive use” of carbon fiber, aluminum and other lightweight materials, Ford said in a statement today.

Fields said he’s confident drivers won’t miss having a V-8.

“I think people want scintillating performance with this kind of vehicle, this kind of supercar,” he said, “and they're going to get it.”

The Raptor pairs a high-output, 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine with a new 10-speed transmission. It’s 6 inches wider than the standard F-150 for better off-road stability.

Powerful engine

The GT 350R features what Ford said is its most powerful naturally aspirated engine ever, a V-8 with a flat-plane crankshaft that produces more than 500 hp.

To reduce weight and improve performance, designers deleted items they considered unnecessary, including the air conditioner, stereo system, rear seats, trunk floorboard and carpet and backup camera.

The GT, GT 350R and Raptor are among 12 new vehicles that Ford plans to introduce in the next six years under the umbrella of a new Ford Performance division announced in December.

It already has said the lineup will include a Focus RS, which will be sold in the U.S. for the first time, though Ford is not displaying it at the Detroit auto show.

Performance wanted

Fields has said that Ford sees significant benefits to developing vehicles aimed at enthusiasts, who tend to be affluent and loyal.

“Folks that want performance -- they want the best and they’re willing to pay for it,” Fields told reporters in December.

Ford is scheduled to announce more news in conjunction with Microsoft’s Xbox gaming system tonight, likely that the GT is being featured in an upcoming game.

The automaker is holding a session on “the art of performance in gaming” on Tuesday.

To help mark its centennial, Ford only made about 4,000 copies of the original GT -- which was recalled last year because they contain the potentially explosive Takata airbags -- for the 2005 and 2006 model years.

Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of the Americas, said the new GT will be built in even more limited numbers.

Many of the 2005 and 2006 GTs sold for well above sticker price, and the first applicants were individually approved by Ford executives. The cars have gained value as they have aged, prompting CNN to call the GT “America’s investment-grade car” in a 2012 story. The GT was dubbed “Gas Guzzler of the Year” by the British TV show “Top Gear” in 2005.

The EPA ratings for the original GT were 12 mpg in city driving, 19 mpg on the highway and 14 mpg combined. Ratings for the new version haven’t been determined.

“It will be very interesting to see what media and public perception of this is, as for supercars, often time, bigger is better in terms of engine size,” Akshay Anand, an analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com, said in a statement. “The GT from the mid-2000s has developed somewhat of a cult following, and this next one should garner plenty of enthusiast attention as well. Don't be fooled though -- the GT is exclusively for halo and to bring some serious excitement to the brand and nothing more.”

Return to Le Mans

With the GT, Ford will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 2016, which is the 50th anniversary of Ford’s first Le Mans win in the original GT40.

Fields said Ford’s renewed focus on performance, and the GT in particular, shows how far the company has come from the dark days of the industry’s downturn.

“When you look at a vehicle like this, which is really a showcase for the entire lineup that we've essentially redone over the last few years,” he said, “it gives our employees a lot of motivation a lot of enthusiasm. It really is a touch point for us, about keeping our feet firmly on the ground, and understanding that to grow in this business you have to continue to innovate. You have to continue to bring out great products across the board.”

Source: Automotive News

2015 Mustang MPG Ratings Fully Revealed

The 2015 Ford Mustang’s MPG ratings have finally been fully revealed after a leak showed some, but not all, of the engine/transmission combination ratings. The EPA has revealed the rest of the ratings of the whole 2015 Mustang engine lineup, and the original pony car stays on top of the MPG pack.

The base 3.7 liter V6 engine, which has been detuned to 300 horsepower compared to the 305 of the 2014 model, also saw its fuel economy numbers a couple of MPG. The 2015 Mustang V6 is now rated at 17 city/28 highway/21 combined with a manual transmission, and 19 city/28 highway/22 combined when equipped with the six-speed automatic. That’s down from 31 MPG highway on a similarly-equipped (yet more powerful!) 2014 Mustang V6, and a loss of 1 to 2 MPG across the rest of the ratings. Umm, ew?

The reason? To give buyers cause to pay extra for the 310 horsepower 2.3 liter EcoBoost engine, which was rated at 22 city/31 highway/25 combined with a stick shift, and 21 city/32 highway/26 combined with a slushbox. While the EcoBoost engine offers up to 4 extra MPG compared with the V6, more horsepower, and a better torque curve, two of those three are only because Ford made the V6 engine less competitive. I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years, the V6 option disappears altogether with Ford citing low sales.

That leaves the big daddy 435 horsepower 5.0 V8, which guzzles gas at a rate of 15 MPG city/25 MPG highway/19 combined with the manual. The automatic transmission adds an extra MPG to the city rating, but that’s it, though Ford has never tried to claim the Coyote engine is efficient. According to the EPA, the cost in fueling the most and least-efficient Mustangs is about $750 per year.

I’m disappointed, which is tough to say because I was one of the biggest 2015 Mustang fanboys. From everything I’ve heard, the 2.3 liter EcoBoost is a smooth torque beast and a worthy Mustang engine, but it’s only marginally more efficient and powerful. There are plenty of other improvements to the 2015 Mustang, like active grille shutters and an independent rear suspension. There’s also a ton of new tech features, including push button start standard and an all-new MyFord Touch system.

But the engine lineup? For all the hype, I’m still left wanting more than a handicapped V6 and a just-as-thirsty four-cylinder.

For the record, I realize I am indeed whining about a 310 horsepower Mustang that gets up to 32 MPG. It’s pretty good…but so was the 2014 Mustang V6 too. I guess I just expected more, which is supposedly the hallmark of my generation.

Source: Gas 2.

2015 Mustang Gets Rendered As A Lincoln

The day of reckoning for the 2015 Ford Mustang is drawing closer, as is production, and fans have responded enthusiastically to the new design. Yet one question that remains unanswered is if Ford’s luxury division, Lincoln, will finally get a Mustang of its own.

Carscoops has answered the question with an excellent rendering of a Mustang-based Lincoln coupe, possibly powered by the 325 horsepower 2.7 liter “Nano” EcoBoost that recently debuted in the 2015 F-150. But because it’s a rendering, let’s just pretend the more-powerful 3.5 liter EcoBoost is under the hood instead, and perhaps have the 2.3 liter four-cylinder EcoBoost serve as the base engine. EcoBoost all around!

A Lincoln version of the mustang could add loads of technology to the sports car platform, which is already slated to be the most advanced Mustang yet. The clean lines and waterfall front grille make it look distinctly, though there’s no denying the Mustang’s S550 platform beneath the skin. Ford has been keen to use its new global platforms on more than just a single vehicle going forward, which means the new Mustang needs to shoulder the weight of going global and helping lift the languishing Lincoln brand. That said, it’s hard not to notice the Camaro-esque look of this Lincoln.

An EcoBoost-centric drivetrain would be a great way for Lincoln to break into the luxury coupe market, but Ford has also been keen to market its hybrid technology as well. A recent Ford job listing looking for a rear-wheel drive hybrid specialist might be an indicator that the Blue oval is ready to expand it’s hybrid offerings beyond just fuel misers. A plug-in hybrid Lincoln coupe with an electric drivetrain geared towards speed as much as efficiency? Sounds like a winning formula to me; at the very least, it’d get people to talk about Lincoln beyond rehashing how all it’s models are just fluffed-up Fords.

Who knows? It might even get me to change my mind.

Image: Carscoops

Tesla Joins Automakers To Replace Side Mirrors With Cameras

Tesla Motors and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers want to change the laws dictating the use of side mirrors, replacing them with video cameras.  In the never-ending war for better fuel economy, side mirrors are the latest battlefield, and eliminating these aerodynamic anchors could drastically improve the fuel economy of many vehicles.

As Jo has pointed out, making the relatively minor change of removing the side mirror winglets can add as much as 1 MPG to the overall fuel economy of a vehicle like the Ford F-150. By Jo’s estimates, an extra 1 MPG in real world driving would save over 22 million gallons of fuel per year…just on new F-150 sales. So while Ford has gone to great lengths to reduce the drag created by the side mirrors on the 2015 Mustang, and even built the new 2015 F-150 out of aluminum to save weight, getting rid of side mirrors would be an even bigger victory.

Tesla rekindled the passion for wingless cars with Tesla Model X concept, which debuted with video cameras instead of side mirrors…though at the Detroit Auto Show a year later, the Model X wore more traditional sideview mirrors. Volkswagen had the same idea with the XL1 concept, which also debuted sans side mirrors, as these are the cause of a lot of aerodynamic lift, especially at high speeds. Getting rid of those mirrors means much slicker cars, which can go even farther using less energy, whether that be electricity or petrol power.

That’s why the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents Toyota, GM, Volkswagen and most of the other major automakers doing business in America, have joined in Tesla’s efforts to lobby Congress to change the laws to allow video cameras instead of side mirrors. Tesla and AAM submitted a petition yesterday to take the next step towards mirrorless cars. So while GM is resisting Tesla’s efforts to upset the dealer franchise model, they’re on board with Tesla’s efforts to get rid of side mirrors.

Go figure.

While a few years ago such a proposal might seem silly, Congress has opened the floodgates to this kind of lobbying by dictating that all-new vehicles made by 2018must include a back-up camera as standard equipment. It isn’t much of a jump from there to side cameras, instead of mirrors. I mean, if even the basest of base model vehicles now has to have a monitor on-board, why not use it for more than just backing up or changing radio stations?

Source: Automotive News