1930 Ford Model A on 2040-cars

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Facelifted Ford Focus caught testing in the cold

It's that time in the life of the Ford Focus to get a little work done - a nip-tuck here, some Botox there. Yes, Ford is testing a facelifted version of its global C-segment entry, which first hit markets in Europe and North America in May 2011.
Like the touchup on the Fiesta, expect Ford's gaping grille to make its first appearance on the Focus. Our spy photographers point out that this is likely to be a more comprehensive makeover than previous spy shots suggested, based on the additional camouflage seen here on the front and rear ends of this five-door model. New head and taillights are also likely in order, as are changes to the front and rear fascia.
The interior was also snapped and features a cleaner design with a larger central display. Other than that, it looks like some buttons have been changed, making us think most of the Focus' updates are limited to the exterior.

2015 Ford F-150 gets Power Wheels treatment [w/video]

With the introduction of its forthcoming 2015 F-150, Ford is breaking with convention by shifting from steel-intensive construction to aluminum. But what if it weren't made of metal altogether? What if it were made of plastic instead, and packed an electric motor instead of an internal-combustion engine?
Feast your eyes, boys and girls, on the new Power Wheels F-150. Built by Fisher-Price and licensed by Ford, the third-generation ride-on toy started development nine months before the full-size version debuted at the Detroit Auto Show this past January, and is hitting sidewalks and driveways across the country this September.
The Power Wheels F-150 carries a sticker price of $349.99, and there's a special version at Toys R Us with LED headlamps (just like the real F-150) for an extra $10.

The next-generation wearable will be your car

This year's CES has had a heavy emphasis on the class of device known as the "wearable" – think about the Apple Watch, or Fitbit, if that's helpful. These devices usually piggyback off of a smartphone's hardware or some other data connection and utilize various onboard sensors and feedback devices to interact with the wearer. In the case of the Fitbit, it's health tracking through sensors that monitor your pulse and movement; for the Apple Watch and similar devices, it's all that and some more. Manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality. As evidenced by Volvo's newly announced tie-up with the Microsoft Band 2 fitness tracking wearable, car manufacturers are starting to explore how wearable devices will help drivers. The On Call app brings voice commands, spoken into the Band 2, into the mix. It'll allow you to pass an address from your smartphone's agenda right to your Volvo's nav system, or to preheat your car. Eventually, Volvo would like your car to learn things about your routines, and communicate back to you – or even, improvise to help you wake up earlier to avoid that traffic that might make you late. Do you need to buy a device, like the $249 Band 2, and always wear it to have these sorts of interactions with your car? Despite the emphasis on wearables, CES 2016 has also given us a glimmer of a vehicle future that cuts out the wearable middleman entirely. Take Audi's new Fit Driver project. The goal is to reduce driver stress levels, prevent driver fatigue, and provide a relaxing interior environment by adjusting cabin elements like seat massage, climate control, and even the interior lighting. While it focuses on a wearable device to monitor heart rate and skin temperature, the Audi itself will use on-board sensors to examine driving style and breathing rate as well as external conditions – the weather, traffic, that sort of thing. Could the seats measure skin temperature? Could the seatbelt measure heart rate? Seems like Audi might not need the wearable at all – the car's already doing most of the work. Whether there's a device on a driver's wrist or not, manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality.