Chicago, Illinois – PGA Tour player Luke Donald made a special appearance today at Wrigley Field – home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team – to build excitement for the 2010 BMW Championship, which will kick off Thursday, September 9 at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, Illinois. Donald threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the Chicago Cubs game and participated in the 7th-inning singing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

The BMW Championship features 70 of the world’s top professional golfers and is the third leg in the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedExCup. All proceeds from the 2010 BMW Championship will once again benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, one of the United States’ largest privately funded college scholarship programs, providing full university tuition and housing grants to deserving young caddies. Since BMW became a presenting sponsor of the tournament in 2007, the BMW Championship has raised a total of $7.3 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation.

Source: http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/content/experience/newsfeed/post/2010/08/17/PGA-TOUR-PLAYER-LUKE-DONALD-APPEARS-AT-WRIGLEY-FIELD.aspx

The Porsche pilots are feeling confident for the six hour race on the Hungaroring. In qualifying for the fourth round of the Le Mans Series on the 4.381 kilometre Grand Prix circuit on the outskirts of Budapest, Richard Westbrook from Great Britain was the fastest Porsche pilot, planting the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Prospeed Competition on the seventh starting position – slightly less than one second behind the pole-setting Ferrari. The race on Sunday takes off at 16.00 hours CEST.

“I went into the qualifying feeling optimistic and I still am,” said the FIA GT champion of 2009 who shares the cockpit of the 911 GT3 RSR with Porsche-Junior Marco Holzer (Germany). “I didn’t expect to be so far behind the Ferrari, but this doesn’t really mean much in a six hour race. I’m sure that over such a distance we have a good chance for a top placing.”

< P>Source:http://www.porsche.com/usa/eventsandracing/motorsport/news/?pool=motorsport&id=fa204107-e06b-4d14-b56d-b66ad000a8f2&lang=en

On the Grand Prix circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, Britain’s Sean Edwards (Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit) celebrated his first win of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup season. At the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup he beat the Dutchman Jaap van Lagen (Team Bleekemolen Harders Plaza) to the flag by 10.877 seconds. Third went to points’ leader René Rast from Germany (Al Faisal Lechner Racing). Nicholas Tandy (Konrad Motorsport) from Great Britain kept the race for the title open with a spectacular chase through the field to claim sixth in the world’s fastest international brand trophy series. The overall winner will be crowned at the season final on 12 September in Monza.

Taking up the race from pole position, Sean Edwards drove to an unchallenged flag-to-flag victory. Previously, the Briton had crossed the finish line first in Barcelona but lost his win due to a time penalty handed down by the stewards of the meeting. On the classic circuit in the Ardennes, his success was never questioned. Whilst René Rast and the Dutchman Jaap van Lagen put in a spirited duel over the first laps for second place, he concentrated on bringing home his second Spa win after 2008 by a comfortable margin.

< P>Source:http://www.porsche.com/usa/eventsandracing/motorsport/news/?pool=motorsport&id=c700a0bf-b832-44ea-a70b-ce56d4f38bca&lang=en

Sean Edwards takes up the penultimate round of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup from pole position with his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on Sunday in Spa-Francorchamps. In qualifying on the classic circuit in the Ardennes, the Briton driving for Abu Dhabi by tolimit was 0.125 seconds faster than points’ leader René Rast from Germany (Al Faisal Lechner Racing) and secured his first pole position in the world’s fastest international brand trophy series.

Nicholas Tandy (Konrad Motorsport), René Rast’s sole rival for the title, only managed a disappointing 16th position. The Supercup newcomer and two-time winner so far this season didn’t succeed in getting a quick lap in and was 2.724 seconds behind the pole-sitter. With this, his chances to keep the title race open to the final on 12 September in Monza have shrunk to a minimum.

< P>Source:http://www.porsche.com/usa/eventsandracing/motorsport/news/?pool=motorsport&id=916c833d-0ba3-48af-b87f-d7c24a240878&lang=en

SEATTLE – Ford Motor Company and the City of Seattle today announced a partnership to help prepare the city for the operation of electric vehicles. Ford and the City of Seattle will work together to develop consumer outreach and education programs on electric vehicles as well as share information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support the necessary demand.

“Ford will has a an aggressive plan to bring five new electrified vehicles to market over the next two years including the Transit Connect Electric later this year and the Focus battery electric in 2011,” said Mike Tinskey, Manager of Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure, Ford Motor Company. “There is an incredible excitement for electric vehicles in Seattle. To support the roll out and acceptance of these vehicles in Seattle and across the country, it is important to work with local utilities to make sure the necessary infrastructure and demand on the grid are ready.”

The partnership between Ford and the City of Seattle, including municipally owned Seattle City Light, also involves working with the state and local governments around permitting, electric vehicle tax incentives and future legislations or regulations. Continued tax incentives as well as an easy charging station permitting process are both considered keys to electric vehicle acceptance in Seattle and across the country.

“I am pleased Seattle is working to support the environmental benefits of electric vehicles,” Mayor Mike McGinn said. “We are working with Ford to better understand the needs these vehicles will have so we can provide local owners with excellent service to support electric cars.”

Seattle and Seattle City Light have been national leaders in promoting the use of electricity for personal transportation. Their efforts include:

• Participation in one of the country’s largest plug-in hybrid electric vehicle demonstration projects.
• A commitment to respond to home charging station permit applications within three business days. Winning $500,000 in ARRA funding through a Clean Cities Coalition grant, which will enable the City to install at least 50 charging stations on public property.
• Seattle City Light’s fully offsetting its carbon emissions since 2005, the only large utility in the country to achieve carbon neutrality, which means electric cars charged in City Light’s service territory run totally clean.

The collaboration between Ford and the City of Seattle was announced during Ford’s “Charging Into the Future Tour.” The 14-city tour, which kicked off in Portland, Ore. earlier this week, promotes Ford’s electric vehicle strategy and educates consumers about what to expect from electrified automobiles and what is needed from the public and private sector to support this new technology.

Source: http://www.ford.com/about-ford/news-announcements/press-releases/press-releases-detail/pr-ford-and-city-of-seattle-team-up-33166

BRENTWOOD, Essex – Ford of Europe is launching the most stylish and technologically advanced Mondeo model ever. With a fresh, restyled exterior, an enhanced interior, plus new high-efficiency Ford EcoBoost petrol and TDCi diesel powertrains and a host of new driver comfort and convenience features and safety technologies, the new Mondeo completes the rejuvenation of Ford’s large car range, and takes its position as the flagship model in the company’s European portfolio.

Following significant updates to the Ford S-MAX and Galaxy models earlier this year, the new Mondeo on sale in September/October is the latest Ford car to benefit from the continuing evolution of Ford kinetic design.

New Mondeo will see the first application of a higher performance 240PS derivative of the efficient new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine, joining the existing 203PS version of this engine, introduced in Mondeo, new S-MAX and new Galaxy earlier in 2010.

The latest Mondeo also introduces a comprehensively revised version of the 2.2-litre Ford Duratorq TDCi diesel engine, which boasts a 12 per cent power increase to 200PS, making it the most powerful Ford Duratorq diesel engine so far.

Source: http://www.ford.com/about-ford/news-announcements/press-releases/press-releases-detail/pr-the-new-2011-ford-mondeo2658-33160

DEARBORN, Mich. – The 2011 Ford Fiesta is the first mini-car to earn a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) since the introduction of a new roof strength test. The award applies to vehicles built after July 2010. The Fiesta is the eighth Ford Motor Company vehicle to earn the Institute’s top designation – breaking a tie with Toyota for the most “Top Safety Picks” of any automaker.

Fiesta’s extensive use of high-strength steels, Trinity front crash structure, Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE) Architecture® and advanced airbag technologies helped the car perform well in IIHS testing. Fiesta’s energy-absorbing body structure is optimized for strength and stiffness and designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment. Plus, it features the most standard airbags in its segment, as well as standard electronic stability control – a must-have feature for Top Safety Pick eligibility.

“Fiesta is proof that a small car can deliver big safety, and earning a Top Safety Pick further demonstrates Ford’s commitment to providing all of our customers with world-class crash protection,” said Sue Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Fiesta combines rigidity and more airbags – smartly deployed – than its competition, as well as standard stability control.”

Source: http://www.ford.com/about-ford/news-announcements/press-releases/press-releases-detail/pr-small-is-safe2658-ford-fiesta-33155

DEARBORN, Mich. – Ford Motor Company is leveraging the Internet and wireless technology to accelerate testing and refinement of the advanced lithium-ion battery systems that will power its upcoming plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.

Ford’s rapid progress is enabled by two monitoring methods that allow engineers to collect real-time performance data from batteries in the lab and on vehicles in the field via a secure Internet server, and wirelessly update system software to improve capability and durability. These proprietary methods have significantly reduced test-fleet downtime and allowed Ford to more than double its battery lab-testing capability.

“Remote monitoring allows us to access real-time data and make continuous improvements very quickly,” said Sherif Marakby, Ford director, Electrification Program and Engineering. “This degree of efficiency would have been unthinkable a few years ago and will help Ford bring more fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles to market more quickly than ever before.”

Ford will launch two zero-emission all-electric vehicles – the Transit Connect Electric light commercial van in North America in late 2010 and in Europe in 2011, followed by the Focus Electric passenger car in North America in 2011 and Europe in 2012. Two next-generation hybrid electric vehicles and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle follow in North America in 2012 and Europe in 2013.

Source: http://www.ford.com/about-ford/news-announcements/press-releases/press-releases-detail/pr-ford-accelerates-electric-vehicle-33136

DEARBORN, Mich. – Sales of Ford Edge, which arrived on the market in late 2006, hit 400,000 this weekend – more than any midsize crossover vehicle during the same period.

Also this past weekend, the new 2011 Ford Edge began shipping from Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario to dealerships across the United States and Canada.

“Edge competes in one of the fastest-growing and most fiercely competitive segments in the industry,” said Amy Marentic, Ford’s Crossover Group Marketing Manager. “Still, Edge is growing sales at an incredible rate.”

As of July, Edge sales for the year were up 33 percent over last year – more than double the overall industry sales.

In 2006 when Edge was introduced, the midsize crossover segment accounted for 4.3 percent of the retail industry. Last year, that number grew to 9.5 percent. And this year, it’s expected to top 11 percent, making the segment the same size as full-size pickups and more than sports cars.

Now comes the new 2011 Ford Edge with three new powertrains, bold new styling, improved driving dynamics and industry-leading MyFord Touch technology.

“Edge defined the crossover segment when it was launched in 2006. Ford has taken a great vehicle and made it even better,” Marentic said. “The new Edge promises to take the segment to an all-new level.”

The 2011 Ford Edge SEL and Limited, which account for about 80 percent of all Edge sales, have EPA-estimated fuel economy of 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway (front-wheel drive), which is unsurpassed in each category among V6 competitors.

The new Edge is now 1 mpg better city and 2 mpg better highway – with even greater power. The standard 3.5-liter V6 engine produces 285 horsepower, best-in-class among V6 competitors and 20 more horsepower than the outgoing Edge.

Source: http://www.ford.com/about-ford/news-announcements/press-releases/press-releases-detail/pr-ford-edge-reaches-400000-sales-33124

DEARBORN, Mich. – After one year in service, the hot-selling 2010 Ford Taurus is commanding impressive results at auction, posting an average 39 percent increase in resale value – or $7,100 – over the 2009 model.

The huge leap reflects the strong appeal of Ford’s full-size sedan, according to Rose Peng, manager, Global Lifecycle Analytics Department (GLAD).

“The successful product launch of the 2010 Ford Taurus coupled with the vehicle’s best-in-class quality, upscale design and state-of-the-art technology has resulted in a sharp improvement for the brand,” she said, adding that the resale value of the new Taurus after one year now surpasses that of one of its strongest competitors, the 2010 Toyota Avalon.

“The 2009 Taurus was selling at a significant discount compared with the 2009 Toyota Avalon,” Peng said. “Now the 2010 Ford Taurus is commanding a $2,500 premium over the 2010 Toyota Avalon.”
And Taurus ranks highest in its segment for initial quality, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Initial Quality Study (IQS).

Steve Ling, manager, Ford North American Car Marketing, adds that all of these improvements and strong word-of-mouth have resulted in strong retail sales.

“In the first half of 2010, Taurus retail sales were up 154 percent over the first half of 2009 while incentives were reduced by more than $1,600 per unit,” he said, noting that third-party sources have recognized the vehicle’s best-in-class levels of customer satisfaction and quality.

Source: http://www.ford.com/about-ford/news-announcements/press-releases/press-releases-detail/pr-2010-ford-taurus-resale-value-33117