www.focuscanada.net

Filed under: Concept Cars, Minivan/Van, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Ford

Let's clear the air. This is not - we repeat, not - the Ford E-Series-replacing Transit that will be built and sold in the United States next year. According to our contacts at Ford, this Tourneo Custom Concept previews what the next generation of front-wheel-drive, passenger-friendly Transits will look like when they go on sale in Europe and other world markets. The North American-spec van will be based off of the heavy-duty, rear-wheel-drive Transit that's set to debut later this year.

So, let's talk Tourneo. This eight-passenger van is essentially Ford's answer to vehicles like the Renault Trafic or Volkswagen Caravelle - more butch than a minivan, with a higher ride height and more interior space. Ford says that the Tourneo Concept boasts a rich, comfortable, leather-trimmed interior with seats that can be rearranged into a number of different configurations.

Ford has only released this one image as of now, but it's clear that the automaker's Kinetic design has found a home on even its largest vehicles. Up front is the Blue Oval's signature trapezoidal grille, and strong profile lines on the sides swoop upward toward the rear in an effort to make this barn-on-wheels look as fluid and sleek as possible. Under the hood, a range of 2.2-liter turbo-diesel powertrains are available, in 98-, 123- and 153-horsepower variants, all of which are mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

We'll see the Tourneo in person in just a few weeks at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. As for the U.S.-spec Transit, it'll be a while before that officially breaks cover. Hit the jump for all of the juicy Tourneo Concept details in Ford's press release.

Continue reading Ford Tourneo Custom Concept previews new European people mover

Ford Tourneo Custom Concept previews new European people mover originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Performance, Etc., Videos, Ford, Humor

Seasons may change, time may pass, but the internet never forgets. It's been six years since then-14-year-old Joey drove his father's brand-new Ford Shelby GT500 through the back wall of the family's garage. Video of the event and the ensuing carnage has racked up an astonishing 3.6 million views on YouTube on one account alone, and the clip remains a perennial classic. Now it looks like Joey is finally ready for a little redemption courtesy of the good people at Tosh.0. The show routinely features people who are internet stars for all the wrong reasons in the "web redemption" segment.

Daniel Tosh, the show's host, allows those maligned by the power of the internet one more shot at infamy while reenacting the event that made them infamous to begin with. Joey will explain his side of the GT500 calamity on the newest episode of Tosh.0 airing on February 21. Click past the jump to see the crash one more time. Trust us, it never gets old.

Continue reading GT500-crashing kid to get Tosh.0 web redemption [w/video]

GT500-crashing kid to get Tosh.0 web redemption [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Buick, Cadillac, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Lexus, Lincoln, Porsche, Scion, Toyota

Remember the days of planned obsolescence? They're over. The latest J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study shows a 13-percent improvement in new car dependability over the first three years of ownership. The latest sample of 2009 model year vehicles shows the lowest rate of problems since the study's inception in 1990.

The big winner was the Lexus LS, which had the fewest reported problems in the study. Lexus was the highest rated brand as well, followed by Porsche, Cadillac, Toyota and Scion. J.D. Power says 25 of 32 automotive brands showed improved dependability, with six declining and one remaining the same.

While J.D. Power was pleased to see automakers producing high quality cars despite the economic disaster unfolding around them three years ago, it did note that some brands are still not getting credit for building reliable vehicles. "During the past four years, models from Buick, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai and Lincoln have achieved consistently strong levels of dependability," the company's release stated, "but still have relatively high proportions of new-vehicle buyers expressing reliability concerns."

To read the full press release, click past the jump.

Continue reading J.D. Power reports vehicle dependability has substantially improved

J.D. Power reports vehicle dependability has substantially improved originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Ford, UK

Engines keep getting smaller, but that doesn't mean they're getting weaker. Case in point: Ford, which is developing a new 2.3-liter four with turbocharging and direct injection. It's rumored to go into the Mustang in a couple of years, but sources from across the pond (read: Hot Hatch country) expect it to power the next Focus RS.

The engine would crank out at least 320 horsepower, and replace the 2.5-liter inline-five that Ford borrowed from Volvo (from which it has since divested) for the previous Focus RS. If you're worried that a turbo four would lack the roar of the previous five, Ford is reportedly preparing to equip the new Focus RS with active noise cancellation and pipe in sound to replace it.

Ford is reportedly ruling out the all-wheel drive you'd expect from other hot hatches like the Subaru WRX or Volkswagen Golf R, due to high weight and cost, in favor of the RevoKnuckle torque-steer compensation system found in the previous Focus RS, and similar to the systems used in the Renaultsport Megane and Vauxhall Astra VXR.

Since the new Focus has yet to appear in any form other than four-door sedan, five-door wagon or five-door hatch, Top Gear expects the new Focus RS to pack five doors where the previous model had three.

2015 Ford Focus RS to get five doors, turbo four and active noise cancellation originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Ford, Design/Style

Capitalizing on the allure of attractive models for automotive advertising is anything but a recent phenomenon. Inventing a supermodel, on the other hand, is one of the more inspired tactics we've stumbled across in recent memory.

According to the marketing gurus at Adweek, Ford has placed a full-page advertisement in the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition that includes a beautiful blue Mustang posing alongside what appears to be an equally beautiful and scantily clad model named Dalena Henriques. A quick Google search on her name, not surprisingly, brings up dalenahenriques.com as the top result.

Here's where things get a bit tricky. It seems Dalena Henriques may not be a real person at all. A visit to her website shows the stunning brunette in pose after pose with the 2013 Mustang, and her face is never fully in the frame. The Mustang, though, is front and center in every single image. Clever, Ford. Very clever.

Ford's clever Sports Illustrated Swimsuit ad features phantom model originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Minivan/Van, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Ford

Every year the auto show circuit is packed with concept cars (usually crossovers and minivans) that do away with the B-pillar to tease us with easy access and a wide aperture to the cabin. It's what Ford's European exterior design director Stefan Lamm calls "a designer's dream". But none of them ever make it into production. That is, until now.

Ford first showed off a compact MPV concept called the B-Max at the Geneva Motor Show last year that, like many others, did without a B-pillar altogether. Earlier this month, the Blue Oval automaker announced it was putting the Fiesta-based minivan into production - and that the pillar would stay out. But this is the first image we've received of the production B-Max with its wide-opening doors actually, you know...open.

The combined aperture of the conventional front-hinged doors and sliding rear doors, unencumbered by the pillar you'd usually expect to find there, comes in at a whopping 1.5 meters (nearly five feet) wide - nearly twice that of the Opel Meriva with its innovative rear "suicide" doors - and is made possible by strategic use of high-strength steel incorporated into the doors.

Follow the jump for the full press release and stay tuned for the vehicle's debut at the upcoming Geneva show. While we might hope for the Easy Door Access System to find its way into Ford's American offerings in the near future, we wouldn't expect to find the B-Max you see here in U.S. showrooms any time soon.

Continue reading Ford showcases wide-opening Easy Access doors on new B-Max

Ford showcases wide-opening Easy Access doors on new B-Max originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Work, Chevrolet, Ford

General Motors took dead aim at the Ford F-150 during the Super Bowl by airing a spot for the Chevrolet Silverado. The ad featured a post-apocalyptic scene where only Silverado owners survived the end of the world and Ford customers were left to fade into the fossil record. Interestingly enough, however, the spot may not have had the intended effect of pushing more eyes toward GM products.

According to TheCarConnection.com, the ad may have benefited Ford more than Chevrolet. Kelley Blue Book keeps an eye on which vehicles visitors to the site are interested in, and Ford saw an immediate uptick directly after the GM commercial aired. Ford didn't have a big Super Bowl ad this year.

That wasn't all. Ford continued to see a swell in shopping in the days after the Super Bowl. Interest in the Silverado, meanwhile, rose slightly when the ad aired before leveling off during the remainder of the game and falling shortly thereafter. Interest in the F-150, meanwhile, continued to surge. According to TheCarConnection.com, the F-150 saw a greater boost in shoppers week over week while the Silverado fell off by 25 percent. Turns out Ford shouldn't have been so upset about the spot after all. Click past the jump to see the ad one more time.

Continue reading Silverado Super Bowl ad may have benefited Ford more than Chevy [w/video]

Silverado Super Bowl ad may have benefited Ford more than Chevy [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Hatchback, Acura, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, Diesel

The Chicago Auto Show may be the smallest of the North American auto shows we cover (yet largest by square footage, ironically), but year after year, more and more automakers choose to show off some new metal under the lights of McCormick Place. This year saw a total of 18 major reveals (click here to see our full rundown), and while that pales in comparison to last month's Detroit show, there's still a lot of new metal to talk about here in Chicago.

So, of the 18 cars that took the stage in the Windy City, which ones were our favorite? More importantly, which one was the favorite? Follow the jump to see our top five picks for the best 2012 Chicago Auto Show debuts.

Continue reading Editors' Choice: Top Five 2012 Chicago Auto Show Debuts

Editors' Choice: Top Five 2012 Chicago Auto Show Debuts originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford

Ford Motor Co. today made several big-name executive and boardroom announcements, including the appointment of a former Republican presidential candidate, but none changed the almost certain succession of CEO and President Alan Mulally.

Mulally said Thursday with a snicker, "I looked over the press release very clearly and saw that my name was not among those retiring."

Mulally announced Thursday that Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth (above, middle), 63, and Group Vice President and Global Product Development Chief Derrick Kuzak (above, left), 60, are retiring effective April 1. Booth will be replaced by Vice President and Controller Bob Shanks, and Kuzak will be replaced by VP of Engineering and Global Product Development Raj Nair. Both successions involve executives who have long been groomed for the top jobs, and represent orderly transition at Ford.

Ford's board of directors, which cleared the new executive appointments in their Wednesday meeting this week, also announced the addition of former Utah Governor, U.S. Ambassador to China and recent Republican presidential candidate John Huntsman Jr. (above, right) to the board. Huntsman represents an addition, and their were no board retirements.

Continue reading Ford announces retirements of Kuzak and Booth, adds Huntsman to board

Ford announces retirements of Kuzak and Booth, adds Huntsman to board originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Ford

Ford debuted the 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible earlier today at the Chicago Auto Show, but it wasn't the only Mustang vying for our attention on the show floor. In fact, we had a hard time keeping our eyes off this Vibrant Red beauty.

The pony car in question? A 1993 SVT Cobra R, the pinnacle of the Fox Body Mustang. The standard SVT Cobra made its official debut at the Chicago Auto Show back in 1992, and its reappearance in the Windy City was a fitting reminder of the 20th anniversary of Ford's Special Vehicle Team.

So what makes the 1993 SVT Cobra R so special? For starters, just 107 were produced, making it one of the rarest Mustangs ever built by Ford. The 235-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 is the same powerplant as the one in the standard Cobra, but the R model had less weight to push around thanks to the removal of the rear seats, radio, air conditioning and all sound deadening material. Ford also fitted the Cobra R with adjustable Koni shocks, larger front and rear brakes, 17-inch wheels shod with Goodyear tires, an external engine oil cooler and power steering fluid cooler, aluminum radiator and more.

The particular Cobra R brought to the show by Ford is literally a time capsule from the early '90s and in incredible condition. Amazingly, the odometer reads just over 4,100 miles. You can check out the car in detail in the gallery above.

SVT celebrates 20 years with the Mustang that started it all originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Truck, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Ram

The Super Bowl ad for the Chevrolet Silverado shows that the rivalry between Chevrolet and Ford still rages strong. But is there room for another brand or two to mix it up in the battle for pickup supremacy? Not according to General Motors marketing chief Joel Ewanick.

Fox News reports that Ewanick said during a web chat on Jalopnik that "the two big players are Ford and Chevy." Ewanick added that it's like a presidential debate, saying "We want to have it with the other strong candidate - and we want to engage them and want them to engage us." A quick look at the numbers shows that Ewanick has a point. The Ford F-Series was the top dog in 2011, with 584,917 trucks sold. The Silverado came in second with 415,130 sales, but if you add the nearly identical GMC Sierra, General Motors makes the battle much closer with 564,300 unit sales. That's more sales than the Toyota Tundra, Ram full-size and Nissan Titan combined (even without the Sierra.)

The Ram, also an excellent pickup, finished a distant third with a reported 244,763 sales. Still, Ram brand spokesperson Dave Elshoff insists that Ram trucks remain part of the equation, adding "across much of the west - where trucks are worked hard - it's Ram that's either number one or two in market share."

We're not so sure that the truck battle is Chevy versus Ford and then everybody else, but it sure is nice to see GM and Ford getting a little chippy. It's a good bet that the chatter grows louder as the next generation Silverado and F-150 hit the auto show circuit in about a year.

GM marketing chief thinks there are only two truck companies: Chevy and Ford originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Convertible, Performance, Ford

Slather on an extra glob of Gorilla Glue adhesive, as the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Convertible is going to seriously strain hairpieces. Like its GT500 Coupe sibling, introduced late last year at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the drop-top is fitted with a supercharged 5.8-liter V8 making an astounding 650 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, which makes it the most powerful eight-cylinder production engine in the universe.

Ford says the new model, equipped with the optional Performance Package that includes Bilstein electronic adjustable dampers, is capable of running Sebring International Raceway about 3.5 seconds quicker per lap compared to the 2011 and 2012 models (both down 100 horsepower against the 2013 model). Curb weight should be a couple hundred pounds heavier than its closed-roof cousin courtesy of additional bracing on the power-operated convertible soft top.

The Shelby GT500, built at AutoAlliance International Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, will blast into showrooms this summer. Our best guess for pricing says the 2013 model will start just under $65,000.

Continue reading 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible is your toupee's worst nightmare

2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible is your toupee's worst nightmare originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Convertible, Performance, Ford

Twenty years ago, Ford debuted the 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra at the Chicago Auto Show and introduced the world to its high-performance skunkworks department, known as SVT or Special Vehicle Team.

Today, Ford celebrates SVT's platinum anniversary the only way it knows how: with another Mustang variant. And as suspected, it comes in the form of a topless Shelby GT500.

Just as a refresher, at the 1992 show in Chicago the SVT Cobra put out 235 horsepower from its Vanilla Ice-approved 5.0-liter V8. Twenty years later, displacement has grown by less than a liter, but thanks to some 21st century tech and a massive supercharger, the 5.8-liter V8 in the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible makes the same 650 hp (and 600 pound-feet of torque) as its coupe counterpart, laying claim to the most powerful production V8 in the world.

In addition to the carbon fiber driveshaft, upgraded clutch, transmission and axle, SVT fitted its own specially developed Bilstein electronic adjustable dampers, along with six-piston Brembo calipers squeezing massive discs up front.

Like the coupe, the Bilstein setup is part of the Performance Package (why it's not included as standard is beyond us) and Ford will also offer a Track Pack that includes an external oil cooler, differential cooler and transmission cooler to keep temps in check when flogging the drop top around the tarmac.

And before you ask: No, the GT500 coupe's 200 mph top speed doesn't carry over to the Convertible. In a rare moment of sanity, Ford's engineers saw fit to limit the GT500 'vert to 155 mph - like the rest of the roofless Mustangs. Hit the jump for the full details.

Continue reading 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible kicks out 650 hp, limits top speed

2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible kicks out 650 hp, limits top speed originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Performance, Ford

Today marks 20 years since Ford first announced its Special Vehicle Team, most famously known as SVT. With performance mastermind John Coletti at the helm, SVT produced some legendary cars during its first 10 years, beginning with the 1993 SVT Cobra (and its even more hardcore sibling the SVT Cobra R), as well as the 2003 F-150 SVT Lightning. Since then we've had numerous updates to each, most notably the SVT Cobra of 2003-2004 lovingly referred to by Mustang fans as the "Terminator," plus new models like the SVT Contour and SVT Focus built from 2002-2004.

Today SVT is alive and well with a lineup consisting of the Shelby GT500 and F-150 SVT Raptor, and we're guessing that back in 1993 no one could have imagined just how far the brand has come. A 650-horsepower Mustang capable of 200 miles per hour or a Ford F-150 capable of running the Baja 1000 in nearly stock form would have seemed insane at the time. And it still does today.

Have a look at some of the vehicles produced by SVT over the past 20 years in the gallery above, and let us know what you think might come from Ford's performance division in the next 20 years in the comments section below.

SVT celebrates 20 years of Blue Oval performance originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, Ford

Chevrolet is having some pointed fun with its apocalyptic Super Bowl ad featuring the Silverado called "2012," only the fun is pointed directly at Ford, which finds it a little too sharp to be all that much fun. So on the eve of the big game, Ford sent Chevy a cease-and-desist letter to pull the ad and "pressured" NBC not to run the commercial, according to a report on Yahoo!'s Motoramic blog. Chevy has released a statement in response, which you can read after the jump, indicating that the ad will run despite Ford's protest.

Ford found no reason to chuckle at some of the commercial's claims, "particularly around durability." One in particular comes from a character that says of their now-deceased, F-150-driving pal, "Dave didn't drive the longest-lasting most dependable truck on the road. Dave drove a Ford."

Ford spokesman Mike Levine says his company has more trucks with 250,000-plus miles on the road than any other brand, which would appear to contradict the small print that appears in the "2012" ad that reads, "Dependability based on longevity: 1981-2011 full-size pickup registrations." Ford says its lawyers will decide what to do (if anything) after the ad airs during tonight's game, but Chevy's legal minions must have vetted the spot closely well before time.

Or Ford could take Chevy marketing honcho Joel Ewanick up on his offer and bide its time. Said Ewanick, "We can wait until the world ends, and if we need to, we will apologize."

Continue reading Ford asks Chevrolet, then NBC, to pull Silverado Super Bowl ad

Ford asks Chevrolet, then NBC, to pull Silverado Super Bowl ad originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Performance, Truck, Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Work, Ford

There's something inexplicably mesmerizing about watching a factory in action. Seeing the innumerable complex mechanisms mesh in perfect harmony to create the products we know and love is part of what makes shows like National Geographic's Ultimate Factories so interesting. Now the program is headed to Dearborn for a look at how the Ford F-150 Ecoboost and F-150 SVT Raptor come together on the line in crystal-clear HD video. The show will also spend time with both trucks out on the company's proving grounds, which means there's a good chance we'll see the Raptor bashing over various obstacles.

Consider us excited. Last year, the Ford plant in Dearborn produced 344,446 vehicles, making it the third most productive plant in North America behind the Nissan facility in Aguascalientes, Mexico and the Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico.

The show will air on Saturday, February 4 at 8 p.m. Eastern on the National Geographic Channel, but you can get a glimpse of what to expect in the video after the jump.

Continue reading Watch an SVT Raptor be built on Ultimate Factories this weekend [w/video]

Watch an SVT Raptor be built on Ultimate Factories this weekend [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, GM, Honda, Jeep, Kia, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Most days, California must seem like Kazakhstan for the Big Three. Domestic products aren't so popular out West, where Toyota and Honda have long stood atop the sales charts. But not in 2011.

According to a report in Automotive News, both General Motors and Ford managed to bump Honda from its silver medal position in 2011, though Toyota still holds a commanding market share lead. In a storyline we've heard before, the twin natural disasters in Asia curbed Japanese production, causing a 4.5 point loss of market share. Toyota's market share dropped from 22.8 to 19.2 percent, while GM and Ford tied at 12.6 percent - ahead of Honda at 12.1.

Booming sales in the Golden State helped the domestics to their 1.8 point gain. New vehicle registrations in California were up 9.9 percent, according to the report. The biggest sales gains last year were made by Kia and Jeep, which were up 53 and 49 percent, respectively.

Wagons West: Domestics picked up market share in California last year originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chevrolet, Ford

Chevrolet continues its onslaught of Super Bowl ads released before this Sunday's big game, clearly hoping that volume plays in its favor when the points are tallied by marketing analysts on Monday.

Today's commercial, entitled "2012," stars the Chevrolet Silverado in a post-apocalyptic world. In this ad, Chevy reminds us of its oft-repeated statistic that its trucks are the longest lasting, most dependable trucks on the road, and it does so by imagining that the Mayans were right and that 2012 is our last year on Earth.

It's a well-done spot with lots of fun things to focus on - we're even amused by the soundtrack, which isn't what we'd immediately expect to hear as the backing music following life after an Extinction Level Event.

Follow the jump to view the end of the world through Chevy's eyes.

Continue reading Chevy Silverado takes shot at Ford in apocalyptic Super Bowl ad

Chevy Silverado takes shot at Ford in apocalyptic Super Bowl ad originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Chrysler, Ford, GM

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama visited the Washington Auto Show, and he even had time to get a closer look at a few vehicles. We're guessing that the carmakers were more than happy to set aside some time to talk to the Commander In Chief, but not every automaker got the chance.

Bloomberg says that the Association of Global Automakers is upset because the president only spent time with the Detroit Three, even though other automakers reportedly flew in executives from around the world for the occasion. The executives were reportedly on hand and waiting in a "bullpen" in the event President Obama had any questions about specific vehicles, but The Pres stuck to American cars like the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Chevrolet Silverado.

AGA CEO Michael Stanton voiced his disappointment about the perceived slight, adding that many members "bent over backwards to meet the request from the White House." Stanton also points out that AGA members have invested $43 billion in the U.S. and employ over 80,000 workers here.

Foreign auto companies irked by Obama snub at DC Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen

Volkswagen has the honor of being this year's top producing North American automotive manufacturer by a wide margin with its Puebla, Mexico facility. The factory managed to produce 510,041 units last year, beating out second-place Nissan and its Aguascalientes, Mexico plant by a staggering 149,245 units, according to Ward's Auto. Nissan jumped from third to second place after Toyota and its Georgetown plant dropped from the top five. Toyota and Honda both saw themselves ousted from the leader board after a year pockmarked by disruptions from earthquake and tsunami activity in Japan and flooding in Thailand.

The Japanese automakers' vacancies made room for Hyundai and its facility in Montgomery, Alabama with 338,127 units to take fourth place. Ford, meanwhile, moved from fifth in 2010 to third in 2011 with 344,446 units from its Dearborn Truck plant. Nissan rounded out the top five last year with the company's plant in Smyrna, Tennessee taking the automaker's second spot on the list.

Ward's Auto reports Volkswagen enjoyed a boost from the popularity of the Jetta. That model alone helped push the company's Puebla facility to a 75,356 unit gain over last year's figures. Head over to Ward's to see the full report.

These are North America's top producing auto plants originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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