2008 Ford Taurus...Time to get Bullish on Ford

The new 2008 Ford Taurus has just arrived at Ricart Ford in Columbus, Ohio...and we await the stampede of customers that won't be far behind.The reintroduction of one of the most iconic cars in history truly is an event for Ford, and Ricart Ford as well.

The new 2008 Taurus has earned the right to be called the safest full-sized car in America, and also has best in class passenger room and trunk space...and still gets nearly 30 mpg on the highway!!

Sure, I could tell you all kinds of details about the Taurus, and quote a few engineers and critics, but bag that! Just stop in and drive it, either on the Ricart test track, or the street...this really is a car that speaks for itself...no, make that screams for itself, once you get behind the wheel!

In case you haven't noticed yet (and many have not) the idea that Pacific manufacturers build better cars than Ford is a load, and hasn't been true for a while. Climb into the new Ford Taurus, close the door behind you and you'll see...the Taurus will stand toe to toe against any other full-sized car on the planet and never flinch.

It's time to be bullish about Ford again, in the new 2008 Taurus!

Memorial Day

Unless you are a regular on a few of the Mustang boards out here in the wild, wild, web, you probably missed Ford’s impersonation of Karl Rove when they leaked information on the forthcoming late 07 and 08 Mustangs.

Okay, it really was more like a flood of information than a leak, so let’s get right into it!
The 2008 model year will see the return of the Bullitt version of the Mustang GT with a projected 312 horsepower, retuned suspension, red brake calipers, unique sill plate and grille design (without fog lamps), 18” Bullitt wheels, upgraded steering system, X pipe exhaust, rear (faux) gas cap with Bullitt logo, metal interior trim and Bullitt shifter along with Bullitt seats, and more! The only thing missing is the ghost of Steve McQueen!
No pricing yet on the Bullitt, but with only 7,000 to be built for the U.S. and 700 for Canada, the Bullitt will be a keeper at any price!

If the 500 horsepower of the Shelby GT500 is a bit daunting for you, the late release 2007 and 2008 Super Snake Shelby’s will scare the livin’ daylights out of you! 725 horsepower!! 725 HORSEPOWER!!
When the Shelby Super Snake hits the showroom floor, it will have two HP choices…a tire smoking 600 horsepower, and a mind-blowing 725 horsepower, both generated by the use of a Ford Racing supercharger upgrade kit which will help the Supers crank 590 ft/lbs of torque. This will not be a car given to anyone for their 16th birthday!
The Super Snake will see a host of alterations and additions which truly put it in a class all it’s own, like the Ford Racing exhaust system, handling package and short –throw shifter, 20” Alcoa wheels designed by Shelby, Baer six piston brakes with calipers cast by Shelby and larger rotors, front brake cooling ducts, Shelby design composite hood with Shelby lettering (also on the rear deck lid), Shelby CSM dash plate, Shelby signature embroidered headrests and floor mats, and Super Snake badging.
No word yet on the numbers to be produced each year, but the Mustangs that end up with the Shelby Super Snake brand on them will probably never be more than a very limited number. These are cars you’ll see selling for serious cash at Barrett-Jackson sooner than later!

If you want to be the first on your block (or in your state) to have one of the new Mustangs in your driveway, you can call Ricart Ford at 888-250-2573 and we’ll contact you as soon as they start shipping. Oh, and you can check back here periodically for any new information on the Bullitt and Super Snake.

2008 Ford Taurus...Safe, Safer, Safest!

When the new Ford Taurus and Taurus X arrive on the Ricart Ford showroom floor this summer, the world will be a much safer place. No, the Taurus will not negotiate world peace, or prevent major hurricanes, but it will keep you, your family, and your friends safer than any other family car available anywhere! As a matter of fact, the 2008 Taurus is the only large family car to earn top honors as a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the highest possible five star crash rating in all test categories by the U.S. government. The IIHS “Top Safety Pick” rating is only given to vehicles which perform best in side, frontal, and rear impacts, and also offer an electronic stability control system, which Ford does with Advance Track on the Taurus and Taurus X.
The 2008 Taurus is bringing even more good news from the safety front to our showroom in a few weeks, with the first ever two-row Safety Canopy side air bag system along with architectural changes with crush zones to channel energy more effectively around the passenger compartment, and away from the passengers. The new Taurus also boasts an air bag control system capable of determining whether a seat is occupied, along with the size of a passenger, to allow the air bag to deploy, or not deploy, to provide the best possible protection. The new 2008 Taurus and Taurus X bring safety, style, space, and comfort together in a package which has never before been presented to drivers and their families before, especially in a vehicle that offers such great value to boot! Peace of mind is hard to find at any price…only Ford manages to bring it to you with your budget in mind, and you can get yours without breaking the bank this summer.

Ford to Flex this summer!

With the unfolding of spring each year, our thoughts seem to turn to things which are new. We think of baseball, and the fact that all teams are in first place at the beginning of April. We ponder the first blooming flowers, the returning warm weather birds, and if you knew about the Ford Flex, you’d be wondering how soon you can get your family in one, and will it be in time for this year’s vacation season? “What are you talking about?” I know you’re asking…I feel your desire for knowledge, and this is the 2009 Ford Flex, the full-size crossover that will easily change the family road vacation forever, and everyday driving too!

Okay, you can pick your jaw off the floor now, because it’s obvious the 2009 Ford Flex sticks its tongue out at mini-vans instead of paying them homage! Dad, you will never be embarrassed driving the Flex thanks to its bold features and over-all design, and the fuel efficient six speed 3.5 liter V-6 engine won’t have you weeping like a baby at the gas pump! The crossover has surpassed the SUV in sales, and the Flex has what it takes to widen the gap.
Due in stores this Summer, the Flex will feature accent points like the chrome, horizontal three bar grille, a “greenhouse” window and roof design which give a unique look from the outside, and broad panoramic views of the world for passengers on the inside, along with tail lamps that borrow heavily from the Edge, and integrated rocker panels that you do not have to step over to leave or enter the vehicle.


Once you are inside the Ford Flex, you’ll experience an interior which offers up craftsmanship second to no vehicle in any class, which was inspired by furniture and fashion designs and uses materials which gives a soft yet modern feel and appearance. You’ll also see things on the inside of the 2009 Flex that’ll surprise you. How about a refrigerator between the second row captain’s chairs…and yes, it is a refrigerator with a compressor and the whole nine yards, not just a cooler, and it can keep four two liters cold!

While you’re enjoying a chilled beverage, you’ll notice the best-in-class legroom in the second row, the footrests (yes, there is actually enough room in the Flex for footrests), and the Vista Roof which gives everyone in the Flex a view of the heavens! You’ll also find the Flex has programmable ambient lighting, cap-less fuel filler system (so you’ll never drive off with your gas cap dangling in the wind again!), Ford/Microsoft’s Sync hands free System, Ford’s next gen nav system, an their industry exclusive door entry pad held within the Flex’s B pillars, ending the need for those door mounted button pads.

If Flex had a middle name, it would have to be safety, with a whole slew of advancements including use of high strength boron steel, side intrusion beams in the doors, AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control, Safety Canopy side curtain air bag, and rear back-up camera mounted in the lift gate Ford badge. Secure, spacious, and stylish are great ways to describe the forthcoming Ford Flex, but we are sure you’ll come up with a few more adjectives and accolades of your own when the Flex hits Ricart Ford in Columbus, Ohio and Ford stores across the country this Summer.

Spring may be the time to think of things which are new…but there’s a whole bunch of folks already looking forward to summer, and the new 2009 Ford Flex!!

Ford Focus fords floodwaters!

It was a dark and stormy night…
Okay, it was actually a gray and rainy morning, but the previous night certainly was dark and stormy, which is why the parking area for the townhouse we live in was a lake by dawn, and it was still raining.
Sure, big honkin’ trucks with twelve feet of ground clearance were able to drive through the water with the wake flowing after them like an inboard towing a couple of water skiers, but anything smaller would surely be doomed attempting to ford the flood. At least that’s what I thought.
Being of hardy New English stock, I surveyed the situation, and decided that a little flood water would not keep me from driving in to work, so I climbed into my Ford Focus, backed out of my parking space, and headed for the shoreline. It was then that I noticed the Police had barricaded the street to the left, so I had no choice but to turn right around my neighbor’s house…and it was then I saw a Honda Civic and Toyota Tercel stalled in another massive pool of water. They didn’t make it through, and probably should never have tried.
By this time, I had no choice but to press on, through the same lake which now had two import islands, one white, the other gold. Water was actually flowing over the hood of my Focus as I descended into the water, and I tapped the accelerator and tried to avoid the fate of Atlantis as I increased my speed. It was one of those driving situations that has you saying a prayer that begins with, “God, if you let me make it…”, and ends with a promise to give up some vice.
Despite my best efforts at reenacting “The Poseidon Adventure”, my Ford Focus made it through like a champ, unlike the Toyota and Honda that are still stuck where they stalled.
I love my Focus!

Ford knows trucks...Toyota, not so much!

I just got done watching a For Eyes Only video from Ford. In the video, an undercover Rick Titus, host of "Driver's Talk", visits the Toyota Booth at the recent International Auto Show in Detroit and picks apart the new Toyo Tundra from frame to interior, and does it sooo easily. I wish I could give you a link to the video, but there must be some legal reason for Ford not making it available. I think it's because Ford actually used Toyo's display at the Auto Show for Rick's presentation. That's a major Bold Move in my book!

Anyway, in a nutshell Rick's commentary cut to the bone, mentioning Toyo's much heralded new brakes for the Tundra (which I guess is an admission to the fact that for years their brakes have been woefully undersized), the ill-conceived grill (which is ugly as a wicked step-sister and will require constant cleaning due to bug build-up), the gas guzzling 5.7 liter optional engine (can I mention that the standard engines are very underpowered for the Toyota truck), and Rick also pointed out the lovely Camry interior in the new Tundra (you know...it doesn't matter if you dress your sister up like your Dad, she's still your sister)!

Ford has been the truck leader for 30 years with the F-series, and Toyota is hardly a threat to mount a real challenge, especially when you consider that many of the changes made to the Tundra this year were merely corrections of Toyota's past mistakes.

Here's to another 30 years of Ford truck dominance!

Taurus To Return!...(At Least in Name)

For over twenty years, the Ford Taurus was an automotive icon. Actually, it was more than that...the Taurus was an American icon, and it will likely be again! Word on the street, confirmed by The Associated Press, is that Ford is planning on renaming the Ford Five-Hundred as the Ford Taurus and making the announcement as early as this week at the Chicago Auto Show.

With its introduction back in 1985, the Taurus put the automotive industry off its axis and never looked back, becoming the best selling car in America in 1992, a title Taurus held for five years, and changing the shape and style of cars forever.

With a style revamping set for the 2008 model year, now is the best time to rename the Ford Five-Hundred, and the new legacy filled "tag" (if it happens) should boost sluggish sales and increase awareness of a really great car that's getting even better, no matter what Ford calls it!

2008 Ford Super Duty Hits the Lot and Super Bowl!

Look for the new 2008 Ford Super Duty commercials during the Super Bowl broadcast on Sunday 2/4/2007!

During the ice and snow storms that raced across the southwest and south in December, Ford held a ride and drive for the brand new, redesigned 2008 Super Duty trucks in Texas, where the 150 or so journalists had the chance to drive the new F-Super Duty trucks under less than perfect driving conditions…and they all loved the trucks, and the chance to put them to a real world test. While driving, hauling, and towing in ice and snow, the following were overheard:
“I was expecting a good truck from you guys, and I pretty much had my story already written. The drive today proved what I thought, this is a great truck! In theses terrible conditions, it felt really confident!”
“The new Super Duty has really impressive towing. The ability to haul that 20,000 pound trailer was just amazing. The frame on this truck feels so solid and durable.” “That truck has grunt like I have never felt in a vehicle. Even on the really sloppy stuff, it just felt unstoppable!”
“This is a really amazing truck…the best in class. You can really sense that the engineers took their time to get this right.”
“We had mainly highway driving today…it was a good opportunity to feel how good and comfortable it felt. One thing is for sure, the diesel engine feels really powerful. Passing is easy, even from 70 mph. It always feels willing to accelerate!”
And then there were those reporters who stood and stared slack-jawed. They just about said it all without saying a thing!
Last time out, we outlined some of the new offerings on the 2008 Ford Super Duty trucks, but enough with the words already. If you are a truck person, it is time to get thee to the Ford store and take a drive. Ricart Ford in Columbus, Ohio has both diesel and gas versions of the new F-Super Duty available right now to test drive on the road or their six acre test track. Quieter, tougher, greener, more comfortable, smoother, more economical, the best Ford truck ever…just thought I’d give you a few more words to think about while you drive in to take a new Ford Super Duty for a spin.
If you can't stop by your Ford store now, watch for Ford's Super Duty commercials during the Super Bowl on Sunday, featuring some of the innovations that make the new Super Duty the best Ford trucks ever!!

Presenting The 2008 Ford F-Super Duty

Ford’s new 2008 F-Super Duty trucks are a redesign that takes the industry to a higher level, by pulling even more of what you need to tow, hauling more of what you need to haul, and doing it more cleanly, more comfortably, with greater style, and more dependably than any other truck maker…you know, the same as it has been for the past 30 years with the Ford F-series trucks!!!
Before Ford’s designers and engineers put pen to paper they talked with folks like you, real truck owners, to see exactly what you needed from your Super Duty, and then they built the exact truck you wanted, with features and details that lift the Ford Super Duty even farther above the competition!
The introduction of the new F450 makes it the logical choice for the 90% of Super Duty owners who use their truck for towing, because it seems like the loads keep getting heavier all the time, and the new Ford F450 gives you the combination of powertrain, axel, and suspension that let you get the job done while presenting a comfortable and precise driving experience. It looks great too, but more on that later.
Pete Reyes, Ford Super Duty Chief Engineer says of the new F450, “The increased towing and cargo hauling capability, the engine enhancements, and all the refinements make the F450 absolutely the most capable pickup truck we have ever built…period! And that is exactly what are customers are asking for.”
Leading the way for the 2008 Super Duty innovations is the new 6.4 liter Power Stroke diesel, the cleanest, quietest, and most powerful Power Stroke ever! The new 6.4 liter gives you 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm, and 650 lb.-ft. of torque cranking at 2,000 rpm, which in layman’s terms means that the F450 can pull down a building in short order, if you ever had to do such a thing. With multiple technical advances, including the application of Ford’s Clean Diesel Technology, the new 6.4 liter Power Stroke has reduced particulate discharge by 90%, giving it an emissions rate comparable to a gasoline engine. It’s been said that while driving in a metropolitan area like New York, Chicago, or L.A., what’s coming out of the tailpipe of the 6.4 liter is actually cleaner than the air going through the intake!!
The new Power Stroke has two turbochargers for optimal performance, with a small turbo that comes on at low rpm to give you a bit of a boost at take-off, and as rpm climb the bigger turbocharger joins in to boost power even more until you reach speed, when the small turbo will let it’s big brother do the work by itself. All this means that the 6.4 liter reaches 60 mph more than a second faster than the engine it is replacing.
Of course the 2008 Super Duties have the available TowCommand System, including the first factory installed and warranted electronic trailer brake controller, including special procedures for braking when the ABS system reads poor traction conditions. This system also has TorqShift technology which keeps the rpm up and provides you with more power when you need it most.
The 2008 Super Duty boasts improvements and innovative thinking both inside and out. The first external change most people notice is the raised nose and enlarged grill, which not only gives the truck a bolder face (especially with Super Duty etched into the upper plate of the grill), but also enhances functionality by improving engine cooling, which gives the truck a better towing capacity. I guess that cements the fact that the new Super Duty ain’t just another pretty face!
While maintaining the classic Ford truck styling cues, the new Super Duty trucks have a new tailgate design, including the now standard Lift-Assist Tailgate System, a deeper rear bumper which gives easier access to the bed, redesigned tail lamps and hood, and fender mounted air vents to release heat from the engine compartment. The fender air vents are even color coded to define the trucks powertrain…black for gas and red for diesel. When you combine the exterior revisions with all new seats, instrument cluster and treatment, a totally revamped climate control system, and all the other interior changes, you get a truck that is comfortable and practical. That’s great news for those of us who practically live in their trucks!
You get so much new stuff with Ford’s new 2008 Super Duty trucks, it’s just too hard to tell you about it in a blog, so you’ll need to stop into the Ford store to see and drive them yourself. The new Supers are expected to arrive at Ricart Ford in Columbus, Ohio by the weekend of January 27th, so I guess we’ll see you over the weekend…and until then, you’ll be seeing the new 2008 Ford Super Duty trucks in your sleep, because it is the truck of your dreams!

Consumers View Toyota and Ford Most Favorably

The most recent automotive Brand Report Card released by Consumer Reports has some good news for two of America's Big Three automakers as both Ford and Chevy mad it into the top five, along with Toyota, Honda, and Volvo (a part of Ford Motor Company). The Report Card had Toyo ranked first, followed by Ford, then Honda, Volvo, and Chevrolet, with the listing based on survey questions about design and styling, quality, safety, performance, value, and innovation, with respondents saying that safety and quality were the most important features they were looking for in a vehicle.



Okay, so I am sorry about the Moonbase Alpha crack I made about Ford's Airstream concept vehicle. This is a truly green vehicle that is battery powered and can be recharged using its hydrogen fuel cell, or you can plug it in! AutoblogGreen has a nice overview of the Airstream here, and MSNBC takes a look at this touring vehicle of the future too. (To be honest, I still think Ford's Airstream concept looks like it should have the NASA logo on the side!)

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Ford "Squircle" and The Interceptor

Ford Interceptor
You have to admit that the Ford Mustang has always been the iconic sports car built in the United States, ever since the Iacocca days at Ford anyway, and the most recent version of the Mustang has been an undeniable hit, or more accurately, a grand-slam!
With all the spirit of the Mustang, and a couple of dashes of 2003's Ford 427 concept car thrown into the mix, the Ford Interceptor concept was unveiled at this year's International Auto Show in Detroit to many oohs and aaahs, and a few "Holy ****s" too!
Now I could go into a lengthy study of what the Interceptor has to offer, like the 5.0 liter Cammer V8 engine which generates 400 horsepower burning E85, or the speedometer and tach that move opposite each other as the RPM's and speed increase, or the masculine appearance that would easily make this a car Dad would want to drive...but I won't go there. Instead, I want to talk about the squircle. Yup, the squircle.
Alright, I know you are asking yourself, "What is a squircle?". The short answer is, according to a Ford press release back in 2003, a shape that is a..."partly square, professionally rounded circle." I kid you not!
The squircle has actually been a design feature for Ford since the Model T, and was featured prominently on the 1932 Ford. Today the squircle can be found in the headlamps of the Ford Fusion, or the tail lights of the Interceptor, and if you look at the nose of the '32, you can see the squircle featured prominently! (Look at the grill)

I am sure that you will never see Cookie Monster and Big Bird singing the praises of the squircle on Sesame Street any time soon, but it is a design that has stood the test of time and has been incorporated into many a Ford in the past, and by the looks of the Interceptor, it will continue to be used by Ford in the future. So on that next trip with your family, don't just spot cars...see if you can spot the squircles, now that you know what one is.

Ford and Microsoft team to put vehicles in "Sync"

In the fall, your new Ford could well be a whole lot smarter than it is now. By smarter, I mean more intelligent, because Ford already has a really good looking line up! The thing that will make your new Ford smarter is called "Sync", and the system was the "People's Voice" award winner at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and there was plenty of cool stuff on display that "Sync" beat out!
Before you have visions of Hal from "2001 a Space Odyssey" taking control of your ride, you should know that "Sync" is a fully-integrated system that allows hands free operation of your phone, hands free text message reception via text to voice technology (you can even respond with a series of set responses), and hands free operation of your Ford vehicle's audio entertainment system...including using voice command to play songs from a range of media players that can be connected to the "Sync" system! This part is really neat! You will have the ability to select tunes from your MP3 player by saying things like "Play artist My Chemical Romance", or choose a specific song like "Play track, The Black Parade"! You can even have it select specific types of songs, by matching parameters of the tunes with other songs on the system.
The new Ford and Microsoft "Sync" system is just another step forward for the car company that got the ball rolling for the industry early last century, and is leading the way forward this century. Guess what my new Focus is gonna have on it?

Ford Fusion Test Drive Challenge

Ding Ding Ding Ding...And in this corner, weighing in at...
This is gonna be one heck of a ride for allot of people. In the previous post, I mentioned the test drive that Car and Driver conducted, the one where the Fusion was rated well above the Camry and Accord. Well, The Challenge is now come to a neighborhood near you!
At Ricart Ford in Columbus, Ohio they have a Fusion, an Accord, and a Camry all ready for folks to take out on the test track to see which they like best. Now that takes a bit of brass and confidence, (something that Ricart Ford and the Fusion both have plenty of)!
Over the next couple of weeks or so, we will post the running results for the Fusion Test Drive Challenge to see if they match the Car and Driver results. If you happen to be in the Columbus area, you can take 'em for a spin at the Ricart Megamall at 4255 South Hamilton Rd. in Columbus, Ohio (it's actually a Groveport address if you mapquest it).

Ford Fusion: a bold move you may have missed.

"What we have here, is a failure to communicate..."

Well, not any more.
A little while ago, Car and Driver magazine took the Ford Fusion to Washington D.C. to let some folks drive the Fusion, along with the Accord and the Camry, and guess what...the majority of the test drivers picked the Fusion as being the best. The Fusion also has received very high marks for quality. Very high marks! As a matter of fact, the results of the most recent test drive will be released to the public soon, so check back for a link later...and don't buy that new sedan until you do, because if you get anything other than the Ford Fusion, you'll be making a costly mistake!
Well, so much for the lack of quality lies about Ford, so I have a quick comment about the Toyo T.V. spots I saw quite a bit over the Holidays...the one about how proud they are to employ Americans in their plants here in the States and all that...I see the ad and wonder, but where do the profits for Toyo go? I'm thinking they don't stay here...