Ford F-150 powertrains go head-to-head
Filed under: Truck, Work, Ford, Comparisons
In an effort to show off just how dominant its engines are in the 2011 F-150, Ford has put together a head-to-head comparison site showing how the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, 3.7-liter V6, 5.0-liter V8 and 6.2-liter V8 stack up against the competition. Start by selecting work or play, and then drag the slider to reflect how much you normally tow or haul.
Surprisingly, you're in EcoBoost V6 territory all the way to 1,900 pounds of hauling and 6,000 pounds of towing. The 3.7-liter still pumps out an impressive 302 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque, and coupled with a claimed 23 mpg highway, things are looking pretty good. According to Ford, the V8 in the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado puts down 315 horses and 338 lb-ft, but only gets 22 mpg.
Blow past the V6's capacities, though, and the F-150 can be armed with the 5.0-liter V8, which outdoes the Silverado 1500 across the board, and according to Ford, still gets very impressive gas mileage. Want to personalize your own comparison? Hit the link to check it out.
Ford F-150 powertrains go head-to-head originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsDodge Charger Pursuit claims its victories in Michigan State Police tests
Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Police/Emergency
The Big Three are finally done one-upping each other in this year's Michigan State Police vehicle evaluations, with the 2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit V8 laying down some heady numbers on the test track. The Charger emerged with the fastest lap time ever recorded in the Michigan State Police test's history, at 1:33.7.
That, boys and girls, is something else. The Chevrolet Caprice PPV may have the best top speed and braking, but the Charger has shown it has the chops to slice up the twisties as well. The Hemi-powered Charger also gets to 60 in under six seconds with the optional 3.07 gears.
The only strike against the Charger is that needed a V8 to post those numbers, while both the Chevrolet Caprice and Ford Interceptor employ less thirsty V6s. Full presser after the jump.
Continue reading Dodge Charger Pursuit claims its victories in Michigan State Police tests
Dodge Charger Pursuit claims its victories in Michigan State Police tests originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord reports Vista Roof sales are through the… ceiling
Filed under: SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, Ford, Earnings/Financials
Ford's Vista Roof option has been selling well recently, and the automaker says this is, in part, to the little shot of Vitamin D it gives to drivers' everyday commutes. The split glass roof also has UV protection comparable to SPF-50 sunscreen, which should satisfy even the fairest-skinned buyers. So far this year, the Vista Roof option is checked on 48 percent of 2011 Ford Explorer sales, 56 percent of 2011 Ford Edge sales and 32 percent of all 2011 Ford Flex sales.
The numbers are staggering when you consider that the Vista Roof is a standalone option in most cases, and an expensive one at that. It costs $1,595 to let the sun shine in on the Edge and Explorer, and $1,495 on the Flex. The available all-glass roof on the Mustang is the most expensive at $1,995.
The Vista Roof is certainly a great way to work on your tan before you ever hit the beach, but it ain't exactly your dad's Vista Cruiser. Follow the jump for Ford's official press blast.
Continue reading Ford reports Vista Roof sales are through the... ceiling
Ford reports Vista Roof sales are through the... ceiling originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsConsumer Reports investigates who builds most models in U.S.
Filed under: Etc., Chevrolet, Ford, GM, GMC, Honda, Toyota
Consumer Reports make/model table - Click above to see entire article
Thanks to its countless hours of research and testing, Consumer Reports is able to provide detailed and accurate assessments of pretty much every new car out there. Some of the data they compile results in the all-important reliability and safety ratings.
On the other hand, some of the stuff they come up with is a little more trivial. Like how many American-made individual models each automaker produces. Not important, but kind of a fun fact to flex your car knowledge muscles with. The list was compiled by counting each automaker's list of individual models. In other words, the Honda Civic counts toward Honda's total, but the Civic Si does not.
For 2011, Ford and Chevrolet top the list with 12 each, followed by Toyota at nine and Honda and GMC at eight. General Motors topped the corporate ladder with 21, followed by FoMoCo with 14 and Chrysler with 12.
Consumer Reports investigates who builds most models in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Cobra Snakehead concept is just a dream
Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Ford, Design/Style
Ford Cobra Snakehead concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
Andrus Cipriani is known for spitting out some slick concepts via his computer. His latest effort? This new Ford Cobra Snakehead. It's inspired by the original Cobra's big engine/small car philosophy, but it has a hardtop and updated bodywork.
Cipriani doesn't say which Ford lump would be called upon to power this beast, but we think the 5.0 Coyote V8 would do nicely. Of course, this car is entirely theoretical; it's just a design study from Cipriani. But we sure hope Ford's paying attention.
Ford Cobra Snakehead concept is just a dream originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Sat, 02 Jul 2011 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments1 of 45 Iacocca Mustang coupes shows up on Hardcore Pawn [UPDATE]
Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Ford, Specialty
2009 Lee Iacocca Mustang - Click above to view video after the jump
Lots of strange stuff shows up in pawn shops, but rarely does something as rare and valuable as a 2009 Ford Mustang Lee Iacocca pass through the crosshairs. The guys at American Jewelery and Loan, subject of the TruTV show Hardcore Pawn, recently had the opportunity to get their hands on car number 11.
We aren't sure what inspired the couple who owned the car to sell it to a pawn shop (they did win the car at a casino, however), but they came away with a cool $66,000. We shudder to think what American Jewelery and Loan will try to hock it for. Click past the jump to watch how the deal went down.
UPDATE: Eagle-eyed reader Brad B. has discovered that American Jewelry and Loan, the Detroit pawn shop that purchased the car, has listed the Iacocca Mustang for a cool $175,000 on their website.
Continue reading 1 of 45 Iacocca Mustang coupes shows up on Hardcore Pawn [UPDATE]
1 of 45 Iacocca Mustang coupes shows up on Hardcore Pawn [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsOhio judge orders Ford to pay $2B to dealers over class-action suit
Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Work, Ford
An Ohio judge ordered Ford to pay $2 billion to thousands of its dealerships to settle a 2002 lawsuit. Dealers brought the class-action lawsuit after Ford overcharged them for commercial trucks over an 11-year period.
The cash reward breaks down like this: $781 million in damages and $1.2 billion in interest will be divided up among nearly 3,000 dealerships after being overcharged on nearly 475,000 trucks.
According to Ford, the lawsuit covered 600 Series and higher trucks built between 1987 and 1997. Dealers accused Ford of failing to let them know about price concessions given to some dealers. Ford says it will appeal the decision, so the $2B likely isn't going anywhere just yet.
Ohio judge orders Ford to pay $2B to dealers over class-action suit originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 Jun 2011 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsBill Ford, Jr. hints Mulally’s successor will likely come from within Ford
Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford
Alan Mulally has no plans to retire just yet. The 65-year-old Ford CEO is still going strong at the helm in Dearborn, and is working to get his company back up to an investment-grade credit rating. Still, Bill Ford, Jr. explained to reporters last week that the former Boeing CEO's replacement will probably come from within the company.
According to The Detroit News, Ford went as far as to say it would be "very unusual" if Mulally's replacement came from outside. The executive chairman elaborated, explaining that Mulally holds "Business Performance Review" meetings every Thursday, encouraging execs from different wings of the company to participate and learn as much as they can about the business as a whole. In part, the meetings are designed to help "train the next generation" of leadership for the company.
Bill Ford, Jr. hints Mulally's successor will likely come from within Ford originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsMotor Trend crowns new compact sedan king in eight-way comparo [w/poll]
Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Sedan, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Toyota, Volkswagen, Reviews
2012 Hyundai Elantra - Click above for high-res image gallery
With a raft of newly redesigned compact sedans hitting the streets this year, Motor Trend decided it was high time to crown a new king among the diminutive four-door masses. The editors gathered eight of the most popular models in the segment and pitted them against each other, battle royale style.
The magazine started by selecting the three best-selling Japanese compact sedans, the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Mazda3, which, combined, accounted for 700,000 sales last year amid fears fostered by a weakened economy. Those were joined by America's two best sellers, the Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cruze. Korea added the Kia Forte and the Hyundai Elantra, and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI from Germany rounded out the list.
MT tried to get the cars as closely matched as possible; all the cars were front-drive, four-cylinder automatics with alloy wheels and stability control, all stickering somewhere in the low-$20,000 range. Still, despite its efforts, there wound up being a fair amount of variance among each of the cars, which helped shape the results of the test.
In the end, the 2011 Hyundai Elantra came out on top, thanks to radical new styling, a raft of standard features and a new found sense of sophistication. The 2012 Honda Civic EX brought up the next spot in the line, followed by the 2011 Mazda3 Touring. The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI snagged fourth, followed by the 2012 Ford Focus Titanium and the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ RS. The 2011 Kia Forte EX edged out the 2011 Toyota Corolla to take seventh place.
Which one would take your top honors? Let us know in the poll, and head over to Motor Trend to read the full results.
Motor Trend crowns new compact sedan king in eight-way comparo [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 May 2011 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsPlastic Fantastic: Are composite engines the future?
Filed under: Aftermarket, Technology, Ford
Florida engineer Matti Holtzberg has spent the last 40 years trying to perfect and implement a way of building useable engine blocks from composite plastics. With the advent of carbon fiber and its subsequent permeation of all things high-performance, Holtzberg decided to apply the technology to his composite engine idea.Armed with a vast base of research and immense skill, Holtzberg retooled his operation to mold carbon composite engine blocks, with an eye toward selling them to racing teams. Holtzberg's blocks are based on the venerable 2.0-liter Duratec mill that sees duty in the Ford Focus.
Holtzberg's carbon-fiber block has the potential to save more than 20 pounds over the aluminum equivalent, but at an enormous cost. There's no definite word on pricing just yet, but it should be at least $2,500 per pound saved, which pretty well limits the technology to race teams... for now.
The technology could make huge leaps forward in weight saving and fuel economy should it ever hit the streets, but don't figure on that happening for quite a while.
Plastic Fantastic: Are composite engines the future? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments