DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 31, 2006 – Building on its legacy of bold muscle cars, Ford is introducing a modern, all-American sedan concept that combines “Built Ford Tough” attitude with the sporty elegance of its iconic 1960s sedans.
The Ford Interceptor concept comes equipped with a manual six-speed gearbox mated to a Ford Racing 5.0-liter V-8 Cammer engine that delivers 400 horsepower and runs on E-85 ethanol.
“This concept celebrates the best of American muscle, showing customers what ‘modern muscle’ is all about,” said Peter Horbury, executive director – Design, The Americas. “The Interceptor concept is much like a Marine in dress uniform. He looks smart and elegant but you can see the raw power that lies beneath.”
The folks over at eGMCarTech have put up a scan of a BMW print ad from Spain, depicting a 5-series scaring the bejezus out of a helpless Jaguar XJ. This isn’t the first time that BMW got involved in ad-based name-calling, and it’s something that I think that we should have more of in the US. The jousting and corporate ribbing that took place in the muscle car era made things so much more interesting, with manufacturers actively calling each other out on the racetrack and in print. Here’s hoping that the US divisions of the car world let their ad agencies cut loose on each other and give us a little something extra to laugh at in the car mags.
Animals living in the wild usually find this time of year particularly trying. The dead of winter makes water and food harder to find, and many individuals do not survive. Pundits (Gossipus Speculatum) have the worst time of all, historically having nothing to sustain themselves but the occasional spy photo and leaked press images from the rich auto show season a month away. Conservationist efforts to help keep up pundit numbers, such as moving the Los Angeles Auto Show up to the end of November, have made some headway in preserving population numbers. However, the biggest boost this year in the local pundit populations has been the rumors of GM or Ford merging with a foreign company. When GM CEO Rick Wagoner met with Renault/Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosen back in October, it created a pundit boom that many thought would sustain them well into the Geneva Auto Show. However, the lack of news and the indiscriminate use of NDAs by major automakers has put them back in serious risk. Thankfully, Ford CEO Alan Mulally’s meeting with Toyota executives on Tuesday has given this struggling species just the lift it needed. If Car and Driver keeps on leaking confidential press information and our rumor-recycling program gets off the ground, we might just keep this fragile species off the endangered list.
There are moments in our lives that seem to be frozen in time, when a single piece of news is so life-changing that we never forget where we were and what we were doing when we heard it. Richard Hammond’s crash may not rank up there with the news of the Challenger disaster, the attack on Pearl Harbor, or when you found out that you’re going to have a child, but on the sliding scale of Big Events, the news that Richard Hammond, one of the hosts of one of the greatest TV shows ever made, Top Gear, had crashed a jet-powered dragster at 298 MPH and was in critical condition and comatose after the crash, ranks pretty high up there. As news continued to come out, it just seemed to get worse and worse. Cries of protest from the newspapers, demanding that something be done about Top Gear, to put a stop to their horrible example that’s killing hundreds of teenagers all over the world and has finally caught up to one of the hosts. For a time, it seemed like we might lose one of our most beloved TV personalities and our favorite show all at once. Then the tide began to turn. News that letters and donations were pouring in from fans all over the world came in, then that the BBC would not force Top Gear to change at all, let alone cancel it, and finally that Mr. Hammond was not only out of his coma, but showing remarkable improvement despite his astonishing injuries. It’s only been good news from there, and finally, after a incredibly short recovery period, Richard Hammond appeared on Jonathan Ross’ talk show Friday night, and talked about his injuries and what has happened after that fateful day. Not only that, he’s already driving and is filming segments for Top Gear again. If you’re of a religious type, a prayer of thanks might be in order, and even if you’re not, a toast certainly is (except for Hammond, who can’t drink for two years, the poor bastard), for our one and only Hamster. Cheers, mate.
The new Ford Shelby GT is the third model in the modern Shelby Mustang portfolio, joining the 500-horsepower Ford Shelby GT500 and Hertz rental special, Shelby GT-H.
The 2007 Ford Shelby GT will be priced a starting MSRP of $36,970.
The first production-built Shelby GT, CSM No. 07SGT0001 will go over the auction block in support of the Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Collector Car Event on Saturday, January 20th.
Well, as Mr. Johnson, one of those few who exist in the form of Jalopnik.com said today, it may have taken them 65 years to do it, but the Japanese have finally carried their plans of Pacific Rim domination to fruition. Not only did they pass the Ford Motor Company in domestic sales last month, but according to Toyota’s 2007 sales year predictions, 9.34 million cars and trucks will be sold in the US, a number that analysts say will crush GM’s 2007 sales in much the same way that the Romafeller Foundation unleashed their armada of Mobile Suits and annihilated the Alliance Colonies. Not only that, but the traitorous state of California, always the friendliest state with our new Japanese overlords, will have purchased more Japanese cars than those of any other nation in 2006. What’s next, they take over the American television manufacturing industry?
Festive lighting is all around us, but some sources are much more unusual than others. Car maker Audi, for example, has used LED illumination to spectacular effect in its new R8 sports car, which will not only pierce the night sky with a total of 24 front-mounted LED driving lamps and 186 LED brake lights, but will also shed light on a component that is rarely visible – the engine.
Due to be launched by the Vorsprung durch Technik brand next spring priced from £76,725, the 187mph 2-seater is available with an optional interior light package that not only includes Light Emitting Diode (LED) cabin illumination, but also bathes the engine compartment in LED light, drawing onlookers’ attention to its powerful eight cylinder unit through its clear glass ‘bonnet’.
For the very first time on US soil: the new smart fortwo, celebrating its USA premiere at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit (January 7 to 21, 2007). The new smart fortwo will be available in the USA beginning in the first quarter of 2008. The car shown in Detroit is an European version of the new smart fortwo. Model lines to be available in the United States will be announced at later date.
smart, like Mercedes-Benz and Maybach, is part of the Mercedes Car Group. The exhibition stand is directly opposite Chrysler and Dodge in Oakland Hall (inside Cobo Center). Written in large letters on the stand are the words “Coming to the USA in 2008″. And right in front of it, a smart fortwo with red bodypanels and a silver tridion safety cell.
Mercedes-Benz design study: Concept Ocean Drive design study – the most comfortable and elegant modern-day convertible
At the North American Auto Show Detroit, Mercedes-Benz is adding to its reputation as a pioneer and design trendsetter among premium carmakers with the presentation of its Concept Ocean Drive four-door convertible. This study is a one-off creation by Mercedes-Benz which revives the tradition of large luxury convertibles. Not having to work to a design brief or production specifications left the designers free to get on with the job of developing the world’s most comfortable and elegant convertible.
The Concept Ocean Drive is an aweinspiring jewel on wheels. As a four-door convertible, it belongs in a luxury genre that has almost disappeared from our roads. Like the luxury convertibles of years gone by, this showpiece from Stuttgart features the maximum in elegance, lifestyle sophistication and exclusiveness. To put it another way, it represents automobile culture at its most attractive and desirable.
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