Ford Motor Company unveils an extensively restyled Taurus as well as the most powerful production Mustang ever.
Ford gets a break
While every automaker in the U.S. has been suffering as of late, things have not been nearly as bad for Ford as they have been for either Chrysler or General Motors. One of the big reasons the glass house is still standing tall can be directly attributed to CEO Alan Mulally who chose to mortgage Ford to the hilt shortly after he took over. Armed with this cash, the company has been able to continue operating at near normal (for these times) levels.
Bringing back the Taurus
One of Mulally’s early decisions at Ford was to bring back the Taurus nameplate. Unfortunately, there was no new vehicle the nameplate could be pinned on. Instead, ford stuck it on what was, up until then, the Five Hundred – a decent enough sedan, but one with looks that were, at best, forgettable.
2010 Ford Taurus
Due to hit dealer showrooms in July of this year, the sixth generation of the Taurus is not only one of the most significant production debuts at the show, it is also one of the biggest hits at NAIAS this year. And while the latest model to carry the Taurus name may not be the styling breakthrough of the original, the new styling gives it a distinctive sporting flavor that was totally bereft in its last incarnation.
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The newest Taurus shares its platform architecture with the Lincoln MKS. With a 3-inch lower roofline, a longer wheelbase and shorter front and rear overhangs, the vehicle’s stance is much more purposeful. Under the hood, Ford offers a carryover 3.5 liter V-6 mated to one of two new six-speed automatic transmissions. While this is the only engine offered at this time, don’t be surprised to see Ford’s 355 horsepower 3.5 liter direct-injected, twin-turbocharged EcoBoost engine offered as an option sometime in the near future.
Options on the latest Taurus include massaging seats, push-button start, adaptive cruise control as well as Ford’s Microsoft-developed SYNC infotainment system.
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2010 Ford Shelby GT500
The grand finale of Ford vehicles being driven on stage during this year’s press preview was the new GT500 with ol’ Shel himself, now 89, riding shotgun while Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the Americas, declared it to be “the best Mustang ever.”
And while we can’t attest to it being “the best” yet, it is certainly the most powerful. This ‘stangs 5.4 liter V-8 pumps out 540 horsepower, 40 more than the current model, and 510 lb.-ft. of torque with a redline of 6,250 rpm. And while gearheads everywhere are salivating over those numbers, Ford also has one for those tree huggers in the audience: this engine also garners an additional 2 mpg over the previous version.
On the outside, the new Mustang looks both rounder and more aggressive at the same time. The six individual taillights are an especially nice touch. Evoking the 1967 and 1968 models, they blink in sequence like the 1965 Thunderbird.
Inside, the all-new interior of the GT500 features leather seats, real aluminum on the instrument panel and Alcantara inserts on the seats and steering wheel. The instrument panel is softer than the previous generation as well as seamless – which should result in fewer annoying squeaks and rattles.
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2009 Ford Flex by Mobsteel
Now for something completely different.
Although just a small part of the introduction in Detroit, we couldn’t resist a plug for the guys at Mobsteel in Brighton, Michigan.
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Originally introduced at the last year's SEMA show, this was the hometown unveiling of their interpretation of the Flex. It features a black-on-black Mobsteel paint job featuring SEM Color horizons paint. Other custom trim includes Mobsteel fascias, shaved door handles, Mobsteel machined badges and rear exhaust with color matched headlight and taillight buckets.
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The Mobsteel Flex rides on 24-inch forged 2-piece wheels and low profile Pirelli P Zero Nero tires.
