1966 Ford Mustang on 2040-cars

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Ford to revisit CVTs?

Today, Ford wishes its first experience with non-hybrid continuously variable transmissions was far behind it. The Blue Oval was awash in complaints and a couple of class-action lawsuits over the CVTs used in its 2005-2007 Ford Freestyle, Five Hundred and Mercury Montego models, which were a manufactured in Batavia, Ohio as part of a joint venture with ZF. The company gave up on the CVT after just two years, but with fuel economy standards pressing automakers to conjure new tricks, Ford's global product development head, Raj Nair, is now saying the transmissions might make a return, "particularly in the low torque applications," says Automotive News. An obvious candidate for CVT consideration is the 1.0-liter Fiesta that can presently only be had with a five-speed manual. Beyond that, the company's 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines might fit the bill. Ford hasn't given any indication as to what vehicles it might use to reintroduce the CVT to the US market, or hints about timeline or who would develop it, however. Some CVT trivia: The 1990 Subaru Justy II was the first US passenger car offered with a continuously variable transmission - Subaru called it the ECVT. It handled gearing duties for a 1.2-liter, inline three-cylinder engine that got all of 70 horsepower. A contemporary blurb about the car begins with "Goodness, gracious, great gobs of gimmickry," and goes on to say that "We can't imagine where you would take this car for repairs, but we are certain that the one mechanic in the world who can fix it lives in a very expensive house." The transmission didn't win any fans, but the ECVT and the car have been largely forgotten, while Subaru played the long game and now you'll find its vastly improved Lineartronic CVT on six of the eight models it sells.

Entry-level F-150 now offers SuperCrew, Sport Package

Ford has made a few notable tweaks to the lower end of its F-150 lineup, giving customers a more affordable version of the four-door SuperCrew body style. The popular SuperCrew could previously only be had on XLT models and above, but Ford has announced that 2014 F-150s with the base STX trim can get the more versatile body.
The STX SuperCrew brings the price of a four-door F-150 down from $34,525 to $33,145. Like the XLT SuperCrew, the STX will be available with the choice of a 5.5- or 6.5-foot bed, while a 5.0-liter V8 can replace the base 3.7-liter V6 for $4,425. Ford has not released pricing on the different bed lengths yet, but opting for the 6.5-foot bed on the XLT raises the price $1,240 and forces buyers into the 5.0-liter V8. We'd expect a similar arrangement on the STX.
The other big news for fans of affordable pickups is the addition of an STX Sport Package on the base-level truck. It adds 20-inch wheels, black exterior accents, black-and-gray cloth seats and decals on the truck's box. The Sport Package is available on all three of the STX's body styles, with Ford listing the price as $980 with current discounts.

Ford going bonkers at SEMA with 57 showcars

Ford always shows up in force at the SEMA Show, but this year's tally of 57 custom-tuned cars, trucks and vans is more than we can ever recall the Blue Oval bringing. Ford will introduce 28 of its project vehicles in its "Dreamcase" ahead of next month's show. The first batch of eight you'll find here with the remaining vehicles trickling into public view over the next couple of weeks.
This first group of cars includes a Fiesta, four Fiesta ST hatchbacks and a trio of Mustang show cars styled and tuned to varying degrees all by different aftermarket companies. Tanner Foust, Nitto Tire, 3dCarbon and Ice Nine Group are some of the more familiar names affixed to these cars. Our favorite so far is the Hollywood Hot Rods Mustang convertible (shown above) with its removable aluminum top and methanol-injected, 750-horsepower 5.0-liter V8.
Scroll down for all the details on these Fiestas and Mustangs, and stay tuned for more info on Ford's SEMA line, which will include custom versions of the Focus ST, Fusion, Transit Connect, F-150 and Super Duty.