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2015 Ford Mustang Convertible ships in time for holiday gift giving

Looking for the ultimate present to put under the tree for that special someone? Well it might not fit in your living room or in a stocking, but the keys to a new Mustang convertible ought to do the trick. That's right, Ford has begun shipping the new drop-top pony car just in time for the holidays. Taking delivery of a convertible might not make the most sense in some climates, but those in southern states will undoubtedly enjoy the top-down experience to ring in the new year. And for those stuck in snowier climes, Ford is keen to point out that the new Mustang convertible is available with features like heated seats, remote start and a snow/wet setting among the selectable drive modes. As with the coupe, the new Mustang convertible can be had with the base 3.7-liter V6, the optional 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo four or the top-of-the-line 5.0-liter V8. For the time being, though, the 500+ horsepower Shelby GT350 is available only in coupe form. Related Video: Dec 9, 2014 | DEARBORN, Mich. 2015 Mustang Convertible Begins Shipping to Ford Dealers • Keys to the first 2015 Ford Mustang convertibles will be in customers' hands shortly • Available heated seats and remote start allow the all-new Mustang convertible to be enjoyed year-round, even in the coldest climates • Selectable drive modes with a snow/wet setting tunes Mustang to perform well in inclement weather conditions Ford Motor Company is excited to announce the 2015 Ford Mustang convertible will begin shipping to dealerships nationwide this week. "Cold weather may have come unseasonably early this year, but with available heated seats, remote start and selectable drive modes with a snow/wet setting, Mustang is the perfect offering for the season," said Melanie Banker, Mustang brand manager. Heated seats, standard on all premium Mustang convertibles, allow the driver and front passenger to stay warm even when the temperature drops. "While these seats also have a cooling feature, we suspect customers won't be using this function for a few more months," said Banker. Remote start, standard on all automatic-transmission Mustang models, allows customers to fire up their drop-top from the comfort of their home, even in inclement weather conditions. When remote start is used, Mustang not only warms up its engine, it also warms the interior of the car to a comfortable temperature.

Ford rakes in record $2.5b profit during Q1 of 2016

Fears that the auto industry is due for a downturn may be fading. Ford posted record profits in the first quarter of 2016, the company announced Thursday. Chief financial officer Bob Shanks said Ford enjoyed its best quarterly performance in history, generating operating profits of $3.8 billion and a record profit margin of 9.8 percent. Overall, the company's $2.5 billion profit in the quarter more than doubled from the 2015 quarterly results. "The first quarter was an absolutely terrific start to the year, an all-time record for the company, with very strong performance across the business," said chief executive officer Mark Fields. "We're excited about our future and confident in our ability to deliver long-term growth and profitability as we expand our business model to be both an auto and a mobility company." During the quarter, Ford announced the creation of Ford Smart Mobility, a new subsidiary that would vet future mobility projects in the realm of car-sharing, fractional ownership and autonomous deployment. The company also kicked off a billion-dollar makeover of its Dearborn, Michigan campus and headquarters. The company's after-tax earnings of $0.68 per share trumped Wall Street's expectations, and were significantly up from $0.39 per share a year ago. The results were buoyed by the company's fourth consecutive quarter of growth in Europe, which comes after a long period of stagnant sales. Ford's earnings results come amid reports that April car sales are on pace to jump 4 percent year over year, which would make it the best-selling April in history. Kelley Blue Book projects that car sales will reach 1.51 million this month, placing the industry on track for 17.5 million vehicles sold in 2016. Even as SUV and crossover sales drive the market, analysts say Nissan and Honda are positioned to benefit from renewed interest in mid-size cars. "Following a disappointing March, we expect sales to get back on track in April with SAAR in the mid-17 million range," said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book. "Increased fleet sales and rising incentive spending among automakers remain the factors to watch, but the retail demand appears to be holding steady, signaling the industry's strong run isn't over quite yet." Related Video: Image Credit: Getty Earnings/Financials Ford Lincoln 5g Connectivity mobility auto industry financial

IIHS updates overlap test: 2 SUVs get good marks, 9 fare poorly

Vehicles in crashes keep occupants safe by deforming around the cabin in a way that maintains cabin integrity. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's moderate overlap test, introduced in 1995, has been a huge contributor to improved safety for front-row passengers in a crash. IIHS President David Harkey said, "Thanks to automakers’ improvements, drivers in most vehicles are nearly 50% less likely to be killed in a frontal crash today than they were 25 years ago." In the 'unintentional side effects' column, crash safety has gotten worse for passengers in the back seats. When carmakers reengineered the front crash structure to protect the driver, more crash forces got distributed throughout the rear. IIHS research claims rear passengers have a 46% greater risk of fatal injury than front-row passengers, but back-seaters haven't benefited from the same upgrades in safety as the front row. The IIHS updated its moderate overlap test to address the issue, putting 15 vehicles through the new regime. Two earned good ratings — the 2023 Ford Escape and the 2021-2023 Volvo XC40 — one was acceptable, three were marginal and nine were rated poor. Every one of the crossovers sampled got good marks for all passengers in the original test. That test sees 40% of vehicle's width on the driver's side impacting an aluminum honeycomb barrier at 40 miles per hour. The updated test puts a crash dummy representing small woman or 12-year-old child in the seat behind the driver, the dummy's sensors and grease paint measuring the effectiveness of the restraints and the forces a human body would need to endure. To achieve a good rating, the "measurements must not exceed limits indicating excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen or thigh." An institute engineer said, "In real-world crashes, chest injuries are the most common serious rear-seat injuries for adults." The sensors and video evidence showed back seat dummies in the Escape and XC40 endured minimal risk of injuries from excessive crash forces, from submarining under the seat belt, or from unwanted interaction with the side curtain airbag.   The Toyota RAV4 scored acceptable. The second-row dummy also endured minimal risk of injury to the chest and lower extremities. However, the lap belt slipped upward in a way that could increase abdominal injuries, and after the dummy's head dipped during crash impact, the head came back up between the rear curtain airbag and rear window.