I’ve driven three Focii in two years now, all hatchbacks, and its handling never fails to impress. This time, I got handed a Ford Focus Sport. While it did have upgrades compared to the ones I drove before, it sadly didn’t add any performance bits whatsoever.
Steve Saleen, founder of the iconic Saleen tuner outfit that churns out numerous Mustang variants, has left his own company and created a new tuning house. Called SMS, they publicly revealed the production-version of their first model in a new line of Signature Series performance vehicles. The new model is called the SMS 570 Challenger, based on the Dodge Challenger R/T.
GM is capitalising on the hype that surrounds U.S. President Barack Hussain Obama by unveiling the latest version of the presidential limousine. America’s first black president overcame all sorts of odds to reach this position, proving that all is not as evil in the United States as some would have you believe. While his presidential superpowers are yet to be proven, his car at least seems up to the task, as it is rumoured to be the most fortified limo ever built, enough to fend off everything from white extremists in Ford F-150s to suicidal assassins in Land Cruisers.
For a long while, Ford had been publicly boasting about their development of a new turbocharged series of engines. The first of these has now been unveiled in not one, but three different models. The new EcoBoost engine will be an available option in the Ford Flex, the Lincoln MKS and the all-new Flex-based Lincoln MKT, all debuting at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.
In Ford’s GCC line-up, the Taurus badge had pretty much disappeared at the turn of the century. However, the name was kept alive in the United States, as the car we know as the Five Hundred was sold as the Taurus in America. The full-size sedan is a competent but boring car, and Ford went back to the drawing board to completely redesign the model, apparently inspired by the immensely smarter design philosophy of their European division. The result is the 2010 Ford Taurus, unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show yesterday.
The Ford Shelby GT500 returns in the new-and-improved Mustang shell, with more power and refinement to boot. It comes in coupe and convertible forms.
General Motors might be at the edge of bankruptcy, but their latest product range is easily the most competitive they’ve ever created. The latest example of this rejuvenated product line is the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, which has just been unveiled.
It will be a while before there is light at the end of the tunnel, as the economic crisis gets worse by the day. Here is a quick update on all the car manufacturers that are heavily affected by the current problems, as much as local dealers like to hide these facts.
The hot new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro was shown for the first time in the GCC, at the 2008 Abu Dhabi Auto Show. The Camaro will hit Dubai showrooms late next year.
A lot has been reported in the general media about the American ‘Big 3’ automakers asking for U.S. government loans to help them survive the current economic crisis, considering the companies were in bad shape to begin with. While almost everyone expected them to get the loan, politicians blocked the money in the end just yesterday.