It’s no secret that the Mercury brand of cars is slowly circling the drain. They have been for a while, and despite Ford’s CEO, Alan Mullay claiming that the brand is doing well, things don’t look too bright. Driver’s Life wrote earlier on the rumor that by 2012, Mercury would be killed off in much the same way as GM did to Oldsmobile.

Why did it come to this? What should be done about it?

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Why does Ford insist on making all their cool vehicles in Europe? Auto Express has pulled the covers off Ford’s latest hot hatch offering. Available in both 3 door and 5 door formats, the Focus ST rocks an aggressive front grille design that projects the latest of Ford’s design cues. The headlights look rather like they came straight off the Mondeo, and the rear bumper has been fitted with a sporty diffuser designed to improve high-speed stability.

The gaping maw of the front bumper may look a little excessive, but its necessary, since the ST packs a potent turbocharged 5 cylinder 2.5L engine that produces 222hp, which can propel the ST from 0-60mph in only 6.5 seconds.

As for pricing, the three-door ST will start at £17,995, while the flagship ST-3 will cost you about £19,995. Five-door cars will command a premium of roughly £600.

Now for the question that’s been burning us up… Why doesn’t Ford make this model available in North America and badge it as a Mercury? Maybe that could save the dying brand.

[Source: Auto Express]

A rumor is circulating around the interweb that after Ford’s stock of 2008 Crown Victorias are sold out, the public will not be able to purchase any new models from dealers. The 2009 Crown Vic will supposedly be available only as a fleet vehicle for municipal police and cab companies. That may not last too long though, since the trend for cities with larger police budgets appear to be shifting towards Dodge Chargers and Chevy Impalas.

New York’s taxi fleet has been mandated to become hybrid by 2012, a bold and economically responsible move. Ford is said to be pushing their Escape Hybrid to replace the 2,500 Crown Vics currently driving through the Big Apple.

Don’t fret though, if you’re a fan of Fords RWD Crown Vic and are dying to get your hands on one… Mercury has an identical model in the form of the Grand Marquis, and that will still be available for the time being. That is if Mercury isn’t killed off first.

[Source: Autoblog]

Those Europeans sure are a lucky bunch. Did you ever think you’d see the day where Ford would offer a competitor to a Mitsubishi Evo X or Subaru Impreza WRX STI? Check out the new Ford Focus RS test mule seen making its rounds on the Nurburgring. Rally inspired, the RS trim is the successor to the outgoing Ford Focus ST that topped the Focus range in Europe. The pocket rocket RS makes use of an inline 6 cyl engine sourced by Volvo which produces 300hp, and is likely to send power to all four wheels via an AWD system based off of an existing Volvo architecture.

As you can see in these photos, the front air dams are massive and the trunk lid sports a pretty sizable wing. We’re not sure if these stylings will make it to production, but I guess we’ll find out some time in March after the 2008 Geneva Motorshow, when the Ford Focus RS is expected to go on sale.

[Source: World Car Fans]

According to our friends over at Left Lane News, who have sources entrenched deep within the Ford camp, Mercury could be dropped by 2012. There are almost no new products planned for the Mercury division, and let’s face it… ever since they killed the Cougar in 2001, Mercury really hasn’t had any unique or enticing products to offer the public. The funny thing is that yesterday, Ford CEO Alan Mullay said he thinks Mercury is “doing well,” and “absolutely” has a future. The company’s product map suggests otherwise.

Head over to Left Lane News for the details.

You know, maybe none of this matters anyway. The Mayan calendar does say the world will end in 2012!

Well, folks, the bids are due in a month or so for British marques Jaguar and Land Rover. Ford is selling the brands off for an estimated $1.5 billion or more for both. Ever wanted to own a luxury British car manufacturer? Yeah, us neither. But apparently there are a few serious bidders vying for a chance to take them off of Ford’s hands. Cerberus, the company that recently acquired Chrysler is said to be in the running. Tata Motors, India’s largest automaker has put in their bid too, along with Ripplewood, One Equity Partners, and TPG.

Ford won’t likely announce who came out on top until the new fiscal year, despite bidding coming to a close in November.

[Source: Auto News via Autoblog]

Ford execs made the decision a few months ago to rename the Ford Five Hundred midsized sedan to Taurus in an attempt to revive sales. The Taurus name has a 20 year legacy, and hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in it. While it was a dumb decision in the first place to walk away from that nameplate after all that time, it seems that simply switching back to it isn’t gonna be enough to increase sales.

[Source: CarNews via Autoblog ]

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According to the European Commission, in a report on the world’s biggest spender on R+D, Ford Motor Company comes out on top. At least in the automotive industry. Pharmaceutical company, Pfizer outspent Ford on research and development this year, but traditionally, car makers have been at the forefront of R+D expenditures. Ford owns a controlling interest in Ford, Land Rover, Jaguar, Mercury, Lincoln, Mazda, and Volvo, however there was no breakdown on exactly HOW Ford spends its money. This leads us to wonder which of Ford’s brands gets the most money for R+D?

[Source: Detroit news]

The 2008 Mustang convertible achieved something that has never been done before, by earning a five-star safety rating in all NHTSA NCAP tests. No other automaker EVER has been able to do that, which is extremely impressive. I guess the Mustang is not only quick, and stylish, but also quite safe. This should have a positive on sales, and gives Ford dealers something else to brag about.

Read Ford’s official press release after the jump.

[Source: Jalopnik]
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