The 2015 Ford Edge was revealed in Detroit yesterday showing off a new look, two new engines, and adaptive steering technology that have it poised for sale across the globe. This is the third generation of this much-loved vehicle, so getting it right was important and Ford thinks they’ve hit the mark. We’ve got you first look at the new 2015 Ford Edge, straight from the Michigan reveal.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Some of the hottest new products from Chrysler Group are the Jeep Cherokee and the Chrysler 200. We like both vehicles, but were a little surprised to not see a diesel or hybrid option. To help fuel economy and emissions, Chrysler announced that they will offering Stop-Start technology on both vehicles.
Buyers of the Pentastar V6 Cherokee or the Tigershark I4 in the Chrysler 200 will have the feature as standard. Before you all freak out, both vehicles will have an override to disable the system.
Chrysler group is claiming a 3% increase in fuel economy by using the system. Though, if you sit frequently at red lights or in traffic, we anticipate those savings to be even greater. Start-Stop technology also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and should help reduce air quality issues in large cities as the technology becomes more widely available.
If you haven’t experienced the system, when approaching a stop the engine will turn off. While you are sitting with the foot on the brake, the electrical system stays active operating the radio, headlights, climate control, and more. As soon as you lift your foot off the brake, the engine restarts in approximately 300 milliseconds.
While we haven’t sampled the system in these vehicles yet, there are some questions we have. In warm climates when the air conditioning is running, what happens to the air temperature when the engine turns off? In full-hybrids, they use an electric air conditioning system. The key to making a system like this effective to design it in a way that the driver doesn’t feel compelled to disable it.
For the Cherokee, it will be available in the third quarter of this year. For the 200, it will be in the fourth quarter.
Chad Kirchner is a freelance automotive journalist with a sincere passion for the industry and helping people. He’s a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association and the Texas Auto Writers Association. When not writing about the latest automotive news or vehicles, you can catch him at car shows around the country. Be sure to check him out on social media, including Google+ and Twitter.
Paul Dallenbach, two-time world record holder at the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb, is returning to the event this year to go after a third world record in two years. He’ll be competing in the Open Wheel division with his Chevy V8 powered car making 750hp. This car has never been driven by Dallenbach at Pikes Peak, even though it was purpose-built for this event. His brother drove it to victory in 2006, and Paul drove it to a win at Goodwood in 2007.
“I am excited to be driving this car in the race this year. We have a lot of reasons to win,” Dallenbach says. “One is my crash in the Open Wheel in 2012, another is my crew who lost everything last year in the Black Forest fire. I want to win as much for them as myself.”
In preliminary testing, his car was well under the current world record time, but the competition is close. Tenths of a second could determine not only the winner of the event, but the next world record holder. Dallenbach is confident, though. The car has been tweaked and fine tuned throughout the process and changes were recently made to adapt to the road conditions.
For those who might be unfamiliar with the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, it’s the second oldest automotive racing event in the United States. The Indianapolis 500 is the only event older. Practice and qualifying will occur through the week, with the main event being Sunday morning. Check out our preview post and link to the live stream of the event here.
Chad Kirchner is a freelance automotive journalist with a sincere passion for the industry and helping people. He’s a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association and the Texas Auto Writers Association. When not writing about the latest automotive news or vehicles, you can catch him at car shows around the country. Be sure to check him out on social media, including Google+ and Twitter.
The Jaguar F-Type Project 7 is set to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed as the most performance oriented F-Type in production.
There will only be 250 unis of this F-Type produced worldwide, each hand-built by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations team. It will pack 575 horsepower with a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine and will do 0-60 MPH in just 3.8-sec with an electronically limited top speed of 186 MPH.
The Jaguar F-Type Project 7 gets a new front bumper and downforce-increasing aerodynamic modifications like a carbon-fiber front air splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and adjustable rear spoiler. This fully street legal two-seater will also get a foldable cloth top that can be removed and stowed.
As a special limited-edition vehicle, the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 will also get a commemorative plaque, located between the two seats, featuring Ian Callum’s signature and should be in customer hands by the middle of next year.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
The lifted suspension, inferno paint with black accents on the 2015 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro prototype speak loudly to the adventurous off-roader, but the modified suspension also make for a mighty comfortable ride on the pavement. Can the 2015 4Runner TRD Pro be the Raptor of SUVs?
The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is a full-size toy truck for bashing deserts and going off-road, while also offering a supple on-road experience. This off-road focused version of the 4Runner follows suit. The standard 4Runner is already one of the most capable off-road SUVs. It’s no crossover, as it continues to use a frame as its foundation. It has a sophisticated 4WD system with several adjustments.
TRD Pro package adds tuned Bilstein TRD shocks with remote reservoirs. These provide a 1.5″ of added ground clearance and 1″ of extra wheel travel. This prototype wears NITTO Grappler tires on unique TRD 18″ wheels. It’s not clear if the production version will use the same tires when it goes on sale.
The lifted front-end makes for very a impressive approach angle, although exact number is not available at this time. The 4Runner does have an independent front suspension, but the added clearance and articulation allowed us to tackle a moderate difficulty mountain trail without blinking an eye. The turning radius is not bad either.
>A common side affect of off-road focused suspension is a supple and smooth on-road ride. And the 4Runner TRD Pro delivers the goods there. The SUV rides smoothly over asphalt cracks, potholes, expansion joints, or any other imperfections. What if people buy the TRD Pro for the comfort and not for off-roading?
The more compliant suspension has added lean, dive, and squat. This behavior is well controlled and no cause for alarm. It feels a little like a boat, and in a good way. If you go too hot into a corner, it will remind you that you are in a tall and heavy off-roader and not a luxury sedan. Still, the on-road manners of this 4Runner are noteworthy.
There are no changes to the powertrain or the 4WD system. The familiar 4.0L V6 remains under the bulging hood. It produces 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque. The tried-and-true 5-speed transmission sends the power down. It has adequate power for on-road use, and I got 15.3 MPG average after three days (this included off-roading and the acceleration testing). That’s not too shabby. The gearing and low range make for more than enough power off-road.
I cannot give the TRD Pro 4Runner a rating at this time as pricing, fuel economy estimates, and full specifications are not available at the time of writing.
The TRD Pro video is coming soon. In the meantime, check out this snowy Toyota 4Runner off-road review.
The 2015 Kia Sorento has a 3.3L engine with 290 horsepower and 252 lb-ft of torque to haul your family around town, so we put it to the test out on the track. It’s got a lot for the money with a comfy interior and lots of features for just under $40K. We get a 0-60 time at a mile above sea level and give our thoughts on the 2015 Kia Sorento.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
The 2015 Ford Edge was revealed in Dearborn, Michigan today showing off a new look, two new engines, and adaptive steering technology that have it poised for sale across the globe.
Adaptive Steering will be standard on the Edge Sport and an available option on the Titanium series. It will adjust the ratio between a driver’s actions at the steering wheel and how much the front wheels of the Edge actually turn. This steering ratio will continually change with vehicle speed, adjusting steering response in all situations. Whether driving in a parking lot with tight turns or at highway speeds, in the new 2015 Ford Edge, steering will always be optimized.
North America will get three engine options, two of them being new options of either a standard twin-scroll 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder or a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6. A normally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine will also be available. All will be paired to a six-speed automatic transmission.
The 2.0-liter will have an estimated 245 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque while the 2.7 is expected to have over 300 horsepower. All of this comes with an updated design, improved technology, and convenience features designed to entice a whole new group of buyers along with its loyal fans.
Watch the debut of the Ford Edge Concept at the LA Auto Show…
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Last week I was taking my 84-year old grandmother out to breakfast in Wheatridge when in the distance I saw what I thought to be a Ferrari approaching. I quickly buried that hope because too many times I’ve made the mistake where I see a “Ferrari” that turns out to be a Mitsubishi 3000 GT.
When it got closer, I saw that it wasn’t the Mitsubishi but indeed a Ferrari, and not just any Ferrari. I was sure my eyes were deceiving me, but as it roared by I knew what I’d seen: the legendary F40. Called the “best supercar the world has ever seen” by Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, this monster of a car began production in 1987 and was made to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary. It is also the last car personally approved by Enzo Ferrari himself.
Built to compete with the Porsche 959, the Ferrari F40 was powered by a 2.9L twin-turbocharged V8 that produced 478 horsepower. The car is very light and aerodynamic and is significant because it is the first production car in the world to have a top speed of over 200 mph. The Porsche, which was made the year before, had a top speed of 199.
When it was new, the F40 sold for roughly $400,000 ($830,000, adjusted for inflation) and today sells for just under $1,000,000. Even for a Ferrari that’s incredibly expensive, putting the F40 on the same price tier as revered cars like the McLaren P1, Porsche 918, and Ferrari’s current top dog, the LaFerrari.
Of the 1315 F40’s produced, less than 300 were imported into the United States, making them an incredibly rare sight. To put that into perspective, you are more likely to see a Bugatti Veyron on the streets than you are to see an F40. Never in my life did I think I’d get lucky enough to see one even in a show room, but to hear one roar by was a once in a lifetime experience that I’ll remember forever.
Since most of us aren’t lucky enough to own a real Ferrari, check out Nathan’s review of the Alfa Romeo 4C, the budget Ferrari!
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
