Ford Future Cars

Wait, what? It’s barely been a year since the fourth-generation Ranger, that marks the nameplate’s return to the North American market, was shown at the Detroit Auto Show and now we get to see the next one? Apparently, this is actually true, and you are looking at a car that you shouldn’t have seen for at least two more years, the fifth-generation Ranger that will share its platform with the upcoming Amarok, both models destined for the European and African markets.

When manufacturers are preparing to launch a new vehicle, they go about their business in a tried and tested way. They either try to take the test mules out on the road either in more secluded areas where there’s less of a likelihood that someone with a camera, hiding in a bush, might be tracking down their movements or, when city testing or highway testing are on order, they wrap the vehicle in question in as odd a camouflage pattern as possible. The point of the camo is to deter those that try to pick out the new model’s key aesthetic features that differentiate it from the older one or, in case of brand-new standalone models, to make it hard for folks to figure out whether or not that model is bringing with it a new design language or not. Basically, most often, it’s a game of hiding your hand in plain sight.

This time, though, it seems like an Australian automotive outlet got its hands on some leaked images. We know that the T6 generation of the Ranger built for international markets (although it did debut in the U.S. as well in 2018) was conceived by Ford Australia and, most probably, the engineers Down Under are now working on the upcoming international model because the T6 has been around since 2011 although it received a facelift in 2015. Obviously, with the T6 Ranger arriving in the U.S. last year and selling well, don’t expect what you see in these pictures to spot rolling down American roads pretty soon.

Back in 2017, Ford axed the V-6 engine option for its iconic Mustang muscle car, leaving a rather sizable gap in terms of price and power between the base trim-level four-cylinder and the upgraded V-8 GT. Now, it’s looking like the Blue Oval might change that with the upcoming 2020 model year update.

The news that Superformance will pick up the nearly ancient Shelby GR-1 Concept and actually put it into production got us all excited. Now, we’re hearing that, while the engine might come straight from the Shelby GT500, the gearbox will be a manual, not the seven-speed dual-clutch unit in the new Super ’Stang.

The Shelby GR-1, a modern day tribute to the glorious Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe of the ’60s, could be the car to have if you want the punch of a 2020 Shelby GT500 but can’t swallow the automatic transmission, the only one available on the new model. Superformance, the company that will build the car, hopes to offer it with either an automatic or manual transmission and even an electric version is on the cards.

The times, they are a’changing, and that’s definitely the case for the Ford Mustang. The latest news and rumors point to what could be an upcoming hybrid powerplant for the iconic muscle car, as well as an electrified future for the Blue Oval as a whole.

After it was confirmed that Lincoln will base its first electric car on top of the chassis of the future Mustang-Inspired electric crossover, now Ford actually laid out its plan for the introduction of that Mustang-inspired crossover. A “Full Year Earnings Review and 2019 Outlook” document, released only hours ago, shows that Ford will reveal an all-new “all-electric utility this year and put it on sale in 2020.” This will basically be the first car developed by Team Edition - a Ford subdivision focused on development of electric cars.

Ford has been playing with the electric Mustang-inspired crossover idea for months now. First Ford planned to name it the Mach 1, but after the fan backlash at the mention of that name, the company swiftly trademarked the Mach E and the Mach-E nameplates. It is not yet sure if the crossover will bear that name at all, but it seems that everything points in that direction.

The pickup segment looks to be as popular as ever these days, with many manufacturers stacking profits sky-high. However, to keep the money rolling in, Ford can’t get complacent, and as such, the Blue Oval is exploring new offerings for the not-too-distant future, including a fresh compact that could very well offer electrified motivation.

Superformance had signed a deal with Ford and Shelby in the last decade to recreate the magic known as the GR-1. The GR-1 was unveiled to the world 14 years back as a working prototype, but the car never made it to Superformance’s line up. Fast forward to 2019, and the project is about to be resurrected, but what’s more important now is what will give it motivation. When asked about the drivetrain, the tuning company’s CEO has hinted that the GR-1 could use 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500’s V-8 engine!

I know this title could give some ‘Stang lovers diarrhea, but you’ve read that right. First of all, there will be a rebadged Mustang-inspired EV Crossover by Ford, and then Lincoln will use the same platform to create its own car.

That’s the order of things nowadays, and we should actually be happy. Team Edison, a team Jim Hackett formed when he was appointed as Head of Ford, looks for a number of ways to create a sustainable EV business case and cool cars/crossovers at that. Actually, Ford plans to invest 10 billion of its money in EV research and development by 2022. That’s a lot of money spent fast. Something magical could come out of all of that.

Ford has confirmed plans to build a fully electric F-Series pickup in a bid to protect the truck against competitors like Tesla and Rivian. It was only a matter of time before this announcement was made, so it’s not all that surprising, but it has come a little earlier than expected. With electrification being the only option in the future, even the best of the best will have to succumb to the pressure and finally give in.

Ford just unveiled the new Explorer at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, but during the press conference it also announced five new models that it will launch over the next 24 months. Three of them are new generations of existing models, while the other two are brand-new nameplates, including a revival of the Bronco.

How often do you get to read a title like that? How often does anybody revive a 15-year-old concept? Well, that’s exactly what Superformance, licensed builders of Shelby reproductions for decades, are plotting to do with the stunning GR-1 concept car. It will be here in two year’s time, with either an electric or gas-powered drivetrain, and it should deliver astonishing performance that includes a two-second sprint to 62 mph.

Now, I know you may be asking yourselves why we’re reporting about what a tuner plans to debut two years from now. It’s even fair to assume that all of this may be vaporware, but the guys at Superformance are as serious as it gets. It is, first and foremost, "a distributor of complete, rolling-chassis replica and continuation race cars of the 1960s" that’s been in the business since 1996 and has received the blessing of both Ford and Shelby American to build a number of Shelby Cobra continuation models that are painstakingly accurate to the original.

The sixth generation of the Ford Explorer will be unveiled at a media-only event that will be held at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions NFL team, the week before the Detroit Auto Show opens its doors. Ford will also exhibit the new Explorer at the NAIAS, potentially next to the new Escape.

Ford’s confirming in a way that the decision to move the Detroit Auto Show to a June date makes sense. The American automaker recently sent invitations to the media for the launch event of the highly-awaited Explorer SUV that will take place on January 9. Thereafter, expect to see the Explorer in showrooms in the first half of 2019.