New York Ford Green-Lights

The Commission also approved use of the Ford Taurus, but Ford is more heavily promoting the Transit Connect. The Commission must approve any vehicle for taxi use before it can be granted a coveted medallion.

But the Transit Connect’s stay in New York won’t be long-lived. The Commission recently named the Nissan NV200 as its official taxi, but its 10-year contract won’t begin until 2013. Since Ford is discontinuing production of its iconic Crown Victoria, a vehicle that makes up about 60 percent of New York’s taxis, later this year, the Transit Connect will be one of several potential short-term replacements.

Transit Connects have served as taxis in a variety of other cities. While Ford says that the first taxi specific variants were deployed in Boston last December, Leftlane rode in several in Las Vegas last November at the SEMA show. Transit Connect Taxi models feature a few interior modifications and a factory upfit package that makes them more fare-ready than standard Transit Connects.

 

Herrmann doesn’t seem worried: “More power for the next RS is sustainable. With the limited edition, UK-only RS500 we went up to 350HP – and some of our development units had up to 380HP and even more torque. Then you get into the issue of durability – but the car can handle it”.

The next Focus RS, which is expected in early 2014, will retain the RevoKnuckle suspension but ditch the Volvo-sourced 2.5-liter five-cylinder in favor of a more powerful version of the 2.0-liter Ford EcoBoost four-cylinder that will also power the ST.

So, how much power will the new RS muster? Well, given that the new ST’s output will reach 250HP, and Herrmann's statements about RS500, we would venture a guess in the 350 to 380HP range.