Filed under: Off-Road, Celebrities, Classics, Ford, Concept Cars, SUV

Beyond O.J. And A.C.

Some have suggested that the Bronco’s demise was hastened by the fallout from the O.J. trial.

Twenty years ago today, ex-NFL linebacker Al “A.C.” Cowlings drove his friend and onetime running back Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson on a parade lap of the Los Angeles highway system and onto an ignoble page of the history books. If you’re in your late 20s or older, or a fastidious young student of 1990s American history, you’re absolutely aware that Al and O.J.’s steed for the ‘chase’ was a white Ford Bronco. The white Ford Bronco, even.

The 1993 model-year SUV was only three years removed from the end of a 30-year run for the nameplate, one that’s been embossed onto pop culture from June 17, 1994 forward. I remember it sourly, as one of the basketball fans that was forced to watch the NBA finals in a tiny box in the corner of a 27-inch set while NBC ‘s Tom Brokaw followed some 20 police cars, following the Bronco, at about 35 miles per hour (56 kilometres per hour). Oh, and in standard definition no less… the ’90s were terrible.

The history and future of the Ford Bronco

The history and future of the Ford Bronco originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Sun, 22 Jun 2014 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re use to forbidden fruit teasing us in Europe. Hatchbacks and diesels from Renault, Citroën, Peugeot, Skoda, SEAT and Alfa Romeo have been a regular torment that we’ve grown accustomed to over the years. This vehicle, though, is one piece of forbidden fruit we aren’t entirely sure we can get over. We need it.

It’s called the Ford Troller T4, and if you accidentally read that as either “reborn Ford Bronco” or “Americanized Land Rover Defender,” we wouldn’t be rushing to correct you. It’s a basic, badass SUV, and is the first new vehicle to come from Troller since Ford gobbled it up in 2007. For those with longer memories, you’ll recognize this vehicle from the concept that preceded it, the Ford T-R Concept. The production model remains remarkably true to the T-R, as well as past Trollers, but it’s a slightly more modern look overall, with LED taillights, contrasting colors

You’ll have to bear with us on the details, as we’ve been forced to rely on the notoriously literal Google Translate to convert the original Portuguese into English, which means some of the details were lost along the way.

Under that long, square hood sits a 3.2-litre diesel engine that’s paired with a six-speed manual (are you listening Jeep?). There’s no mention of power figures, although we’re still so darn enamored with this brute’s looks, we don’t much care how fast or slow it is. Although it isn’t explicitly stated, four-wheel drive is likely to feature heavily in the Troller. A high-mounted intake will aid its off-road abilities even further, while “adjustable crossbars,” which we think is a swaybar disconnect, are also fitted. We can’t see it from the trio of images provided, but the Troller will now also offer a new “sky-roof” system, which is basically a two-pane glass roof that brightens up the off-roaders cabin.

As of right now, the Troller is a purely Brazilian product. That said, a simple badge swap would make this an awesome successor to the oft-missed Bronco and would give Ford a legitimate competitor to the Jeep Wrangler. Here’s hoping someone in Dearborn decides that this is a good idea. Take a look below for the full translated press release.

Ford is building this sweet back-to-basics SUV in Brazil

Ford is building this sweet back-to-basics SUV in Brazil originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Sun, 22 Jun 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The 2015 Mustang is one of the most hotly anticipated vehicles of the moment, and Ford continues to leak out interesting little details about its newest pony car. The latest info doesn’t have anything to do with its quarter-mile time or handling, but if any of that goes drastically wrong, the innovative new glovebox-mounted airbag may prevent passengers from knee injuries.

All variants of the 2015 Mustang get the active knee airbag as standard, and it’s the first vehicle in Ford’s lineup to receive the system. The setup is actually quite simple and ingenious. The glovebox is made from a plastic outer panel that is attached to the inner door. Sandwiched between them is this new injection-moulded plastic bladder that folds flat when in use. If the passenger-side airbag deploys, the system springs into action to act as a cushion for your knees. Compared to a traditional knee airbag that has to fully inflate, this arrangement is 65 per cent lighter and can use a 75 per cent smaller inflator. It’s also basically invisible when you look at the glovebox door.

Ford spokesperson Ed Saenz declined to tell Autoblog whether the system will appear in other vehicles in the Blue Oval’s lineup but said, “We’re considering other applications.” Provided it’s effective, the approach seems too simple not to make its way to other products. Scroll down to watch a video showing how the glovebox-mounted knee airbag works.

How the 2015 Ford Mustang will save your knees

How the 2015 Ford Mustang will save your knees originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Sun, 22 Jun 2014 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember when Ford launched the totally new Explorer in late 2010, and people were skeptical about how the now-crossover would fare, after ditching its traditional SUV roots? Well, we’re several years in, and I think we can assuredly say that Ford made the right decision. Sales are better than ever (in fact, May was the current Explorer’s best month yet), and the crossover is finding its way into the hands of a whole host of new Ford buyers.

A wholly refreshed Explorer is still forthcoming, but to keep its strong-selling crossover fresh, Ford is offering a host of improvements for the 2015 model year, including the attractive appearance package available on the XLT trim level, pictured above. Outside, the pack gets you goodies like 20-inch machined aluminum wheels, black bodyside cladding and roof rack rails. Contrasting Magnetic Metallic accents are found on the grille, mirror caps and liftgate appliqué, and there’s an “Explorer” hood badge and body-coloured door handles. Inside, there are new Miko suede inserts in the seats, and the package includes the automaker’s Sync connectivity with MyFord Touch infotainment.

Elsewhere in the Explorer range, the Class III trailer tow pack is now standard on the Sport, base models get new 18-inch aluminum wheels, and there are three new colours on offer: Bronze Fire Metallic and Magnetic Metallic.

2015 Explorer pricing starts at $30,600 for the base model, going as high as USD$42,670 for the 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6-equipped Sport. The appearance package adds USD$1,195 to the price of the USD$32,900 XLT, assuming you’ve also chosen the USD$2,500 Equipment Group 202A. All MSRPs listed do not include USD$895 for destination. *Canadian pricing not yet available.

Have a look below for the full details in Ford’s press blast.

Ford Explorer gets appearance pack for 2015

Ford Explorer gets appearance pack for 2015 originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Sun, 22 Jun 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s always best to go out with a bang rather than a whimper, and Ford Performance Vehicles is doing just that in Australia with the Falcon GT F 351. It’s the most powerful road car the Aussie performance brand has ever made with a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 pumping out 471 horsepower (351 kilowatts) and 420 pound-feet of torque. It’s joined by the FPV Pursuit Ute with the same powerplant tuned to 422 hp and 402 lb-ft. Sadly, the last F in this Falcon’s name stands for Final.

The GT F 351 is a monumental way to go out, though. It harkens back to the old days of Aussie muscle Fords, and the 471hp output is meant to reference the classic Falcon GT and its 351-cubic-inch V8. In addition to the massive power, the F has the improved suspension from the R-Spec model and Brembo brake calipers.

FPV is building just 500 GT F sedans for Australia and 50 more for New Zealand, plus 120 Pursuit Utes. They feature a blacked-out hood and black stripes over the hood and sides, plus gloss black accents around the headlights, door handles and mirrors.

To be clear, this isn’t actually the final Falcon; its production ends in Australia in 2016. Instead, it’s the swan song for Ford Performance Vehicles. It was brought in-house by Ford Australia, and the Blue Oval later decided to kill off the Aussie performance brand allegedly to give more room for the Mustang in the market in 2016. Scroll down to watch a melancholic video of FPV’s final creations and to read the car’s official announcement.

Ford Australia launches Falcon GT F 351, last of its line [w/video]

Ford Australia launches Falcon GT F 351, last of its line [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Sat, 21 Jun 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Custom cars generally fit into neat little boxes in terms of how they are used. For example, you’re unlikely to see a modded Corvette going rock crawling; it’s just not what it’s made for (though we bet it’d look awesome, for a minute). In the same way, chopped, channeled and customized ’50s hot rods aren’t really meant to go racing. They look great and go fast, but they are generally more cruisers than sports cars.

However, if this video is any indication, the people of Finland don’t adhere in these stereotypes, because this rodder is happy to play in the dirt with his lead sled.

According to the video, the driver is a member of the Ford-Freak Club of Finland, and he clearly knows how to have some fun. Possibly inspired by his country’s great rally drivers, he gets the tail way out going around this gently curving gravel track. The stunt is somewhat reminiscent of the stock cars races on the sand at Daytona Beach, and this is probably close to what it sounded like too. Scroll down to watch a very cool Finn getting his hot rod a little dirty.

Watch this lead sled go rallying in Finland

Watch this lead sled go rallying in Finland originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee has finally returned for its fourth season of combining Jerry Seinfeld, a miscellaneous celebrity and a cup of java. But rather than fondly remembering some older piece of automotive machinery, this time around, Seinfeld is utterly unable to keep his hatred of Sarah Jessica Parker’s 1976 Ford LTD Country Squire from coming out to hilarious effect.

However, Parker has such a high level of infectious enthusiasm for her recently purchased Country Squire that she seems to win over Seinfeld by the end – at least a little bit. For most of their time together, the two of them drive around Manhattan and the suburbs waxing nostalgic about what things were like when these wagons were ubiquitous.

Since this is actually SJP’s car, she and Seinfeld trade off driving duties, and the image above should give you some indication of Seinfeld’s reaction to the Sex and the City star behind the wheel. It seems this ’70s land yacht might be a little too much for her to handle in New York traffic. Regardless, she is absolutely in love with her Ford.

Head over to Crackle to view the latest episode for yourself. Normally, we’d just embed the video for you, but Crackle’s code doesn’t seem to be working…

Jerry Seinfeld doesn’t love Sarah Jessica Parker’s new Country Squire in latest CiCGC

Jerry Seinfeld doesn’t love Sarah Jessica Parker’s new Country Squire in latest CiCGC originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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