Now, the only proof of their time spent together is pint-sized Mazda2 which is basically a Fiesta hatch with different body and interior, but with pretty much the same basic mechanical bits underneath (not including the engines; Mazda has its own).
Now, after launching the old 3 which was basically the same as the 2 in that it used a Ford platform (this time the one from the larger Focus) and even shared its 1.6-liter (PSA-sourced) diesel engines on certain markets, Mazda has gone its own way, with a car that’s very different from the current Focus, and all the better for it, as the Car and Driver video posted here reveals.
I recently had a chance to take a quick test drive of the new 3, and while the Focus is an old friend, I must concede that the Japanese car was better in every single way, from the looks, to the drive and the interior – not even the low 120 hp output of the detuned 2.0-liter petrol engine put me off it, as it proved pokey and surprisingly frugal. Those who say it’s a borderline-luxury vehicle do make some sense, especially if the car comes with leather and all the toys that the one I drove had.
Make no mistake, the Focus is not bad either, but it felt inferior to the 3 in almost every respect. Now, do check out the video too – it’s posted after the virtual jump.
By Andrei Nedelea
Today we learned that the Blue Oval will reveal the car on ABC’s Good Morning America (“GMA”) morning talk show in New York. As pointed out by the crew at Mustang6G, the television show is set in Times Square in Manhattan and runs from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM EST, so if you happen to be there, you might as well get a live peek at it (if you do, you know our email…).
We'll remind you that the Detroit carmaker has confirmed that the 2015 Mustang will be unwrapped at 12:01am on December 5, 2013.
The unveiling will take place simultaneously in six cities on four continents, including, Dearborn, MI; New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Barcelona, Spain, Shanghai, China; and Sydney, Australia.
Thanks to MRiley for the tip!
Not to toot our own horn, but we should mention that Josh Byrnes' "Future Car" rendering hit the spot giving us a very precise look at how this concept will evolve into a production model in the next year or so.
The second generation of Ford's mid-size SUV will have a more difficult task as Ford has made the decision to offer the Edge globally.
“The original Ford Edge offered customers in North America a fresh, compelling choice for an accommodating, efficient and safe utility vehicle,” stated Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas. “The next-generation Ford Edge previewed here will build on these cornerstones to create a global vehicle with technology to make life easier, and design and craftsmanship to appeal to customers around the globe.”
To cater to the needs of a much wider audience, Ford says that it has given the next Edge a "sleeker and sportier" appearance, along with better fuel efficiency and technologies that assist the driver, including a system that parks the car all by itself, and adaptive steering that is said to make steering at low speeds "dramatically easier".
No details were provided about the powertrain, but it's almost a given that the production model will use Ford's down-sized Eco Boost engine range.
Coca-Cola says fabric made using this technology consists of up to 30 percent plant-based materials and shows the potential for renewable materials to help replace petroleum and other fossil fuels traditionally used for PET fabric.
Using Coca-Cola’s expertise, Ford has been able to produce the first-ever fiber that can be woven into durable, automotive-grade PET fabric from PlantBottle material.
The two companies say the research vehicle marks the first time PlantBottle Technology is applied beyond packaging, with the two corporations aiming to develop new products produced from renewable materials.
Both Coca-Cola and Ford use PET, a durable, lightweight plastic also known as polyethylene terephthalate, in a variety of products including plastic bottles, fabrics and carpets. Ford says that if all its U.S. models used PlantBottle interior fabrics, nearly 4 million pounds of petroleum-derived materials would be eliminated, saving the equivalent of 295,000 gallons of gasoline and 6,000 barrels of oil.
Ford already uses renewable materials for its Fusion sedans, from sound-absorbing denim material equivalent to more than two average-sized pairs of blue jeans in the car’s carpet liner, to material equivalent to 38.9 clear-plastic 16-ounce recycled bottles in select cloth-seat Fusion models and the equivalent of about 31,250 soybeans in the foam found in Fusion seat cushions.
By Dan Mihalascu
While the new name was dull, the car still featured the Mustang badge on the front grille and looked exactly like U.S. Mustangs. Few of these cars survive to this day, especially from the first series of models introduced in 1964.
However, Ford Germany tracked down one of these early Ford T5s and found out the owner of the car bought it new and maintains it in perfect condition. The video is about Käthe Lowe and her prize-winning T5 that is 100 percent in original condition and looks as if it left the assembly line yesterday.
Needless to say, after 48 years, the T5 has become a member of the family and Mrs. Lowe says it’s still her dream car. You can watch the beautiful story in the video posted below.
By Dan Mihalascu
