2005 Ford Taurus Sel Sedan 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Exceptionally rare '65 Ford GT40 Roadster prototype up for auction

Think of mid-engined supercars and your mind is bound to gravitate towards Europe, but the United States has been known to make a handful from time to time - exceptional vehicles from the likes of Vector, SSC, Mosler, Hennessey, and Saleen. But long before any of those came around, Ford famously became obsessed with beating Ferrari at its own game, leading to the development of the iconic GT40.
The story is well known, sending Ford to the checkered flag at Le Mans four times in a row in the late 1960s. Ford and Shelby also built over 100 for public consumption, but just four of them were roadsters. Of those only one remains in original condition, and now that exceedingly rare example going up for auction.
Consigned to RM Auctions for its mid-August sale during Pebble Beach weekend in Monterey, California, this 1965 model is the first GT40 Roadster built. It was used as a development and demonstration vehicle for Ford and Shelby. Carroll Shelby himself drove Henry Ford II in this very car during one of many test and demo events, this time held for Ford's board of directors in Los Angeles.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volvo XC40 Recharge score high in IIHS tests

New electric cars continue their streak of impressive crash test results. The two latest to go through Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing are the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E and the 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge. The former earned a Top Safety Pick award, and the latter picked up the Top Safety Pick+ commendation. Both vehicles got the top "Good" rating in every crash test, as well as the "Superior" rating for vehicle-to-vehicle collision prevention. They deviate when it comes to headlights and vehicle-to-pedestrian collision prevention. Because the Volvo has headlights rated "Good" on all trims, it got that extra "+" on its Top Safety Pick award. The Ford also has high-rated headlights available, but the standard units got the second lowest rating of "Marginal." As for the vehicle-to-pedestrian collision prevention, the Volvo received the second-highest "Advanced" rating, while the Ford was rated "Superior." Among the electric cars IIHS has tested, the Ford and Volvo continue a streak of high scores. The organization has evaluated the Audi E-Tron in both its body styles, as well as the Tesla Model 3, both of which get the Top Safety Pick+ rating. As a result of the XC40 Recharge's test score, Volvo pointed out that it is the only automaker whose entire lineup has received a Top Safety Pick+ rating. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.  

Porsche, Jaguar continue dominance in 2015 JD Power APEAL study

The top of JD Power's 2015 APEAL Study has not changed much in the last year. Porsche remains No. 1 with Jaguar nipping at its heels, although both premium brands saw their overall score fall compared to 2014. For those that need a refresher, the APEAL Study looks at how "gratifying" a vehicle is to own and drive, rating cars and brands on a 1,000-point scale. The industry average for 2015 has increased from 794 to 798, while the total number of automakers that finished above the curve increased from 16 to 20. While Porsche and Jaguar finished at the top, their scores dropped eight and seven points, respectively, to 874 and 855. The top "non-premium" brand was Mini, which scored an impressive 825, up from 795. If the BMW-owned British marque is still a bit too premium for your tastes, last year's non-premium winner, Hyundai, did climb five points and is this year's runner up. At the opposite end of the scale, Smart sits at the very bottom of the rankings, with a score of 683 (it didn't appear on the 2014 rankings). Fiat also dropped, from fourth worst in 2014 to second worst in 2015, despite the 500 being named most appealing city car. Subaru made an impressive climb, from third worst to seventh, falling just 10 points shy of the industry average and two points south of the non-premium average. In the individual vehicle segments, eight brands earned multiple awards, with Ford, Chevrolet, and Porsche earning three apiece. Surprise segment victories included the new Ford Expedition, which beat out Chevy's popular Suburban. The Infiniti QX80 bested the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Range Rover for best large luxury SUV, and the Dodge Challenger beat its muscle car rivals from Ford and Chevy. Most of the victories, though, were quite predictable. The Mazda6 and CX-5 took wins for the midsize sedan and compact SUV categories respectively, while the Volkswagen Golf captured the compact car win. The Ford F-150 won the large pickup category, while the Porsche Cayman was named most appealing compact premium sporty car. Check out the official release on the 2015 APEAL Study, available below, from JD Power. 2015 U.S. APEAL Study Results The latest safety-related technologies are among the drivers of customer satisfaction with new vehicles, according to the J.D. Power 2015 U.S.