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!