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  • Ford renews Thunderbird trademark

    Ford has filed a new trademark application for the Thunderbird name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, according to documents spotted by Muscle Cars & Trucks. But that doesn’t mean a new Ford Thunderbird is on the way.

    The application was filed on January 13, and specifies that Ford is applying to use the trademark for “motor vehicles, namely concept motor vehicles; four-wheeled motor vehicles.”

    Automakers often trademark names even before they have a potential vehicle in mind for them; it’s just a way of reserving those names for possible future use. Given the importance of the Thunderbird name to Ford, it’s also possible that the Blue Oval is applying for a new trademark to prevent other companies from using it. Ford has renewed the trademark multiple times in recent years, most recently in 2016, Muscle Cars & Trucks noted.

    1956 Ford Thunderbird parked on the second floor of McCarran International Airport

    1956 Ford Thunderbird parked on the second floor of McCarran International Airport

    The mention of “concept motor vehicles” in the application could also indicate plans for a concept car (assuming auto shows ever return), but not a full-fledge production model.

    The Thunderbird took on many forms during its decades of production. Starting out in 1955 as a two-seat sports car, it grew into a cushier “personal luxury car,” then morphed into a NASCAR homologation special with aerodynamic bodywork. After a brief hiatus, the Thunderbird returned for the 2002 model year with retro styling. Despite initial hype, that version didn’t last long. It was retired after the 2005 model year, and the Thunderbird name has remained dormant ever since.

    Unlike many other iconic nameplates, the Thunderbird has always changed to suit the times. With the electric Mustang Mach-E, Ford has also shown that’s not afraid to reuse classic names in ways hardcore fans might find sacrilegious. So perhaps the Thunderbird will return in yet another new form.

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  • AUTOGLYM WINTER ESSENTIALS

    With the cold weather settling in, we’re here with your Autoglym winter essentials to make getting to work in the morning that little bit easier. 

    There are few more dispiriting feelings than stepping out of your house on a crisp, cold winters’ morning, only to find that your car has been almost entirely encased in ice and frost! Freeing your car from winter’s grip can be both time-consuming and bone-chilling, neither of which are exactly ideal when you’re about to set off on a morning commute! If that sounds familiar, Autoglym have you very well covered with its ‘winter twins,’ Autoglym Ultimate Screenwash and De-Icer.

    Autoglym winter essentials

    Autoglym Ultimate Screenwash

    Dirty windscreens can be annoying at best, downright dangerous at worst, distracting you from the road ahead and even partially obscuring approaching hazards. It’s also that bit easier for your screen to become utterly filthy as autumn gives way to winter and the roads get dirtier, so all the more reason to invest in a bottle of one of the unsung heroes of the Autoglym range, Ultimate Screenwash.

    Not only is Autoglym Screenwash suitable for use with all vehicle and wash jet types (including headlight washers), it has been proven to shift all common contaminants and will not freeze down to -45oC, a temperature so cold that (in the UK at least) we rather feel that you’ll have bigger problems to worry about than a clean screen! Autoglym De-Icer is also supremely versatile and cost-effective thanks to its highly concentrated nature. It might appear small, but the 500ml bottle it’s supplied in can make up to 8L of screenwash, while its concentrated nature means that the precise strength is entirely in the hands of the end user, you. You can adjust the concentration to suit the demands of the season or the amount of grime currently on your screen.

    Autoglym Ultimate Screenwash – RRP £4.50

    Autoglym winter essentials

    Autoglym De-Icer

    We’re not going to try and pretend that de-icer is the kind of product to set pulses racing and palms sweating, but there’s equally no denying that it can be a real lifesaver, sometimes quite literally; you don’t have to look too hard to find fellow drivers peering through tiny ‘portholes’ they’ve hacked out of their iced windscreens! Autoglym De-Icer is the complete solution to the problem of ice covered windows, and it’s all down to its super concentrated solution. Autoglym’s development boffins have worked hard to devise a formulation that’s quick to work and easy to use.

    There’s another, all too frequently overlooked aspect of de-icers, and that’s the effect they have on the car itself. Autoglym have worked hard to ensure that De-Icer is safe to use on all materials commonly found on cars, including paintwork, rubber, plastic and (of course) glass. It can be employed to clear windows, mirrors, headlamps and even door locks, leaving you to set off on your journey within minutes.

    Autoglym De-Icer works best when heavy snow deposits have been removed beforehand, whereupon its unique formulation can get to work. Let the ice thaw before removing any remaining deposits with a squeegee blade or windscreen wipers.

    Autoglym De-Icer – RRP £4.50

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  • MCLAREN 765LT SMASHES QUATER-MILE IN 9 SECONDS

    A stock McLaren 765LT has just unofficially become the quickest production car across a quarter-mile ever by completing the distance in 9.41 seconds.

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    With the record previously being held by the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon at 9.65 seconds, the 755bhp McLaren smashes this by 0.2 seconds, despite not being a drag car at all.

    The McLaren 765LT saves 80kg in weight over the 720s and gains a healthy 45bhp. As a result, DragTimes managed to clock a 2.1 second 0-60mph time with an end trap speed of 150mph.

    What makes this even more impressive is the fact that the McLaren 765LT was shod with regular Pirelli P Zero tyres that come as a no cost option. These tyres are better suited to all-year-round weather. Later in the day, however, the driver switched the wheels for a set from a 720s that were shod with Toyo Proxes R888R tyres, a much better compound for setting times. As a result, with the increased grip on offer from the Toyos, the guys managed to record a 9.34 second 1/4 mile time!

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