Ford has patented a bunch of new tech that suggests their performance vehicles aren’t quite dead yet.
Last year, Ford announced the deaths of most of their vehicles save for trucks and SUVs. That means the Fiesta and Focus, along with their performance trims, will go the way of the dodo here in North America.
However, some new patents unearthed by a Jalopnik reader suggest that we shouldn’t wave goodbye to these cars just quite yet. Ford has patented a number of technologies that appear to use the Focus or Fiesta as a starting point, along with the revered Mustang.
We know that Ford is keeping the Focus and Fiesta in service in other global markets, so perhaps these patents will see play around the world instead of here. However, these patents are all at the US Patent and Trademark Office, so they could show up here if Ford ever brought back their car lineup.
Exhibit A is a new active hood vent system, which would allow the hood to open vents and adjust the airflow heading into the engine compartment. This could be used to improve cooling or to limit the amount of air being sucked in from the engine compartment, depending on the needs of the vehicle at the time for optimal performance. The vents would be closed to minimize drag and opened to improve cooling and engine airflow.
Exhibit B is a new active brake duct system on what is certainly a Mustang. These ducts would redirect air to the brakes for cooling. The technology itself isn’t new, but its application on a Mustang certainly is.
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Next up is a vented hood with rain tray. This obviously works in conjunction with the active hood vents to prevent water from leaking into the engine bay and mucking up all the delicate electronic gizmos. Otherwise, it’s a pretty boring invention.
Most exciting is a patent for a strut tower brace. Again, strut tower braces are nothing new in the automotive world, but Ford’s patent specifically mentions modifications in order to accommodate a big-honkin' supercharger, perhaps like the one found in the 2020 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500.
There’s also a new type of front splitter and active underbody aero elements, but we stopped reading after Ford mentioned superchargers.
Check out Jalopnik's explanation on this tech if you need more. We’re just going to keep imagining superchargers so big they poke through the hood.