MAY 14 FORD E-NEWS

Ford Focus, you stole the show, dawg!
Move over David Archuleta.  The 2009 Ford Focus coupe is set to make a star turn of its own Wednesday on FOX’s “American Idol.”  The Focus coupe will be part of the “American Idol” Ford Video featuring this season’s remaining contestants.  The 45-second video also will be featured on the “American Idol” Web site at www.americanidol.com under the Ford Music Video page.  The 2009 Ford Focus coupe builds on the many strengths of the hot-selling 2008 model – such as outstanding quality and 35-mpg fuel economy, cutting-edge technology and excellent value – but with a new look, sound and feel to better satisfy small-car coupe buyers.  For more on this story, visit link:   http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=28227      

Silencing the Flex
The secrets behind the new Ford Flex’s ultra-quiet ride can be traced to a nondescript test facility in Allen Park, Mich., that houses a giant 23-foot fan capable of blowing wind up to 100 mph.  It was in Wind Tunnel 8 at the Jacobs’s Technology Driveability Test Facility where Flex engineers spent months measuring, pinpointed and mitigated wind noise inside the Flex cabin.  The teams employed microphone-equipped mannequins inside the cabin and special tape on the exterior to spot to detect the smallest imperfection that could lead to wind noise.  As a result, the Flex, which hits showrooms this summer, delivers a quieter ride than competitors including the Acura MDX, Toyota Highlander and GMC Acadia, according to internal testing.  For more information about this story, click on link: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=28230 

Mustang team member’s work takes a personal turn
Ford Motor Company employees are known for their passionate drive to make a difference for customers.  For Jackie DiMarco, working on the Ford Mustang “Warriors in Pink” package became a deeply personal journey.  In early 2007, DiMarco, 34, was working on the special-edition Mustang that raises money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure when she discovered a lump in her breast that turned out to be malignant.  The cancer has not spread and the mother of twin girls counts herself lucky for discovering the tumor early.  Now, she is leading the charge as Ford redoubles its commitment to breast cancer awareness and support through the Mustang “Warriors in Pink” program.  For more information about this story, click on link:  http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=28218 

Creating the perfect color palette, virtually
Developing the perfect selection of colors for a new vehicle has traditionally taken months, if not years.  Colors are painstakingly developed based on swatches that paint suppliers and designers send back and forth.  Dozens of body panels are painted for each color.  And once a color is chosen, a full vehicle is painted and moved around the country for management, dealer and customer reviews. Now, the same virtual process that enables Ford designers to create new vehicles without the use of clay is helping designers develop colors without opening a single can of paint, saving time and money.  The result is a virtual environment where designers can create a vehicle with realistic paint color and – most importantly – can be changed in a keystroke. For more information about this story, click on link: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=28229

Can history be repeated?
What would the Model T look like to if it were designed today? Ford has put the challenge out to five universities around the world to create a Model T for the 21st Century that shares its core attributes – simple, lightweight, practical, compelling and priced below $7,000.  For more information about this story, click on link: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=28221

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