Shelby Gone Wild: 2012MY GT500 Super Snake with 800HP to be Unleashed at New York Auto Show

Renowned Ford specialist Shelby announced plans to unleash the latest iteration of its venomous pony car at the upcoming 2011 New York International Auto Show. The 2012 model year Super Snake package will add a mouth-watering 800-horsepower under the hood of the Mustang thanks to a heavily modified 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine.

Buyers will also get a variety of other styling and performance modifications such as 20-inch alloy wheels in sport tires, an adjustable coil over suspension, Eibach sway bars, a Baer 6-piston caliper rear brake system and an aero package.

As with previous models, Shelby plans to produce only a limited number of Super Snakes to ensure exclusivity. We’ll have more details and photos at the presentation of the car at this month’s New York Auto Show.

2011 SHELBY GT500 SUPER SNAKE

New European Market Ford Focus ECOnetic Expected to Return 3.5 lt/100 km or 67.2MPG

A new variant of the latest Focus with the ECOnetic moniker and a segment leading fuel efficiency will soon be added to Ford’s European lineup. According to the company, the diesel-powered Focus ECONetic is expected to use less than 3.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (equal to 80 mpg UK or 67.2 mpg US) and return ultra-low CO2 emissions of less than 95g/km when final certification is completed later this year.

Available as a five-door hatchback or wagon, the Ford Focus ECOnetic is powered by an all-new version of the 1.6-liter Ford Duratorq TDCi diesel engine, which delivers 105 horsepower and has a new injection system, turbocharger, enhanced charge cooling and further friction reduction measures.

Apart from the optimized engine, the car is fitted with Ford's Auto-Start-Stop system, Smart Regenerative Charging, Eco Mode and Shift Indicator Light. The Focus ECOnetic also features a unique aerodynamic package with an Active Grille Shutter, ultra-low rolling resistance tires and a revised final drive ratio.

The diesel engine is mated to a six-speed Durashift manual transmission optimized to eliminate frictional losses and operating with a special low friction transmission oil. Fuel economy is further improved by the revised final drive ratio, which reduces engine speed when cruising in top gear.

Aerodynamic upgrades focus on improving the airflow beneath the car but also at the front, where the Active Grille Shutter uses vents to control airflow through the grille to the cooling system and engine compartment. When no airflow is needed, the vents are shut, thereby reducing aerodynamic drag. When fully closed, the reduction in drag translates into 2 percent lower CO2 emissions.

Another interesting detail is that the car uses steel wheels combined with special low-drag ECOnetic wheel covers, which are more streamlined than a conventional alloy wheel design, at least according to Ford.

The new Ford Focus ECOnetic will be produced at the Saarlouis plant in Germany for the European market and will be introduced in early 2012. The car will receive its world premiere at the Amsterdam Motor Show next week.

By Dan Mihalascu

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VIDEO: Ken Block Flips His Fiesta ahead of Rally of Portugal

Ken Block got off to a bad start before his third WRC event of 2011, crashing violently during the shakedown of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal yesterday. Even though the Ford Fiesta RS WRC was destroyed, lucky the American race driver and his copilot Alex Gelsomino managed to walk away from the incident without any injuries.

It's the first major crash for Ken Block in a World Rally Car and this means the Californian will have to watch this weekend's rally from the sidelines. The next WRC event for Block will be Rally Argentina (May 26-29). Check Block's unintentional stunt after the jump.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Fox Body Mustang Gets an Injection of Coyote V8 Power

There was a lot to like about Ford’s “Fox Body” Mustang of the 1980’s. Though lacking the attractive lines or brutish character of the first generation, it was a substantial aesthetic improvement over the Pinto-derived second generation ‘stang. It was also somewhat unique in pony car history for offering a 2.3 L turbo four alongside the usual assortment of V6’s and V8’s, purporting to offer the right combination of performance and economy.

So it’s no wonder the Ol’ Fox is popular with pony car enthusiasts. Now, Kurgan Motorsports of Atlanta has taken one of these semi-classics and retrofitted it with the barnstorming 5.0 L “Coyote” V8 and drivetrain from a wrecked 2011 Ford Mustang GT.

Kurgan Motorsports owner Bob Kurgan explains:

“The engine just dropped right in. It was everything else that was difficult. With this engine only being out for just a little while, everything had to be custom built for it to swap over. Getting the engine running was easy. We had to custom make the motor mounts, air conditioning brackets, power steering brackets ourselves. But it’s a friggin’ animal on the streets.”

Kurgan’s team also added custom Kooks headers, a brake booster from a '03 SVT Cobra and swapped out the Fox’s standard transmission for a T-45 5-speed. The result is 412 hp (307 kW) and 390 ft lb’s (529 Nm) of torque. And that’s before the whole thing is supercharged for the win.

Kurgan Motorsports will be giving a (presumably) live demonstration of the engine swap at the Carlisle All-Ford Nationals in June of this year. Kurgan hopes to work with Ford to develop a kit that’ll help other Fox body enthusiasts perform the same feat with their cars. It doesn’t get much sweeter than this.

By Tristan Hankins

Link: Kurgan Motorsports via Stang.tv

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U.S. Market 2012 Ford Fiesta Gets Three New Custom Packages

Ford's Fiesta sub-compact has gained three new packages, two for the interior and one for the exterior, for the 2012 model year. The two interior packages are the Race Red and Oxford White and offer a personalized appearance with two-tone colored components.

Said to be inspired from the world of fashion and available on the Fiesta SEL and SES models, the interior packages feature contrasting interior accent colors on the center console, door panels and rings that surrounding the air vents.

The two-tone leather seats and steering wheel feature contrast stitching, while the shift knob is covered in black leather. Finally, the seats are also decorated with a debossed “Fiesta” logo.

For the exterior, Ford proposes a styling package inspired by the Euro-spec Ford Focus RS, which includes several parts painted in Tuxedo Black, such as the side mirrors, headlights, grille surround, license plate holder and rear spoiler.

Other components include the 16-inch polished alloy wheels and a shorter final drive ratio (from 4.07 to 4.25) for models equipped with a manual transmission. Ford didn't say if this modification changes performance figures such as acceleration and/or top speed.

“The Fiesta customer loves accessories and personalization. These packages extend the desire the customer has to make the car more tailored to his or her own personal tastes,” said Lew Echlin, Ford Global Car marketing manager.

Ford said that 40 percent of Fiesta buyers choose at least one accessory for their cars, with more than 26,000 Ford Custom Accessories items being sold to date.

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New Video of Ford’s 2012 Focus ST Hot Hatch

Ford’s European arm has released yet another video of its upcoming Focus ST sport hatch that’s expected to hit the market early next year. There’s nothing new to see per se as the company has already published numerous teaser films in the months following the car’s introduction at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

As a reminder, the hottest version of the new generation Focus (that is, until Ford decides to resurrect the RS nameplate in the near future) will be propelled by a force-fed 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine cranking out 250 ponies and 360 Nm / 265 lb ft of torque. The show car was equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels, but there’s a good chance the production model will also be offered with a dual clutch transmission. Hit the jump for the video.

VIDEO

Ford’s "Motorsport-Inspired" Ka Grand Prix Packs a...Whopping 69 Ponies

This flashy-looking Ford Ka is a new limited edition version of the company’s city car called Grand Prix, of which only 120 units will be produced for the Netherlands with sales set to start at the end of the month. Ford says the car is inspired by racing, but that may apply only to the design, since power comes from a modest -to say the least- 1.2-liter 69HP engine, fitted with Ford's Auto Start-Stop system.

The city car's paintwork features contrasting vivid colors and a stripe that Ford refers to as “pretty”. A large rear spoiler and 16-inch alloy wheels complete the special edition Ka's sportier look. The stripe, grille and the side mirrors are painted in a different color from the rest of the bodywork, while the interior features seats colored in red and white, plus red leather on the steering wheel, handbrake lever and gear knob. In addition, white trim can be found on the dashboard, steering wheel and door panels.

Standard equipment includes ABS, four airbags, air conditioning, remote central locking, electric windows, audio system with CD player, heated door mirrors and height-adjustable steering wheel and driver's seat.

The starting price in Holland for the Ka Grand Prix is €10,995 ($15,580), with the car being available in two liveries: Sunrise with Chrystal White accents or Chrystal White with Sunrise accents (the latter costing an extra €200).

By Dan Mihalascu

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Loder1899 Gives the New Ford C-Max More Attitude and Power

It’s been a while since we last heard of Loder1899, but the German tuning house is back with a new proposal, this time for Ford’s new C-Max compact minivan. The tuner’s offerings include both performance tweaks and aerodynamic bits.

Engine modifications concern the 2.0-liter TDCi turbocharged diesel four-pot that produces 163-horsepower and 340Nm of peak torque in stock form for a 0-100km/h [62mph] sprint time of 8.6 seconds and a top speed of 210km/h [131mph]. Loder1899’s performance package lifts these numbers to 190HP and 390Nm respectively, allowing the C-Max to complete the standard sprint in 8.3 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 213km/h [132mph].

Additional changes include an aerodynamics kit complete with a front apron, rear apron with a diffuser, side skirts and a rear spoiler lip. A stainless steel sport exhaust system and a suspension kit that lowers the C-Max’s ride height by around 35mm are also available. The package is complemented by a choice of alloy wheels in sizes from 17- to 20-inches.

According to Loder1899, most parts are also suitable for the 7-seater version of the minivan called the Grand C-Max, which is slated to go on sale in the U.S. within the next year.

TECHNICAL DATA [from Loder1899]

Prices and parts for the “Loder1899” C-Max
Suitable for Ford C-Max and Ford Grand C-Max
Frontspoiler: 249 Euro
Rear diffuser: 290 Euro
Rear spoiler lip: 159 Euro
Stainless steel exhaust system two pipes: In Preparation
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

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