Tag Archives: Ford

News

Ford Farley Sounds the Alarm: “If We Lose EVs to China, We Lose Ford”

When Ford CEO Jim Farley speaks, the automotive world listens — and this time, his words hit harder than ever. In a recent, unusually candid statement, Farley didn’t mince words: if Western automakers lose the electric vehicle (EV) race to China, Ford’s very survival could be at stake.

“The competitive reality is that China is a major force in the electric vehicle industry,” Farley said bluntly, adding that “there is no real competition from Tesla, General Motors or Ford compared to what we’ve seen in China.”

That kind of talk isn’t marketing spin — it’s a wake-up call. Farley’s remarks highlight a growing anxiety across the American auto industry: China’s rapid ascent in EV innovation and affordability has reshaped the global playing field.

China’s Quiet Takeover

Chinese automakers such as BYD, Geely, Nio, and even newcomers like Xiaomi have emerged as the dominant forces in global electric mobility. Backed by robust government subsidies and a laser focus on cost-effective innovation, these brands have turned what was once a domestic market into an export powerhouse.

Farley put it simply: “They offer great innovation at a very low price. There are hundreds of companies that receive huge government subsidies… and many of them have never even been in the automotive sector before.”

The result? Cars like BYD’s Seal and Xiaomi’s new SU7 are delivering impressive performance, range, and tech integration — all at prices that leave Western manufacturers scrambling.

The Ford Dilemma

Ford, like many of its American peers, has made aggressive moves into the EV space with vehicles like the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. But despite those efforts, the company is still grappling with one of the sector’s biggest challenges: cost.

Ford’s goal now is clear — make electric cars cheaper, faster, and better. But even with that mission in motion, Farley knows the gap is widening. “We’re in global competition with China,” he said, “and it’s not just about electric vehicles. If we lose this, we won’t have Ford in the future.”

That’s not hyperbole. It’s the blunt reality of an industry facing disruption from a region that’s figured out how to build affordable, appealing EVs at scale.

A Personal Perspective

Perhaps the most striking detail is Farley’s own daily drive — not a Ford, but a Xiaomi SU7, a Chinese-built electric sedan that has quickly earned praise for its design and technology. It’s a telling choice that underscores his point: China isn’t catching up; it’s already leading.

The Road Ahead

For Ford and the rest of Detroit’s automakers, the road ahead is steep. Competing with China’s speed, scale, and cost efficiency will require not just better products, but a complete rethinking of how cars are designed, built, and priced.

If Farley’s warning sounds dramatic, it’s because it is. The EV revolution has no patience for complacency — and as Farley makes painfully clear, the next few years will determine whether legacy automakers like Ford can adapt fast enough to stay in the race.

Source: Ford

Tuning

Meet the RTR Spec 5: A Mustang That Costs More Than a Dark Horse and Outpowers a GTD

RTR Vehicles has unleashed its wildest pony yet—the 2026 Mustang Spec 5. At $159,999, the latest RTR creation costs almost $95,000 more than Ford’s new Dark Horse Mustang, yet still undercuts the Shelby Super Snake. Exclusivity helps soften the sticker shock: only 50 examples of the Spec 5 will roll out for the 2026 model year.

At its core, the Spec 5 starts life as a Mustang GT with the Performance Package, but RTR doesn’t leave much untouched. Under the hood, the familiar 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 gets force-fed by a Whipple 3.0-liter supercharger, an HD race intercooler, and a Borla cat-back exhaust. The result is a monstrous 882 horsepower and 894 Nm of torque—that’s nearly 400 more horses than a stock GT and even more grunt than Ford’s track-ready Mustang GTD. Buyers can row their own gears with a six-speed manual or opt for the 10-speed automatic.

The upgrades continue under the skin. RTR equips the coupe with its Tactical Performance suspension system, featuring adjustable shocks, height-adjustable springs, and beefier anti-roll bars. 20-inch forged aluminum wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires put the power to the ground, while six-piston Brembos with two-piece rotors rein it all back in.

The exterior isn’t shy about its intentions. The Spec 5 wears a wide-body kit with unique fenders, bumper extensions, composite side skirts, and a vented hood. Carbon-fiber aero bits, a towering rear spoiler, and RTR’s illuminated grille treatment add to the visual punch. Even the fuel-filler cap has been redesigned to flip upward—something RTR curiously brags about as a symbol of its “relentless dedication to detail.”

Inside, the changes are subtler but purposeful. Expect RTR-branded Recaro seats with gray leather bolsters, black suede trim, and Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s signature etched into a serialized dash plate. Other touches include RTR floor mats and a teardrop shifter.

With its limited run of 50 cars, outrageous power figures, and brash styling, the Spec 5 is aimed at collectors as much as drivers. Whether its nearly $160K price tag makes sense when a Mustang GTD exists—or whether that even matters to the few lucky buyers—is another story.

One thing’s clear: the Spec 5 cements RTR’s reputation for turning Ford’s pony car into something that looks—and sounds—like it escaped from a racetrack.

Source: RTR Vehicles

NEW CARS

Ford Ranger MS-RT PHEV and E-Tourneo Custom MS-RT Bring Rally DNA to Everyday Roads

Rally-inspired styling, a wall of torque, and colors so loud they practically glow in the dark — Ford’s latest MS-RT creations aren’t for wallflowers. Making their global debut at the 2025 IAA Mobility show in Munich, the new Ranger MS-RT PHEV pickup and E-Tourneo Custom MS-RT people mover push Ford’s electrified commercial lineup straight into motorsport cosplay territory. And we mean that as a compliment.

This isn’t Ford dipping its toe into mild cosmetic packages. The MS-RT badge carries weight. Born from the company’s partnership with M-Sport — the same outfit that builds Ford’s World Rally Championship cars — the MS-RT team has been turning workhorses into street-savvy extroverts for years. But this time, they’re electrified, brawnier, and louder than ever.

Ranger MS-RT PHEV: The Hybrid Street Truck

Ford didn’t exactly need an excuse to make the Ranger rowdier — it’s already Europe’s best-selling pickup for a decade. But the first-ever plug-in hybrid Ranger was too good a canvas for MS-RT to resist.

Under the hood, the Ranger MS-RT PHEV pairs a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder with a 75-kW electric motor and a 10-speed modular hybrid transmission. The result: 281 horsepower and a colossal 697 pound-feet of torque, making this the most torque-rich Ranger ever. It’ll tow the full 3,500 kilograms (7,716 pounds), haul a metric ton in the bed, and still sneak through city centers on 40 kilometers of EV-only range.

But spec sheets don’t tell the whole story. The MS-RT treatment makes the Ranger look like it rolled straight out of a Baja pit lane. There’s a honeycomb grille with an integrated splitter, flared arches stretched 82 millimeters wider, and a rear diffuser that doesn’t even pretend to be subtle. Diamond-cut 21-inch alloys wrapped in low-profile 275/45R21 rubber fill the arches, while a dropped ride height (40 mm lower than stock) and widened track (+40 mm per side) give it stance for days.

The tweaks aren’t just for Instagram. Revised dampers and a retuned rear suspension sharpen handling, while a ducktail spoiler and aero-sculpted cab wing tame high-speed stability. Inside, it’s a rally-lux mashup: bolstered Eco-Leather and suede seats with LED-illuminated MS-RT logos, a blue-marked heated steering wheel, and Ford’s full tech arsenal — including SYNC 4A on a 12-inch screen, adaptive cruise, and a rear-view camera.

Oh, and about those colors? Forget grayscale. The palette includes Turini Purple, Fast Blue, and retina-searing Yellow Green — shades that scream “this isn’t your contractor’s pickup.”

E-Tourneo Custom MS-RT: The Motorsport Minibus

If the Ranger is for hauling gear, the E-Tourneo Custom MS-RT is for hauling the crew. Picture this: eight seats, a 210-kW (285-hp) electric powertrain, and bodywork that looks one podium step away from a rallycross paddock.

Ford calls it a “multi-activity vehicle,” which is corporate-speak for “the coolest van you’ll ever see.” It comes with track-mounted second- and third-row seats that slide, fold, or lift out entirely — meaning you can switch from family shuttle to surf trip hauler in minutes.

Exterior styling is as aggressive as the Ranger’s: aerodynamic bumpers, side skirts, rear diffuser, and a coast-to-coast LED strip across the nose. MS-RT’s color game goes even bolder here, adding Ultramarine Blue and Sunset Orange to the mix. Underneath, wider 19-inch anthracite alloys with low-profile 235/45R19 tires widen the stance and trim unsprung weight, helping this electric bus handle like something smaller.

Inside, it mirrors the Ranger’s playbook: heated, bolstered seats with blue stitching, illuminated MS-RT badges, and a heated flat-bottom steering wheel with the now-signature blue 12 o’clock marker. The tech story upgrades too, with Ford’s latest SYNC 4 infotainment running on a 13-inch screen.

And for buyers who aren’t quite ready to go full EV, Ford will offer plug-in hybrid (233 hp) and EcoBlue diesel (170 hp) variants of the Tourneo MS-RT as well.

Why MS-RT Matters

MS-RT — short for M-Sport Road Technology — started as a passion project in 2015 and has grown into Ford’s official outlet for motorsport-infused road vehicles. Every MS-RT Ranger and Tourneo undergoes final assembly at a dedicated facility in Dagenham, UK, where the team adds their widebody kits, bespoke interiors, and finishing touches before the vehicles roll out to customers.

For Ford, this isn’t just about adding another trim line. It’s about creating halo commercial vehicles that inject rally DNA into the daily grind. The Ranger MS-RT PHEV and E-Tourneo Custom MS-RT aren’t niche toys — they’re fully functional, fully capable workhorses that just happen to look like they’ve been hanging out at Parc Fermé.

When and How to Get One

Both models hit European showrooms for order later in 2025, with deliveries beginning in 2026. Expect pricing to land significantly above standard Ranger and Tourneo trims, but if you want to turn heads while towing boats, hauling bricks, or shuttling a weekend’s worth of mountain bikes, these MS-RT machines might be the loudest (and coolest) way to do it.

Bottom line: Ford and MS-RT have built two vehicles that refuse to blend in. They’ve taken the grit of rally racing and wrapped it in street-friendly, electrified utility packages. In a world of sensible crossovers and grayscale work vans, the Ranger MS-RT PHEV and E-Tourneo Custom MS-RT are unapologetically extroverted — and we’re here for it.

Source: Ford