3d Carbon Mustang

Not your ordinary show

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (originally the Speed Equipment Market Association) was formed in 1963 by such automotive luminaries as Roy Richter of Bell Auto Parts (Cragar Equipment, Bell Helmets), Dean Moon of Moon Equipment Company and Ed Iskenderian of ISKY Racing Cams fame.

The association now consists of over 7,000 companies and annually sponsors the SEMA Show that is held every year in Las Vegas as part of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week. Unlike other auto shows, SEMA is reserved for manufacturers, buyers, exhibitors and members of the media and is not open to the general public.

Nonetheless, the annual SEMA extravaganza attracts more than its share of attention, in large part due to the many over-the-top concept vehicles that have become a mainstay of the show. So in that light, we present some of this year’s highlights:

Vaughn Gittin Jr Mustang

Ford

Ford is at the top of the list this year in no small part due to its position as featured automaker at this year’s show.

Paul's High Performance Mustang

Mustang

As part of the pony car’s 45th year, Ford recently launched a web site, www.the2010Mustang.com, that allows users to customize their own virtual Mustangs online. In just over 2 months, more than 1 million custom ‘Stangs have been created on the site.

At the SEMA show, itself, no fewer than eight Mustangs, customized by various companies, including Ford, will be present on the show floor.

mobsteel Taurus SHO

Taurus

The new 2010 Ford Taurus will appear at the show for the first time this year. Mobsteel of Brighton, Michigan has produced a menacing blacked-out version of the Taurus SHO, while MRT-Direct of Plymouth, Michigan has one that features a brilliant red exterior with candied cherry roof and a custom hood.

MRT Ford Fusion T4

Fusion

MRT-Direct also had a hand in customizing a 2010 Ford Fusion, giving a metallic blue model a black out roof, hood and spoiler while adding an intercooled turbocharger, coil-over suspension and six-speed manual transmission.

all images courtesy of Ford Motor Company

Vehicle safety systems

Here at LotPro.com, we pretty much take for granted the various safety features that have become commonplace on most modern vehicles. When it comes time to describe the new models, our eyes begin to glaze over when we reach the “safety” portion of the specifications page. Such things as crush zones, safety cage construction, multiple airbags, electronic brake distribution and even (lately) ABS, or anti-lock brake systems, are so commonplace that we give them very little thought. That is, until we find ourselves in a situation on the road that we are totally unprepared for.

I found myself in just such a predicament this past winter when I was traveling on the expressway during the morning after a snowstorm and was overtaken by a Chevrolet Cobalt just as the road took a moderate rise in anticipation of a sweeping right turn. The driver of the Cobalt blew past and darted into the lane in front of me. Just then, the Chevy hit a patch of black ice and began to rotate in a clockwise direction barely 2 car lengths in front of me. After a revolution and a half, it came to rest in a snow bank on the right shoulder – clear of my lane, but with only a few yards to spare between it and my vehicle. It was a total surprise and I hardly had time to react.

The same kind of situation was encountered by Maureen Edgeton of Yellowstone, Montana just a couple of weeks ago. And although she wasn’t as fortunate as I was, she was still able to walk away to tell about it.

Movin’ to Montana

According to the press release from Ford, here is the background:

Maureen Edgerton, 51, of West Yellowstone, Mt., was driving home on the dark night of April 11, when she unexpectedly slammed her 2007 Ford Fusion into a herd of bison. The 55-mile-per-hour impact totaled the car and killed several of the migrating “American buffalo” on the snowbound highway. Edgerton, however, walked away with only minor scrapes and bruises. Impressed by the Fusion’s crash protection, safety features and fuel efficiency, Edgerton has picked the new 2010 Ford Fusion to be her next new vehicle.

Here’s what Maureen had to say:

“The crash was like a war scene. By the time it was over the hood was smashed in, the mirrors were ripped from the doors and the windshield was shattered, but the interior of the car wasn’t affected whatsoever. And the car was still running and not leaking fluid. Not even the tires were deflated. Everyone who came to the scene asked ‘what kind of car is this?’ because they couldn’t believe it was possible to walk away from such a crash.”

The crash

According to a story in the West Yellowstone News, Ms. Edgerton had set the cruise control at 55, the posted speed limit. (The usual speed limit is higher, but at this time of year the Montana DOT reduces it due to the annual migration of American Buffalo from their winter habitat in Horse Butte to their summer “residence” in Yellowstone.) An oncoming trucker flashed his lights (perhaps in warning) and she looked down to check to see if her high beams were on. This slight glance was all it took and, almost immediately, the Edgerton Fusion slammed into the heard of bison (maximum size: 6 feet tall, 11 feet long and a mass of upwards of 2,200 pounds).

The epilogue

While Maureen was able to walk away, the same can’t be said for either the Fusion or a number of bison. The Ford, having done its job, was declared a total wreck, while 7 bison eventually paid the ultimate price for this chance encounter.

So what do we learn from this? Well, for one thing, the automobiles of today are absolutely the safest in history. For another, if you find yourself driving through Montana this time of year, keep a wary eye out for bison – they’re much larger than they appear to be on a nickel!

2010 Fusion Sport

Early major update and hybrid version available this spring

In the game of one-upmanship and survival of the fittest, the two latest offerings from Ford Motor Company aim to up the ante in the hotly-contested mid-sized sedan segment.

Time waits for no man, and that’s particularly true in the car business. This time around, the guys in Dearborn took a page from the playbook of their Japanese rivals and decided on a major re-work of both the Fusion and its cousin the Mercury Milan just three years into the current model’s life. The best news is that even though both will be given the 2010 model year designation, car buyers won’t have to wait long – both should be in dealer showrooms this spring.

2010 Mercury Milan

New Clothes

While both vehicles received a makeover, the biggest design changes occurred with the Fusion. Gone are the funky square headlights, replaced by a European-influenced trapezoidal lower air intake that sits below the familiar 3-bar grill. This time, however, a portion of the upper bar extends over new horizontal headlamps. The more aggressive front end is complimented by new fenders as well as a new domed hood.

Inside, the new instrument panel features a softer “skin”, while a new center stack an steering wheel give the Fusion a more contemporary look. Seats have also been revised with more side support, smoother bolsters and textured inserts. Options include new ambient lighting as well as Ford’s SYNC™ system, an option that surely sold many customers on the Focus.

2010 Fusion Interior

More Power

Under the hood, the Fusion’s 2.3 liter four has been replaced by a new 2.5 liter version. Horsepower is up by 15 to 175, while torque is up by over 10% (from 156 lb-ft to 172 lb-ft). Highway mileage, according to Ford, is an impressive 33 mpg, besting the Camry by 2 mpg and the Accord by 3 mpg.

The V-6 has also been massaged and now delivers 240 hp and 228 lb-ft of torque, increases of 19 and 23, respectively, over the previous iteration. Both engines will be coupled to a new six-speed automatic transmission.

2010 Fusion Hybrid

You’ll get a charge out of this

Alongside the new twins, Ford also unveiled hybrid versions of both models. Using the same 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle 4-cylinder engine with intake variable cam timing as the Escape/Mariner hybrids, the green-friendly models produce 155 hp and 136 lb-ft of torque. New battery technology enabled the engineers to reduce their size by 30 percent while providing almost 20 percent more power than the previous generation.

Ford claims a top speed of 47 mph on battery power alone while besting the Camry’s city mpg by 5 and allowing for a whopping 700 mile city driving range.

2010 Milan Hybrid