All posts by Francis Mitterrand

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New Ford Mustang with European specs

In September 2022, Ford officially presented the new generation Ford Mustang, and since then it could only be ordered in the United States. Now, the Ford Mustang, officially the best-selling sports car in the world last year, is also available in Europe with European specs.

The car comes in two body styles (Coupé and Cabrio). Its muscular appearance is adorned with thin LED headlights, an aggressive grille and an expanded color palette that includes three new shades (Ember Blue, Vapor Blue and Splash Yellow). Ford points out that the convertible has a fully lined folding roof that can be raised or lowered in eight seconds. Despite the folding roof, the Mustang still has enough space in its trunk, e.g. for two golf bags.

Both versions come with a lot of additional equipment (optional) and a lot of personalization options as well as a significantly changed interior design. This includes higher quality materials and fewer analogies. The old instrument panel has been replaced by an adaptive 12.4-inch display in combination with a high-resolution 13.2-inch display of the multimedia system.

Owners have a choice of 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmissions, a standard Performance Package that includes an auxiliary engine oil cooler, a lightweight rear axle cooler and cooler, Brembo brakes, and a limited-slip differential. The European version will be equipped with unique chassis tuning, larger rear balance bars, more powerful front shock absorbers and front and rear shock absorber housing stiffeners, intelligent adaptive cruise control with “stop and go” function, lane keeping system and collision avoidance system, emergency braking assist system when moving backwards, as well as a system for recognizing traffic signs with speed limit assistance, and 19-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero PZ4 tires.

When it comes to the powertrain, the European Mustang is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine with 446 hp (333 kW) and 398 lb-ft (540 Nm) of torque, down from the American model’s 487 hp (363 kW) and 415 lb-ft (562 Nm) of torque. A high-performance active valve exhaust system, which is an option for US buyers, increases output to 493 hp (368 kW) and 417 lb-ft (566 Nm) of torque.

The most powerful version, the Mustang Dark Horse, is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine with 453 hp (338 kW) and 398 lb-ft (540 Nm) of torque, which is also less than the American version’s 507 hp (378 kW) and 417 lb-ft (566 Nm) of torque.

When it comes to price, they vary from country to country. In Germany, the Mustang GT costs 59,900 euros, while in neighboring Austria it costs 86,000 euros.

Source: Ford

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New Ford Mustang with European specs
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Tesla Model Y is the best selling car in 2023

Most manufacturers have already released their sales results for last year, so we know who is the world’s largest car manufacturer, and that is Toyota with 11.2 million vehicles. Also, we know that the world’s largest exporter is China, which took over that position from Japan. However, when it comes to individual models, the Tesla Model Y is the best-selling car in 2023.

According to JATO Dynamics, Tesla Model Y was delivered in 1.23 million units in the twelve months of 2023 – an increase of 64% compared to the previous year. Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics, commented: “The increase in global sales of the Model Y is unprecedented, especially for a top ten best-selling vehicle. What Tesla has been able to achieve with the Model Y in such a short time is simply incredible .”

When it comes to the world’s largest car manufacturer, Toyota, Munoz thinks the RAV4 and Corolla could lose the battle with the competition: “Toyota has a strong presence around the world, with the RAV4 (SUV) and Corolla (compact car) they make this brand attractive with a diverse offering. However, both models do not have fully electric options, and only offer hybrid alternatives.” The Toyota RAV4 and Corolla were the second and third best-selling cars in the world.

“While Toyota still had a strong 2023, the RAV4 and Corolla are simply unable to compete in the electric car market, which is becoming more established and important across Europe and China,” Munoz said.

Source: JATO Dynamics

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Toyota is still the world’s largest car manufacturer

Car production in China is expanding, so last year this Asian giant became the world’s largest car exporter, taking over the crown from Japan, which held that position for years. But, in order to protect the pride of the Japanese automobile industry, Toyota was the world’s largest car manufacturer last year (11.2 million vehicles), for the fourth year in a row.

A better situation with the supply of semiconductors and increased demand resulted in higher sales of Toyota vehicles by 7.2 percent compared to 2022. As many as 1.1 million Toyota cars were sold in Europe, which is a remarkable growth of 9.1% compared to 2022. Toyota’s last sales record was achieved in 2019, when they sold 10.7 million vehicles.

When it comes to individual types of vehicles, Toyota sold 3.4 million hybrid vehicles in 2023, which is 31.4 percent more on an annual basis. Also, 104,018 fully electric vehicles were sold, which is not a great result if you consider that it is only about 1 percent of the total sales of their cars. Toyota has announced that it plans to increase sales of this type of vehicle to 1.5 million units per year by 2026.

Source: Bloomberg