Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday Facebook Game: Find the Village Ford Fusion hidden somewhere on our website. Your only clue: Michigan Avenue. When you find the car, click on it and follow the instructions. Happy Friday! http://ping.fm/80E3Z
DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 25, 2010 – The new 2011 Ford Mustang with all-new powertrains has three times more orders than the 2010 model in its first month, and half of all nationwide orders are for the car’s class-leading 30 mpg 3.7-liter V-6 engine.
“Fuel economy ranks among the top two reasons people choose vehicles,” said Steve Ling, North America Car Marketing manager. “With the 2011 Mustang lineup, we’ve found a way to offer even better fuel efficiency for V-6, GT and even Shelby GT500 performance drivers – while improving performance. And consumers are responding.”
Nearly 11,000 Mustangs have been ordered since order banks opened in late January.
Fifty percent of the 2011 Mustang orders are for V-6 models, which feature a new, high-performance, all-aluminum Duratec 3.7-liter dual overhead-cam (DOHC) Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT) engine. This new engine delivers 305 horsepower and an expected best-in-class EPA fuel efficiency of 30 mpg on the highway – a 25 percent improvement versus the 2010 model.
2011 Mustang V-6 order levels are up 19 percent versus the new 2010 model orders.
“The new engine transforms Mustang,” Ling said. “Everything people love about the car lives on, and now under the hood is a V-6 engine that uses premium technology to deliver the power, the feel, the fuel efficiency, even the sound of the best sports cars in the world.”
A first-ever Mustang Club of America (MCA) Special Edition package available on V-6 models generated three times more orders than expected. Plus, “take rates” on the California Special series – which is available on the Mustang GT and harkens back to the original 1968 feature vehicle – are triple the expected rates.
2011 Mustangs also are being equipped with record levels of technology. Navigation is specified on 18 percent of orders. High-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps are on 26 percent of vehicles. Rear-view cameras are on 10 percent – all up from 2010.
For the 2011 model, 41 percent of orders are for Mustang GTs.
The Mustang GT’s modern 5.0-liter four-valve, Ti-VCT V-8 engine delivers 412 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque. At the same time, fuel economy of 25 mpg highway is projected to be better than the previous model and unsurpassed in the segment.
Approximately 9 percent of the 2011 Mustang orders are for Shelby GT500 models, which are powered by an all-new aluminum-block 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 engine. This produces 550 horsepower and 510 ft.-lb. of torque, a 10 horsepower increase versus the 2010 model. The engine also is 102 pounds lighter than its predecessor, delivering a better power-to-weight ratio, improved fuel economy, acceleration, handling and steering precision.
“Mustang is ready for a new generation of buyers,” Ling said. “With new high-tech and fuel-efficient engines, class-leading connectivity and infotainment options as well as signature style and performance, Mustang is poised to continue its legacy as America’s favorite sports car.”
“Fuel economy ranks among the top two reasons people choose vehicles,” said Steve Ling, North America Car Marketing manager. “With the 2011 Mustang lineup, we’ve found a way to offer even better fuel efficiency for V-6, GT and even Shelby GT500 performance drivers – while improving performance. And consumers are responding.”
Nearly 11,000 Mustangs have been ordered since order banks opened in late January.
Fifty percent of the 2011 Mustang orders are for V-6 models, which feature a new, high-performance, all-aluminum Duratec 3.7-liter dual overhead-cam (DOHC) Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT) engine. This new engine delivers 305 horsepower and an expected best-in-class EPA fuel efficiency of 30 mpg on the highway – a 25 percent improvement versus the 2010 model.
2011 Mustang V-6 order levels are up 19 percent versus the new 2010 model orders.
“The new engine transforms Mustang,” Ling said. “Everything people love about the car lives on, and now under the hood is a V-6 engine that uses premium technology to deliver the power, the feel, the fuel efficiency, even the sound of the best sports cars in the world.”
A first-ever Mustang Club of America (MCA) Special Edition package available on V-6 models generated three times more orders than expected. Plus, “take rates” on the California Special series – which is available on the Mustang GT and harkens back to the original 1968 feature vehicle – are triple the expected rates.
2011 Mustangs also are being equipped with record levels of technology. Navigation is specified on 18 percent of orders. High-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps are on 26 percent of vehicles. Rear-view cameras are on 10 percent – all up from 2010.
For the 2011 model, 41 percent of orders are for Mustang GTs.
The Mustang GT’s modern 5.0-liter four-valve, Ti-VCT V-8 engine delivers 412 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque. At the same time, fuel economy of 25 mpg highway is projected to be better than the previous model and unsurpassed in the segment.
Approximately 9 percent of the 2011 Mustang orders are for Shelby GT500 models, which are powered by an all-new aluminum-block 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 engine. This produces 550 horsepower and 510 ft.-lb. of torque, a 10 horsepower increase versus the 2010 model. The engine also is 102 pounds lighter than its predecessor, delivering a better power-to-weight ratio, improved fuel economy, acceleration, handling and steering precision.
“Mustang is ready for a new generation of buyers,” Ling said. “With new high-tech and fuel-efficient engines, class-leading connectivity and infotainment options as well as signature style and performance, Mustang is poised to continue its legacy as America’s favorite sports car.”
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Kahne Wins First Cup Race With Ford In Gatorade Duel 150
Today’s win by Kasey Kahne was the first win for Ford’s new FR9 engine.
The win also marked the first for Richard Petty Motorsports since joining Ford at the beginning of this season.
Kasey Kahne’s win was his first at Daytona International Speedway, the first with Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and the 20th win for Ford in a Gatorade Duel qualifying race.
Kahne becomes the third active Ford driver to ever win a Gatorade Duel, joining Bill Elliott (4) and Elliott Sadler (2).
All 13 Ford teams are qualified for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
GATORADE DUEL #1
AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion (Finished 7th) – “The Best Buy Ford was really fast. The driver did a pretty decent job on the race track, but not very good in the pits. We got to second and I missed our pit box coming in. I lost the pit sign and it just honestly blended in with everything. I guess it was first pit stop jitters and that got us behind. The guys did a great job. The car was really good and I felt like if we could get back in the clean air and get back up front, we had a chance to win the race, but we’ve got some good notes for the 500 and that’s what pays all the points and all the money.” WHAT DID YOU LEARN FOR SUNDAY? “It seems like the track is getting bumpier and bumpier every year and our car is bottoming out a lot, so if we can get the front of the race car off the race track, the thing is gonna be really good. I hope the fans enjoyed it because it’s gonna be a great 500 and it’s gonna be a lot of fun in the driver’s seat.” IS IT ANY KIND OF BLESSING WHEN YOU MISS THE STALL AND FIND YOURSELF IN THE BACK AS FAR AS SEEING HOW YOUR CAR HANDLES IN TRAFFIC FOR SUNDAY? “Maybe, but I like being up front. I’m trying to get used to being up front more and hopefully that’s what we do all year, so I wanted to start as early as possible. I’m just upset with myself. I knew that pit road was gonna be slick and I honestly just lost the pit sign and overshot it by a mile. You just never know how these races are gonna play out. I started 12th and got a great run on the outside and was third before I even knew it. That last time, I didn’t get the right line and kind of got up to seventh or eighth and got stuck there before getting shuffled back to 16th again. It was tough, but, all in all, we came out fairly unscathed. We’ve got to work on the bumper a little bit. I think the 78’s bumper bar was out at the end of the race and I kept bump drafting him, but, for the most part, we came out unscathed. The car is really fast and we learned some things, so hopefully we get that pit road mistake out of the way early and we’re good.” WILL YOU GET A NEW PIT SIGN ON SUNDAY? “I hope so because when I drove by on the first pace lap I thought to myself, ‘That’s small.’ Unfortunately, we were pitted with Carl and his is bright pink, so it just blended in. It was my fault, but we worked hard and showed we have a fast car. We got back up through the field and I really thought if we got around the 78 with two to go, I had a chance to win the race because those guys were on two tires. I’ll beat myself up overnight for it, but we’ll be ready tomorrow.”
CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion (Finished 13th) – “I learned a lot and that was good. I worked my way up to fifth or sixth at one point and had a chance to race up there, so that was helpful. My pit crew is amazing. I’ve got the best pit crew on pit road, so that feels real good. I think it’s gonna be a great race. The track is perfect and the tire is perfect. It’s good all the way around.”
DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion (Finished 9th) – “If you can’t win, you want to bring the car back in one piece. This has obviously been a good car since we unloaded it and our UPS team has done a nice job so far in Speedweeks. I think we certainly had a car that could have won, but so many factors go into winning a plate race. That last restart, a few guys got jumbled around and we did the best we could, and still have our car in one piece. It should be a fun race on Sunday.” DO YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOUR CHANCES SUNDAY? “Yeah. The car responds well. Our pit crew did an excellent job on pit road, so that’s got us an OK starting spot for the big race on Sunday. We’ll tweak on it a little bit, and I think we’ll have a real nice car on Sunday.”
GREG BIFFLE – No. 16 3M Ford Fusion (Finished 11th) – “I’m real happy with the race. The car drove well and I while I wasn’t happy with the outcome, I was pretty happy overall with how it handled. Let’s face it, if the 13 wouldn’t have been in the outside lane on that last restart, we certainly would have had a shot at the win. He’s a great driver, but he spun his tires and continued to kind of spin them all the way down. I’m not sure what happened and why he couldn’t get traction. I was trying to push him and I could have hung him out to dry through that short chute, but decided to stay behind him and help get him going. Hopefully, he made it in, but I knew at that point I probably wasn’t going to win, so two or three starting spots, for me, wasn’t gonna make or break my season. So I said, ‘I’ll just stay in line and not try to cause a big fiasco being three-wide going in there.’”
JOHN ANDRETTI – No. 34 Window World Cares Ford Fusion (Finished 16th) – “It was OK. I think that we had a pretty good car. The only thing is we had some issues in practice and they reappeared in the 150, so we think we have a good handle on what’s going on now and we’ll be able to fix it when they tear the car down and get it ready for Sunday’s race. So it was a good race for us. We got to try some things and really went out on a limb on a couple of things with the race car. Some of them worked and some of them didn’t. I think we had a pretty fast car, but we didn’t want to get digging too much. Plus, with the other issue, we had a small fuel pick-up problem for some reason. We had it in practice and didn’t solve it, so I think we have a good idea where it is now.”
ROBERT RICHARDSON JR. – No. 38 Mahindra USA Tractors Ford Fusion (Finished 23rd) – “I’m not real happy with the handling of the race car. We’re still plugging away and trying to get the car handling a little bit better. We’re fighting kind of a tight-loose condition, which means the car is pushing in the corner and the more steering input I put in the corner the car snaps loose. We’re gonna try to get that leveled out with the practices we have remaining and try to get the car handling a little bit better, and try to get the car to suck up better in the draft. The car didn’t draft as well as I thought it would, so we’ll just take what we’ve got and keep going.”
TRAVIS KVAPIL -- No. 37 ExtenZe Ford Fusion (Finished 19th) – “It was OK. Our gameplan going in wasn’t to really push real hard. At the start of the race I drove real hard and got up in there and got some decent track position, but the tires started to wear off and it started to get three-wide and it wasn’t a position we needed to be in. We don’t need to be wrecking race cars. Overall, our car is decent. We’ve got a list of things we want to work through over the next couple days and we want it to be with this car. We’re in the 500 and didn’t really have a whole lot to gain, but a lot to lose so we drove a pretty conservative race. It’s frustrating right now because I know we could have finished right up in the middle of things, but, at the same time, if we would have wrecked the race car, we’d feel pretty stupid right now. Overall, it wasn’t a bad day, but Sunday is where the money and the points are so we’ve got to be there when it counts.”
GATORADE DUEL #2
BORIS SAID – No. 26 Window World Cares Ford Fusion (Finished 27th) – “We’re doing this race on a tight budget. We’re in the race, so we want to save our car and save the motor for the race. The car ran great, but we really weren’t planning on starting to run hard until tomorrow. That’s when we plan on practicing hard and then running really hard in the 500, but it seemed to run pretty good.” IS IT A CASE OF NOT HAVING A BIG CAR INVENTORY TO FALL BACK ON? “Right. We did this program two weeks ago, so we have a backup but it doesn’t even have an engine in it. We’re trying to do this race with just one engine instead of two, so we’ve got to run limited miles. Being locked in the show, it would be stupid to go out there and wreck for just as starting spot, whereas the 500 is so long that you can start anywhere and do good. I think it’s a good plan.”
MATT KENSETH – No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion (Finished 11th) – “When we started off I didn’t think it was very good, and then about 15 laps into the run it really came to us and we were able to drive all the way up to the lead. I thought everything was pretty good. We were just a little loose, so we tried to tighten it up on the pit stop with four new tires and it just took off sideways. I burned the right-rear off that whole run.” SOME GUYS IN THE FIRST RACE SAID THE TRACK ALMOST FEELS LIKE A JULY RACE IN THAT THE TRACK IS SLICK. WHAT DO YOU THINK? “It seems like the tire maybe has a little less grip than what we had, which is OK as long as we’re not blowing out tires. That’s no big deal, but we also have a bigger plate. I don’t know if we have more or less downforce, but when you’re going faster and the track is really worn out because it’s another year older, it’s gonna be slick.” HOW DO YOU ADJUST TO IT? “You really just have to work on your handling and keep working to make it as balanced as you can, and make it handle the best you can.”
ELLIOTT SADLER – No. 19 Stanley’s Ford Fusion (Finished 5th) – “I feel great. The car drove really good. We feel like we learned some things today for Sunday’s race. We finished fifth and my teammate won the race, so it was a great day all in all for Richard Petty Motorsports, Ford and Stanley. I feel like I’ve got a pretty good piece for Sunday. It handled good and ran good on long runs, and that’s what it’s gonna have to have.” WHAT KIND OF A BOOST IS IT FOR YOU ORGANIZATINO TO WIN A RACE RIGHT OFF THE BAT WITH FORD? “It’s a big boost. Doug Yates and his engine staff have given us a lot of horsepower here this weekend. It drafts good. It cools good, so those guys did a good job.”
PAUL MENARD – No. 98 Peak/Menards Ford Fusion (Finished 15th) – “I learned a lot for Sunday. We started off and were pretty good, but it seemed when the sun went down or things cooled off the track got a little freer. I was kind of hanging on at the end. The top line was the line you needed to be in, but I was a little bit too loose to run up there. I could run the middle and bottom good, but the car would bog down too much to get a good run off, so I learned some things and we’ll be ready for Sunday.” HOW SLICK WAS THE TRACK? “It’s been a slick race track since we unloaded last week. I don’t know if it’s the rear shock package or what, but it’s definitely a lot slicker than it has been.”
RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS PRESS CONFERENCE
KENNY FRANCIS, Crew Chief – No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion – “It was a pretty good race for us. In the Shootout the other day was our first run in a Ford and that went pretty well, we finished second, so this one was a pretty good race for us. I don’t think we ever got shuffled back too far. The car seemed to handle fairly good. We made a pretty good adjustment at the pit stop that we made and that helped him out. I think that was part of the difference where he was able to really get up front and really race pretty hard.”
DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN COMPETE WITH THE CHEVY POWER? “From what I’ve seen, the Chevy guys qualified pretty good, but our Fords really seemed to run strong in race configuration. I think if you look at our run, the 17 ran really good in our race, the 19 ran good. In the first race, Allmendinger ran good in one of our cars. The 16 ran really good up there, so I think the Ford stuff is really strong and I think on Sunday I feel like we’ve got a real good piece and a real good shot to give them a run for it.”
DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING TODAY AND WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR THE FR9 ENGINE? “The plan is to go back to the older engine like we ran in the Shootout. I think they’ve got a few of the newer motors that they want to run in the 500, but I’m not sure how they’re gonna divvy that out. Of course, maybe that plan will change by now. We pretty much just take Doug’s advice on which one to run. Doug Yates built us great motors for this deal and builds great motors for all of them. I would say everyone would pretty much say Doug is the speedway expert around the garage area, so whatever Doug thinks is best is probably what we’ll do. Last week the plan was to run one of the older motors in the 500, but we’ll see what he has to say. I think they’re really happy they won a race with the new engine and it’s looking really good.”
WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN MONTOYA BUMPED STEWART ON THE LAST LAP? “When he got the lead there, I felt like we tried some stuff today with our setup that was a little bit different than what we practiced and a little bit different than what we ran the other night, and I didn’t feel like our car led quite as well, but I felt like it raced really good and was really good in the corners. I’m not really sure why or what, but I was a little concerned when Montoya got behind him there and was pushing pretty good. Luckily, however it worked out, we beat him to the line and that’s all that counts. But us being up there with air on our nose, I was a little bit worried about it. I thought the 2 was really strong and I was happy he was behind kind of helping us.”
THE TRACK SEEMS SLICKER THIS TIME AROUND. HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THINGS? “It’s a little bit different shock package this year, but it’s not a whole lot different. I think the track is just so slick. It’s a great race track. It’s great to race on. The drivers are really working hard out there. I’m sure everybody has seen that and I’m sure the TV guys are focusing in on that, but it’s just a really slick track. It’s rough, it’s bumpy and it throws the cars around, so, to me, it makes for really great racing. You’ve got to really hustle the cars around here, even more so than an intermediate track in a lot of cases. I don’t think it’s really the shock package that’s making the cars slide around more. I think Goodyear came back with a little bit different tire and the tires are holding up really, really well – better than we’ve seen here in years and years. There may be some grip level that’s a little different with how that compound reacts to the asphalt that’s making the cars a little more slippery, but Kasey has not really complained about his handling much at all. He’s been pretty happy with the car and the grip levels, and even the Goodyear guys have come by and asked him a few times, so, I don’t know. We’ve got a little bit different aero package as well. They took a little bit of that wicker off, which is a little bit less downforce, and they’ve got the shark fin on the decklid which changes how the air works around there, so there are a few factors there that’s probably causing that and it’s probably just a little combination of all of them, but I think it’s making for a great race, really.”
KASEY KAHNE – No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion – “It was really exciting throughout the race. My car started off pretty loose on entry and a little bit tight off, and Kenny Francis and our Budweiser team did a great job on the pit stop to get it a little bit better. At that point, I tried to learn what some of the other guys’ cars were doing and once I got behind Tony I felt like I was in a really good position and just needed to take advantage when I got the right push, and Kurt gave me that in turn one. I was able to sneak under Tony and from there I just tried to keep the 2 behind me. He was really strong throughout the whole race, so I felt if I could keep him behind me that I’d have a decent shot at winning it and trying to beat Tony. It was close, but we were able to pull it off. It feels good to win at Daytona.”
CAN YOU COMPETE WITH THE CHEVY POWER? “Yeah, absolutely. I feel like we still have a few things we can do to make our car better. The track changed this week from last week a little bit, and I imagine it’ll change a little more before Sunday, so we need to keep going in that direction on what we learned today. Hopefully, we’ll be ready to go by the 500. We have a great starting position and the Roush Yates Ford engine is really, really good. I’m excited for the race on Sunday. We need to get a little bit more out of our car and I think we’ll have a shot to hang out up front and, hopefully, be there at the end.”
YOU AND TONY HAVE BATTLED BEFORE. WAS THAT FUN AND DOES THIS MAKE A STRONGER CASE TO KEEP THE FR9? “I enjoy racing Tony because if you beat that guy you’ve done something on that day. He just always seems to be at the front. Whenever I’m having a good day, he’s always the guy there that I have to actually beat. He’s won tons of races and I haven’t even been in the field or even close to where he’s at, but it seems everytime I’m up front, he’s one of those cars I’m battling with. I pushed him to the front and from there Kurt pushed me hard. I had an open shot to get by him and it ended up close. It was closer than I thought at the line. Cole, my spotter, said, ‘Good job.’ I couldn’t tell if I won or not, so once he told me I was pretty happy. The engine is good. The engine is really good and we’re still kind of tweaking on it because it’s new to them down here, so we’ve been making adjustments. We made it better throughout practice yesterday. I’m not sure how the new and old (engine) is gonna work out, but I actually like both of them. I don’t really care which one I get, I just want another one.”
AFTER THE UNCERTAINTY OF LAST YEAR, WHAT’S THE MOOD OF THE TEAM AND PROSPECTS FOR THIS YEAR? “The team is really good. The team is always good. Those guys have been through a lot in the last couple of years and they just keep working right away and giving me great race cars – again today. We made some gains yesterday throughout practice. We were able to win today. We ran second in the Shootout and they’re pumped, they’re excited and so am I. It’s nice to work with such a good team. I’ve said it for a long time and to have Kenny Francis as our leader. I enjoy it and I think we have a lot of races ahead of us this year that I think we can run strong in.”
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE FIRST DUEL AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT SUNDAY? “I thought the Shootout was really good. I watched the entire first race from my bus and at times I was like, “Man, this doesn’t look quite like I felt the Shootout was the other night.’ It didn’t seem like the racing was quite as two and three-wide. Then we got in our race and I think probably about lap three I was in the middle of three-wide for about three or four laps. My car was moving, so I don’t know if I’m in the car and I look at it differently or not, but I definitely feel like it’s been pretty exciting and good from my standpoint.”
WHAT ABOUT SUNDAY? “Sunday is 500 miles. Handling is gonna be a big part of Sunday. Everybody is pretty quick the first five laps, 10 laps, but that last 20-25 laps of a race run handling will be big and it will get somewhat spread out, then a couple of cars will pull out and that will get it stacked back up, and then it will get spread out again. I don’t think you’ll see until probably the last 200 miles that it will really get exciting again like maybe the Bud Shootout was on Saturday.”
THIS IS YOUR FIRST WIN AT DAYTONA. HOW DOES IT FEEL? “It feels great. You watch tons of races growing up as a kid. That’s all I did is watch racing or go to races, and I can remember every Daytona 500, having 15-20 people at my house – breakfast and all that. I think it was about a 9 o’clock start back then at our house, so it was neat. Daytona is one of those tracks that has a ton of history. Our car owner, Richard Petty, is a big part of that history and it feels good to be in Victory Lane here and win this early in the year.”
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO WIN SUCH A CLOSE RACE LIKE THAT? “If you can win by a ways it’s nice because you just never know what’s gonna happen. I didn’t know who was gonna win until you cross the line and they actually tell you. When it’s that close, you can’t see out of these cars well enough to know where your front is and where the front of the other car is, so it’s a little bit nerve-wracking, but, at the same time, it’s exciting. I enjoyed it today. I really like this type of racing. I’ve liked it for a long time. It seems when I first started in Cup we were in a lot of wrecks on these types of tracks and in the last few years some of that has changed, and I feel more comfortable. I feel I can make better moves throughout the race and get in the right line more often than not, so, hopefully we can keep it up. I enjoy Daytona and Talladega both.”
IS IT A TOSS-UP BETWEEN BEING ON THE BOTTOM OR HIGH SIDE AT THE END OF THE RACE? “I think it depends on where you’re at on the race track, but the start-finish the bottom looks like it’s won by a little bit in both races. The bottom usually leads the most laps throughout the race, but that top gets a boost once in a while. The thing about, it seems like just watching these races and being in them, that to clear that car in the very front – whoever is leading can move to the outside and back to the inside and kind of keep the air mixed up – he seems to have the best shot. It’s hard to actually clear that car and then you take the lead, so where I was able to do that in the middle of the corner with Tony helped out a lot. I don’t think you can do it on the straightaways unless you have some huge push.”
Today’s win by Kasey Kahne was the first win for Ford’s new FR9 engine.
The win also marked the first for Richard Petty Motorsports since joining Ford at the beginning of this season.
Kasey Kahne’s win was his first at Daytona International Speedway, the first with Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and the 20th win for Ford in a Gatorade Duel qualifying race.
Kahne becomes the third active Ford driver to ever win a Gatorade Duel, joining Bill Elliott (4) and Elliott Sadler (2).
All 13 Ford teams are qualified for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
GATORADE DUEL #1
AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion (Finished 7th) – “The Best Buy Ford was really fast. The driver did a pretty decent job on the race track, but not very good in the pits. We got to second and I missed our pit box coming in. I lost the pit sign and it just honestly blended in with everything. I guess it was first pit stop jitters and that got us behind. The guys did a great job. The car was really good and I felt like if we could get back in the clean air and get back up front, we had a chance to win the race, but we’ve got some good notes for the 500 and that’s what pays all the points and all the money.” WHAT DID YOU LEARN FOR SUNDAY? “It seems like the track is getting bumpier and bumpier every year and our car is bottoming out a lot, so if we can get the front of the race car off the race track, the thing is gonna be really good. I hope the fans enjoyed it because it’s gonna be a great 500 and it’s gonna be a lot of fun in the driver’s seat.” IS IT ANY KIND OF BLESSING WHEN YOU MISS THE STALL AND FIND YOURSELF IN THE BACK AS FAR AS SEEING HOW YOUR CAR HANDLES IN TRAFFIC FOR SUNDAY? “Maybe, but I like being up front. I’m trying to get used to being up front more and hopefully that’s what we do all year, so I wanted to start as early as possible. I’m just upset with myself. I knew that pit road was gonna be slick and I honestly just lost the pit sign and overshot it by a mile. You just never know how these races are gonna play out. I started 12th and got a great run on the outside and was third before I even knew it. That last time, I didn’t get the right line and kind of got up to seventh or eighth and got stuck there before getting shuffled back to 16th again. It was tough, but, all in all, we came out fairly unscathed. We’ve got to work on the bumper a little bit. I think the 78’s bumper bar was out at the end of the race and I kept bump drafting him, but, for the most part, we came out unscathed. The car is really fast and we learned some things, so hopefully we get that pit road mistake out of the way early and we’re good.” WILL YOU GET A NEW PIT SIGN ON SUNDAY? “I hope so because when I drove by on the first pace lap I thought to myself, ‘That’s small.’ Unfortunately, we were pitted with Carl and his is bright pink, so it just blended in. It was my fault, but we worked hard and showed we have a fast car. We got back up through the field and I really thought if we got around the 78 with two to go, I had a chance to win the race because those guys were on two tires. I’ll beat myself up overnight for it, but we’ll be ready tomorrow.”
CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion (Finished 13th) – “I learned a lot and that was good. I worked my way up to fifth or sixth at one point and had a chance to race up there, so that was helpful. My pit crew is amazing. I’ve got the best pit crew on pit road, so that feels real good. I think it’s gonna be a great race. The track is perfect and the tire is perfect. It’s good all the way around.”
DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion (Finished 9th) – “If you can’t win, you want to bring the car back in one piece. This has obviously been a good car since we unloaded it and our UPS team has done a nice job so far in Speedweeks. I think we certainly had a car that could have won, but so many factors go into winning a plate race. That last restart, a few guys got jumbled around and we did the best we could, and still have our car in one piece. It should be a fun race on Sunday.” DO YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOUR CHANCES SUNDAY? “Yeah. The car responds well. Our pit crew did an excellent job on pit road, so that’s got us an OK starting spot for the big race on Sunday. We’ll tweak on it a little bit, and I think we’ll have a real nice car on Sunday.”
GREG BIFFLE – No. 16 3M Ford Fusion (Finished 11th) – “I’m real happy with the race. The car drove well and I while I wasn’t happy with the outcome, I was pretty happy overall with how it handled. Let’s face it, if the 13 wouldn’t have been in the outside lane on that last restart, we certainly would have had a shot at the win. He’s a great driver, but he spun his tires and continued to kind of spin them all the way down. I’m not sure what happened and why he couldn’t get traction. I was trying to push him and I could have hung him out to dry through that short chute, but decided to stay behind him and help get him going. Hopefully, he made it in, but I knew at that point I probably wasn’t going to win, so two or three starting spots, for me, wasn’t gonna make or break my season. So I said, ‘I’ll just stay in line and not try to cause a big fiasco being three-wide going in there.’”
JOHN ANDRETTI – No. 34 Window World Cares Ford Fusion (Finished 16th) – “It was OK. I think that we had a pretty good car. The only thing is we had some issues in practice and they reappeared in the 150, so we think we have a good handle on what’s going on now and we’ll be able to fix it when they tear the car down and get it ready for Sunday’s race. So it was a good race for us. We got to try some things and really went out on a limb on a couple of things with the race car. Some of them worked and some of them didn’t. I think we had a pretty fast car, but we didn’t want to get digging too much. Plus, with the other issue, we had a small fuel pick-up problem for some reason. We had it in practice and didn’t solve it, so I think we have a good idea where it is now.”
ROBERT RICHARDSON JR. – No. 38 Mahindra USA Tractors Ford Fusion (Finished 23rd) – “I’m not real happy with the handling of the race car. We’re still plugging away and trying to get the car handling a little bit better. We’re fighting kind of a tight-loose condition, which means the car is pushing in the corner and the more steering input I put in the corner the car snaps loose. We’re gonna try to get that leveled out with the practices we have remaining and try to get the car handling a little bit better, and try to get the car to suck up better in the draft. The car didn’t draft as well as I thought it would, so we’ll just take what we’ve got and keep going.”
TRAVIS KVAPIL -- No. 37 ExtenZe Ford Fusion (Finished 19th) – “It was OK. Our gameplan going in wasn’t to really push real hard. At the start of the race I drove real hard and got up in there and got some decent track position, but the tires started to wear off and it started to get three-wide and it wasn’t a position we needed to be in. We don’t need to be wrecking race cars. Overall, our car is decent. We’ve got a list of things we want to work through over the next couple days and we want it to be with this car. We’re in the 500 and didn’t really have a whole lot to gain, but a lot to lose so we drove a pretty conservative race. It’s frustrating right now because I know we could have finished right up in the middle of things, but, at the same time, if we would have wrecked the race car, we’d feel pretty stupid right now. Overall, it wasn’t a bad day, but Sunday is where the money and the points are so we’ve got to be there when it counts.”
GATORADE DUEL #2
BORIS SAID – No. 26 Window World Cares Ford Fusion (Finished 27th) – “We’re doing this race on a tight budget. We’re in the race, so we want to save our car and save the motor for the race. The car ran great, but we really weren’t planning on starting to run hard until tomorrow. That’s when we plan on practicing hard and then running really hard in the 500, but it seemed to run pretty good.” IS IT A CASE OF NOT HAVING A BIG CAR INVENTORY TO FALL BACK ON? “Right. We did this program two weeks ago, so we have a backup but it doesn’t even have an engine in it. We’re trying to do this race with just one engine instead of two, so we’ve got to run limited miles. Being locked in the show, it would be stupid to go out there and wreck for just as starting spot, whereas the 500 is so long that you can start anywhere and do good. I think it’s a good plan.”
MATT KENSETH – No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion (Finished 11th) – “When we started off I didn’t think it was very good, and then about 15 laps into the run it really came to us and we were able to drive all the way up to the lead. I thought everything was pretty good. We were just a little loose, so we tried to tighten it up on the pit stop with four new tires and it just took off sideways. I burned the right-rear off that whole run.” SOME GUYS IN THE FIRST RACE SAID THE TRACK ALMOST FEELS LIKE A JULY RACE IN THAT THE TRACK IS SLICK. WHAT DO YOU THINK? “It seems like the tire maybe has a little less grip than what we had, which is OK as long as we’re not blowing out tires. That’s no big deal, but we also have a bigger plate. I don’t know if we have more or less downforce, but when you’re going faster and the track is really worn out because it’s another year older, it’s gonna be slick.” HOW DO YOU ADJUST TO IT? “You really just have to work on your handling and keep working to make it as balanced as you can, and make it handle the best you can.”
ELLIOTT SADLER – No. 19 Stanley’s Ford Fusion (Finished 5th) – “I feel great. The car drove really good. We feel like we learned some things today for Sunday’s race. We finished fifth and my teammate won the race, so it was a great day all in all for Richard Petty Motorsports, Ford and Stanley. I feel like I’ve got a pretty good piece for Sunday. It handled good and ran good on long runs, and that’s what it’s gonna have to have.” WHAT KIND OF A BOOST IS IT FOR YOU ORGANIZATINO TO WIN A RACE RIGHT OFF THE BAT WITH FORD? “It’s a big boost. Doug Yates and his engine staff have given us a lot of horsepower here this weekend. It drafts good. It cools good, so those guys did a good job.”
PAUL MENARD – No. 98 Peak/Menards Ford Fusion (Finished 15th) – “I learned a lot for Sunday. We started off and were pretty good, but it seemed when the sun went down or things cooled off the track got a little freer. I was kind of hanging on at the end. The top line was the line you needed to be in, but I was a little bit too loose to run up there. I could run the middle and bottom good, but the car would bog down too much to get a good run off, so I learned some things and we’ll be ready for Sunday.” HOW SLICK WAS THE TRACK? “It’s been a slick race track since we unloaded last week. I don’t know if it’s the rear shock package or what, but it’s definitely a lot slicker than it has been.”
RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS PRESS CONFERENCE
KENNY FRANCIS, Crew Chief – No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion – “It was a pretty good race for us. In the Shootout the other day was our first run in a Ford and that went pretty well, we finished second, so this one was a pretty good race for us. I don’t think we ever got shuffled back too far. The car seemed to handle fairly good. We made a pretty good adjustment at the pit stop that we made and that helped him out. I think that was part of the difference where he was able to really get up front and really race pretty hard.”
DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN COMPETE WITH THE CHEVY POWER? “From what I’ve seen, the Chevy guys qualified pretty good, but our Fords really seemed to run strong in race configuration. I think if you look at our run, the 17 ran really good in our race, the 19 ran good. In the first race, Allmendinger ran good in one of our cars. The 16 ran really good up there, so I think the Ford stuff is really strong and I think on Sunday I feel like we’ve got a real good piece and a real good shot to give them a run for it.”
DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING TODAY AND WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR THE FR9 ENGINE? “The plan is to go back to the older engine like we ran in the Shootout. I think they’ve got a few of the newer motors that they want to run in the 500, but I’m not sure how they’re gonna divvy that out. Of course, maybe that plan will change by now. We pretty much just take Doug’s advice on which one to run. Doug Yates built us great motors for this deal and builds great motors for all of them. I would say everyone would pretty much say Doug is the speedway expert around the garage area, so whatever Doug thinks is best is probably what we’ll do. Last week the plan was to run one of the older motors in the 500, but we’ll see what he has to say. I think they’re really happy they won a race with the new engine and it’s looking really good.”
WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN MONTOYA BUMPED STEWART ON THE LAST LAP? “When he got the lead there, I felt like we tried some stuff today with our setup that was a little bit different than what we practiced and a little bit different than what we ran the other night, and I didn’t feel like our car led quite as well, but I felt like it raced really good and was really good in the corners. I’m not really sure why or what, but I was a little concerned when Montoya got behind him there and was pushing pretty good. Luckily, however it worked out, we beat him to the line and that’s all that counts. But us being up there with air on our nose, I was a little bit worried about it. I thought the 2 was really strong and I was happy he was behind kind of helping us.”
THE TRACK SEEMS SLICKER THIS TIME AROUND. HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THINGS? “It’s a little bit different shock package this year, but it’s not a whole lot different. I think the track is just so slick. It’s a great race track. It’s great to race on. The drivers are really working hard out there. I’m sure everybody has seen that and I’m sure the TV guys are focusing in on that, but it’s just a really slick track. It’s rough, it’s bumpy and it throws the cars around, so, to me, it makes for really great racing. You’ve got to really hustle the cars around here, even more so than an intermediate track in a lot of cases. I don’t think it’s really the shock package that’s making the cars slide around more. I think Goodyear came back with a little bit different tire and the tires are holding up really, really well – better than we’ve seen here in years and years. There may be some grip level that’s a little different with how that compound reacts to the asphalt that’s making the cars a little more slippery, but Kasey has not really complained about his handling much at all. He’s been pretty happy with the car and the grip levels, and even the Goodyear guys have come by and asked him a few times, so, I don’t know. We’ve got a little bit different aero package as well. They took a little bit of that wicker off, which is a little bit less downforce, and they’ve got the shark fin on the decklid which changes how the air works around there, so there are a few factors there that’s probably causing that and it’s probably just a little combination of all of them, but I think it’s making for a great race, really.”
KASEY KAHNE – No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion – “It was really exciting throughout the race. My car started off pretty loose on entry and a little bit tight off, and Kenny Francis and our Budweiser team did a great job on the pit stop to get it a little bit better. At that point, I tried to learn what some of the other guys’ cars were doing and once I got behind Tony I felt like I was in a really good position and just needed to take advantage when I got the right push, and Kurt gave me that in turn one. I was able to sneak under Tony and from there I just tried to keep the 2 behind me. He was really strong throughout the whole race, so I felt if I could keep him behind me that I’d have a decent shot at winning it and trying to beat Tony. It was close, but we were able to pull it off. It feels good to win at Daytona.”
CAN YOU COMPETE WITH THE CHEVY POWER? “Yeah, absolutely. I feel like we still have a few things we can do to make our car better. The track changed this week from last week a little bit, and I imagine it’ll change a little more before Sunday, so we need to keep going in that direction on what we learned today. Hopefully, we’ll be ready to go by the 500. We have a great starting position and the Roush Yates Ford engine is really, really good. I’m excited for the race on Sunday. We need to get a little bit more out of our car and I think we’ll have a shot to hang out up front and, hopefully, be there at the end.”
YOU AND TONY HAVE BATTLED BEFORE. WAS THAT FUN AND DOES THIS MAKE A STRONGER CASE TO KEEP THE FR9? “I enjoy racing Tony because if you beat that guy you’ve done something on that day. He just always seems to be at the front. Whenever I’m having a good day, he’s always the guy there that I have to actually beat. He’s won tons of races and I haven’t even been in the field or even close to where he’s at, but it seems everytime I’m up front, he’s one of those cars I’m battling with. I pushed him to the front and from there Kurt pushed me hard. I had an open shot to get by him and it ended up close. It was closer than I thought at the line. Cole, my spotter, said, ‘Good job.’ I couldn’t tell if I won or not, so once he told me I was pretty happy. The engine is good. The engine is really good and we’re still kind of tweaking on it because it’s new to them down here, so we’ve been making adjustments. We made it better throughout practice yesterday. I’m not sure how the new and old (engine) is gonna work out, but I actually like both of them. I don’t really care which one I get, I just want another one.”
AFTER THE UNCERTAINTY OF LAST YEAR, WHAT’S THE MOOD OF THE TEAM AND PROSPECTS FOR THIS YEAR? “The team is really good. The team is always good. Those guys have been through a lot in the last couple of years and they just keep working right away and giving me great race cars – again today. We made some gains yesterday throughout practice. We were able to win today. We ran second in the Shootout and they’re pumped, they’re excited and so am I. It’s nice to work with such a good team. I’ve said it for a long time and to have Kenny Francis as our leader. I enjoy it and I think we have a lot of races ahead of us this year that I think we can run strong in.”
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE FIRST DUEL AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT SUNDAY? “I thought the Shootout was really good. I watched the entire first race from my bus and at times I was like, “Man, this doesn’t look quite like I felt the Shootout was the other night.’ It didn’t seem like the racing was quite as two and three-wide. Then we got in our race and I think probably about lap three I was in the middle of three-wide for about three or four laps. My car was moving, so I don’t know if I’m in the car and I look at it differently or not, but I definitely feel like it’s been pretty exciting and good from my standpoint.”
WHAT ABOUT SUNDAY? “Sunday is 500 miles. Handling is gonna be a big part of Sunday. Everybody is pretty quick the first five laps, 10 laps, but that last 20-25 laps of a race run handling will be big and it will get somewhat spread out, then a couple of cars will pull out and that will get it stacked back up, and then it will get spread out again. I don’t think you’ll see until probably the last 200 miles that it will really get exciting again like maybe the Bud Shootout was on Saturday.”
THIS IS YOUR FIRST WIN AT DAYTONA. HOW DOES IT FEEL? “It feels great. You watch tons of races growing up as a kid. That’s all I did is watch racing or go to races, and I can remember every Daytona 500, having 15-20 people at my house – breakfast and all that. I think it was about a 9 o’clock start back then at our house, so it was neat. Daytona is one of those tracks that has a ton of history. Our car owner, Richard Petty, is a big part of that history and it feels good to be in Victory Lane here and win this early in the year.”
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO WIN SUCH A CLOSE RACE LIKE THAT? “If you can win by a ways it’s nice because you just never know what’s gonna happen. I didn’t know who was gonna win until you cross the line and they actually tell you. When it’s that close, you can’t see out of these cars well enough to know where your front is and where the front of the other car is, so it’s a little bit nerve-wracking, but, at the same time, it’s exciting. I enjoyed it today. I really like this type of racing. I’ve liked it for a long time. It seems when I first started in Cup we were in a lot of wrecks on these types of tracks and in the last few years some of that has changed, and I feel more comfortable. I feel I can make better moves throughout the race and get in the right line more often than not, so, hopefully we can keep it up. I enjoy Daytona and Talladega both.”
IS IT A TOSS-UP BETWEEN BEING ON THE BOTTOM OR HIGH SIDE AT THE END OF THE RACE? “I think it depends on where you’re at on the race track, but the start-finish the bottom looks like it’s won by a little bit in both races. The bottom usually leads the most laps throughout the race, but that top gets a boost once in a while. The thing about, it seems like just watching these races and being in them, that to clear that car in the very front – whoever is leading can move to the outside and back to the inside and kind of keep the air mixed up – he seems to have the best shot. It’s hard to actually clear that car and then you take the lead, so where I was able to do that in the middle of the corner with Tony helped out a lot. I don’t think you can do it on the straightaways unless you have some huge push.”
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
2011 Ford Edge
CHICAGO, Feb. 10, 2010 – Style and technology – the hallmarks of Ford Edge since it took the midsize crossover segment by storm starting in 2006 – come together in an all-new way, offering customers even more of what they love for the 2011 model year.
“Customers told us how much they like Edge’s design and dynamic driving quality,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “We listened and made sure the new 2011 Edge delivers that and more – including fuel economy leadership, unexpected levels of quietness, a strong new design with quality materials, and MyFord Touch driver connect technology that will change how people experience their vehicles.”Customers made the Ford Edge the No. 1-selling vehicle in its segment in its first full year on the market, and more than 330,000 have been sold since its launch in late 2006. The 2011 Ford Edge now aims to redefine the segment with a wide-ranging scope of improvements.
“The new Edge demonstrates how a refresh at Ford has become more than just a few design and interior tweaks,” explains Elaine Bannon, chief engineer. “We have taken every element of the Edge and completely reworked it, including three new powertrains, two new transmissions, a bold new exterior design and a completely new interior. If you add in our industry-exclusive MyFord Touch system, you have a vehicle that will continue to stand out above all the competition on the road.”
Improved power; expected to be a fuel economy leader In addition to delivering customer-focused technology, the new Edge also showcases Ford’s impressive drive to bring new powertrain options to the customer. Both the Edge 3.5-liter V-6 and Edge Sport 3.7-liter V-6 use advanced engine valvetrain technology (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing, or Ti-VCT) and clever control strategies to increase horsepower and torque to best-in-class levels. This beats competitors such as the BMW X5, Lexus RX350 and Audi Q5, all while delivering unsurpassed fuel economy of 27 mpg (3.5-liter V-6 highway).
The 3.5-liter V-6 produces 285 horsepower and 253 ft.-lb. of torque while the 3.7-liter V-6 delivers 305 horsepower and 280 ft.-lb. of torque – all on regular fuel. Edge’s unsurpassed fuel economy is not at the expense of power and performance. For example, the 3.5-liter V-6 with Ti-VCT technology delivers highway fuel economy that is 15 percent better than the Nissan Murano but produces 20 horsepower more.
Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The SelectShift Automatic™ transmission is standard on the 2011 Edge SEL and Limited series, with class-exclusive paddle activation of the SelectShift standard on the 2011 Edge Sport.
In addition, the arrival of the new 2.0-liter EcoBoost I-4 engine in the months ahead will give customers still more choice and will deliver class-leading fuel economy with impressive power and torque.
The new EcoBoost I-4 will be mated to a six-speed transmission that will help channel the impressive performance from the new EcoBoost engine. With the introduction of the 2.0-liter EcoBoost I-4, fuel economy on the new Edge will be 30 percent better than it was in 2006. Plus, Ford’s newest EcoBoost engine will deliver on the promise of 15 percent fuel economy improvements versus the Edge’s current 3.5-liter V-6 engine while offering the performance feel of a six-cylinder.
In all, the Edge will go from one engine and one transmission to three powertrains – all delivering what’s expected to be class-leading or unsurpassed fuel economy and class-leading power and torque for a real win-win for the customer.
A more connected driving experienceNew 18-inch tires, standard on the Edge SEL and Edge Limited, and new wheels that are one-half inch wider than the outgoing product provide a more engaging steering feel. Twenty-inch tires with new wider wheels are optional on the Edge Limited while the Edge Sport has class-exclusive 22-inch wheels standard.
Complementing the new tire and wheel lineup is a retuned suspension. Shocks, springs and stabilizer bars were adjusted to tighten handling. The shocks now feature a high-flow piston, which allows engineers to tune for both road loads and driving dynamics, without compromising ride for handling or vice versa. The result is a flatter response through turns and over hills while still providing a comfortable ride.
New four-wheel disc brakes provide enhanced stopping power. Key brake system upgrades include steel pistons, larger rear rotors, revised brake friction materials, revised brake booster gain and revised pedal ratios, all of which enable more initial bite and a firmer, more confident feel when customers press on the brake pedal.
The 2011 Edge offers several new brake-related features: Hill Start Assist, which reduces rollback on hills; Trailer Sway Control, which provides greater towing stability when equipped for trailer tow; Hydraulic Brake Assist, which provides greater braking force in emergency stops; and available segment-first Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support, which helps reduce speed and automatically pre-charges brakes and engages an electronic brake assist system to help drivers stop more quickly when the system detects a collision is imminent.
New subframe mounts enhance drivability, help reduce road noiseThe original Edge set numerous benchmarks in overall quietness, and that tradition continues as the 2011 Ford Edge has better wind noise than many premium vehicles such as the Lexus RX350, Audi Q5 and Acura MDX. Both the front and rear subframe mounts have been upgraded, adding to the increased tunability of the suspension and improving NVH (noise, vibration, harshness). The larger rear subframe bushing’s rubber volume was increased by more than 500 percent compared with the outgoing bushings, improving the isolation between the subframe and the body, which in turn helps decrease road noise.
Both road noise and wind noise are significantly decreased in the 2011 Edge because of improvements found throughout the interior and exterior, including powertrain. Here’s a look at some of the other actions:
Sound pack and acoustic glass: A more absorptive sound pack is found throughout the interior, which reduces high-frequency noise more effectively than material that acts merely as a barrier. The result is an improved articulation index, which measures how easy it is to hear and understand someone in the vehicle. The 2011 Edge also features an acoustic headliner, and the microphone for the SYNC® system has been relocated so it is closer to the driver for improved voice recognition. The windshield also is thicker and now acoustic-laminated on all Edge models. Finally, baked-on expandable foam baffles in the fenders and D-pillars help seal out unwanted road noise.
Powertrain NVH improvements: Three main actions contribute to a quieter 2011 Edge from a powertrain NVH perspective. One is the more robust engine cover. The intake and exhaust systems have been completely retuned for a crisper note corresponding to Ford powertrain DNA. Finally, a “tighter” torque converter reduces engine rpm on launch and tip-in events, reducing engine noise.
Aerodynamic improvements: Both the lowered front fascia and new underbody shields contribute to improved wind noise.
Bold, flowing design makes Edge the can’t-miss crossoverThe bolder, more seamlessly flowing exterior design freshening is mirrored by a complementary interior, characterized by increased craftsmanship, improved materials and overall better execution. Improved fit-and-finish, softer touchpoints, and flexibility in terms of stowage in the cabin and throughout mark the 2011 Ford Edge.
“To me, craftsmanship isn’t just fit-and-finish,” said Bannon. “It’s also the layout and the ergonomic experience. It’s where we put the material – the stitching, the cutlines – and all the attention to detail to give the customer a great experience.”
Increased presence is announced through a bolder grille and a chin spoiler that appears more crafted. The A-pillar flows into the hood, which adds subtle undulations to create a heightened sculptural quality. The wrapping lines emphasize both the front end and the new wheel lineup.
2011 Edge Sport adds more power, distinctive lookThe 2011 Edge Sport is powered by a 3.7-liter Ti-VCT V-6 engine that produces 305 horsepower and is similar to the one added to the 2011 Ford Mustang. The 2011 Edge Sport includes all of the content found on Edge SEL as well as a specially tuned suspension, paddle shift transmission and its own unique style.
The Edge Sport’s class-exclusive 22-inch polished aluminum wheels have distinctive Tuxedo Black spoke accents. Other unique styling cues include a Tuxedo Black grille, smoked headlamp and taillamp treatment, body-color rocker moldings, oval chrome exhaust tips, body-color door cladding and revised body-color lower front and rear fascias.
Key interior differentiators are liquid silver smoke appliqués that are echoed in the silver smoke metallic leather seat inserts, aluminum pedals and class-exclusive paddle shifters, which activate the six-speed SelectShift Automatic transmission to give customers the option of a fun-to-shift manual experience.
In SelectShift mode, the transmission doesn’t second-guess the driver, offering total control over gear selection and performance feel. Upshifts, for instance, are not commanded at redline, and downshifts are allowed at the lowest gear possible as defined by the engine speed.
When the system is in manual mode, engine speed matching provides faster and smoother downshifts, and customers get the gear they request within the limits of the rev limiter.
When a lower gear is selected while descending a long downhill grade, the 2011 Ford Edge Sport in SelectShift mode will hold that gear until the driver manually upshifts or returns to the fully automatic setting. To ensure safe shifting, the transmission will downshift to the lowest acceptable gear, based on a calculated maximum speed. That means if a vehicle were traveling at highway speeds, the driver could not downshift to first gear in SelectShift mode.
“The 2011 Ford Edge Sport, with its exceptional powertrain, specially tuned suspension and unique style, offers a driving experience not seen in other crossovers, and really appeals to the driving enthusiast,” said Bannon. “Like the rest of the 2011 Ford Edge lineup, it perfectly blends technology and style.”
MyFord Touch ushers in new era of interactionThe industry-first MyFord Touch driver connect technology provides a smarter, safer, simpler way to connect drivers with in-car technologies and their digital lives. It replaces traditional vehicle buttons, knobs and gauges with clear, crisp LCD screens and five-way controls like those found on cell phones and MP3 players.
Standard on the 2011 Edge Limited and 2011 Edge Sport, the MyFord Touch system displays information using two 4.2-inch full-color LCD screens flanking an analog speedometer and an 8-inch touch-screen LCD at the top of the center stack. A five-way switch on each side of the steering wheel crossbar controls the information displayed on the corresponding instrument panel screens. The screens can be personalized to display information relevant to each individual driver using a simple button click, voice command or touch-screen tap.
The steering wheel has all the necessary functions available in a very compact area, right where the driver’s hand falls as he or she grabs the wheel. The five-way buttons feel familiar to anyone who has used a mobile phone or MP3 player.
Like the song? You can tag itAlso new on the 2011 Ford Edge is the world’s first use of iTunes® Tagging in an available factory-installed HD Radio™ receiver. iTunes Tagging provides customers with the ability to “capture” a song they hear on the HD Radio receiver for later purchase from iTunes. With a simple push of a “TAG” button on the MyFord touch-screen display, the song information will be stored in the radio’s memory.
Once a song is tagged and customers dock their iPod to the SYNC system, the tagged song information will transfer to that iPod. Up to 100 tags on SYNC can be stored until the iPod is connected. When the iPod is then synced to iTunes, a playlist of tagged songs will appear. Customers then can preview, and if they desire, purchase and download tagged songs from the iTunes Store.
One significant benefit of HD Radio technology is that the sound quality of the broadcast is dramatically better because of the digital transmission – FM sounds like a CD and AM sounds like today’s FM broadcasts. Unlike analog broadcasts, digital broadcasts aren’t susceptible to interference, fadeout and other issues.
2011 Ford Edge brimming with standard and class-exclusive technologiesMyFord driver connect technology headlines the list of 12 class-exclusive standard and available features and technologies for the 2011 Ford Edge, joining SYNC; Easy Fuel® (standard); SecuriCode keyless entry keypad; Blind Spot Mirrors (standard); MyKey™ (standard); AdvanceTrac® with RSC (Roll Stability Control™, standard); Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support; Cross Traffic Alert; and 22-inch wheels and paddle activation on the 2011 Edge Sport.
Here’s a closer look at some of the technologies:
Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support allows the driver to set the vehicle’s speed and maintain it without using the accelerator pedal, and warns the driver of a potential collision risk. It also helps reduce speed and automatically pre-charges brakes and engages an electronic brake assist system to help drivers stop more quickly when the system detects a collision is imminent.
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with Cross Traffic Alert is a feature that can help detect vehicles in blind spots during normal driving and traffic approaching from the sides when reversing out of parking spots.
MyKey is designed to allow parents to encourage teenagers to drive safely and more fuel efficiently, and increase seat belt usage. The standard MyKey feature allows owners to designate keys that can limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume.
Easy Fuel Capless Fuel-Filler System is a standard Ford-exclusive feature that uses an integrated spring-loaded flapper door to eliminate the need for a fuel tank screw cap.
“You can jump in the 2011 Ford Edge and bring your technology – your lifestyle – with you and have everything at your fingertips,” said Bannon. “The 2011 Ford Edge gives you all the capability and flexibility you want along with great style.”
“Customers told us how much they like Edge’s design and dynamic driving quality,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “We listened and made sure the new 2011 Edge delivers that and more – including fuel economy leadership, unexpected levels of quietness, a strong new design with quality materials, and MyFord Touch driver connect technology that will change how people experience their vehicles.”Customers made the Ford Edge the No. 1-selling vehicle in its segment in its first full year on the market, and more than 330,000 have been sold since its launch in late 2006. The 2011 Ford Edge now aims to redefine the segment with a wide-ranging scope of improvements.
“The new Edge demonstrates how a refresh at Ford has become more than just a few design and interior tweaks,” explains Elaine Bannon, chief engineer. “We have taken every element of the Edge and completely reworked it, including three new powertrains, two new transmissions, a bold new exterior design and a completely new interior. If you add in our industry-exclusive MyFord Touch system, you have a vehicle that will continue to stand out above all the competition on the road.”
Improved power; expected to be a fuel economy leader In addition to delivering customer-focused technology, the new Edge also showcases Ford’s impressive drive to bring new powertrain options to the customer. Both the Edge 3.5-liter V-6 and Edge Sport 3.7-liter V-6 use advanced engine valvetrain technology (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing, or Ti-VCT) and clever control strategies to increase horsepower and torque to best-in-class levels. This beats competitors such as the BMW X5, Lexus RX350 and Audi Q5, all while delivering unsurpassed fuel economy of 27 mpg (3.5-liter V-6 highway).
The 3.5-liter V-6 produces 285 horsepower and 253 ft.-lb. of torque while the 3.7-liter V-6 delivers 305 horsepower and 280 ft.-lb. of torque – all on regular fuel. Edge’s unsurpassed fuel economy is not at the expense of power and performance. For example, the 3.5-liter V-6 with Ti-VCT technology delivers highway fuel economy that is 15 percent better than the Nissan Murano but produces 20 horsepower more.
Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The SelectShift Automatic™ transmission is standard on the 2011 Edge SEL and Limited series, with class-exclusive paddle activation of the SelectShift standard on the 2011 Edge Sport.
In addition, the arrival of the new 2.0-liter EcoBoost I-4 engine in the months ahead will give customers still more choice and will deliver class-leading fuel economy with impressive power and torque.
The new EcoBoost I-4 will be mated to a six-speed transmission that will help channel the impressive performance from the new EcoBoost engine. With the introduction of the 2.0-liter EcoBoost I-4, fuel economy on the new Edge will be 30 percent better than it was in 2006. Plus, Ford’s newest EcoBoost engine will deliver on the promise of 15 percent fuel economy improvements versus the Edge’s current 3.5-liter V-6 engine while offering the performance feel of a six-cylinder.
In all, the Edge will go from one engine and one transmission to three powertrains – all delivering what’s expected to be class-leading or unsurpassed fuel economy and class-leading power and torque for a real win-win for the customer.
A more connected driving experienceNew 18-inch tires, standard on the Edge SEL and Edge Limited, and new wheels that are one-half inch wider than the outgoing product provide a more engaging steering feel. Twenty-inch tires with new wider wheels are optional on the Edge Limited while the Edge Sport has class-exclusive 22-inch wheels standard.
Complementing the new tire and wheel lineup is a retuned suspension. Shocks, springs and stabilizer bars were adjusted to tighten handling. The shocks now feature a high-flow piston, which allows engineers to tune for both road loads and driving dynamics, without compromising ride for handling or vice versa. The result is a flatter response through turns and over hills while still providing a comfortable ride.
New four-wheel disc brakes provide enhanced stopping power. Key brake system upgrades include steel pistons, larger rear rotors, revised brake friction materials, revised brake booster gain and revised pedal ratios, all of which enable more initial bite and a firmer, more confident feel when customers press on the brake pedal.
The 2011 Edge offers several new brake-related features: Hill Start Assist, which reduces rollback on hills; Trailer Sway Control, which provides greater towing stability when equipped for trailer tow; Hydraulic Brake Assist, which provides greater braking force in emergency stops; and available segment-first Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support, which helps reduce speed and automatically pre-charges brakes and engages an electronic brake assist system to help drivers stop more quickly when the system detects a collision is imminent.
New subframe mounts enhance drivability, help reduce road noiseThe original Edge set numerous benchmarks in overall quietness, and that tradition continues as the 2011 Ford Edge has better wind noise than many premium vehicles such as the Lexus RX350, Audi Q5 and Acura MDX. Both the front and rear subframe mounts have been upgraded, adding to the increased tunability of the suspension and improving NVH (noise, vibration, harshness). The larger rear subframe bushing’s rubber volume was increased by more than 500 percent compared with the outgoing bushings, improving the isolation between the subframe and the body, which in turn helps decrease road noise.
Both road noise and wind noise are significantly decreased in the 2011 Edge because of improvements found throughout the interior and exterior, including powertrain. Here’s a look at some of the other actions:
Sound pack and acoustic glass: A more absorptive sound pack is found throughout the interior, which reduces high-frequency noise more effectively than material that acts merely as a barrier. The result is an improved articulation index, which measures how easy it is to hear and understand someone in the vehicle. The 2011 Edge also features an acoustic headliner, and the microphone for the SYNC® system has been relocated so it is closer to the driver for improved voice recognition. The windshield also is thicker and now acoustic-laminated on all Edge models. Finally, baked-on expandable foam baffles in the fenders and D-pillars help seal out unwanted road noise.
Powertrain NVH improvements: Three main actions contribute to a quieter 2011 Edge from a powertrain NVH perspective. One is the more robust engine cover. The intake and exhaust systems have been completely retuned for a crisper note corresponding to Ford powertrain DNA. Finally, a “tighter” torque converter reduces engine rpm on launch and tip-in events, reducing engine noise.
Aerodynamic improvements: Both the lowered front fascia and new underbody shields contribute to improved wind noise.
Bold, flowing design makes Edge the can’t-miss crossoverThe bolder, more seamlessly flowing exterior design freshening is mirrored by a complementary interior, characterized by increased craftsmanship, improved materials and overall better execution. Improved fit-and-finish, softer touchpoints, and flexibility in terms of stowage in the cabin and throughout mark the 2011 Ford Edge.
“To me, craftsmanship isn’t just fit-and-finish,” said Bannon. “It’s also the layout and the ergonomic experience. It’s where we put the material – the stitching, the cutlines – and all the attention to detail to give the customer a great experience.”
Increased presence is announced through a bolder grille and a chin spoiler that appears more crafted. The A-pillar flows into the hood, which adds subtle undulations to create a heightened sculptural quality. The wrapping lines emphasize both the front end and the new wheel lineup.
2011 Edge Sport adds more power, distinctive lookThe 2011 Edge Sport is powered by a 3.7-liter Ti-VCT V-6 engine that produces 305 horsepower and is similar to the one added to the 2011 Ford Mustang. The 2011 Edge Sport includes all of the content found on Edge SEL as well as a specially tuned suspension, paddle shift transmission and its own unique style.
The Edge Sport’s class-exclusive 22-inch polished aluminum wheels have distinctive Tuxedo Black spoke accents. Other unique styling cues include a Tuxedo Black grille, smoked headlamp and taillamp treatment, body-color rocker moldings, oval chrome exhaust tips, body-color door cladding and revised body-color lower front and rear fascias.
Key interior differentiators are liquid silver smoke appliqués that are echoed in the silver smoke metallic leather seat inserts, aluminum pedals and class-exclusive paddle shifters, which activate the six-speed SelectShift Automatic transmission to give customers the option of a fun-to-shift manual experience.
In SelectShift mode, the transmission doesn’t second-guess the driver, offering total control over gear selection and performance feel. Upshifts, for instance, are not commanded at redline, and downshifts are allowed at the lowest gear possible as defined by the engine speed.
When the system is in manual mode, engine speed matching provides faster and smoother downshifts, and customers get the gear they request within the limits of the rev limiter.
When a lower gear is selected while descending a long downhill grade, the 2011 Ford Edge Sport in SelectShift mode will hold that gear until the driver manually upshifts or returns to the fully automatic setting. To ensure safe shifting, the transmission will downshift to the lowest acceptable gear, based on a calculated maximum speed. That means if a vehicle were traveling at highway speeds, the driver could not downshift to first gear in SelectShift mode.
“The 2011 Ford Edge Sport, with its exceptional powertrain, specially tuned suspension and unique style, offers a driving experience not seen in other crossovers, and really appeals to the driving enthusiast,” said Bannon. “Like the rest of the 2011 Ford Edge lineup, it perfectly blends technology and style.”
MyFord Touch ushers in new era of interactionThe industry-first MyFord Touch driver connect technology provides a smarter, safer, simpler way to connect drivers with in-car technologies and their digital lives. It replaces traditional vehicle buttons, knobs and gauges with clear, crisp LCD screens and five-way controls like those found on cell phones and MP3 players.
Standard on the 2011 Edge Limited and 2011 Edge Sport, the MyFord Touch system displays information using two 4.2-inch full-color LCD screens flanking an analog speedometer and an 8-inch touch-screen LCD at the top of the center stack. A five-way switch on each side of the steering wheel crossbar controls the information displayed on the corresponding instrument panel screens. The screens can be personalized to display information relevant to each individual driver using a simple button click, voice command or touch-screen tap.
The steering wheel has all the necessary functions available in a very compact area, right where the driver’s hand falls as he or she grabs the wheel. The five-way buttons feel familiar to anyone who has used a mobile phone or MP3 player.
Like the song? You can tag itAlso new on the 2011 Ford Edge is the world’s first use of iTunes® Tagging in an available factory-installed HD Radio™ receiver. iTunes Tagging provides customers with the ability to “capture” a song they hear on the HD Radio receiver for later purchase from iTunes. With a simple push of a “TAG” button on the MyFord touch-screen display, the song information will be stored in the radio’s memory.
Once a song is tagged and customers dock their iPod to the SYNC system, the tagged song information will transfer to that iPod. Up to 100 tags on SYNC can be stored until the iPod is connected. When the iPod is then synced to iTunes, a playlist of tagged songs will appear. Customers then can preview, and if they desire, purchase and download tagged songs from the iTunes Store.
One significant benefit of HD Radio technology is that the sound quality of the broadcast is dramatically better because of the digital transmission – FM sounds like a CD and AM sounds like today’s FM broadcasts. Unlike analog broadcasts, digital broadcasts aren’t susceptible to interference, fadeout and other issues.
2011 Ford Edge brimming with standard and class-exclusive technologiesMyFord driver connect technology headlines the list of 12 class-exclusive standard and available features and technologies for the 2011 Ford Edge, joining SYNC; Easy Fuel® (standard); SecuriCode keyless entry keypad; Blind Spot Mirrors (standard); MyKey™ (standard); AdvanceTrac® with RSC (Roll Stability Control™, standard); Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support; Cross Traffic Alert; and 22-inch wheels and paddle activation on the 2011 Edge Sport.
Here’s a closer look at some of the technologies:
Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support allows the driver to set the vehicle’s speed and maintain it without using the accelerator pedal, and warns the driver of a potential collision risk. It also helps reduce speed and automatically pre-charges brakes and engages an electronic brake assist system to help drivers stop more quickly when the system detects a collision is imminent.
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with Cross Traffic Alert is a feature that can help detect vehicles in blind spots during normal driving and traffic approaching from the sides when reversing out of parking spots.
MyKey is designed to allow parents to encourage teenagers to drive safely and more fuel efficiently, and increase seat belt usage. The standard MyKey feature allows owners to designate keys that can limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume.
Easy Fuel Capless Fuel-Filler System is a standard Ford-exclusive feature that uses an integrated spring-loaded flapper door to eliminate the need for a fuel tank screw cap.
“You can jump in the 2011 Ford Edge and bring your technology – your lifestyle – with you and have everything at your fingertips,” said Bannon. “The 2011 Ford Edge gives you all the capability and flexibility you want along with great style.”
Monday, February 8, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
FORD KICKS OFF 2010 WITH 24 PERCENT SALES INCREASE, MARKET SHARE GAIN, THANKS TO PRODUCT LINEUP
Ford, Lincoln and Mercury January sales up 24 percent versus year ago
Cars up 43 percent, crossovers up 20 percent, SUVs up 8 percent, trucks and vans up 14 percent
Ford brand sales up 26 percent, Lincoln up 16 percent and Mercury up 6 percent
Ford’s U.S. market share estimated at 16 percent, up 2 points versus year ago
Fleet customers are back in the market – and buying Ford; fleet sales more than doubled versus last January’s depressed levels
Retail sales were 5 percent lower following December’s 18 percent increase
New products drive Ford’s brand favorability and purchase consideration to record levels
Download Full Sales Release (With Tables)
DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 2, 2010 – Higher sales for every brand and in every product category propelled Ford to a 24 percent sales increase in January versus a year ago.
Ford cars were up 43 percent, crossovers were up 20 percent, sport utilities were up 8 percent, and trucks and vans were up 14 percent. Among brands, Ford sales were up 26 percent, Lincoln sales were up 16 percent and Mercury sales were up 6 percent.
“Ford’s focus on building products consumers want to buy and love to drive will continue,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing Sales and Service. “In 2010, we will give Ford customers even more reasons to Drive One.”
Ford estimates its January U.S. total market share was approximately 16 percent – about 2 percentage points higher than in January 2009. Last year, Ford posted its first full-year U.S. market share increase since 1995.
Plus, every consumer metric about the Ford brand – including favorable opinion, consideration, shopping and intention to buy – ended the year at record levels. Last year, favorable opinion improved 27 percent and intention to buy Ford increased 30 percent.
“People increasingly are discovering that the Ford difference is the strength of our products, particularly our leadership in quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart technologies and value,” said Czubay.
Among full-line manufacturers, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles recorded the largest gain in resale values from the 2009 to 2010 model year. The projected resale value of Ford vehiclesincreased by more than $1,300 per vehicle. Ford already holds a resale value advantage over its U.S.-based competitors, and it continues closing the gap on key imports with some Ford vehicles already having surpassed competing foreign vehicles.
“Resale value is a key indicator of brand health and an important contributor to the total value equation,” said Czubay. “Fleet managers monitor vehicle operating costs very carefully. They are giving Ford more consideration because of our improving resale values.”
In January, Ford sales to fleet customers more than doubled last January’s depressed levels (up 154 percent) when most fleet owners deferred vehicle purchases due to the credit crunch and uncertain business and economic conditions.
Ford posted gains in every fleet market – commercial, government and rental. On an annual basis, a majority of Ford’s fleet sales are to commercial and government customers where the Ford F-Series truck and Econoline van have long been top sellers. Today, products such as Fusion, Taurus and Escape are popular choices among fleet customers.
Additional Sales Highlights
Ford Fusion, recently named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, posted a January sales increase of 49 percent. The Fusion Hybrid recently was named North American Car of the Year. Fusion and Mercury Milan are the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedans in America.
Ford Taurus sales totaled 3,768, up 121 percent versus a year ago. Since the introduction of the all-new model in August, Taurus sales are nearly double year-ago levels.
Crossover utilities also posted strong sales increases. In 2009, the Ford brand was the top-selling brand of crossovers in the U.S., led by the Ford Escape. In January, Escape sales were up 29 percent versus a year ago, Edge sales were up 26 percent and Lincoln MKX sales were up 27 percent.
Ford’s F-Series, America’s best-selling truck for 33 years in a row and best-selling vehicle – car or truck – for 28 years in row, posted a 9 percent increase in January, and Ford Ranger compact pickup sales were up 47 percent. In 2009, F-Series increased its leadership position among full-size pickups with a 4 percentage-point gain in segment share.
Transit Connect, Ford’s new versatile, fuel-efficient small commercial van, posted January sales of 1,161. The Transit Connect recently was named North American Truck of the Year. Econoline, Ford’s full-size van, saw a sales increase of 5 percent.
Ford, Lincoln and Mercury January sales up 24 percent versus year ago
Cars up 43 percent, crossovers up 20 percent, SUVs up 8 percent, trucks and vans up 14 percent
Ford brand sales up 26 percent, Lincoln up 16 percent and Mercury up 6 percent
Ford’s U.S. market share estimated at 16 percent, up 2 points versus year ago
Fleet customers are back in the market – and buying Ford; fleet sales more than doubled versus last January’s depressed levels
Retail sales were 5 percent lower following December’s 18 percent increase
New products drive Ford’s brand favorability and purchase consideration to record levels
Download Full Sales Release (With Tables)
DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 2, 2010 – Higher sales for every brand and in every product category propelled Ford to a 24 percent sales increase in January versus a year ago.
Ford cars were up 43 percent, crossovers were up 20 percent, sport utilities were up 8 percent, and trucks and vans were up 14 percent. Among brands, Ford sales were up 26 percent, Lincoln sales were up 16 percent and Mercury sales were up 6 percent.
“Ford’s focus on building products consumers want to buy and love to drive will continue,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing Sales and Service. “In 2010, we will give Ford customers even more reasons to Drive One.”
Ford estimates its January U.S. total market share was approximately 16 percent – about 2 percentage points higher than in January 2009. Last year, Ford posted its first full-year U.S. market share increase since 1995.
Plus, every consumer metric about the Ford brand – including favorable opinion, consideration, shopping and intention to buy – ended the year at record levels. Last year, favorable opinion improved 27 percent and intention to buy Ford increased 30 percent.
“People increasingly are discovering that the Ford difference is the strength of our products, particularly our leadership in quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart technologies and value,” said Czubay.
Among full-line manufacturers, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles recorded the largest gain in resale values from the 2009 to 2010 model year. The projected resale value of Ford vehiclesincreased by more than $1,300 per vehicle. Ford already holds a resale value advantage over its U.S.-based competitors, and it continues closing the gap on key imports with some Ford vehicles already having surpassed competing foreign vehicles.
“Resale value is a key indicator of brand health and an important contributor to the total value equation,” said Czubay. “Fleet managers monitor vehicle operating costs very carefully. They are giving Ford more consideration because of our improving resale values.”
In January, Ford sales to fleet customers more than doubled last January’s depressed levels (up 154 percent) when most fleet owners deferred vehicle purchases due to the credit crunch and uncertain business and economic conditions.
Ford posted gains in every fleet market – commercial, government and rental. On an annual basis, a majority of Ford’s fleet sales are to commercial and government customers where the Ford F-Series truck and Econoline van have long been top sellers. Today, products such as Fusion, Taurus and Escape are popular choices among fleet customers.
Additional Sales Highlights
Ford Fusion, recently named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, posted a January sales increase of 49 percent. The Fusion Hybrid recently was named North American Car of the Year. Fusion and Mercury Milan are the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedans in America.
Ford Taurus sales totaled 3,768, up 121 percent versus a year ago. Since the introduction of the all-new model in August, Taurus sales are nearly double year-ago levels.
Crossover utilities also posted strong sales increases. In 2009, the Ford brand was the top-selling brand of crossovers in the U.S., led by the Ford Escape. In January, Escape sales were up 29 percent versus a year ago, Edge sales were up 26 percent and Lincoln MKX sales were up 27 percent.
Ford’s F-Series, America’s best-selling truck for 33 years in a row and best-selling vehicle – car or truck – for 28 years in row, posted a 9 percent increase in January, and Ford Ranger compact pickup sales were up 47 percent. In 2009, F-Series increased its leadership position among full-size pickups with a 4 percentage-point gain in segment share.
Transit Connect, Ford’s new versatile, fuel-efficient small commercial van, posted January sales of 1,161. The Transit Connect recently was named North American Truck of the Year. Econoline, Ford’s full-size van, saw a sales increase of 5 percent.
Monday, February 1, 2010
2012 Ford Focus
One of Alan Mulally’s objectives since becoming CEO at Ford in 2006 has been to develop products on a worldwide basis. This sounds familiar, if only because another Ford CEO, Alex Trotman, did the same thing back in the 1990s. This approach resulted in products such as the Contour (not a rip-roaring success) and the original Focus (which was).
In between the Focus going on sale in the U.S. as a 2000 model and Mulally taking over, product development in Europe and North America took off in different directions. Hence, Europe was rewarded with a heavily reworked second-generation Focus in 2004. The next year, North America got a warmed-over version of the first-gen Focus sedan and the hatchback disappeared.
Starting in early 2011, the Focus in both North America and Europe will be the same vehicle. This is to be applauded because there was a big gap between the European Focus and the machine sold here. The European car improved on the basic goodness of the original, with better interior quality and driving dynamics. The U.S. car essentially stayed put: The original Focus was good enough to be a C/D 10Best winner, but the competition moved on, leaving the current version dead last in a recent small-car comparo.
The 2012 Focus certainly looks terrific, especially in five-door form. The engineers and designers felt able to make the Focus sportier (by lowering its seating position and overall height) due to the upcoming C-Max—a tall-roof, five- or seven-seat derivative off this platform—that fulfills the family-car mission. Compared with the current U.S. Focus, the new car is 0.5 inch lower (at 58.1 inches tall) and 3.0 inches longer (178.0 inches overall), and it has a 1.3-inch-longer wheelbase (104.2 inches). The 2012 model’s dimensions are close to the current Euro car’s, save for a wider track and lower stance.
A new body in white employs high-strength steel for 55 percent of the structure, the highest of any U.S. Ford. Torsional rigidity is up by 25 percent over that of the current Focus. Under the skin, the layout of the strut front and multilink rear suspension stands pat, but many pieces are revised. According to Gunnar Herrmann, the vehicle line director for global C-segment: “The carry-over on the platform is effectively only seven percent. We have changed almost everything.”
At launch, the Focus will get a new 2.0-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder that has variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing. Ford says the engine will put out 155 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. Later on, expect a sportier engine. Jim Hughes, the chief nameplate engineer for the Focus in North America, adds, “We’ll eventually get an EcoBoost [turbocharged DI] engine in the Focus.” We’re thinking a 1.6-liter making more than 200 horsepower in a sporty ST model.
The Focus will go on sale with two available transmissions: a base six-speed manual and a very fancy six-speed dual-clutch gearbox co-developed with Getrag. Derrick Kuzak, the global product-development chief, says: “There will be no conventional automatic on this car.” Electric power steering is a new feature, along with “torque vectoring,” which, similar to the systems of many other automakers, uses the anti-lock brakes to approximate a limited-slip differential.
The interior looks like a winner, but there’s a caveat: The styling mockup we examined had hard surfaces, even if Ford assures us everything will be soft-touch in the production version. The mockup had cool piano-black and aluminum finishes and a stitched dashboard. This upscale trim is called “Titanium” in Europe, and it’s hard to imagine that the base U.S. model, which should still retail around the current car’s $16,690 price, will look as stylish.
With options such as a rearview camera, a blind-spot warning system, keyless ignition, a nav system with an eight-inch screen, and an upgraded version of the Sync infotainment system (dubbed MyFord), we can see a Focus stickering well into the $20,000s. Hughes clarifies: “Although we’re trying to maintain the base price, we think there will be pull from people coming down from C/D-segment cars [think Honda Accord, Ford Fusion] to C-class cars—people are downsizing vehicles but not their expectations.”
That’s a prevailing view at Ford these days. But it’s also one fraught with difficulty. People will pay $18,000 or more for a Mazda 3 or a VW Golf or a Honda Civic, but that’s because those cars carry so much brand equity. The average transaction price of a Toyota Corolla is less, and a Focus’s is way lower. No matter how good the car is—and Mark Fields, president of Ford of the Americas, says, “We won’t dumb this one down for the U.S.”—will American consumers pay more money for this latest Focus? If a domestic small car has a chance at challenging the Mazda 3 and the Golf, it’s this one.
In between the Focus going on sale in the U.S. as a 2000 model and Mulally taking over, product development in Europe and North America took off in different directions. Hence, Europe was rewarded with a heavily reworked second-generation Focus in 2004. The next year, North America got a warmed-over version of the first-gen Focus sedan and the hatchback disappeared.
Starting in early 2011, the Focus in both North America and Europe will be the same vehicle. This is to be applauded because there was a big gap between the European Focus and the machine sold here. The European car improved on the basic goodness of the original, with better interior quality and driving dynamics. The U.S. car essentially stayed put: The original Focus was good enough to be a C/D 10Best winner, but the competition moved on, leaving the current version dead last in a recent small-car comparo.
The 2012 Focus certainly looks terrific, especially in five-door form. The engineers and designers felt able to make the Focus sportier (by lowering its seating position and overall height) due to the upcoming C-Max—a tall-roof, five- or seven-seat derivative off this platform—that fulfills the family-car mission. Compared with the current U.S. Focus, the new car is 0.5 inch lower (at 58.1 inches tall) and 3.0 inches longer (178.0 inches overall), and it has a 1.3-inch-longer wheelbase (104.2 inches). The 2012 model’s dimensions are close to the current Euro car’s, save for a wider track and lower stance.
A new body in white employs high-strength steel for 55 percent of the structure, the highest of any U.S. Ford. Torsional rigidity is up by 25 percent over that of the current Focus. Under the skin, the layout of the strut front and multilink rear suspension stands pat, but many pieces are revised. According to Gunnar Herrmann, the vehicle line director for global C-segment: “The carry-over on the platform is effectively only seven percent. We have changed almost everything.”
At launch, the Focus will get a new 2.0-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder that has variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing. Ford says the engine will put out 155 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. Later on, expect a sportier engine. Jim Hughes, the chief nameplate engineer for the Focus in North America, adds, “We’ll eventually get an EcoBoost [turbocharged DI] engine in the Focus.” We’re thinking a 1.6-liter making more than 200 horsepower in a sporty ST model.
The Focus will go on sale with two available transmissions: a base six-speed manual and a very fancy six-speed dual-clutch gearbox co-developed with Getrag. Derrick Kuzak, the global product-development chief, says: “There will be no conventional automatic on this car.” Electric power steering is a new feature, along with “torque vectoring,” which, similar to the systems of many other automakers, uses the anti-lock brakes to approximate a limited-slip differential.
The interior looks like a winner, but there’s a caveat: The styling mockup we examined had hard surfaces, even if Ford assures us everything will be soft-touch in the production version. The mockup had cool piano-black and aluminum finishes and a stitched dashboard. This upscale trim is called “Titanium” in Europe, and it’s hard to imagine that the base U.S. model, which should still retail around the current car’s $16,690 price, will look as stylish.
With options such as a rearview camera, a blind-spot warning system, keyless ignition, a nav system with an eight-inch screen, and an upgraded version of the Sync infotainment system (dubbed MyFord), we can see a Focus stickering well into the $20,000s. Hughes clarifies: “Although we’re trying to maintain the base price, we think there will be pull from people coming down from C/D-segment cars [think Honda Accord, Ford Fusion] to C-class cars—people are downsizing vehicles but not their expectations.”
That’s a prevailing view at Ford these days. But it’s also one fraught with difficulty. People will pay $18,000 or more for a Mazda 3 or a VW Golf or a Honda Civic, but that’s because those cars carry so much brand equity. The average transaction price of a Toyota Corolla is less, and a Focus’s is way lower. No matter how good the car is—and Mark Fields, president of Ford of the Americas, says, “We won’t dumb this one down for the U.S.”—will American consumers pay more money for this latest Focus? If a domestic small car has a chance at challenging the Mazda 3 and the Golf, it’s this one.
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