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Ford sticking with manuals for RS models

Traditional stick-shift gearboxes may be losing ground quickly to dual-clutch transmissions, but Ford knows what hot hatch enthusiasts want. That's why it's sticking with manual transmissions on its RS models for the foreseeable future. The Blue Oval automaker caught our attention yesterday when it revealed the new Focus RS, packing an upgraded version of the turbo four from the Mustang, a trick new all-wheel-drive system and an old-school six-speed manual. After speaking to Ford's product chief Raj Nair at the hot hatch's launch, Autocar reports that the six-speed is here to stay. "All our current research says that customers really like these kinds of cars to have a manual gearbox," Nair told the British publication. "We'll keep looking at market trends, and of course we'll give customers what they want, but for now the manual stays." Autocar further suggests that the same principle will apply to any further Rallye Sport models, so if and when a Fiesta RS rolls around, it's likely it will stick with a stick as well. Although the less potent Focus ST is offered in diesel and wagon forms overseas, wherever it's sold and in whatever form, the six-speed stays a constant in that model as well, just as it does in the smaller Fiesta ST. That doesn't mean that other Ford Performance models won't go without a clutch pedal, though. The new GT employs a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the new F-150 Raptor channels its muscle through a ten-speed automatic. But as far as Ford's hot hatches go, it looks like the manual will remain alive and well. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Ford Focus RS News Source: Autocar Ford Hatchback Performance manual ford fiesta rs

Ford offering factory-spec EcoBoost reflashes that don't void warranty*

Buy a supercharger or cold-air kit from Ford Racing and a Performance Calibration handset comes with it to reset the ECU for the upgrade. Now Ford Racing is offering the ProCal handset a la carte for $595, allowing you to reflash the ECU on your EcoBoost-equipped ride to extract more of its inherent capabilities without any additional upgrades. It gives you control of variables such as throttle response, idle speed and turbo wastegate control, among others. As for that warranty asterisk, the press release says enthusiasts can up the power "while maintaining the Ford-backed limited warranty." However Ford Motor Co. and Ford Racing are separate entities, and, best we can tell, when you reflash the ECU, your Ford warranty gets supplanted by the Ford Racing warranty. Say you bought a 2014 Ford, that means your five-year, 60,000-mile warranty becomes Ford Racing's three-year, 36,000-mile warranty, if we're reading the fine print correctly. If you have an older car and have driven more than 36,000 miles, then your warranty options are kaput, at least as far as a Ford in-house option. If have warranty concerns, you might also want to consider having a dealer perform the reflash, or at least ask about it. Once you've got past the small print, what about the numbers? At the moment Ford Racing offers tunes for the 2.0-liter EcoBoost in the Focus ST and the 1.6-liter EcoBoost in the Fiesta ST, and we're told there's a 90-pound-foot boost in torque at the crank after you've pressed the right buttons. Anecdotal evidence from a commenter at Road & Track says he went from 252 horsepower at the flywheel to 254 hp at the wheels, and 272 lb-ft at the flywheel to 354 lb-ft at the wheels, but we can't be sure that his adjustments were within Ford Racing specs. Your mileage, naturally, may vary. What about custom numbers for the 2.3-liter EcoBoost in the 2015 Ford Mustang? They aren't ready yet, but we're told we'll get something by the end of next year. Featured Gallery 2015 Ford Focus ST News Source: Ford, Ford Racing via Car and Driver Aftermarket Ford Technology ecoboost ford focus st ford fiesta st ford racing

Ford starting up 2.0L EcoBoost engine production in Ohio

Joe Hinrichs, Ford's President of The Americas (pictured above), announced today that in late 2014, the automaker will be building the 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder at its Cleveland Engine Plant, a move requiring a $200-million investment and the hiring of 450 new employees. European-built Ford products will continue to source this engine from the Valencia, Spain plant where all of these EcoBoost four-cylinder engines are currently built, and the new Cleveland engines will be used for all North American-made models.
Ford is planning to build its popular EcoBoost engines regionally to maximize production capacity and meet customer demand. Last year, Ford sold 334,364 vehicles with EcoBoost engines in the US alone, and that number is expected to swell to more than 500,000 by the end of this year, with global sales expected to total 1.6 million. By 2015, Ford says that 95 percent of its nameplates will offer an EcoBoost engine.
One such vehicle that could be adding an EcoBoost engine, according to Automotive News, is none other than the 2015 Ford Mustang. The report says that Ford could use either the 2.0-liter EcoBoost or an upcoming 2.3-liter EcoBoost in the sixth-generation pony car.