Ford

Live from the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show

We're on the floor at the Los Angeles Auto Show this Wednesday and Thursday, bringing you coverage of the latest launches and concept cars from the U.S., Japan, and Germany.

Our preview coverage is up, with teasers from the automakers about the Nissan 370Z and the 2010 Mustang. We also have photos of the five finalists for the LA Auto Show Green Car of the Year, as well as the LA Design Challenge. Stay with us throughout the week for videos, blogs, and photos. And if you are in Los Angeles, the show is open to the public … Read more

Photos: Ford teases the 2010 Mustang

With Dodge and Chevrolet's entrants into the modern pony-car wars revealed, Ford's almost-4-year-old Mustang is starting to look a bit dated and a bit short on power. But that could all change with the unveiling of the 2010 Mustang update at the 2008 LA Auto Show.

Ford has been leaking teaser shots all over the Internet leading up to the unveiling at the 2008 LA Auto Show. Let's have a look and see what changes we can discern.

We don't expect to see a drastic change in the Mustang formula, but it looks like we'll … Read more

Five finalists for LA Auto Show Green Car of the Year

Five finalists were announced for the 2008 LA Auto Show's Green Car of the Year award. Only one of them can be crowned king, but which will it be?

There are a broad range of green technologies represented in this year's field: clean diesels, gasoline-electric hybrids, and a tiny, thrifty gasoline engine.

Will the winner be the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, which we've heard so much about over the past few months? Perhaps it will be the newly announced BMW 335d, with its 50-state-compliant clean diesel? Representing gas-electric hybrids are the Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid and the … Read more

93: Fighting back against yellow traffic lights

Hyundai is said to be sniffing around Chrysler, a new Web site blows whistle on short yellow lights, Porsche is more bank than car company, and a ride in the polarizing Ford Flex.

Listen now: Download today's podcast SHOW NOTES

• Cooley's 2009 Ford Flex video

• Short yellow lights Web site

• Pioneer retail stores

• Green Car of the Year nominees

• How Porsche REALLY makes money!

Review: 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

Just a year after it got an update, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid gets yet another update for 2009, but this one counts for a lot. Ford fits it with the best cabin tech available, which includes the excellent Sync system for integrating MP3 players and cell phones, along with Sirius Travel Link, giving you traffic information and gas prices right in the car. The Mariner Hybrid also gets a bigger gas engine than the previous model, but it doesn't bring the EPA mileage numbers down. During our testing, it didn't seem to make much difference either way.

Read the review. … Read more

Video: Ford's SmartGauge in motion

Ford's SmartGauge system is set to debut on the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. We've seen what it looks like and what it can do. I have to say that the SmartGauge looks great in pictures, but it looks so much better in motion.

I wonder how much of this will translate directly into production. The interface is slick, but the "efficiency leaves" feature seems sort of gimmicky, where a simple mpg readout would suffice.

Ford gives hybrids green gauges

Earlier we reported on the 2010 Ford Fusion, with photos of the model update. Today we have news of the hybrid version of the Fusion and the 2010 Mercury Milan, due to hit dealers in the first quarter of 2009. Both cars get a new generation of the full hybrid system currently used in the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. Ford isn't giving out many details about this new hybrid system beyond the fact that it will get 5 mpg more than the Toyota Camry Hybrid. However, Ford has shown off the instrument cluster for the cars, a new concept in helping driver's learn about their cars and achieve maximum fuel economy.

We've long been fascinated by the power flow animations in current hybrid cars, which show when power is coming from the electric motor of gas engine. Ford takes this idea a step further, placing LCDs on either side of the speedometer. Similar to concept cars we've seen at many car shows, the LCDs can be configured to show different kinds of information. Ford breaks the different standard displays down like this:

Inform: Fuel level and battery charge status Enlighten: Adds electric vehicle mode indicator and tachometer Engage: Adds engine output power and battery output power Empower: Adds power to wheels, engine pull-up threshold and accessory power consumption… Read more

2010 Ford Fusion still looks like a multiblade razor

The new Ford Fusion has been revealed and guess what, it still looks like a multiblade razor.

The three-bar grill has expanded beyond the frame of the headlamps and now dominates the front end of the vehicle. While the headlamps themselves shrink in size and become more aggressive and horizontal in orientation. The lower grill loses its horizontal bars to become a gaping maw.

Under the hood, the Fusion (and by association, the Mercury Milan) receives three powerplant options. The first is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that features fuel saving feature called Aggressive Deceleration Fuel Shut-off. Essentially, the system … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 840: A box of evil

Hey, this sounds like a good idea! Create an artificial intelligence that's the incarnation of pure evil and immorality. You know, just to "study" it. It'll never get out. (Ugh.) So, that's happening today, along with Microsoft's announcement of its cloud OS, Azure; Chevy determines that hybrid SUVs won't make money no matter how you build them, and Wired tries to say the DMCA has been a good thing. Oh, and in addition to Oprah, Molly likes Martha.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 840

Microsoft's Azure cloud platform: A guide … Read more