ford

Ford GT returns – in time for 50th Anniversary of 1966 Le Mans win!

Fifty years later, and Ford is bringing the GT back to life! In 1966, Ford had a 1-2-3 finish competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and has very high expectations for the 2016 race. Ford is hoping their new GT will put them back in the supercar game and win on the track, as well as the streets. The new Ford GT will undoubtedly look to be a very respected successor to the 1960’s Ford GT40 and the 2005-06 Ford GT. The GT will feature its new twin-turbocharged EcoBoost 3.5L V6 churning out over 600 horses – the most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever. The 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans is set to take place on June 18 and 19.

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Ford GT Le Mans

The Ford GT Racing Program started its development back in 2013 when they partnered with Chip Ganassi Racing. “We’ve won races and championships, but we’ve never run Le Mans,” team owner Chip Ganassi said. “When presented the opportunity to compete with the all-new Ford GT on the world’s biggest sports car stage, and on the 50th anniversary of one of the most storied victories in racing history, how could any race team not want to be part of that? Will it be a challenge? Absolutely, but we couldn’t be with a better partner than Ford.”

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Ford GT Le Mans

Raj Nair, Ford Motor Company’s VP of Global Product Development and CTO said, “As we developed the Ford GT, from the outset, we wanted to ensure we had a car that has what it takes to return Ford to the world of GT racing. We believe the Ford GT’s advances in aerodynamics, light-weighting and EcoBoost power will make for a compelling race car that can once again compete on a global stage”.

Ford has come out with a series of new videos for the GT revival called “The Return”, about the 50th anniversary of the GT’s legendary win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.

The documentary features Bill Ford, Raj Nair, Dave Pericak and Edsel B. Ford II, who attended the 1966 race with his father, Henry Ford II.

The New York International Auto Show is back!

The New York International Auto Show strikes again! With approximately 1,000 vehicles on display contained under 950,000 sq. ft., the show is one of the world’s biggest and greatest automotive shows for over one million car enthusiasts to check out the newest cars, trucks and SUV’s.

A few dozen, new for 2016, cars made their big debuts at the show. Some of these were the all-new Audi A4 with a power boost up to 252hp, the sixth generation BMW 7 series, the 365hp BMW M2, an all-wheel-drive Ford Fusion V6 Sport and Hyundai’s new flagship brand, Genesis, showed us the new G90. Other debuts include the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Fiat 124 Spider, Cadillac CT6, the 5.0-liter V8 Lexus LX500, Lincoln Continental, Mercedes E-Class with a new 2.0-liter, 241hp four cylinder and the Volvo S90 luxury sedan.

New concept vehicles were also revealed at the show, including the Buick Avista coupe grand tourer, Volkswagen BUDD-e, the Kia A1A Optima and the Kia Telluride.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the New York International Auto Show over the next few days.

Ford opens doors for law enforcement

Ford has always been a staple in law enforcement vehicle history – going all the way back to 1919 when departments used Model T police trucks. Then, came the infamous Crown Victoria era in the early 90s and late 2000s. Now, we have the new Explorers and Tauruses we see most departments using on the roads today.

Ford is taking their dedication to law enforcement one step further, and will now be offering doors that protect against armor-piercing bullets. Since 2008, they’ve offered factory-installed ballistic panels on their police car doors, but they only protect against handgun fire and non-armor piercing bullets. Only about 5 to 10 percent of police vehicles sold by Ford have the optional ballistic protection, which costs about $1,500 per door.

In this photo provided by Ford Motor Company, a Michigan State Police officer and a Ford engineer look at damage to a door of a Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicle during ballistic testing of doors against small arm fire at the Barry County Conservation Club in Hastings, Mich.
This photo provided by Ford Motor Company shows entry holes through the outer skin of the door panel of a Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicle during ballistic testing of doors against small arm fire at the Barry County Conservation Club in Hastings, Mich.
In this photo provided by Ford Motor Company, different types of ammunition used in testing are displayed, foreground, as a Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicle sits parked in the background during ballistic testing of doors against small arm fire at the Livingston Conservation and Sports Association in Brighton, Mich.
In this photo provided by Ford Motor Company, a Michigan State Police officer shoots at the doors of a Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicle during ballistic testing of doors against small arm fire at the Livingston Conservation and Sports Association in Brighton, Mich.
In this photo provided by Ford Motor Company, a Michigan State Police officer shoots at the doors of a Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicle during ballistic testing of doors against small arm fire at the Barry County Conservation Club in Hastings, Mich.

Controlling 60 percent of the US police vehicle market in 2015, Ford will be the first in the US to meet the Justice Department’s highest standard for body armor, which is the equivalent of a bulky SWAT team vest.

The ballistic panels, which cover the majority of the door, have two layers. The first layer is made from ballistic-grade ceramic tile, which disperses the energy and starts to break the bullet into pieces on impact. The inner layer is made from aramid fiber, which is the same material used for Kevlar, and catches the shrapnel from the bullet.

Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations said that “any kind of protection that can be added into the vehicles that officers are driving in is a great idea”, since officers are frequently targeted when they are in their patrol cars.

Unavailable to the public, the doors are destroyed when police cars are scrapped so they don’t wind up in the bad guys’ hands.

Engineering the doors proved to be a challenge since the added weight of the ballistic protection had to be supported by the hinges of the door, though they made it happen. Ford will continue to offer both non-armor piercing and armor-piercing protection doors for departments with different needs. Pricing for upgraded protection has not been announced.

Photo Credit: Ford

Gymkhana Eight is here!

Set on the streets of Dubai, Gymkhana Eight proves, yet again, that Ken Block is one of our favorite Hoonigans.

Piloting a fully custom Ford Fiesta, Block plows through sand, gets a Ford Raptor on two wheels and teases Dubai Police and their crazy car fleet with some spectacular donuts. As is the case with previous Gymkhana specials, the level of action and cinematics is greater than its’ predecessor. Donuts around a moving airplane and on the empty streets of Dubai -Gymkhana 8 does not disappoint.

Stay tuned after the credits roll to get a peek at Ken Block’s Ford Focus RS RX, which will be star car of Gymkhana’s ninth installment, coming soon.

 

Take a look at previous Gymkhana videos:

Gymkhana 1 || Gymkhana 2 || Gymkhana 3 || Gymkhana 4

Gymkhana 5 || Gymkhana 6 || Gymkhana 7 || Gymkhana 8 c

 

REVIEW: 2013 Ford F250 XLT Super Duty
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Gallery at bottom.

Having our first pickup truck to review, we had nothing to compare it to. Now, we know there’s very little to compare to it! Setting the bar high, Englewood Ford got us into the F250 and it was a blast. With a large 6.2L V8 engine pushing out 385 horsepower, we were certain that you could get the truck moving, but moving as fast as it did surprised us. With a 0-60 time of just over 7 seconds for a more than 6,000lb. truck, we were impressed.

While driving the F250, we noticed it had a very smooth, comfortable and enjoyable ride. When making turns or turning around, the large turning radius helped greatly  and the reverse sensors definitely came in handy when backing up! With power extending mirrors and 405 lb-ft. of torque, you’re in great hands with towing a trailer. Additional options included a power sliding rear window, roof clearance lights and AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with USB compatibility. The only drawbacks we found with the F250 was that it was a little dated on the interior and it hadn’t come with the optional leather seats which would have been nice in a $46,000 truck, but other than that, it was very pleasant to drive and highly recommended!

 

Pros: Drove very smoothly for such a large vehicle; great turning radius, acceleration for a 3-ton vehicle was phenomenal, great amount of features for towing and 4WD, good looks!

Cons: Interior was dated; for almost $50grand, I want leather seats!

 

QUICK FACTS:

Base Price: $29,875 || Price as Tested: $46,440

Vehicle Layout: 5-passenger, 4-door, two- or four-wheel-drive pickup truck

Engine: 6.2L V8, 385hp, 405tq || Transmission: 6-speed Automatic

Curb Weight:  6,347lbs || Length/Width/Height: 246.8/104.9/79.7 inches

0-60:  7.2 seconds || EPA City/Highway Fuel Economy: 15/20 mpg

 

RATING: 7.9/10

Exterior: 8

Interior: 7

Acceleration: 8

Braking: 8

Ride: 8

Handling: 8

Gearbox: 8

Audio: 8

Tech: 8

Value: 8

We’d like to thank Steve at Englewood Ford for getting us into the F250. For all of your Ford needs, go check out Englewood Ford in Englewood, NJ and online at http://englewoodford.com/. Make sure you tell him Greg and Dave sent you!

The Cars of NCIS:LA

If you’ve seen CBS’ NCIS:LA, you know the cars Callen, Sam, Kensi & Deeks drive are pretty bold for federal agents. We’re here to take you through a tour of the cars the characters drive, just in time for tonight’s all-new episode at 9/8c on CBS!

Sam Hanna’s Challenger SRT8
Callen’s new Jaguar XKR-S
Callen’s older XKR
Kensi’s SRX (which Deeks often drives)
Kensi’s older SRX from past seasons
Callen’s Aston Martin Rapide
Callen’s S550 which was sadly destroyed
The Ford Excursion is used for recon missions

Also, check out this video featuring NCIS:LA‘s Executive Producer and Director, John Kousakis, talk about the cars featured on the show.

All photos are from the Internet Car Movie Database.

Steve McQueen as Bullitt

Hands down, “Bullitt” featuring Steve McQueen is one of the best car movies made–also boasting one of the most famous car chases. For this movie, Steve McQueen who was an actual racing enthusiast, is seen driving a 1968 Ford Mustang through the hilly streets of San Francisco. Steve McQueen also did most of his stunts for this movie which is not a common thing to find among actors in movies these days. “Bullitt” won an Oscar in 1968 for Best Film Editing. If you have not seen the movie already, go and watch it as soon as you can for a full-throttle thrill!

Police Interceptors: Check Your Mirrors!

Since Ford has discontinued their Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, police departments have been scrambling to find replacements. For the last 20 years, police departments have relied on the Crown Victoria to provide them with the durability, safety and performance that they look for in a vehicle. Now, several car manufacturers, Ford included, have introduced new police vehicles and departments all over the United States have been seen driving the new ones.

Chevrolet has introduced the long-awaited Caprice PPV, but although there is no civilian model, the Caprice PPV is bound to impress. With a standard 3.6L V6 engine producing 301 hp, and an optional, albeit massive, 6.0L V8 producing 355 hp, the Caprice PPV has several configurations to suit the needs of each individual department. The Caprice PPV is able to achieve a combined 18-21 mpg (depending on the engine), which makes police department’s very happy. Other features include a best-in-class top speed of 154 mph, eight airbags (including ones for the knee) and a rollover detection system, and a 5-year/100,000 mile warranty.

Although the Charger police car has been around since 2006, Dodge offered their new Charger Pursuit model in 2011. With a 3.6L Pentastar V6 producing  292 hp and an available 5.7L HEMI V8 producing 370hp, the rear-wheel drive Charger Pursuit had the best fuel economy in Motor Trend’s police vehicle test, offering 16/25 mpg for city/highway. The Charger was awarded a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Ford now has two new police interceptors available: the Police Interceptor Sedan and the Police Interceptor Utility based off of the Taurus and Explorer models, respectively. Having passed a 75-mph rear crash test, the Ford Police Interceptors also have optional ballistic door panels to keep occupants safe. With police-tuned suspension, standard all-wheel drive and a reverse-sensing system on all models, the Police Interceptors have police work in mind! Both feature the 365hp, 3.5L EcoBoost V6 and the 2013 Police Interceptor sedan had the best 0-60 time (5.3 sec.) in Motor Trend’s police vehicle test, while still achieving 16/23 mpg.

As gearheads, we all know what the Crown Victoria’s headlights looked like in our rearview mirrors. Now, there’s a whole new set of headlights to learn.

Check out the new interceptors, here: Ford || Dodge || Chevrolet