Ford Models Earn APEALing Awards

Two Ford vehicles ranked as the highest models on their respective segments at the 2007 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates. The Ford Mustang was ranked as the highest in the Midsize Sporty Car category, while the all-new 2007 Ford Edge bagged the highest award for the Midsize MAV segment.

“This is more good news and further affirmation that we’re delivering more products people really want – especially when you consider the newest vehicles in our lineup,” said Mark Fields, president, The Americas, Ford Motor Company.

“Last year, Fusion topped its segment in the J.D. Power and Associates APEAL study. This year, fresh on the heels of Ford receiving top honors in five vehicle segments in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS), Ford receives more strong quality feedback from customers who made Edge the industry standout and a top performer in the fastest-growing and most competitive segment in the industry,” he added.

Other Ford Motor Company vehicle models joined the Ford Edge and Mustang on the winner's list. They are the Ford Explorer Sport Trac (2nd in Midsize Pickup segment), Lincoln Navigator (3rd in the Large Premium MAV) and Mazda CX7 (2nd in the Truck / Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) Segment).

Fields continued: “It’s gratifying to have two strong Ford nameplates – Edge and Mustang – leading the pack on consumer appeal. While we’ll celebrate this achievement with our employees, we know that the quality race never ends. We’re going to continue working harder to provide people even more reasons to consider driving Ford vehicles again.”

Meanwhile, check out the complete list of the Top Three Models per Segment for the 2007 APEAL Study.

Sub-Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Honda Fit (Tie), Toyota Yaris (Tie)
Nissan Versa

Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Volkswagen Jetta
Volkswagen Rabbit
Honda Civic

Compact Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Volkswagen GTI
Scion tC
Volkswagen Eos

Compact Premium Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Porsche Cayman
Porsche Boxster
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

Entry Premium Car
Highest Ranked: BMW 3 Series
Lexus IS 250/IS 350
Acura TL (Tie)
Audi A4 (Tie)

Midsize Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Lexus GS 350/GS 430/GS 450h
BMW 5 Series

Large Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
BMW 7 Series
Lexus LS 460

Premium Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: BMW 6 Series
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
Chevrolet Corvette

Midsize Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Ford Mustang
Mitsubishi Eclipse
Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Midsize Car
Highest Ranked: Nissan Altima Sedan
Volkswagen Passat
Saturn AURA

Large Car
Highest Ranked: Hyundai Azera
Toyota Avalon
Dodge Charger

Truck / Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) Segments
Compact MAV
Highest Ranked: Honda CR-V
Mazda CX-7
Toyota FJ Cruiser

Midsize MAV
Highest Ranked: Ford Edge
Saturn Outlook
GMC Acadia

Large MAV
Highest Ranked: Nissan Armada
Chevrolet Tahoe
Chevrolet Suburban

Midsize Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: BMW X5
Audi Q7 (Tie)
Mercedes-Benz M-Class (Tie)

Large Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: Cadillac Escalade EXT (Tie), Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (Tie)
Lincoln Navigator

Large Pickup
Highest Ranked: GMC Sierra LD
Chevrolet Avalanche
Chevrolet Silverado LD

Midsize Pickup
Highest Ranked: Honda Ridgeline
Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Toyota Tacoma

Van
Highest Ranked: Honda Odyssey
Kia Sedona
Hyundai Entourage

California Team Bags Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition

Ford Motor Company, in partnership with the American Automobile Association (AAA) has recently conducted the national finals for the 2007 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills. The competition aims to find the best student auto techs. Last fall, more than 7,000 high school students from every state enrolled in the competition, but only 100 students were given a chance to compete in the finals that took place at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.

Among the 49 two-person teams, Austin Castro and Daniel Lehmkuhl, of San Luis Obispo High School, San Luis Obispo, California claimed the 1st place. The two students diagnosed and repair the problem of their Ford Fusion in just 49 minutes and six seconds. The two brought home thousands of bucks and college scholarship grants.

During the competition, Allan Stanley, manager of Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills said: "Daniel and Austin today proved to be the best of the best high school automotive technicians in the United States. These auto-savvy teens typify the determination and work ethic of all 100 finalists. It's essential to the motoring public that the automotive industry attract such driven and dedicated young men and women to keep America's vehicles operating safely and trouble free."

"Professionally trained auto technicians maintain and repair the vehicles of millions of drivers every year. AAA has been co-sponsoring this Auto Skills contest annually since 1984 to provide motorists with the confidence that their vehicles will be properly serviced at all AAA-inspected and approved repair facilities." said John Nielsen, director of the AAA Approved Auto Repair program

Darryl Hazel, senior vice president of Ford Motor Company and president, Ford Customer Service Division also said: "Ford and its dealer network offer these contestants and other talented young people unparalleled opportunities to train for a high-tech career with excellent salaries and great benefits, such as insurance coverage, paid vacations, and retirement savings programs. Co-sponsoring the Auto Skills competition enables us to continue to attract the best young technicians to Ford's professional technician training programs and to careers in our dealer network."

Meanwhile, here are the top 10 winning teams of the 2007 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills:

1st Place: California. Austin Castro and Daniel Lehmkuhl. Instructor:
Jeff Lehmkuhl. San Luis Obispo High School, San Luis Obispo.
2nd Place: Michigan. Alex Dobroy and Zachary Hastings. Instructor Tim
Timoszyk. Saline High School, Saline.
3rd Place: Colorado. Eric Hess and Christopher Wu. Instructor Brad
Wheaton. Doherty High School, Colorado Springs.
4th Place: North Carolina. Evan Martin and Kyle Wishlinski. Instructor
Martin Page. Lake Norman High School, Mooresville.
5th Place: Virginia. Douglas Dunn and Gaetano Guiffre. Instructor
Scott Freeman. Fauquier High School, Warrenton.
6th Place: Ohio. Michael George and William Hrabowy. Instructor Dave
Gillies. Trumbull Career & Technical Center, Warren.
7th Place: Oklahoma. Jesse Cobb and Christopher Johnson. Instructor
Randy Henderson. Mid America Technology Center, Wayne.
8th Place: Massachusetts. Daniel Svizzero and Nicholas Wood.
Instructor David Haskins. South Shore Vocational Technical High School,
Hanover.
9th Place: Oregon. Levi Tolman and Chase Williams. Instructor Merle
Saunders. Vale High School, Vale.
10th Place: Hawaii. Brandon Sato and Dustin Texeira. Instructor Neill
Nakamura. Maui High School, Kahului.

Carl Edwards Infineon Raceway Preview

Here is another race preview of a Ford Racing team.

Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) team is now heading for Sonoma, California to compete in the Infineon Raceway Sears Point. Edwards is also Matt Kenseth's teammate.

"Bob Osborne and the rest of the Office Depot team have been doing a lot to help improve our road course program. We recently tested Road Atlanta to get in some practice on a road course and I think it has helped. I don't come from that kind of racing background, but getting a few races under our belts has helped a lot." said Edwards.

"After our win last week at Michigan, our team is a lot more confident and we're looking to build on this momentum." he added.

Check out some trivia about Carl Edwards' career at the Infineon Raceway. (credits: Roush Fenway Racing)

* Carl Edwards will make his third NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start at Infineon Raceway. In his two previous starts Edwards has achieved one top-10 finish

* Edwards best finish at Infineon is sixth place, captured in 2006

* Edwards ended his 52-race winless streak last weekend at Michigan International Speedway. The win came on Edwards' 100th NEXTEL Cup Series start.

* Edwards is currently sixth in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings with 1,905 points, 487 points behind leader, Jeff Gordon

* This weekend Edwards travels between Sonoma and Milwaukee to compete in both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series events. Edwards currently leads the NASCAR Busch Series point standings with a commanding 701 points lead over second place.

* Office Depot Store No. 2377 from Chicago, Ill. is this week's sales winner and will ride along on the No. 99 at Infineon this weekend

Meanwhile, Bob Osborne, Crew Chief of Roush Fenway Racing also commented about the upcoming race in Infineon Raceway:

"Carl's only raced Sonoma twice, but has managed to pull off some pretty solid finishes there. We tested Road Atlanta a couple of weeks ago and were able to gather a lot of really good information, so hopefully we'll have a competitive car come Sunday. I am so proud of the hard work this Office Depot team has been doing over the past several weeks -- it's really paying off. Our win last week at Michigan was just what we needed to build momentum for the rest of the season."

Well, let us just wait until June 24th for the race results.

Matt Kenseth's Preview at the Sonoma Race

Matt Kenseth, driver of the No। 17 Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) Ford Fusion is now prepared for the upcoming race that will take place at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California this June 24rd.

Check out what Matt Kenseth has to say about the race at Sonoma:
"For the longest time I really dreaded coming to a road course, but I guess it's kind of like anything else, the more you do it, the more comfortable you feel, and I don't dread it nearly as much as I use to. We've gotten a little better with our road-course program, but more importantly, I think I've got a better feel for that type of racing as I get more experience. The biggest challenge for me is being able to tell Robbie (Reiser) and Chip (Bolin, engineer) how to make the car better. I'd say that's one of our strengths most of the time, being able to adjust the racecar and keep getting it better. But, for me, it seems a little bit harder on road courses."

Kenseth added: "The main thing is track position. We need a good qualifying effort, which, ironically, Sonoma seems to be one of our best tracks in terms of qualifying, which, come to think of it, is kind of backwards from how we are on the ovals. But, this is probably the best I've ever felt about our chances at a road course this weekend. Hopefully, we can get a good qualifying spot and keep our track position all day and maybe end up with a top 10."

Kenseth's Crew Chief at RFR, Robbie Reiser also commented: "Everyone will be taking a brand new car this weekend and, while I'm sure most people have tested theirs, it should be interesting on Friday. My thinking is that the same guys that usually run good on road courses will continue to do so, while those that struggle will continue to struggle. I don't think the new car is going to make that big of a difference where someone who usually runs about mid pack is suddenly going to compete for a win out there. That's not going to happen. It's all about track position when it comes to road courses. We need a good qualifying position and then it usually comes down to pit strategy and solid stops. Everyone works the pit strategy on road courses backwards, meaning that they figure how many laps they can make on a fuel run and then count the laps backwards from the end to determine the soonest the can pit in order to stay in their window and make it to the end on fuel."

"The last thing you want to do is have to pit in the last 10 or 15 laps and lose 20 or 30 positions, because there's always a lot of cars on the lead lap and passing is so hard, there's no way you're going to be able to make it up."
Well, as a fan of all Ford Racing team's in NASCAR, I hope Matt Kenseth and the other Ford drivers will dominate the race in Sonoma. I cant wait for the race and see the results!

Ford is selling its UK brands

We are all aware of the Way Forward plan from Ford. And late last year, they were forced to implement job cuts, to close some of their production plants and to sell some of their brands. In fact, earlier this year, one of the members of the Premier Automotive Group, Aston Martin was sold. Now, Ford is moving way forward. And the movement was not that impressive.

Last week there were news about Ford to sell some of their UK brands. Some ford officers were noted saying, they are open for option. This was the same thing that the officers of the Chrysler group said when they plan to sell the brand. So many people have assumed that Ford will sell their UK brands such as Land Rover and Jaguar. As for Volvo, the highest profitable subsidiary of Ford, the US car maker doesn’t have any plan of selling it.

However, on the news that I read today, Ford Motor Company is seeking for buyers of their brands Land Rover, Jaguar including their most cash-gaining subsidiary Volvo. Is this true?

According to some sources on the net, Ford had lost $12.6 billion last year so they hired Morgan Stanley as well as Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated to do their management on sales for Ford. Ford Motors Company had this particular strategy to boost up their sales. It’s not the Way Forward plan, its Project Swift. However, the few people who are involved in this plan refuse to give comments because according to them, it is strictly confidential.

According to the European companies, selling some of the Ford UK brands would end a 20-year initiative to broaden the sales rate of these luxury cars. If you can recall in 1998, Ford was able to gain the no.1 because of its Lincoln subsidiary. That was even before they had Dearborn and Michigan-based production plants for both Land Rover and Volvo.

“This company desperately needs focus in terms of preserving its capital and concentrating its management resources. It currently has too many mouths to feed,” said Casesa Strategic Advisors LLC’s Managing Partner in New York, John Casesa.

About the 2008 Ford Taurus

Ford Motor Company's resurrected 2008 Ford Taurus mid size sedan offers the best little things that you can find in an automobile, according to Ford design and engineering team who created the vehicle. Want to know these small things that Ford engineers are talking about?

According to Robert Parker, Car Marketing Manager, Ford Division: "One of the areas that we focused on is what we like to call the 'handshakes' of the vehicle -- the things that influence a person's initial impressions of the car,". "It's an attention to detail that tells the customer on either a conscious or subconscious level that the vehicle is well built."

"Things such as the way the door sounds when it closes, how the audio control knobs feel when you turn them or the way the vehicle sounds when it's idling are just a few examples of the kinds of details that leave lasting impressions on car buyers. This could be something as simple as the way the door handles are molded. We used to mold the plastic in the previous generation in such a way that the seam was right where your fingers were so that when you grabbed it, you felt a rough edge. We spent a lot of time improving small details like that in the 2008 Ford Taurus."

In addition, Ben Winter, chief engineer for the Ford Taurus also said that shifter knob is one of these small things. Mr. Winter said: "We developed a new shifter knob and shifter assembly that feels more solid and substantial in the customer's hands. We also standardized leather on the shifter and added chrome and wood accents as an option. In general, we made the shifter feel, look, sound and operate in a more refined and solid way."

"We made the gauges and the clock in the 2008 Ford Taurus much easier to read no matter what kind of lighting condition you're driving in -- broad daylight, twilight with the lights on, or dark with the lights on. It's the type of refinement that makes the customer feel more satisfied with their car." He added.

Meanwhile, Susan Sage, interior designer of the Ford Taurus commented: "With fashion, for example, you can change your jewelry and make an outfit look totally different. The same concept applies to vehicle interior design. We added chrome ring accents to the audio and climate control knobs," she said. "It's a fairly small thing, but we’ve received a lot of complements about it from the media, guide book editors and even customers in final drive research."

So these small things contribute to the overall quality of the 2008 Ford Taurus for the customers. I think that is exactly what the Ford engineers and designers were trying to say.

Carl Edwards: Citizens Bank 400 Preview

After winning his 4th race this season at Nashville Superspeedway for the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series, Carl Edwards is now heading to Michigan International Speedway for the Citizens Bank 400, the 20th racing event in the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Carl Edwards will enter the race behind the steering wheel of his No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion.

Edwards shared his preparations for the upcoming race and said: "I'm really looking forward to Michigan. It's a great track with some really awesome racing. You can pass and I think the fans always see a good show there. I'm just really looking forward to going to Michigan and doing everything I can to win there. Michigan is a kind of bragging rights track. It's in Roush's back yard, Ford's back yard -- so a win there would be huge. Bob and the team have worked so hard this year and I can't thank them enough for really making tons of improvements."

Edwards added: "This weekend will also be my 100th NEXTEL Cup Series start and I'm really excited about that. It is truly amazing how fast time flies. It seems like just yesterday I got the call from Jack (Roush, team owner) letting me know I'd be taking over the No. 99. I remember being so excited and really nervous. Now 100 races later, I am just as excited about the opportunity he gave me."

Check out the other facts about Carl Edwards' career:

* Edwards made his Cup Series debut at Michigan in August 2004 -- started that race 23rd and finished 10th

* Edwards is currently seventh in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings with 1,710 points, 539 points behind leader, Jeff Gordon

* This weekend Edwards travels between Michigan and Kentucky to compete in both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series events. Edwards is coming off a Busch Series win at Nashville and currently leads the Busch Series standings

* Office Depot Store No. 2370 from Clermont, Fla. is this week's sales winner and will ride along on the No. 99 at Michigan this weekend

Fuel Efficiency Tips from NAPA Auto PARTS

Have you ever wondered why despite the soaring gas prices, the demand for it has not dropped? As far as I can remember my Economics professor taught us that once prices increase, demand goes down. Unfortunately, gasoline is a commodity that we simply can’t live without at least for now.

At present, gasoline prices have increased to a jaw-dropping $4 per galloon but did this prevent our fellow Americans from traveling? Hell, no!

And this exactly what motivates Kit Johnson, 2007 NAPA Technician of the Year from East Helena, Montana to come up with these very useful tips:

• Plan ahead - When going out to run errands, map an efficient route to handle all of your tasks in one trip and not backtrack. Also, observing the speed limit can have a significant impact on fuel usage. With most vehicles, increasing your speed from 55 mph to 65 mph will increase fuel consumption by about 20 percent.
• Try to predict the flow - In heavy traffic avoid constant accelerating and braking. Research suggests driving techniques can influence car fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent.
• Don’t drive with your windows open – Driving with your windows down drastically reduces your fuel efficiency, far more so than when using the air conditioning during highway driving. In the upcoming warmer months keep the windows open during city driving and the air conditioning on during trips where you exceed 55 mph.
• Keep the load light - Your vehicle could stand to lose a few pounds. Those heavy bags of sand and salt you may carry around in your trunk during winter serve no useful purpose in spring, summer and fall. The extra weight just means wasted fuel and unnecessary emissions. Treat your trunk to a spring cleaning!
• Avoid excessive idling - Believe it or not, unnecessary idling is one of the biggest problems among motorists. Most of today’s newer cars do not benefit from idling more than 30 seconds. In fact, the opposite is true: in addition to wasting fuel, excessive idling can contaminate engine oil and damage engine components.
• Vehicle gas caps - Nearly 17 percent of all vehicles have gas caps that are damaged, loose or missing resulting in 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.
• Under-inflated tires - When tires aren’t inflated properly, it’s like driving with the parking brake. According to Johnson, under-inflated tires can cut fuel economy by two percent per pound, which means if your tire pressure is 27 pounds per square inch (psi) when it should be 32 psi, you’ve reduced your gas mileage by 10 percent! An alternative can be Nitrogen-filled tires which don’t allow oxygen to migrate out and doesn’t degrade the rubber through oxidation allowing the tires to stay fuller, longer.
• Worn spark plugs - A vehicle can have either four, six, eight, or ten spark plugs, which fire as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles, resulting in a lot of heat, electrical and chemical erosion. A dirty spark plug causes misfiring, which wastes fuel.
• Dirty air filters - An air filter clogged with dirt, dust or bugs chokes off the air and creates a "rich" mixture - too much gas being burned for the amount of air - which wastes gas and causes the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent, saving about 20 cents a gallon.
• Watch that engine light! – The engine light is also a sensor that handles fuel management. It could be a warning of gas or oil leaks. Remember that even the smallest leak can turn into a large hole in the wallet if not caught and fixed.
  

But just a reminder folks from Johnson, aside from the tips given better driving habits and car maintenance is the best and easiest way. Happy driving!

India’s Scorpio to Arrive in US in 2009

In the news: India’s Mahindra&Mahindra is reportedly headed to the US with hopes of selling more than 10,000 units of its Scorpio SUV by the end of the decade.

According to news reports, the first vehicles will hit US shores in 2009, but the range will initially be offered to the UK market later this year, while the folks downunder will see the launch of an M&M pickup this week.

“Our goal is to be known as global specialist players in SUVs and pickups,” said Pawan Goenka, the head of the group’s automotive unit in an interview with the Financial Times.

Scorpio Feature includes:
- tower tail lamps
- bonnet scoop
- air dams and mud flaps
- spoiler
- roof-top ski racks
- integrated foot steps
- air extractor
- new styled IP and Console
- two tone interiors
- CRDe engine
- 5- zone cushion suspension
- Voice assist system, vehicle security system and remote locking unlocking
- Protective side cladding
- Middle row sliding seats(for 8)
- Centre armrests (2nd row seats)
- Individual armrests( 1st row seats)
- Full fabric seats
- Tilt able steering
- Heating, ventilation and AC with rear vents
- ORVM manual remocon and swivel interior lamp
- Tubeless tyres
- New spaces for storage
- Mobile charging facility
- Intelligent front wipers
- Rearwash and wipe
- Rear demister
- Follow me home headlamps and illuminated footboards
- Theatre style interior illumination w/ lit front foot wells
- Foot well lamps for driver and co driver and illuminated key ring
- Power steering
- Power windows
- Audio system
- New combination switch
- Bigger glove box
- Headlamp leveling switch and fuel lid opener
- Collapsible steering column and side intrusion beams
- Crash protecting crumple zones and child locks
- Fire resistant upholstery


Based in Mumbai, M&M already sells a range of tractors in the US and has exported its Scorpio SUV to South Africa, Italy, France and Spain in limited numbers.

The SUV will be offered in three variants for the US market, with pricing expected to start well below the $25,000 mark. The top of the line Scorpio SLX retails for 828,132 rupees in India, which is approximately $18,500.

The group’s vice-chairman and managing director, Anand Mahindra, revealed that the new model would undercut comparable SUVs offered by GM, Ford and Toyota by up to $1,500.

Ford Unleashes the 2008 F-150 Truck!

Ford Motor Company brings out the all-new 2008 Ford F-150 pickup truck model equipped with new features inside and out, as well as innovative and patented systems from the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker. In addition, the 2008 Ford F-150 now comes with a wide range of model trims for the customers to choose from. These include the entry-level F-150 XL, F-150 STX, F-150 XLT, the off-road ready F-150 FX4, and the luxurious F-150 Lariat.

Check out the highlights of the new 2008 Ford F-150 full size pickup truck.

Innovative Features

• Cargo Management System that provides a simple, easy-to-use solution for secure storage of all types of cargo. The basic system comes with two side rails, a pair of bins, a pair of crossbars and a header bar.
• Rearview Camera System that is mounted in the tailgate handle bezel and is activated when the vehicle is shifted into reverse, giving the driver a clear view behind the vehicle.
  

Additional New features:

• Standard tachometer on F-150 XL and STX with manual transmission.
• Power Code ä Remote Start System available as a factory-installed option.
• Manual telescoping Trailer Tow Mirrors with Power Glass and Chrome Skull Caps available with F-150 XLT and Lariat Chrome Packages.
• A Tire Pressure Monitoring System is included in the Heavy Duty Package.
• Two new exterior colors: Stone Green on all models and Mahogany on the King Ranch
  

Like all other Ford models, the 2008 Ford F-150 also comes with bunch of active and passive safety systems to protect its occupants. These safety features include:

• Strong hydroformed front frame rails to help manage crash forces
• Ford Personal Safety System and occupant-sensing technology for the first-row passenger
• Frontal air bags
• Height adjustable safety belts with pretensioners and energy management retractors
• Four-wheel, vented-disc, anti-lock brakes (ABS)
  

Ford offers three power plant options for customers including the 4.2-liter V-6, 4.6-liter Triton V-8 and the top-of-the-line 5.4-liter Triton V-8 engine.

Unfortunately, Ford Motor Company did not yet released the availability and the manufacturer's suggested retail price for the 2008 F-150 truck. Let us just wait for other Ford press releases soon.

Ford denies plans of selling Volvo

Early last week rumors were flying all over that Ford will be selling Volvo to BMW and for the second time in the past month, Ford has come up and denied the reports.

A company statement released Tuesday last week said that, "Ford Motor Company is not in discussions with BMW or any other company regarding an interest in the Volvo Car Corporation…We have seen this kind of speculation for the past year, as Ford Motor Company has been assessing our operations and portfolio — as any good business does and we will continue to do."

British auto magazine Autocar, Swedish newspaper Goteborgs Posten, and U.K. business daily the Financial Times all reported BMW is or was in informal talks with Ford about an acquisition.

This isn’t the first time the Dearborn automaker has been forced to issue a statement denying rampant media speculation. Earlier this year, the company was forced to issue a press release denying plans to build a Mustang sedan and station wagon, after Autocar and AutoWeek claimed such projects were underway.