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!

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.

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!