Recently, Ford has been a dominant force in cabin tech, introducing new features such as weather reports and gas price information in the navigation system, along with Sync, which offers the best phone and MP3 player support available. But its models have been missing something most car enthusiasts crave: sport performance. That changed at the Chicago Auto Show with the announcement of the Ford Taurus SHO. … Read more
If an electric passenger car is good, an electric people mover is even better. Ford Motor Company on Monday announced plans to bring an all-electric version of the 2010 Transit Connect to the North American market in addition to its 2.0 liter gasoline-powered model.
Based on the global Transit Connect platform, the light commercial vehicle will be built in Turkey and imported to the U.S. It will be outfitted by Smith Electric Vehicles.
Details on the vehicles are few. Ford has not announced the type of battery or its supplier. But if Smith Electric Vehicles' Ampere is similar to what the North American market will receive, the Transit Connect is powered by two 24 kWh lithium ion batteries, giving it a top speed of 70 mph and a range of up to 100 miles.… Read more
China becomes the world's largest car market, but Ford is unable to unload Volvo there; you may get to write off part of your next car purchase; and we drop the top on a Corvette convertible. In January.
Listen now: Download today's podcast SHOW NOTES• China overtakes the U.S. in auto sales for the first time
• GM eyes S.F. and D.C. as early home runs for the Volt
• CNET Review of the Corvette Convertible
• Audi Q5 hybrid on the way to the U.S.
Ford Motor Co. announced that it will be joining the ranks of automakers offering dual-clutch transmissions. The new six-speed automated manual transmission has been dubbed PowerShift, and will debut in North America in 2010 for the small-car segment, which means Ford Focus and the upcoming Fiesta. In a world populated with DCTs, SSTs, PDKs, and DSGs, we're just happy that we don't have to learn another acronym.
Ford is marketing the PowerShift as a fuel-saver, which means you won't be seeing this transmission under the hood of the Shelby GT500 anytime soon. The automaker cites the fuel … Read more
DETROIT--Magna International could assemble the electric vehicle that Ford Motor unveiled at the Detroit auto show, the supplier's executives say.
If so, Magna will become, after years of trying, the first auto supplier in recent history to do final assembly on a contract basis for a North American automaker. Ford has not yet made a decision on such an arrangement.
"It will depend on volume," Magna co-CEO Don Walker told Automotive News. "We need to get the vehicle to market and assess how many people will buy or lease it and final cost before it is … Read more
There may be a lot of new green cars on the floor at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but powerful cars still have a strong presence. We take a look at the new Ford Shelby, Jaguar R series, Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro, the last SLR, and a new supercar from Revenge. These cars show there is still a place for highly tuned engines with performance-oriented suspensions.
See photos of the fastest new cars from the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.
A flagship sedan represents the best you can get from a given automaker. It should encapsulate the latest design ideas, power train components, and cabin electronics, leading the way for other models of the brand.
At the 2009 Detroit auto show, two such sedans, the 2010 Ford Taurus and the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, saw significant updates. Each model has its strengths, and each shows the automakers hard at work on a new generation of vehicles, with new styling ideas and a willingness to experiment.
See photos of the 2010 Ford Taurus and the 2010 Buick LaCrosse at the 2009 Detroit auto show. … Read more
At the 2009 Detroit auto show, you will be greeted by a tranquil surprise if you venture below the main hall down to the lower level Michigan Hall--silently running cars drive along a curving road running through a pine forest. Yes, you are still inside, and much warmer than if you were out in Michigan's winter. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation set up this forest scene, inviting car companies to show off cars that can run on electricity. Visitors will be able to take a ride in cars such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Dodge Durango Hybrid, Cadillac Escalade … Read more
Our heads are still spinning a bit from the onslaught that was the in-car electronics hall of CES 2009. From every direction, there were speakers the size of extralarge pizzas and flashy video displays vying for your attention. Amidst the cacophony, our (ahem) skilled Car Tech editors were able to spot a few gems and a few diamonds in the rough.
As evidenced by our Car Tech category Best of CES finalists, we predict that the next big thing in in-car entertainment is connectivity. Our winner, Gracenote CarStars, puts a star's avatar in your reasonably priced car by pairing … Read more
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Christina Milian and the gadgets she loves
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