The annual Automobile Magazine All-Star awards are among the top prizes in the industry, given only to vehicles that “stand above the crowd” to offer true “greatness” in their segments. And while the 2012 list, as expected, includes names like Ferrari, Porsche, Audi and Land Rover, the only brand to earn two separate awards this year was Ford.
The Focus was Automobile Magazine’s Automobile of the Year in 2000 and was named to the All-Star list four times in its previous generation. This year, “Ford hit another home run with the all-new 2012 Focus,” according to Automobile Magazine’s Rusty Blackwell. Blackwell also praised “the car’s impeccable ride-and-handling balance, flexible powertrain, comfortable seats, and abundant available luxury features.”
As for the other Ford All-Star, the story is short but sweet: “The Boss 302 is the best Mustang ever,” according Automobile writer Preston Lerner.
“But that’s merely a footnote to the real story,” he added. “The big news is that Ford’s newest bad boy not only puts an epic whupping on its traditional rivals—we’re talking to you, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger—but also stands tall against perennial bullies like the BMW M3.”
The Boss’ newfound notoriety is earned honestly, too, thanks to whupping enhancers like:
- Its own unique 5.0-liter V8, packed with cutting-edge technology and 444 hp
- A short-throw, close-ratio six-speed manual transmission
- Suspension upgrades including firmer coil springs and suspension bushings, a larger-diameter rear stabilizer bar, and manually adjustable shocks and struts
- Pirelli P Zero summer tires wrapped around lightweight 19-inch alloy racing wheels
- 14-inch vented front brake rotors with Brembo four-piston calipers and rear brakes upgraded with a high-performance pad compound designed specifically for the Boss
- A limited-slip 3.73-ratio rear axle with carbon-fiber clutch plates
Ready to add one of these All-Stars to your team? Just visit your local Ford dealership, where both are on sale now.
Souce: Ford in The News
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