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2012 FORD MUSTANG BOSS 302 BRINGS ROAD RACING LEGEND BACK TO THE STREETS

admin — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:13:18 +0000

THE BOSS IS BACK: 2012 FORD MUSTANG BOSS 302 BRINGS ROAD RACING LEGEND BACK TO THE STREETS

* The Boss returns! Limited production 2012 Mustang Boss 302 set to become the quickest, best-handling straight-production Mustang ever offered by Ford, based on the world-class foundation provided by the 2011 Mustang GT
* Boss upgraded in nearly every vehicle system; engine output, brakes, suspension, interior and exterior all examined to optimize weight, aerodynamics and track performance >
* Full Mustang team effort results in a comprehensive re-engineering available only through the factory; new Boss is not a package that can be purchased out of a catalog or achieved through tuning or aftermarket parts
* Limited-production track-oriented Boss 302 Laguna Seca model expands on Boss racing aspirations, deleting rear seat and adding race-ready suspension and aerodynamic treatments

Ford gave the green light only once before: In 1968, management approved a special Mustang – a car that sacrificed nothing in its quest to be the best all-around road-going performance machine ever created by Ford Motor Company. That car became the 1969 Mustang Boss 302, and it remains one of the world’s most sought-after examples of American performance.

Forty-two years later, Ford has given the green light again.

The team of Ford engineers, designers and stylists – all Mustang enthusiasts to the core – that created the groundbreaking 2011 Mustang GT has distilled a new model to its purest form, strengthening, lightening and refining each system to create a race car with a license plate. Its name: the 2012 Mustang Boss 302.

“The decision to build a modern Boss was not entered into lightly,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “The entire team at Ford felt the time was right and with the right ingredients, the world-class 2011 Mustang could support a successful, race-bred, worthy successor to the original Boss 302. For us that meant a production Mustang that could top one of the world’s best – the 2010 BMW M3 – in lap times at Laguna Seca. We met our expectations.”

To celebrate the racing heritage of the new Mustang Boss 302, Ford will also offer a limited number of Boss 302 Laguna Seca models, named for the track where Parnelli Jones won the 1970 Trans-Am season opener in a Boss 302. Aimed at racers more interested in on-track performance than creature comforts, the Boss 302 Laguna Seca has increased body stiffness, a firmer chassis set-up and an aerodynamics package carried over almost in its entirety from the Ford Racing Boss 302R.

More: 2012 Boss 302 Mini Site

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Ford Mustang Magic ? How It All Began

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:55:50 +0000

Ford Motor Company has sold well over 10 million Mustangs in the past 46 years and created 100 million more memories of youthful indulgence, magical first dates and unforgettable Friday night cruises. Now, as the fifth-generation 2011 Mustang rolls off the assembly line and into Ford dealership showrooms across the country, many who have experienced and reveled in the Mustang mystique think back to how it all started.

The first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan, on March 9th 1964. A month later, on April 17th 1964, Mustang made its worldwide debut. But, the journey from drawing board, to assembly line and to driveways all across the American landscape actually began many years before, in the fertile imagination of a young man named Lee Iacocca.

Iacocca joined the Ford organization in 1946. Although trained as an engineer, he soon realized his personal passion and future was in sales. Iacocca spent years as a field manager helping dealers promote and sell some of Ford’s most undesirable products.

In 1956, his “56 for $56″ campaign, advertising that buyers could purchase a new 1956 Ford for only $56 per month, caught the attention of senior management. Robert McNamara, then vice president of Ford Division, summoned him to Detroit. Once there, Iacocca’s sales savvy soon helped him lap everyone else on the executive fast track. In 1960, Ford chairman Henry Ford II promoted him to Vice President and General Manager of the Ford Division.

Iacocca had long thought that putting a back seat in a sports car would be a great idea. He reasoned that a well-styled, fun-to-drive compact car would appeal to America’s growing number of Baby Boomers.

After a number of presentations to Ford board members, the first prototype 1962 Mustang I was produced. It was a mid-engine two-seat roadster, named after the legendary World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane. On October 7th 1962, race driver Dan Gurney drove the Mustang I prototype over the U. S. Grand Prix course at Watkins Glen, New York.

Iacocca, however, wanted a more practical vehicle, one that would be cheap to produce and generate volume sales. Based on his time in the field as a Ford district manager, he knew its ultimate success would depend on three things: great styling, strong performance and a low price.

After countless re-designs, the 1964 ½ Mustang emerged. The chassis, suspension and drive train components were taken from the Ford Falcon, but the finished vehicle featured a long sweeping hood, full-wheel cutouts, a functional rear seat and high-mounted grill with a free-spirited Mustang as its centerpiece. Multiple extra-cost options gave the buyer an opportunity to customize their Mustang and also generate generous extra profits for Ford.

Automotive legend has it that other names considered for the first Mustang included the Cougar, Thunderbird II, T-Bird II, Torino, Turino and T-5. Ford executives agreed that the name Mustang was a perfect fit for the low slung, dramatically styled vehicle, but they objected to an image of a World War II fighter plane as the logo.

After months of debate, it was decided that the image of the galloping horse best represented the free spirit of the car and its intended buyers. To further drive home the message, the galloping horse on the Mustang logo is shown running the opposite way that trained racehorses run around a track.

Although purists argue that the Plymouth Barracuda beat the Ford Mustang to market by a full two weeks, American car buyers had never seen or experienced anything like the marketing and advertising blitz Ford created to launch the 1964 ½ Mustang.

The official press release announced, “Styling and features of expensive European road cars are combined with American mass-production price, compact economy and traditional Ford quality in the Mustang – a new line of cars from Ford Division of Ford Motor Company.”

Ford actually previewed the showroom model Mustang to a continuous flow of automotive reporters and buff book writers beginning in January 1964. Product information and photos provided by Ford were put under an embargo, meaning reporters agreed not to reveal full details until the official public introduction.

But, the embargo didn’t prevent them from filling pages and pages of their publications with speculation about how the new Mustang would be equipped or what it might look like. It was all part of the auto maker’s plan to build buyer anticipation and excitement to a feverish pitch during the three months prior the Mustang’s launch.

Ford also leaked information to some major publications. In early March, the Detroit Free Press received an anonymous tip that Walter Buhl Ford II, nephew of chairman Henry Ford II, was seen driving a prototype Mustang convertible to a luncheon in downtown Detroit. Photos soon appeared in the newspaper, as well as in Time and Newsweek.

In late March and early April 1964, Life, Look, Business Week, Esquire, Sports Illustrated and The Wall Street Journal, as well as every buff book and car magazine, included feature stories about the all-new Mustang.

On April 16th1964, Ford previewed the car to an estimated 29 million television viewers with ads that ran at precisely 9:30 pm on all three major networks, ABC, NBC and CBS.

On April 17th 1964, 2600 newspapers across the country ran full-page announcement ads, as well as lengthy feature articles. A flood of print and television advertising also followed, featuring ads of how fictional wallflowers were transformed into swingers once they owned a Ford Mustang. That same week, Lee Iacocca and the Mustang were also featured simultaneously on the covers of both Time and Newsweek.

The stage was now set for what would be one of the boldest and most exciting new car introductions ever conceived.

About ShipCarsNow ? About Wally Koster, Freelance Writer

Wally Koster is a retired marketing and advertising executive with more than 40 years experience in the automotive industry. He now enjoys life as a freelance writer for ShipCarsNow and is a published philatelist. Visit http://www.shipcarsnow.com.

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Ford Edge Sport model gets Mustang engine

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:55:49 +0000

Ford Edge Sport model gets Mustang engine
The Ford Edge Sport is getting sportier with a new engine swiped from the Ford Mustang. Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday that the 2011 Ford Edge Sport — the high-performance version of the Edge, which is one of the country’s top-selling mid-size crossovers — will have the same engine as the Mustang sports car.

Spotlight on the 2010 Ford Mustang

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 07:32:07 +0000

Spotlight on the 2010 Ford Mustang. One of the most classic and loved cars in all of American history is no doubt the Ford Mustang. Its classic muscle car power and sleek lines have captured the hearts of car lovers for decades. Since its initial release in 1964, Ford knew they had a legend on their hands. Through the years, the Mustang has undergone many design changes but it has held its place on the list of classic American cars.

The Mustang has been in constant production since 1964 but has had many different looks. In 1974, the second generation Mustang was introduced to cope with more strict pollution laws. The Mustang had another overhaul in 1979 and again in 1994. The Mustang released in 1994 was the first major redesign this model had seen. This model had more modern, aerodynamic lines that strayed a bit from its classic muscle car days.

In 2005, Ford introduced another new, completely redesigned Mustang. This model was more reminiscent of its classic muscle car look with boxy, powerful lines. When this new design was unveiled, interest in this classic car peaked. In the times of hybrids and SUV’s, the new Mustang was a sigh of relief for car lovers everywhere. The 2010 redesign of the Mustang was no different and lived up to this car’s legendary status.

The new 2010 Mustang has kept its boxy, muscle car look but has improved the not-so-noticeable features. The first upgrade the new Mustang received was its interior. The 2010 model has more metallic features, including round dials on the dashboard and an optional Ford/Microsoft Sync system. The exterior got a slight facelift and bears a proud resemblance to the 1969 Mustang. It has a cool four-light grille, beveled bumpers on the front and back and a huge hood scoop.

Underneath the hood, there are some obvious improvements as well. The Mustang runs a cold-air system which trims its 0-60 times, but has not increased its power too much. The previous models had about 300 horsepower and the new 2010 model boasts about 315 horsepower. They have increased the car’s redline however, which has gone from 6250 to 6500rpm. The new Mustang also comes with a stiffer suspension and its standard 18-inch tires have increased its handling.

One of the cooler observations that Car and Driver made about the new Mustang is how it manages to be both quiet and loud at the same time. If you don’t rev the engine, road and wind noise is minimal making for a peaceful ride. However, if you feel the need for speed and rev up your V-8 engine, you can hear the power in surround sound, so to speak. Ford has introduced what is called a “sound induction tube” that connects the intake to the cabin of the car. This tube transmits only certain frequencies while restricting air flow – that’s pretty high-tech!

Another great thing about the new Mustang is the fact that even though Ford has made some improvements, they haven’t increased the price much. A base model V-6 Mustang will go for just under $22,000 while a GT will cost you just under $29,000. Gas mileage isn’t too bad either for a sporty ride. It will get you about 15mpg city and 23 highway. Not exactly a “green” car, but not too bad for a car that can give you a powerful, fun, legendary ride. All in all, the new Mustang has gotten great reviews and you can be sure that new customers and loyal Mustang owners alike will be lining up for the new 2010 pony.

Watch the video related to 2010 car review

mpgomatic.com puts a 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI to a week-long test drive, rolling up over 650 miles. [ Full Review: www.mpgomatic.com ] The Golf tdi’s fuel-efficient turbodiesel engine delivers plenty of torque. 2010 car review

Help answer the question about 2010 car review

what do you think of the new 2010 vw golf for a young guy in college?
i'm 20 and seriously considering buying one. is it a sweet ride for a young guy?
and if you like it, do you like it more in 3-door or 5-door form?

exterior (3-door):

http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/photogallery_image/articles/2010%20VW%20Golf%20TDI%20-%203.jpg

http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/article_image_large/articles/2010%20VW%20Golf%20TDI%20-%202.jpg

http://www.autoinfection.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2010-Volkswagen-Golf-TDI-1.jpg

interior:

http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/reviews/car/09q4/2010_volkswagen_golf-first_drive_review/gallery/2010_volkswagen_golf_2.5_interior_photo_54/2924341-1-eng-US/2010_volkswagen_golf_086_2_cd_gallery.jpg

exterior (5-door):

http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezwebin_site/storage/images/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/vw_audi_central/2010_volkswagen_golf_second_drive/2010_volkswagen_golf_second_drive/vwgolf_10_1/1826294-1-eng-US/vwgolf_10_1_cd_gallery.jpg

http://blstb.msn.com/i/45/808825E34D6820EA8B88577B0702D.jpg

About Author

Scott Conklin –
About the Author:

Scott Conklin is the president of Conklin Cars, a leading provider of Kansas Ford, Kansas Toyota, Kansas Honda, and other cars, trucks, and SUVs. Conklin Cars can be found online at: ConklinCars.com .

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