2011 Ford Transit Connect

Ford's "One Ford" strategy, which refers to the company's plan to leverage its global product lineup to spread models across new markets, is responsible for bringing the Transit Connect stateside. It's a small commercial van Ford introduced in Europe and other markets in 2003. Maximum cargo space is about 135 cubic feet, close to that of larger minivans. The front-wheel-drive Transit Connect comes in cargo and passenger configurations, the latter with a second row



From the load floor to the ceiling, Ford says there's up to 59.1 inches of room, just 5.9 inches short of what a standard-height Dodge Sprinter offers. The Ford Transit Connect enters its sophomore year in the U.S. with few changes. The most important addition is a new model and powertrain option: the Ford Transit Connect Electric, which is reviewed separately.



Offered as both a cargo and passenger van, the Transit Connect is more suited for commercial than personal use. As Consumer Guide says, "Transit Connect neatly fills a size gap between the compact Chevrolet HHR Panel and enormous Dodge/Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. The Transit Connect succeeds as a small cargo van. For businesses, Ford also offers its Work Solutions computer system. Unless the vast cargo space or increased payload/towing capacity of a full-size van are absolutely essential to you, the Transit Connect is a viable and economical alternative for businesses in need of a commercial van.



However there are many vehicles that can be cross-shopped with the Transit Connect. However the Mazda5 and Kia Rondo offer far less cargo space compared to the Transit Connect.

Like most European-bred vans, the 2011 Ford Transit Connect is all about packing maximum functionality into minimum space.



The 2011 Ford Transit Connect is a compact work van available in XL Van, XLT Van, XLT Wagon and XLT Premium Wagon trim levels. The XLT Van adds body-color bumpers, full power accessories, heated mirrors, keyless entry, cruise control, a cargo area 12-volt power point and a CD player.



Entry-level XLT Wagon models get stability control, foglights and a 60/40-split-folding three-passenger second-row bench seat. The new XLT Premium Wagon adds flip-open rear side windows, storage pockets in the rear doors and a four-speaker audio system.



The Van trims can also be equipped with the Tool Link by DeWalt tool tracking and inventory system. Options available on the XLT trims include rear parking sensors, rear doors that open to 255 degrees, Bluetooth and remote ignition. Every 2011 Ford Transit Connect features a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine good for 138 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque.

EPA-estimated fuel economy is 20 mpg city/26 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined.

Standard safety equipment includes four-wheel antilock brakes (disc front, drum rear) and front side airbags. Stability control is standard on Wagon models and available as an option on Van body styles. In NHTSA frontal crash tests, the Transit Connect earned a top five-star frontal crash rating for the driver and a four-star rating for the front seat passenger, as well as five stars for both front and rear passengers in side-impact tests.



Inside, the Transit Connect offers a carlike driving position. When it comes to cargo capacity, the Transit Connect Van offers a healthy 135 cubic feet, which is about 100 cubic feet less than Ford's larger Econoline vans. For ferrying people around, the Wagon's rear seats offer a firm seat bottom and reasonable elbow room. The 2011 Ford Transit Connect's emphasis on practicality is reflected in the driving experience.

2012 Ford Focus ECOnetic

Ford has revealed the all-new 2012 Ford Focus ECOnetic and its hybrid-beating fuel consumption figure of 3.5 litres/100km ahead of its debut at next week’s Amsterdam Motor Show.



The 2012 Focus ECOnetic will be powered by the same 1.6-litre Ford Duratorq diesel engine as the Fiesta, although it has 77kW of power (up from 66kW) and has been optimised for enhanced fuel efficiency.



The Focus ECOnetic will be available in five-door hatch and estate body styles. CarAdvice has contacted Ford Australia about its plans for the 2012 Ford Focus ECOnetic and its potential to be launched Down Under.



The main reason for this incredible figure is the 1.6-litre Ford Duratorq TDCi diesel engine which is further optimized for the ECOnetic with new injection system and turbocharger, improved fill air cooling and friction decrease innovation. Ford Focus also supplied with such an automatic stop and go, Smart Regenerative Charging, Ford Eco Mode and Shift Indicator Light.



The system is mated with Ford’s six-speed manual gear shifter of new revolution Durashift. The other new matter is, otherwise perfectly updated, presents to improve fuel economical usage involving:



- Decrease engine friction from liberate-friction piston ring coatings and optonal flow oil pump.

- Extra decreasing in engine power losses from low inactive vacuum pump and not symmetrical handle sprocket model.

- Revised discharge system mating a diesel NOx-decreasing catalyst with a coated Diesel Particulate Filter system.



The Focus ECOnetic 1.6 liter diesel combined with manual transmission 6-speed Ford Durashift, which is also used in the new Focus models with 1.6-liter TDCi engine. Focus ECOnetic model, standard on the innovative Active Grille Shutter – has developed a new system, which optimizes the aerodynamic behavior of the holes to control the flow of air through the grille and the cooling system and engine room. The new Ford Focus ECOnetic will be produced for the European market lead in manufacturing Focus in Saarlouis, Germany.

Ford C-MAX by Loder1899

The tuner Loder1899 announced a new aftermarket program for the Ford C-Max. With visual and performance upgrades, which is Loder1899 Ford C-Max program already on sale. Loder1899 has the ability of the top diesel Ford C-Max Model 120 kW (163PS) to 140kW (190PS) increased by the use of a newly-mapped ECU.

The new reworked suspension lowers the ground clearande by 35 mm but also dmproves the ride while a rear diffuser completes the exterior tweaks available for the American MPV.
The Germans picked the 2.0-liter TDCi diesel unit and operated some minor adjustements. Due to the engine tweaks, the four-cylinder engines develop 190 horsepower and 390 Nm of torque, offering a sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 8,3 seconds and a top speed of 213 km/h.

The car tuners installed a sportier front spoiler which is priced at 249 EUR, a new rear diffuser that costs 290 EUR and a tailgate-mounted spoiler that is priced at 159 EUR. They could also reduce the ride height of the car by 35 mm for 169 EUR giving it a more aggressive stance and they also offer a wide range of wheels from 18 to 20″ priced from 365 to 688 EUR each.




Press Release

More Sex appeal for the new C-Max from Ford

If the German "Van" market was a school class, the C-Max would probably be the one who sits at the front not allowing his shoolmates to copy his homework. The girls in the class wouldn't even have noticed him and in the sport lessons the Ford C-Max would be the last picked for the team.
He could have resigned himself to this fate, but not Loder1899. With only a few cosmetic and technical touches to the unpopular geek and he turns in to one of the most popular jocks in the school.

More power and influence to the geek from Cologne

To give the Ford C-Max a sportier quality, Loder1899 offers a splendid designed body styling kit, consisting of a nicely refined front apron, a rear apron with diffusor elements and a rear spoiler lip. A chic double-flow stainless steel sport exhaust system and a suspension kit which lowers the C-Max by around 35mm is also available. For faster acceleration Loder1899 offers for the top diesel model a performance increase from 120 kW (163PS) to 140kW (190PS) . For the appropriate footwear a fine selection of wheels from 17 to 20 inches are available.

TECHNICAL DATA

Prices and parts for the "Loder1899" C-Max

Suitable for Ford C-Max and Ford Grand C-Max

Frontspoiler: 249 Euro
Rear deffusor: 290 Euro
Rear spoiler lip: 159 Euro
Stainless steel exhaust system two pipes: In Preperation
Lowering kit (-35mm): 169 Euro
Rims:

Wheel Porto 8x18 silver incl. tire 235/35R18 365 Euro/rim
Wheel W1 8.5x18 black/matte incl. tire 235/35R18 395 Euro/rim
Wheel Mauris 8x19 black/polish incl. tire 235/35R19 498 Euro/rim
Wheel Vertigo Viginti 9x20 black incl. tire 235/30R20 688 Euro/rim

Competitively priced wheel WP: 8.5x18 incl. tire 235/40R18: prices start at 324 Euro
Motor management/Performance increase: 849 Euro

"Loder1899" package: excluding paint job and assembly from 3.015 euro
List price: Ford C-Max (Gemany) from 25.100 euro
Ford C-Max with Loder1899 package: from 28.115 euro

Technical Data of the Ford C-Max: 2,0l TDCI with dpf, displacement 1.997cm3 • performance increase with "Loder1899" motor management accessory device up to 190 hp at 3750/min (standard 120 kW/163 hp at 3750/min.) • maximum torque 390 Nm at 2000/min (standart 340 Nm at 2000/min • front wheel drive • six speed gearbox • length/breadth/height 4.380/1.828/1.626 mm • car boot 627 l • fuel 60 l • towed weight, braked 1.500 kg; towed weight, unbraked 775 kg • top speed 263 kmph (with "Loder1899" 213 kmph) • 0-100 kmph in 8,6 seconds standard; (in 8,3 seconds with "Loder1899") • consumption (EU-Mix) combined 5,7 l/100 km • CO2 134 g/km.

"Loder 1899" always delivers body styling kits with EG type approval (ABE) or part-expertise, assembly instructions and the essential fastening means. Wheel/tire combinations with parts-expertise or ABE, mounted, balanced and nitrogen filled.

Ford GT40

Ford GT40

Ford Fiesta S2000

Ford Fiesta S2000

Ford GT 90 Super Sport Car

Ford GT 90 Super Sport Car

Ford Kuga Coupe

Ford Kuga Coupe

Ford Focus RS

Ford Focus RS

Ford Cars

Ford Cars

2010 Ford GT90 Super Sport Car Concept going to auction

2010 Ford GT90 Super Sport Car Concept

If Ford first introduced the GT90 Concept at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show next month, it would still be one of the most eyecatching cars on the show floor. What's amazing is that Ford unveiled the GT40 successor nearly 15 years ago. What's more, even by today's standards it's still a supercar among supercars.

The quad-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 puts out an estimated 720 horsepower, the body is constructed completely of carbon fiber and top speed is somewhere in the 400 kph range. The only hints that it's not a modern supercar are the all-blue interior and wheels that look dated now.

So what's all the fuss about the GT90 Concept now? RM Auctions in the States has just announced that it will be offering the concept car at its upcoming Arizona sale. That's right, this is your chance to own one of the coolest concept vehicles of all time. This is the first time that the GT90 Concept has ever been publicly for sale at auction, and RM claims that it is in "excellent running condition, having been properly stored and maintained over the year." No estimated on price is given, but we're guessing it will take a large suitcase of cash to take the car home.

2010 Ford GT90 Super Sport Car Concept

The one-off GT90 Concept Car, labeled immediately as "the world's mightiest supercar" by Ford Motor Company on December 6, 1994, was the spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, the product of a colossal feud in the early 1960s between the Blue Oval from Dearborn and the Prancing Horse of Northern Italy. The GT90 draws from the design cues of its heritage and pays homage to the famed Le Mans-winning Ford GT40s of the 1960s, which were created after the failed attempt by Ford to buy out Ferrari.
At a development cost in the neighborhood of $3 million, the GT90 was certainly worthy of pulling styling cues from the original Ford GTs, and although it was never meant for production, it was built according to a Ford press release as a "test bed for technology, engineering and design concepts, and driver-oriented features that eventually may be used in Ford production vehicles."

Officially unveiled to the public in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show, the GT90 is finished in bright white with a bright blue and carbon fiber interior. It features a mid engine quad-turbocharged V12 that produces an estimated 720 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque. As a result, it had a claimed top speed of 253 mph, which even by today's standards would make it one of the fastest production cars in the world – faster even than a McLaren F1, which was widely considered the world's preeminent supercar at the time.

2010 Ford GT90 Super Sport Car Concept

The engine, which was a 48-valve six-liter V12, had to be combined together with four Garrett Systems T2 turbochargers in order to reach its estimated 720 horsepower and was based on the Ford Modular engine. Created by using parts of two Lincoln V8 engines, engineers removed the last pair of cylinders from the rear of one engine and the first pair of cylinders from the front of the other engine. The cut-down engines were then welded together with the final result being a 90-degree V12, which utilized a 90.2 mm bore and a 77.3 mm stroke to achieve maximum power.

The GT90 features the FFD-Ricardo five-speed manual gearbox found on the XJ220 and, considering the torque load that it is designed to handle, is noted as having a relatively light shift quality. Also borrowed from the XJ220 comes the all around double wishbone suspension that was designed to enable the car to handle well at top speeds.

2010 Ford GT90 Super Sport Car Concept

Using Ford's new "Edge" design philosophy, the car incorporated advanced technology with a mixture of flat planes, angles, glass and triangular shapes that seemingly all collided together. The GT90 was the first car created using this new styling directive from Ford, which went on to be responsible for the creation of other Ford products like the Ka and Cougar. The effect is most impressive and a wonderfully executed stylistic throwback to its GT40 predecessor, which at once stays true to its heritage but acknowledges the advances in modern design. Taken directly from race car technology, the GT90 body panels are molded out of carbon fiber while the chassis is formed out of a honey-comb sectioned aluminum monocoque.

The GT90 is a test bed of advanced technology and design. It sports a tinted, laminated glass bubble over the cockpit and a spoiler that rises off the rear deck at high speeds. According to Ford, it has a "design that tightly enclosed its mechanicals with no wasted space; high tech lighting and blind-spot detection systems; and tiles like those on the space shuttle to shield the V12's exhaust outlets."

2010 Ford GT90 Super Sport Car Concept

After its unveiling in Detroit, the GT90 made its rounds on the Auto Show Circuit in 1995, traveling around the world to Frankfurt and as far away as Tokyo. With few other showings in between, the car recently was shipped over to Europe to be on display in the Ford of Europe 2008 exhibit at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. After returning home, the car was shipped to Alabama where it was on display as part of the Mustang 45th Anniversary Celebration.
This superb concept car remains in excellent running condition, having been properly stored and maintained over the years in between its show appearances. RM Auctions is proud to publicly offer the GT90 for the first time ever at auction. A remarkable one-off piece of automotive history and cutting-edge design, its offering may very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity for Ford devotees and concept car enthusiasts.