Cars

Ford Motor Co. donates thousands of COVID-19 face shields to US military

Ford Motor Co. has finalized an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to donate 200,000 face shields to military bases across the U.S. and abroad to protect against the coronavirus. The face shields are constructed from car parts and made in Michigan as part of Ford’s response to the pandemic crisis. Now they have been shipped around the world to locations including Fort Hood in Texas, the New Hampshire National Guard, the U.S.S. Ford aircraft carrier, Afghanistan and Syria, according to the Dearborn-based automaker. “We know that our military has to stand ready to fight, regardless of COVID-19, and we just wanted to make a donation giving back to our service members,” Vanessa Benson, Ford’s military ambassador and a retired Army colonel, told Fox News. The Department of Defense officially accepted the donation on April 28 deeming the face shields will be in the best interest of the military, according to a letter to Ford from Under Secretary of Defense Ellen M. Lord viewed by Fox News. “This gift will benefit the Department by helping to protect DoD non-medical personnel participating in FEMA COVID-19 response operations,” Lord wrote. The Defense Department valued the face shields at $5 each so Ford’s donation was worth an estimated $1 million. Fort Hood, Texas, already received 50,000 face shields and West Point, N.Y. got their shipment of 30,000, which Ford hopes will be on display when cadets come back to campus and congregate on June 13 for their graduation from the U.S. Military Academy. President Trump announced he will be the commencement speaker. “We hope to see them use [the face shields] for their graduation in June,” Benson said. During the pandemic, Ford Motor Co. had to stop making automobiles for the first time since World War II, but reconfigured some of its southeast Michigan plants to make personal protective equipment and ventilators. Trump visited the Ford plant in Ypsilanti Township on Thursday to thank the workers who stepped up during the crisis and returned to work to make life-saving equipment. “In our nation’s war against the invisible enemy, the hardworking patriots here today answered the call to serve. You proved that the American worker is … ‘Built Ford Tough,'” Trump told the Ford workers, in a nod to the company’s slogan. “… You’ve made America proud and you’ve made Ford proud. And America is very proud of Ford.” Ford started manufacturing the face shields March 23 at the Troy Design and Manufacturing in Plymouth Township, Mich. They’re made by automobile workers who volunteered to come back to work for the special project during the pandemic when in some cases they would have made more money staying home on unemployment. In all, more than 1,000 Ford employees signed up to work at four southeast Michigan auto plants that have been converted to make ventilators, masks, respirators and face shields. Since then, Ford has produced more than 18 million face shields, at a rate of about one every second to help essential workers and health care professionals during the pandemic. Ford shipped more than 15 million face shields to all 50 states and Puerto Rico to help with the growing need for personal protective equipment. May is National Military Appreciation Month and the face shield donation is an extension of Ford’s ongoing military and veteran outreach campaigns, known as Proud to Honor. “For this Memorial Day, we want to thank all those that are serving and, most importantly, remember all those that we have lost because freedom isn’t free in this country,” Benson said. “And we’ve had a lot of people who’ve had to sacrifice for us to have our freedom.”

Indeed..  Major kudos to Ford for stepping up like this.  Excellent!!    🙂

Dirty cars are a major dating turn-off, survey finds

When it comes to relationships, seven in 10 believe having a dirty car is a turn-off, according to new research. A poll of 2,000 American drivers discovered that over half (51 percent) would go so far as to end a first date early if their date showed up in a dirty car. In fact, having a messy car is such a massive turn-off that 23 percent have even ended a relationship with someone because of their filthy vehicle. The study, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Meguiar’s, aimed to discover how people feel about their dirty cars and uncovered nearly half (49 percent) of respondents admit to having a messy car. Whether it’s old food wrappers, dirty blankets or expired drinks, 68 percent of those with messy cars are completely embarrassed to have people in their car, given its filth. Yet 45% said containing the mess in their cars is overwhelming. Nearly a quarter (24 percent) said they avoid cleaning their cars because they know it’ll just get messy again shortly thereafter. Forty-one percent don’t think it’s all that important to have a tidy car while a further one in five don’t even know where to begin when it comes to cleaning their cars. And another 24 percent would much rather clean their toilet than have to tidy up their car. Results revealed 62 percent of those surveyed would rather have a dirty car than a dirty home. When asked about the junk found in people’s cars, three in 10 revealed their cars are filled with crumbs while a further 28 percent said they have empty bottles taking up way too much space in their cars. Three in five respondents said their cars are filled with stuff they need to pursue their passions. “As a brand that’s all about reflecting your passion, we understand that people have a myriad of passions and, sometimes, it’s those passions that can lend themselves to having a messy car,” said a spokesperson for Meguiar’s. “In fact, while some people may not normally be passionate about maintaining a clean car, if they are looking to feel more productive, have a healthier love life or be happier overall, a nice cleaning could significantly benefit them in the long run.” A majority of Americans believe their entire life would be better off if they had tidier vehicles. Seventy-eight percent said a clean car makes them feel like they have their life more together. Results revealed there is actually a connection between your car’s tidiness and how productive people are (or can be). In fact, two in three said they are more productive when they have a clean car. “Just like a clean house or a tidy office space, a clean car often comes with a variety of benefits,” added the spokesperson for Meguiar’s. “By taking the time to maintain a clean car, people reveal their life has positively benefited as a result of their commitment to car tidiness.” TOP 5 THINGS AMERICANS WOULD RATHER CLEAN THAN THEIR CARS 1. Dishes 36% 2. Dusty shelves 29% 3. Kitchen sink 27% 4. Toilet 24% 5. Bathtub 24% TOP 5 DIRTIEST PARTS OF A CAR 1. Floor 41% 2. Backseat 30% 3. Cup holders 27% 4. Dashboard 22% 5. Trunk 22% TOP 5 THINGS IN AMERICANS’ CARS 1. Crumbs 30% 2. Empty bottles 28% 3. Food wrappers 25% 4. Old magazines 24% 5. A blanket 23%

Wow..  Take note and clean you car!    🙂

Trump administration officially rolls back Obama’s fuel efficiency rules

The Trump administration announced new fuel efficiency standards Tuesday that roll back the aggressive plans made by the Obama administration. The rules, which were required by law to be released Tuesday, seek a 1.5% annual increase in fuel efficiency on automobiles beginning next year, a big drop from the 5% increase set by President Obama. The changes to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards would mean average miles per gallon in new vehicles would be around 40 as opposed to the 55 mpg by 2025 that the Obama administration wanted. The administration said the new rules for vehicle fleets, which set mileage standards through 2026, strike a proper balance among consumer needs, the economy and the environment, but critics contended the final rules are insufficiently green. The administration says the new rules will make new vehicles more affordable, which will lead to a major reduction in deaths and injuries as consumers will replace their older, less-safe models with new automobiles that have better safety features. “Our standards are tough but obtainable,” said James Owens, acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “We think we’ve struck the right balance. By reducing the regulatory burden we will get more Americans into newer, safer, cleaner vehicles.” Many automakers say the Obama-era standards would have been difficult to reach, as consumers continue to buy gas-guzzling SUVs and trucks and have turned away from smaller sedans that use less gasoline. With the average price of a new vehicle in the U.S. climbing to $38,000, the administration argued it had become an item increasingly beyond the means of many American families to buy new. The average age of a car on the American highways is 12 years old, up from eight years old in 1990, Mr. Owens and other administrators said in a conference call Monday announcing the new standards. The new regulations should knock at least $1,000 off the sticker price of new vehicles and spur the purchase of up to 2.7 million new cars. That would mean 3,300 fewer fatalities, 397,000 fewer injuries and more than 1.8 million fewer vehicles damaged in crashes, according to the NHTSA and the Environmental Protection Agency, which worked together for 18 months to draw up the new regulations.

This is great news!!    🙂

Jay Leno says he likes domestic cars because ‘I’m American’

Jay Leno can, and pretty much does own any car he wants to. The legendary comic has over 150 of them in a collection that runs the gamut from an original Fiat 500 microcar to a McLaren F1 worth over $17 million. You’ll also find plenty of Bugatti, Lamborghini, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz models parked in the two warehouses he stores them all in. “I’ve got a lot of different cars. I don’t use cars for anything practical at all,” Leno told Fox News Autos. “When my wife and I go out to eat, if there’s not a parking space in front of the restaurant that I can’t see from my table, we are not eating there – thank you very much, okay?” But while he’s often seen driving around L.A. and across the TV screen in foreign classics, when it comes to new cars, he roots for the home team. “I like domestic cars myself because I’m American and I’d like to see the money stay here,” Leno said. So, what are his favorites? Leno said he thinks the high-performance Ford F-150 Raptor is “terrific.” “It’s a really, really good vehicle – I like that a lot.” He’s also such a fan of the Ford GT supercar that he was one of the first people to plunk down $450,000 to buy one. But when it comes to bargain sports cars, he says the Chevrolet Corvette is the world’s best. “You get Lamborghini performance at Chevrolet prices. I mean, the Corvette [ZR1] has 755 horsepower for a third of the price you’d get for a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, and since it’s a Chevy – you can fix it with a hammer and BOOM.” Leno knows what he’s talking about, because he works on his cars himself. Including the 1955 Buick Roadmaster he bought in 1972 for $350 when he moved to California and that he still owns today.

🙂

 

Ford, Nissan, GM Put Tesla Under Pressure with Electric Vehicle Announcements

Ford, Nissan, and GM announced new moves into the world of electric vehicles, creating further competition for Elon Musk’s Tesla. CNBC reports that Tesla shares fell by 3.7 percent this week as auto manufacturers across the world revealed a new interest in electric car manufacturing. Ford chairman Bill Ford stated that the company plans to invest $11 billion in electric vehicles by 2022, hoping to add 40 different hybrid and electric vehicles to their current vehicle lineup. Ford CEO Jim Hackett discussed this with CNBC’s Phil LeBeau at the Detroit auto show on Sunday, saying: “We talked about a huge investment in electric vehicles. We have 16 models that are in design and development. We have a pretty big surprise coming next year.” Similarly, the CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra, told investors before the auto show that the company was working on a fully electric version of their popular Cadillac car, which is reportedly expected to be an SUV model. Nissan revealed that all future models from their “Infiniti” luxury brand will be “electrified,” meaning that they will either be entirely electric or a plug-in hybrid model. At CES in Las Vegas last week, Nissan also debuted their new electric car called the “Leaf Plus” which is set to be available for purchase in early spring and will drive approximately 226 miles per charge of its lithium-ion battery. Over the course of the Detroit auto show, Ford shares rose by 1.9 percent while GM’s rose 1.3 percent, Nissan faced technical difficulties when debuting one of their new cars on stage – their share price remained flat. Tesla recently announced that the company will no longer be taking orders for the popular 75 kWh battery version of their Model S and Model X vehicles, with the 100 kWh battery version becoming the standard model. At the same time, CEO Elon Musk promised that future models of their Roadster vehicle would be able to literally fly.

Ford Just Built its 10 Millionth Mustang

Since March of 1964, Ford’s been building Mustangs. Today, 54 years after production began, the 10 millionth one rolled off the assembly line. As a tribute to the first production Mustang, Ford made sure the milestone car was a white convertible with a V-8 and a manual transmission. To celebrate, Ford held events at its Dearborn headquarters and Flat Rock Assembly Plant that included flyovers from three P-51 Mustang fighter planes and a parade of Mustangs from every generation that drove from Dearborn to Flat Rock. And in case that 10-million-Mustang sales figure isn’t impressive enough, Ford claims the Mustang has been the world’s best-selling sports car for the last three years. Over the last 50 years, Ford says it’s also been the best-selling sports car in the U.S. Having just driven the 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt, it’s clear the original pony car has come a long way in the last 54 years. Even the regular GT now makes 460 hp, up significantly from the first Mustang’s 164. An independent suspension has also transformed the Mustang into a legitimate sports car. “Mustang is the heart and soul of this company and a favorite around the world,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s head of global markets, in a release. “I get the same thrill seeing a Mustang roll down a street in Detroit, London, or Beijing that I felt when I bought my first car—a 1966 Mustang coupe that I drove across the country as a teenager. Mustang is a smile-maker in any language.”

Agreed!!  As a life-long Mustang owner, I can tell you they certainly make me smile!  To see photos from this event yesterday in Michigan, click on the text above.    🙂

Ford to drop slow-selling sedans from lineup by 2020

Ford announced on Wednesday that it will stop selling sedans in North America, saying the Mustang and a new crossover will be the only survivors in a reduced lineup of passenger cars. The Dearborn-based automaker, which reported better first-quarter earnings and revenue than expected, said it will transition to a truck- and SUV-focused lineup over the next few years as a result of declining consumer demand for small cars. The segment also generates weaker profit margins for manufacturers. The revamped Ford car portfolio in North America, the company’s largest market, will be comprised of the Mustang sports coupe and Focus Active, a crossover scheduled to launch next year. Ford’s current lineup of passenger cars includes the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and Taurus sedans. The company didn’t share any new details about the model lineup at its luxury brand, Lincoln. “The key to success is focusing on where your customers are and where your strengths lie, and for Ford doubling down on trucks and SUVs could be just what the brand needs,” said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of industry analysis for Edmunds. “But this move isn’t without risk: Ford is willingly alienating its car owners and conceding market share in segments that, while declining, are still relevant to some buyers.” Ford earned net income of $1.74 billion during the first quarter, up from $1.59 billion in the same period a year earlier. Per-share earnings rose three pennies to 43 cents, beating Wall Street’s estimate of 41 cents. Revenue climbed 7% to $41.96 billion, which also beat forecasts for $37.2 billion. Ford’s bottom line benefited from a lower income tax rate. In an interview on FOX Business’ “After the Bell,” Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks said Ford held its costs in check, despite an increase in commodity prices. Ford plans to achieve $25.5 billion in cost cuts and efficiencies by 2022, an increase of $11.5 billion over its prior estimate. It also expects to boost profit margins to 8% by 2020, two years sooner than it previously expected. CEO Jim Hackett, who took the reins of the automaker last year, has led an effort to improve its financial “fitness” by cutting costs and shifting resources to profitable trucks and SUVs. Ford recently said it would reallocate $7 billion in cash from cars to SUVs Opens a New Window. , which are projected to account for half of the U.S. market by 2020. Ford shares were up 2.6% at $11.40 in after-hours trading Wednesday.

Wow..  If you want your Fusion or Taurus, better get it while ya can!

2018 Ford Mustang adds power, reduces 0-60 mph time

The 2018 Ford Mustang GT will be the fastest ever 0-60 mph – although Ford won’t say precisely how fast — thanks to a new 10-speed automatic transmission, electronic drag mode and upgraded 5.0-liter V8 engine. The V8’s output rises to 460 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, from 435 and 400 for the 2017 Mustang. The new engine and transmission are among a number of updates Ford gave the Mustang to keep fresh this year. A new drag strip mode manages the drivetrain electronically so torque doesn’t drop as the transmission runs quickly though its gears. “You get peak torque straight through,” Mustang chief engineer Carl Widmann said. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo engine also gets quicker, hitting 60 mph in what Ford promises will be less than 5.0 seconds. The 2.3-liter adds torque and the 10-speed automatic, which has been available in the F-150 pickup since last fall, and 30 more pound feet of torque, to 350. Ford has dropped the less powerful 3.7-liter V6 that was previously the Mustang’s base engine. The GT’s 0-60 time requires an asterisk: Being the fastest Mustang GT does not make the new model the necessarily fastest Mustang ever, just the fastest with the base V8. High-output V8s in Shelby models of the Mustang have included the 662-horsepower Shelby GT500 and the current 526-horsepower Shelby GT350. However, the claimed sub-4.0 second time should give the Mustang GT an edge over its archrival, the V8 Chevrolet Camaro SS, which reports 4.0 seconds flat. Drag mode is one of five performance programs the 2018 Mustang will offer. The new 10-speed transmission has quicker shifts and better low-speed response than the outgoing six-speed automatic. Ford will reveal prices and fuel economy for the 2018 Mustang closer to when it goes on sale this fall.

The end is here: The Dodge Viper dies on August 31

The end is nigh for an American sports car icon: The Dodge Viper will officially exit production on August 31, 2017, and the Connor assembly plant where all Vipers have been built will be closed for good. Previously, designer Ralph Gilles let the date slip during a speech at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show earlier this year, but this is the first time Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles has made the date official, according to ClickOnDetroit. The Dodge Viper and its 8.4-liter V-10 engine have been hand-assembled at the facility since the car was launched in 1992, with the current team composed of 87 remaining employees. Fun fact: The short-lived Plymouth Prowler was also built in the assembly plant during its production span from 1999 to 2002. FCA says it anticipates every employee will be offered work at another assembly plant. The Connor assembly plant’s Detroit zip code has also made the Viper the only American sports car actually built in “Motor City.” The Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro are built elsewhere in Michigan, while Chevy Corvette production now emerges from Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Challenger isn’t as American as you’d believe, either — it’s assembled in Canada. So is the Ford GT. The Viper has left an outsize imprint on the automotive industry for the past 25 years. Long known for its untamed nature, the coupe and convertible have always represented a raw piece of American performance, and they’ve taken on the world in the process. The Connor assembly will finish building Viper orders specced through the One-of-One program until the plant’s closure. Those seeking one last chance to own a piece of history will then have to locate their Dodge Viper through a dealership. Thanks for the memories, Viper.

Agreed..  A sad day for American muscle cars..

Hennessey Venom F5 aims to be world’s fastest car at close to 300 mph

Hennessey Performance is looking to hold onto its claim to fame as the builder of the world’s fastest production car. The Texas-based company, which set an unofficial 270 mph mark with its $1.2 million Venom GT, has confirmed production and of its next supercar: the Venom F5. That’s F5 as in the Fujita scale, which measures the wind speeds of tornados and covers a range of 261 mph to 318 mph. The first number is particularly significant, as it is the electronically-limited top speed of the $2.5 million Bugatti Chiron, which is the fastest new car in the world today. Bugatti says the 1,500 hp coupe is capable of much higher speeds, but has yet to prove it by making a run with the limiter disengaged. Along with teaser images of the production Venom F5, which first debuted in renderings back in 2014, Hennessey also announced the establishment of Hennessey Specialty Vehicles, a new division set up to build the car in Sealy, Texas. Although it hasn’t revealed the specifications for the Venom F5, Hennessey predicts that it will get close to 300 mph, if not break it. The Venom GT featured a 1,244 hp 7.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, and was based on the lightweight chassis of a Lotus Exige. Along with achieving the 270 mph top speed, the Venom GT earned a Guinness record for the fastest 0-300 kmh sprint, which it did in 13.63 seconds. Hennessey sold just 13 Venom GTs, split between coupes and open top spiders. Instead of working with an existing car this time around, Hennessey says it is designing and engineering its chassis from scratch. A pair of nostril-like intakes near the bottom of the windshield is one update from the original renderings that can be seen in the teasers. The Chiron’s predecessor, the 1,200 hp Bugatti Veyron Super Sport currently holds the official top speed record at 268 mph, which was the average of two runs in different directions, as per Guinness rules, and set at an ultrafast test track owned by Bugatti parent company Volkswagen in Germany that Hennessey and others do not have access to. The Venom GT’s record was a one-way trip down the Kennedy Space Center’s old 3.2-mile-long Space Shuttle landing runway, while the VW track has a high speed oval that’s 12 miles around with a straight that’s over five miles long. The price and start of production date for the Venom F5 have not been announced, but a full reveal of the car is coming later this year.

Wow..  To see some pics, and a video, click on the text above.   🙂