2012 Ford F150 Lariat on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford driving Alaskan maniac rams toddler-carrying SUV

A couple from Anchorage had a frightening traffic encounter when they were followed and repeatedly rammed by a stranger in a pickup truck. Grace Bernert, her boyfriend, and his two-year-old daughter were returning home from a trip to downtown Anchorage when they noticed a blue, 2001 Ford F-150 following closely behind them. "The guy was so close, we couldn't see his headlights," Bernert told KTVA. Bernert, who was riding shotgun, pulled out her phone to record the truck when it struck the rear end of their Acura SUV. That's when she called 911. Bernert's boyfriend tried to lose the F-150 in the Sullivan Arena parking lot, then drove to a local Ford dealer's parking lot where he drove through a maze of new Ford pickups in an attempt to shake their assailant. "We started doing circles around the brand new Fords because we thought the truck wouldn't be able to turn as fast as we would," said Bernert. "We were right, but the guy didn't care. He just kept hitting the new fords and backing up, coming after us." The truck continued to follow them, ramming the Acura again and again. Bernert estimates that F-150 driver struck their SUV between five and seven times, and hit numerous new trucks in the dealership parking lot. Eventually, they ducked into a nearby neighborhood where they managed to lose the F-150 and called 911. Bernert told KTVA that she believes they were targeted but doesn't know why. "The guy was either some random sick person who didn't care, or somebody who knew us and didn't care there was a kid in the car," she said. Anchorage Police arrived shortly after the couple escaped the F-150 and filed a report about the incident. They are currently investigating. Recent Video:

Ford 1.0L takes third-straight International Engine of the Year award

Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost is proving to be The Little Engine That Could, and it continues to acquit itself well, finding favor as one of the best powerplants in the world. To confirm it yet again, the tiny mill just won the International Engine of the Year award for the third year in a row, likewise also nabbing the title in the Sub 1.0-liter category.
Packing 123 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque with overboost (125 lb-ft normally), the tiny engine combines impressive power in a size small enough to be a carry-on item for a commercial flight. US buyers only got a taste of the award winner in the 2014 Fiesta, while the 1.0 EcoBoost has been available throughout the Ford lineup in Europe for a few years now. American sales have reportedly been strong, however, and next up in the US, the mill will find its way into the 2015 Focus.
The panel of 82 jury members from 34 countries also named the Mercedes-AMG 2.0-liter turbo found in the A45, CLA45 and GLA45 AMG models with 355 hp and 332 lb-ft as the best New Engine for 2014. The electric powertrain from Tesla won Green Engine prize, and the 4.5-liter V8 from the Ferrari 458 Italia took home the honor of top Performance Engine yet again. You can check out all the winners below, and scroll down further to read Ford's celebratory announcement of its award.

Ken Block's Gymkhana 8 to feature Dubai Police cars?

Yesterday we showed you the shiny Ford Fiesta that Ken Block will slide, spin, and hoon through the next Gymkhana video. In case the image above isn't clear, that video will drop at midnight EST on February 30th on the Ford Performance YouTube channel. We don't know all the entire premise of the video yet, but this Tweet from the man himself reveals that the video will be set in Dubai. Block is standing on the Fiesta we saw yesterday, and arrayed behind him are a handful of those famous Dubai Police cars you're probably familiar with. The force has a fleet of sportscars and supercars, and the purpose is outreach and goodwill among its citizenry, not necessarily the pursuit of criminals. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. From left to right, we can see a Maserati GranTurismo, Porsche 911, what looks to be a Nissan GT-R obscured by Block's Fiesta, a McLaren (likely a 650S), Ford Mustang, and a Ferrari 599 of some ilk. Will they take part? Maybe Block will try and run from what might be the most horsepower-intensive police fleet in the world. We'll have answers (and a few minutes of pure Block hooniganism) in a few days. Related Video: