2019 Ford Mustang Gt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford GT concept adorns Forza 6 cover

Ford has rolled in to the Detroit Auto Show this week with a staggering array of performance machinery, including the new GT Concept, Mustang GT350R and F-150 Raptor. That's the exciting part. The thing is, that most of us won't have the opportunity to drive any of them, let alone really wring them out on the track. Fortunately, they'll all feature in the upcoming release of Forza 6. Not only that, but the new Ford GT will adorn the box cover as well. Featuring on the cover of the latest installment of what Microsoft (citing Metacritic ratings) says is "the highest-rated racing series of the past decade" would be a coveted place of honor for any automaker. The box art for the original version (at least the one first released in North America) featured a modified Acura NSX, followed by a Nissan 350Z drifter on Forza Motorsport 2, an Audi R8 on Forza 3, Ferrari 458 Italia on Forza 4, an SRT Viper on Forza Horizon, the McLaren P1 on Forza 5 and the Lamborghini Huracan on Forza Horizon 2. This, then, will be the first time a Ford will be the poster child for a new version of the popular game. With carbon-fiber construction, active aero and a twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 pumping out over 600 horsepower, it strikes us as a place well deserved by Dearborn's finest. Microsoft and Ford Unveil Ford GT as the Cover Car for "Forza Motorsport 6" Debuting Exclusively on Xbox One Ford's new line of performance vehicles will star in Microsoft's newest and most advanced racing game DETROIT – Jan. 12, 2015 – Microsoft, Turn 10 Studios and Ford unveiled their new collaboration today at the North American International Auto Show, announcing the all-new Ford GT ultra-high performance supercar as the featured cover car in the next iteration of the acclaimed racing simulation franchise for Xbox, "Forza Motorsport 6," launching exclusively on Xbox One. The GT serves as a technology showcase for Ford with its ultra-efficient EcoBoost engine performance, advanced aerodynamics and lightweight carbon fiber construction. It begins arriving in dealerships in select markets globally late next year. In addition, the companies revealed that Ford's performance vehicle line-up will appear in "Forza Motorsport 6." This includes the GT, Shelby® GT350 Mustang and F-150 Raptor debuted by Ford earlier today at the auto show.

Ford Fiesta ST gets worked out on the track

We're big fans of the turbocharged Ford Focus ST, and we're plenty excited that the Blue Oval will be offering a similar treatment on the smaller Fiesta here in the United States, too. We first saw the production-ready Fiesta ST five-door at the Los Angeles Auto Show last fall, and Ford has now released this video of a Euro-spec three-door ST being flung around the track.
But not just any track - the challenging Track 7 of Ford's Lommel Proving Grounds in Belgium. The course features 20 turns and plenty of elevation changes along its 2.7-mile loop, and David Put, a vehicle dynamic specialist at Ford, shows just how good the pint-sized Fiesta ST is at handling the lot, even getting the smallest ST up on three wheels every now and then.
It sure does look like a lot of fun, and makes us really eager for our chance to try this ourselves. Scroll down to see the hot little Ford getting busy.

Ford and GM link bonus checks to quality scores

The poor first quarter earnings of Ford and General Motors are having an effect all the way up the food chain. Both automakers struggled with recalls in the first three months of the year, and, according to The Detroit News, they have responded by increasing the percentage of bonuses tied to vehicle quality for salaried workers, including top executives.
GM announced that 25 percent of bonuses (up from 10 percent) for all salaried workers would be tied to its vehicle quality standards. The automaker revealed in its financial report that it spent $1.3 billion on recall-related repairs in the first quarter, and net income was down 86 percent.
Ford also increased the quality proportion of bonuses for about 26,000 salaried workers all the way up to CEO Alan Mulally from 10 percent to 20 percent. The company announced in its report that the amount paid out in warranty and recall claims was about $400 million higher than expected in the first quarter. Its net income fell 39 percent from the previous year. "The change reflects how critical quality is to our overall business," said spokesperson Todd Nissen speaking to Autoblog.