Here at LotPro.com, we’re always complaining, and rightly so, that Americans very rarely get to drive the good stuff – especially when it comes to some of the world’s best small cars.

But with a new mileage mandate from the feds and the gas price spike of two thousand and eight still on the minds of the world’s manufacturers, it appears that North American drivers will finally get the chance to join the rest of the world in enjoying some of the finest small cars on the planet.

And just as every journey begins with a first step; it appears that that first step will take place at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

L.A. 09

We should begin by stating that much of what is new to North American drivers will be old news to most folks in both Europe and Asia. Both the Mazda2 and the Chevrolet Cruze (not to mention the Ford Fiesta) have been around for a year or more on both continents. Nonetheless, they will soon be ours.

2011 Mazda2

Based on the DE platform which also underpins the Ford Fiesta, the Mazda2 (also called Demio in some markets) is the first B-segment Mazda since the Mazda 323 of the 90’s. Currently available in either a 3-door or 5-door hatchback body style, European Mazda2’s are available with the choice of a 1.3-liter four producing either 74 or 85 horsepower, a 1.5-liter four with 102 horses, or a 67 hp 1.4-liter turbo-diesel four.

The Mazda2 really is a good measure of the good stuff, as it was named the 2008 World Car of the Year.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze

Badged as the Daewoo Lacetti in Korea and the Holden Cruze in Australia, it is known everywhere else in the world as the Chevrolet Cruze. Already available in Mexico (Mexico?), the Cruze will go on sale in the US of A in the third quarter of next year.

The Cruze will be available with a plethora of engines (with expected fuel economies of up to 40 mpg) including a 1.4-liter turbo four. Available amenities will include navigation, Bluetooth, XM Satellite radio, OnStar and a total of 10 air bags.

1958 Thunderbird

COTY award

In 1949, Motor Trend became the first U.S. magazine to offer a Car of the Year award. For the next 50 years, it was handed out to domestic vehicles only (an Import Car of the Year category was established in 1970 and the two were combined for the 2000 award year).

As hindsight is inevitably 20/20, it’s easy to knock some of the past recipients, such as the 1971 Chevrolet Vega (with its engine block design that led to a history of head gasket failures), the 1980 Chevrolet Citation (that set a new standard in fwd-induced torque steer) and the 1983 AMC/Renault Alliance (which has been universally acknowledged to have been perhaps the magazine’s greatest faux pas).

But that being said, the Motor Trend Car of the Year award has also been bestowed on many of the most historically significant vehicles to grace our roads, including the 1958 Ford Thunderbird, the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, the 1968 Pontiac GTO, the 1985 Volkswagen GTI, the 1998 Chevrolet Corvette and the 2005 Chrysler 300.

2010 nominees

For 2010, there were 23 contenders for the Motor Trend COTY award. As usual, vehicle eligibility is determined by a totally new or substantial redesign and all vehicles must have been available for sale between now and November 1st of the previous year. The list for 2010 was comprised of the following vehicles:

BMW 7 Series
BMW Z4
Buick LaCrosse
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Mustang
Ford Fusion
Ford Taurus /SHO
Honda Insight
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Kia Forte Koup
Kia Soul
Lexus HS 250h
Mazda3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan
Nissan 370Z
Nissan Cube
Porsche Panamera
Subaru Legacy
Suzuki Kizashi
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Golf /GTI
Volkswagen Routan

2010 Ford Fusion

In a first-ever live webcast event, Motor Trend announced this afternoon that the entire 2010 Ford Fusion model line had taken the honors for the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

“Ford has proven its resilience in these tough times by delivering to market a car with broad appeal to a broad range of consumers,” said Angus MacKenzie, MOTOR TREND editor-in-chief. “The Fusion range has matured into a competitive roster of midsize sedans, able to compete with sales juggernauts such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. It is no surprise the Fusion now ranks in the top 10 best-selling cars in America.”

Mark Fields, Angus MacKenzie, Derrick Kuzak

There to receive the award for Ford Motor Company was a plethora of executives from the company, including Mark Fields, executive vice president of the company and president, The Americas.

“The MOTOR TREND Car of the Year award is another testament of our commitment to delivering a world-class car lineup,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Ford Global Product Development, who accepted the golden calipers on behalf of the Ford team. “Whether it is the best-in-class fuel economy or quality unsurpassed by Toyota or Honda, the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are clear evidence that Ford is serious about our car lineup.”

1919 Model T Police Truck

Cruiser news

Ford Motor Company let it be known today that it was developing plans for an all-new Ford Police Interceptor while reaffirming its commitment to the “police and municipal vehicles businesses.”

Earlier this month, on October 5th, we at LotPro.com had reported that General Motors, in anticipation of the demise of the Ford Crown Vic (the current segment leader with 45,000 sold out of the 60,000 units sold per year or 75% of the market), announced that they would be bringing to market an all-new Chevy Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV).

Current Crown Victoria Police Cruiser

Ford Police Interceptor

Working in conjunction with the company’s Police Advisory Board, which has provided input, during the past 14 months, on many key target areas, the new Police Interceptor will begin production just as the last Crown Victoria rolls off the assembly line.

“We have heard the repeated requests from the law enforcement community to continue uninterrupted support of the law enforcement community,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas.  “Ford is answering the call with the new Police Interceptor – engineered and built in America.”

“Ford’s commitment to the law enforcement community produced the Crown Victoria, the benchmark police vehicle,” said Lt. Brian Moran, fleet manager, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and a member of Ford’s Police Advisory Board.  “This commitment has continued, and Ford has been working closely with the Police Advisory Board on developing the new Police Interceptor. I am confident that the next-generation Ford police vehicle will meet the future needs of the law enforcement community and will set the new standard.”

Ford Interceptor Concept

No details

Although the Glass House does not plan on revealing details of its latest crime fighter until sometime in the first quarter of 2010 (just in time for law enforcement agencies, aftermarket manufacturers and upfitters to develop transition plans from the Crown Vic), the announcement is clearly timed to encourage those same agencies to put off making the decision to switch to the Chevy PPV until they’ve had a chance to check out Ford’s latest and greatest.

“Ford long has supported our public servants with vehicles that work as hard as they do,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service.  “We intend to build on this legacy with a new generation of municipal and police vehicles that set even higher standards.”

With very little information to go on, we at LotPro.com can only hope that the new Police Interceptor more closely resembles the 2006 Ford Interceptor Concept than that of the Focus-based Interceptor used in Italy.

Italian Focus Interceptor

Vehicle intros

At LotPro.com, many of us can remember when dealers used to hide their upcoming models in their back lots and put Kraft paper on their front windows in anticipation of the unveiling of their latest models (the cars, themselves, would be kept under wraps on the showroom floor). As kids, we used to climb fences and peek in the windows of garages in order to get that first glimpse of the new Fords, Chevys and Pontiacs.

But time and technology marches on. As a society, we are no longer content to wait for the actual model introductions – even though the auto manufacturers regularly push new models to market as soon as possible – timing be damned. And with the realities of the internet and digital photography, the spy shot of a new model can be sent around the world in all of its high-resolution glory within a matter of minutes.

To counter this, manufacturers have resorted to releasing “teaser” images of their upcoming models. Having witnessed this phenomenon for quite some time, we are now ready to begin classifying them according to the amount of useful information the images supply.

Level 1 tease

Recent example – the new Volvo S60

These images include some type of full resolution image. These teasers include images of the actual production vehicle and can be classified as a “tease” only because the manufacturer withholds images of the interior of the vehicle as well as miscellaneous up close shots of the wheels, engine compartment and trim pieces usually found in the full-blown press kit.

Level 2 tease

Recent example – the upcoming Volkswagen mid-size sedan

Level 2 teases usually involve releasing either a small image of just a part of the vehicle, or an artist’s rendering. In both cases, you get a glimpse of the design direction and the overall “feel” of the vehicle without actually seeing it in its entirety (which would be the level 1 tease).

Level 3 tease

Recent example – the new BMW 5 Series

The level 3 tease is best described as the overt attempt by a manufacturer to drive most car crazies out of their minds. Examples of the level three tease include supplying images of vehicle outlines or shadows. Shooting the model in black against a black backdrop while lighting only two feet of the front fender also qualifies, as does the recent release from BMW in which the new 5 series is assembled using a CGI array of ball bearings to highlight only the horizontal surfaces beginning at the beltline and moving upwards.

Airbags to the right of them, airbags to the left of them, airbags in the back seat! Last week Ford Motor Company announced that it would be bringing to market the auto industry’s first inflatable seat belts that bring together the attributes of a traditional seat belt and an air bag to provide a new level of safety protection to rear seat passengers.

Designed to reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, the belts will first find their way to the next-generation Ford Explorer, which will go into production next year for the North American market.

“Ford’s rear inflatable seat belt technology will enhance safety for rear-seat passengers of all ages, especially for young children who are more vulnerable in crashes,” said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environmental and Safety Engineering.  “This is another unique family technology that builds on our safety leadership, including the most top safety ratings of any automaker.”

According to Ford, more than 90 percent of those who tested the belts found them either similar to, or more comfortable than, traditional seat belts and Ford is hoping that this comfort factor will improve the current 61 percent usage in the U.S.

Sue Cischke

Not just for dummies

Here’s how the new belts will work: In the event of a frontal or side crash, vehicle sensors will determine the severity of the collision and deploy each individual belt’s air bag using a cold compressed gas (as opposed to a heat-generating chemical reaction used by traditional air bags) which reaches the bag via a specially-designed buckle from a cylinder that is housed below the rear seat.

As it fills with air, the accordion-folded bag breaks through the belt fabric and expands sideways across the bodies of rear-seat passengers in, according to Ford, the amount of time it takes a vehicle traveling at highway speeds to cover a yard of distance.

Once inflated, the belt will distribute and dissipate the energy associated with a crash across five times more of the occupant’s upper body, reducing the risk of injury while providing additional support to both the head and neck.

“It’s a very simple and logical system, but it required extensive trial and error and testing over several years to prove out the technology and ensure precise reliable performance in a crash situation,” said Srini Sundararajan, safety technical leader for Ford research and advance engineering.

More than cars

At LotPro.com we recognize the fact that, while they’re fun, there are many more important things in life than just cars. And, having had a grandmother die from it, a mother suffer from it and a sister-in-law become a survivor of it, right at the top of that list for me would be finding a cure for breast cancer.

Last week, Ford Motor Company closed out October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, by reaffirming its support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® , to which, over the past 15 years, it has dedicated more than $100 million, by illuminating its “Glass House” world headquarters in pink on Monday, October 26th  and Tuesday, October 27th.

Warriors in Pink

Ford created its Warriors in Pink campaign to, according to the company, “recognize the strength and courage it takes to deal with the everyday challenges of fighting breast cancer 365 days a year.”

Mark Fields, President of the Americas, Ford Motor Company, spoke about the program just before Monday’s lighting ceremony in Dearborn.  “With the Ford Warriors in Pink program, we continually strive to encourage women and men everywhere to join the fight and be a part of the cure for breast cancer. For 15 years, Ford has been committed to fighting breast cancer, standing up for the cause no matter the month. Tonight’s ceremony is designed to show our support for all those affected by the disease.”

How you can help

In addition to raising awareness of breast cancer, Ford is offering 2 ways that customers can support the Warriors in Pink campaign:

•    Limited edition Ford Warriors in Pink apparel is sold exclusively at www.fordcares.com, and 100 percent of the net proceeds directly benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

•    When you test-drive a Ford vehicle from now until December 31, 2009, Ford will donate $20 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® on your behalf – to the Komen Affiliate in the city of your choice.

At LotPro.com we see where Ford Motor Company will be celebrating this year’s SEMA show, scheduled to run from November 3rd until November 6th in Viva Las Vegas, Nevada, by introducing the first rear-wheel-drive application of the 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6.

Delivering an estimated 400 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque, the company’s latest application of its EcoBoost technology sets out to disprove the long-held belief that “There’s no replacement for displacement.”

“EcoBoost technology shows that there is a viable replacement for displacement,” said Dan Kapp, director of Ford Powertrain Research and Advanced Engineering, who will be part of a SEMA “Driving Green” technology briefing panel discussion during the show. “As consumers’ demand for fuel efficiency continues to grow, and our commitment to delivering best-in-class fuel economy remains steadfast, it’s important to show that performance does not need to suffer as a result.”

“Hot rod builds provide blank canvases for SEMA member companies and SEMA is uniquely positioned to demonstrate that horsepower and green power can coexist without sacrificing performance or the cool factor,” said John Waraniak, SEMA vice president of Vehicle Technology. “This ‘34 EcoBoost hot rod is a fantastic example of modern green technology being applied in a manner that any performance enthusiast would love.”

Australian Ford Falcon

The next application

Sometime next year, the first production rear-wheel-drive application of EcoBoost technology will appear on a more mundane but hardly less important platform, the Ford F-150. Further down the timeline, the next application of rear-wheel-drive EcoBoost technology will be in the guise of a 2.0-liter I-4, which will be offered in the company’s Australian-market Falcon sedan sometime in 2011.

’34 Ford

Built in collaboration with Detroit Street Rods, the rear-wheel-drive configuration that will displayed at SEMA includes the aforementioned 3.5-liter V-6 coupled with a Tremec five-speed manual tranny. The stock Honeywell turbochargers were repackaged to fit in the engine bay of the all-steel replica body, while the entire system dyno tested by Ford Powertrain. In addition to the production engine, the fuel pump, ECM, fuel pump module and processor as well as drive-by-wire throttle were all production units.

The body is from Steve’s Auto Restoration and both the body and fenders are from brand-new tooling that was designed, stamped and manufactured by Experi-metal in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The all-steel replica also features full fenders, running boards, electronic power windows, air conditioning and custom bumpers.

Prior to the NASCAR Banking 500

At LotPro.com, we see where Ford Motor Company interviewed both Len Wood and Bill Elliott before last Friday’s practice session at Lowe’s Motor Speedway regarding a new paint scheme the No. 21 Ford Fusion would be wearing for the weekend’s race that included the “Warriors in Pink” logo on the hood.

Here’s how that conversation went:

Talking with Len Wood, Co-Owner – No. 21 Warriors in Pink Ford Fusion

Ford: The 21 car has been a lot of different colors before, but has it ever been pink?

Wood: “This is the first pink race car that I can remember. We have pink numbers, but it’s primarily a burgundy and white car. We went around and around on the paint scheme because we weren’t sure if how it looked on paper would translate well to the race car, but I think it looks great. I think having the burgundy on it, with some touches of pink, it doesn’t get lost out there as just another pink car. The thing I’m really happy about is we were able to get the full Warriors in Pink logo on the car, so it looks really nice.”

Ford: Have you or your family been touched by cancer?

Len Wood: “Fortunately, it has not touched me or anyone in my family, but we know there are a lot of families out there that have been and this is an opportunity to create some awareness. We went to the Carolina Panthers game the other day and DeAngelo Williams’ mom was there and with a group of survivors wearing t-shirts and trying to raise awareness, so this type of thing is happening everyone. What I’m proud of being a representative of Ford is that this isn’t just something Ford does in October, it’s a year-round deal and that’s special.”

Ford: How did this deal come about?

Wood: “We were pleased to be in a position to do the paint scheme and help Ford with the awareness for Warriors in Pink. We didn’t originally have this race on our schedule, but we added recently. It was one of those situations where we had a certain amount of money and tried to figure out how many races we could run with that. Instead of saying 15 and then have to possibly back up, we went with 12 and as we’ve gone through the year we’ve re-evaluated things and added the All-Star Race and this one. Fortunately, it worked out really well for everyone.”

Talking with Bill Elliott, Driver – No. 21 Warriors in Pink Ford Fusion

Ford: How do you like the way your race car looks this weekend?

Elliott: “I think it looks pretty good, but the big thing is it’s for a good cause. This is an important issue and that’s what we hope people realize when they see all of these pink cars out on the race track this weekend. It means a lot for the people involved in this to raise awareness and raise money to help find a cure for breast cancer. Having our car painted up this way is another tool we can use to get the word out and doing things like this, I think, is important. We need to be doing stuff like this and I’m proud to be able to do my part.”

Ford: Now you just need to get the car running a little better than yesterday.

Elliott: “Yesterday was just one of those days. It felt like Friday the 13th all over again, but the main thing is we got through it and now we’ll just go from there.”

Join in the fight

During the month of October, Ford is also offering men an opportunity to join in the fight against cancer by purchasing a unique Ford Warriors in Pink tie. By going online to www.fordcares.com, the tie can be purchased for $26 with 100% of the net proceeds benefiting Susan G. Komen for the cure.

It’s no secret that many of us here at LotPro.com find the idea of the average family riding around in a heavily-optioned, leather-lined, extended cab four-by-four pickup truck to be close to be the ultimate in absurdity. The closest thing most of these “air haulers” will come to off-roading is accidentally jumping a curb and riding over the well-manicured flower bed of the local shopping mall. But with the price of a gallon of gas averaging less than $3.00, many urban cowboys are once again thinking of parking a pickup in front of their own suburban Ponderosas.

What’s more, the domestic automakers desperately need the profits they reap from truck sales to fuel their R&D efforts in what they see as the soon-to-be burgeoning small car segment. And with the Asian automakers re-trenching after a very much less-than-successful assault on the full-size truck segment, the American manufacturers are poised to regain a significant share of the truck market.

Finally, to reiterate what we stated last year, there still are, and will continue to be, legitimate markets for pickups in the U.S., which is also why Ford’s latest award is so important: the biggest market for pick-em-ups in America is Texas.

2009 Truck of Texas

Everybody knows that Texas is big. But few living outside the state can really grasp just how big it really is. If you’re traveling from Beaumont in the east to El Paso in the west, you’ll cover almost 840 miles. That’s further than Salt Lake City to Los Angeles and only 50 miles less than driving from Rome, Italy to Paris, France. And remember, the whole time you’re covering all that prairie; you’re still in the same state!

Texas is also big into oil drilling, oil refining, cattle ranching, farming and construction. Knowing that, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist (although if it did there are plenty of those types to be found at the Johnson Space Center, which is just south of Houston) to see why most pickup owners in Texas are serious about their rides. Texans, in fact, are so big on trucks, that in 1992, the Texas Auto Writers Association™ founded the “Texas Truck Rodeo. ™”

This year, the “Truck Rodeo” was held October 15-18 in San Antonio, Texas with testing at the famous Knibbe Ranch. For three days 41 members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA™) drove 44 trucks and SUV’s in a true “working ranch” setting. In addition to the journalists, more than 60 automotive industry executives attended the event. Winners were honored in various categories, with the overall winner receiving a silver cup “traveling trophy” along with the honor of being named “Truck of Texas” and “SUV of Texas”.

According to TAWA president Harold Gunn, “’ Truck of Texas’ is really the most important award of its type in the industry. We love trucks down here, and we really use these vehicles everyday. And since we spend so much time in our vehicles, for us it’s not just about how the horse feels being towed, but how your butt feels sitting in the truck, too.”

Results of the 2009 Texas Truck Rodeo

For the seventh consecutive year, a Ford truck took top honors – this year it went to the 2010 F-150, led by the SVT Raptor Supercab. Ford also won Outstanding Feature, while Ford’s lineup of trucks also won Truck Line of Texas.

Here is a complete list of winners:

Truck of Texas – 2010 Ford F-150

SUV of Texas – 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL 350 BlueTEC

CUV of Texas – 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8 Liter Turbo

Truck Line of Texas – Ford

Outstanding Feature – Ford Work Solutions

Full-Size Pickup Truck – 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Supercab

Mid-Size Pickup Truck – 2010 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab TRX4

Luxury Pickup Truck – 2010 Ford F-150 King Ranch SuperCrew

Heavy Duty Pickup Truck – 2010 Dodge Ram 3500

Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Ford Expedition King Ranch

Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition

Compact Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Jeep Patriot Limited 4X4

Full-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL 350 BlueTEC

Mid-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Lexus R450h

Luxury Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8 Liter Turbo

Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Subaru Outback

Mid-Size Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Lincoln MKX

Full-Size Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost

The Bottom Line

LotPro.com would like to thank Harold Gunn for his help in furnishing the details for this article and, once again, a tip of the Stetson to Ford for a job well done.

Genesis. No, we’re not talking about the British rock group that made Phil Collins a household name. Here, we’re talking about the word’s meaning as in “beginning” or “roots”.

In this case, as many of us at LotPro.com will attest, the genesis for one of the most successful racing classes in motorsports history. Formula Ford, was created in the U.K. in 1967. Although many of the earliest races were contested using the 1500 cc Ford Cortina engine (from the GT), racers quickly gravitated to the 1600 cc ‘Kent’ engine, which enjoyed a long and storied career until it was replaced in 1993 by the 1800 cc 16-valve Zetec. Since that time, between 5,000 and 7,000 drivers competing in Kent-engined race cars around the world have been finding it increasingly difficult to obtain spare parts.

A new beginning

Now, according to Ford Motor Company, a re-engineered ‘Kent’ is to be reborn here in the states.

“Our parts division has many years of expertise in re-making blocks,” says Ford Racing Engineering Supervisor Andy Slankard, “and we are going to take our knowledge of modern techniques to remanufacture the ‘Kent’ block and improve its durability. Our aim is not to make performance gains but to strengthen it and to make the unit more reliable.

Race of Champions Brands Hatch 1969

“There are many thousands of ‘Kent’-engined Formula Ford cars still racing around the world – particularly in the USA, which never adopted the Ford Zetec engine which replaced it in Europe – and we believe that the majority of owners of these historic machines will want to retain the originality of their car by using a genuine Ford engine.”

1988 Michael Schumacher in his formula Ford

Drivers of note

Lest you think the Formula Ford series is reserved only for casual weekend drivers, it should be noted that this somewhat unassuming engine powered some of the greatest drivers in motorsports to their first successes – drivers such as Emerson Fittipaldi, Jody Scheckter, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard and Jenson Button.

Even Danica Patrick, early in her career, managed a second place finish in a British Formula Ford Festival.

Denis Hulme testing a 1967 Formula Ford

Images courtesy of Ford Motor Company