Throwback Thursday: 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible

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The 2014 Chicago Auto Show was opened to the press today, and on Saturday will be open to the public at the impressive McCormick Place in frigid Chicago. There are tons of great new cars worth seeing, but this vintage Ford Mustang caught our attention right away. It’s billed as the first Ford Mustang Convertible ever sold. You’ll see the all-new 2015 Mustang right next to it as well.

  

Nissan unveils two new vehicles

These next two vehicles are some really hot products on the way from Nissan. Ghosn is quietly putting together a top notch lineup and with Toyota dealing with quality issues Nissan looks to take of advantage of the situation.

From Auto Guide.com:

Infiniti made a last minute decision to show its products at the Chicago Auto Show and so it took some searching to find the brands new 2011 M model tucked away in a back corner. But it was worth the hunt. Infiniti actually showed the car to us at a private event during the LA Auto Show, but the car’s Chicago Auto Show debut will be its first public appearance.

For 2011 the M will be offered as both an M37 and M56 model, each of which will be offered in either RWD or AWD. Like the G37, the M37 is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 engine with 270 ft-lbs of torque. As for the M56, it gets a massive 5.6-liter mill with an impressive 420-hp and 417 ft-lbs of torque. In total, the new top-level M gets 95-hp and 81 ft-lbs of torque over its predecessor, the M45.

Read the full article here.

Nissan has just released the first photos of the Juke crossover, which will slot in just underneath the Rogue in the Japanese automaker’s lineup. Shown here in Euro-spec trim, we expect some changes when it arrives in the U.S., but not much. After all, Nissan wants this car to be a big change from the traditional crossover. We have to admit that the front headlights bulging off the hood and the massive fog lights are a tad excessive.

In fact, because it’s more of a sub-compact crossover, Nissan is hoping to win-over small hatchback buyers, with a more versatile platform. The Juke is also likely to undercut other crossovers on the market, as it almost has to be priced well-below the $20,000 mark, otherwise it would compete with the Rogue.

Read the full article here.

  

Ford ramps up for the Taurus SHO

ford-taurus-sho-2010

Ford is getting ready to produce the 2010 Taurus SHO, and the engines will be built in the Cleveland area.

Ford Motor Co. will restart its Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 in Brook Park this spring, putting its flagship engine into the 58-year-old facility.

“To be part of Ford’s future, we’re thrilled to death,” said Jan Allman, site manager for Ford’s campus in Brook Park.

Engine Plant No. 1, which was idled nearly two years ago, will get the engine that Ford has called a key to its future. However, for the next year or two at least, the engine will go into only a few specialty products. That means low volumes, so Ford won’t need a lot of people to produce it.

When Ford idled Engine Plant No. 1, it employed nearly 600 workers on two shifts. When the plant reopens in the spring, it will require only 250 workers on one shift.

The new SHO made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show.

The reborn SHO–the favorite of enthusiasts everywhere since it first was introduced on the first-generation Taurus–completes the new Taurus lineup with twin turbos, a tuned suspension, and some of the visual flair that made the original hotted-up Taurus a hit when it took its bow in 1989.

Over the course of ten years, Ford sold about 100,000 Taurus SHO sedans, most with a Yamaha-made V-6 engine, some with V-8s built by Yamaha. This time around, Ford’s brought the engine work in-house, with a twin-turbo edition of the 3.5-liter V-6 that’s taking a place in Ford products like the same-sized six over at Nissan. All that power shunts through all-wheel drive and a six-speed, paddle-shifted automatic.

With reasonable confidence, Ford says the new SHO should reignite interest in the big four-door. “The new Taurus SHO delivers on the authentic sleeper sedan formula but adds all-new luxury-appointments, convenience features and technologies to an unsurpassed balance of power and fuel economy,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas, in a release. “This new sport derivative answers enthusiasts’ calls for a premium Ford flagship sedan with even more attitude.”

While the 2010 Taurus carries a mid-size price tag of $25,995, the new Taurus SHO checks in at a BMW-like $37,995. How will that go over with Ford fans? We’ll find out this summer when the new SHO goes on sale.

This is a great move for Ford, as the new SHO looks great.