2011 Ford Explorer Top Safety Pick

All-new 2011 Ford Explorer earns Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick, adding to Ford's leading number of top safety ratings

The reinvented Explorer offers a class-leading array of airbags, including industry-exclusive inflatable second-row seat belts, Safety Canopy® side curtains, Trinity front crash architecture and collision warning with brake support

Explorer also features AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™) with Curve Control, and MyKey® teen-safety technology – all class-exclusive innovations to help drivers reduce the risk of accidents on the road

The reinvented 2011 Ford Explorer, which offers a suite of innovative safety technologies, is the latest Ford vehicle to earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

"The Explorer offers several new innovative technologies, including available industry-first production rear inflatable seat belts, and Curve Control, which can help drivers maintain control of a vehicle if they enter a curve too quickly."

"Explorer customers value safety and security. World's first production inflatable rear seat belts

Explorer's Curve Control

Additional driver-assist and safety features

"The new Explorer delivers features that both help prevent a crash and help minimize occupant injuries when a crash is unavoidable," said Erika Low, Explorer safety manager. Driver- aid and safety technologies include options such as:

Structural safety and crash protection

Other Ford vehicles that have earned a Top Safety Pick rating include:

2011 Ford Taurus

2011 Ford Fusion

2011 Ford Fiesta

2011 Ford Flex

2011 Lincoln MKS

2011 Lincoln MKT

2011 Lincoln MKZ

The award by the IIHS casts into doubt the popular auto mythology that trucks are inherently safer than cars.

The announcement about the Explorer was bundled into a larger list of vehicles joining the IIHS winner's list for 2011. The new winners include the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe, 2011 Kia Optima, 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, 2011 Scion tC, 2011 Volkswagen GTI four-door, 2011 Volkswagen Touareg, 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe and 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK.

The IIHS said that 66 vehicles have earned the Top Safety Pick award for 2011, including 40 cars, 25 SUVs and a minivan. Large pickup trucks have not been tested yet.

Ford Raptor F-150 SVT-- Pickup Truck of the Year

The Ford Raptor F-150 SVT 2010 has been honored as Pickup Truck of the Year by the Four Wheeler magazine. The Ford Raptor is an off-road performance truck and has been widely popular since its launch the previous year.

The "Ford Raptor" took part in the weeklong 1000-mile competition of vehicles in Southern California. It should be noted that since the launch of the Ford Raptor, clients have desired a SuperCrew edition of the Ford Raptor. Customers wanted the addition of extra utilities to the inspiring Ford Raptor. To cater to the needs of the customers, Ford has come up with its latest version of Ford Raptor - the 2011 F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCrew.

The company has reportedly received increasing demand from customers for the new Ford Raptor.

“Four Wheeler” magazine has named the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor “Pickup Truck of the Year.”--Reviews have stated that the Raptor is a four-wheeler’s dream vehicle straight off the showroom floor as it is able to navigate mountain trails, deserts, rivers and more.

Ford F-150 Raptor – Pickup Truck of the Year, "Ford Raptor" extended with Super Crew, Ford Raptor awarded, and Upcoming Raptor Super Crew has 2700 bookings already.

If the Raptors 6.2 version is Pickup Truck of the Year, how strong would be upcoming Raptor Super Crew off road machine--Ford Raptor Super Crew: technical advancement at peak is what sources say while addressing Raptor Super Crew.

Drift away with "Ford Raptor" exclusively off-road that too with controlled driving suspension.

Boss 302 Racer

This limited production vehicle is positioned between the Boss 302 Laguna Seca and the Boss 302R Grand-Am racer.

Ford has been unusually un-forthcoming about the new 2102 BOSS302S track version of the BOSS 302. Much akin to the Mustang Challenge FR-500S race cars, the BOSS 302R is a non-street legal bare bones racer that is one step below the Grand-Am spec BOSS 302R.

Like the FR-500 series cars, the BOSS 302S will be available “over the counter” from your local Ford Racing Dealer. The car will be built at the Flat Rock assembly plant along side the other BOSS 302s but will have a lighter body structure lacking sealers, glues, and sound deadening.

Following the Mustang Boss 302R track car, and the road-going Mustang Boss 302, now comes the Boss 302S racer. This multi-purpose race car has been developed by Ford Racing to provide enthusiasts with an affordable way to road race. BOSS 302S aerodynamic updates include a unique fiberglass heat extracting hood, adjustable front splitter and adjustable carbon fiber rear wing. A “retro” styled BOSS 302 graphics package is included with each car and mimics the graphics from the original 1969 BOSS 302 program

2012 Ford Focus production in Germany until early 2012

Ford Motor Co. continues the global rollout of the new Ford Focus with production for Europe starting today.

The compact car, as a sedan and five-door hatchback, has already begun early production for North America at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant.

Western European markets will source their cars from Ford's Saarlouis Assembly Plant in Germany, which will make the sedan, hatch and wagon. "Saarlouis is proud to have been the lead plant for Ford Focus production in Europe since the first model was launched in 1998."

Ford has sold more than 10 million Ford Focuses globally.

The punchy Focus ST variant won't enter production in Germany until early 2012, however.

The final piece in Ford's global puzzle for the Focus will be production at new plants in Chongqing, China, and Rayong, Thailand. That will complete the five-plant, three-continent, 120-market roll-out of the Focus, making it one of the most truly "global" cars on the market.

Though the standard Focus sedan and hatch will no doubt be interesting cars, we're waiting for the hot-hatch ST, so we still have a long year's wait ahead of us.

It's about time for the new global 2012 Ford Focus to hit the streets, and Germany has entered production to fill European demand.

The Saarlouis plant in the southwest German region of Saarland will build the Focus sedan, hatchback (ST hot hatch joins the line in early 2012), and wagon exclusively for the European market. To help reach those numbers, Ford extended permanent offers to 500 temporary contract workers.

"This is an important day for Ford, the Saarland and for Germany," said Ken Macfarlane, Ford of Europe's VP of manufacturing. Saarlouis, also home to the Kuga, joins Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant located in Wayne as the current hubs for the 2012 Ford Focus.

Production of the" 2012 Ford Focus" has started in Germany ahead of the vehicle’s showroom debut early next year.

Ford invested 300 million euros ($403 million) in modernising the Saarlouis Assembly Plant for Focus production, and the project has created 500 new jobs. The plant also manufacturers the Ford Kuga compact SUV.

Early production of the Focus sedan and hatch has also commenced at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant.

Australian Focus models will initially be sourced from the Saarlouis plant. Built on Ford’s global C-segment platform, the Focus will make up a large proportion of the two-million-plus C-segment vehicles produced annually by Ford by 2012.