Just recently, Ford made the official announcement that the St Paul, MN, plant will be closing at the end of 2009.  This means the Ford Ranger, which is produced at the Twin Cities plant, will be no more after 2009.  The modern day Ford Ranger as we know it has been around for almost 15 years, so it's a branded nameplate in the Ford stable.  It's hard to believe the trusty little truck will soon be at an end.  External assessments indicate that the production cessation is a result of consistently declining sales volumes.  A mere 92,000 Ford Rangers were sold in 2006, a 24% drop from the prior year.  It's not just the Ford name being dinged here, either; Mazda's B-series compact pickups are dropping off as well, with over a 28% decreases in sales versus last year.  Foreign truck makers are continuing to penetrate domestic market sales and the figures Ford and others are posting is a testament to this very fact.  It will be interesting to keep an eye on the truck market, let alone the entire domestic manufacturer market.

 

Ford’s Australian outfit, FPV, has released a Cobra-ized creation of their already persuasive Ford Falcon.  The new hot rod has been iconically designated the Boss 302.  With such a historic name, you would expect to find 302 cubic inches sitting somewhere between the front fenders, however this latest steed is so named due to its kilowatt output.  Equating to 404 horsepower, 398 lb-ft of torque, the 4 door sedan and 2 door Ute version will make power through a 5.4L V8 and onward to your choice of a 6 speed manual  or 6 speed, Sequential Sports Shift, automatic gear box.

With the rising demand for pickup trucks, more and more people are wanting performance variants of their favorite trucks.  Ford's Lightning was a huge hit during its time of production, and still commands a premium on the used market because of its ease of modification.  Once again, Roush has noticed a demand, and created a response, and in this case, has stolen the show from the other producers.   

Hopefully we are finally seeing what we have all been begging Ford to do for years.  The Ford Falcon, a four door sedan with a performance based V8 or Inline 6 engine.  In the world of 400 hp Hemi sedans and the upcoming Pontiac G8, Ford is going to be left in the dust unless they produce something to compete.  Australians have been driving the Falcon sedans for quite a few years, and they have proven that they are a competitive sports sedan.  We hope Ford decides to give the US a crack at them, we think it would be a very profitable situation for all parties.  Especially the drivers...

Driving a race car 10/10ths is a skill that not many can handle.  However, take this feat, then add heavy rains, an entire field of other cars, and speeds over 150 mph and you end up with cojones the size of the wheels in the new JayZ video.  With magnificent past performances on track, the Matech Ford GT race cars seemed to promise a thrilling season, but a win this early in the season?  This is going to be good.

In the world of 400hp grocery getters, the performance truck market has exploded.  Ever since Ford discontinued the SVT Lightning, Ford fans have been longing for a high performance full sized pickup truck, capable of pulling the family boat to the lake, or running a 13 second quarter mile.  Roush Performance has answered the call with its 2007 Stage 3 F150 pickup truck. 

Ford showed off its latest offering to the concept world recently at the New York Auto Show.  Its body shape seems to be a cross between the Expedition and an LTD station wagon from the 80s.  Styling doesn't seem to play as much of a role as functionality in today's car buying world, so Ford shouldn't have a hard time selling the Flex if they decide to produce it due to all the great features it provides.