Filed under: Car Buying, Technology, Ford From the headlines-we-never-expected-to-see file: “Stick shifts popular again…” Yes, we thought manual transmissions were on their deathbed, what with every carmaker bemoaning low take rates and reports that Volkswagen has decided to do away with them in both its Audi R8 sports car and throughout the... 

Filed under: Car Buying, Performance, Hatchback, Ford UPDATE: The Focus ST has officially been added to Ford’s configurator. Click here to build one yourself. Well now, the inexpensive performance game just got considerably more interesting. Ford has officially dropped pricing on its upcoming 2013 Focus ST, and it starts at $24,495 (*including a $795... 

Filed under: China, Europe, Ford, Earnings/Financials What a difference a few years make. Back in 2009, Ford Motor Company’s North American operations were dragging down its earnings. The company reported a net loss of $1.4 billion in that year’s first quarter when market share in the U.S. was falling but rising overseas. The situation today, however,... 

Filed under: Crossover, Ford When we drove the all-new Escape recently, Ford was still awaiting official EPA certification for fuel economy. Now, though, the numbers are in, and the Blue Oval can confidently state that it offers the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the small crossover segment… with an automatic transmission, that is. The hero engine for... 

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Ford In the high-stakes world of performance cars, horsepower is king. It’s the first stat bragged about by owners trying to explain why their Camaro, Challenger or Mustang is better than their foes’, and it’s the headline figure promoted by the automakers themselves year after year. When Ford announced... 

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM, Lincoln There has been a lot of discussion from industry analysts about who will replace Ford CEO Alan Mulally, but he’s not the only CEO of a major American automaker that will eventually need a successor. Dan Akerson, CEO of General Motors since shortly after its emergence from bankruptcy in 2009, told Automotive... 

Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Ford, Electric Last week, Ford announced that it would be creating the world’s first all-electric pace car in the form of the Focus Electric hatchback. Set to lap the oval at the Richmond 400 at the end of this month, the official Focus Electric NASCAR pace car was unveiled to the public at Richmond International Raceway... 

Filed under: Ford, Earnings/Financials No doubt Ford has seen the light shining at the end of its turnaround plan for a while, but now The Blue Oval is getting so close to the daylight it might even be able to smell the fresh air. By the end of 2005, Ford stock was rated so low by the three major ratings agencies that it was floating in the cistern below the... 

Filed under: Hatchback, Ford, Electric, Quick Spins The EV Incognito You know those “spot the difference” side-by-side photos that are commonly reserved for Highlights magazines in a dentist’s waiting room? “Can you find seven differences between these two pictures?” Park a 2012 Ford Focus Electric next to its gasoline-powered kin... 

Filed under: Budget, China, Crossover, Ford, Beijing Motor Show Ford has unveiled the production version of its EcoSport crossover at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show. The small five-door utility should offer buyers plenty of functionality in a compact and efficient package thanks to a range of drivetrain configurations including a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder Ecoboost...