After Tsunami, American Automakers Looking for Home Turf Sales Boost

According to CNN�s Fortune and simple, cold-hearted business logic, now is the prime time for American manufacturers to take advantage of recent catastrophic events and pounce on their home market's consumers. A lack of Japanese parts (or entire vehicles), in conjunction with a strong yen and ever-improving American small cars, has given Ford, GM, and Chrysler a potential sales pick-me-up as we stroll into the summer months.

Two of the three factors which will help American manufacturers' sales stem directly from the tsunami in Japan a month ago: factory shutdowns have limited parts/vehicle availability, while the yen gained value as the Japanese are expected to repurchase some currency for disaster mitigation.

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VIDEO: Ken Block Flips His Fiesta ahead of Rally of Portugal

Ken Block got off to a bad start before his third WRC event of 2011, crashing violently during the shakedown of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal yesterday. Even though the Ford Fiesta RS WRC was destroyed, lucky the American race driver and his copilot Alex Gelsomino managed to walk away from the incident without any injuries.

It's the first major crash for Ken Block in a World Rally Car and this means the Californian will have to watch this weekend's rally from the sidelines. The next WRC event for Block will be Rally Argentina (May 26-29). Check Block's unintentional stunt after the jump.

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U.S. Market 2012 Ford Fiesta Gets Three New Custom Packages

Ford's Fiesta sub-compact has gained three new packages, two for the interior and one for the exterior, for the 2012 model year. The two interior packages are the Race Red and Oxford White and offer a personalized appearance with two-tone colored components.

Said to be inspired from the world of fashion and available on the Fiesta SEL and SES models, the interior packages feature contrasting interior accent colors on the center console, door panels and rings that surrounding the air vents.

The two-tone leather seats and steering wheel feature contrast stitching, while the shift knob is covered in black leather. Finally, the seats are also decorated with a debossed �Fiesta� logo.

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Ford Releases Videos of the Ranger Wildtrak and B-MAX Concept in their Natural Environments

Ford's booth at the Geneva Motor Show hosted the world premieres of the Ranger Wildtrack series and the B-MAX, a pre-production concept version of the firm�s upcoming Fiesta-based small MPV. Now we have videos of both models that you can check out after the break.

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Ford CEO Alan Mulally Believes Fiat 500 Won�t Succeed in the USA

There�s been a lot of hype surrounding the U.S. launch of the Fiat 500, with many predicting a commercial success for the Italian mini even before it landed on this side of the Atlantic. However, there�s one industry executive that doesn�t believe in Fiat�s retro-penned hatchback. We�re talking about Ford CEO Alan Mulally. When asked about the market prospects of the Fiat 500 in the United States in an interview with Italian-language news magazine Panorama, Mulally said: "I do not see large market in the U.S.A. for a smaller car than the Fiesta. Those that tried failed.�

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New Ford Fiesta Sales Reach 1 Million Units in Europe after 28 Months on the Market

The latest generation of the Fiesta, which is also sold in the States, is proving to be quite a hit for Ford in Europe as sales have reached one million units. The milestone was achieved 28 months after the supermini first went on sale in the continent in October 2008. The European market versions of the three- and five-door Fiesta models are produced in Ford�s plants in Cologne, Germany and Valencia, Spain. Ford said that the Fiesta�s cumulative sales in Europe since the introduction of the first generation model in 1976 have so far totaled 14 million units.

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Geneva Preshow: Ford Reveals B-MAX Small MPV Study Based on the Fiesta

Scheduled to make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show this week is Ford's brand-new B-MAX concept that previews the firm's upcoming small MPV, designed to replace the current European Fusion and rival the Opel Meriva. Based on the Fiesta platform, the almost production-ready minivan has some striking features, the most obvious being the new door concept. It has no B-pillar and the twin doors have a conventional opening system in the front and a sliding system in the back.

By eliminating the traditional B-pillar, Ford promises best-in-class access to the cabin without compromising safety. With both front and rear doors open, the aperture measures 1.5 metres, around twice the width offered by competitors, according to Ford.

�With its unique door format and dynamic design, the B-MAX sends a strong message that customers looking for a compact, stylish and versatile vehicle will soon have an exciting new choice,� said Stephen Odell, CEO of Ford Europe. Another highlight is the lack of door handles, with the opening system being remote-controlled.

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Ford Launches Limited Edition Fiesta Sport+ with 134 Ponies in Europe

Ford is expanding the Fiesta�s European lineup with the Sport+ limited edition based on the three-door variant, and boasting several exterior and interior appointments, plus a tweaked 1.6-liter gasoline engine in order to attract more performance-oriented customers. Read more �

Monster World Rally Team Unveils Ken Block�s New Fiesta RS WRC [with New Videos]

Despite stating that 2010 was his best year ever, Ken Block had a disappointing FIA World Rally Championship campaign and was often plagued with mechanical issues in Rally America as well. However, with the support of the Monster World Rally Team (MWRT), the American driver is hoping for a much better 2011 season, as he�s going to participate in more races and events at the wheel of his all-new Monster Energy Ford Fiesta RS WRC rally car.

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New Ford RS World Rally Car Shows its 2011 Colors

Ford Team driver Mikko Hirvonen lifted the covers of its 2011-specification Fiesta RS World Rally Car at the Autosport International Racing Car Show in Birmingham today, revealing the color scheme that will adorn the vehicle in the FIA World Rally Championship. In addition, the company also confirmed that the racing team's new name and logo by announcing that it will compete as the Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team. Read more �

Ford Planning Fiesta Minivan Concept for Geneva Show, Production Model with Sliding Doors to Follow in 2012

Ford is getting ready to premiere a concept version of a Fiesta-based small minivan at the upcoming Geneva Salon next March. The design study will act as a pilot for the production vehicle that will follow in early 2012 and will replace the current generation of the European market Fusion, which is based on the previous Fiesta.

The news comes from a Ford source in Europe who told Automotive News that production of the Fiesta MPV will begin by the end of next year at Ford's factory in Craiova, Romania. A Ford of Europe spokesman essentially confirmed the news by telling the publication that �It is a B-segment vehicle and will go into full production early in 2012.�

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Ford USA Announces Fiesta R2 Rally Kit with 168HP for New Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship

Aspiring rally fans buckle up, as this is your chance to follow in the footsteps of Mikko Hirvonen, Jari-Matti Latvala or Ken Block. Already offered throughout Europe, the Ford Fiesta R2 rally package has now become available in the U.S. Those that buy the rally-prepped Fiestas will be able to compete in a new championship, called Fiesta Sport Trophy, in the Rally America Series 2WD class, starting from 2011.

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New Fiesta to Take Center Stage at Ford's SEMA Show Booth with 350HP Turbo Concept and Tuner Project Cars

Hot on the heels of the Euro-designed subcompact's U.S. market launch, Ford is planning to bring a gaggle of tuner Fiestas to this year's edition of the SEMA Show, which takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the first week of November.

"SEMA represents a special opportunity, because we can show off unique designs that other companies have created," said Sam De La Garza, Fiesta brand manager. "It's not just Ford coming to the table. It's other companies interpreting what Fiesta is, and bringing their own style to the Fiesta launch."

Aside from the independent tuner project vehicles that you can read more about below, Ford's in-house Racing Performance Parts division will display a concept Fiesta fitted with a production-based 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged engine, enlarged to 2.3 liters to pump out 350 horsepower.

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Paris Show: Ford Previews New Fiesta RS WRC Prior to 2011 Race Debut

Not one to let Mini's announcement of the new Countryman WRC to go unanswered, Ford has revealed its new soon-to-be-airborne Fiesta RS rally car. Co-developed by Ford of Europe and M-Sport (with a little help from the French Pipo Moteur), the Fiesta RS gets a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine which, like the Mini, has direct injection.

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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.

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Ford to Unveil All-New Ranger Pickup Truck and FPV Falcon with Supercharged V8 at Sydney Motor Show

This year's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, which runs October 15 -24, will see Ford taking the wraps off an all-new generation of its Ranger compact pickup truck. The new Ranger will be joined by Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) first-ever supercharged V8 Falcons, and the Aussie debuts of the current Focus RS and Fiesta Sedan.

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