2010 Ford Mustang Gt on 2040-cars

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Ford confirms 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine for 2014 Fusion

Earlier this week, reports were swirling 'round the internet about the 2014 Ford Fusion getting a new 1.5-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine. That was... half correct. Ford today confirmed that the 2014 Fusion is, in fact, getting a new 1.5-liter EcoBoost mill, but it has four cylinders, not three.
The new 1.5-liter engine will be the fifth EcoBoost powerplant from Ford Motor Company. Initially to be built at the automaker's Craiova, Romania plant, it will also be offered in the Fusion's twin, the Mondeo, in other markets. This engine will debut at the Shanghai Motor Show next month, and the 1.5-liter is of particular importance in the Chinese market - there is significant tax relief in the People's Republic for vehicles powered by engines with a capacity of 1.5 liters or less.
At a media briefing Thursday, Ford declined to divulge exact power or fuel economy numbers, though Joe Bakaj, vice president of powertrain engineering, told Autoblog that power output should be similar to that of the current 1.6-liter inline-four, and that overall efficiency will be "better than the 1.6." Our earlier report stated that the 1.5-liter four will produce 177 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque - losses of 1 hp and 7 lb-ft versus the 1.6-liter engine. Ford states that the 1.5-liter four will feature many of the same technologies used on the company's 1.0-liter EcoBoost inline-three, including an integrated exhaust manifold that recaptures much of the engine's heat.

Ford Escort returns... as a concept

Ford is kickin' it old school at the Shanghai Motor Show for 2013 with a new Escort Concept - "a name that stirs up thoughts of basic, affordable transportation rather than great driving dynamics or bold design" as we said in our initial preview of the small C-segment sedan. Or, as Ford puts it, "Customers in China described seeking a vehicle that is stylish - but not one that is arrogant or pretentious." Potato, potahto...
It's an interesting amalgam of design notes with Ford's recent and stylish hexagonal grille up front, flanked by some pretty busy LED light clusters and chrome-trimmed air intakes at the lower extremities of the fascia, but the Escort Concept is not altogether unattractive. Besides its external appearance, we really don't have much information to report - Ford has not yet hinted at what may be powering this little machine, but we'd expect something with four cylinders and less that 2.0 liters of displacement sending a modest number of horses to the front tires.
It probably goes without saying, but we don't expect to see this Escort make its way to the United States, since we already have the Focus and the Fiesta battling it out in the econobox segment. That said, it's very likely to spawn a production model that will roll out here in China and in other developing market where multiple C-segment entries are becoming increasingly common. Check out our high-res image gallery of live images above, and let us know what you think of the car's styling, then scroll down below for the official press release.

First Ford Mustang prototype shots caught by legendary spy shooter Jim Dunne

You know how people refer to someone as having "been around the block" to mean they're very experienced? Well, when it comes to automotive spy photography, Jim Dunne actually laid down the concrete slabs of the block's sidewalk. The unforgettable Dunne more or less invented the car spy game - a fact he cemented by writing book called Car Spy - and has been delivering spy shots and reporting on the industry for some 45 years now. (He also once employed this writer as his impromptu personal chauffer on a Volkswagen trip in Germany, while he slept, but that's a story for a different time.)
In any event, Dunne must be on a mission to prove that "elder statesman" doesn't also mean "washed up" as it is his shots of the upcoming new 2014 Ford Mustang that we've been handed by our friends at KGP Photography.
Mr. Dunne has likely spent the last few years obtaining powerful telescopic lenses, as the Ford in question has clearly been photographed from some distance. Nevertheless, what you see here is visual evidence that the sixth-generation Mustang has moved beyond the mule stage, and is now testing in proper prototype form. Sources indicate that there are production-spec body panels under that baggy canvass dress; but the slightly less bulky silhouette of the new car can be just made out. While the car's bumpers have been removed to obfuscate things, we can tell by way of the camo's apertures that the car's taillights have moved upwards and towards the lip of the tail. A fender vent appears to be visible, too, just behind the front wheel.