After a Ford's first outing at Gamescom in 2017, where gamers raced for a chance to be helicoptered to a real racetrack Ford is back at Europe's largest gaming event where they'll reveal a new performance vehicle – both for drivers and gamers.

At the Ford stand in Hall 8, visitors can test their driving skills on eight racing pods and a special 4D racing simulator, built specifically for the event, which offers the nearest-to-real experience imaginable for driving a performance vehicle.

During the event, each day’s lap record holder on the 4D simulator will win a trip to the U.K. to spend a day with the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team!

We'll be adding videos and top tweets from Gamescom to this page. If you've attending Gamescom in person come and visit us in Hall 8!

Gamescom 2018

The 1968 Ford Mustang GT driven by Steve McQueen in Warner Bros. Pictures’ classic film “Bullitt” – and lost to history until the beginning of this year – makes its first appearance outside of the U.S. at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The car that starred in the film’s legendary 10-minute chase sequence – setting the standard for every movie car chase to follow – features on the 1.16-mile Goodwood Hillclimb course accompanied by owner Sean Kiernan and alongside the new special edition Ford Mustang Bullitt that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the classic film.

Steven Armstrong, Ford Europe Middle East and Africa president

“Nothing captured the spirit and excitement of Mustang quite like that amazing car chase in ‘Bullitt’. We’ve been honoured to work with Sean and his family to bring an absolute icon of motoring history to Goodwood, where we know it will be appreciated by an audience that, like Steve McQueen, has petrol in its veins.”

Two identical 1968 Mustang GT fastbacks were used in the classic movie. After filming, the jump car was sent to a salvage yard, while the hero car, driven by Steve McQueen, was sold to a private buyer. Both were thought to have been lost until earlier this year, when Sean Kiernan contacted Ford to reveal that the hero vehicle had been in his family since 1974; Sean inherited the car in 2014 from his late father, Robert.

After resurfacing, the “Bullitt” Mustang quickly became one of the most expensive movie props of all time, with an estimated price tag on $3-4 million, but it’s not the first pricey film prop to have fallen off the radar, here are a few of the most recognisable.



Another very special Mustang is paying tribute at Goodwood to a group of U.S. volunteer pilots who flew combat missions alongside the Royal Air Force over Europe from nearby British airfields, prior to the U.S. entering World War II.



Driven up the Hillclimb by Vaughn Gittin Jr. – and co-created by Ford Performance and the world champion drifter’s RTR Vehicles – the Eagle Squadron Mustang GT features a one-off, fighter aircraft-inspired livery.



The ultra-high-performance Ford GT supercar returns to Goodwood piloted by Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team World Endurance Championship drivers Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell fresh from the Le Mans 24 Hours race – as does Gittin Jr.’s Mustang RTR drift car.
The M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC car makes its Goodwood debut on the Hillclimb and Forest Rally Stage, demonstrated by M-Sport Ford World Rally Team drivers Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans.

Original “Bullitt” current owner Sean Kiernan

“You know, it was never our intention to keep this car a secret from everybody. It just kind of happened with life. I’m just completely buzzing to join with Ford and the new Bullitt and show this car to the world on one of the biggest stages there is.”

We're at Goodwood Festival of Speed! 
You'll get updates before & during the Festival of Speed on this page. See updates from last year!
Ford at FOS 2018
Watch highlights below from Ford at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018 

Ever since she was a little girl, Friederike Philipsenburg was sure that one day, she would work in the world of engineering. She knew the career path she wanted to follow meant she would go from building model cars to “building the impossible”.

Today, Philipsenburg helps design future vehicles at Ford Europe's European headquarters in Cologne, Germany; as well as encouraging future generations of female engineers to follow in her footsteps.

As part of Ford's recruitment process, Ford offers regular opportunities specifically to female engineering students, to find out more about the opportunities that exist within the company, talk to experts and, this year, meet Steven Armstrong, our president and CEO, for Europe, Middle East & Africa. It was through just such a process that Philipsenburg first joined the company.

Friederike Philipsenburg

“Girls may not feel drawn to engineering because they don’t think it’s a field where they can work with people and solve social problems – but it really can make the world a better place. Now, I’m working within a global team which really will define and shape the future of mobility. Although I’m excited about what that could bring, I know I will never forget the dreams that brought me here.”

As increasing numbers of us get on our bikes, flashpoints between drivers and cyclists are an all-too frequent sight in Europe’s cities. And while infrastructure that keeps different road users apart struggles to keep pace, Ford is launching a new campaign designed to help improve safety and reduce pollution and congestion.

‘Share The Road’ seeks to foster harmony between road users and underlines the company’s belief that enabling more people to cycle safely, especially for short journeys, benefits everyone.



To this end, we’ve produced a groundbreaking virtual reality experience. ‘WheelSwap’ enables motorists and cyclists to see how inconsiderate driving and riding can be at the least hair-raising –and potentially fatal – for their fellow road users. Initial studies show that after undergoing the experience, nearly all participants said they would change their behaviour.

Steven Armstrong, Ford Europe president and CEO

“As someone who frequently travels on both two wheels and four wheels, I have experienced first-hand many of the frustrations – and dangers – that drivers and cyclists encounter on our roads today. The safe integration of increasingly diverse modes of transportation is key to how we make our cities safer and easier for everyone to get about in, now and in the future.”

In Europe there are 250 million cyclists and those on two wheels account for 1 in 12 of all road accident fatalities. With proven benefits to health, air quality and congestion, many cities are actively promoting cycling. The campaign has already won the support of Sir David Brailsford, who heads up the multi-Tour de France winning Team Sky cycle team.

Sir David Brailsford

“This is a very timely initiative by Ford. Europe is home to some of the world’s largest cycling communities and the increased pressure on road space is raising safety ever higher up the agenda, This campaign is not just about introducing new technology but also highlighting the need for equal respect and responsibility. If both cyclists and motorists took a little bit more time to understand each other’s needs, we would quickly see a change in attitudes and behaviour which can ultimately improve road safety for everybody. Ford’s leadership role can play an important part in helping make that happen.”

Our mobility strategy is to deliver a broad suite of products and services that enhance all layers of the transportation system – vehicles, infrastructure, connectivity and digital services – to help people move more freely in the City of Tomorrow. This includes pilot schemes such as a car sharing and bike sharing collaboration in Germany with Deutsche Bahn Connect GmbH, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG; the Chariot commuter shuttle services designed for city dwellers who live in harder-to-serve areas where public transport is not easily accessible; and smart benches that help pedestrians stay connected on the move with mobile charging and Wi-Fi.


‘WheelSwap’, enables motorists to see from a cyclist’s point of view how scary it can be when drivers overtake too closely, swerve without indicating and open car doors without checking for bikes. Another version enables cyclists to experience what it is like for drivers when they jump red lights, cycle down one-way streets the wrong way and swerve unexpectedly.

More than 1,200 people took part in the initial research across five European countries, with 70 per cent of those who experienced ‘WheelSwap’ displaying greater empathy to their driving and cycling counterparts after watching the film, compared with those who had not. Furthermore, 91 per cent planned to change their on-road habits; and just two weeks after experiencing ‘WheelSwap’, 60 per cent had changed their behaviour on their day-to-day travels.


We are now integrating the virtual reality experience into our free driver training program for 17 to 24-year-olds, Ford Driving Skills for Life. Nearly $20 million has been committed to Ford Driving Skills for Life in Europe through the program since 2013 for free, hands-on classes that also cover hazard recognition, vehicle handling, and speed and space management. We’re also making the ‘WheelSwap’ experiences available on YouTube along with useful tips for how to stay safe on the road.

Experience ‘WheelSwap’ for yourself: watch with a VR headset for the most immersive experience.

Life from a Cyclist’s Perspective


Life from a Driver’s Perspective


Dan Berry, behavioural scientist, who helped devise the experiment.

“There is no more effective means of appreciating someone else’s point of view than stepping into their shoes, or in this case, on to their pedals. Empathy is an immensely powerful emotion.” 

Join us in our pledge to #ShareTheRoad 👍 Help us spread the word! 🙌
Click the link and you'll be taken to Facebook, where you can add a 'Share The Road' overlay to your profile photo. ^RW https://t.co/FdlgHCu3gV

— Ford Europe (@FordEu) May 24, 2018

A post shared by Ford Europe (@fordeurope) on Jul 23, 2018 at 2:09am PDT

Last month, Ford launched the all-new Focus with technology that can detect cyclists in or near the road ahead, or who may cross the vehicle’s path. Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection automatically applies the brakes if it detects a potential collision and the driver does not respond to warnings



Discussion panel at the "Share The Road" launch event.


Are you ready to share the road? Make your pledge on Facebook here.

Share The Road
NEW! Find out about Ford's Smart Jacket for cyclists.

Ford’s new state-of-the-art Environmental Test Centre puts all the world’s weather under one roof, enabling engineers to test forthcoming vehicles in the most demanding conditions and make whatever weather they want at any time of the day.

Altitudes higher than Mont Blanc, the tallest Alpine peak, vehicle and wind speeds of up to 250 km/h (155 mph), and snow, glaring sunlight and rain are among conditions that are a push of a button away in Europe’s most advanced automotive environmental test centre. On an area the size of a football pitch, engineers can now take vehicles around the world, from the desert heat of the Sahara, to the arctic cold of Siberia and to the heavy humidity of Costa Rica

TROPICAL ZONE: THE HUMIDITY IS RISING

Humidity is a measurement of the water vapour in the air, and it can be blamed for that muggy, sauna-like feeling of some summer days. Humans are very sensitive to humidity, and vehicles can be too, which is why Ford vehicles undergo humidity testing in cold and hot conditions.



The wind tunnels in the test centre can take the humidity from 10 per cent up to 95 per cent. Engineers can make it rain heavily to see how quickly windows fog up and check wiper systems and visibility.

THE HEAT IS ON: EXTREME DESERT CONDITIONS

The temperature in the Sahara Desert can get close to 50° Celsius. Cologne is now hotter than that, getting up to 55° Celsius, just 1.7° Celsius lower than the highest-ever air temperature globally recorded. All Ford vehicles are tested in this extreme heat.



Two wind tunnels in Ford’s Environmental Test Centre feature 28 spotlights with 4,000watt bulbs. They simulate the powerful sun beams needed for testing that involves timing how fast the cabin can be cooled. Engineers can also push a vehicle to its limits: to check how extreme heat effects engine performance and see if the engine overheats at any point.

INTO THIN AIR: SCALING THE MOUNTAINS

The Mount Everest North Base Camp is at an altitude of 5,200 metres. The same altitude can be achieved in the test centre, which puts Cologne at a higher elevation than Mont Blanc, the highest Alpine peak. Ford vehicles are put through a range of tests to check the vehicle’s robustness and durability at different altitudes.



In the altitude lab, engineers can take a vehicle from 100 metres below sea level all the way up to 5,200 metres, and generate wind speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) at that elevation. The high altitude cold start and durability tests ensure the vehicle’s liquids don’t burst their lines when working under higher pressure. Engineers can also combine altitude testing with hot and cold tests, cranking the temperature from -40° Celsius up to +55° Celsius.

DEEP FREEZE: CARS AS COLD AS ICE

The average winter temperature in eastern Siberia is -40° Celsius. That’s how cold it is in Cologne all year round, and all Ford vehicles experience this deep freeze to check the vehicle’s durability and robustness in the harshest winter conditions.



Ford’s Environmental Test Centre is the one place in Germany that’s guaranteed to have a white Christmas, and to have snow in July. In Arctic-like weather, engineers can see how fast a windscreen defrosts at different temperatures, check the effect of the cold on engine starts and see how long it takes to heat the cabin. Engineers can even make it snow from the ceiling, to check how the snow gathers on the vehicle’s roof and how much snow falls on the driver’s head when they open the door.

From rolling hills to mountain ranges, views make any road trip memorable, but for blind passengers this is part of the experience that they miss.

A prototype smart car window aims to change this – by enabling blind or partially-sighted people to visualise passing scenery through touch.

Feel The View takes pictures that are turned into high-contrast monochrome images. These are then reproduced on the glass using special LEDs. By touching the image, different shades of grey vibrate with a range of 255 intensities, allowing passengers to touch the scene and rebuild in their mind the landscape in front of them.

Feel The View was conceived and developed by Ford's team in Italy and GTB Roma, in collaboration with Aedo – a local start-up that specialises in devices for the visually impaired.

Ford Italy spokesman Marco Alù Saffi

“We seek to make people’s lives better and this was a fantastic opportunity to help blind passengers experience a great aspect of driving. The technology is advanced, but the concept is simple – and could turn mundane journeys into truly memorable ones."

Students are enlisting the services of homeless people to sell soup on campus and try to avoid a life on the streets.

With our backing, the appropriately named Slurp, run by students at Edinburgh University, offers helpers an allowance, free lunch and a reference for prospective employers – and also ploughs profits into training opportunities and further education.

Team member Chris Marshall, 20

“After the breakdown of my family and mental health issues, I was homeless and living through hell. I existed on a few hours’ sleep every night and didn’t know when I’d eat next. Slurp’s support has given me the confidence to get back to my studies and a reason to get up every morning.”

Part of Slurp’s £10,000 grant was invested in cargo bikes. The enterprise was among the winners of our 2017 College Community Challenge and a runner up in our UK Innovation Challenge.

Camilla Nytun, a Slurp team leader

“If a young, homeless person feels they have no future, it’s great to know we can make a difference by teaching enterprise skills and allowing them to get back into a work routine. We’re changing lives, one soup at a time.”

+Ford Europe at the Geneva Motor Show 2018. Watch a recording of the opening press conference.


Top Ford moments from Geneva 2018

It’s one of the most epic car chases in movie history.

Almost 10 minutes long, the iconic sequence in the Warner Bros. film “Bullitt” follows Steve McQueen at the wheel of a 1968 Mustang GT fastback as he chases two hitmen through the streets of San Francisco.

Our new special edition Ford Mustang Bullitt – celebrating the 50th anniversary the legendary film – has made its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

We enlisted the support of third-generation members of the McQueen family, Chase and Madison, to unveil the Mustang Bullitt. Steve McQueen’s grandchildren – supported by their father, Chad McQueen – starred in their own car-chase scene set in the Swiss Alps surrounding Geneva, a homage to the iconic “Bullitt” chase-scene that still resonates with movie fans today.

Chase McQueen

“At home we're surrounded by memorabilia and reminders of our grandfather's role in ‘Bullitt’, and we've watched the film more times than I can remember, so to be part of launching the third-generation Mustang Bullitt here in Europe has been a special experience.”  

Mustang Bullitt is powered by Ford’s 5.0-litre V8 engine enhanced to deliver an anticipated 464 PS.

Offered with a choice of Shadow Black or classic Dark Highland Green exterior colours, it will feature 19-inch Torq Thrust-style wheels, red Brembo™ brake callipers and a faux Bullitt fuel-filler cap, and goes into production for European customers in June.

The UK leg of "Go Faster" isn't over yet and there will be further events happening across Europe, but what do you get when you go to one? What's the whole experience like?

For those who can't get to Go Faster here are some updates from the UK event: where not only will you have a unique Ford Performance driving experience with demonstrations and training from +Paul Swift Stunts, but you'll also take away your own movie poster and your own unique Go Faster movie trailer!

Take a look at +Ian Strachan's Go Faster movie trailer and other "Go Faster" videos at the end of this article.

#GoFaster

Ford today delivered the European public debuts of the more powerful new Ford Mustang sports car; more capable EcoSport sports utility vehicle (SUV); a special edition Ranger Black, and more premium Tourneo Custom people mover at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, in Germany.

Ford at Frankfurt #IAA2017

Winners from +Ford Europe's Gamescom #TameTheTrack challenge arrived by helicopter to experience the Focus RS for real!






The original challenge concept was to use the exact same track on which people had been competing, on the Ford stand at Gamescom, in Forza Motorsport. But the F1 was taking place at Spa that weekend, so the Focus RS experience took place at the Aldenhoven Testing Center, which is located just a short helicopter ride away from Cologne.



There were two Focus RS cars on duty for the six guests to use over the day: one would be driven on the handling track, the other was to be used for drifting on the vehicle dynamics testing area.





After a short safety briefing the winners started their activities. First being given an overview lap driven by World Endurance Championship racing driver Harry Tincknell, after which they were to go out solo!

It was pretty punishing for the RS's, being driven hard back-to-back, but not as punishing as it was for the tyres on the RS which had been set aside for drifting: look at those tyres!

Both vehicles started out spick and span, but as the drifting surface was wetted down on a regular basis the drift car soon became covered in a mixture of track and fine rubber particles!



Time flies when you're having fun and before long it was time for the helicopter ride back to Cologne.


A huge thanks to the attendees Devin, Tobias, Thomas, Felix Piechotka, Felix Laden and Maxime Pain for competing in our #TameTheTrack challenge!

+Felix Laden made a great video, you can watch the sexiest snippet below or watch the full video (in German) on YouTube.

Thanks to everyone who paid us a visit on the Ford stand at Goodwood Festival of Speed this year.

Here are the video highlights ....



More Festival of Speed: the hillclimbs, fastest LEGO man, photos and the live coverage!

After such fun in 2016 we're back at Goodwood Festival of Speed!

A post shared by Ford Europe (@fordeurope) on Jun 29, 2017 at 3:11am PDT

Here are some of our fav' tweets live from FoS!

Festival of Speed 2017

Explore the space in front of Goodwood House with this +Google Maps 360 photo.

Just chillin' watching super cars at the Festival of Speed. #FordGT #FOS ^RW pic.twitter.com/cMXYgw07ae

— Ford in Europe (@FordEu) June 30, 2017