Ford and Chevy News

Ford Taurus and Explorer Police Interceptor production begins

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Government/Legal, Crossover, Ford, Police/Emergency

Ford has begun producing the company's two new Police Interceptor models. According to Ward's Auto, both the Taurus and Explorer-based cruisers are rolling off of the line at the automaker's Chicago Assembly Plant. All told, the sedan variant has accounted for around 60 percent of orders so far. Currently, the law enforcement market is Ford's to lose: Dearborn has controlled up to 70 percent of police car sales in the U.S. with its now defunct Crown Victoria in the past, but General Motors has made it clear it wants a larger slice of that pie. GM has given law enforcement agencies an alternative to the two Interceptors from Ford with its Caprice PPV and Tahoe law enforcement SUV. Even so, Ford remains confident it will stay on top of the police market. The company says that early orders indicate it will remain the segment leader. With a turbocharged, direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 engine in place of the old 4.6-liter V8 found in the Crown Victoria, Ford also says its new Interceptor models should be capable of returning 20 percent better fuel economy - an attribute that should salve relationships somewhat with fleet orderers who were fond of the anvil-like reliability and simplicity of the old Crown Vic.

Ford Taurus and Explorer Police Interceptor production begins originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Newt Gingrich: "You cannot put a gun rack in a Chevy Volt"

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:57:00 +0000

Filed under: Hybrid, Etc., Government/Legal, Videos, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Electric

Looks like Newt Gingrich is getting into the right-wing, "let's-all-hate-on-the-Chevrolet-Volt" bandwagon. During a campaign stop at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK, the trailing Republican candidate said, "Let me start from a simple premise that Oklahomans will understand: you cannot put a gun rack in a Volt," Talking Points Memo reports. It appears that Gingrich is trying out a new attack line, as Raw Story is reporting that he used a similar line at an event in Suwanee, GA. There, he continued, "There is no reason not to believe that we couldn't stabilize with American production by drowning demand in supply the old-fashioned, free market way. There's no reason we couldn't have a stable price around $2 or $2.50 [per gallon]." As you might imagine, it didn't take long for a Volt owner to take Mr. Gingrich's words as a challenge... you can see the predictable YouTube results after the jump.

Continue reading Newt Gingrich: "You cannot put a gun rack in a Chevy Volt"

Newt Gingrich: "You cannot put a gun rack in a Chevy Volt" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Tourneo Custom Concept previews new European people mover

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:01:00 +0000

Filed under: Concept Cars, Minivan/Van, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Ford

Let's clear the air. This is not - we repeat, not - the Ford E-Series -replacing Transit that will be built and sold in the United States next year. According to our contacts at Ford, this Tourneo Custom Concept previews what the next generation of front-wheel-drive, passenger-friendly Transits will look like when they go on sale in Europe and other world markets. The North American-spec van will be based off of the heavy-duty, rear-wheel-drive Transit that's set to debut later this year. So, let's talk Tourneo. This eight-passenger van is essentially Ford's answer to vehicles like the Renault Trafic or Volkswagen Caravelle - more butch than a minivan, with a higher ride height and more interior space. Ford says that the Tourneo Concept boasts a rich, comfortable, leather-trimmed interior with seats that can be rearranged into a number of different configurations. Ford has only released this one image as of now, but it's clear that the automaker's Kinetic design has found a home on even its largest vehicles. Up front is the Blue Oval's signature trapezoidal grille, and strong profile lines on the sides swoop upward toward the rear in an effort to make this barn-on-wheels look as fluid and sleek as possible. Under the hood, a range of 2.2-liter turbo-diesel powertrains are available, in 98-, 123- and 153-horsepower variants, all of which are mated to a six-speed manual transmission. We'll see the Tourneo in person in just a few weeks at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. As for the U.S.-spec Transit, it'll be a while before that officially breaks cover. Hit the jump for all of the juicy Tourneo Concept details in Ford's press release.

Continue reading Ford Tourneo Custom Concept previews new European people mover

Ford Tourneo Custom Concept previews new European people mover originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GT500-crashing kid to get Tosh.0 web redemption [w/video]

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:01:00 +0000

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Videos, Ford, Humor

Seasons may change, time may pass, but the internet never forgets. It's been six years since then-14-year-old Joey drove his father's brand-new Ford Shelby GT500 through the back wall of the family's garage. Video of the event and the ensuing carnage has racked up an astonishing 3.6 million views on YouTube on one account alone, and the clip remains a perennial classic. Now it looks like Joey is finally ready for a little redemption courtesy of the good people at Tosh.0. The show routinely features people who are internet stars for all the wrong reasons in the "web redemption" segment. Daniel Tosh, the show's host, allows those maligned by the power of the internet one more shot at infamy while reenacting the event that made them infamous to begin with. Joey will explain his side of the GT500 calamity on the newest episode of Tosh.0 airing on February 21. Click past the jump to see the crash one more time. Trust us, it never gets old.

Continue reading GT500-crashing kid to get Tosh.0 web redemption [w/video]

GT500-crashing kid to get Tosh.0 web redemption [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 configurator burns up the internet

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:28:00 +0000

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

Chevrolet's fire-breathing, Nürburgring-shredding Camaro ZL1 can now be custom configured for your very own garage - at least your virtual one. The 580-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8-powered Chevrolet won't come cheaply, starting at $54,995, and choices are limited. Major options include paint (we're kind of fond of the $325 Rally Yellow scheme shown above, though perhaps it's a little too Transformersque), transmission choice (six-speed manual or automatic), wheel finish, sunroof and faux suede interior bits. Given that this is a small-volume model with serious performance intentions, we're not bothered by the limited decision tree offered by the configurator, and it helps tamp the bottom line down. Build your own by checking out the link below, or compare and contrast builds against the ZL1's nemesis, the Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 by checking out the latter's configurator here.

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 configurator burns up the internet originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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