2013 Ford F-150 on 2040-cars

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2015 Ford Focus

Sitting down at the pre-drive briefing with Ford engineers ahead of sampling the refreshed 2015 Focus, water bottles clinked as we wet our whistles before Q&A. While pouring a glass, we noticed something stamped on the bottle label: "1L." One liter. We were palming the exact displacement of the EcoBoost engine our group was about to drive. This was undoubtedly coincidence (such bottles litter every conference and dinner table in Europe) but it served to drive home just how small the total swept volume of Ford's wunderkind powerplant really is. It's tiny.
Of course, this isn't our first run-in with the little triple - we've sampled its turbocharged charms before in Ford's smaller Fiesta. At that time, we found it had plenty of poke for the subcompact, but the larger C-segment Focus carries around another 450 pounds or so and pushes a wider profile through the air. Would the three-cylinder have the stuffing to make the most of the Focus' athletic chassis, or would it be a letdown? Would it be the same as it was when we tested it in a Euro-spec Focus a couple of years ago? There was nothing left for it but to head out on the bucolic roads surrounding Versailles the day after the Paris Motor Show and find out for ourselves.

Social media star Scott Monty leaves Ford

It seems weird to think that an automaker could have a social media star, but Ford does. Or at least it did. Scott Monty, its Global Digital Communications Manager, led the company's team for almost six years and forged a reputation as being one of the most talented people in corporate social media. But the guru recently announced that he would be leaving the automaker for an undisclosed job elsewhere.
"I just decided the time was right. I am going to take a little time with my family, and I am going to start on a new adventure pretty soon," said Monty in an interview with AdWeek. He also explained a little about his theory of how companies should use social media. In his opinion, it should be a chance to go beyond standard marketing and build a relationship with people. Businesses need to have a broad focus for its online message, and using just one service isn't enough to be successful.
Under his guidance, Ford expanded its Facebook presence significantly. According to AdWeek, it launched the 2010 Explorer on the popular site. Also, when the company wanted to investigate selling electric models, it initially gauged the public's reaction on Facebook and then advertised them there first. Monty has been a major supporter of Twitter as well to broaden the company's communication with the public.

The history and future of the Ford Bronco

Some have suggested that the Bronco's demise was hastened by the fallout from the O.J. trial.
Twenty years ago today, ex-NFL linebacker Al "A.C." Cowlings drove his friend and onetime running back Orenthal James "O.J." Simpson on a parade lap of the Los Angeles highway system and onto an ignoble page of the history books. If you're in your late 20s or older, or a fastidious young student of 1990s American history, you're absolutely aware that Al and O.J.'s steed for the 'chase' was a white Ford Bronco. The white Ford Bronco, even.