#2012FordFocus

When we wrote about the new Ford Focus  price tag and engine options, we talked about it’s impressive 252 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine. Now we’ve learned more about the ‘overboost’ feature that allows for those incredibly high numbers.

The  NASCAR Pace Car for the Capital City 400 was  previously revealed to be a new 2012 Ford Focus Electric, and now we’ve got the pictures to prove it.

As the North American International Auto Show looms ever larger on the calendar, so does the annual North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, the winners of which will be announced on January 9th, before the show opens.

Are you getting excited for the SEMA Show in Las Vegas? It’s less then two weeks away, and to get you a fan-frenzied mood, Ford has begun to tease us with its bespoke designs.

This is the first year the Southern California-based Motor Press Guild (MPG) is handing out its Motor Press Guild Vehicle of the Year (VOTY) Award, and the list of finalists has just been released.

While all Elantra’s can achieve 40-mpg, the most efficient Cruze on the market is the Eco model, which can achieve 42-mpg.

All the cool kids are getting tattoos – just look at the Cube, Juke and Frontier. The latest car to jump on the body art bandwagon is the 2012 Ford Focus, giving owners a quick and affordable way to personalize their car.

When Ford first revealed the new 2012 Focus at the North American International Auto Show almost a year ago it was vague about a new ‘torque vectoring system’ that’s designed to improve handling.

Putting a new spin on “reduce, reuse and recycle,” Ford has announced they’re going to give old blue jeans a new lease on life.

Admit it – you’ve read a car review and thought to yourself: “I would love to have that job,” or “I could do that.” Now you’re in luck – Ford is about to make your budding journalistic dreams come true.

Ford has just announced it will offer a new Sport Package for the SE and Titanium trim versions of its all new 2012 Focus, helping give drivers an even more enjoyable experience behind the wheel.

Ford has announced pricing for the 2012 Focus, and the car is set to start in the upper end of the price bracket, with a base price of $16,995.

Ford is getting onboard with reality TV and putting out their own show. Think of it as “The Amazing Race” – only in a Ford Focus.

For this show, Ford has teamed up with the folks behind “The Amazing Race” to bring you a five-week online reality series called. Highlighting the features of the new 2012 Ford Focus (available in March, this online show dubbed “Focus Rally America” will star six teams racing across the country in a rally that includes weekly challenges. The race starts February 1, 2011 and finishes when the new Focus arrives in showrooms.

Viewers will be able to watch live streaming of the race that comes from inside the cars and will be encouraged to help their favorite team by sending messages to help them figure out clues along their journey.

Those interested in participating in the Rally can enter by either submitting an application online or can apply in person at auditions being held in: Los Angeles, Tampa, Austin, Boston, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Houston, Orlando and Las Vegas.

“We’re looking for people who want to have a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure,” said Matt VanDyke, Ford’s director of U.S. Marketing. “Like Fiesta Movement, we want people who are highly connected through social media and have a built-in group of fans and supporters. They also need to have a big personality and be entertaining on camera.”

Get more info or register at www.focusrally.com

Official release after the jump:

Ford‘s 2012 Focus has kept a low profile since it’s debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. While we heard endless stories about the Chevrolet Cruze in the run up to its launch, the only news coming out from the Ford camp is the admittedly big announcement about the Focus ST.

Now comes another nugget of information leaking out from Dearborn, this time in video form. A pre-production 2012 Focus is seen lapping the track, and while it’s hard to decode much from the video, The Truth About Cars seems to be enthusiastic about the car’s handling prowess. Judge for yourself after the jump.

[Source: The Truth About Cars]

With the debut of the all-new 2012 Ford Focus set for next Monday at the Detroit Auto Show, Ford has let a few (very few) details about the car slip. A press release highlighting the nine new engines Ford plans to launch in North America in 2012, exposes the fact that the new 2012 Focus will get a naturally-aspirated direct-injection 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to a PowerShift 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

While Ford does already offer direct-injection technology in the high-dollar EcoBoost-equipped models like the Taurus SHO and Lincoln MKT, the 2012 Focus will be the first Ford in North America to feature the technology in a low-dollar, non-turbocharged model.

We don’t have any details on horsepower or fuel economy, but expect at least 140-hp and over 35 mpg.

“Ford is delivering on our commitment to lower emissions, improve fuel economy and deliver the highest quality powertrains in the industry,” said Barb Samardzich, Ford vice president, Powertrain Engineering. “We are making this happen with one of the most ambitious powertrain upgrades ever undertaken by Ford. By the end of 2010, nearly all of Ford’s North American engines will have been upgraded or replaced since 2008.”

As for the rest of the new lineup of engines, some highlights include the 2011 Fiesta’s Ti-VCT 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine with 119-hp and 40 mpg on the highway; the Mustang’s new Ti-VCT 305-horsepower, 3.7-liter V6 with 30 mpg on the highway; the 2011 Mustang GT’s 412-hp 5.0-liter V8 and the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 coming in the 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty. Then, near the end of the year, Ford will debut a new EcoBoost 2.0-liter 4-cylinder in the C-Max MPV, with 200-hp and 221 ft-lbs of torque.

We’ll bring you more on the all-new 2012 Ford Focus with live coverage of the Detroit Auto Show starting Monday, January 11th.

Official release after the jump: