Ford F150 News

Ken Block has already shown us the snow-traversing ability of tank-style tracks with his old Subaru WRX rally car, but the now Ford-aligned internet sensation has combined the military-bred treads with the coolest and most off-road ready pickup in Ford’s US lineup, the F-150 Raptor. Called the RaptorTRAX, the new ute is set to star in an upcoming snow-based Ken Block video and is being billed as “the ultimate backcountry snowboard expedition vehicle” and “the world's fastest snowcat for backcountry snowboarding.” Aside from the Mattracks treads replacing the Raptor’s all-terrain tyres, the RaptorTRAX has scored a bevy of expedition gear from aftermarket firm Special Vehicle Concepts, including snowboard racks, a roof basket, a rear-mounted winch, exterior audio system, Rigid Industries LED lighting, plus a driver-appropriate pseudo camouflage paintjob. The Raptor’s 6.2-litre V8 has also been supercharged, and a full roll cage and Recaro seating add performance cred to the build. The move from Block’s regular Ford Fiesta gymkhana machine to an apple-pie pickup is likely to broaden his appeal right across heartland USA, and almost guaranteed to tickle our snow-driving fantasies too. "This project is something I've had in my head for a while now," Block says. "I absolutely love my daily driver Ford Raptor, especially since I live out here in the mountains of Park City , so to build out this mountain assault vehicle with a Raptor as the base platform made total sense to me. It's an absolute beast of a machine and I'm stoked with how it's turned out. Next up is for me to take it deep into the backcountry ASAP to help me and some friends slay some powder on our snowboards.” You’ll have to hold your horsepower to see it in action though, as the Ken Block RaptorTRAX video isn’t set to appear for around 12 months, during the next Northern Hemisphere winter. In the meantime, the tricked truck will make its (static) public debut at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado later this week.  

But as the motor capital of the world gears up for the first international car show of the year, the big US brands have their feet on the gas pedal. Buoyed by the best sales in six years -- after 15.6 million new vehicle deliveries in 2013 -- Detroit is back in the fast lane in more ways than one, even if it still trails China as the world’s biggest car market (a title it snatched from the US in 2010). Over the coming days Detroit is poised to unveil more muscle cars, a high-powered version of the Corvette and an all-new Ford F-150; the nation’s top-selling vehicle for 32 years and the most popular “pick-up” for 37 years in a row. If it sounds like North America is yet to join the real world by unveiling such automotive excess, think again. The new Ford F-150 is said to have a lightweight aluminium body, the first such change in the 111-year history of the Ford Motor Company, which is tipped to deliver massive fuel economy savings. And the new high-powered Corvette sports-car from Chevrolet is said to have a new generation super-efficient V8 engine, even if it’s still supercharged. Nevertheless, when the doors to Cobo Hall open Monday local time for the 2014 Detroit motor show (about 1am AEST Tuesday) the industry will be putting on a brave face. The city known as Motown is a shadow of its former self, with only two factories remaining, down from more than two dozen of two decades ago. The population of Detroit is down by more than half, from 1.8 million in 1950 to just over 700,000 today. Unemployment is close to 20 per cent and, last year, Detroit was the largest municipality in US history to go bankrupt. The murder rate is currently 10 times higher than New York City and 70 per cent of murders remain unsolved. Most car factories have shifted to other US states, which have offered incentives for green-field sites established by foreign brands. The Big Three -- General Motors, Ford and Chrysler -- regard them as the enemy from within. Of the 39 car factories in North America, just two are in Detroit and only seven are in its home state of Michigan. Having agreed to more flexible contracts with its workers, with support from the states they're based in, the foreign brands have developed an upper hand by setting up elsewhere across the US. Last year, the Big Three brands built about 7 million vehicles on home soil; foreign brands built more than 5 million vehicles, leaving only about 3 million vehicles imported. Which is why there won’t necessarily be Armageddon when Ford, Holden and (probably) Toyota close their Australian factories. Last year, Australian vehicle production fell to its lowest levels since 1958; it now represents such a small part of the market, the adjustment to the new world order has, largely, already happened. The populations of South Australia and Victoria are still growing, and unemployment is below 6 per cent, not as high as 20 per cent like it is in Detroit. Even if every Ford, Holden and Toyota worker did not find another job, the unemployment rate would rise by about 0.9 per cent. But a study by the University of Adelaide last year found that more than two-thirds of Australia’s displaced automotive manufacturing workers will find new employment quickly. Often overlooked is the fact that, since 2004, Holden alone has let go more than 5000 factory workers; currently there are only 5300 employees on the workshop floors at Ford, Holden and Toyota combined. And Australia appears to have survived the impact so far. Many auto workers have ended up in other related industries, such as aircraft component manufacturing. US giant Boeing employs 1500 workers near Melbourne to make hi-tech wing components for the new 787 Dreamliner, for example, so highly regarded is our expertise. Meanwhile, the closure of Holden’s factory looks set to open up new opportunities for imported models now that, as insiders put it, “we don’t have to put a ring fence around the locally-made models”. That means, hopefully, Australians will have an even bigger selection of new cars from which to choose. So while there will be much sadness about the passing of Australia’s automotive manufacturing capability, and the livelihoods it will affect, the reality is it will, ultimately, provide an opportunity to reinvent ourselves. It’s the unwelcome jolt we had to have. Manufacturers in other countries continue to receive substantial taxpayer support -- but they have much bigger car markets to sell into. Australia happens to be stuck in a corner of the world surrounded by countries with cheaper labour. No amount of government money could compete with that. Game over.

The 59-year-old, one of the last senior executives from the tumultuous Jacques Nasser era, started as Ford's vice president of design in 1997 after working with BMW, Audi and Volkswagen.

Using terms such as ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘sustainability’ when talking about the Ford F-150 doesn’t quite feel right. But, Ford is now working to make the F-150 cleaner and greener, even to the point of using sustainable materials in the production of the ultra-popular pick-up. The auto giants recently substituted talc-based reinforcement in an electrical harness with rice hulls, a naturally grown by-product of rice grain. This follows the introduction of other sustainable materials into the tough truck in recent times, including; Recycled cotton: Used as carpet insulation and a sound absorber. Soybeans: Used to make seat cushions, seat backs and head restraints. Recycled carpet: Some F-150 trucks have cylinder head covers made with EcoLon, a nylon resin produced from 100 percent post-consumer recycled carpet. Recycled tires: A thermoplastic material made from recycled tires and post-consumer recycled polypropylene is used to make shields and some under body covers on the F-150. Recycled plastic soda pop and water bottles: A lightweight fibre derived from recycled plastic soda pop and water bottles is used to construct F-150 wheel liners and shields. Recycled post-industrial plastics: Used in interior finish panels, including around radio and climate controls. Beyond the sustainable materials the model now also offers two engines that are much more environmentally friendly than power plants traditionally offered in the pick-up. Ford recently slotted a 3.5-litre turbo EcoBoost engine under the bonnet, and from next year a V6 engine will be offered that can operate on either natural gas or petrol through separate fuel systems. Ford sells a mammoth 650,000 F-Series trucks each year so it stands to reason that efficiency gains and the use of sustainable materials will have a significant positive impact on the environment. Joel Helmes is the editor of the Behind the Wheel radio program, heard on more than 150 stations around Australia, and www.behindthewheel.com.au  

Ferrari’s replacement for the Enzo supercar, the code-named F150, is on track to be revealed to the public for the first time at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show on March 5, although Ferrari has already beg

One of the most important cars of the decade, Ferrari’s replacement for the Enzo supercar, the code-named F150, is scheduled to be revealed in the coming weeks. Ferrari has already teased us with a few shrouded images of its new flagship, and revealed some of the car's technology, but so far most of the details remain secret. For those readers that can’t wait any longer, and that probably means you, Iacoski Design has come up with a new rendering that provides clues as to how the Ferrari F150 will look. Based on prototypes spotted in the wild, as well as the previous teaser images, the rendering lights up the darkness and shows us the stunning beast hiding in the shadows. The rendering shows an evolution of the Enzo, with influences from the track-only FXX experimental cars as well as Ferrari’s Formula One race cars. This makes sense as the F150’s chief designer Flavio Manzoni previously stated he wanted a look inspired by F1 but not a carbon copy.  The rendering also shows that the F150 will likely benefit from an advanced aerodynamics package, which may include active flaps in the front bumper. On the F12 Berlinetta, these open up to feed air to the brake cooling ducts, but only at high operating temperatures in order to minimize drag. The hood and lights, meanwhile, are designed to generate downforce by channeling air away from the upper part of the car to its flanks where it interacts with the wake from the wheel wells to decrease drag. At the heart of the F150 is a full carbon-fiber monocoque, which has been under development for over three years. Heading the design is none other than Rory Byrne, the engineering chief of Ferrari’s F1 team, who has selected four different types of carbon fiber for the monocoque and plans to build them to the same standard as the F1 cars. The end result, says Ferrari, should be a monocoque that displays 27 percent more torsional rigidity and 22 percent more beam stiffness than the Enzo. The structure will also be quite small, with the oversize of the F150 being about the same as the 458 Italia despite it packing a V-12 engine and hybrid system. The engine will be an evolution of the F12 Berlinetta’s 6.3-litre unit, though it will benefit from the addition of Ferrari’s HY-KERS hybrid setup to boost output and lower emissions. Ferrari claims a 10 percent reduction in the 0-200 km/h sprint, along with a 40 percent reduction in emissions compared to a non-hybrid solution. The system will allow for precise torque vectoring, traction control and brake force distribution, too, all of which translate to faster times around a race track. Even the batteries have been chosen for optimal weight and output, giving the electric power component of the F150 the same power-to-weight ratio as systems used in F1. Final output of the F150 could be as high as 686 kW while overall weight could be as low as 1,100 kilograms. Next year is shaping up to be huge for supercar fans, as well as fans of advanced powertrain technology. Not only will we see the launch of the hybrid Ferrari, but arch rival McLaren is planning to launch its new P1 supercar, which is tipped to feature a hybrid system of its own, and then there’s Porsche with the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid. www.motorauthority.com              

The first official images of the highly anticipated successor for the Ferrari Enzo - codename F150 - have popped up in the Italian sports car maker’s in house magazine. The pictures show the nose of the car and feature swept-back headlights and an attractive sculpted bonnet. The Enzo replacement is rumoured to use a 7.3-litre V12 together with an F1 style KERS electric motor to develop in excess of 590 kW of power. That’s significantly more than the legendary original Enzo which produced 478 kW. That sort of power combined with significant weight savings - which Ferrari has already foreshadowed at The Paris Motor Show with their carbon fibre chassis – is guaranteed to result in exhilarating performance. The new Ferrari is tipped to have relentless acceleration and a 0-100km/h time of less than 3 seconds. There’s also talk of a double clutch gearbox and ceramic brakes as standard but that’s to be expected for such a flamboyant supercar. When this top of the range Italian stallion goes on sale sometime in late 2013 it is unlikely to retain the F150 codename given the 2011 legal stoush with Ford over the name. It seems The Blue Oval were upset about alleged misappropriating of the famous Ford F-150 pickup name when Ferrari tried to name their 2011 F1 car F150. As a result the successor to the Enzo is rumoured to be wearing a F70 badge.                    

The first two road-going versions of the Ford F150 Raptor SVT Baja 1000 desert racer have arrived and will be used as "chase trucks" in the Targa rally series. They have been imported in left-hand drive and converted by Vehicle Development Corporation (VDC) in Melbourne. VDC spokesman Jim Cody says pricing for the road-going version of the Baja 1000 desert racers is yet to be finalised but they will cost about $125,000. The first two have been bought by VDC's Queensland representative, Neill Ford, and son Daniel. They will use them as support vehicles for the 2012 defence of their Targa Tasmania class trifecta in Corvette Z06 sportscars this year with Dick Johnson. "It's like driving a lounge chair," says Daniel Ford. "It gets about 15.4 litres per 100km, depending on how you drive it, but it's got all the power you need." The most powerful half tonner in the world is driven by a 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. It produces 306kW of power and 585Nm of of torque and has a 110-litre fuel tank. The 3.6m pick-up can run in two-wheel drive and switch to four-wheel drive on the fly. It also has low range, hill descent and a lockable rear differential. Baja additions include BF Goodrich 315/70 R17 desert tyres, Fox twin rear racing shocks and dual exhaust pipes. However, its performance characteristics also reduce towing capacity. "Basically a recreational vehicle," says Cody. "We have about 15 orders and it's quite interesting because the people that are buying them use it as a work vehicle which is not quite what we expected. We thought it might appeal more to the off-road enthusiast. It will also appeal to people who want to tow a boat or race vehicle, rather than a heavy horse float." While towing capacity is down, the job made easier with the aid of a rear camera that zooms in on the tow ball so the driver can easily line up the hitch on the screen embedded in the rearview mirror. It also includes electric trailer brakes as standard. Other features include rear sensors, electric rear sliding window, electric sunroof, six-stack CD player, Bluetooth, MP3 connectivity, four airbags, an extender tray and a fold-down step on the tailgate. Neill Ford says supply will be difficult because the American border patrol has ordered 2600.  VDC's conversion is a professional job that looks just like the original. They use factory-style injection moulded plastic for the dashboard rather than rattly and shiny fibreglass. The only concession to left-hand-drive is that the bonnet latch is in the left foot well. It has a foot-operated parking brake in the driver's foot well. F trucks have the highest resale value of any vehicle in Australia with some limited edition models fetching more than their original price. Ford stopped importing them in 2007. This Baja model is not the first race special produced by Ford who made a Nascar edition about 10 years ago. VDC's next big project is to import and convert even-bigger F550 pick-up trucks for use by emergency services. "They will probably be used by rural fire brigades, but we have no orders yet," Ford says. "It's all about getting to the fire quickly carrying more water and these also have water cannon fitted to the front." VDC was set up by Ford in 1992 and is now a separate company with a "working relationship" with Ford in Australia and America.

And now Ford has released the latest version, complete with ‘snakeskin’ leather steering wheel cover and centre console lid. We’re not entirely sure whether real snakeskin is real or not, but it does look cool. Despite the name, you don’t actually get a Harley when you buy this special edition truck, but you do get special wheels, graphics and a fair few Harley Davidson badges. There is a custom interior as well and a 6.2-litre V8 engine, which almost certainly sounds nothing like a Harley.

The trucks, including the top-selling F-150, are being recalled because straps that secure fuel tanks can corrode and allow the tanks to fall. The defect has led to three fires and one injury in the US. The recall covers 1.1 million pickup trucks, including F-150s from model years 1997 to 2004; F-250s from model years 1997 to 1999; and Lincoln Blackwoods from model years 2002 to 2003. No Australian vehicles are included in the notice. Ford earlier this year recalled more than 1 million F-150s for defects that could prevent the airbags from deploying properly.