2012 Ford Focus Specs

The built-in-Michigan model from the German-engineered Focus is almost identical for the vehicles Europeans are driving now. That is a very good thing. New for the U.S., the platform shares almost nothing at all with any prior U.S. Concentrate. The wheelbase is 1.3 inches lengthier than the outgoing Target, along with the roof is a 50 percent inch lower. Aerodynamic performance continues to be enhanced by attributes which might be the two visible and hidden; edges molded to the rear taillamps minimize drag, as do active shutters which will near off the grille opening.

Obtainable in equally sedan and 5 five-door hatchback human body types, the ’12 Focus employs generous quantities and amalgams of high-strength metal. Torsional rigidity is up 25 % about the preceding Target. New styling tends to make the C-class sedan show up considerable. The five-door hatchback is obviously sportier. Some observers, even so, might locate the front fascia somewhat overly remarkable.

The chassis utilizes acquainted struts up front, a multilink setup in the rear, and antiroll bars at the two ends. Rear drum brakes path along in reduced trim amounts (S and SE), but discs are standard on higher-line versions (SEL and Titanium). Steering is pure electric. “There are 250 tunable parameters on our electrical power-steering technique,” mentioned Ford’s Don Ufford, a lead engineer about the motor vehicle. Tires array from the 16-inchers about the S towards the Titanium-only 18-inchers. A complete of 11 diverse wheels are supplied.

The sole engine for the U.S. Concentrate can be a two.0-liter four-cylinder that attributes immediate fuel injection plus impartial intake and exhaust camshaft timing. The mixture of technologies yields 160 hp at 6,500 rpm and 146 lb-ft of torque at four,450 rpm. Two transmissions back again the brand new engine: a five-speed manual plus a twin-clutch six-speed automatic.

Final EPA fuel-economy numbers are but to arrive, but Ford expects the manual to achieve 27 mpg city/36 mpg highway, whilst the successful automatic will hit 28/38 figures. Ford has promised an aerodynamically optimized Focus model later on in 2011 that may hit or exceed 40 mpg highway.

Tech-hungry consumers will zero in on obtainable attributes that are not the norm on this class of vehicle, like active park assist (press a button and also the auto parks by itself), torque-vectoring traction control, Wi-Fi hot-spot capability, High definition radio with iTunes song-tagging, rear back-up camera, driver-customizable coloration ambient lighting, and keyless push-button start.

Boasting 20 far more horsepower and significantly far more content material, the base Target S starts off at the exact same cost as previous year’s ($16,270, plus $725 vacation spot fees). The top-range Titanium commences at $22,765 and can be optioned to about $24,000.

2011 Ford F-250, F-350, F-450 Super Duty Review

The 2011 Super Duty is the third version of Ford's heavy-duty pickup truck in the last four years and the second since Ford reworked the truck for the 2008 model year.

Ford's changes are critical to keeping its lock on the heavy-duty segment, where the F-250 three-quarter-ton and F-350 one-ton trucks rule the pack with almost 50 percent market share; the Ford F-450 1.5-ton continues in a segment that it owns but with several major revisions.

Heavy-duty pickups exist to tow and haul the heaviest loads. While the 6.7-liter Power Stroke Diesel will be the power-pulling crown jewel of the 2011 Super Duty lineup, two other gas engines will be available for the F-250 through F-550 pickups and commercial chassis cabs: today's 6.8-liter V-10 Triton and an all-new 6.2-liter V-8, which is also slated for use in the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor off-road pickup. This is the engine formerly referred to as the Boss V-8 and the Hurricane before that.

The single overhead cam (SOHC) 6.2-liter V-8 features two spark plugs per cylinder and dual equal variable cam timing.

Ford won't say what the final power figures are for its new 2011 engines, though we have heard that the 6.7-liter PSD will make more than 390 horsepower and 720 pounds-feet of torque. The 6.2-liter V-8 is expected to pump out approximately 400 hp and 400 pounds-feet of torque.

For the U.S., the 6.2-liter gas engine will be E85-compatible from Job 1, and the 6.7-liter Power Stroke will be certified to run on biodiesel blends up to B20 (20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent conventional diesel).

The 6.7-liter diesel will meet the California Air Resource Board's tough oil-burning emissions standards that force noncompliant diesel engines to automatically shut down after five minutes of idling if they produce too much nitric-oxide emissions. The F-Series Super Duty trucks will be able to idle indefinitely and still meet CARB's tough NOx emissions limits.

All three engines will be paired with Ford's all-new 6R140 heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission that promises innovative shift strategies and power takeoff features. Ford has badly needed a six-speed automatic transmission for its diesel HD pickups to compete with Dodge's 68RFE and GM's Allison T1000 six-speed automatics. The six-speed also gives Ford gear parity with GM's 6L90 six-speed 6.0-liter V-8 gas engine and an extra cog over Dodge's 545RFE five-speed 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 gas engine.

The new transmission wrings out several inefficiencies versus the 5R110 that help improve fuel economy. They include faster warm-up times and operating the transmission cooling system at 200 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 173 F — a temperature that Ford says strikes a good balance between mileage and trailer-towing shift performance.

The 6R140 also uses a new torque converter lockup strategy that enables the torque converter to lockup sooner and more often, which allows the engine to run at a lower rpm for better fuel economy. A long-travel turbine damper helps the torque converter cope with the 6.7-liter V-8 diesel's high torque output and allows the powertrain to lug down to 900 rpm.

Gas engine models inherit the Super Duty's electronically controlled viscous clutch that debuted on the 2008-10 6.4-liter diesel trucks and delivers better fuel economy and overall NVH and controllability.

The 6R140 doesn't stop with the addition of sixth gear; it adds Ford's "SelectShift" feature that lets the driver lock-out gears and manually shifts and hold gears in a way that's similar to GM's and Dodge's automatic transmissions.

Here's how SelectShift works: On the gear select lever, which is mounted on the truck's steering column, there's a shift-up/shift-down button near the tow/haul button. If you're in Drive and enter SelectShift mode you'll be able to lock out sixth gear. The truck will communicate the subtraction by showing only five gear positions in the instrument cluster display. Doing this turns the six-speed transmission into an electronically limited five-speed. Drivers can also lock out every other gear down to first, though you'd obviously limit the truck's driving performance envelope. An automatic rev limiter ensures the truck won't blow the redline if you shift into this mode while traveling at highway speeds.

Like the horsepower and torque figures, Ford has remained coy about specific changes to Super Duty max towing and payload ratings.

Ford says that, in general, payload capability will improve by about 100 pounds, for two reasons: First, the new 6.7-liter diesel engine weighs about 160 pounds less than the outgoing 6.4-liter diesel. This improves both front payload and the gross axle weight rating, particularly for applications like snow plowing. Secondly, other safety, refinement and emissions-control changes add back about 60 pounds, so the 2011 Super Duty weighs about 100 pounds less than the 2008-10 trucks.

Brand new is the first-ever factory fifth wheel prep package designed and engineered by Reese Hitches. The truck will come with the bed floor cut, the frame mount and the wiring; the customer will still have to buy the hitch that sits in the bed from either a Ford dealer or the aftermarket.

Single rear-wheel Super Duty pickups receive standard trailer-sway control with roll stability control, like the system that's offered on the Ford F-150. TSC measures trailer sway input coming into the truck based on rear yaw motion. If it senses too much, it can apply both the truck's and trailer's brakes (if they're electric) through the integrated trailer brake controller and reduce engine throttle to help prevent loss of trailer control. It's a first for this safety feature in the segment.

The 2011 Super Duty adds an electronic locking rear differential for the first time that's similar to the GKN-supplied e-locker, which is available on the F-150 FX4 off-road package and SVT Raptor.

Brewer said the e-locker has been designed by Ford and will be manufactured at the Sterling Axle plant for single-rear-wheel F-Series Super Duty trucks only.

The locker can be controlled with a dash switch. It's best used in low-friction scenarios, such as on slippery boat ramps or in slick mud and on icy roads. It will stay engaged until the truck reaches 30 mph, at which point it disengages until the truck's speed returns to 30 mph or less. The truck will also disengage the locker if it's making a tight radius turn by sensing the steering wheel position, so the rear wheels and tires aren't damaged from scrubbing on pavement.

The Super Duty borrows seats from the F-150, improving the old six-way power-adjustable chairs to 10-way units with heaters and coolers in the Lariat and King Ranch models. The heated and cooled seats will be available for the Lariat Chassis cab models, too.

There's a new information display in the instrument cluster that can show the truck's attitude off-road as well as the steering position. It also communicates important systems messages and the transmission's gear state.

The Cabela's edition Super Duty that debuted for 2009 goes away for 2011, but Ford is keeping that model's interior storage features. There's lockable underseat storage beneath the small center seat up front and a large storage compartment beneath the rear bench. The extra storage is standard on XLT and Lariat Crew Cab models.

2011 Ford F-250 Super Duty Review And Photos

Just a week after Chrysler officially revealed its new 2010 Dodge Ram heavy-duty pickups at the Chicago auto show, our spies have caught the first covered and camouflaged test trucks of its biggest competitor: Ford’s future F-250 Super Duty, scheduled to arrive by 2011.
The 2011 Super Duty is expected to receive a major styling refresh, about to the extent of the 2008-model-year update. The current blue oval heavy-duties took their exterior inspiration from the mighty Ford F-350 Tonka concept that debuted at the 2002 Detroit auto show. The practice round for the 2011 model appears to be the bold Ford F-250 Super Chief concept, first shown at the 2006 Detroit auto show.
In the photos, we can see two massive chrome bars stretched across the grille, with a prominent Ford oval badge resting between them. There’s likely a third bar resting above the strong front bumper. The SuperCab testers’ grille bars have more space between them than the tight tolerances of the Super Chief’s bars, for real-world cooling needs. The current Super Duty’s hallmark side nostrils appear to have vanished, replaced by distinctive trim pieces on the sides of the grille that (at least for now) end abruptly at the top intake. Other styling updates are likely to be taillights similar to the new 2009 Ford F-150.
Mechanically, we expect the 2011 Super Duty will carry over Ford’s 6.7 litre Scorpion V8 diesel that’s expected to debut in the 2010 trucks. The gas engine is expected to be the new 6.2 litre premium V8, which should replace the 6.8 litre V-10 next year. Another major powertrain change is the likely end of manual transmissions, though the engineering mules in these pictures show Ford continuing its unique tradition of manual-locking front hubs for four-wheel-drive Super Duty trucks.

The New 2011 Ford Ranger – Will Make You Drool

At the recent car show in Geneva SZ Ford Motor Company showed off a redesigned Ford Ranger that will cause you to take a second look. With four full doors and diesel motor in the European version. We don’t know for sure if it is coming state side yet but a rumor from a reliable source says it should hit US showrooms in the 2011 Ford lineup.
When talking with dealership personel at a Cincinnati Ford Dealer they say they have not heard of the new arrival coming in but then again OEM’s have been known to keep secrets from their dealers. The ranger has not had any major redesign since 1993 so it will be a delight to see a new skin on this vehicle.

It may cause Ford to lose some of the F-150 market share when customers tha tdo not require a truck but just want one step down in size due to the enhancements that should become available in this new truck.

Custom Ford Mustang GT-R 2004

Here is the new look for the 2004 Ford Mustang GT-R by RM Auctions. Read the full story below. Originally introduced at the 2004 New York International Auto Show, the GT-R Concept was a tribute to the Mustang’s 40th anniversary.
It features a Tremec T-56 6-speed manual transmission, a Winter’s race-spec rear differential, a Ford Racing "Cobra R" heavy-duty clutch/flywheel assembly, a metal matrix composite aluminum custom driveshaft, Brembo brakes, and 20-inch wheels outfitted with Pirelli racing slick tires.