2001 Ford Mustang Svt Cobra (convertible) on 2040-cars

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Project Ugly Horse: Part VIII

Now With More EcoBoost
There's an EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in there somewhere, and it's headed straight for Ugly Horse.
For the second time in my life, I'm staring at an engine in the back of a truck with no concept of how to get it safely into the garage by my lonesome. The first time this happened, I dragged home a $300 International 345 V8 in the back of my Scout Terra only to discover that the bounds of my manliness terminated well before my ability to muscle that 800-pound cast iron block out of the pickup bed.

2015 F-150 launch to curb Ford profits?

Ford is making a big bet on aluminum with its new 2015 F-150, and it's possible that the decision will hurt the company financially, at least in the short term. After earning a record $8.6 billion in 2013, the Blue Oval does not expect to set another record in 2014. According to Automotive News, that's "largely attributable to F Series," says Bob Shanks, Ford's Chief Financial Officer.
To retool for the new F-150, Ford will idle its Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan for 11 weeks and the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri for 2 weeks. "3 of the 13 overall weeks occur during what normally is our summer shutdown timeframe," said Mike Levine, Ford Trucks Communication Manager, in an email to Autoblog. The extra 10 weeks will be preparing for the more aluminum-intensive construction for the trucks and will mean over 2 months of no F-150s being made. For comparison's sake, Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne just confirmed that the 200 plant in Sterling Heights, MI will be down for 30 days to retool for the new model, but obviously there are many more F-150 production variables than for the midsize sedan.
Levine notes that Ford is already running three shifts at both plants, and says the automaker has plans to ensure that there is adequate supply of the full-size pickups during the retooling process. The company does not want to suffer a shortage of the vehicle that accounted for 31-percent of its 2013 US sales and an even bigger percentage of its profits.

Global buyers prefer red, black Ford Mustangs

As sales of the new, 2015 Ford Mustang kick off across the globe, Ford is uncovering some interesting data about its long-lived muscle car, and some of the most interesting stats focus on the color palette. Not surprisingly, buyers have a thing for a red Mustang. Race Red, a bright, glossy color, is the number one shade among Mustang owners in both Europe and China with 20 percent of Europeans and 35 percent of Chinese owners opting for the shade. Ford's Ruby Red paint was the third most popular color among American consumers. That's because Mustang owners in the land of the free and home of the brave prefer a literal dark horse, opting for the glossy Black. Magnetic, a dark gray shade, was the second favorite among American Mustang owners. That's right, America's favorite color overall, white, didn't even crack the top three (although Oxford White hit number two in China). Black remained popular in other markets, as well. Absolute Black, a metallic shade, tied Race Red in Europe, appearing on 20 percent of vehicles. Just under 20 percent of Chinese buyers, meanwhile, opted for the same gloss black Americans preferred. Check out Ford's full press release for more detailed stats on how customers in three of the company's largest markets are designing their Mustangs. Related Video: MAR 12, 2015 | DEARBORN, MICH. EARLY DATA INDICATES UNIVERSAL PASSION FOR MUSTANG EXTENDS TO COLORS AS ICONIC PONY CAR GOES GLOBAL; RED, BLACK RULE As all-new Ford Mustang officially arrives in global markets for the first time, customers worldwide are opting for red and black as their top exterior color choices Approximately 1.1 million Mustangs configured online by pony car enthusiasts throughout Europe; more than 18,000 consumers in China signed up to take all-new Mustang for a test spin U.S. Mustang sales up 32 percent in February – making it the best-selling sports car in America DEARBORN, Mich., March 12, 2015 – Red and black clinch the top spots as the most popular exterior paint colors for the first global Mustang, according to initial consumer data. Mustang demand has been high, with the car reaching dealer lots in the United States late last year and China in early 2015. It's set to go on sale in Europe midyear, with nearly 1.1 million pony cars configured on Ford's European websites just a month after ordering banks opened.