Ford has unveiled the new 2011 Harley-Davidson F-150 which combines the smooth handling and durability of America’s best-selling trucks with the authentic styling of Harley-Davidson. It comes with a standard V8 6.2-liter gasoline engine, which debuted earlier this year on the F-150 SVT Raptor. The new engine delivers 411 bhp (306 kW) and 434 lb-ft (588 Nm) of torque, making it the most powerful and capable Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 ever offered. It provides a maximum trailer towing capacity of 9,300 pounds.
Read the rest of this entry »
Ford has reportedly been planning to incorporate a hybrid drive set-up in its next-generation Ford Focus RS and will also attempt to convert the vehicle into an all-wheel drive sports hatch.
While the planned hybrid drive on the next Focus RS will resemble the drive technology present on the Peugeot Hybrid 4, it will consist of an Ecoboost unit of 2.0 litre capacity connected to a electric motor fitted on the rear axle of the vehicle.
Both the RS and ST variants of the car will have an engine power of 250 bhp, butt he addition of the electric motor on the RS will increase the total power of the vehicle to 300 bhp. The new drivetrain will also increase the fuel-efficiency of the new Focus RS as compared to existing Focus RS models.
Ford could provide further details about the vehicle during the Paris Auto Show due to be held in October, where the company will also put its Focus ST on display for the first time.
American auto manufacturer Ford will display its new 2012 Ford Focus ST in the upcoming Paris Auto Show in the month of October. The new model will feature a new EcoBoost engine that is likely to be similar to the 2.5-liter turbocharged engines present in existing Ford models such as the Galaxy, S-Max and Mondeo.
The EcoBoost unit in the next Focus ST could provide as much as 300 bhp of power and will employ the torque vectoring technology created by Ford to channel that power to the front wheels of the car and to help the car grip the road as much as possible.
The new Focus ST will also be capable of bursting from 0 to 100 kmph speeds in a matter of 6 seconds and has a maximum speed of 250 kmph (155 mph). It will also be more fuel efficient than the existing Focus ST model and is expected to release in 2011, after the Europe launch of the hatchback and wagon variant of the Ford Focus in April 2011.
The Ford Ranger prototypes have been spied on while a couple of them were out on a hot weather testing exercise in Death Valley. We have got our hands on a couple of spy pictures clicked from the scene of action. From what we infer, the Ford Ranger trucks are double-cab variants and are expected to come built on a global platform called the T6.
Though camouflaged, the trucks – as per the spy images – are likely to boast of Ford’s latest EcoBoost 1.6 liter engine (direct-injection and turbocharged) tuned to 175 bhp (129 kW) and 244 Nm (180 lb-ft) of torque. It is also being speculated that Ford might be lining up 3.0 liter TDCi for the markets who have an affinity for diesel engines.
Most probably, these trucks would be gearing up as a 2012 model and could debut next year.
[via WCF]
The 2010 Moscow Motor Show that will get underway on August 25 will see Ford Europe bringing in a fresh version of the Mondeo. The updated version would come with a new look exterior and interiors. It would also sport new high-efficiency EcoBoost petrol and TDCi diesel powertrains.
Being currently built in Moscow and Germany and China too, the new updated Ford Mondeo is being tipped to be the smartest, safest and greenest Mondeo ever. The car will be the last in the line of the CD segment range for the current year.
Add-ons would include new front bumpers that sport LED daytime running lights. The move is part of adhering to the new EU norm that makes DRLs mandatory. The rear lamps are also being redesigned with LEDs. A high-performing 240PS version of the two-litre EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine, would come with the new updated Mondeo. This will be in addition to the 203PS version launched earlier this year. A variant will sport an updated 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine with power up 12 per cent to 200 PS. Ford Europe is also revamping the interior with new flow-through centre console, new door trims and a new central overhead console that comes with ambient lighting. A six-speed PowerShift double wet-clutch transmission system would be a standard feature.
Other aspects about the updated Mondeo will include a smart regenerative charging, eco mode and new active grille shutter system. Besides, an electronically controlled device that regulates the airflow through the radiator and engine box so that it cuts down on the aerodynamic drag and boosts fuel efficiency would be part of the package.
Ford sales have gone online in the UK. As many as 50 dealers wholly-owned by Ford have kicked off vending new and pre-owned models over the Net from June 29.
With a survey having revealed that close to four in ten buyers look at buying their next car on the internet, the Ford initiative stands the chance of triggering rivals too to take the Net sales route. The carmaker’s UK dealers have begun lining up models ranging from the Ka, to Focus, Mondeo and the Galaxy people-carrier for purchase via the email.
Customers also have the option of getting in touch with a new call-centre that would help in placing orders. The Net sales efforts work in such a way that every new car will be delivered by FordOnline.co.uk to one of 12 regional delivery centers, where customers can do a final check, sign a final document and drive home in the new model purchased.
Price tags will be the same as what the Ford cars sport at dealerships. [via Telegraph]
We’ve seen spy images of the 2011 Ford Explorer but this is the first time we get to witness the official teaser image of the SUV.
The first images also sports chief engineer Jim Holland and that pretty much explains the reason why the upcoming model draws inspiration from the Land Rovers.
As per Holland, the 2011 model is a modern interpretation of the Explorer but the spy images rendered a different story. What is a novelty (hailing again from the Rover domain) though is a terrain management system with a total of five settings. We expect to see the 2011 explorer possibly at the LA auto show in November.
Ford has been one automobile outfit that has withered the storm of the credit crisis in the best possible manner, compared to other giants from this arena. The Blue Oval posting a profit in the first quarter of 2010 therefore does not come across as a huge surprise. What is a surprise though is the quotient of the profit against the expected profit for Q1, 2010.
While analysts thought that Ford will make around $1 billion in profit in Q1, the actual profit at the end of the first three months for 2010 sits at a whopping $2.8 million. The biggest reason for this successful quarter is Ford’s largest quarterly gain (2.7%) in the US market since 1977. Ford Europe though was a bit of a disappointment as the pre-tax operating profit posted was a modest $107 million despite Ford being the best selling brand with a hefty market share.
UK admirers of the Ford Fiesta will get to savor a limited edition model of the Fiesta dubbed the Fiesta S1600. The special edition will be a sportier variant of the Fiesta and its production will be limited to 650 models only. Based on the Fiesta Zetec-S, the S1600 body kit will include an all new front bumper, side skirting, a spoiler and a rear diffuser.
The limited edition model will adore the classic Ford color configuration with blue double stripes against a white body or vice versa. Another specialty will be the 17-inch white alloy wheels for the petrol version and 16-inch for the diesel. Talk about engine choices and the limited edition will feature a 1.6 liter Ti-VCT Duratec with 120 PS petrol and 1.6 liter TDCi with 95 PS diesel optons. The S1600 is readily available and it costs £16,665.
The Ford Focus RS500 limited edition which is being sold to wind up the production of the current generation Focus model has been detailed earlier than expected. Ford has stated ‘overwhelming interest’ in the hatchback as the reason for the early revelation of this commuter. The RS500 will be limited to 500 units and it will be sold in 20 European markets beginning in May.
The exclusive model comes with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder motor that produces 345hp with 460Nm of torque. Compared to the basic current generation Ford Focus model, this edition dashes 0.3 seconds quicker to the 100km/h mark , clocking a hasty 5.6 seconds. The top speed is also an appreciable 265km/h thanks to an updated ECU, a bigger air filter, a larger air intercooler and a widened downpipe. Custom RS500 limited edition signs include a console-mounted metal plate engraved with the car ID number, Recaro seats, a six-disc Sony Audio System and dual-zone climate control.
