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This years Goodwood festival of speed was a buzz with some of the most interesting machines to grace tarmac. We had not one, but two, LaFerrari as well as a whole host of legendary racing cars. It really was a vintage year and one that shouldn’t have been missed! However, if like me you are a bit disheartened about missing the show (don’t feel too sorry for me as I was on holiday) we have a fantastic photo gallery coming up. One of the stars of 2014 was the all-new Ford Mustang as the Blue oval let it rip up the hill.
Driven by precision driver Paul Swift, a V8 Mustang gave those famous hay bails something to think about. Roaring past the crowd and wooing passersby whilst stationary, this taster of what will soon hit UK roads is more than enough to get us salivating. Available in the UK as a 2.3 litre 305BHP contender or an almighty 5.0 litre V8, the all-new Mustang promises to appeal to even the most sceptical European pallet. We look forward to snagging the keys and finding out for ourselves in the future.
Considering the massive demand for modern, flexible SUVs in Europe these days, it is somewhat surprising that one of the world’s biggest motoring powerhouses has yet to introduce a true mid-sized 4×4 to the old continent. We refer of course to Ford who, after many years of producing top notch family cars such as the Focus and Mondeo have recently been mounting an SUV offensive on our shores. After the launch of the Kuga compact SUV and the all-new EcoSport mini SUV, the blue oval have at last thrown their hat in to the mid-sized SUV ring with the all-new Edge.
First launched in North America in 2007, the Edge was one of the earliest examples of a true Ford crossover. Record sales stateside in 2013 have prompted the US marque to spread its net further afield and now, for the first time, the second generation model of the Kuga and EcoSport’s bigger brother is set to be rolled out globally.
Set to showcase some never-before seen Ford Tech in Europe, the new Edge is a high-tech mid-sized SUV that will go on sale across Europe for the first time in 2015. As with the previous generation US model, the all-new Edge will be offered as a spacious five-seater. A full design overhaul sees the second generation model gain a few inches on its predecessor along with an imposing hexagonal chrome grill, two side air intakes and much more prominent lines stretching along the bonnet and side panels. Also on show are the newly-designed headlamps and tail lamps plus a set of 20 inch alloy wheels whose tyres have been specifically designed to keep road noise to a minimum.
The practicalities don’t stop there, as the Edge benefits from a generous array of techy toys. On the road, intelligent all-wheel drive, adaptive cruise control and adaptive steering will help ensure a smoother ride, whilst other gadgets such as active cabin noise cancellation and a front mounted 180-degree camera system have both been carried over from across the pond for the first time by Ford. Inside too, the Edge does not lack for premium comfort-orientated features including a heated steering wheel, heated-and-cooled front seats and, curiously, inflatable rear seatbelts.
At launch, Ford’s newest SUV will be offered with two versions of its 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine. The smaller 178bhp variant delivers 295 lb/ft of torque and comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox whilst the larger 207bhp option offers slightly more power at 332 lb/ft in paddle-shift automatic guise.
Pricing and spec for the all-new Edge will be revealed closer to the 2015 release date.
One, two, three, four, I declare a hot hatch war! The past few years have seen some of the fastest and most furious front wheel drive performance cars since their heyday before the millennium. These feisty little cars may have started life as something your neighbour ferries the kids to school in, but in their bumped-up ASBO inducing state they are just are much fun to drive in the real world, on real roads, as a well sorted sports car. Here we have three of the best money can buy… Can the new 2014 Mini Cooper be the new kid on the block who conquers all? Will the Ford Fiesta ST be as impressive in comparison as it is in solitude? Can the Renaultsport Clio 200 Turbo really win this without a manual gearbox? Mini Cooper S VS Fiesta ST VS Clio 200 RS.
Although what is written on paper serves no other purpose other than fuelling bragging down at the pub, let’s take a look at the numbers. The Renaultsport Clio 200 RS churns out 197BHP from its 1.6 litre turbocharged engine and will hit 62MPH from standing in 6.7 seconds. Ford’s Fiesta ST gets 179BHP from its 1.6 turbo but that rises to 197BHP when on overboost. 0-62MPH in 6.9 seconds. The all-new Mini Cooper S splits the difference at 189BHP with the same capacity turbocharged engine and 62MPH in 6.8 seconds. Renault may claim an early victory here, but that is down to its quick shifting paddle gearbox and not its power advantage thanks to its weight.
Visually each car has its own unique image. This Ford Fiesta ST is your typical Essex boy racer affair, the Renault is more stylised and sophisticated. The Mini stands out, this being a key selling point of the car, and oozes character with its big wide eyed expression. This all comes down to personal preference and for me it is the Mini. It might be bigger than the last one, but there is something a bit “cheeky chappy” about the way it stands out. Some will disagree, but much like art, you are entitled to your opinion.
On the road all three are great fun to drive. All welcome a good spanking down a country road and each keenly turns in to complex bends. However, on the grounds of driver involvement the Clio takes third place. Whilst it does handle very well and is by far the most comfortable of the three, the lack of manual gearbox and clutch makes for a weaker link between man and machine. Yes, the paddles are good fun for when you want to feel like Sebastian Vettel, but there are just those times as a driving enthusiast when you want to heel and toe. The Mini comes a very close second with excellent body control and real shove upon corner exit. In its sportiest setting the crackling from the exhaust spurs you on as you drive into a sharp corner. It truly is a great bit of kit! However, it is the Ford Fiesta ST which is the undisputed king. With all of the drama of induction noise and that surge of torque, its sub-par cabin is soon forgotten about. Throw it into a corner and it dives in like a dog chasing a ball. Cocking one of its rear tyres, your menacing grin is clear proof that it is the the top dog of this pack.
The Fiesta is also the biggest bargain of the three at just £16,995. £18,655 will buy you all of the charm the 2014 Mini Cooper S has to offer and £18,995 for the most basic Clio Renaultspot.
Whilst each car has its merits, when it comes down to it, the thrill of driving a hot hatchback is what matters. Thrills are something that the Ford Fiesta ST delivers in buckets.
Check out our full review of all three cars here.
We could make a very good argument for the Ford Fiesta ST being one of the best cars on sale today. This hot hatchback ticks almost every box with a 1.6 litre turbocharged engine for great performance, a brilliant chassis tuned to near perfection and on top of all the exciting stuff it is still a Fiesta. Being practical, reliable and easy to live with makes this level of performance accessible to just about anyone looking for a car. Oh, and did I mention it is an absolute bargain at £17,250? New top Specification Ford Fiesta ST.
According to Ford, 90% of all Ford Fiesta ST’s sold are in top ST2 flavour and so a decision has been made to create an ST3 variation. Whilst performance stays the same, 0-62MPH in 6.9 seconds via 180BHP, the new ST3 offers DAB radio, satellite navigation, automatic headlights, automatic wipers, keyless entry and cruise control. These creature comforts are to satisfy demand for higher equipment levels.
Sales of the ST are some 20% higher than Ford originally expected and so this new model was an easy decision when it came to production. The ST3 will cost £19,250.
The Ford Escort was an absolute peoples champion in Europe. Introduced in 1968, the Escort succeeded the Ford Anglia and proved to be a real benchmark in its segment. All-in-all there were six generations of this car that not only saw fame in the showroom, but also in motorsport. Cosworth tuned variations became the stuff of legends and were so popular that more were reported stolen than were ever sold. However, production ended in 2002 and the nameplate has not been seen again since it was replaced by the Focus. The Ford Escort Returns!
Ford are breathing new life into the Escort, although not for the European market. The growing automotive sector in China has presented a prime opportunity for the blue oval to revive the name and use it to do battle as a new compact saloon. Its design is simple and clean but some chrome trim does add a bit of class to it. Powered by a 1.5 litre petrol engine, Ford say that is car is aimed at people who are looking for practicality and prioritise safety. Making its debut at the 2014 Beijing motor show, Ford could well be onto a winner for developing markets.
A lot of big names are celebrating milestone moments this year. You have both the Mazda MX-5 and Land Rover Discovery hitting 25 years, the legendary BMW M5 reaching the big 3-0 and Maserati turning 100 years old. Another nameplate of note that has a big Birthday to mark is the Ford Mustang. This year it is 50 years old and has not only endured, but also become one of America’s biggest selling cars. Obviously the Ford Mustang 50th Anniversary Edition car had to become a reality at some point.
Galloping onto the show floor is the 2015 Ford Mustang 50th Anniversary Edition, a car that will only number 1,964 to honour the year it was produced. Based upon the 5.0 litre Mustang GT fastback, it receives additional chrome trim, lowered three-quarter windows like the original and various special edition badges. Power is boosted via Ford’s performance pack meaning there is 414BHP and 390lb ft of torque on tap. 19 inch alloy wheels conceal uprated brakes. The interior gets unique logos and a new steering wheel.
Although the new Mustang is coming to Europe, it is highly unlikely that this special edition car will ever make it into the UK.
Car manufacturers who represent the middle of their models classes in terms of pricing are beginning to feel the squeeze from both above and below. What we mean by that is with luxury brands providing models at more affordable prices, and budget brands increasing premium options, the middle ground where companies such as Ford thieve is shrinking. However, the blue oval is fighting back with the premium Vignale nameplate. Ford S-Max Vignale Concept Revealed.
Although a concept car for now, the Ford S-Max Vignale is expected to make production. Think of Vignale as Ford’s equivalent to Citroen’s DS range. The car features various luxury upgrades to the interior including quilted leather, aluminium trim and iPad docking stations. Externally the Ford S-Max Vignale Concept receives unique 21 inch alloy wheels, grill and paintwork. Ford say that 50% of their larger cars are sold in top specification and so a good business case has been made for this Vignale model.
The previously seen Mondeo Vignale will be in showrooms from next year with the S-Max to follow.
The most useful things in life are those that offer maximum versatility. Smart phones enjoy success due to their ability to do far more than just make phone calls, a Swiss Army knife’s design has endured over the years thanks to its many functions. The term Multi-Purpose-Vehicle is often overused by car manufacturers, but Ford with their B-Max aspire to truly live up to the segments nameplate. Can this model really be used for commuting to work on Monday, the weekly shop on Wednesday and moving house on Sunday?
Its compact shape looks particularly nice in our test cars Frozen White paintwork and aesthetically it is clearly a car as opposed to a van with windows. Sporting Ford’s new ovular or “Aston Martin” grill, the B-Max much like the Fiesta is an attractive package proportionally. Its short overhangs and wheels pushed into its corners produce a modern, rather active looking shape. This car isn’t as big as some pictures would have you believe. Although it sits taller than a Ford Fiesta, it isn’t too dissimilar in its length and width.
Clearly Ford have utilised some Time Lord technology because despite its tidy exterior packaging, it pulls off the trick of being “bigger on the inside.” A high roofline facilitates a spacious cabin that seats five with ease. Our top specification Titanium model was fitted with the optional Sony audio system, which may be an extra £400, but the sound quality makes it well worth the investment. Although the instruments and centre console are clear to interpret, they are beginning to age and are in need of modernisation if Ford wants to keep up with competitors. A new interior design will be first introduced on the 2014 Ford Focus and later filter into existing models. The Ford B-Max, as well as its spacious passenger area, has a decent sized boot that also plays host to an under floor storage compartment. However, the B-Max’s real ace up its sleeve is its lack of a B pillar. Its wide opening front doors and sliding rear pair reveal a huge aperture of which can be used for loading and unloading vast objects that wouldn’t necessarily enter the car via the hatch. Versatile folding seats mean that it is actually possible to load an item that is almost the length of the car. The seats themselves are supportive and the driving position is comfortable.
This Ford B-Max 1.0T EcoBoost is equipped with the companies award winning 1 litre engine that in this specification produces 123BHP. I’m sure by now you have heard all about this little three cylinder engine that puts a lot of larger petrol units to shame. Pushing the starter button the lack of noise and especially vibration, considering its odd number of cylinders, is astonishing. Acceleration is effortless with the turbo producing a nice amount of torque to surge the car onwards. Visibility is good and the large mirrors also give you a good idea of what is around you. On motorways this plucky engine can more than hold its own, maintaining good speed with no fuss whatsoever. It even has enough poke to pull off even the most heroic overtaking manoeuvres on the often cutthroat battlefield that is the M3. How good the A4 sized engine is comes as no surprise to me as it is excellent in just about every car Ford decides to put it in. It is how the B-Max handles that impressed me the most. It feels light on its toes with its quick responses to steering inputs and relative lack of body roll. You can really throw this car into corners allowing the torque vectoring system to help rotate it into the bend. There is a good level of driver feedback through the wheel and the brakes are progressive. I actually found myself with a bit of a grin on my face driving down some country roads as the high levels of grip on offer and lack of weight from the engine enable some fantastic handling characteristics to shine through. Should it be this much fun to drive an MPV? There is a touch of turbo lag at times and under hard acceleration that classic three cylinder thrum can be heard, but overall we liked the B-Max as a daily driver. We managed to get 37MPG out of the car over multiple scenarios, which isn’t to bad considering, but is still far from what Ford claim.
Our car with DAB radio and satellite navigation did come to over £18,000 which is a lot for this sort of machine. That said, the Ford B-Max proved itself to be a likeable and versatile car that many people will be very happy with. In fact, we would go as far as to say that it tops its class.
Seven time race winner and now ex-driver for Airwaves Racing, Tom Onslow-Cole has announced his departure from the sport in a bid to move to the pastures of GT racing. After coming 4th in the championship in 2010 driving for Team Aon and moving to eBay motors in 2012, he spent most of 2013 driving in a NGTC VolkswagenCC but moved to Airwaves Racing for the last three races.
Despite his hopes for a seat this season, he has made the decision to look elsewhere; “I had a serious opportunity to race in the championship again this year, with what I believe is a team capable of winning the title. However, after much thought, I’ve decided to explore some other options outside of the BTCC.”. With experience in the Dubai 24 hours and other GT outings, there is no doubt that this talented 26 year old will have plenty of opportunities waiting for him elsewhere although a return to BTCC in the future isn’t completely off of the cards. He has been replaced in the Ford Focus by Fabrizio Giovanardi.
For 2014 Inside Lane is producing coverage for the new BTCC season. Check back soon for more “rubbing is racing” action!
Welcome to Episode 73 of Inside Lane “the podcast” where Tyler, Matt and Steve have come together to bring you another delicious slice of podcast cake. On the ingredient list this week… 2014 Formula One testing has got underway with defending world champions Red Bull having colossal reliability issues, Ford’s 2015 Ford Focus has been revealed with an “Aston Martin” grill, Vauxhall want to steal the hot hatch crown with their new 296BHP Astra VXR Extreme. All of that as well as the latest news from the world of WRC.
Enjoy!
Download the latest episode of the “the podcast” from iTunes via our podcast page HERE.
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