Ford Vertrek Concept Live from Detroit [Photos and Video]

Unveiled at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, the Vertrek Concept previews Ford’s next global compact SUV, set to replace both the European Kuga and North American Escape models. While it’s not so different compared to the Kuga, the concept car is certainly more modern than the current Ford Escape.

“It is a revolution compared to what is typically seen in this segment in North America and is a stylish evolution compared with products outside North America. This new design is sleeker and more fuel efficient and delivers the capability, including people and cargo volume, customers demand globally”, said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development.

With the new model, the automaker is targeting class-leading fuel economy and low emissions, without forgetting performance. The Vertrek is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged Ecoboost four-pot with start and stop technology.

Outside the U.S., the new global compact SUV will also receive Duratorq diesel engines, such as the recently updated 2.0-liter motor, which delivers better fuel economy and CO2 emissions reduced by up to 7 percent, depending on application.

The key markets for the Vertrek-based series model are expected to be North America, Europe and China.

By Csaba Daradics

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Flashback: Steve McQueen Drives the 2005 Ford Mustang... 25 Years after His Death

In 1980, the world lost a cultural icon. Steve McQueen, the star of such films as Bullitt and Le Mans, had died. Metastatic cancer had claimed the life of the King of Cool.

Still, the legacy lives on. The actor’s love of cars and motorcycles was well known. McQueen competed in many motor races including the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Baja 1000. He also owned several semi-unique vehicles including a Jaguar XKSS, a Porsche 356 Speedster and a Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso. Here was a man who loved his cars almost as much as we loved his movies.

Flash forward 25 years. In 2005, Ford released this ad for the fifth generation Ford Mustang. In it, a farmer carves a racetrack through his cornfield in a non-too-subtle nod to the 1989 film, Field of Dreams. As in that movie, “If you build it, he will come.”, and Steve McQueen magically appears out of the cornfield (looking pretty good for someone who’s been dead and buried for a quarter of a century) and takes the wheel of the Mustang for one last turn around the track.

Through the use of a body double and some nabbed footage, McQueen is there in the cornfield and behind the wheel. Even five years on the ad is pretty impressive from a purely technical standpoint. But don’t take my word for it! Watch it yourself and let us know what you think.

By Tristan Hankins

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VIDEO: Sanitation Workers Wreak Havoc on a Parked Ford Explorer

Even if you know your winter driving ABCs and have properly equipped your car, sometimes there’s no way to avoid getting snowed in. Should that happen in a thriving metropolis, chances are that the sanitation “cavalry” will have your back covered. However, this wasn’t the case in New York, as a Sanitation Department loader got stuck and, in what can only be described as a very poor effort of trying to free it, the on-the-scene personnel seriously damaged a city owned - ah, the irony - Ford Explorer parked nearby.

Check out the video after the jump to see dumb and dumber at work.

By Csaba Daradics

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Flashback: Delta Lloyd's Epically Awesome Boomcar Commercial

Even though this commercial from Delta Lloyd, an insurance company with operations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, has been making the internet rounds for quite some time now, somehow it slipped under our radar. Now, no thanks to a tip from one of our readers, we've probably wasted half of our day watching the clip over and over again... Yes, it's that awesome. Follow the jump to watch the Euro-tuned Boomcar ad along with a few more equally humorous commercials (all featuring the tag-line 'must be Delta Lloyd insured') from the Dutch insurer.

Hat tip to Nick!

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VIDEO: 800 hp Shelby GT500 Blows Up During Dyno Test

We don’t know if this is a factory 800-horsepower Super Snake or a privately tuned GT500, but something went very wrong during this dyno test... It might have happened due to insufficient cooling or a faulty component - we just don't know. Whatever the cause, the owner is one unhappy guy. Follow the break and watch the engine going up in flames and a cloud of smoke.

By Csaba Daradics

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VIDEO: Ford Shows Off 2012 Focus ST on the Road

For anyone secretly hoping that the Ford Focus ST Paris Show car would look better in motion, we're sorry to say it does not. Somehow this video makes that 'gaping mouth' grille look even worse, and all the odd creases and curves stand out even more. That 'Tangerine Scream' paintwork isn't doing it any favors either.

Admittedly, the Paris Show Car makes the old, pre-facelift ST look boring and understated by comparison, but is it really better to be garishly ugly than conservatively dull? At least things are better under the bonnet. A 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder good for 250 hp should make the new ST a real corker when it launches in 2012, as will the rumored dual-clutch Powershift 'box.

Here's hoping Ford reconsiders the styling before then. Oh well, at least if you're driving it, you can't see that hideous gaping grille.

By Tristan Hankins

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What were they Thinking? Mercury’s ‘Wrist-Twist’ from the 1960s

Styling trends come and go, but if there's one thing that has remained relatively unchanged in the past 105 years of personal motoring: the steering wheel.

Although plastics have replaced iron and wood and airbags (1970s) and radio controls (1990s) have been added, the basic design remains the same: a circular ring with spokes connected to a central hub.

Some cars had horns in a ring circling the hub (Mercedes-Benz 300SL), others had oblong steering wheels (Austin Allegro) and a few had only one spoke (Citroen DS). At the end of the day though, they all had some sort of steering wheel... except this car.

At Mercury, engineer Bob Rumm produced this one-off 1965 Mercury Park Lane convertible with so-called "wrist-twist" steering controls. The standard steering wheel has been replaced by two 5-inch, wrist-operated dials, that the promo claims frees up knee room, improves visibility and makes parking easier. Now take a moment to consider why Mr. Rumm is an "ex-"missile engineer at the height of the Cold War.

The promo also cheerfully informs us that the wrist-twist can be used by, "a driver who promises to be about as non-technical as they come," by which they mean a woman. Carscoop is reliably informed they can vote now [...].

I suppose we should be thankful that a lot of these concepts, including the wrist-twist, never left Ford's Dearborn proving grounds.

It's the sort of thing that could only have been made in the 1960s, the decade that gave us the laser, manned spaceflight and Astroturf. Like everything else, cars were becoming more futuristic, and by futuristic we mean daft. And by daft we mean Modern Mechanix of the 1930s daft.

It's also the sort of thing the Ford Motor Company was coming up at the time. Just for fun, type 'Ford Nucleon' into Google, and see what other disastrous innovations motorists of the 1960s were spared.

By Tristan Hankins

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Real-Life Transformer Fulfills All Our Childhood Fantasies

This video of a real-life Transformer snapped rolling on Hollywood Boulevard has been making the rounds on YouTube for a few months. No, it's not a lame viral marketing attempt by Citroen or a trailer for a new shaky cam Michael Bay / Jerry Bruckheimer movie.

It's a guy in a transforming Transformers costume. How cool is that? Remember when you were a kid and you had that cardboard box that you used to hold around your waist, pretending to be a fire truck? This is like that, but a million times cooler.

The video says its Optimus Prime but come on; everyone knows Optimus is a big rig. Binaltech has a Mustang Transformer called Wheeljack, but that's pretty obscure even from a fanboy perspective. It could be Barricade from the 2007 movie but if so, where's the police get up?

The pièce de résistance of course is the vinyl roof. Well, it's either that or a convertible roof, but the former is much funnier.

By Tristan Hankins

2011 Ford Explorer SUV Development Continues in Dubai [with Video]

Ford has released some new pictures and video footage of the new Explorer SUV hot-weather testing in Dubai. According to the Dearborn automaker, with a 50 percent humidity factor and midday temperatures pushing over 125 degrees Fahrenheit, the desert climate provides "an ideal environment to test and validate vehicle performance in some of the world's most extreme conditions."

Chief Engineer for Vehicle Engineering Don Ufford adds one more reason to the list as to why Ford's trying out the new 7-seater Explorer in Dubai, and that is to listen to what local customers have to say about the SUV model.

"We regularly sell close to 10,000 Explorers per year in the Middle East market," Ufford says. "SUV drivers in this part of the world regularly use the broad range of capabilities these vehicles offer. Our rationale for testing in Dubai is simple: If we can perform well here, we can do well anywhere."

Along with numerous other tests, including for the effectiveness of the air conditioning system, Ford claims Dubai also offers unique terrain characteristics to validate the Explorer's four-wheel drive capabilities.

"Customers here regularly drop tire pressure and head off into the sand dunes for off-road vehicular recreation," said Ufford. "We wanted to make the terrain management system on the new Explorer easy and intuitive to use so customers have the confidence to go off-road without worrying about whether they have properly engaged all the vehicle systems."

The freshly revealed 2011 Explorer will be offered in the States with a choice of two engines, either a 290HP 3.5-liter V6 or a 235HP 2.0-liter EcoBoost Turbo four-pot. Sales in North America will begin later this year, while Ford plans to export the Explorer to more than 90 markets globally starting from early 2011.

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Ford Hires Santos, a Virtual Soldier Turned Into Worker

After GM announced its R2 space robot, how long could it be before the Blue Oval had something futuristic to show off? Ford recently introduced Santos, a new virtual-reality stress-testing digital man.

Santos, derived from the Department of Defense's Virtual Soldier Research program, is Ford's next stage of virtual work assistance. He works in a simulated Ford factory and measures the effects of real-world stress by combining a "complete biomechanical muscular system" with "predictive dynamics".

Ford ergonomics technical specialist Allison Stephens thankfully explains it in layman's terms:

"Creating the safest and most ergonomic way to build a vehicle is a trial-and-error process – in recent years technology has allowed this process to happen in the virtual world. Santos takes this to a new level. He can perform a task and tell us whether over months and years it will cause back strain, for example, and we can make adjustments until we find the optimal way to get the job done."

As soon as testing is complete, Santos will be put to work helping find new, helpful ways to keep people safe and healthy.

By Phil Alex

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New Ford Fiesta Takes on a Lamborghini Gallardo, Lives to Tell the Tale [Video]

Ford's looking to make a big statement with its upcoming Fiesta, and it seems like the new-age consumer-driven marketing has been a success. Now, the gurus behind the campaign have come up with a new one.

Recently, they put out a challenge to the public: come up with different tests to help assess the Fiesta and see how it stacks up against some major players. This one pits the upcoming Fiesta hatch against a Lambo in some real-world (and Fiesta-centric) tests.

It's a tad cheesy, but you should still be able to enjoy the show. Video after the break.

By Phil Alex

Boston Says "Yes, Please" to Ford Transit Connect Taxis

The city of Boston, Massachusetts has become the first city in America to officially approve of Ford's Transit Connect (2010 North American Truck of the Year) as a taxi.

Mark Cohen, Boston PD Licensing Division director, says this about the Transit Connect: "It's the closest thing to a purpose-built vehicle for taxi use that I've seen in 25 years." I guess he's never been to the UK...

For many places, the issue with replacing the large, Panther-based Crown Victorias has been the regulation of vehicles that are allowed to perform taxi duties. A successor would have to meet various size/measurement/cargo/safety standards before approval, and the city of Boston has deemed the TC Taxi worthy of the job.

Why is it a good follow-up? "Its open architecture provides excellent interior headroom and passenger visibility and, with 6.5 inches of ground clearance, passengers step easily through the sliding doors."

So it's roomy and ingress/egress are a cinch. That's important, but another factor has been on everyone's mind when it comes to purchasing fleet vehicles: efficiency.

The TC Taxis come standard engine with a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder and an automatic transmission, which are said to return up to 30% improved fuel economy. Other options include packages that can convert the taxis to run on either compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied propane gas (LPG), which will take cleanliness, efficiency, and cost savings to an even higher level.

"According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CNG is less expensive and burns cleaner than gasoline, resulting in 30 to 40 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. Propane also burns cleaner than gasoline."

CNG tanks can be stored behind the rear seats and there's still enough room for luggage, says Ford.

Other factory-installed fleet-vehicle necessities (or bonuses) include vinyl flooring, third-row windows, and a "wiring upfit" package. The rear seat (available in vinyl for durability and late-night clean-ups) was also moved back 3 inches for improved legroom, and a heating/cooling system was added for second-row passenger comfort.

When it comes to future tech, Ford is working with CMT (Creative Mobile Technologies) "to integrate premier payment processing and passenger information technologies in the taxi, including an 8.4-inch electronic infotainment and navigation screen that shows cab fares, news, weather, sports scores and stock ticker."

Congratulations, Boston, on becoming Test Market #1. Let's hope this works, because those Crown Vics are getting ratty.

By Phil Alex

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