New Ford Focus (2011 / 2012) at Detroit

The 2011 / 2012 Ford Focus - starts out as a saloon or hatchback The new Ford Focus – possibly the most important car in Ford’s history – debuts today at the Detroit Motor Show. Which is in itself an indication that the 2011 / 2012 Ford Focus will be the beacon for Ford’s ‘One Ford’ policy of producing basically the same cars for markets throughout the world. Scheduled to start production at the end of 2010 – and start hitting customer’s driveways in early 2011 – the new Ford Focus is just one of ten variations on the Global C Platform which Ford will launch in the next few years.

Black boxes in cars likely to become standard

Most people are aware of event data recorders, commonly called “black boxes,” in airplanes. Many people don't realize a variety of passenger cars also have these devices -- and they may be mandatory for 2015 model year cars. There are black boxes in about 96 percent of cars for the 2013 model year, according to the

Aston Martin-Mercedes tie-up: secret plans revealed by CAR

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 06 August 2008 11:20 Aston Martin and Mercedes are plotting a wide-ranging tie-up that could see the two famous brands collaborate on engines, hybrids, transmission and even entire platforms, CAR can reveal. The top-secret partnership between Aston and Merc – dubbed Project Alligator by the Germans – is detailed in our exclusive story in the new September 2008 issue of CAR Magazine. The scoop includes the lowdown on: • How Mercedes engines could power future Aston Martins • AMG's 6.2-litre V8 tipped for Vantage models• Diesels and hybrids from Germany planned for Aston• Whole platforms to be shared by top-end models• Eight-speed Merc auto bound for British sports cars• Why Maybach and Aston could co-operate on future modelsWe speak to the engineers and insiders who are working on Project Alligator and spill the beans on the secret project that will reshape future generations of Aston Martins.