History of Cars - Car Planet

Chariots thrived in the ancient Mediterranean and Middle-East. Steam-power was a product of 18th-century Britain. In the 19th century, French and German engineers built the first gasoline cars. At the start of the 20th century Henry Ford, an American, made simple cars people could afford. Ever since then, the miracle of the motor car has spread around the world... and changed the face of our planet.

People's wagon: 1940s: Germany

German dictator Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) gave Henry Ford a medal for making cars affordable. Inspired by the Model-T Ford, Hitler asked German auto-maker Dr Ferdinard Porsche to develop a simple people's car or "Volks Wagen" called the KDF (Kraft durch Freude or Strength through Joy). Renamed the Beetle, it sold over 20 million worldwide and was one of the most popular cars of the 20th century.

Photo: Small, basic cars like this Austin Mini, popular in the UK during the 1960s and 1970s, owed much to pioneering, affordable cars like the Model T-Ford and Volkswagen Beetle.

Status symbols: 1950s–1960s: America

Ford wanted to keep cars simple to keep them cheap. But his "any color so long as it's black" message fell out of favor: people wanted comfort and style. In the 1930s, cars became sleek, glamorous, and "streamlined"; inside, they boasted luxuries like automatic gears and window defrosters. The end of World War II brought cars inspired by planes. Swaggering "gas guzzlers" were given tail fins like jet fighters—and burned almost as much fuel!

Paving the way: 1930s–1950s: Europe and America

Many countries launched huge roadbuilding schemes in the mid-20th century. Hitler helped to pioneer Germany's high-speed Autobahns in the 1930s, while his Italian pal Benito Mussolini (1883–1945) greatly expanded the Italian network of autostrade. Britain didn't start building motorways until the 1950s, when America also reorganized its major roads into a simple numbered network called the Interstate Highway System.

Cuban Classics: 1950s: Cuba

Cuba has been cut-off from the United States since the Cuban revolution of 1959, so many Cubans still drive round in classic cars from the late 1950s. It's hard to buy new cars or spares for old ones!

Trabi trials (1950s–1980s): East Germany

Before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, eastern Europeans zipped around in 3 million ugly little cars called Trabants (or "Trabis"). They were cheap and cheerful—even cool in some ways, with recycled plastic body parts that lasted nearly 30 years. But their engines chugged like mowers and smoke belched from their exhausts. When communism collapsed, people drove their Trabants to the scrap heap at top speed. Only to find the plastic bits couldn't be recycled.

Big Sheik Out: 1970s: Middle East

In 1973, oil-rich states in the Middle East began to restrict exports—turning off the tap that supplied the world with oil. There were sharp hikes in fuel prices and queues of cars snaking from gas stations were a familiar sight.

Sugar cars: 1970s– : Brazil

When the 1973 oil crisis hit home, the Brazilian government launched a major project to run the country's cars on ethanol made from sugar beet. Almost 30,000 filling stations in Brazil now sell ethanol, which supplies a fifth of the country's fuel.

First robot carmaker: 1961: Ewing, New Jersey, USA

Henry Ford pioneered automation, but General Motors took it a quantum leap further in 1961. That's when the first-ever car-making robot started building car bodies at the GM plant in Ewing New Jersey.

Photo: A modern car-welding robot at Think Tank, the museum of science in Birmingham, England.

Big in Japan: 1970s–1980s: Japan

American and European car firms dominated car production till the 1970s. Then Japanese upstarts such as Nissan, Honda, Mazda, and Toyota began to undercut them by exporting cheaply made cars to the West. For a time, countries like the United States and Britain fought off these imports. So the Japanese went further and began exporting their factoriesinstead. Honda became the first Japanese maker to open plants in the United States and Canada in the early 1980s.

Compete or cooperate? California, USA: 2000s–

Car makers used to compete; now they cooperate. In the world of "globalization", big companies and their brands operate beyond national borders. New cars are expensive to design so makers in different countries work together to reduce costs. A Renault made in France might use exactly the same chassis, engine, or bodywork as a Nissan made in Japan. Another example of globalization is when a car plant in one country builds vehicles for more than one maker. Toyota and General Motors jointly run a plant like this in Fremont, California making parts for Toyotas, Pontiacs, and Chevrolets.

Car-making memories: UK: 2000s–

Britain's car industry once employed over a million people and was the world's second-biggest producer after the United States. Today, the only big car plants left in Britain are run by Japanese firms and the once great names of British motoring—Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Aston Martin—are foreign-owned too.

Dream cars: China: 2000–

The Chinese are bicycle crazy: there are twice as many cycles in China as people in the United States. But all that could soon change. Car makers are eagerly turning their eyes to China, the world's fastest-growing car market, where sales are growing at 80 per cent a year. The country's biggest car maker, Shanghai Automotive, has already formed powerful alliances with big western firms including Fiat, General Motors, and Volkswagen.

Self-driving cars: California: 2000–

Who knows if we'll even be driving cars in the future? Companies like Google are now busily developing cars with onboard sensors that can navigate their way around the world while the people inside sit back and enjoy the view. Part robot, part computer, part old-fashioned automobile, these hybrid machines are likely to prove far safer and much more environmentally friendly than cars driven by careless, fallible humans.

Also visit History of Cars - Early Times and History of Cars - Rise and Fall of Henry Ford

Source: http://www.explainthatstuff.com/

History of Cars - Rise and Fall of Henry Ford

By the start of the 20th century, gasoline-engined cars were fast, reliable, and exciting. They were also stupidly expensive. In 1893, Karl Benz's simple, Viktoria car had a price tag of £9000 (about £50,000 today) and hardly anyone could afford one—he sold just 45. Car makers stuck with big, expensive cars, so customers stuck with their horses and carts. Then a bold American engineer called Henry Ford (1863-1947) came along and decided things had to be different.

"It was not at all my idea to make cars in any such petty fashion"—Henry Ford, My Life and Work, 1922.

The rise of Henry Ford

Ford was no scientist, but he'd been repairing watches and tinkering with machines since he was a boy. Never afraid of rolling up his sleeves, he loved machinery and understood it instinctively. His first car was little more than a four-wheel motorbike that he called the Quadricycle. When he took it on the streets of Detroit in 1896, horses bolted in all directions.

Photo: Henry Ford was inspired to build his first car after he saw a steam-powered tractor (traction engine) like this one. He realized straight away that engine-powered vehicles were the future.

Ford must have been delighted: he had no time for horses. Aged 14, he'd been thrown from the saddle of a colt, caught his foot in the stirrups, and dragged home along the ground. A few years later, he'd been seriously injured when his bolting horse and cart tried to smash through a fence. Now was the time to settle those scores.

Ford loved machines and hated horses, so he hatched a simple plan: he'd make the simplest possible "horseless carriage" and he'd make it in such enormous quantities, in only one color, that he could sell it cheaply to a huge number of people. It took him 12 years to get things right. In fact, he made eight different models (named A, B, C, F, N, R, S, and K) before he finally came up with a winner, the Model T, launched in 1908—a car everyone could afford. Around 15 million Model T Fords were eventually sold and a delighted (and very rich) Henry Ford scribbled in his notebook: "The horse is DONE".

The Assembly Line

Normally things get more expensive over time—but Ford's pint-sized miracle car, the Model T, dropped in price from $850 when it was launched in 1908 to just $260 in 1925. The secret was mass-production: making the car from simple, easy-to-fit parts in huge quantities. Other car makers used small groups of mechanics to build entire cars very slowly. By 1913, Ford was building cars at his new Highland Park factory in a completely different way using a moving "assembly line". Model Ts were gradually assembled on a conveyor that inched past a series of workers. Each mechanic was trained to do only one job and worked briefly on each car as it passed by. Then the vehicle moved on, someone else did another bit, and the whole car magically came together. The first year Ford used his assembly line, production of the Model T leaped from 82,000 to 189,000. By 1923, Ford's giant River Rouge factory was making 2 million cars a year.

The fall of Henry Ford

Photo: Henry Ford in later life. Photo by courtesy of US Library of Congress.

Henry Ford was a big success and a people's hero: no-one did more to put cars within reach of ordinary people. But he made big mistakes too, probably because he was a mess of contradictions.

Stuck in the past? Ford looked to the future—he grew soybeans to make plastic parts for cars and experimented withbiofuels years before almost anyone else. He famously wrote "History is more or less bunk". But, as he grew older, he set up his own museum, packed it full of nostalgic exhibits, and spent increasing amounts of time there daydreaming of a lost era. He even had visitors driven round on horses and carts.

Nostalgic? His assembly-line methods were widely copied and quickly transformed the United States from a clean and green farm-based nation into a dirty, smoky factory-based one. Yet the more industrialized things became, the more Ford yearned for the rural world he was helping to destroy.

Stubborn? The Model-T Ford was a huge success, but Ford refused to update it: "There is a tendency to keep monkeying with styles and to spoil a good thing by changing it." But other car makers began introducing a new model every year and the Ford Motor Company lost its lead. In 1927, Ford grudgingly abandoned the Model-T and closed down his factories for six months while they converted to making new models.

Arrogant? Ford had strong opinions and never shrank from expressing them. He ran for the US senate, but lost, and even seriously thought of standing for President. Though a brilliant mechanic, he had no qualifications to speak about world affairs.

Racist? Ford bought a newspaper and got into big trouble writing offensive articles about Jewish people. But he was one of the first industrialists to employ black people and treat them fairly.

Pacifist? When World War I broke out, this committed pacifist hired a huge ocean liner and sailed it round the world trying to make peace—earning nothing but ridicule. But during World War II, he turned his factory over to making thousands of bombers.

Spent Force

Ford built his company up from nothing and was determined to keep control. Despite making his son Edsel president in 1919, Ford still made all the big decisions. He belittled Edsel and cruelly undermined his authority. Once, when Edsel ordered new coal ovens for the steel plant at River Rouge, Ford waited till they'd been built before ordering them to be demolished. Though Ford humiliated Edsel, he was devastated when his son died from cancer in 1943, aged only 49. The sparkle vanished from his eyes and he hurtled towards senility. He briefly became president of the Ford Motor Company once more, but couldn't remember what he was supposed to be doing or why. By now, Ford was unquestionably the world's greatest industrialist: he'd made a personal fortune of over $1 billion. But he was deteriorating into what his doctor described as "a pleasant vegetable" and died after a massive stroke in 1947, aged 83.

Also visit History of Cars - Car Planet and History of Cars - Early Times

Source: http://www.explainthatstuff.com/

Ford Mustang turns 50, celebrates a production milestone

Still looking good after all these years

Ford is celebrating two milestones today as they have announced the Flat Rock Assembly plant has built their one millionth Mustang on the car's 50th anniversary.

The millionth model, a Ruby Red convertible, was driven off the assembly line by the plant's material planning and logistics manager, Ed Salna, as well as Ford group vice president for product development Raj Nair.

In a statement Nair said “Mustang is one of the most beloved nameplates in the industry, with fans around the world and throughout Ford Motor Company. The team here at Flat Rock Assembly has built an outstanding reputation for quality while producing one million Mustangs over the last nine years, and we expect that to continue for many years to come.”

To date, Ford has sold over 8.5 million Mustangs and those numbers will likely increase when the next-generation model is introduced.

Ford Focus No. 1 in 2012 global car sales, new report says

The Ford Focus was the best-selling passenger car in the world in 2012, according to R.L. Polk data released today, and the Dearborn-based automaker had three vehicles in the top six.Sales of the compact car, which sells in its current body style and an older version sold in many parts of the world, totaled 1.02 million last year, according to Polk. No. 2 was the Toyota Corolla at 872,774. Ford F-Series was third with 785,630 -- 645,316 of them in the U.S. alone. Ford Fiesta was the sixth best seller and the top subcompact in the world.The figures validate Ford's "One Ford" global strategy of designing, engineering, building, marketing and selling vehicles in all markets.The strategy is embossed on wallet-size cards that executives carry. CEO Alan Mulally has repeated it like a mantra since he joined the company in 2006. Mulally found a composite of regional products and business practices, then spent years changing Ford so a compact car like Focus is built the same way at a plant anywhere in the world in order to save money from economies of scale."Focus and Fiesta represent the culmination of our One Ford global product strategy," said Ford marketing chief Jim Farley.A car known by a single name anywhere in the world reduces cost and can boost brand equity."As companies build more vehicles locally, around the world, they are using a global name. Even in countries like China they are not changing model names as much," said Haig Stoddard, industry analyst with WardsAuto.
Michael Robinet, managing director of IHS Consulting, said a single name helps in emerging markets."With the impact of the Internet and name awareness, there are definitely economies of scale and the ability to build brand equity around the world," Robinet said. "When you pick a name that is universally accepted, like Focus or Corolla or Fiesta or Beetle, it reduces marketing costs." Ford may be ahead of some of its peers, but other carmakers are pursuing the strategy.Chevrolet Cruze, for example, bears the same name everywhere but Australia where General Motors sells under the Holden brand, said GM spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin.There is a compact Opel Astra sold in Europe and the Vauxhall Astra in the U.K., but it is a different vehicle, although close in size to the Cruze. Chevrolet also sells the Cruze in Europe, Martin said. Chrysler revived the Cherokee name for a new generation of what was the Jeep Liberty, because a version of the small SUV is sold as a Cherokee in other parts of the world.Even Ford has naming discrepancies to address. The Ford Escape is sold as the Kuga in Europe; the Fusion is sold as the Mondeo. But executives are considering single names in the future and which names should prevail if they make the change.Ford sales analyst Erich Merkle said the Focus is particularly strong in the U.S. and China. Ford sold almost 246,000 in the U.S. last year, up 40%.China now accounts for one in four Focus sales. In China, consumers can buy a more affordable "classic" or previous-generation Focus or the more expensive current model.Ford invested $490 million in Chongqing to produce the current Focus. Last year in China, Focus sales rose 51%, mostly in the second half of the year, Merkle said.It ranked as the best-selling passenger car in China, Farley said."With additional manufacturing capacity added last year, we now have a tremendous opportunity to further strengthen our global small-car sales in 2013," Farley said.

Ford wants to see if smartphones can boost fuel economy

Ford Motor Co. wants consumers to see how their driving habits affect fuel economy and is offering big bucks to find an entertaining way to do that.

Ford is offering software developers $50,000 in prize money for coming up with innovative smartphone apps that can take data from a vehicle's on-board computer and use it to coach consumers to drive more efficiently.

In essence, Ford wants the automotive equivalent of the Nike FuelBand, which, when strapped on, tracks walking, running and other activities, as well as how many calories are burned. Results can then be tracked on a smartphone app.

Ford will begin taking applications for the Personalized Fuel-Efficiency App Challenge on April 23. The contest will be open for about three months.

The contest connects two of Ford's current themes -- fuel economy and smart technology -- in marketing vehicles to eco-aware, tech-savvy consumers. It also, not coincidentally, could take some of the heat off Ford and other automakers whose vehicles don't always deliver the miles per gallon promised by the window sticker.

Too often, automakers say, lead-footed drivers don't realize that their driving habits can mean the difference between an EPA rating of 44 mpg and a real-world 35 mpg.

But the proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones means "we have the opportunity to give consumers better and more relevant data to understand what they can expect in on-the-road fuel economy performance," said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president for global marketing, sales, service and Lincoln, during a speech at the New York auto show last month.

"We need to help customers understand the concept of personal fuel economy -- based on their own individualized experiences -- and give them tools to see, learn and act upon all the information available to know what to expect, how to improve" their driving, Farley said.

More readily available and comprehensible information could even "offer guidance in their shopping process," Farley suggested.

Carmakers that figure out the best ways to help consumers measure their real-world fuel economy could enjoy a competitive advantage, Farley said.

Real-world fuel economy has become an industry hot-button topic as carmakers make competing ad claims about the mpg ratings of their fleets. Farley noted that the fuel economy of hybrid vehicles seems particularly variable depending on consumers' driving habits. Ford has a growing number of hybrids and plug-in hybrids arriving in showrooms, including the 2013 C-Max Energi and Fusion Hybrid.

Automakers often tout vehicles' EPA fuel economy ratings in ads and marketing materials, but that can backfire when real-world numbers don't match the lab results on which the EPA relies.

In December, Consumer Reports said two Ford hybrid nameplates fell 17 percent to 21 percent short of the automaker's promise of combined city/highway 47 mpg in the tests. The Ford Fusion Hybrid achieved 39 mpg and the C-Max Hybrid averaged 37 mpg, the magazine said.

To lure app developers interested in entering the contest, Ford is offering access to a portion of its computer database.

Farley said the company will open its "OpenXC connectivity research platform as a sandbox" for developers to "create and test innovative ideas."

In 2011, Ford and a software company named Bug Labs joined to create OpenXC as a standard way of creating aftermarket software and hardware for its vehicles.

"Every new car is full of computers and electronics, and there is growing interest in connecting the output from those systems to third-party applications and the Web," says an explanatory note on OpenXC.com.

Using a small hardware device, the OpenXC platform can pull data from a vehicle's onboard diagnostic port, which is standard on every vehicle below the instrument panel to the left of the steering wheel. Onboard computers collect a vast array of performance data, including the engine's revolutions per minute, fuel consumption, accelerator and brake pedal usage and steering wheel angle.

To use a hypothetical example, an app that pulled and crunched that data then could tell a driver: "Jack, you were driving very aggressively last week. If you had backed off just a little, you would have consumed two fewer gallons on your commute last week."

Consumers could compare notes with their friends on how efficiently they had been driving.

A Ford spokesman said the company has not decided what it will do with the proposals that developers enter in the contest. "It's about trying to spur innovation," he said. "We want to have a contest and a prize to show that we appreciate developers' time and effort in helping us come up with innovative solutions."

Bowler EXR S

Rally cars for the modified for the road are some of the most exciting cars ever made, like theLancia Stratos, Audi Quattro and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution all of which have followed that sideways gravel path to glory on the road.

The Bowler EXR S is one of these very special vehicles. A road-biased handling package, safety features, and a finished interior are the key additions that separate it from the pure Motorsport EXR.

The spec sheet for the road-going EXR S variant is to die for. Researching the details of its construction, it’s as though the Derbyshire-based Bowler team simply doesn’t compromise. Every bolt and brace is simply the best and strongest possible, period. Better ingredients. Better pizza. Or something to that effect.

Click past the jump for the full review, details on ordering a Bowler, and high-resolution images of the exquisite interior and rolling roll-cage chassis.

Exterior

The exterior of the EXR S is all racecar, sans the sponsor stickers. Bowler leverages the extensive Range Rover parts bin for the car’s key exterior features. The result is a slinky, Range Stormer-stomping animal.

The nose and tail share the Range Rover Sport’s blocky graphics, including the bi-xenon self-leveling lights, grille shape and overall square-jaw looks.

The off-the-shelf components bookend a mad body profile with giant man-eating fenders and extensive cooling ductwork. The swage line stays horizontal through the A-pillar, before arcing upward around the rear wheel arch. The Bilstein and Eibach double wishbone suspension is visible front and rear and leaves no doubt about the promised 11.2-inches of wheel travel.

Interior

The interior of the EXR S makes big progress over the inhospitable rally trucks. The Bowler seats two passengers in body-hugging racing seats and provides three-point seat belts for ease of use. Six-point harnesses and rally intercoms are optional.

Visible structural metal is painted the same color as the body and includes substantial thick-plate reinforcements across the entire floor, firewall and transmission tunnel area. The standard roll cage is FIA-approved and constructed from hydroformed steel about twice the normal roll-bar thickness. The twin A-pillar tubes are evidence of the EXR S’s rigidity and strength. For those that like to push the envelope a little more, an even more extreme cage is optional. After all, not all jumps have smooth landings – airbags are not included for exactly this reason.

A dashboard from Land Rover’s Defender blends nicely with bespoke aluminum plates and carbon-fiber elements to create a polished appearance. The EXR S includes a number of comfort and safety features as standard:

• Six-speed automatic with paddle shifters, low-range gear and electronic parking brake
• Keyless ignition with remote central locking
• Dual climate control, heated mirrors and heated front/rear screens
• Twin 12V sockets, map and courtesy lamps
• Lightweight Pioneer head unit (Bluetooth, iPhone-compatible) with six-speaker Pioneer stereo

The carbon door cards reinforce the sense of racing authenticity, as do the polycarbonate side windows with sliding hatches. The rear cargo area is huge (est. 30-cubic-feet) but not flat.

Drivetrain

The Bowler EXR S is powered by a supercharged and remapped 5.0-liter V-8 from the RRS that produces 550 horsepower and an estimated 700 pound-feet of torque. The twin air intake system is finished in chrome and adds real purpose to the near-OEM-quality engine compartment. A Bowler-branded induction cover fills some of the void between the deeply mounted engine and the front end.

The snorting V-8 is shoved well back from the front axle for a low, front mid-mounted position and ideal weight distribution. The EXR S keeps the racecar’s locking center and rear differentials but tweaks the torque split from 60:40 to 50:50.

All of this power and technology delivers a 0-to-60 mph sprint of 4.2-seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 155 mph.

The EXR S is very light compared with its Range rover cousin, as its curb weight is 3,815 pounds, compared to the 2012 Range Rover Sport’s 5,800-pound curb weight.

2013 Bowler EXR S - Manufacturer’s Performance Claims

Peak Power	550 Horsepower
Peak Torque	700 Pound-Feet Est
0-To-60-Mph	4.2 Seconds
Top Speed	155-Mph, Limited

Suspension and Brakes

Giant six-piston Brembo brakes clamp the 14.2-inch front discs, while four-piston Brembos bring up the rear. The standard suspension features progressive Eibach springs over Bowler-specific Bilstein dampers, but the optional Donerre competition dampers with remote reservoirs are visible in the rolling chassis images.

Driving Impressions

Darling of Top Gear and Fifth Gear, the Bowler promises all drivers a giant childlike grin and some lifetime memories. The smile is not instant, as the Bowler is a true exotic and as such is pretty frightening at first. The idea of driving something so fast across open terrain only amplifies the fear.

Once acclimated to the giant power and relatively squishy suspension, the nerves fade. The EXR S is described by Bowler as having a more “reactive” type of handling to fit its intended purpose. This means the car is always in a semi-defensive position and tries to be ready for unexpected blows, which helps inspire confidence. Drivers rapidly learn that car’s progressive suspension is soft at the top of its travel but firm underneath.

Pricing

The Bowler fairy tale gets more complicated at this part. The Bowler EXR S is priced at $236,000 in its home UK market, where it is also road-legal and emissions compliant. The EXR S is available for custom orders across the globe, where Bowler sells the car on a recreational vehicle basis.

“I’d be delighted to sell a Bowler in the U.S. - either an EXR for competition use, or an EXR S for off highway recreational use.” - Jon Chester, Bowler Brand Director

This means the car is legal to drive on any private land or roads, like off-road parks and the thousands of OHV (off highway vehicle) trails across the U.S.

The lack of U.S. federal highways blessing shouldn’t put off potential customers. Many collectors know that former racecars or non-imported exotics are totally street-able, with a little help. Generally, license-plate issuers (State DMVs) have far fewer requirements once you already own the vehicle.

All Bowlers have exceptional resale value due to limited supply.

Competition

The primary competition for this car is the Local Motors Rally Fighter, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, and the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor.

Local Motors Rally Fighter

The Rally Fighter shares the spirit of the Bowler and is also special-order-only. A skilled expert mechanic will be able to handle routine maintenance for both vehicles, although spare parts will be an eye-watering experience. The Rally Fighter also seats two and is powered by a racing small-block V-8. It is less proven mechanically as well as at high speed.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo gets close to the 0-to-60-mph time of the EXR S and trumps it with a 160-plus top speed. As a volume production car, it can be purchased from a dealer lot, seats five and offers passive safety features like airbags and a warranty.

Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG

The G63 and Bowler have similar pricing and rip-snorting V-8 engines. The AMG quad side-exhaust wins for show quality over the twin side exhausts from the Bowler. The G63 provides more comfort and five big seats but is much more vulnerable off-road.

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

The Raptor can do something the G63 and Cayenne wouldn’t dare: follow the EXR S through some challenging terrain. The Raptor includes a similarly giant wheel-and-tire package, long-travel Fox Racing suspension and a 6.2-liter V-8 engine with 411 horsepower. It also seats five and is easier and much cheaper to buy than the EXR S. The Raptor’s sluggish 0-to-60-mph time means that he might be able to follow the EXR S – but only as a support vehicle.

If you’re feeling really squirrely, you can pay an extra $17,995 for the Shelby Raptor package and push the Raptor to 575 horsepower.

Conclusion

The EXR S never gets bogged down in the mud, and potential buyers shouldn’t either.

For those demanding the best in every aspect of their pampered lives, the Bowler will fit right in. Despite the cushy ride, few passengers and no drivers will forget this is an extreme and highly specialized machine.

The buyers for this SUV could simply make a track out of the back forty acres of their rural ranch. Soon they might need another to keep the EXR S humble when doing laps.

 Huge power and acceleration
 Robust racing mechanicals
 Unbeatable off-road

 Only two seats
 Special-order status
 Polycarbonate windows don’t roll down

Unique of the Week: 1972 Ford Ranchero GT

Ford's Ranchero was on the market for over 20 years. By the time it was discontinued it had become a land yacht.

We’ve been longtime fans of the old Chevrolet El Camino but automotive history proves thatFord beat GM in building and introducing a compact ute to the North American market. The Ford Ranchero, like the El Camino, combined the utility of a pickup truck with a large coupe body style. While not to everyone's taste, it offered plenty of practical conveniences for owners who didn’t necessarily want a pickup but that wanted some useful loading space.

First launched in 1957, two years ahead of the El Camino, the first-gen Ranchero was based on Ford’s then-new full-size car platform that also underpinned the Custom sedan, but that Ford sold through its truck division. A bare bones base version was geared towards farmers while the more upscale Custom spec received trimmings from the Fairlane lineup such as two-tone paint and stainless-steel body side moldings. Interestingly, both of these early Ranchero trim levels could be had with any engine in the Ford lineup, including the big 5.8-liter V8. A smaller second-gen Ranchero appeared in 1960, based off Ford’s immensely popular Falcon.

It came with a range of engines that included inline-sixes as well as V8s. By the late Sixties, Ford had merged the Fairlane and Falcon platforms into one and the Ranchero became even larger, as did its engine options. This was the time of real muscle so Ford offered a variety of V8s, ranging from 4.7- to 7.0-liters. And unlike the first-gen farmer’s Ranchero, Ford didn’t hold back in offering this latest version with plenty of modern luxuries such as a/c, bucket seats, front power disc brakes and a vinyl top. The Ranchero was once again redesigned for 1970 which saw it move to a somewhat boxier body, just like its Torino cousin.

It was only on the market for two model years before Ford ditched the angular look, giving the Ranchero an even more squared off design, as well as moving it to a body-on-frame construction. A V8 range remained as did the Cobra Jet-powered GT. By 1977, however, the Torino was discontinued, leaving the Ranchero without a platform. So until 1979, Ford built the Ranchero on the Thunderbird’s platform. Yes, it was quite the land yacht but that’s how the story of the Ford Ranchero ended. This particular 1972 Ranchero GT that’s up for sale on eBay is in absolutely remarkable condition with just 57,000 miles on its odometer.

Power comes from a 6.6-liter V8 mated to its original C-6 automatic transmission. It received a major overhaul in the early Nineties including a dual stage repaint in its original Medium Brown Poly Metallic with correct orange and black GT striping. The interior is also all original with the exception of the seat covers and carpeting. As of writing it has a top bid of $10,000 but the reserve has yet to be met.

Cue the Merchandise: Ford Launches New Logo to Celebrate 50 Years of Mustang

The Ford Mustang is set to celebrate 50 years of continuous production next year, and to mark the occasion, the blue oval brand has designed a new logo that will adorn a series of commemorative merchandise. The logo, comprised simply of the iconic galloping horse with a stylized “50 Years” below it, was penned by Ford designer Michael Thomson, and will be used on 50 carefully selected products over the next few months. Those products include die-cast models, video games, watches, and clothing. Ford has apparently been very choosy about what items will be branded with the 50 th anniversary logo.
“We’re working closely with our licensees to ensure every item reflects the unique qualities of Mustang,” said Ford team leader for global brand licensing John Nens in a release. “Like the car itself, we want our licensed products to convey an attitude of strength, passion, and the highest quality.” One company that met Ford’s expectations is clothing manufacturer Schott NYC, which has been in business as long as the automaker has been building cars. In World War II, Schott NYC spent most of its time producing sheepskin bomber jackets and leather flight jackets for the war effort, and its best-known product is what will brandish the Mustang 50 th anniversary logo. The limited-edition Mustang leather jacket will be revealed later this year. What merchandise would you like to see branded with the Mustang logo? Tell us below in the comments.

Ford Focus

Rumored to have 335 HP

A mule of the 2015 Ford Focus RS has been spied by our photographers at a gas station near the Arctic Circle.

This mule was spotted wearing the body of the warm ST version and it also previews a facelift for the Focus range judging by the camo on the front end. Ford has already confirmed the third-gen Focus RS will be launched sometime in 2015.

According to latest rumors, it will be powered by an EcoBoost 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder engine with direct injection and turbocharging, capable of outputting 335 HP (246 kW) which will be sent to front wheels. The same engine will also be available for the next-gen Mustang in Europe and United States.

We are expecting a starting price of around 40,000 EUR in Europe for the new Focus RS.

2014 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet Details Announced

Last October, Ford showed a new twin-turbo version of its drag-strip-only Mustang Cobra Jet at SEMA, and spent a fair amount of time talking up the advantages of multiple turbos versus a single 2.9-liter supercharger.

To start with, turbochargers don’t scavenge power off the engine, since their turbines are spun by escaping exhaust gasses. Superchargers, on the other hand, are belt-driven from the engine, requiring significant horsepower to operate. In the case of the 2013 Mustang Cobra Jet, its 2.9-liter blower can take up to 100 horsepower to spin.

That seemed like a pretty clear indication that Ford was going the twin-turbo route for its next Mustang Cobra Jet. Imagine our surprise, then, when Ford handed us the details on its 2014 Mustang Cobra Jet, powered by the same 2.9-liter supercharger-equipped 5.0-liter V-8 as in 2013.

In fact, the primary differences between the years are new colors (including Gotta Have-It Green and flat black, a non-factory color), a new three-speed transmission with an SFI-approved housing and parachute mounts for cars built to exceed 150 mph.

As before, the 2014 Mustang Cobra Jet will be for off-road (and on-track) use only, and it will be built in a quantity of just 50 units (making it even rarer than the 69-unit COPO Camaro). Its lightened body structure is designed for optimum weight distribution, and it sports Recaro race seats and a rollcage designed using finite element analysis.

Even the Ford Racing suspension is designed to deliver the best 60-foot times, via computer modeling and analysis of hundreds of quarter-mile runs. In fact, for $97,990 (plus paint and graphics), you get a turn-key, collectable race car that’s eligible for NHRA Stock or Super Stock classes.

It’s even got its own racing series (the Cobra Jet Showdown) and driving school (the Roy Hill Cobra Jet Experience), and Ford says the Mustang Cobra Jet is a record holder in more Stock and Super Stock classes through last season than any other model.If you want one, now is the time to place an order (for part number M-FR500-CJ) at your local Ford dealer. Orders are filled on a first come, first served basis, and interested buyers who miss this production run will be added to a list for the next model. Production will start in July, with deliveries in time for the 2014 racing season.