Ford Excursion 4x4 Limited. Eddie Bower? on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford gives S-Max the Vignale treatment in Milan

Ford has a bit of a history in reviving the names of old coachbuilders it has long since gobbled up and using them to distinguish its top-of-the-line models in Europe. That's what it did for years with Ghia, and after having replaced it several years ago with the Titanium trim level, now it's doing it again with Vignale.
At the Frankfurt Motor Show last year, Ford revealed the Mondeo Vignale concept in both sedan and wagon body-styles, which are set to reach production next year. But before they do, the Blue Oval automaker is at it again, applying similar upgrades to the S-Max minivan and unveiling it in concept form in Milan this week.
Setting the Vignale concept apart from any other S-Max is its Milano Grigio rose-hued silver pearlescent paint, 21-inch alloys, chrome trim and hexagonal-pattern grille. Inside it's all ultra-soft quilted leather and aluminum trim, with tablet docking stations in the back and thinner, more flexible seats than the existing production version.

Ford F-150 King Ranch celebrates 'history and authenticity' for 2015 [w/video]

What's life like on an authentic Texas ranch? We honestly have no idea, having never lived on such a ranch, but we imagine it requires lots of hard work, grit and determination to keep all 825,000 acres - that's larger than the state of Rhode Island - of the King Ranch in Texas under control. Indeed, a total of 350 vehicles, all of which come from Ford, we're told, are currently in use by the ranch. No wonder, then, that the collaboration between Ford and King Ranch has lasted for 15 successful years.
For 2015, in celebration of that 15th anniversary, Ford is debuting three new King Ranch models today at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The most significant is the 2015 F-150 King Ranch, which, naturally, will add unique interior and exterior bits and pieces to the new aluminum-intensive F-Series pickup. Color choices will consist of Caribou, Bronze Fire, Guard and Ruby Red Metallic Clearcoat, with a range of two-tones to go along with a monochromatic scheme in Caribou. Inside, a bespoke King Ranch interior will be swathed in Premium Mesa Brown leather.
Joining the F-150 King Ranch on dealership floors later this year will be 2015 King Ranch editions of the Super Duty pickup and Expedition fullsize SUV, all of which will offer similar levels of content. Scroll down for more details and two videos from Ford, and be sure to check out the high-res image gallery above, which was shot by the official State Photographer of Texas, Wyman Meinzer.

Black Zombie electric Mustang launches Blood Shed Motors [w/videos]

As patient zero of Blood Shed Motors, the classic pony car has received a powerful electric transplant. Lightning repeatedly vanquished the darkness like the angriest of strobe lights and thunder shook the building, punctuating the clatter of a heavy Texas rain on the metal roof as the clock ticked away the initial seconds of a rare full moon Friday the 13th. It was then that the Black Zombie came to life for the first time. Beneath the hood of this rust-free 1968 Mustang fastback, a 289-cubic-inch V8 no longer turns gasoline into heat, noise and pollution. As patient zero of Blood Shed Motors, the classic pony car has received a powerful electric transplant, and now boasts twinned Warp 11 DC motors and a pair of fresh Zilla controllers that will serve as the basic blueprint for future vehicles. Dubbed the Zombie 222 drivetrain, the setup will be limited to 750 horsepower in customer's cars to keep the maintenance experience low, and eventually will draw power from a 40-kWh battery pack. In this first example, though, the output is bit more extreme. For one day, at least, they have the 1,500-kW-capable pack that powers the record-setting Swamp Rat 37 racer belonging to Don Garlits and a brief window of opportunity to try it out on a track. Blood Shed Motors is the result of a collaboration between NEDRA co-founder John "Plasma Boy" Wayland, the man who helped bring electric vehicle drag racing to the attention of the world with his unassuming White Zombie Datsun 1200 conversion and Austin, TX business man Mitch Medford, who've put together a small team of experts in their chosen fields. The plan is to build a limited number of muscle car conversions on pristine early Mustang, Camaro, and Barracuda platforms. The plan is to build a limited number of high-quality muscle car conversions on pristine (No restored rust buckets!) early Mustang, Camaro, and Barracuda platforms. Each can be customized according to buyer's wishes and blessed with its own serial number. The price tags will be in the eye-watering $200,000-and-up neighborhood, reflective of the cost and rarity of these cars and the custom nature of the alterations. Of course, you can't just multiply horsepower and add the monster torque that these electric motors put out and expect an antique chassis to hold up.