Car FYI

2024 Ford Mustang Convertible at 2024 Canadian International AutoShow (Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada) Sometimes in life it’s best to open up. For automobiles, an opportunity to reveal an inner personality is realized with convertibles. Despite the prevalence of air conditioning on almost every modern vehicle, convertibles remain special for delivering occupants the feeling of being one with the world with the rushing breeze when in motion and the warmth of a summer sun. This sensation continues to impress up to this day with cars such as the Mazda MX-5, Ford Mustang convertible, BMW 4 Series Cabriolet and the Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster, it may be disturbing to know how the excitement of open top motoring almost rendered extinct to North American audiences roughly 50 years ago. A perfect storm of circumstances contributed to a near death for the convertible. The Top Goes Up For Safety The first half century of the automobile was propelled by unbridled innovation and imaginati...

Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company Product Lineup: Bronco, Bronco Sport, E-Series, E-Transit, Escape, Explorer, Edge, Expedition, F-150, F-150 Lightning, F Series Super Duty, Maverick, Mustang, Mustang Mach-E, Ranger, Transit, Transit Connect Overall Brand Impression:  After more than 120 years as a major automaker, Ford continues to play a delicate balancing act between embracing the requirements for the modern motoring environment while still honouring celebrated automotive staples. Ford’s electric vehicle transition is moving rather smoothly with the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning pickup truck while the Bronco, Escape and Explorer find buyers. Of course, the F-Series truck lineup continues to be the benchmark for all utility vehicles in North American. Finally but most excitingly, the 2024 model year brings an all-new Mustang to the marketplace with bigger and better performance aspirations. What’s New for 2024:  For 2024, the biggest impact on the Ford vehicle portf...

Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images untitled NASCAR is officially preparing to usher in a brave new path for their top-tier Cup Series with the introduction of their 7 th generation vehicle plan. In a press conference with examples of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, the Ford Mustang and the Toyota Camry in the long-developed Next Gen stock car specifications set to debut next season, there was a deep sense of optimism amongst various parties involved. Key people with NASCAR including the sporting body’s president Steve Phelps, representatives from all three manufacturers as well as drivers Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin were present at an event detailing what will be a drastically different path in Cup Series racing. With almost two years of testing, fans of NASCAR had been bracing for the details of the Next Gen race car that would put to rest many traditions in the premier stock car racing league. Though the future NASCAR Cup Series stock car...

Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company of Canada Limited With more than 55 years of history for the Ford Mustang, it’s amusing that much of the car’s decades on the market is focused on the passion and enthusiasm created in the first five years of the original pony car’s history. Monikers such as GT, Shelby GT350 and Cobra Jet have been revived on numerous occasions. Ford has also celebrated the appearance of a green Mustang GT fastback in the 1968 Steve McQueen movie Bullitt with a commemorative edition vehicle twice in the past 20 years. Even if we have not experienced the Mustang’s history first-hand, the vehicle has a knack of drawing out the emotions found in fans of speed. Set to appear in its fourth incarnation for the 2021 model year, the famed Mach 1 name will again ride on the Ford Mustang in a spirited high-performance revival. When the Mach 1 was introduced by Ford in 1969, the nameplate was instantly coveted for V-8 performance. Providing available 52 years later, the 2021 Ford...

Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company A showcase devoted to the celebration of things that fly, the 2015 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh’s spirit spread once again to a favoured land vehicle form. Serving as a new annual tradition as part of the Gathering of Eagles charity event, Ford Motor Company has donated a very special Mustang for auction. Every year, a unique aviation-themed version of the pony car was created by Ford. Past creations included the Mustangs paying homage to the F-22 Raptor, SR-71 Blackbird, Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. For the 2015 Gathering of Eagles fundraiser, the design concept for the Ford Mustang was out of this world. Hammered away for $230,000 during the July 23 rd charity auction, NASA’s famed Apollo space program served as the inspiration for a modified 627-horsepower 2015 Ford Mustang . Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company Finished with a pure white/pure black exterior paint custom colour scheme resembling the appearance of the ico...

Photo Credit Shelby American Inc. The Super Snake’s legend was spawned in 1967 when two Shelby Cobras were heavily converted into world-beating high-performance machines. The key modification for the Cobra Super Snake was the addition of two turbochargers to the 427 cubic-inch Ford V-8 engine producing would was estimated to be around 800 horsepower. Projected to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 3.2 seconds and capable of traveling at speeds up to 190 miles per hour, the roadster proved too hot to hold and was never commercially available. In 2007, the Super Snake nameplate has been given a second life as an enhanced version of the GT500 and GT500KR. With the arrival of the Ford Mustang’s sixth generation model, Shelby has made the ultra powerful reptilian an even greater predator. Shelby’s all-new 2015 Super Snake slithers to new heights in street-legal Ford Mustang performance. Based off the Mustang GT, the 2015 Shelby Super Snake is cosmetically treated insi...

Photo Credit: FCA US In a matter of hours, a host of new, elaborate commercials will air during one of the most-watched annual events on the globe. For Super Bowl XLIX (the 2015 edition of the football classic), 30-second spots selling for 4.5-million dollars will be competing for our attention with snappy visuals and celebrities. The following are some past automotive advertisements illustrating to how companies attempted to lure motorists in the past: 1969: Chrysler Scuba Diver In 1969, the Super Bowl was being held for only its third time. The big game was beginning to attract the attention needed to elevate American professional football to a thriving enterprise. However, it would wouldn't be until the mid-1980s when a 30-second spot in the Super Bowl would start selling for over a million dollars. Understandably, most ads televised during the game were not massive productions. 15 years before Apple reinvented the...

Unofficially the source of 130 million dollars in the sale of over 1,600 vehicles, the 2015 Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona concluded on Sunday with roughly 113 years of automotive history represented on the block. Starting with modest vehicles on Monday such as a $4,500 1981 AMC Concord and a 2008 Smart Fortwo Passion Sport, the week eventually produced use extravagant vehicles. Included below are some of the high-valued machines presented at this year's sale. This list does not include the newer cars sold at Barrett-Jackson. I will prepare a separate post to recognize those vehicles. Please also note, prices do not include auction fees and Canadian conversions have been rounded. Lot #5087: 1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Coupe Sale Price: $1,500,000 US ($1,812,000 Canadian) 1949 Talbot-LagoT-26 #BarrettJackson $1.5M pic.twitter.com/YTmvIy497M — Top Notch Rides (@A_mericanMuscle) January 18, 2015 A French-bo...

Location: Sparkle Canada Price: $39.21 The Ford Mustang has long had a strong relationship with women during its 50 years in the marketplace. This allegiance was forged early in the production of the famous American classic. Ford has reported  "the first retail produced Mustang” was purchased by school teacher Gail Wise in Chicago. Ahead of the introduction of the brand-new 2015 Ford Mustang, one lifestyle product was released specifically tailored to the pony car’s faithful female followers. OPI Ford Mustang Nail Lacquer Collection Described as a limited-edition nail lacquer collection, the Ford Mustang-themed products come in six colours. The list of categorized colours include ‘Race Red‘, a golden pearl ‘50 Years of Style‘, black ‘Queen of the Road‘, pinkish ‘Girl Love Ponies‘, ‘The Sky’s My Limit’ aqua hue and ‘Angel with a Leadfoot’ consisting of a celestial white. According to OPI Co-Founder and EVP Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, “These lacquers celebrate...

At this time, the production first examples of the 2015 Ford Mustang just reaching showroom floors. Reporting the new Mustang is spending an average of only six days on United States dealership lots before being sold, Ford appears to have succeeded in creating an attractive refresh of their coveted vehicle. The Evos concept car inspired styling and the power up to 400 horsepower available from the Canadian-built 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 engine allowed the new Mustang to openly participate in many glamour shots since it went public light this past December. Fanfare for the latest generation version of the original pony car remained high throughout this year as the vehicle’s introduction coincided with the Ford Mustang’s 50 th anniversary. After almost a full year of the 2015 Mustang, Ford Motor Company’s selective breeding has now led to the latest iteration of the Shelby GT350 Mustang. Rolling up to the 50 th anniversary to the production of the first Shelby GT350s by Carroll S...