SCOOP: 2012 Ford Fiesta ST Hot Hatch with EcoBoost Turbo Engine

For those complaining about the lack of a sportier and more powerful edition of Ford's latest (global market) Fiesta hatchback, we have some very good news. Our spy photographers have snapped a prototype version of the upcoming Fiesta ST model undergoing testing in Germany.

The three-door test car featured in these photos gets a wilder bodykit with a front apron incorporating a lip spoiler, chunky side skirts, a bigger roof spoiler and a rear diffuser that houses two large exhaust pipes.

The sporty Fiesta also receives darkened headlamps and big alloy wheels, while we can also see a pair of body-hugging bucket seats for the front passengers.

A closer look at the pictures reveal a massive intercooler up front which feeds the ST's EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine. At this moment, we don't know if Ford has opted to fit the Fiesta ST with a 1.6-liter or a 2.0-liter variant of the EcoBoost engine family.

If anyone knows a German website(s) where we can find more information about the car from the license plate number, we (and consequently our readers) would deeply appreciate it.

In any case, expect an output of around 200-horsepower with all those ponies finding their way to the road through the front wheels. Suspension, brake and steering wheel system tweaks should be on the menu also.

Ford has not yet made any official announcements on the Fiesta ST, which may or may not make it on this side of the pond, but expect to see the Polo GTI-rivaling model arriving first in Europe in 2011.

VIDEO: 2011 Ford Explorer Prototype Testing

Ford has dropped some new teaser footage of a camouflaged 2011 Explorer, with the vehicle's Program Manager, Julie Levine, describing how the new SUV is being put to the test in various on and off-road tests. The new unibody Explorer will be unwrapped in July and go on sale in the States later this year.

It will be offered with the company's new 2.0-liter Ecoboost turbocharged four-pot and a 3.5-liter V6 engine in both naturally aspirated and twin-turbocharged versions.

Tech highlights include a Land Rover-like terrain-management system and a new Curve Control safety feature built on top of the existing roll stability control (RSC) and electronic stability control (ESC) systems that can apply four-wheel braking and/or rapidly reduce torque to cut speed by up to 10 mph in approximately 1 second and help keep the vehicle under control.

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2012 Ford Explorer Illustration the Real Deal? Nope, it's a CGI by Josh Byrnes.

You may be wondering if this rendering of the 2012 Ford Explorer SUV that appeared on several automotive sites / weblogs is real. While the illustration appears to very close to the prototypes we've seen in spy shots (as well as the official teaser picture), a quick search on the internet reveals that it's actually a CGI or Computer Generated Image that was made by Josh Byrnes for Australian website 'Caradvice'.

Illustration: Caradvice , Via: Autoblog.com / Mustangsource

2012 Ford Explorer SUV Officially Teased

Pictured here next to Jim Holland, chief engineer behind the new Ford Explorer, is (trumpets, please), well, the new Explorer - or at least, a smidgen of it.

The successor to Ford's 90's break-out hit is supposed to debut this year, but there's still no official word from Ford.

We know the new Explorer will be sharing its underpinnings with the Flex, something that usually wouldn't make sense. The Flex is a quirky crossover, and the Explorer is supposed to be an SUV.

That is, unless Ford has some crazy off-roading, efficiency-themed crossover technology coming out. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Power would hopefully come from some Ecoboost 4- and 6-cylinder engines.

Sadly, there's really nothing to be said about the styling...yet. If it has a hint of Ford's 2008 Explorer America concept in it, that would be nice. And sliding doors need to make a comeback, too.

By Phil Alex

Via: USAToday and Freep

Ford Fiesta RS and Lancia Delta HF Integrale Design Studies Rev Our Imagination

Our next story comes from the magical world of concept studies -courtesy of AutoBlog.com.es- where harsh reality takes a hike and imaginations steps in to take its place. We've always been fans of the great Delta HF Integrale and we'd like nothing more than for Lancia to revive the legendary nameplate instead of wasting time and resources on cars such as the Thesis but chances are, especially after the Fiat Group's tie-up with Chrysler, that this artist's impression is the closest we'll get to a new HF for now.

The Fiesta RS that's also pictured here, however, is another story. While Ford hasn't confirmed any plans for a high-performance Fiesta, it also has not ruled out such an option. If the company were to develop a Fiesta RS, the firm's recently announced 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged engines with direct-injection would be prime candidates to power the vehicle.

But until we hear something official, both the Lancia Delta HF Integrale and the Ford Fiesta RS will remain in the realm of imagination.

Photo Source: Autoblog.com.es , Via: Autoblog.nl