Almost immediately after the debut of the production 2013 Fusion sedan at last month's Detroit Motor Show, Ford lifted the wraps off the NASCAR version that will compete in the next season starting from the Daytona 500 in February 2013.

Like all NASCAR racers, the resemblance between the production 2013 Fusion and its competition sibling is only skin deep as the two models are worlds apart when it comes to the inner workings.

If you follow the break, you'll find a fresh set of photos of Ford's new and old Fusion NASCAR race cars, some of which were shot during the presentation at the Daytona International Speedway.

Downsizing, direct injection and force induction are the way to go for internal combustion gasoline engines to meet the ever-tightening fuel and emissions standards.

Ford has followed this recipe to the letter with its EcoBoost “family of engines and so far it has paid off nicely, recording 127,883 sales in 2011.

The best-selling F-150 pickup truck is the perfect example. In 2010, all units sold in the U.S. were powered by V8 engines. Last year, more than half of F-150 buyers (56 percent, to be precise) downsized to a V6, choosing either the base 305HP 3.7-liter or the 365HP 3.5-liter EcoBoost.

The presentation of the 2013 Fusion at the Detroit Motor Show earlier this month has brought a new look for Ford Motor Company's representative at the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

And by that we mean only looks as the actual 2013 Fusion sedan you'll find in your local Ford dealerships has nothing else in common with the NASCAR racer seen here. Nevertheless, Ford sees the NASCAR racer's familiar looks as a good promotional tool to sell more Fusions to the masses.

At this week's 2012 Detroit Motor Show, Ford revealed the new Fusion sedan, which unlike the outgoing model that shared its platform with the Mazda6 and was only available in North America, is based on a new global mid-size architecture and will be offered internationally under the Mondeo nameplate.

The Blue Oval did the same with the latest generations of the Fiesta, Focus as well as the Ranger pickup truck that were all developed as global models under its "One Ford" plan global product development strategy.

We already knew that the new generations of Ford's global Mondeo and American market Fusion are one and the same, but just in case you had any doubts, here are the first official photos of a pre-production European specification model.

The only visible differences concern the headlamp assembly with the European Mondeo featuring different turning signals and the rear bumper trim, which, at least on this model, is painted in the same color as the body.

The second-generation Fusion is the most important model Ford will launch at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. And this is because it's the Blue Oval's contender in the popular mid-size class not only in North America, but also in the rest of the world where it will replace the Mondeo.

The outgoing Fusion was the first model to feature Ford’s then-new five-bar grille, which was later adopted by the rest of its U.S. range. Likewise, its successor is the model that introduces the next evolution of Ford's design language previewed by the Frankfurt Motor Show Evos concept.

It is distinguished by the slim headlights and the hexagonal, Aston Martin-like front grille, while the bodywork looks like a sportier, tauter evolution of the European Mondeo.

“The previous Fusion was an easy purchase for a customer to rationalize”, said Chris Hamilton, chief exterior designer. “Our design goal for the new car was to give the mainstream sedan buyer a top-drawer visual experience, adding some emotional appeal to an already sensible choice.”

Tis the weekend of leaks. After pictures of the 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan made the internet rounds on Saturday, Czech website Auto Forum posted two blown photos of what they say is the 2012 Mondeo, and which as you already know, won't be any different from the 2013 Fusion that will receive its global premiere at the Detroit Auto Show next week. Read more »

While not a leak in the strictest sense, the ghost of the 2013 Ford Fusion sedan made an unexpected (but hasty appearance) on Ford's dedicated iPad application giving us our first look at the mid-size sedan model that will be officially revealed on Monday at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

In roughly two days from now, Ford will lift the covers off the next generation Fusion at the Detroit Motor Show.

While the Blue Oval has not released much information yet on the Fusion, which will be marketed as a 2013 model in North America, we were able to confirm the initial engine lineup.

The 2013 Fusion will arrive in U.S. dealerships later this year with a choice of four powerplants. The gasoline range includes a pair of EcoBoost four-cylinder gasoline units with a displacement of 1.6-liters and 2.0-liters.

While Ford is not yet ready to let the cat out of the bag on the brand-new 2013 Fusion (which will form the base for the Mondeo's replacement in Europe as well), the Detroit carmaker revealed today that the mid-size model would debut a new optional safety feature called Lane Keeping System or LKS.

Like the lane departure warning systems used by other car manufactures, the LKS is designed to help drivers stay between the lines.

More often than not, a model's sales numbers cool down as it approaches the end of its career, but that's not the case with the Ford Fusion that has seen its numbers rise steadily since its introduction in 2006, with 2011 set to mark its best-selling year with close to 240,000 units (according to Ford's preliminary estimates).

Ford says that since its first full year of sales in 2006 through 2010, the Fusion increased its share in the midsize segment by 5.2 percentage points, with sales rising from 142,502 units and a 6.7 percent of segment share in 2006 to 219,219 for an 11.9 percent share in 2010.

The second-generation of the Ford Fusion saloon is on its way with the world premiere to take place at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January.

As you'd expect, the Blue Oval is preparing a month long tease for its mid-size model starting with a new app that will give users the opportunity to drive the 2013 Fusion through a series of “worlds” that unlock to reveal the car.

The Blue Oval has issued a new recall on certain 2010-2011MY Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans that are equipped with 17-inch steel wheels because the wheel studs may start fracturing and split over time, potentially leading to one or more wheels falling off the car. No other types of wheels are affected by this recall. Read more »

Chrysler's “Imported from Detroit” campaign that began airing during the Super Bowl earlier this year and continued with several more spots later on, has grasped the interest of viewers and consumers alike.

Unfortunately for Chrysler, it has also caught the attention of the Made in the USA Foundation, which filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against Chrysler's claims for false advertising. And it’s not only Chrysler as the non-profit consumer group is also targeting Ford for the same reason.

The end of the current European market Mondeo and North American Fusion is nearing as Ford is ramping up tests of a new common replacement for both models in the mid-size category.

We've already shown you spy pictures of the sedan model, but now our scoopers captured a test-mule of the station wagon derivative. It’s too early for Ford to talk about availability, but it's fairly certain that the Estate version of the next Mondeo/Fusion series will not be sold in the States.

The Ford group is currently negotiating a four-year contract with the UAW (United Auto Workers) union, which could add as many as 10,000 new jobs at its American factories.

Citing sources familiar with the issue, Bloomberg News reported that the job-discussion is part of the negotiations between the two parties that also include wages, benefits and employment status in the new contract.

Among the moves being considered, is shifting production of the Ford Fusion mid-size sedan from Mexico to the U.S.A., which could help in the creation of nearly 4,000 new jobs alone.

Our spy photographers captured a development prototype of Ford's new global mid-size sedan sporting a modified platform but with most body parts sourced from the current Mondeo saloon, during testing in Europe.

In the likes of the latest Fiesta and more recently, the new Focus that are available in more or less the same form worldwide, the next generation of the Mondeo will serve as truly global model for Ford in the popular mid-size segment.

Ford’s 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are both continuing there momentum in 2010 with sales of both models bringing in a total of 60 percent of new buyers to the brand, up 54 percent from January and 49 percent from 2009. Ford Fusion Hybrid sales to new buyers increased to 82 percent last month from 70 percent in January and 63 percent in 2009.

Ford Fusion
Ford pointed out that the Fusion competes in a segment long dominated by some of the best-selling cars in the market, including Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima.

Ford Fusion