Archive for the 'general' Category

26
Oct
09

Report: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Named “Truck of Texas” by Texas Auto Writers Association

Each year the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) gives out accolades to vehicles in different classes, but none carry the quite the prestigious honor as the “Truck of Texas” title. For 2010 TAWA has awarded the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor as the “Truck of Texas,” making this the seventh year in a row that a Ford has won the top truck award.

“Winning the Truck of Texas is a distinct honor,” said Mark Fields, president, The Americas, Ford Motor Company. “Texans know their trucks, and this award is further proof of why the F-150 remains America’s number-one selling pickup. We built F-150 SVT Raptor for truck enthusiasts. And we’re gratified it’s gaining recognition for both its unequaled off-road performance and confidence-inspiring on-road demeanor.”

The F-150 SVT Raptor gets big fender flares, FOX Racing Shox with 11.2-inches of front suspension travel and 12.1-inches of rear suspension travel, as well as 35-inch BFGoodrich tires. A 5.4-liter V8 engine with 320-hp and 390 ft-lbs of torque is currently offered and Ford plans to make a 6.2-liter V8 with 400-hp and 400 ft-lbs of torque available.

But what really makes the Raptor so amazing is that as off-road capable as it is, you can actually use it for normal daily driving.

09
Oct
09

FORD ECOBOOST™ ENGINE RECEIVES POPULAR MECHANICS BREAKTHROUGH AWARD

Popular Mechanics’ “Breakthrough Awards” recognize products and celebrate innovations poised to change the world, and the passionate, smart creators behind them; Ford EcoBoost™ is one of only 10 products honored in 2009.
The new EcoBoost™ engine is the first in a wave of EcoBoost engines coming as part of Ford’s strategy to bring affordable fuel efficiency improvements to millions.
By 2013, more than 90 percent of Ford’s North American lineup will be available with EcoBoost technology.

NEW YORK, Oct. 9 – Ford Motor Company’s fuel efficient EcoBoost™ engine will be honored Thursday evening with a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award at a ceremony at the Hearst Tower in New York City. The Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards, now in their fifth year, recognize products and celebrate innovations poised to change the world, and the passionate, smart creators behind them. Ford is the only automaker this year to receive a Breakthrough Award.

“From flying cars to robots to wind turbines for homes, the innovations honored by the 2009 POPULAR MECHANICS Breakthrough Awards not only capture the imagination, they hold the potential to improve and even save lives,” said James B. Meigs, editor-in-chief, POPULAR MECHANICS. “We are pleased to honor this year’s diverse list of visionaries, Dean Kamen among them, and applaud their efforts to address such concerns as climate change, pollution, energy shortages and medical care in the developing world.”

EcoBoost, which uses turbocharging and direct gasoline injection to boost engine output, reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency by as much as 20 percent marks a major milestone in the Ford strategy to deliver technologically advanced, high-output, smaller-displacement powertrains.

The Ford powertrain management strategy uses hundreds of thousands of lines of computer code and related parameters that are adjusted to optimize the engine and transmission operation. It’s these processes that largely make up the more than 125 EcoBoost patent contributions and makes Ford’s use of direct injection and turbocharging of its engines like no other automaker in the world. Continue reading ‘FORD ECOBOOST™ ENGINE RECEIVES POPULAR MECHANICS BREAKTHROUGH AWARD’

23
Apr
09

Ford Fiesta Outsells Volkswagen Golf in Europe

 

Ford Fiesta Outsells Volkswagen Golf in Europe

If European sales of the upcoming 2011 Ford Fiesta are any sort of gauge as to how excited we should for it to jump the big pond to our shores, we should be ecstatic right now.  According to JATO Dynamics data company, the Ford Fiesta managed to outsell the Volkswagen Golf in March, winning the title of Europe’s best-selling vehicle for March.

Undoubtedly helped by the scrapping incentives that several European countries have adopted, Ford moved 52,805 Fiestas last month, a year-over-year increase of 15.5 percent.  In Germany, the Fiesta saw its best March sales since 1998.  In Italy, it rose from number three to number two on the list of best-selling cars.  Ford says the Fiesta was its best-selling vehicle in its 19 main markets.

Volkswagen sales were down only .1 percent.  The German automaker moved 46,415 Golfs in March.  In the first quarter, the Golf leads the Fiesta in sales, 119,651 units to 113,576 units.

Ingvar Sviggum, Ford of Europe’s Sales chief, said the scrappage incentives were significantly boosting sales of the Fiesta and the Ka minicar.

“The German scheme has proved to work very effectively,” he said.  “It is very simple and we would like other countries to copy it.”

Source: Automotive News

23
Apr
09

New Ford Raptor off-road truck will be at Terrible’s 250

Look out, Nevada. There’s a new beast running loose in the desert this weekend and Greg Biffle is right in the middle of it all.

fordraptor041609thumb1The new Ford F-150 SVT Raptor R off-road truck is taking part in this weekend’s “Terrible’s 250” Best in the Desert Racing Association event in nearby Primm, and Ford engineers asked Biffle if he would be interested in taking it for a spin. That’s like asking Winnie the Pooh if he’d like some honey.

Biffle jumped at the chance and stopped by the desert course for about three hours on Thursday before heading to Phoenix for Saturday night’s Subway Fresh Fit 500. He had never done any sort of competitive off-roading before and was like a kid in a candy store as he drove Ford’s newest offering around the three-mile course.

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is an extreme off-road vehicle and is the type of truck that no manufacturer has produced – until now. With over 11 inches of suspension travel in the front and over 12 inches in the rear, the truck is designed to excel in off-road environments. The production version will be in showrooms later this summer.

Continue reading ‘New Ford Raptor off-road truck will be at Terrible’s 250′

23
Apr
09

Ford’s Mulally Takes to Twitter

Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally in a half-hour session today trades “tweets” with the Twitter online community as the auto maker further delves into Internet social networking.

Ford has been exploiting social networking and micro-blogging services such as Twitter in recent marketing campaigns, including fiestamovement.com, in which 100 applicants were chosen to drive the new Fiesta B-car, before it hits the U.S., based on videos they posted to YouTube.

 

Similar online viral marketing campaigns were utilized by Ford marketing chief Jim Farley, when he launched the Scion youth brand for former employer Toyota Motor Corp.

The auto maker is placing greater emphasis on such marketing ploys, which are cheaper than traditional methods and have proven effective in reaching the sought-after Millennial Generation, the growing population of 14- to 29-year-olds expected to represent 38% of the driving population by 2010.

Ford’s interest in the online phenomena is so high the auto maker recently hired public-relations specialist Scott Monty to head up its digital and multimedia communications efforts.

Most of the 169 questions posed to Mulally in the Twitter session were mundane, including one asking the CEO if he planned to grow a beard for the upcoming playoff run of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team.

 

But some of the questions were serious, as were Mulally’s answers.

The Ford chief, for instance, confirms the auto maker will offer high-performance SHO or RS versions of the Focus, Fiesta or Fusion “over time,” prompting the questioner to tweet, “Holy crap, Alan Mulally just responded to my question about more SHO/RS Fords!”

Mulally also says the Ford Advantage incentive program, which covers vehicle payments of new-car buyers for 12 months should they lose their job, is working.

Continue reading ‘Ford’s Mulally Takes to Twitter’




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