May 07--Last year Ford did a good job promoting the 50th anniversary of the sixth generation Ford Mustang. Now fans of the pony car can get behind the wheel this Saturday, May 9th at the latest installment Ford's travelling EcoBoost Challenge Tour at Arlington Park (2200 W. Euclid Ave) in northwest suburban Arlington Heights.
The gravel is loose, the trials are brief, but the price is right: it's free. Participants can take the 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder Mustang for a spin in the shadows of venerable Arlington Park. For all you Eco-doubters, the tamer Mustang will surprise you with its performance, though it will always be in the shadow of the 5.0-liter V-8.
The Mustang course will be complemented by several other test areas. New for this year is the "Shiftphobia Course," which is a crash course in learning to drive stick. Since courses are rare in teaching how to drive manual transmissions, this is an ideal opportunity. Learn in a cockpit simulator, then grind some gears in a poor little Ford Focus, equipped with Ford's smallest 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine.
Also new are street drives, where professionals will ride shotgun and showcase parking assist features in the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Expedition, Transit Connect, and redesigned 2015 Edge.
The ST performance academy returns, where courses marked in cones are timed by drivers of the Fiesta ST and Focus ST. Tucked into Recaro racing seats, participants jam the accelerator and mash the brakes to beat their times around the minute-long course.
Ford also returns the back-to-back drive against the competition, with the F-150 going against the Chevy Silverado, the Edge v. Toyota Highlander, and the Escape v. the Honda CR-V. It's good for active shoppers, but comparers beware: Ford shows off the top of the line Titanium trim in its models, while its adversaries got more middling trims. At least that's how it's been the past two years when we've gone. It's supposed to be more about what's under the hood, but it's hard not to judge a car by its interior.
Saturday, May 9th, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Participants must register first.
Register here.
rduffer@chicagotribune.com
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