Shelby Automobiles announced last week that it will sell a limited number of GT500 Shelby Super Snake packages for the 2010 Ford Shelby GT500s. This package will boost the Ford Shelby GT500s handling, styling, and power (output ratings to range from 630 to over 725 horsepower).
The 2010 Super Snake is expected to have a much more “aggressive suspension and engine package” than before and is anticipated to be even more elite. Super Snakes will only be built at the Shelby Autos facility in Las Vegas or at one of the mod shops from August 2009. Installation, not the car, is priced at $29,495 for the 640-horsepower package and $33,495 for the 725-horsepower package.
To see everything that the 2010 GT500 Super Snake package includes, scroll down to the press release.
LAS VEGAS – June 26, 2009 – Continued demand for a “Super Snake” post title package has led Shelby Automobiles to unveil a new program to turn a limited number of 2010 Ford Shelby GT500s into Shelby super cars. The Super Snake package will include enhancements to the 2010 Ford Shelby GT500’s handling, styling and power; output ratings will range from 630 to over 725 horsepower. Exclusivity will be assured as a limited number of Super Snakes will be built at the Shelby Autos facility in Las Vegas or one of the Mod Shops, beginning in August 2009.
“We take great pride in engineering fast, fun cars that people love to drive,” said Carroll Shelby. “Over the past 12 months, my team of hot rodders was hard at work on a Super Snake package for the next generation GT500. Every lesson we learned kicking the competition around on the track over the past two years has been poured into this new car to keep Shelby owners out front.”
Born on the drag strip and road course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Ford Racing and Shelby Automobiles dialed in an even more aggressive suspension and engine package for the 2010 car.
“Since we introduced the Super Snake package for the GT500 in 2007, this Shelby has become the pinnacle of current generation muscle cars,” added Amy Boylan, president of Shelby Automobiles. “While the stock GT500 is a fine car, serious enthusiasts know that they can come to us to make their Shelby even better. For those who crave a harder edged Shelby, this is your car.”
The 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake post title package includes:
• Ford Racing handling pack including Dynamic adjustable dampers, lowering springs, tuned stabilizer bars, and front strut tower brace is standard for the Super Snake
• Ford Racing Supercharger upgrade kit producing over 630 HP and 590 ft.-lbs. of torque
• Borla exhaust system on the 630 HP Ford Racing Super Snake Package
• 6-speed manual transmission with 3.73:1 rear axle ratio
• Either a Shelby/Ford Racing or Shelby/Kenne Bell supercharger kit producing 725 HP with upgraded drive shaft, billet twin 75mm throttle body and exclusive badges
• Borla exhaust system on the 725 HP Super Snake Package
• An optional Shelby / Eibach handling pack is also available
• Shelby-designed Alcoa 20-inch wheels
• Short-throw shifter
• Forged Shelby / Baer brakes with 6 piston calipers and cross drilled / vented rotors
• Front brake cooling ducts
• Unique fiberglass hood featuring classic Shelby design
• Shelby signature Super Snake stripes
• “Shelby” lettering across the rear decklid
• “Super Snake” vehicle badges and official Shelby CSM interior plate
• Shelby signature embroidered headrests, floor mats and other Shelby designed components
Customers interested in bringing their 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 to one of the Shelby Mod Shops for transformation should contact Roger Sorel with Shelby Automobiles at (702) 942-7325. The price of the 630 HP package is $29,495 and the 725 HP package is $33,495 including installation but not the car. Each vehicle will be listed in the official Shelby registry.
Complete Super Snake packages will only be available through Shelby Automobiles; some products comprising the package will be offered by Shelby Automobiles and Ford Racing later this year.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Ford Motor Enters Battery Electric Car Project
Ford Motor Company has unveiled a fleet of new battery electric cars to be used in a new project by the UK government. The Ford battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will be used in a British study by a number of energy companies. The Mayor of London has welcomed the fleet.
"I am absolutely thrilled that Ford and Scottish and Southern Energy have won funding to deliver innovative electric vehicles onto the capital's streets," The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said in a statement.
The fleet also includes the zero emissions Ford Focus BEV prototype, which has is getting support from Scottish and Southern Energy. A number of evaluations will take place in Hillingdon, Middlesex. Johnson said he wants to make London the electric car capital of Europe.
"I want to make London the electric vehicle capital of Europe and these trials will provide us with valuable information on what is needed to ensure they can become an everyday choice," Johnson said.
In addition to Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy, Strathclyde University will provide the prototype vehicles and a charging infrastructure in and around Hillingdon from early 2010. Ford of Europe is developing the Focus BEVs prototype to test new technologies that are suitable for future European passenger cars.
Ford Motor Battery Electric Vehicle Fleet:
The Ford BEV demonstration fleet is also being created with public funding from the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board (TSB). The board promotes innovative industry-led projects that reduce CO2. It is also used for future electric vehicle development for the country's transportation system.
"Battery electric vehicles represent an important step in Ford's pursuit of delivering more efficient and sustainable mobility solutions. Ford is looking forward to working with its project partners on developing a viable market for electric vehicles both in the UK and Europe," Ford of Britain chairman Joe Greenwell said in a statement.
This is a huge involvement by Ford and Europe. The Focus prototypes include some of the development work already done with the Ford Tourneo Connect BEV Concept. The Ford Connect BEV was first revealed at this year's Geneva motor show.
"I am absolutely thrilled that Ford and Scottish and Southern Energy have won funding to deliver innovative electric vehicles onto the capital's streets," The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said in a statement.
The fleet also includes the zero emissions Ford Focus BEV prototype, which has is getting support from Scottish and Southern Energy. A number of evaluations will take place in Hillingdon, Middlesex. Johnson said he wants to make London the electric car capital of Europe.
"I want to make London the electric vehicle capital of Europe and these trials will provide us with valuable information on what is needed to ensure they can become an everyday choice," Johnson said.
In addition to Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy, Strathclyde University will provide the prototype vehicles and a charging infrastructure in and around Hillingdon from early 2010. Ford of Europe is developing the Focus BEVs prototype to test new technologies that are suitable for future European passenger cars.
Ford Motor Battery Electric Vehicle Fleet:
The Ford BEV demonstration fleet is also being created with public funding from the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board (TSB). The board promotes innovative industry-led projects that reduce CO2. It is also used for future electric vehicle development for the country's transportation system.
"Battery electric vehicles represent an important step in Ford's pursuit of delivering more efficient and sustainable mobility solutions. Ford is looking forward to working with its project partners on developing a viable market for electric vehicles both in the UK and Europe," Ford of Britain chairman Joe Greenwell said in a statement.
This is a huge involvement by Ford and Europe. The Focus prototypes include some of the development work already done with the Ford Tourneo Connect BEV Concept. The Ford Connect BEV was first revealed at this year's Geneva motor show.
First Drive: 2010 Ford Taurus [Review]
A long time coming, but it’s finally here: The 2010 Ford Taurus. The one that Ford’s Alan Mulally said should have been built in the first place. Gone is the J Mays-influenced Passat-on-’roids cum Ford Five Hundred with enough headroom for a stovepipe hat worn by none other than honest Abe himself.
Sure, it was a well-made car, but it was about as staid and unexciting as they come.
Long gone
But this new Taurus has refinement and looks going for it. Having been “gone” so long (in hibernation is more like it), the Taurus has ceded the role of Ford’s bread and butter vehicle to the Fusion. But this is the new flagship is large and in charge. Measuring out at nearly 203-inches, the Taurus is a 4015-pound behemoth (4,224 with AWD) that is so far ahead of what it replaces that perhaps Ford should not have even bothered with the Taurus name this time around.
To hear Chief Engineer Pete Reyes say it, the new Taurus is about being a sedan for me (as in the “collective” me rather than Pete, or me, or uh, never mind). The idea of a minivan is passé. So, too, an SUV, as the need to haul around the kids’ hockey or soccer gear is diminished by those who have left the nest. So in essence, “the Taurus is a sedan that’s all about me.”
Dimensionally an inch or so within the length of its corporate cousin the Lincoln MKS (with whom it shares many of the underpinnings), the Taurus is a car that we find much more interesting to look at, even though some angles are rather similar. Starting with a greenhouse that is more mainstream than the MKS, it offers plenty of headroom without the exaggerated fishbowl that plagued the last version of its namesake. That’s not saying it’s tall. It does have a chop-top type appearance, that while not as exaggerated as the Chrysler 300C, style has a low, sinister look to it.
A sculpted powerdome hood gives a more muscular look, as does the wide stance of the front fascia that includes wide wrap-around projector lens xenon headlamps, and a new evolutionary look at the by-now-familiar tri-bar grille that has become a recent Ford trademark. Between flared wheel wells reside new “suck-sculpted” side panels, unlike the slab-sided MKS. We like this look as it adds a certain character that is missing on many cars today. A smart, tapered tail end finishes off the new Taurus. Complete with dual exhausts, it is a sophisticated look fitting of a flagship.
Puttin’ down
Power for the new Taurus comes from a transverse-mounted 3.5-liter Duratec V6 engine, which in this instance produces 263-horsepower and 249 lb-ft. of torque. Power gets to the road through a choice of six-speed automatic transmissions. A regular automatic awaits an SE buyer, while the SEL and Limited models are equipped with a SelectShift slusher with paddle shifters, which actually resemble buttons more than paddles. Shades of Porsche-style paddle shift design, they are effective but not the best around by any means. The Taurus comes with front wheel drive as standard but offers optional all-wheel-drive for the SEL and Limited. MacPherson struts and L-shaped lower control arms with isolated subframe and stabilizer bars plant the tires in front, while an independent multi-link suspension with coilovers, and stamped lower- and cast upper- control arms keep things grounded flat at rear.
The ride of the SEL and Limited models we drove was extremely well modulated, maintaining great road feel while isolating most road noise from the cockpit. The Duratec proved more than sufficient to power through some of the twisties in western North Carolina, near Asheville and to maintain a steady pace going up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway. Road holding was actually very good: Firm without being overly stiff, with nary a wallow. Direct power rack and pinion steering left us with a satisfying sense that we knew exactly what the car was doing while whipping wheel on the ‘Ridge. Our Limited test vehicle was equipped with 19-inch wheels and tires.
This Bull, as the flagship, is loaded. All the latest technologies make an appearance from Adaptive Cruise Control to Collision Warning with Brake Support, which work in concert. While one finds a comfortable cruising speed, the other senses if distances close too fast, and pre-charges the brakes for panic stops should the need arise. Blind Spot Information system with cross traffic alert advises when out-of-sight-obstructions or parking lot traffic may cause your day to end on a sour note. Along for the ride is all of the other alphabeticals you have come to expect: ABS, ATC, SOS, BBQ, BYOB and so on.
With as much technology loaded into the new Taurus, we would expect nothing less in the fuel economy equation. Ford is employing a two-speed fuel pump and Aggressive Deceleration Fuel Shut-off technology to assist in saving fuel when your foot is not into the gas pedal. The EPA says to expect mileage ratings of 18 mpg city and 28 mpg highway for front-wheel-drive and 17/25 for the four-wheeler.
The inside line
The interior of the new Taurus is summed up in two words: World class.
Materials, from the leather seating surfaces, with available ventilated seating and Active Motion massage functions help to cool things down and rub them out should the need arise. Exacting tolerances where soft and hard materials meet show quality that to this date we haven’t seen in a Ford.
Sync is back as an available upgrade and now includes traffic, directions, 911 Assist and other information. Voice-activated navigation with Sirius Travel Link shows the way, and a Sony audio system provides the entertainment with an available 12-speaker Surround Sound package.
The driver and passenger seats in front offer decent bolstering but are not as scooped out as those found in, say, an Audi. No matter, they are comfortable over long hauls, and when combined with the adjustable pedal system, offered any size and shape of driver an opportunity to find the best seating position for them. The rear bench seat offered width for three, with plenty of legroom. Details including customizable ambient floor lighting, stitching on door panels and sophistication of layout on the dashboard’s center console show an added attention appealing to nearly all of the senses. As the standard seems to be determined by how many golf bags fit in the boot, this Ford carries four.
Leftlane’s bottom line
It has been a long time coming, but Ford has finally re-invented the Taurus and, in the process, the personal sedan – a segment long forgotten. Loaded with enough gadgets and doodads to satisfy even the most discriminating technophile, it can add up. Ford has built what is probably one of the best sedans in their corporate history and we hope it will find its place in the market.
2010 Ford Taurus base price range: $25,995 to $33,845.
Sure, it was a well-made car, but it was about as staid and unexciting as they come.
Long gone
But this new Taurus has refinement and looks going for it. Having been “gone” so long (in hibernation is more like it), the Taurus has ceded the role of Ford’s bread and butter vehicle to the Fusion. But this is the new flagship is large and in charge. Measuring out at nearly 203-inches, the Taurus is a 4015-pound behemoth (4,224 with AWD) that is so far ahead of what it replaces that perhaps Ford should not have even bothered with the Taurus name this time around.
To hear Chief Engineer Pete Reyes say it, the new Taurus is about being a sedan for me (as in the “collective” me rather than Pete, or me, or uh, never mind). The idea of a minivan is passé. So, too, an SUV, as the need to haul around the kids’ hockey or soccer gear is diminished by those who have left the nest. So in essence, “the Taurus is a sedan that’s all about me.”
Dimensionally an inch or so within the length of its corporate cousin the Lincoln MKS (with whom it shares many of the underpinnings), the Taurus is a car that we find much more interesting to look at, even though some angles are rather similar. Starting with a greenhouse that is more mainstream than the MKS, it offers plenty of headroom without the exaggerated fishbowl that plagued the last version of its namesake. That’s not saying it’s tall. It does have a chop-top type appearance, that while not as exaggerated as the Chrysler 300C, style has a low, sinister look to it.
A sculpted powerdome hood gives a more muscular look, as does the wide stance of the front fascia that includes wide wrap-around projector lens xenon headlamps, and a new evolutionary look at the by-now-familiar tri-bar grille that has become a recent Ford trademark. Between flared wheel wells reside new “suck-sculpted” side panels, unlike the slab-sided MKS. We like this look as it adds a certain character that is missing on many cars today. A smart, tapered tail end finishes off the new Taurus. Complete with dual exhausts, it is a sophisticated look fitting of a flagship.
Puttin’ down
Power for the new Taurus comes from a transverse-mounted 3.5-liter Duratec V6 engine, which in this instance produces 263-horsepower and 249 lb-ft. of torque. Power gets to the road through a choice of six-speed automatic transmissions. A regular automatic awaits an SE buyer, while the SEL and Limited models are equipped with a SelectShift slusher with paddle shifters, which actually resemble buttons more than paddles. Shades of Porsche-style paddle shift design, they are effective but not the best around by any means. The Taurus comes with front wheel drive as standard but offers optional all-wheel-drive for the SEL and Limited. MacPherson struts and L-shaped lower control arms with isolated subframe and stabilizer bars plant the tires in front, while an independent multi-link suspension with coilovers, and stamped lower- and cast upper- control arms keep things grounded flat at rear.
The ride of the SEL and Limited models we drove was extremely well modulated, maintaining great road feel while isolating most road noise from the cockpit. The Duratec proved more than sufficient to power through some of the twisties in western North Carolina, near Asheville and to maintain a steady pace going up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway. Road holding was actually very good: Firm without being overly stiff, with nary a wallow. Direct power rack and pinion steering left us with a satisfying sense that we knew exactly what the car was doing while whipping wheel on the ‘Ridge. Our Limited test vehicle was equipped with 19-inch wheels and tires.
This Bull, as the flagship, is loaded. All the latest technologies make an appearance from Adaptive Cruise Control to Collision Warning with Brake Support, which work in concert. While one finds a comfortable cruising speed, the other senses if distances close too fast, and pre-charges the brakes for panic stops should the need arise. Blind Spot Information system with cross traffic alert advises when out-of-sight-obstructions or parking lot traffic may cause your day to end on a sour note. Along for the ride is all of the other alphabeticals you have come to expect: ABS, ATC, SOS, BBQ, BYOB and so on.
With as much technology loaded into the new Taurus, we would expect nothing less in the fuel economy equation. Ford is employing a two-speed fuel pump and Aggressive Deceleration Fuel Shut-off technology to assist in saving fuel when your foot is not into the gas pedal. The EPA says to expect mileage ratings of 18 mpg city and 28 mpg highway for front-wheel-drive and 17/25 for the four-wheeler.
The inside line
The interior of the new Taurus is summed up in two words: World class.
Materials, from the leather seating surfaces, with available ventilated seating and Active Motion massage functions help to cool things down and rub them out should the need arise. Exacting tolerances where soft and hard materials meet show quality that to this date we haven’t seen in a Ford.
Sync is back as an available upgrade and now includes traffic, directions, 911 Assist and other information. Voice-activated navigation with Sirius Travel Link shows the way, and a Sony audio system provides the entertainment with an available 12-speaker Surround Sound package.
The driver and passenger seats in front offer decent bolstering but are not as scooped out as those found in, say, an Audi. No matter, they are comfortable over long hauls, and when combined with the adjustable pedal system, offered any size and shape of driver an opportunity to find the best seating position for them. The rear bench seat offered width for three, with plenty of legroom. Details including customizable ambient floor lighting, stitching on door panels and sophistication of layout on the dashboard’s center console show an added attention appealing to nearly all of the senses. As the standard seems to be determined by how many golf bags fit in the boot, this Ford carries four.
Leftlane’s bottom line
It has been a long time coming, but Ford has finally re-invented the Taurus and, in the process, the personal sedan – a segment long forgotten. Loaded with enough gadgets and doodads to satisfy even the most discriminating technophile, it can add up. Ford has built what is probably one of the best sedans in their corporate history and we hope it will find its place in the market.
2010 Ford Taurus base price range: $25,995 to $33,845.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
TEST DRIVE: 2010 Mustang GT builds on tradition
It isn't easy to update tradition, to build something better for the evolving expectations of an increasingly demanding audience while staying within the parameters of nostalgia, all the time watched by wary and critical fans clinging to past glories and models gone by.
But here's a good example of how to do it.
How to renew both the body and soul of an icon, updating the engineering and technologies while reinvigorating the same spirit, feel, and passion for the pony car classic that is known as the Ford Mustang.
Ford's tag line was "muscle goes modern" with the debut of the 2010 Ford Mustang, boasting a new exterior, a new interior, improved handling, more power and more standard safety and available technology features.
"More than nine million customers have made Mustang one of the world's most beloved automotive and cultural icons," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas. "Making sure this modern legend lives up to their expectations has been a driving force for the team, which went to great lengths, gathering customer input everywhere from race tracks to Main Streets — working to create the best Mustang ever."
The 2010 Mustang comes in two powertrain choices, starting with a 4.0-litre SOHC V6 version making 210 hp at 5300 rpm and 240 lb/ft of torque at 3500 rpm. The GT version, as tested here, harnesses a 4.6-litre SOHC V8 making 315 hp at 6000 rpm and 325 lb /ft of torque at 4250 rpm. Both engines are available in either coupe or convertible choices. And, new for 2010, the Mustang coupe also offers a new glass roof option.
Technically, we might have to include this car in the same fifth generation series as its predecessor since it maintains roughly the same D2C platform and powertrain technologies. But the exterior sheet metal, except for the fastback roofline, is all new for 2010, aerodynamically streamlined with better downforce and drag co-efficient numbers. Although, walk around all that new metal and you can find links and cues from the past evident from almost any angle.
The new look starts up front, with a more aggressive grille and unique front ends for each model. On the V6, the fog lamps are down on the lower fascia, while on the V8-powered GT, the fog lamps are again located in the upper grille, styling inspired by 1967-68 models. The headlamps and turn indicators, now one-piece units, are modern interpretations a la 1970 Mustang.
A new powerdome hood adds to the muscle car mystique of the model, emphasized by the hooded headlamps which, dare I create a furor here, seem almost a Camaro-like cue. The grille tops this all off with the first new Mustang emblem since the car's introduction 45 years ago in 1964.
In profile, the new Mustang looks almost snub-nosed to me, with strong fender flares and with character lines flowing to muscular rear haunches. The aggressively angled rear corners take a little getting used to but, taking a cue again from the '60s, the new tail lamp design maintains Mustang spirit in classic three-lens style, featuring three LED bulbs that fire sequentially in the direction of the turn.
Under the skin, the 2010 Mustang pays tribute to a more recent predecessor, taking engine, chassis and suspension upgrades from the Bullitt special edition model, especially when it comes to the GT.
"All of the Bullitt elements are the base foundation of the GT," according to Paul Randle, Mustang chief engineer, noting engine and chassis improvements.
As mentioned earlier, those Bullitt engine innovations have bumped the 2010 Mustang 4.6-litre V8 power numbers up to 315 hp and 325 lb/ft of torque. And although the V8 makes that power honestly on regular octane gas, add premium instead and the engine management system will adapt its calibration for more mid-range torque.
Surprisingly, although you would save substantially on the initial purchase price, there's not a lot of fuel economy difference between the V6 and V8 choices, about 1L/100km or so, depending on choices of a five-speed manual or automatic transmission.
As tested the GT convertible with five-speed manual is officially rated at 12.7/8.2L/100km (city/hwy) and my combined average hovered around the 12L/100km mark. Not bad for a muscle car. The big, torque-happy V8 allows early shift points. You can easily lug around town in fourth or fifth. Even at highway speeds, the engine barely breaks a sweat, loping at an easy 1800 rpm at 100 km/h.
The 2010 Mustang now makes AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Control (ESC) standard, complementing the all-speed traction control and anti-lock braking system (ABS).
But let's peek inside and check out the all-new interior that starts with a seamless soft-touch TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin) skin, contrasted by chrome-ringed gauges and air vents, along with available aluminum-finish panels. The dash and instrument panel are nicely laid out, all the controls are in the right spots and the Mustang is loaded with available audio and amenity choices including the latest version of Ford's SYNC audio and communication linking system.
And you can pick from a palette of colours for gauge illumination and the ambient lighting of footwells, door pockets, cupholders and the MUSTANG logo on the doorsills. Sure, the rear seats remain an afterthought, as in any 2+2 coupe or convertible but there's plenty of room and comfort available up front. Tell your friends to buy their own car.
The Ford literature mentions "vault-like" improvements to sound deadening but, really, in a convertible, that point is moot. Lean into the head rest, close your eyes, key the ignition and you hear what could only be a Mustang V8 roar, a signature sound exhaust-tuned and tailored to this still-faithful evolution of the original pony car.
"This car marks the best efforts of 45 years of passion and enthusiasm among the best designers, engineers and manufacturing experts in the business," according to Randle.
"And we can't wait for everyone to see it and start driving it."
But here's a good example of how to do it.
How to renew both the body and soul of an icon, updating the engineering and technologies while reinvigorating the same spirit, feel, and passion for the pony car classic that is known as the Ford Mustang.
Ford's tag line was "muscle goes modern" with the debut of the 2010 Ford Mustang, boasting a new exterior, a new interior, improved handling, more power and more standard safety and available technology features.
"More than nine million customers have made Mustang one of the world's most beloved automotive and cultural icons," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas. "Making sure this modern legend lives up to their expectations has been a driving force for the team, which went to great lengths, gathering customer input everywhere from race tracks to Main Streets — working to create the best Mustang ever."
The 2010 Mustang comes in two powertrain choices, starting with a 4.0-litre SOHC V6 version making 210 hp at 5300 rpm and 240 lb/ft of torque at 3500 rpm. The GT version, as tested here, harnesses a 4.6-litre SOHC V8 making 315 hp at 6000 rpm and 325 lb /ft of torque at 4250 rpm. Both engines are available in either coupe or convertible choices. And, new for 2010, the Mustang coupe also offers a new glass roof option.
Technically, we might have to include this car in the same fifth generation series as its predecessor since it maintains roughly the same D2C platform and powertrain technologies. But the exterior sheet metal, except for the fastback roofline, is all new for 2010, aerodynamically streamlined with better downforce and drag co-efficient numbers. Although, walk around all that new metal and you can find links and cues from the past evident from almost any angle.
The new look starts up front, with a more aggressive grille and unique front ends for each model. On the V6, the fog lamps are down on the lower fascia, while on the V8-powered GT, the fog lamps are again located in the upper grille, styling inspired by 1967-68 models. The headlamps and turn indicators, now one-piece units, are modern interpretations a la 1970 Mustang.
A new powerdome hood adds to the muscle car mystique of the model, emphasized by the hooded headlamps which, dare I create a furor here, seem almost a Camaro-like cue. The grille tops this all off with the first new Mustang emblem since the car's introduction 45 years ago in 1964.
In profile, the new Mustang looks almost snub-nosed to me, with strong fender flares and with character lines flowing to muscular rear haunches. The aggressively angled rear corners take a little getting used to but, taking a cue again from the '60s, the new tail lamp design maintains Mustang spirit in classic three-lens style, featuring three LED bulbs that fire sequentially in the direction of the turn.
Under the skin, the 2010 Mustang pays tribute to a more recent predecessor, taking engine, chassis and suspension upgrades from the Bullitt special edition model, especially when it comes to the GT.
"All of the Bullitt elements are the base foundation of the GT," according to Paul Randle, Mustang chief engineer, noting engine and chassis improvements.
As mentioned earlier, those Bullitt engine innovations have bumped the 2010 Mustang 4.6-litre V8 power numbers up to 315 hp and 325 lb/ft of torque. And although the V8 makes that power honestly on regular octane gas, add premium instead and the engine management system will adapt its calibration for more mid-range torque.
Surprisingly, although you would save substantially on the initial purchase price, there's not a lot of fuel economy difference between the V6 and V8 choices, about 1L/100km or so, depending on choices of a five-speed manual or automatic transmission.
As tested the GT convertible with five-speed manual is officially rated at 12.7/8.2L/100km (city/hwy) and my combined average hovered around the 12L/100km mark. Not bad for a muscle car. The big, torque-happy V8 allows early shift points. You can easily lug around town in fourth or fifth. Even at highway speeds, the engine barely breaks a sweat, loping at an easy 1800 rpm at 100 km/h.
The 2010 Mustang now makes AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Control (ESC) standard, complementing the all-speed traction control and anti-lock braking system (ABS).
But let's peek inside and check out the all-new interior that starts with a seamless soft-touch TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin) skin, contrasted by chrome-ringed gauges and air vents, along with available aluminum-finish panels. The dash and instrument panel are nicely laid out, all the controls are in the right spots and the Mustang is loaded with available audio and amenity choices including the latest version of Ford's SYNC audio and communication linking system.
And you can pick from a palette of colours for gauge illumination and the ambient lighting of footwells, door pockets, cupholders and the MUSTANG logo on the doorsills. Sure, the rear seats remain an afterthought, as in any 2+2 coupe or convertible but there's plenty of room and comfort available up front. Tell your friends to buy their own car.
The Ford literature mentions "vault-like" improvements to sound deadening but, really, in a convertible, that point is moot. Lean into the head rest, close your eyes, key the ignition and you hear what could only be a Mustang V8 roar, a signature sound exhaust-tuned and tailored to this still-faithful evolution of the original pony car.
"This car marks the best efforts of 45 years of passion and enthusiasm among the best designers, engineers and manufacturing experts in the business," according to Randle.
"And we can't wait for everyone to see it and start driving it."
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
2010 Ford Taurus SHO named Esquire Car of the Year
PRESS RELEASE:
2010 FORD TAURUS NAMED ESQUIRE'S INAUGURAL "CAR OF THE YEAR" FOR MEN TO DRIVE, EVERYDAY
DEARBORN, Mich., June 10, 2009 – Esquire magazine editors evaluated nearly a dozen significant new cars – using some unique subjective criteria – before naming the 2010 Taurus SHO as its inaugural Car of the Year. The article appears in the magazine's July issue, on newsstands today.
"We had three main criteria in selecting the Esquire Car of the Year," explained David Granger, editor-in-chief. "The vehicle needed to be a pleasure to drive and be capable of shortening your breath when you slam down the pedal. It needed to be gorgeous and aggressive, capable of eliciting stares and gawks. And it needed to be attainable – a vehicle that most men actually can buy and drive. The new Taurus SHO nailed all of these parameters."
Competing with some of the best luxury sedans in the industry, Taurus SHO was the editor's unanimous choice.
"The reason we care about the new Taurus can be boiled down to four words: Looks good, goes fast. With a 3.5-liter turbo V-6, dubbed EcoBoost™, you get V-8 power with V-6 fuel economy," said Esquire automotive correspondent, Ezra Dyer. "The SHO is a sleeper – a vehicle you can live with every day, that happens to have a secret under the hood."
The response from the Taurus team?
"We're thrilled and honored with this award," said Frank Davis, executive director, Ford North American Product Programs. "Taurus – and the SHO model honored here – are Ford's flagship sedans. We trust that customers will be equally impressed."
2010 FORD TAURUS NAMED ESQUIRE'S INAUGURAL "CAR OF THE YEAR" FOR MEN TO DRIVE, EVERYDAY
DEARBORN, Mich., June 10, 2009 – Esquire magazine editors evaluated nearly a dozen significant new cars – using some unique subjective criteria – before naming the 2010 Taurus SHO as its inaugural Car of the Year. The article appears in the magazine's July issue, on newsstands today.
"We had three main criteria in selecting the Esquire Car of the Year," explained David Granger, editor-in-chief. "The vehicle needed to be a pleasure to drive and be capable of shortening your breath when you slam down the pedal. It needed to be gorgeous and aggressive, capable of eliciting stares and gawks. And it needed to be attainable – a vehicle that most men actually can buy and drive. The new Taurus SHO nailed all of these parameters."
Competing with some of the best luxury sedans in the industry, Taurus SHO was the editor's unanimous choice.
"The reason we care about the new Taurus can be boiled down to four words: Looks good, goes fast. With a 3.5-liter turbo V-6, dubbed EcoBoost™, you get V-8 power with V-6 fuel economy," said Esquire automotive correspondent, Ezra Dyer. "The SHO is a sleeper – a vehicle you can live with every day, that happens to have a secret under the hood."
The response from the Taurus team?
"We're thrilled and honored with this award," said Frank Davis, executive director, Ford North American Product Programs. "Taurus – and the SHO model honored here – are Ford's flagship sedans. We trust that customers will be equally impressed."
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Wins Best Graphic Display Award
Ford Motor Company must be proud of their 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid as it has already won a special-achievement award for Best Graphic Display. The Ford Fusion SmartGauge with EcoGuide digital instrument more than impressed the competition's judges. The hybrid car was also judged for its interior styling, comfort, safety and value.
"The interior is a major product differentiator, it's where the emotional connection to a vehicle takes place; where the customer can see and feel the quality of the vehicle," Ford's executive director of design Moray Callum said in a statement.
The signature Ford Fusion is capable of driving up to 47 miles per gallon in EV mode. The SmartGauge technology helps the driver achieve maximum fuel economy. One of the other remarkable things about this electric vehicle is that it has an MPG rating of 41 city and 36 on the highway.
While some of the popular fuel efficient cars have a base MSRP averaging $22,000, the Fusion base is $27,270. Even so, the automobile is still the most fuel-efficient mid-size automobile on the market. It includes advanced green car technologies and consumers are offered a hybrid tax credit to help offset the purchase price.
SmartGauge is designed to help Fusion Hybrid owners to maximize fuel efficiency. High-resolution, full-color LCD screens can be configured by the driver to show different levels of information, including fuel and battery power levels, as well as average and instant miles-per-gallon. Ford recently drove the hybrid vehicle more than 1,400 miles on one tank of gas while using gas-saving technics including coasting to stops and slower acceleration.
Hybrid shoppers should definitely visit a Ford Dealership and test-drive the electric vehicle. The car offers luxury and new fuel saving technologies. The hybrid vehicle can operate up to 47 mph using only electric power.
"The interior is a major product differentiator, it's where the emotional connection to a vehicle takes place; where the customer can see and feel the quality of the vehicle," Ford's executive director of design Moray Callum said in a statement.
The signature Ford Fusion is capable of driving up to 47 miles per gallon in EV mode. The SmartGauge technology helps the driver achieve maximum fuel economy. One of the other remarkable things about this electric vehicle is that it has an MPG rating of 41 city and 36 on the highway.
While some of the popular fuel efficient cars have a base MSRP averaging $22,000, the Fusion base is $27,270. Even so, the automobile is still the most fuel-efficient mid-size automobile on the market. It includes advanced green car technologies and consumers are offered a hybrid tax credit to help offset the purchase price.
SmartGauge is designed to help Fusion Hybrid owners to maximize fuel efficiency. High-resolution, full-color LCD screens can be configured by the driver to show different levels of information, including fuel and battery power levels, as well as average and instant miles-per-gallon. Ford recently drove the hybrid vehicle more than 1,400 miles on one tank of gas while using gas-saving technics including coasting to stops and slower acceleration.
Hybrid shoppers should definitely visit a Ford Dealership and test-drive the electric vehicle. The car offers luxury and new fuel saving technologies. The hybrid vehicle can operate up to 47 mph using only electric power.
Ford Develops Ford Escape SUV Plug-In Hybrid To Deliver 120 MPG
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) has developed the first Ford Escape SUV Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) which can achieve more than 120 miles per gallon. The vehicle uses high voltage lithium-ion batteries and can use a common household 120 volt outlet for charging. A full charge of the battery takes six to eight hours.
The Ford Hybrid was delivered Hydro-Quebec, a company that generates and distributes electricity for the Canadian government, to participate in a North America demonstration and research program. The program is launched in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), which conducts research and development relating to the delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. Ford will provide 21 vehicles for the tests and trials.
Ford Escape Hybrid normally achieves an MPG rating of 34 in the city and 31 on the highway. However, the PHEV version, when driven for the first 30 miles, can achieve up to 120 mpg on surface streets. The vehicle is not ranged limited by the amount of charge available because once the charge in the battery is depleted, it continues to operate as a fuel efficient standard SUV Hybrid. The transition is unnoticeable to the driver as it converts seamless and automatic.
Ford, in collaboration with the EPRI, is undertaking a three-year test program on Ford Hybrid vehicles designed to develop and evaluate technical approaches for integrating PHEVs into the electric grid. EPRI has identified nine utilities across North America to test drive and collect data on battery technology, vehicle systems, customer use and grid infrastructure. Hydro-Quebec is the only Canadian company participating in the North American Ford PHEV Program.
Plug-in Hybrids that use electricity and batteries are a sound environmental choice that may play an important role in the fight against climate change. Furthermore, it could be advantageous for consumers to refuel at plug rather than at the pump. Refueling costs for an average vehicle would be $244 in contrast to $1,383, which is 6 times less costly.
The program with Ford and Hydro-Quebec is designed to work towards the replacement of oil with electricity. It is interesting to note that the transport sector accounts for 42 percent of Quebec's greenhouse gas emission. Hydro-Quebec wants to help reduce the emissions through the electrification of transportation in the country.
For example, the average consumption of one million electric vehicles, which represent 25 percent of Quebec's cars, is 3 TWh (one billion kilowatts per hour), the equivalent of the annual generation of the Carillon hydroelectric facility. The electrification of vehicles has sparked significant interest in the U.S.A and Canada. PHEVs are one element of Ford's blueprint for sustainability that includes actions ranging from refinements in gasoline fueled engines and transmissions, to the development of battery electric vehicles.
The collaboration between Hydro-Quebec, Ford and EPRI represents a valuable contribution to the development of commercially viable plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The expansion of field testing into Canada will enable EPRI to gather the data required for the seamless integration into the grid while providing real world driving experience.
The Ford Hybrid was delivered Hydro-Quebec, a company that generates and distributes electricity for the Canadian government, to participate in a North America demonstration and research program. The program is launched in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), which conducts research and development relating to the delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. Ford will provide 21 vehicles for the tests and trials.
Ford Escape Hybrid normally achieves an MPG rating of 34 in the city and 31 on the highway. However, the PHEV version, when driven for the first 30 miles, can achieve up to 120 mpg on surface streets. The vehicle is not ranged limited by the amount of charge available because once the charge in the battery is depleted, it continues to operate as a fuel efficient standard SUV Hybrid. The transition is unnoticeable to the driver as it converts seamless and automatic.
Ford, in collaboration with the EPRI, is undertaking a three-year test program on Ford Hybrid vehicles designed to develop and evaluate technical approaches for integrating PHEVs into the electric grid. EPRI has identified nine utilities across North America to test drive and collect data on battery technology, vehicle systems, customer use and grid infrastructure. Hydro-Quebec is the only Canadian company participating in the North American Ford PHEV Program.
Plug-in Hybrids that use electricity and batteries are a sound environmental choice that may play an important role in the fight against climate change. Furthermore, it could be advantageous for consumers to refuel at plug rather than at the pump. Refueling costs for an average vehicle would be $244 in contrast to $1,383, which is 6 times less costly.
The program with Ford and Hydro-Quebec is designed to work towards the replacement of oil with electricity. It is interesting to note that the transport sector accounts for 42 percent of Quebec's greenhouse gas emission. Hydro-Quebec wants to help reduce the emissions through the electrification of transportation in the country.
For example, the average consumption of one million electric vehicles, which represent 25 percent of Quebec's cars, is 3 TWh (one billion kilowatts per hour), the equivalent of the annual generation of the Carillon hydroelectric facility. The electrification of vehicles has sparked significant interest in the U.S.A and Canada. PHEVs are one element of Ford's blueprint for sustainability that includes actions ranging from refinements in gasoline fueled engines and transmissions, to the development of battery electric vehicles.
The collaboration between Hydro-Quebec, Ford and EPRI represents a valuable contribution to the development of commercially viable plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The expansion of field testing into Canada will enable EPRI to gather the data required for the seamless integration into the grid while providing real world driving experience.
Mercury Milan Hybrid takes Editors' Choice
The good: The power train in the 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid is a remarkable bit of engineering, economical and satisfying. The stellar combination of Sync and Sirius Travel Link gets complemented by a new blind-spot warning system, and the instrument panel is like nothing available in other cars.
The bad: Our minor complaints include body roll in turns and a bland exterior.
The bottom line: As a tech car, the 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid hits all the right notes, providing comfortable and economical driving while offering an incredible array of convenience for the driver and passengers with its cabin tech.
We were expecting a lot from the Mercury Milan Hybrid. After having briefly driven the Ford Fusion Hybrid, we had an idea iof what to expect from the power train, and we've also seen Ford's killer combination of Sync and Sirius Travel Link in a few cars over the last year. But we didn't realize what a car tech dream the Mercury Milan Hybrid would be.
The first clue it gives comes from the high-tech instrument panel, with a variety of virtual gauges that you can configure. Then there's the phone and MP3 player connectivity offered by Sync, along with its incredible voice command system. Sirius Travel Link mixes traffic, fuel prices, and weather into the navigation system. And finally, the driving experience, with its excellent fuel economy and seamless transition between electric and gas.
The Mercury Milan Hybrid is a remarkable car, and we've rated it appropriately.
The bad: Our minor complaints include body roll in turns and a bland exterior.
The bottom line: As a tech car, the 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid hits all the right notes, providing comfortable and economical driving while offering an incredible array of convenience for the driver and passengers with its cabin tech.
We were expecting a lot from the Mercury Milan Hybrid. After having briefly driven the Ford Fusion Hybrid, we had an idea iof what to expect from the power train, and we've also seen Ford's killer combination of Sync and Sirius Travel Link in a few cars over the last year. But we didn't realize what a car tech dream the Mercury Milan Hybrid would be.
The first clue it gives comes from the high-tech instrument panel, with a variety of virtual gauges that you can configure. Then there's the phone and MP3 player connectivity offered by Sync, along with its incredible voice command system. Sirius Travel Link mixes traffic, fuel prices, and weather into the navigation system. And finally, the driving experience, with its excellent fuel economy and seamless transition between electric and gas.
The Mercury Milan Hybrid is a remarkable car, and we've rated it appropriately.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Ford Escape Hybrid Offers Best SUV MPG Rating Of Its Class
The Ford Escape Hybrid SUV was developed by the Ford Motor Company with several new innovations. The Escape Hybrid offers a feature called Easy Fuel, which now comes standard on every SUV. There is no gas cap when fueling the Ford SUV.
Ford Escape is a great SUV and the test-drive went perfect. The vehicle actually uses no fuel when you're stopped in traffic or driving at lower speeds. The electric mode will activate, at speeds up to 40 mph, which will turn off the gasoline engine automatically.
The Ford Hybrid Escape has an EPA estimate of 34 city and 31 highway. This is a far more MPG rating that most standard automobiles. The vehicle is powered by a 2.5L Atkinson-cycle I-4 engine and it handles seamlessly when converting to electric mode operation.
Escape comes with a nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery which is stored under the flat rear cargo area. It is completely sealed and encased in the load floor. The vehicle has a new Hybrid component which recharges the NiMH battery each time you apply the brakes.
While the Regenerative Braking System will recharge the battery, the energy gets stored for later use. When you hit the brakes in a conventional automobile, the energy is lost as heat. However, the electric motor on the Ford SUV captures this energy and sends it back to the battery pack to be stored for later use.
The AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control (RSC) is also introduced in the Ford Escape Hybrid. This is a stability control system that measures the yaw and roll motion on the vehicle. If the driver turns a corner too quickly, or swerves to avoid an object, the RSC will automatically apply brake pressure while adjusting the power to the engine to maintain control.
Another great feature in the Ford Escape is called the in-car voice-activated communications system. This allows you to operate most popular MP3 players, Bluetooth-enabled phones and flash drives with simple voice commands. Ford now includes 911 Assist and a Vehicle Health Report feature.
Ford's Navigation System is also available, which can provide detailed freeway exits, turn and ramp transition lane guidance, and street name announcements. The system includes a 10GB hard drive for storing photos, ripping CDs, and managing music with the Jukebox function.
Ford Escape is a great SUV and the test-drive went perfect. The vehicle actually uses no fuel when you're stopped in traffic or driving at lower speeds. The electric mode will activate, at speeds up to 40 mph, which will turn off the gasoline engine automatically.
The Ford Hybrid Escape has an EPA estimate of 34 city and 31 highway. This is a far more MPG rating that most standard automobiles. The vehicle is powered by a 2.5L Atkinson-cycle I-4 engine and it handles seamlessly when converting to electric mode operation.
Escape comes with a nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery which is stored under the flat rear cargo area. It is completely sealed and encased in the load floor. The vehicle has a new Hybrid component which recharges the NiMH battery each time you apply the brakes.
While the Regenerative Braking System will recharge the battery, the energy gets stored for later use. When you hit the brakes in a conventional automobile, the energy is lost as heat. However, the electric motor on the Ford SUV captures this energy and sends it back to the battery pack to be stored for later use.
The AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control (RSC) is also introduced in the Ford Escape Hybrid. This is a stability control system that measures the yaw and roll motion on the vehicle. If the driver turns a corner too quickly, or swerves to avoid an object, the RSC will automatically apply brake pressure while adjusting the power to the engine to maintain control.
Another great feature in the Ford Escape is called the in-car voice-activated communications system. This allows you to operate most popular MP3 players, Bluetooth-enabled phones and flash drives with simple voice commands. Ford now includes 911 Assist and a Vehicle Health Report feature.
Ford's Navigation System is also available, which can provide detailed freeway exits, turn and ramp transition lane guidance, and street name announcements. The system includes a 10GB hard drive for storing photos, ripping CDs, and managing music with the Jukebox function.
Ford V6 And V8 Engines To Benefit From Ethanol Injection
FORD LOOKS SET to add another economy-enhancing technology to its engines to sit above the ‘coming-soon’ Eco-Boost range of engines, set to debut in the US-market Lincoln MKS.
The system, dubbed Direct Injection Octane Boost, has the ability to improve fuel economy by a further five to ten percent. It works by injecting a quick burst of ethanol into the combustion chamber prior a regular injection of standard unleaded.
eco-boost-direct-injection1Ford North America has already filed documents with the US Department of Energy confirming that the ‘Bobcat’ V8 engines coming to the F-series truck range will be the first with ethanol injection.
A second generation of Eco-Boost V6s is currently being prepared which will also make use of the ethanol injection system.
The pure ethanol delivery also raises the octane rating of standard unleaded fuel from 88-91 RON up to an octane rating of around 150, due to the higher octane rating of ethanol.
American firm Ethanol Boosting Systems has collaborated with Ford to develop the system which in 5.0 litre Bobcat V8 form should put out around 373kW (500hp) and a massive 1015Nm (750lb-ft) of torque.
Added benefits of the ethanol injection system are lower running temperatures due to the additional cooling provided by the organically derived fuel as well as running a higher compression ratio thanks to reduced detonation form the octane boost.
A separate ethanol-only tank will be required but like urea injection systems used on new-generation clean diesels the ethanol tank will only require periodic filling due to the small amounts of ethanol used. This means ethanol top-ups may only be required with scheduled servicing to simplify the ownership experience.
While the system certainly sounds impressive Ford Australia does not yet feature any vehicles set to be fitted with either the Eco-Boost V6 or Bobcat V8 engines. We’ll keep you up to date with any developments as they come to hand.
The system, dubbed Direct Injection Octane Boost, has the ability to improve fuel economy by a further five to ten percent. It works by injecting a quick burst of ethanol into the combustion chamber prior a regular injection of standard unleaded.
eco-boost-direct-injection1Ford North America has already filed documents with the US Department of Energy confirming that the ‘Bobcat’ V8 engines coming to the F-series truck range will be the first with ethanol injection.
A second generation of Eco-Boost V6s is currently being prepared which will also make use of the ethanol injection system.
The pure ethanol delivery also raises the octane rating of standard unleaded fuel from 88-91 RON up to an octane rating of around 150, due to the higher octane rating of ethanol.
American firm Ethanol Boosting Systems has collaborated with Ford to develop the system which in 5.0 litre Bobcat V8 form should put out around 373kW (500hp) and a massive 1015Nm (750lb-ft) of torque.
Added benefits of the ethanol injection system are lower running temperatures due to the additional cooling provided by the organically derived fuel as well as running a higher compression ratio thanks to reduced detonation form the octane boost.
A separate ethanol-only tank will be required but like urea injection systems used on new-generation clean diesels the ethanol tank will only require periodic filling due to the small amounts of ethanol used. This means ethanol top-ups may only be required with scheduled servicing to simplify the ownership experience.
While the system certainly sounds impressive Ford Australia does not yet feature any vehicles set to be fitted with either the Eco-Boost V6 or Bobcat V8 engines. We’ll keep you up to date with any developments as they come to hand.
2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited Review & Test Drive
Fresh from its most successful sales year, the 2009 Escape Hybrid brings an array of new features, refinements and technologies to strengthen its claim as America’s most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly four-door sport utility vehicle.
2009fordescapehybridengine01smallFirst enhancement is the new, larger, 2.5 liter, DOHC, all-aluminum inline four-cylinder engine that is designed to run on the Atkinson combustion cycle. A new engine processor enables nearly imperceptible transitions between gas and electric mode. The hybrid also features a new powertrain damping system to reduce vibrations and feedback making its way into the interior. Combined with the 330-volt twin-electric motors/generators, the Escape Hybrid makes a total of 177hp and 136lb.ft. of torque.
The Ford Escape Hybrid uses a unique continuously variable transmission that doesn’t exhibit the usual ‘whine’ sound found on most others. The reason is that Ford doesn’t use a rotating belt as in a 2009fordescapehybridpanleft01small_edited-1conventional CVT, instead, the electric motors work in concert with the gas engine through a planetary gear-set to provide seamless power and maximum efficiency. With more power and torque the Escape Hybrid sprints from 0-60mph in just 10sec.
The Hybrid’s braking system also has been refined. Engineers achieved a more seamless transition from electric regenerative braking system to traditional braking operation. A new brake pedal sensor is at the heart of the improvements. Ford also fine-tuned the ABS system resulting in better brake feel and shorter stopping distances.
2009fordescapehybridbeautyleftlowangle01smallFor 2009, Ford adds a new model, the Escape Limited Hybrid. The Limited model features 16X7in. six-spoke bright machined aluminum wheels wrapped with new low-resistance Michelin tires, more exterior chrome accents, a new aerodynamic package that includes a redesigned front bumper chin spoiler and new rear tire spoilers, a standard AM-FM/Six-CD Changer, chrome and ebony interior touches on the center stack, console and door switch plates, and a luxury and convenience package that includes ambient lighting, heated front leather seats, a power moonroof and retractable cargo area cover.
The 2009 Escape Hybrid also features a fully independent suspension that has been revised and retuned with the addition of a new rear stabilizer bar and revised shock absorber tuning, helping to 2009fordescapehybridrearaction01smalldeliver a balance of enhanced ride comfort and handling confidence for the Hybrid that weighs 300lbs. more than the standard gasoline powered Escape.
The electric-assisted rack & pinion steering system has also been refined by finding the proper balance between tire performance and steering dynamics, giving optimal car-like drivability with increased responsiveness.
The new 2009 Escape Hybrid also features an array of standard safety features including AdvanceTrac with RSC, a safety canopy side air curtain technology offering protection for first and 2009fordescapehybridrearseats01smallsecond seating rows, Ford’s Personal Safety System which features a suite of seven safety technologies including new dual-stage front airbags, side airbags and a front passenger sensor system, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and the LATCH system for child seats.
New high-end amenities for 2009 include SYNC developed by Ford and Microsoft, which is an in-car communications and entertainment platform allowing uses to control most MP3 players and Bluetooth-enable mobile phones hands-free using voice commands; SIRIUS satellite radio, Voice Activated Navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link which also includes AM-FM/Six-Disc in-dash 2009fordescapehybriddashboard01smallchanger, seven speakers and a subwoofer; ambient lighting, steering wheel audio and cruise-control buttons, and a standard 110-volt AC power outlet up front.
My new Limited Hybrid model also came standard with front fog lamps, auto lamps, roof rack, privacy glass, easy-fuel capless filler, Securi-Code keyless entry, power windows/door locks, power/heated side mirrors, front/rear dual cup-holders,
self-dimming rearview mirror, variable speed wipers/washers, rear wiper/washer, dual map lights, 2009fordescapehybridcargoarea01smalllighted vanity mirrors at each side, a grab handle for the front passenger, thick-cut carpeting/floor mats, 60/40 split rear bench that easily folds to provide more cargo room, power six-way driver’s seat, electronic dual climate control system, outside temperature/compass readouts, hybrid gauges, tilt leather wheel, and a larger 15-gallon fuel tank.
With the highest EPA fuel mileage ratings in the segment of 34mpg/city and 31mpg/highway, aerodynamic enhancements, a refined powertrain, suspension and steering system, plus an upgraded interior, plus a low base price of just $31,635.00, the new 2009 Ford Escape Limited Hybrid is one of the best bargains for those consumers looking to further space their fuel mileage needs while driving a comfortable, technologically up-to-date, safe, multi-functional vehicle.
2009fordescapehybridengine01smallFirst enhancement is the new, larger, 2.5 liter, DOHC, all-aluminum inline four-cylinder engine that is designed to run on the Atkinson combustion cycle. A new engine processor enables nearly imperceptible transitions between gas and electric mode. The hybrid also features a new powertrain damping system to reduce vibrations and feedback making its way into the interior. Combined with the 330-volt twin-electric motors/generators, the Escape Hybrid makes a total of 177hp and 136lb.ft. of torque.
The Ford Escape Hybrid uses a unique continuously variable transmission that doesn’t exhibit the usual ‘whine’ sound found on most others. The reason is that Ford doesn’t use a rotating belt as in a 2009fordescapehybridpanleft01small_edited-1conventional CVT, instead, the electric motors work in concert with the gas engine through a planetary gear-set to provide seamless power and maximum efficiency. With more power and torque the Escape Hybrid sprints from 0-60mph in just 10sec.
The Hybrid’s braking system also has been refined. Engineers achieved a more seamless transition from electric regenerative braking system to traditional braking operation. A new brake pedal sensor is at the heart of the improvements. Ford also fine-tuned the ABS system resulting in better brake feel and shorter stopping distances.
2009fordescapehybridbeautyleftlowangle01smallFor 2009, Ford adds a new model, the Escape Limited Hybrid. The Limited model features 16X7in. six-spoke bright machined aluminum wheels wrapped with new low-resistance Michelin tires, more exterior chrome accents, a new aerodynamic package that includes a redesigned front bumper chin spoiler and new rear tire spoilers, a standard AM-FM/Six-CD Changer, chrome and ebony interior touches on the center stack, console and door switch plates, and a luxury and convenience package that includes ambient lighting, heated front leather seats, a power moonroof and retractable cargo area cover.
The 2009 Escape Hybrid also features a fully independent suspension that has been revised and retuned with the addition of a new rear stabilizer bar and revised shock absorber tuning, helping to 2009fordescapehybridrearaction01smalldeliver a balance of enhanced ride comfort and handling confidence for the Hybrid that weighs 300lbs. more than the standard gasoline powered Escape.
The electric-assisted rack & pinion steering system has also been refined by finding the proper balance between tire performance and steering dynamics, giving optimal car-like drivability with increased responsiveness.
The new 2009 Escape Hybrid also features an array of standard safety features including AdvanceTrac with RSC, a safety canopy side air curtain technology offering protection for first and 2009fordescapehybridrearseats01smallsecond seating rows, Ford’s Personal Safety System which features a suite of seven safety technologies including new dual-stage front airbags, side airbags and a front passenger sensor system, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and the LATCH system for child seats.
New high-end amenities for 2009 include SYNC developed by Ford and Microsoft, which is an in-car communications and entertainment platform allowing uses to control most MP3 players and Bluetooth-enable mobile phones hands-free using voice commands; SIRIUS satellite radio, Voice Activated Navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link which also includes AM-FM/Six-Disc in-dash 2009fordescapehybriddashboard01smallchanger, seven speakers and a subwoofer; ambient lighting, steering wheel audio and cruise-control buttons, and a standard 110-volt AC power outlet up front.
My new Limited Hybrid model also came standard with front fog lamps, auto lamps, roof rack, privacy glass, easy-fuel capless filler, Securi-Code keyless entry, power windows/door locks, power/heated side mirrors, front/rear dual cup-holders,
self-dimming rearview mirror, variable speed wipers/washers, rear wiper/washer, dual map lights, 2009fordescapehybridcargoarea01smalllighted vanity mirrors at each side, a grab handle for the front passenger, thick-cut carpeting/floor mats, 60/40 split rear bench that easily folds to provide more cargo room, power six-way driver’s seat, electronic dual climate control system, outside temperature/compass readouts, hybrid gauges, tilt leather wheel, and a larger 15-gallon fuel tank.
With the highest EPA fuel mileage ratings in the segment of 34mpg/city and 31mpg/highway, aerodynamic enhancements, a refined powertrain, suspension and steering system, plus an upgraded interior, plus a low base price of just $31,635.00, the new 2009 Ford Escape Limited Hybrid is one of the best bargains for those consumers looking to further space their fuel mileage needs while driving a comfortable, technologically up-to-date, safe, multi-functional vehicle.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Ford pulls ahead as GM, Chrysler get 'rinse'
With GM and Chrysler both now in bankruptcy, a relatively healthy Ford stands to benefit, even as its two struggling Detroit rivals gain the advantages of powerful government backing.
Unlike GM and Chrysler, Ford hasn’t taken any money from the government. Two years ago, Ford’s Chief Executive Alan Mulally mortgaged every conceivable asset owned by the automaker to the tune of $23 billion to finance its turnaround plan.
While industry observers enthuse about the salutary effects of “quick rinse” bankruptcy plans for General Motors and Chrysler, as if these companies are simply changing hair color, Ford seems to hold onto the quaint notion that insolvency is better avoided.
It’s a position that’s pushing customers into Ford showrooms by default, as it were, according to Jack Kain, owner of a Ford dealership in Versailles, Ky.
“We’ve had so many people come in who have never come into a Ford dealership before, who have told us they were so happy Ford wasn’t having to borrow money from the government,” said Kain.
These customers are coming from both domestic and foreign nameplates, he noted.
“We’ve never had so many foreign cars on our [used car] lot,” Kain said.
It’s a perspective echoed by Rik Paul, automotive editor for Consumer Reports.
“A lot of people are thinking of buying American because they want to do their bit for the economy, but they are turned off by the problems at GM and Chrysler,” he said.
In fact, 63 percent of consumers surveyed by AutoPacific reported concern about buying from Chrysler, and 54 percent worried about buying from GM, even before the company filed for bankruptcy Monday, according to Ed Kim, director of industry analysis for the consultancy. By contrast, only 13 percent of consumers expressed concern about buying from Ford, he added.
Consumer Reports found an even stronger aversion to insolvent carmakers, with 78 percent of those surveyed saying they were unlikely to buy from a manufacturer in bankruptcy and 64 percent saying they were very unlikely to do so.
Shoppers not only say they are more comfortable buying from a solvent car manufacturer, they are voting with their dollars and driving Ford sales upward while Chrysler and GM shoppers hesitate.
“May will mark the seventh month in the last eight that Ford has increased its retail market share,” said George Pipas, Ford spokesman for sales analysis and reporting. “That hasn’t happened since early '90s,” when the company’s sales were powered by the twin dynamos of Taurus and Explorer. “At the retail level, last month’s 13 percent share was a point higher than a year ago,” he added.
(Ford and rival carmakers were scheduled to release official sales figures for May Tuesday.)
Ford has significantly curtailed sales to daily rental fleets, a onetime mainstay, and now rental sales account for only about 10 percent of production, a volume that is on par with competitors like Toyota, Pipas said. In the past, fleet sales were substantially less profitable than retail sales, but the profit gap has nearly evaporated under the harsh reality of mountainous incentives on retail sales.
The reduced fleet sales improve residual values, making Ford cars more financially appealing, according to Pipas.
But what about later this year or next, when slimmed-down GM and Chrysler get back in the car game in earnest, and their trips through bankruptcy relieve them of substantial costs? Will Ford be disadvantaged, or will the company take the sales lead from GM and power away on the momentum it is now building?
Observers say most of the advantages still will lie with Ford, even after GM and Chrysler benefit from deeper cost cuts than Ford may be able to achieve without bankruptcy and White House intervention.
Ford enjoys greater consumer confidence, holds esteem for its aversion to government aid, is getting higher ratings for quality and reliability, and has an array of fresh products queued up for introduction in coming months, including a refreshed Taurus family car that is earning praise from those that drive it.
“In our assessments, Ford products have done very well in recent years,” said Paul of Consumer Reports. “Cars like the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ are among the most reliable models on the road.”
GM and Chrysler will have potentially lower costs and easier access to loan money for dealers and customers because of federal support of their loan arms.
Thanks to the government aid, the minimum FICO credit score to qualify for a loan has fallen to 621 from 700 for GM and Chrysler, said Paul Taylor, chief economist for that National Automobile Dealers Association.
“At 621 you include a lot of normal consumers who may have a slight hiccup some time in the last five years," he said. "That was an important change.”
But this small advantage will not offset Ford’s myriad advantages, Taylor insisted. “When you start listing these things, the list for Ford gets pretty long,” he said. “For GM and Chrysler it would be largely financial and is a much shorter list.”
Still, having the government’s assistance is a powerful advantage.
“They have the benefit of being streamlined by the government,” said Paul, referring to GM and Chrysler. “So they will be smaller, more agile, better able to compete. Ford is doing restructuring on its own, but it remains to be seen if they’ll be able to complete their own restructuring in a timely manner.”
“I’ve seen forecasts that put Ford ahead of GM [in sales] this year,” said Kim. “They may emerge as the top-selling domestic manufacturer,” he said. “It’s not impossible that could happen.”
A key reason that GM needs fewer dealers is that it has fewer brands than before, so now it can concentrate its marketing and support dollars on those remaining brands and dealers.
Ford is not eliminating dealers, but because those dealers are for effectively only two brands, Ford and Lincoln/Mercury, which are always paired, its marketing money is already focused.
“Ford really has just two dealership networks,” said Kim. “So they don’t have quite the dealer proliferation problem GM does.”
For its part, Ford says it’s not worried about being left disadvantaged by government action.
“I don’t think Washington has any notion to save two companies at the expense of one,” said Pipas. “I can assure you we’re not going to be uncompetitive.”
Unlike GM and Chrysler, Ford hasn’t taken any money from the government. Two years ago, Ford’s Chief Executive Alan Mulally mortgaged every conceivable asset owned by the automaker to the tune of $23 billion to finance its turnaround plan.
While industry observers enthuse about the salutary effects of “quick rinse” bankruptcy plans for General Motors and Chrysler, as if these companies are simply changing hair color, Ford seems to hold onto the quaint notion that insolvency is better avoided.
It’s a position that’s pushing customers into Ford showrooms by default, as it were, according to Jack Kain, owner of a Ford dealership in Versailles, Ky.
“We’ve had so many people come in who have never come into a Ford dealership before, who have told us they were so happy Ford wasn’t having to borrow money from the government,” said Kain.
These customers are coming from both domestic and foreign nameplates, he noted.
“We’ve never had so many foreign cars on our [used car] lot,” Kain said.
It’s a perspective echoed by Rik Paul, automotive editor for Consumer Reports.
“A lot of people are thinking of buying American because they want to do their bit for the economy, but they are turned off by the problems at GM and Chrysler,” he said.
In fact, 63 percent of consumers surveyed by AutoPacific reported concern about buying from Chrysler, and 54 percent worried about buying from GM, even before the company filed for bankruptcy Monday, according to Ed Kim, director of industry analysis for the consultancy. By contrast, only 13 percent of consumers expressed concern about buying from Ford, he added.
Consumer Reports found an even stronger aversion to insolvent carmakers, with 78 percent of those surveyed saying they were unlikely to buy from a manufacturer in bankruptcy and 64 percent saying they were very unlikely to do so.
Shoppers not only say they are more comfortable buying from a solvent car manufacturer, they are voting with their dollars and driving Ford sales upward while Chrysler and GM shoppers hesitate.
“May will mark the seventh month in the last eight that Ford has increased its retail market share,” said George Pipas, Ford spokesman for sales analysis and reporting. “That hasn’t happened since early '90s,” when the company’s sales were powered by the twin dynamos of Taurus and Explorer. “At the retail level, last month’s 13 percent share was a point higher than a year ago,” he added.
(Ford and rival carmakers were scheduled to release official sales figures for May Tuesday.)
Ford has significantly curtailed sales to daily rental fleets, a onetime mainstay, and now rental sales account for only about 10 percent of production, a volume that is on par with competitors like Toyota, Pipas said. In the past, fleet sales were substantially less profitable than retail sales, but the profit gap has nearly evaporated under the harsh reality of mountainous incentives on retail sales.
The reduced fleet sales improve residual values, making Ford cars more financially appealing, according to Pipas.
But what about later this year or next, when slimmed-down GM and Chrysler get back in the car game in earnest, and their trips through bankruptcy relieve them of substantial costs? Will Ford be disadvantaged, or will the company take the sales lead from GM and power away on the momentum it is now building?
Observers say most of the advantages still will lie with Ford, even after GM and Chrysler benefit from deeper cost cuts than Ford may be able to achieve without bankruptcy and White House intervention.
Ford enjoys greater consumer confidence, holds esteem for its aversion to government aid, is getting higher ratings for quality and reliability, and has an array of fresh products queued up for introduction in coming months, including a refreshed Taurus family car that is earning praise from those that drive it.
“In our assessments, Ford products have done very well in recent years,” said Paul of Consumer Reports. “Cars like the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ are among the most reliable models on the road.”
GM and Chrysler will have potentially lower costs and easier access to loan money for dealers and customers because of federal support of their loan arms.
Thanks to the government aid, the minimum FICO credit score to qualify for a loan has fallen to 621 from 700 for GM and Chrysler, said Paul Taylor, chief economist for that National Automobile Dealers Association.
“At 621 you include a lot of normal consumers who may have a slight hiccup some time in the last five years," he said. "That was an important change.”
But this small advantage will not offset Ford’s myriad advantages, Taylor insisted. “When you start listing these things, the list for Ford gets pretty long,” he said. “For GM and Chrysler it would be largely financial and is a much shorter list.”
Still, having the government’s assistance is a powerful advantage.
“They have the benefit of being streamlined by the government,” said Paul, referring to GM and Chrysler. “So they will be smaller, more agile, better able to compete. Ford is doing restructuring on its own, but it remains to be seen if they’ll be able to complete their own restructuring in a timely manner.”
“I’ve seen forecasts that put Ford ahead of GM [in sales] this year,” said Kim. “They may emerge as the top-selling domestic manufacturer,” he said. “It’s not impossible that could happen.”
A key reason that GM needs fewer dealers is that it has fewer brands than before, so now it can concentrate its marketing and support dollars on those remaining brands and dealers.
Ford is not eliminating dealers, but because those dealers are for effectively only two brands, Ford and Lincoln/Mercury, which are always paired, its marketing money is already focused.
“Ford really has just two dealership networks,” said Kim. “So they don’t have quite the dealer proliferation problem GM does.”
For its part, Ford says it’s not worried about being left disadvantaged by government action.
“I don’t think Washington has any notion to save two companies at the expense of one,” said Pipas. “I can assure you we’re not going to be uncompetitive.”
Ford U.S. sales strongest since July
DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday that U.S. sales fell 24.2 percent in May for all of its brands as the only U.S. automaker not in bankruptcy reported its strongest domestic sales month since July 2008.
Ford sales fell to 161,531 vehicles in May, including all of its brands, from 213,238 vehicles a year earlier. For its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands combined, sales fell 24.3 percent to 155,954 vehicles in May from a year earlier.
The 155,954 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles sold in May represented the strongest month for those brands since July 2008.
Ford is among the first of the large automakers to report U.S. auto sales for May, a day after rival General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy protection in New York, joining Chrysler, which had filed for bankruptcy on April 30.
The automaker said it reduced incentive spending in May, but believed that the market share for its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands grew to its highest level since 2006.
For those brands, car sales fell 25.5 percent from a year earlier, crossover sales fell 9 percent, SUV sales fell 37.4 percent and truck and van sales fell 28.7 percent, it said.
Ford said on Monday it had made a small production increase in North America for the second quarter over its previous plan and set a third-quarter production plan of 460,000 vehicles, or 42,000 higher than a year earlier.
The automaker said it ended May with inventories of 350,000 vehicles, or a 56-day supply, 210,000 lower than a year earlier.
Ford shares were unchanged at $6.13 on the New York Stock Exchange in early afternoon.
(Reporting by David Bailey, editing by Matthew Lewis).
Ford sales fell to 161,531 vehicles in May, including all of its brands, from 213,238 vehicles a year earlier. For its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands combined, sales fell 24.3 percent to 155,954 vehicles in May from a year earlier.
The 155,954 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles sold in May represented the strongest month for those brands since July 2008.
Ford is among the first of the large automakers to report U.S. auto sales for May, a day after rival General Motors Corp filed for bankruptcy protection in New York, joining Chrysler, which had filed for bankruptcy on April 30.
The automaker said it reduced incentive spending in May, but believed that the market share for its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands grew to its highest level since 2006.
For those brands, car sales fell 25.5 percent from a year earlier, crossover sales fell 9 percent, SUV sales fell 37.4 percent and truck and van sales fell 28.7 percent, it said.
Ford said on Monday it had made a small production increase in North America for the second quarter over its previous plan and set a third-quarter production plan of 460,000 vehicles, or 42,000 higher than a year earlier.
The automaker said it ended May with inventories of 350,000 vehicles, or a 56-day supply, 210,000 lower than a year earlier.
Ford shares were unchanged at $6.13 on the New York Stock Exchange in early afternoon.
(Reporting by David Bailey, editing by Matthew Lewis).
Monday, June 1, 2009
Ford shows electric vehicles on car-less Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is famous as a place where cars aren't allowed, but Ford Motor Co. managed to get permission to bring over a pair of vehicles that it hopes represent the future of transportation.
The Dearborn-based company staged a photo op between Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. and Gov. Jennifer Granholm Thursday during the Mackinac conference. Ford was displaying a plug-in hybrid-electric Escape sport-utility vehicle and a battery-electric Focus small car to be built at its assembly plant in Wayne in 2011.
Speaking with reporters, Ford said the company was pleased with its recent performance but isn't taking any pleasure watching its competitors struggle. Chrysler could emerge from bankruptcy as soon as Friday, General Motors is expected to file Chapter 11 on Monday and key supplier Visteon, which Ford spun off in 2000, filed for bankruptcy reorganization today.
"It's been our biggest concern all along," Ford said of suppliers. "There's no question the Obama administration and the (auto) task force understands it's a huge issue, and I think they've done a good job in their planning for all the eventualities to help the supply base...
"It breaks my heart the effect it has on people. From a business standpoint, Ford and all the major Visteon customers are helping provide the debtor-in-possession financing. So from a business standpoint, I think we should be fine."
Ford also reiterated that the company intends to avoid having to accept government loans. He noted the company recently raised $1.4 billion through an offering of 300 million shares of common stock, "which was a really strong signal that we could do that in this kind of market," he said. "We are financing ourselves and we'll continue to do so."
He said U.S. auto sales have remain mostly unchanged for the past few months.
"We're forecasting not a huge change going forward," Ford said. "I think it's prudent for us to be conservative. "Our market share has been going up, which we feel really good about, and we've kept our production in line with demand really I think very well for the last couple of years.
"You don't see us having enormous stocks out in the marketplace so we don't have to do huge incentives."
Granholm said the vehicles showed Ford's commitment to weaning the nation off its dependency on foreign oil.
"Michigan right now is at the cusp of this ability to move us forward, not just as a state but as a nation. That's very exciting," the governor said. "It's going to take a little bit of time, but it's very exciting."
The Dearborn-based company staged a photo op between Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. and Gov. Jennifer Granholm Thursday during the Mackinac conference. Ford was displaying a plug-in hybrid-electric Escape sport-utility vehicle and a battery-electric Focus small car to be built at its assembly plant in Wayne in 2011.
Speaking with reporters, Ford said the company was pleased with its recent performance but isn't taking any pleasure watching its competitors struggle. Chrysler could emerge from bankruptcy as soon as Friday, General Motors is expected to file Chapter 11 on Monday and key supplier Visteon, which Ford spun off in 2000, filed for bankruptcy reorganization today.
"It's been our biggest concern all along," Ford said of suppliers. "There's no question the Obama administration and the (auto) task force understands it's a huge issue, and I think they've done a good job in their planning for all the eventualities to help the supply base...
"It breaks my heart the effect it has on people. From a business standpoint, Ford and all the major Visteon customers are helping provide the debtor-in-possession financing. So from a business standpoint, I think we should be fine."
Ford also reiterated that the company intends to avoid having to accept government loans. He noted the company recently raised $1.4 billion through an offering of 300 million shares of common stock, "which was a really strong signal that we could do that in this kind of market," he said. "We are financing ourselves and we'll continue to do so."
He said U.S. auto sales have remain mostly unchanged for the past few months.
"We're forecasting not a huge change going forward," Ford said. "I think it's prudent for us to be conservative. "Our market share has been going up, which we feel really good about, and we've kept our production in line with demand really I think very well for the last couple of years.
"You don't see us having enormous stocks out in the marketplace so we don't have to do huge incentives."
Granholm said the vehicles showed Ford's commitment to weaning the nation off its dependency on foreign oil.
"Michigan right now is at the cusp of this ability to move us forward, not just as a state but as a nation. That's very exciting," the governor said. "It's going to take a little bit of time, but it's very exciting."
Getting your V6 to act like a V8, while saving gas
The history of engine improvements in the U.S. has tended primarily in one direction: raw horsepower. Engines have gotten bigger and more powerful over time—and that's certainly what automakers have used as a key selling point. But U.S. automaker Ford has decided to take turbocharging and direct fuel injection in another direction: fuel efficiency.
Yesterday, Ford began production of what it's calling the EcoBoost engine: a new gasoline motor that employs turbocharging, direct fuel injection, variable timing in the valves that control fuel and exhaust flow to make a smaller, lighter six-cylinder engine perform like an eight-cylinder engine.* When these technologies are combined, "you can now significantly downsize the engine," says mechanical engineer Dan Kapp, Ford's director for power train research. "The fuel efficiency comes from a much smaller displacement engine providing equal or, in most cases, superior performance to the engine you're replacing."
In essence, the new engine works by using the turbocharging to deliver more air to the fuel burning chamber, variable valve timing to fully flush exhaust gas after combustion in the chamber and then direct injection to overcome any knocking issues. ecoboost engine production line
The company estimates the new engines—which will begin appearing in the Lincoln MKS and MKZ and the Ford Flex and Taurus this summer—can deliver at least 10 percent more miles-per-gallon and therefore reduced emissions of carbon dioxide. By 2013, the company plans to produce 1.3 million vehicles with EcoBoost engines in them, including 90 percent of all Ford vehicles sold in the U.S.
Of course, such cars will be more expensive than current models, though Kapp declined to specify a price tag, saying only that fuel savings could pay for it "on the order of two years or less" at today's fuel prices. That’s compared to much longer payback times for diesels or hybrids (which Ford is also producing).
Ultimately, the EcoBoost engine will also have to cope with alternative fuels, and Ford plans in the longer-term future to move more towards hybrids and electric vehicles. But for the next decade or so, Ford will be relying on these engines to meet some of the new fuel efficiency targets announced this week and reduce pollution.
"What Ford is doing uniquely here is leveraging [EcoBoost] to deliver fuel efficiency through aggressive downsizing [of the engine] as opposed to the performance type approach," Kapp says. But it remains to be seen whether a car company that has spent years and millions of advertising dollars touting the horsepower that can be gained from such improvements (at the expense of fuel efficiency) can convince customers to change direction too.
Yesterday, Ford began production of what it's calling the EcoBoost engine: a new gasoline motor that employs turbocharging, direct fuel injection, variable timing in the valves that control fuel and exhaust flow to make a smaller, lighter six-cylinder engine perform like an eight-cylinder engine.* When these technologies are combined, "you can now significantly downsize the engine," says mechanical engineer Dan Kapp, Ford's director for power train research. "The fuel efficiency comes from a much smaller displacement engine providing equal or, in most cases, superior performance to the engine you're replacing."
In essence, the new engine works by using the turbocharging to deliver more air to the fuel burning chamber, variable valve timing to fully flush exhaust gas after combustion in the chamber and then direct injection to overcome any knocking issues. ecoboost engine production line
The company estimates the new engines—which will begin appearing in the Lincoln MKS and MKZ and the Ford Flex and Taurus this summer—can deliver at least 10 percent more miles-per-gallon and therefore reduced emissions of carbon dioxide. By 2013, the company plans to produce 1.3 million vehicles with EcoBoost engines in them, including 90 percent of all Ford vehicles sold in the U.S.
Of course, such cars will be more expensive than current models, though Kapp declined to specify a price tag, saying only that fuel savings could pay for it "on the order of two years or less" at today's fuel prices. That’s compared to much longer payback times for diesels or hybrids (which Ford is also producing).
Ultimately, the EcoBoost engine will also have to cope with alternative fuels, and Ford plans in the longer-term future to move more towards hybrids and electric vehicles. But for the next decade or so, Ford will be relying on these engines to meet some of the new fuel efficiency targets announced this week and reduce pollution.
"What Ford is doing uniquely here is leveraging [EcoBoost] to deliver fuel efficiency through aggressive downsizing [of the engine] as opposed to the performance type approach," Kapp says. But it remains to be seen whether a car company that has spent years and millions of advertising dollars touting the horsepower that can be gained from such improvements (at the expense of fuel efficiency) can convince customers to change direction too.
Can a 2010 Ford Fusion Go 1000 Miles on One Tank of Gas?
Have you ever heard of a “hypermiler”? It is a person who specializes at getting a lot of miles per gallon out of a vehcile. In other words, a fuel efficiency expert. They use Eco-Driving techniques to maximize operational efficiency. Recent studies show how you drive to be important and in some cases more important than what you drive in achieving the best fuel economy results. A good hypermiler can achieve 30-40% or better fuel economy than an typical driver using typical driving techniques. For instance, the new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is rated at 41 MPG on its window sticker. Most of us have difficulty achieving even the stated economy of a vehicle. In recent tests and when it was driven by a hypermiler named Wayne Gerdes, the vehicle managed to produce a fuel economy rating of approximatley 70 MPG.
Ford Motor Company is commited to producing fuel efficient vehciles that protect our enviornment and help of to live off our own resources. It is more than just trying to be green. Yes, being green is a goal. But keeping our enviornment green is a much more valuable objective. So Ford’s hottest new vehicle is a cool efficient hybrid! Read more below.
[Source: Ford]
PRESS RELEASE:
Ford Team Aims To Drive 2010 Fusion Hybrid 1,000 Miles on a Single Tank of Gas
- The Ford Fusion Hybrid team will attempt to drive more than 1,000 miles for more than 43 continuous hours – on a single tank of gas, raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the process
- The most fuel-efficient, mid-sized sedan in America – the Fusion Hybrid driven by a team of Ford hybrid engineers, a fuel efficiency expert and a NASCAR star, will have to achieve an average of at least 57 mpg on the challenge to reach its goal
- By using Eco-Driving techniques engineers have achieved 70 mpg during testing of the Ford Fusion Hybrid in preparation for the challenge
- Consumers can improve their own vehicle’s fuel economy performance is by adopting Ford’s “Eco-Driving” tips used for the 1,000-Mile Challenge
DEARBORN, Mich., April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — This weekend, the 2010 Ford (NYSE: F) Fusion Hybrid is being put to the ultimate fuel-efficiency test. A team of drivers, including NASCAR star Carl Edwards and world-record breaking hypermiler Wayne Gerdes, will attempt to drive more than 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas, raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the process.
The 1,000-Mile Challenge starts at around 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, from Mount Vernon, Va., and ends the morning of Monday, April 27, in Washington, D.C. The team will drive for more than 43 hours continuously to reach the 1,000-mile goal. The drivers will do stints of between two and three hours each and will have regular breaks to ensure safe driving is maintained. Already rated as the most fuel-efficient, mid-sized sedan in America, the Fusion Hybrid will need to average at least 57 mpg to achieve its goal. During preliminary testing in preparation for this challenge, Ford engineers have reached as much as 70 mpg in the Fusion Hybrid by using Eco-Driving techniques.
The team will run clinics for media and customers over the weekend in the Fusion Hybrid, conducting interviews and vehicle demonstrations on how simple techniques can make a significant difference to real world fuel economy numbers.
The Fusion Hybrid being used in the challenge will be a factory produced model with no modifications or alterations and will run on regular 87 octane gas.
The team will be uploading regular images and video to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/fordstory), Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fordmotorcompany), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/people/Kristopher-Spencer/1228149870), Twitter (http://twitter.com/Ford), and www.media.ford.com.
Ford is taking on the 1,000-Mile Challenge for a number of reasons:
* To demonstrate Ford’s commitment to be the best or amongst the best in fuel economy in every vehicle segment in which it competes;
* To highlight the crucial role the driver plays in maximizing fuel economy and demonstrate how consumers can make a difference through Eco-Driving;
* To raise awareness about Eco-Driving and how the Fusion Hybrid contributes to it with the ability to run up to 47 mph in pure electric mode; and
* To raise awareness and funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
The 1,000-Mile Challenge team comprises of:
* Wayne Gerdes, the world-record breaking hypermiling champion and founder of www.cleanmpg.com;
* Carl Edwards, the NASCAR race star who recently bought his own 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid;
* Sherif Marakby, graduate of Maryland University and Ford hybrid chief engineer;
* Gil Portalatin, Ford hybrid applications manager and Ford Fusion Hybrid team leader;
* Tom Rolewicz, one of Ford’s top calibration experts and hybrid system expert; and
* Steve Burke, Ford product expert on hybrid applications
The mileage-maximizing techniques that the Ford team will use and pass on to consumers include:
* Slowing down and maintaining even throttle pressure;
* Gradually accelerating and smoothly braking;
* Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles and anticipating traffic conditions;
* Coasting up to red lights and stop signs to avoid fuel waste and brake wear;
* Minimize use of heater and air conditioning to reduce the load on the engine;
* Close windows at high speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag;
* Applying the “Pulse and Glide” technique while maintaining the flow of traffic;
* Minimize excessive engine workload by using the vehicle’s kinetic forward motion to climb hills, and use downhill momentum to build speed; and
* Avoiding bumps and potholes that can reduce momentum
Go here (http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=28946) for more Eco-Driving tips
Ford Motor Company is commited to producing fuel efficient vehciles that protect our enviornment and help of to live off our own resources. It is more than just trying to be green. Yes, being green is a goal. But keeping our enviornment green is a much more valuable objective. So Ford’s hottest new vehicle is a cool efficient hybrid! Read more below.
[Source: Ford]
PRESS RELEASE:
Ford Team Aims To Drive 2010 Fusion Hybrid 1,000 Miles on a Single Tank of Gas
- The Ford Fusion Hybrid team will attempt to drive more than 1,000 miles for more than 43 continuous hours – on a single tank of gas, raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the process
- The most fuel-efficient, mid-sized sedan in America – the Fusion Hybrid driven by a team of Ford hybrid engineers, a fuel efficiency expert and a NASCAR star, will have to achieve an average of at least 57 mpg on the challenge to reach its goal
- By using Eco-Driving techniques engineers have achieved 70 mpg during testing of the Ford Fusion Hybrid in preparation for the challenge
- Consumers can improve their own vehicle’s fuel economy performance is by adopting Ford’s “Eco-Driving” tips used for the 1,000-Mile Challenge
DEARBORN, Mich., April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — This weekend, the 2010 Ford (NYSE: F) Fusion Hybrid is being put to the ultimate fuel-efficiency test. A team of drivers, including NASCAR star Carl Edwards and world-record breaking hypermiler Wayne Gerdes, will attempt to drive more than 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas, raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the process.
The 1,000-Mile Challenge starts at around 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, from Mount Vernon, Va., and ends the morning of Monday, April 27, in Washington, D.C. The team will drive for more than 43 hours continuously to reach the 1,000-mile goal. The drivers will do stints of between two and three hours each and will have regular breaks to ensure safe driving is maintained. Already rated as the most fuel-efficient, mid-sized sedan in America, the Fusion Hybrid will need to average at least 57 mpg to achieve its goal. During preliminary testing in preparation for this challenge, Ford engineers have reached as much as 70 mpg in the Fusion Hybrid by using Eco-Driving techniques.
The team will run clinics for media and customers over the weekend in the Fusion Hybrid, conducting interviews and vehicle demonstrations on how simple techniques can make a significant difference to real world fuel economy numbers.
The Fusion Hybrid being used in the challenge will be a factory produced model with no modifications or alterations and will run on regular 87 octane gas.
The team will be uploading regular images and video to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/fordstory), Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fordmotorcompany), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/people/Kristopher-Spencer/1228149870), Twitter (http://twitter.com/Ford), and www.media.ford.com.
Ford is taking on the 1,000-Mile Challenge for a number of reasons:
* To demonstrate Ford’s commitment to be the best or amongst the best in fuel economy in every vehicle segment in which it competes;
* To highlight the crucial role the driver plays in maximizing fuel economy and demonstrate how consumers can make a difference through Eco-Driving;
* To raise awareness about Eco-Driving and how the Fusion Hybrid contributes to it with the ability to run up to 47 mph in pure electric mode; and
* To raise awareness and funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
The 1,000-Mile Challenge team comprises of:
* Wayne Gerdes, the world-record breaking hypermiling champion and founder of www.cleanmpg.com;
* Carl Edwards, the NASCAR race star who recently bought his own 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid;
* Sherif Marakby, graduate of Maryland University and Ford hybrid chief engineer;
* Gil Portalatin, Ford hybrid applications manager and Ford Fusion Hybrid team leader;
* Tom Rolewicz, one of Ford’s top calibration experts and hybrid system expert; and
* Steve Burke, Ford product expert on hybrid applications
The mileage-maximizing techniques that the Ford team will use and pass on to consumers include:
* Slowing down and maintaining even throttle pressure;
* Gradually accelerating and smoothly braking;
* Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles and anticipating traffic conditions;
* Coasting up to red lights and stop signs to avoid fuel waste and brake wear;
* Minimize use of heater and air conditioning to reduce the load on the engine;
* Close windows at high speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag;
* Applying the “Pulse and Glide” technique while maintaining the flow of traffic;
* Minimize excessive engine workload by using the vehicle’s kinetic forward motion to climb hills, and use downhill momentum to build speed; and
* Avoiding bumps and potholes that can reduce momentum
Go here (http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=28946) for more Eco-Driving tips
2009 Dodge Ram Recalled for Fourth Time
WASHINGTON — Chrysler is recalling 37,407 2009 Dodge Ram trucks with manual temperature control because the software programmed into the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning module may cause the windshield defrosting and defogging functions to become inoperative, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"This can decrease the driver's visibility under certain driving conditions and result in a crash without warning," said NHTSA in its recall summary of the problem.
This is the fourth recall of the 2009 Ram since March. Earlier recalls dealt with a clutch pedal problem, a windshield wiper problem and a windshield wiper module motor assembly problem, according to NHTSA.
In this latest recall, Dodge dealers will reprogram the HVAC module for free. The recall will begin in June. Owners may contact Chrysler at (800) 835-1403.
"This can decrease the driver's visibility under certain driving conditions and result in a crash without warning," said NHTSA in its recall summary of the problem.
This is the fourth recall of the 2009 Ram since March. Earlier recalls dealt with a clutch pedal problem, a windshield wiper problem and a windshield wiper module motor assembly problem, according to NHTSA.
In this latest recall, Dodge dealers will reprogram the HVAC module for free. The recall will begin in June. Owners may contact Chrysler at (800) 835-1403.
GM Recalls 2010 Chevrolet Camaro With V8 Engine
WASHINGTON — General Motors is recalling 1,243 of its 2010 Chevrolet Camaros equipped with a V8 engine. A potential short in the engine compartment could cause the vehicle to stall without the ability to restart or could result in an engine compartment fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"The positive battery cable may contact the starter motor housing and cause wear on the cable insulation," said NHTSA in its recall summary of the problem. "If the insulation wears through the cable, it could create a short.
"A short could result in a no-start condition, cause the vehicle to stall without the ability to restart, or result in an engine compartment fire."
The problem was first discovered in a 2010 Camaro SS, according to GM documents filed with the government.
Chevrolet dealers will reroute the positive battery cable to ensure adequate clearance. GM said it will start calling customers on May 6 and anticipates mailing owner letters on May 18. Owners can contact Chevrolet at (800) 630-2438.
"The positive battery cable may contact the starter motor housing and cause wear on the cable insulation," said NHTSA in its recall summary of the problem. "If the insulation wears through the cable, it could create a short.
"A short could result in a no-start condition, cause the vehicle to stall without the ability to restart, or result in an engine compartment fire."
The problem was first discovered in a 2010 Camaro SS, according to GM documents filed with the government.
Chevrolet dealers will reroute the positive battery cable to ensure adequate clearance. GM said it will start calling customers on May 6 and anticipates mailing owner letters on May 18. Owners can contact Chevrolet at (800) 630-2438.
Fixing up Ford
If business were politics, Detroit would be the Middle East. So how is an outsider like Alan Mulally finding solutions? And why does he seem to be enjoying himself?
(Fortune Magazine) -- Alan Mulally is in my face - again. In fact, he has barely left it for the past two hours. He has taken me through the thick loose-leaf binder he assembled for my interview and shown me another five binders filled with interviews he did upon taking the CEO job at Ford, along with research material and personal notes.
He has given me his opinion on all the stories I've written about Ford (F, Fortune 500) since he took over and, for good measure, the stories I wrote about Boeing back when he worked there. The man is relentless and demands all my attention. He won't let up until he has turned all my "nos" and "maybes" into "yeses."
Call it the Mulally method: this good-natured but relentless insistence on following what he has determined to be the correct course of action. My immersion is taking place around a conference table in his office on the 12th floor of Ford Motor Co.'s world headquarters in Dearborn, Mich.
0:00 /2:44Ford chief: Plan's working Mulally is sitting so close, he could be in my lap. The office decoration is sparse, but Mulally likes the 180-degree view; Ford's historic River Rouge complex is visible on the horizon, and he says he can keep an eye on General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) and Chrysler from here too. Not that Mulally has much time for window gazing. He's on a crusade to save Ford Motor.
Now he's showing me the corporate mission statement he wrote and had printed on plastic cards and distributed to employees. And here is the hand-drawn diagram he's created just for me (with my name in a cloudburst!) to explain what it all means. In case I hadn't noticed, Mulally says, "I went to a lot of work for this." Trust me, Alan, I noticed.
All this attention is wearing me out - but not Mulally. In the midst of history's second-worst auto depression, Mulally seems to be ... enjoying himself? This is a man who lives less than three miles from his office, arrives there each morning at 5:15 a.m. for a 12-hour workday, and does so with smile. At 63, he still gets enthusiastic about tackling big jobs. "I've always wanted to do something important, and it had to be in a big organization," says Mulally.
You would think once in a lifetime would be enough for the aeronautical engineer in charge of developing the 777 airliner at Boeing (BA, Fortune 500). But here he is, doing it all over again: "What gets me really excited is a big thing where a lot of talented, smart people are involved," he says. Mulally once asked his mother, now 90, "Why am I this way?" She replied, "You've always been this way."
0:00 /2:56Ford adding production Mulally's being "this way" has, at least for now, kept Ford ahead of GM and Chrysler in the fight for survival. Unlike its traditional rivals, Mulally's Ford insists it has enough cash to ride out the economic downturn and does not want the government loans that the other two companies have accepted.
Ford's financial independence is largely due to a new operational discipline that Mulally has installed, as well as some timely strategic moves he initiated. So while GM suffered the ignominy of seeing the Treasury Department's auto task force depose chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner, and Chrysler has declared bankruptcy, Ford stands alone as an independent company and, potentially, a Detroit survivor. "Alan was the right choice [to be CEO], and it gets more right every day," says executive chairman Bill Ford, the man who hired him.
Ford Motor is still losing money, like nearly every other automaker, but it shows signs of recovery. In the U.S. its market share of retail sales to individuals (as opposed to wholesale sales to fleet customers) has gone up in six of the past seven months. It has negotiated four new agreements with the United Auto Workers, bringing its hourly labor cost down from $76 an hour to $55 an hour and, Ford says, promising to make it competitive with Toyota (TM). While GM and Chrysler are hoarding cash, Ford actually laid out $2.4 billion in March to pay down $10.1 billion in long-term debt. Its share price has increased nearly fivefold since hitting a low in November.
'Pretty relentless' Mulally, who was hired as CEO in September 2006, hasn't engineered, designed, or built any cars. But he has devised a plan that identifies specific goals for the company, created a process that moves it toward those goals, and installed a system to make sure it gets there. Mulally watches all this with intensity - and demands weekly, sometimes daily, updates. "Alan's style is pretty relentless," says chief financial officer Lewis Booth, a 31-year Ford veteran. "He says, 'If this is the reality, what are we going to do about it?' not 'We're going to work our way through it.'"
The Mulally method has pointed Ford to some smart strategic moves. Sensing a recession in 2006, Mulally decided to borrow $23.6 billion against Ford's assets. Piling on more debt wasn't an easy call, but the extra cash meant that Ford could say no to government loans when sales fell apart last year. Mulally is moving to integrate the company globally, despite several failed attempts in the past. In 2010, Ford will be selling small cars in the U.S. that were developed in Europe. Mulally persuaded Bill Ford to dispose of Jaguar and Land Rover and focus its resources on the Ford brand, and by moving quickly he managed to sell them to India's Tata in 2007 when there was still a market for makers of luxury vehicles. He took longer to untangle Volvo from the rest of the company, but he has now put that up for sale too.
Those moves have helped Ford separate from GM and Chrysler, and Mulally is pumped. "As we come through this, we're going to be a turbo machine on the other side," he says. He has promised that Ford's core North American operations, as well as the entire company, will turn profitable by 2011. It had better, because it can't keep losing money indefinitely. Ford recorded a loss of $14.7 billion last year and another $1.4 billion in 2009's first quarter. If the U.S. and the rest of the global economy continue to slump, Ford's survival could be endangered. "The test of Ford's liquidity will be how low vehicle sales go this year, when they recover, and what levels they recover to in 2010 and 2011," writes analyst Shelly Lombard of Gimme Credit.
Besides, Ford hasn't always handled prosperity well. It boomed in the mid-1980s on the strength of the Taurus, pickup trucks, and Lincolns, only to be laid low by the recession of 1990-91. Then it squeezed record profits out of Expeditions, Lincoln Navigators, and pickups - all built on the same platform - in the middle to late 1990s. But a binge of overseas acquisitions, combined with laxity in operations, brought it limping into the 21st century. When Mulally arrived in September 2006, Ford was known mainly for its pickup trucks and the Mustang, and the company was on the verge of collapse. It lost $12.6 billion in 2006 and another $2.7 billion in 2007.
Now, if the economy recovers on schedule, Ford is in a position to thrive. To meet stricter government fuel-economy standards, it is introducing a line of more efficient, smaller-displacement engines with turbocharging, and it will start rolling out electric vehicles in 2010. A healthier Ford will be able to scoop up business from GM and Chrysler as those companies shed brands and models. Goldman Sachs's Patrick Archambault sees Ford picking up 25% of the sales the two companies lose, equivalent to 1.35 points of market share.
So how does an industry outsider like Mulally come into a company as large as Ford - with its 205,000 employees, multiple product lines, and international operations - and straighten it out?
To people like me who follow the industry and find its inner workings infinitely complex, the success of a non-auto person is surprising and, frankly, a little discomfiting. Mulally, after all, was so removed from Detroit ways when Ford hired him that his personal car was a Lexus.
Although there are similarities between building airplanes and making cars - heavy R&D, complex manufacturing, supplier relations, a unionized workforce - there are crucial differences too. Mulally had no experience in mass marketing or dealer relations. Although he has weighed in on model names, brand streamlining (he is allowing Mercury to wither away), and product complexity (he was flabbergasted to hear that engineers had created 132 different center consoles for the Navigator), he leaves product decisions to the professionals.
The story of how Mulally revived Ford's best-known sedan is a quintessential demonstration of the Mulally method - analyzing a situation using accepted facts and then winning over support through persistence. Here's the story, told by Mulally:
"I arrive here, and the first day I say, 'Let's go look at the product lineup.' And they lay it out, and I said, 'Where's the Taurus?' They said, 'Well, we killed it.' I said, 'What do you mean, you killed it?' 'Well, we made a couple that looked like a football. They didn't sell very well, so we stopped it.' 'You stopped the Taurus?' I said. 'How many billions of dollars does it cost to build brand loyalty around a name?' 'Well, we thought it was so damaged that we named it the Five Hundred.' I said, 'Well, you've got until tomorrow to find a vehicle to put the Taurus name on because that's why I'm here. Then you have two years to make the coolest vehicle that you can possibly make.'?" The 2010 Taurus is arriving on the market this spring, and while it is not as startling as the original 1986 Taurus, it is still pretty cool.
A new corporate culture It's difficult to imagine the reaction of hard-bitten Ford executives to Mulally's arrival. Sharp elbows, fierce loyalties, and frequent turf battles were hallmarks of Ford's management culture: The tough guys won. Despite nearly 40 years in the commercial airplane business - one of the most international of industries - Mulally looks as if he had just left his home state of Kansas. He dresses like a Boy Scout leader - blue blazer, button-down shirt, kiltie loafers - and his open-mouth smile makes him appear bemused or even a bit puzzled by what goes on around him. That corn-fed sincerity, however, masks confidence, discipline, and a fierce desire to win.
"Communicate, communicate, communicate," Mulally explained in one of his notes to me. "Everyone has to know the plan, its status, and areas that need special attention." For instance, Mulally is determined that Ford reduce its dependence on light trucks as gas becomes more expensive, and he has let the entire organization know it in the bluntest possible language. "Everybody says you can't make money off small cars," he says. "Well, you'd better damn well figure out how to make money, because that's where the world is going."
Mulally's openness seems to have won him support throughout the organization. Says manufacturing boss Joe Hinrichs: "Alan brings infectious energy. This is a person people want to follow." Sometimes Mulally verges on guilelessness. In preparation for our interview, he provided me with a one-page summary of his managerial abilities. Titled "Alan's Leadership," it includes some boilerplate - "proven successful leader ... business acumen and judgment ... steady ... true North" - but leavens it with less quantifiable traits: "expects the very best of himself and others, seeks to understand rather than to be understood." I can't imagine another CEO making such a list public. Bill Ford sums Mulally up this way: "Alan is not a very complicated person. He is very driven."
Arriving at Ford, Mulally boned up on the company like a student cramming for an exam, interviewing dozens of employees, analysts, and consultants, and filling those five binders with his typed notes. The research allowed him to develop a point of view about the auto business that now frames all his decisions. Its pillars draw heavily from his experience at Boeing: Focus on the Ford brand ("nobody buys a house of brands"); compete in every market segment with carefully defined products (small, medium, and large; cars, utilities, and trucks); market fewer nameplates (40 worldwide by 2013, down from 97 worldwide in 2006); and become best in class in quality, fuel efficiency, safety, and value.
Are corporate mission statements so 1990s? Not to Mulally. To let everyone know what he had in mind, Mulally created those plastic cards with four goals on one side ("Expected Behaviors") and a revised definition of the company ("One Ford") on the other. To Mulally, it is like sacred text: "This is me. I wrote it. It's what I believe in. You can't make this shit up."
"I am here to save an American and global icon," Mulally declares. He drives performance the way he did at Boeing, with the Business Plan Review, a meeting with his direct reports, held early every Thursday. "I live for Thursday morning at 8 a.m.," he says. First up are Ford's four profit centers: the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Ford Credit. Then come presentations from 12 functional areas (from product development and manufacturing to human resources and government relations).
"When I arrived there were six or seven people reporting to Bill Ford, and the IT person wasn't there, the human resources person wasn't there," says Mulally. "So I moved up and included every functional discipline on my team because everybody in this place had to be involved and had to know everything."
The Thursday meetings are held in what's known as the Thunderbird Room, one floor below Mulally's office, around a circular dark-wood table fitted with three pairs of videoscreens in the center. Eight clocks, one for each Ford time zone, are mounted on the wall. There are seats for 18 executives around the table, with additional ones on the perimeter ("Here's where I sit," says Mulally, indicating a chair: "Pilot's seat").
There are no pre-meetings or briefing books. "They don't bring their big books anymore because I'm not going to grind them with as many questions as I can to humiliate them," Mulally says. "We'll see them next week. We don't take action - I'm going to see you next week." No BlackBerrys are allowed, and no side conversations either - Mulally is insistent about that. "If somebody starts to talk or they don't respect each other, the meeting just stops. They know I've removed vice presidents because they couldn't stop talking because they thought they were so damn important."
Mulally instituted color coding for reports: green for good, yellow for caution, red for problems. Managers coded their operations green at the first couple of meetings to show how well they were doing, but Mulally called them on it. "You guys, you know we lost a few billion dollars last year," he told the group. "Is there anything that's not going well?" After that the process loosened up. Americas boss Mark Fields went first. He admitted that the Ford Edge, due to arrive at dealers, had some technical problems with the rear lift gate and wasn't ready for the start of production. "The whole place was deathly silent," says Mulally. "Then I clapped, and I said, 'Mark, I really appreciate that clear visibility.' And the next week the entire set of charts were all rainbows."
"If something is off-track, we are much better at identifying it and resolving it," says CFO Booth. "Not everything turns to green. If it doesn't, we have to modify the plan."
To monitor operations during the week, Mulally can visit two adjacent rooms whose walls are lined with 280 performance charts, arranged by area of responsibility, with a big picture of the executive in charge in case there are any doubts. Everyone at the Thursday meeting gets wall space. Mulally spends 30 minutes explaining the charts to me, making sure I stand 20 feet away so that I can't see any of the data. The message, though, comes through clearly: Mulally has his finger on every piece of this large and complex company. So does his board of directors; they see a subset of the same data. There are no secrets at Ford anymore. "This is a huge enterprise, and the magic is, everybody knows the plan," says Mulally.
And everyone seems to be onboard. Chief financial officer Don Leclair became a company hero for arranging the $23.6 billion loan in 2006. But other executives found him hard to work with, and Leclair decided to retire. Mulally doesn't want to have to settle arguments between executives, either. "They can either work together or they can come see me," he says. He demonstrates how infrequently that happens by springing up from his chair, dashing into his outer office, and then racing back and sitting down. He reports that nobody is waiting to see him. "They're not here. There's nobody here. There's nobody outside. So they must be working together." I am speechless, but I get the point.
Will it work? So far, Mulally has been mostly managing the hand dealt him when he arrived. The first new model to bear his fingerprints will be the restyled 2010 Taurus that goes on sale in June. His plan for "One Ford" won't get a real test until next year when two small, fuel-efficient cars, the Fiesta and the Focus, make their way from Europe to the U.S. It remains an open question whether Americans will be willing to pay more for the smaller, higher-content vehicles. They will have to if Mulally is to succeed in reducing Ford's dependence on pickup truck profits.
The biggest unanswered questions about Mulally are how long he will stay at Ford and who will succeed him. Bill Ford has been saying that he hopes Mulally never leaves, but having spent nearly four decades in Seattle, he isn't likely to settle in Dearborn, and in fact, the company spent $344,109 in 2008 flying Mulally and his family between the two cities and elsewhere. Now that Ford is running more smoothly, there shouldn't be a need to look outside again for his successor. If Mulally leaves when he turns 65, the betting is that he will be succeeded by Booth, who is 60. If Mulally stays longer, then 48-year-old Fields would likely be the choice.
Mulally talks as if he has found a home and is doing the work he was always intended to do. "Something about just being mature, being almost 64, is that I've been there. I've been through a lot of cycles. I'm not up and down. I'm rock-solid, no matter where the bad news comes from. I'm steady. And everybody knows why I'm here. It's not a career move. I'm not trying to get ahead. I am not looking for more awards."
At one of his early meetings with employees upon joining Ford in 2006, Mulally was asked whether Ford would be able to remain in business: "Was Ford going to make it?" "I don't know," Mulally replied. "But we have a plan, and the plan says we are going to make it." It was a moment Mulally's mother would have appreciated. http://money.cnn.com/2009/05/11/news/companies/mulally_ford.fortune/index.htm?section=money_topstories" \l "TOP
(Fortune Magazine) -- Alan Mulally is in my face - again. In fact, he has barely left it for the past two hours. He has taken me through the thick loose-leaf binder he assembled for my interview and shown me another five binders filled with interviews he did upon taking the CEO job at Ford, along with research material and personal notes.
He has given me his opinion on all the stories I've written about Ford (F, Fortune 500) since he took over and, for good measure, the stories I wrote about Boeing back when he worked there. The man is relentless and demands all my attention. He won't let up until he has turned all my "nos" and "maybes" into "yeses."
Call it the Mulally method: this good-natured but relentless insistence on following what he has determined to be the correct course of action. My immersion is taking place around a conference table in his office on the 12th floor of Ford Motor Co.'s world headquarters in Dearborn, Mich.
0:00 /2:44Ford chief: Plan's working Mulally is sitting so close, he could be in my lap. The office decoration is sparse, but Mulally likes the 180-degree view; Ford's historic River Rouge complex is visible on the horizon, and he says he can keep an eye on General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) and Chrysler from here too. Not that Mulally has much time for window gazing. He's on a crusade to save Ford Motor.
Now he's showing me the corporate mission statement he wrote and had printed on plastic cards and distributed to employees. And here is the hand-drawn diagram he's created just for me (with my name in a cloudburst!) to explain what it all means. In case I hadn't noticed, Mulally says, "I went to a lot of work for this." Trust me, Alan, I noticed.
All this attention is wearing me out - but not Mulally. In the midst of history's second-worst auto depression, Mulally seems to be ... enjoying himself? This is a man who lives less than three miles from his office, arrives there each morning at 5:15 a.m. for a 12-hour workday, and does so with smile. At 63, he still gets enthusiastic about tackling big jobs. "I've always wanted to do something important, and it had to be in a big organization," says Mulally.
You would think once in a lifetime would be enough for the aeronautical engineer in charge of developing the 777 airliner at Boeing (BA, Fortune 500). But here he is, doing it all over again: "What gets me really excited is a big thing where a lot of talented, smart people are involved," he says. Mulally once asked his mother, now 90, "Why am I this way?" She replied, "You've always been this way."
0:00 /2:56Ford adding production Mulally's being "this way" has, at least for now, kept Ford ahead of GM and Chrysler in the fight for survival. Unlike its traditional rivals, Mulally's Ford insists it has enough cash to ride out the economic downturn and does not want the government loans that the other two companies have accepted.
Ford's financial independence is largely due to a new operational discipline that Mulally has installed, as well as some timely strategic moves he initiated. So while GM suffered the ignominy of seeing the Treasury Department's auto task force depose chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner, and Chrysler has declared bankruptcy, Ford stands alone as an independent company and, potentially, a Detroit survivor. "Alan was the right choice [to be CEO], and it gets more right every day," says executive chairman Bill Ford, the man who hired him.
Ford Motor is still losing money, like nearly every other automaker, but it shows signs of recovery. In the U.S. its market share of retail sales to individuals (as opposed to wholesale sales to fleet customers) has gone up in six of the past seven months. It has negotiated four new agreements with the United Auto Workers, bringing its hourly labor cost down from $76 an hour to $55 an hour and, Ford says, promising to make it competitive with Toyota (TM). While GM and Chrysler are hoarding cash, Ford actually laid out $2.4 billion in March to pay down $10.1 billion in long-term debt. Its share price has increased nearly fivefold since hitting a low in November.
'Pretty relentless' Mulally, who was hired as CEO in September 2006, hasn't engineered, designed, or built any cars. But he has devised a plan that identifies specific goals for the company, created a process that moves it toward those goals, and installed a system to make sure it gets there. Mulally watches all this with intensity - and demands weekly, sometimes daily, updates. "Alan's style is pretty relentless," says chief financial officer Lewis Booth, a 31-year Ford veteran. "He says, 'If this is the reality, what are we going to do about it?' not 'We're going to work our way through it.'"
The Mulally method has pointed Ford to some smart strategic moves. Sensing a recession in 2006, Mulally decided to borrow $23.6 billion against Ford's assets. Piling on more debt wasn't an easy call, but the extra cash meant that Ford could say no to government loans when sales fell apart last year. Mulally is moving to integrate the company globally, despite several failed attempts in the past. In 2010, Ford will be selling small cars in the U.S. that were developed in Europe. Mulally persuaded Bill Ford to dispose of Jaguar and Land Rover and focus its resources on the Ford brand, and by moving quickly he managed to sell them to India's Tata in 2007 when there was still a market for makers of luxury vehicles. He took longer to untangle Volvo from the rest of the company, but he has now put that up for sale too.
Those moves have helped Ford separate from GM and Chrysler, and Mulally is pumped. "As we come through this, we're going to be a turbo machine on the other side," he says. He has promised that Ford's core North American operations, as well as the entire company, will turn profitable by 2011. It had better, because it can't keep losing money indefinitely. Ford recorded a loss of $14.7 billion last year and another $1.4 billion in 2009's first quarter. If the U.S. and the rest of the global economy continue to slump, Ford's survival could be endangered. "The test of Ford's liquidity will be how low vehicle sales go this year, when they recover, and what levels they recover to in 2010 and 2011," writes analyst Shelly Lombard of Gimme Credit.
Besides, Ford hasn't always handled prosperity well. It boomed in the mid-1980s on the strength of the Taurus, pickup trucks, and Lincolns, only to be laid low by the recession of 1990-91. Then it squeezed record profits out of Expeditions, Lincoln Navigators, and pickups - all built on the same platform - in the middle to late 1990s. But a binge of overseas acquisitions, combined with laxity in operations, brought it limping into the 21st century. When Mulally arrived in September 2006, Ford was known mainly for its pickup trucks and the Mustang, and the company was on the verge of collapse. It lost $12.6 billion in 2006 and another $2.7 billion in 2007.
Now, if the economy recovers on schedule, Ford is in a position to thrive. To meet stricter government fuel-economy standards, it is introducing a line of more efficient, smaller-displacement engines with turbocharging, and it will start rolling out electric vehicles in 2010. A healthier Ford will be able to scoop up business from GM and Chrysler as those companies shed brands and models. Goldman Sachs's Patrick Archambault sees Ford picking up 25% of the sales the two companies lose, equivalent to 1.35 points of market share.
So how does an industry outsider like Mulally come into a company as large as Ford - with its 205,000 employees, multiple product lines, and international operations - and straighten it out?
To people like me who follow the industry and find its inner workings infinitely complex, the success of a non-auto person is surprising and, frankly, a little discomfiting. Mulally, after all, was so removed from Detroit ways when Ford hired him that his personal car was a Lexus.
Although there are similarities between building airplanes and making cars - heavy R&D, complex manufacturing, supplier relations, a unionized workforce - there are crucial differences too. Mulally had no experience in mass marketing or dealer relations. Although he has weighed in on model names, brand streamlining (he is allowing Mercury to wither away), and product complexity (he was flabbergasted to hear that engineers had created 132 different center consoles for the Navigator), he leaves product decisions to the professionals.
The story of how Mulally revived Ford's best-known sedan is a quintessential demonstration of the Mulally method - analyzing a situation using accepted facts and then winning over support through persistence. Here's the story, told by Mulally:
"I arrive here, and the first day I say, 'Let's go look at the product lineup.' And they lay it out, and I said, 'Where's the Taurus?' They said, 'Well, we killed it.' I said, 'What do you mean, you killed it?' 'Well, we made a couple that looked like a football. They didn't sell very well, so we stopped it.' 'You stopped the Taurus?' I said. 'How many billions of dollars does it cost to build brand loyalty around a name?' 'Well, we thought it was so damaged that we named it the Five Hundred.' I said, 'Well, you've got until tomorrow to find a vehicle to put the Taurus name on because that's why I'm here. Then you have two years to make the coolest vehicle that you can possibly make.'?" The 2010 Taurus is arriving on the market this spring, and while it is not as startling as the original 1986 Taurus, it is still pretty cool.
A new corporate culture It's difficult to imagine the reaction of hard-bitten Ford executives to Mulally's arrival. Sharp elbows, fierce loyalties, and frequent turf battles were hallmarks of Ford's management culture: The tough guys won. Despite nearly 40 years in the commercial airplane business - one of the most international of industries - Mulally looks as if he had just left his home state of Kansas. He dresses like a Boy Scout leader - blue blazer, button-down shirt, kiltie loafers - and his open-mouth smile makes him appear bemused or even a bit puzzled by what goes on around him. That corn-fed sincerity, however, masks confidence, discipline, and a fierce desire to win.
"Communicate, communicate, communicate," Mulally explained in one of his notes to me. "Everyone has to know the plan, its status, and areas that need special attention." For instance, Mulally is determined that Ford reduce its dependence on light trucks as gas becomes more expensive, and he has let the entire organization know it in the bluntest possible language. "Everybody says you can't make money off small cars," he says. "Well, you'd better damn well figure out how to make money, because that's where the world is going."
Mulally's openness seems to have won him support throughout the organization. Says manufacturing boss Joe Hinrichs: "Alan brings infectious energy. This is a person people want to follow." Sometimes Mulally verges on guilelessness. In preparation for our interview, he provided me with a one-page summary of his managerial abilities. Titled "Alan's Leadership," it includes some boilerplate - "proven successful leader ... business acumen and judgment ... steady ... true North" - but leavens it with less quantifiable traits: "expects the very best of himself and others, seeks to understand rather than to be understood." I can't imagine another CEO making such a list public. Bill Ford sums Mulally up this way: "Alan is not a very complicated person. He is very driven."
Arriving at Ford, Mulally boned up on the company like a student cramming for an exam, interviewing dozens of employees, analysts, and consultants, and filling those five binders with his typed notes. The research allowed him to develop a point of view about the auto business that now frames all his decisions. Its pillars draw heavily from his experience at Boeing: Focus on the Ford brand ("nobody buys a house of brands"); compete in every market segment with carefully defined products (small, medium, and large; cars, utilities, and trucks); market fewer nameplates (40 worldwide by 2013, down from 97 worldwide in 2006); and become best in class in quality, fuel efficiency, safety, and value.
Are corporate mission statements so 1990s? Not to Mulally. To let everyone know what he had in mind, Mulally created those plastic cards with four goals on one side ("Expected Behaviors") and a revised definition of the company ("One Ford") on the other. To Mulally, it is like sacred text: "This is me. I wrote it. It's what I believe in. You can't make this shit up."
"I am here to save an American and global icon," Mulally declares. He drives performance the way he did at Boeing, with the Business Plan Review, a meeting with his direct reports, held early every Thursday. "I live for Thursday morning at 8 a.m.," he says. First up are Ford's four profit centers: the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Ford Credit. Then come presentations from 12 functional areas (from product development and manufacturing to human resources and government relations).
"When I arrived there were six or seven people reporting to Bill Ford, and the IT person wasn't there, the human resources person wasn't there," says Mulally. "So I moved up and included every functional discipline on my team because everybody in this place had to be involved and had to know everything."
The Thursday meetings are held in what's known as the Thunderbird Room, one floor below Mulally's office, around a circular dark-wood table fitted with three pairs of videoscreens in the center. Eight clocks, one for each Ford time zone, are mounted on the wall. There are seats for 18 executives around the table, with additional ones on the perimeter ("Here's where I sit," says Mulally, indicating a chair: "Pilot's seat").
There are no pre-meetings or briefing books. "They don't bring their big books anymore because I'm not going to grind them with as many questions as I can to humiliate them," Mulally says. "We'll see them next week. We don't take action - I'm going to see you next week." No BlackBerrys are allowed, and no side conversations either - Mulally is insistent about that. "If somebody starts to talk or they don't respect each other, the meeting just stops. They know I've removed vice presidents because they couldn't stop talking because they thought they were so damn important."
Mulally instituted color coding for reports: green for good, yellow for caution, red for problems. Managers coded their operations green at the first couple of meetings to show how well they were doing, but Mulally called them on it. "You guys, you know we lost a few billion dollars last year," he told the group. "Is there anything that's not going well?" After that the process loosened up. Americas boss Mark Fields went first. He admitted that the Ford Edge, due to arrive at dealers, had some technical problems with the rear lift gate and wasn't ready for the start of production. "The whole place was deathly silent," says Mulally. "Then I clapped, and I said, 'Mark, I really appreciate that clear visibility.' And the next week the entire set of charts were all rainbows."
"If something is off-track, we are much better at identifying it and resolving it," says CFO Booth. "Not everything turns to green. If it doesn't, we have to modify the plan."
To monitor operations during the week, Mulally can visit two adjacent rooms whose walls are lined with 280 performance charts, arranged by area of responsibility, with a big picture of the executive in charge in case there are any doubts. Everyone at the Thursday meeting gets wall space. Mulally spends 30 minutes explaining the charts to me, making sure I stand 20 feet away so that I can't see any of the data. The message, though, comes through clearly: Mulally has his finger on every piece of this large and complex company. So does his board of directors; they see a subset of the same data. There are no secrets at Ford anymore. "This is a huge enterprise, and the magic is, everybody knows the plan," says Mulally.
And everyone seems to be onboard. Chief financial officer Don Leclair became a company hero for arranging the $23.6 billion loan in 2006. But other executives found him hard to work with, and Leclair decided to retire. Mulally doesn't want to have to settle arguments between executives, either. "They can either work together or they can come see me," he says. He demonstrates how infrequently that happens by springing up from his chair, dashing into his outer office, and then racing back and sitting down. He reports that nobody is waiting to see him. "They're not here. There's nobody here. There's nobody outside. So they must be working together." I am speechless, but I get the point.
Will it work? So far, Mulally has been mostly managing the hand dealt him when he arrived. The first new model to bear his fingerprints will be the restyled 2010 Taurus that goes on sale in June. His plan for "One Ford" won't get a real test until next year when two small, fuel-efficient cars, the Fiesta and the Focus, make their way from Europe to the U.S. It remains an open question whether Americans will be willing to pay more for the smaller, higher-content vehicles. They will have to if Mulally is to succeed in reducing Ford's dependence on pickup truck profits.
The biggest unanswered questions about Mulally are how long he will stay at Ford and who will succeed him. Bill Ford has been saying that he hopes Mulally never leaves, but having spent nearly four decades in Seattle, he isn't likely to settle in Dearborn, and in fact, the company spent $344,109 in 2008 flying Mulally and his family between the two cities and elsewhere. Now that Ford is running more smoothly, there shouldn't be a need to look outside again for his successor. If Mulally leaves when he turns 65, the betting is that he will be succeeded by Booth, who is 60. If Mulally stays longer, then 48-year-old Fields would likely be the choice.
Mulally talks as if he has found a home and is doing the work he was always intended to do. "Something about just being mature, being almost 64, is that I've been there. I've been through a lot of cycles. I'm not up and down. I'm rock-solid, no matter where the bad news comes from. I'm steady. And everybody knows why I'm here. It's not a career move. I'm not trying to get ahead. I am not looking for more awards."
At one of his early meetings with employees upon joining Ford in 2006, Mulally was asked whether Ford would be able to remain in business: "Was Ford going to make it?" "I don't know," Mulally replied. "But we have a plan, and the plan says we are going to make it." It was a moment Mulally's mother would have appreciated. http://money.cnn.com/2009/05/11/news/companies/mulally_ford.fortune/index.htm?section=money_topstories" \l "TOP
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg){kind=small}
Posts
