Monthly Archives: June 2016

Here’s Why Mustang Is the World’s Best Selling Sports Coupe

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By Alex Perdikis

Mustang fans have more reason than usual to smile. Earlier this year, Car Throttle reported that the Ford Mustang is officially the world’s best selling sports coupe — meaning it beat out some of the world’s finest vehicles in an increasingly crowded, and notoriously competitive, category.

Mustang diehards know their beloved cars are special, and this news will only reinforce their already unshakeable belief in the culture they wholeheartedly embrace. But, hard as it is to believe, there are plenty of folks — including a not-insignificant number of bona fide motor junkies — who remain Mustang-skeptical. This news may well convince them to take a closer look at the modern Mustang.

To that end, let’s ask ourselves a straightforward question: Why is the Mustang the world’s best selling sports coupe?

The answer isn’t as straightforward as the question suggests. These are just a few of the most important reasons:

Ford’s Global Strategy

Mustang is available in 140 countries. 140! Few other car models can claim such wide availability, and it’s all thanks to Ford’s deliberate “World Car” strategy — a once-controversial plan to slim down Ford’s platform selection and lower artificial barriers to international sales. “World Car” is a clear-cut success, and Mustang is one of many beneficiaries.

Mustang’s Relative Affordability

Mustang isn’t exactly an entry-level marque, but it’s more affordable than many of its name-brand competitors. In a tight economy, that’s music to car-buyers’ ears (and wallets).

The Convertible Version Is Incredibly Popular

The Mustang convertible is incredibly popular, especially in sunnier parts of the United States. Nearly 30 percent of the marque’s total sales are attributable to convertibles — a very high share relative to competing coupes.

Known Quantity

Mustang has been around since 1962, when the first two-seater model hit the American market. Since then, the marque has seen plenty of ups and downs, but its fundamental popularity has never wavered. As successive Mustang generations debuted and circulated around the world’s roads, the brand’s visibility grew — to the point where the word’s original equine connotation is lost on many (if not most) drivers. Not every sports coupe can claim to have changed the English language.

Easy on the Fuel

Mustang offers a variety of engine choices, each with its own blend of efficiency and power. In the United States, the most popular choice is actually the dainty 2.3-liter version, while the V8 version dominates abroad. No need to pass judgment on the relative merits of either choice — the mere fact that such divergent choices exist is testament to this coupe’s broad appeal.

What’s Next for the Mustang Marque?

Becoming the world’s best selling sports coupe is a hard act to follow. After reaching the pinnacle of category success, is there anywhere to go but down?

Not if the brilliant minds at Mustang have anything to say about it. No one knows what the future holds, but us Ford lifers are confident that Mustang will continue to surprise and delight in the years to come. Who said you can’t teach an old horse new tricks?

3 Awesome Things You Missed at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show

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By Alex Perdikis

The Detroit Auto Show is annual rite of passage for the world’s automakers — the Super Bowl, Masters, and Academy Awards rolled into one. (With louder engines, natch.) It’s the one event that the entire auto world stands up and notices — the one event that car companies can’t afford to miss.

The 2016 Detroit Auto Show, held in January, was no exception. If you’re a gearhead, you’ve probably already read, viewed and drooled over all the juicy details from the confab. But you may have missed these three relatively low-key things that could have big ramifications for the auto industry moving forward.

2017 F-150 Raptor

The Ford F-150 is the United States’ best-selling truck model for a reason. Too many reasons to name, actually. If the 2017 F-150 Raptor is any indication, it looks to stay that way for a while.

What’s awesome about the 2017 F-150 Raptor? Where to begin. With a rough-and-ready suspension that includes 3.0-inch FOX Racing Shox, this thing is built for off-roading. It boasts an aluminum alloy frame that makes it about 500 pounds lighter (and thus more efficient) than previous models. And the DOHC 24-valve high-output 3.5L EcoBoost is a dainty fuel-sipper compared to competing truck engines. Talk about a smart, rugged ride.

2017 Fusion Sport

The Fusion hasn’t been around nearly as long as the F-150, but it’s already made a big splash on the midsize sedan category. Ford calls the 2017 Fusion “a testament to contemporary design,” and that’s putting it mildly. This is an arresting vehicle — a real head-turner, at a fraction of the cost of most cars you’d associate with that label.

Under the hood, the 2017 Fusion boasts a super-efficient EcoBoost engine (in different configurations). Up front, LED headlights; in back; LED taillights; underneath, LED accent lighting; if you love stylish lighting, the Fusion doesn’t disappoint. And if you’re a fan of connected cars, you’ll love the new Fusion’s SYNC 3 with SYNC Connect — an in-vehicle connectivity suite that probably puts your home entertainment system to shame.

Ford’s Drugged-Driving Suit

Driving under the influence is bad. This is common knowledge — Driver’s Ed 101 stuff. But, every day, thousands of Americans choose to drive under the influence, sometimes with disastrous results for life, limb, property and posterity. (In some lines of work, the quickest route to the unemployment line leads through a DUI citation.)

Ford’s drugged driving suit, trotted out for the press at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, is a clever, “fun” (ish) way to illustrate the dangers of driving under the influence without actually putting anyone at risk. With an asymmetric arm weight, blurred-vision goggles, audio distortion and other distracting elements, it’s made to simulate the effects of driving under the influence of multiple drugs at once. The drugged driving suit will probably never be commercially available — but, if you’re keen to have a few laughs in a Ford driving simulator, it’s one more reason to mark your calendar for next year’s Detroit Auto Show.

What’s your favorite moment from the 2016 Detroit Auto Show? What has you looking forward to next year’s?