Ford to build smaller, lighter pickup off next F-Series platform

Ford has been talking for months now about reducing the size and weight of its vehicles as one means to reducing fuel consumption. One of the keys to cranking up the average fuel economy of its fleet will obviously have to be the highest-volume vehicle they build, the F-Series pickup trucks. With the compact Ranger languishing without updates for what seems like decades, Ford has apparently decided to build a new, smaller pickup derived from the next generation of it's F-Series platform.

Our buddy Mike Levine at PickupTrucks.com has been interrogating his sources and come up with what he believes are the plans for a new F-100 pickup. The new F-150 is debuting from Ford this year and the next iteration will arrive in 2012. The F-100 should actually predate that one by a year, arriving in 2011. The 2009 F-150 already makes extensive use high-strength steel and that is expected to expand dramatically, allowing the use of thinner-gauge steels without sacrificing structural integrity. The F-100 will also be physically smaller than the F-150.

Under the hood, the F-100 will also smaller engines like the 3.5L EcoBoost V-6 being the primary engine, with the 4.6L V-8 likely to be biggest engine if it's used at all. The upcoming 4.4L V-8 diesel is also a possibility.

Palm Bay Police Chief bans patrol cars from idling

High fuel prices have surely altered most consumer's driving habits. The gas crunch has gotten bad enough that even police units have found it necessary to change their routines. For instance, in Palm Bay, Florida, Police Chief William Berger has banned officers from allowing their patrol cars to idle. The only circumstances where idling a police vehicle is permissible is when an animal or prisoner is left inside the vehicle. Turning off the vehicle sometimes requires on-board computers to be rebooted and, of course, raises the internal temperature of the vehicle since the air conditioner is no longer running. Other agencies have been forced to park their motorcycle units, which could potentially lead to a lower level of service from the police force. According to spokesman Lt. Andrew Walters of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, "Our motorcycle unit... will stay intact. It's an integral part of our service, as the No. 1 complaint to the sheriff's office is traffic-related."

One easy way to reduce fuel consumption is to choose a more efficient vehicle, and that's exactly what some agencies have done. "Our fuel usage is actually less than what it was last year because we changed from Crown Victorias to Chevy Impalas. The Impalas get much better mileage," Cocoa's Acting Police Chief Mark Klayman says. The Impala is a front-wheel-drive unibody design which uses a V6 engine while the Crown Vic is a traditional rear-wheel-drive, body on frame vehicle powered by a V8. Seems like switching to the Impala would be an easy choice as opposed to laying off officers or reducing motorcycle units.

By autobloggreen

Ford sues to block importation of Mustang parts

While parts sales don't typically show up in quarterly earnings reports, they can comprise a big chunk of profits. Ford is protecting its parts investment by filing a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington against eight companies that are reproducing Mustang parts without the Blue Oval's consent. Ford parts affected are the hood, bumper, fender, side-view mirror and tail lamp assemblies, which are all covered under Ford's 14-year design patent on design elements. Chicago-based LKQ Corp and its Keystone Automotive Industries are named in the complaint along with several companies in Taiwan. Ford has already come out victorious in a similar case involving some of the same suppliers and the F-150, and Keystone is currently appealing. With Ford already winning a similar case, and what we'd assume is a much larger legal budget than the defendants', the Blue Oval will likely come out on top in this ruling, as well.

By autoblog

KEY FOR-D-GT kit fixes Ford supercar's only fault

The Ford GT is on the short list of coolest cars in the 21st century, with up to 600 horsepower, killer retro looks, and Ferrari F430-beating athleticism. Buyers were more than happy to accept a limited edition Ford supercar, but many owners were less than thrilled with Ford's corporate key and fob. While it sounds a bit petty, sharing a key with an F-150 just doesn't scream exotic track star.

The creative key kit crafters over at ExotiCARe have remedied the situation with a limited edition kit that turns your pedestrian keys into a car starter worthy of a Ford GT. The easy to install kit is nothing more than silver-finish covers for your existing keys, which doesn't exactly seem like $295 well-spent, but for those who can afford a $175,000 sports car it may be a deal. ExotiCARe is only making 350 of the kits, so there is an exclusivity factor, as well. Is $295 too much for nothing more than key decoration that you have to assemble yourself? You tell us after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Andrew!

By autoblog

Ford begins production of new mid-range six-speed automatic

For 2009, the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner (as well as the Mazda Tribute) are getting the powertrain updates that they missed out on when their exteriors were revamped last year. While the 2008 models had all-new looks and interiors, the engines and transmissions were carried over from 2007, including the four-speed automatic transmissions. We'll have more info on their new 2.5L four-cylinder and 3.0L V6 engines after we drive them next week, but Ford released some information on their new six-speed transmissions when we visited its Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights, MI.

The new 6F35 is a completely new six-speed automatic that will have a wider total ratio spread than the four speed it is replacing. The top gear ratio will be approximately the same as the four-speed, but the lower gears will be shorter helping off-the-line acceleration. The final drive ratio will be a little taller (numerically lower), which will help reduce the engine speed when cruising on the highway. Even with the larger first to sixth spread, the overall gap between each ratio will be smaller resulting in less engine speed drop during shifts and a quieter, smoother overall driving experience. The 6F35 uses a total of three planetary gear sets and five clutches to generate the six forward and one reverse gear.

Ford is claiming that the new transmission contributes to a 4-6% improvement in fuel efficiency depending on with which vehicle and engine it's paired. Besides the three CUVs launching shortly, the new gearboxes are also going into the revamped Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan early next year. The Van Dyke plant also builds the larger 6F50 used in the Edge, Taurus and their derivatives, as well as a smaller four-speed used in the Focus. That four-speed will also be replaced by a third smaller 6-speed in the next year or two for the Focus and Fiesta. Ford plans to double production of six-speed autoboxes by the end of 2009 to 1.4 million units and by 2012 expects 98% of all its automatics to be 6-ratio variants.

By autoblog