5 things we learned riding in the 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost

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Source: roadandtrack.com

2015 High Performance Mustang Spied

The standard four-cylinder turbocharged 2015 Ford Mustang will be called the EcoBoost, according to a leaked order guide. Many had hoped for a return of the SVO moniker. But could Ford be saving the SVO badge for an as-yet-unannounced version?
MUST SEE: 2015 Ford Mustang Order Guide Reveals 'EcoBoost' Name, Performance Package Info

It’s possible. As this video from Mustang6G demonstrates, a prototype with modified exhaust and a markedly different engine note has been spotted in testing. It looks a lot like the 662-horsepower Mustang GT500, but it sounds completely different. The car in the video above also differs substantially from the potential 2015 GT350 prototype spied earlier this year.

Suppositions as to what’s going on under the hood include everything from a hotter four-cylinder turbo car to a V-6 to unicorns dancing on the head of a pin.

Ford has thus far been rather close-mouthed about the four-cylinder Mustang and potential performance variants, though we know the standard Mustang EcoBoost will offer an optional performance package with track-rated upgrades. It’s possible this could merely be a testing mule for those upgrades.

The 2015 Ford Mustang goes on sale this fall, so we may have to wait several months to know exactly what’s going on. Keep up to date with all of the latest Ford Mustang news here.

Source:  motorauthority.com

The 2015 Ford Mustang Will Start At $24,425

The wait is almost over! Dealer order banks now open for the all-new 2015 Ford Mustang. Ford dealers can now begin placing orders for the 2015 Mustang fastback. For Ford Mustang fans everywhere, today they are one big step closer to experiencing the next generation as Ford has begun accepting dealer orders for the 2015 fastback.

The 2015 Ford Mustang fastback with 3.7-liter V6 starts at just $24,425 including destination and delivery charges in the United States. Mustang will be available from Ford dealers in North America this fall.

Ever since the world got its first look at the all-new 2015 Mustang nearly six months ago, the anticipation has been palpable. Ford engineers have been racking up millions of testing miles, refining each system to make sure everything is just right before the first Mustangs reach customers later this year.

POWERPLANTS

Customers can choose from three available powerplants for the 2015 Mustang, each of which can be paired with an upgraded six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters:

• All-new 2.3-liter EcoBoost®, producing more than 305 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft. of torque and with projected class-leading fuel efficiency
• Upgraded 5.0-liter V8, generating more than 420 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque
• Upgraded 3.7-liter V6, producing more than 300 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque

STANDARD FEATURES

In addition to a sleek new design and dramatically improved cabin, each 2015 Mustang adds an array of new standard features:

• Fully independent front and rear suspension for improved driving dynamics and ride quality
• Eight airbags including front, knee and side-impact protection for driver and front passenger
• Individual tire pressure monitor readouts for each wheel
• Rear view camera system
• High-intensity discharge headlamps with signature lighting
• Illuminated, locking glove box
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel with manual tilt and telescope adjustment
• Intelligent access, enabling the driver to enter without touching the key fob
• Push-button start
• SYNC® connectivity system with next-generation AppLink™ to control smartphone apps with simple voice commands; 4.2-inch color display and two USB ports

ADVANCED FEATURES

The ample standard equipment list can be further augmented with the availability of advanced technology features such as:

• Eight-inch, high-resolution touch-screen display and navigation
• Blind Spot Information System with cross-traffic alert upgraded with Doppler-effect radar sensors to provide both improved sensitivity at longer distances and better resistance to false alerts
• Adaptive cruise control and collision warning for the first time
• Track Apps provide a variety of on-track performance measurements for drivers
• Selectable drive modes feature lets the driver quickly adjust steering, throttle response, shift control and stability control settings by toggling between normal, snow-wet, sport and track modes
• Mustang GT easy to use electronic line lock and a launch control system that manages engine speed and brakes, giving drivers maximum and consistent acceleration at the track

Source:  Ford

Chicago Dentist Saves Ford Motor Company

Ernest Pfennig, ca 1923 (image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

While Dr. Ernest Pfennig is well known now for buying the first “Boss of the Road,” Ford’s original 1903 Model A, he must have been a pretty novel sight 110 years ago driving down the streets of Chicago in his red “Fordmobile.”

Dr. Pfennig was an American dentist, so it’s not surprising that he could afford the luxury of an $850 Ford Model A. He was also a German immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1883. In an odd twist of fate, the same year Dr. Pfennig bought his Ford, a Chicago newspaper, the Inter Ocean, was reporting on how American dentists who traveled to Europe in the early 1900s were not only more skilled but also better liked than European dentists. American dentists abroad were “regarded as intimate friends” by royal dukes, princes, kings, emperors, and even czars.

Inter Ocean (Chicago, Illinois), April 19, 1903 (image courtesy of Newspapers.com)

Ironically, in the United States, dentists were feared and mistrusted by their patients. An April 1903 article in the Inter Ocean, titled “Trials of Dentists,” reported the effects of this uncomplimentary status of US dentists at home: “Each visit to his office is made with fear and trembling; he is dreaded even more than the careless chauffeur.” There’s no record on Dr. Pfennig’s chauffeuring skills—which might be a positive sign.

Dr. Pfennig’s purchase actually helped ensure Fords for years to come, as July sales of the Model A brought enough revenue into the cash-strapped, month-old company to keep the doors open. In less than a year after Dr. Pfennig bought his new car, Ford Co. had racked up over $98 thousand in Model A sales, the equivalent of over $2 million today. With so many sales, there may have been a few more dentists driving these new Model A's. And without windshields, seatbelts, or many good roads, the Model A may have generated a little business for American dentists in return.

—Julie Ogborn

Source: Ancestry.com