Ford takes wraps off new luxury F-150

Ford Motor Co. today unveiled a luxury version of its best-selling F-150 pickup, calling it the most refined model to date. The 2013 F-150 Limited, the latest high-end trim offered by the Dearborn automaker, will arrive at dealerships this fall. A price point will not be set until later this year, though it will be priced above the Platinum F-150, another luxury model, which has an MSRP of $44,635, according to Ford’s website. The 365-horsepower F-150 Limited will come with a 3.5-liter Ti-VCT EcoBoost engine and will get 22 highway miles per gallon in the two-wheel-drive model.

“The F-150 Limited signifies the highest levels of design refinement, luxury and technology that we’ve ever offered in a Built Ford Tough pickup truck,” said Raj Nair, Ford Group vice president for product development. “The F-150 Limited reflects a growing trend — more and more customers today have high expectations for luxury and convenience, yet their needs call for a truly capable truck.”

The new F-150 Limited will come with red and black full-grain leather seats, standard moon roof and rearview camera. The truck comes in three colors: Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat; Tuxedo Black Metallic; and White Platinum Metallic Tri-Coat. It has 22-inch polished aluminum wheels. The F-150 Limited will also be equipped with MyFord Touch powered by SYNC, for coordinated operation of cell phones, music, navigation and interior environmental control More than 30 percent of F-150 sales — which have topped all truck sales for 35 consecutive years — come from high-end trims, which range in price from about $35,000 to $50,000. Ford’s previous luxury truck models include the King Ranch F-150, launched in 2001, and the F-150 Platinum, which was launched in 2009.

 

The Computer History Museum today adds award-winning Ford SYNC® in-vehicle connectivity system to its permanent collection

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

• The Computer History Museum today adds award-winning Ford SYNC® in-vehicle connectivity system to its permanent collection


• Powered by Microsoft, SYNC’s easily upgradeable and extendable platform enables Ford owners to take advantage of the latest developments in mobile communications


• More than 4 million Ford vehicles are already on the road with SYNC, a population expected to grow to more than 9 million by 2015 as SYNC goes global

When people think of the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., names such as Microsoft, IBM, Cray, Apple and Google come to mind. Today, those technological luminaries are joined by Ford as curators add the SYNC® in-car communications and connectivity system to the museum’s permanent collection. (Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120618/DE26805) “We are honored. SYNC has helped us move faster than what is usually assumed of an automaker, providing a new level of openness and access that has forever changed how we look at our business and respond to our customers,” said Paul Mascarenas, chief technical officer and vice president, Ford Research and Innovation. “Ultimately, SYNC embodies what Ford is all about: going further to transform innovative ideas into products that are affordable, attainable and valuable to millions of people.” Said Alex Bochannek, curator and senior manager of the Computer History Museum: “As cars have transformed into mobile platforms for consumers’ communication and entertainment needs, the intersection of automotive and computing developments is becoming an increasingly important area for the museum to consider.

“Ford Motor Company’s collaboration with Microsoft on SYNC technology is an example of this changing landscape,” he added. “The Computer History Museum is pleased to add a first-generation Ford SYNC module to its permanent collection in support of our continued efforts to document the effects of computing on society at large.” SYNC is the award-winning in-car connectivity system that provides voice control for mobile phones and digital music players connected via Bluetooth® or USB. Ford co-developed the system with Microsoft using the Windows Embedded Automotive platform. “When we first teamed up with Ford nearly a decade ago, we knew we wanted to develop a system that connected consumers’ digital lifestyles to the vehicle they love today, and seamlessly for years to come – regardless of the device,” said Kevin Dallas, general manager, Windows Embedded at Microsoft. “Having SYNC inducted into the Computer History Museum’s collection is a testament to the system’s groundbreaking innovation and to all of the hard work of our engineers, both in Dearborn and Redmond, to deliver a product that continues to meet consumers’ evolving needs and exceed expectations.”

SYNC debuted in the 2008 Focus, Ford’s most affordable car offering at the time, as a $395 option.Within two years, SYNC became available in every new Ford Motor Company product. By early 2012, more than 4 million SYNC-equipped vehicles were on the road. By 2015, that number is expected to grow to 9 million as Ford introduces the technology into products around the world. The SYNC software platform has provided for a regular cadence of new features, many of which have been made available to customers as a simple downloadable update they can install at home or by visiting a local Ford dealer. New features have included:

• 911 Assist® (2008) – an automatic emergency calling feature that uses the customer’s Bluetooth-paired cell phone to directly call 911 if there has been an airbag deployment.


• Vehicle Health Report (2008) – an on-demand diagnostic report that gets produced on-board the vehicle and sent via data-over-voice through the customer’s cell phone in order to be accessed through the www.syncmyride.com Web portal.


• SYNC Services (2009) – with the addition of a GPS module to the SYNC module inside the car, Ford created an off-board network of service providers that could be accessed with a simple voice command, “Services,” leveraging a customer’s mobile phone voice plan for voice-activated, personalized news, traffic, turn-by-turn navigation, weather reports, business search and sports scores; only a few months later, more services were added to the cloud-based network, including on-demand horoscopes, stock quotes, movie listings and travel information.


• Send to SYNC (2010) – using SYNC Services, customers could now send a destination address from either MapQuest or Google Maps straight to their car for easy download of turn-by-turn directions.


• Destinations App (2010) – building on Ford’s cloud-based network of services, the first smartphone app for SYNC was launched adding a new level of convenience for customers so they could search for and input destinations, even check traffic, while away from their car.


• AppLink™ (2010) – the groundbreaking feature that helped Ford be first to voice-activate and control smartphone apps, such as Pandora and Stitcher, by working with developers in their own native programming languages and leveraging the SYNC application programming interface (API); there are now 10 SYNC-enabled smartphone apps across all three major mobile platforms: iOS, Android and BlackBerry OS.

The Birth of SYNC
In 2005, Ford – long considered a “fast-follower” in technology – was looking for ways to change both its perception and its culture. “We saw connectivity as a way to change that paradigm,” said Doug VanDagens, now global director of Ford Connected Services and an early team member working on the SYNC project. At the same time, Microsoft was breaking into the automotive market with its Windows CE embedded operating system. Click here to view video about the beginnings of SYNC: http://youtu.be/CGP9j9iYzww.

In April 2005, both Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford and then-Microsoft CEO Bill Gates were featured speakers at the Microsoft Global Automotive Summit in Dearborn, Mich. The pair started to discuss how they could collaborate on bringing state-of-the-art connectivity into cars. While consumers replaced mobile phones and digital media players every couple of years to keep up with the latest advances, vehicles typically lasted a decade or more. Relying on an embedded system could leave a car hopelessly outdated long before the end of its useful life. Rather than force owners to pay for another wireless plan for their vehicles, Ford pursued connectivity platforms that would allow drivers to use the technology they already carried with them.

“By the end of 2005, Ford’s Electronics and Electrical Systems Engineering group started active development of a platform that could be kept up to date with the latest technology trends throughout the life of the car,” said VanDagens. “With Windows CE as the base, we could add new functionality through apps that owners could download from the Web and install with a USB flash drive.”

Collaborating with suppliers, including voice recognition leader Nuance, they developed a robust and easy-to-use voice interface. This enabled drivers to make and receive phone calls and select songs, artists, albums, genres and playlists all while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. By January 2007, SYNC was ready to take center stage with simultaneous announcements at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Click here to view video of the CES presentation http://youtu.be/PCpec1sa_UM.

Designing the system around connecting to mobile devices proved to be fortuitous almost immediately. Just two days after the initial SYNC announcement, Apple introduced the iPhone. Within just a few years, smartphones went from a tiny niche to dominating the mobile phone market. With hundreds of millions of people using phones running a wide array of apps able to stream media over fast wireless connections, SYNC was poised to take advantage. “SYNC ultimately became a turning point for the redefinition of the automobile from just an ordinary transportation device into a technology platform that empowers consumers to take advantage of the latest innovations,” said Venkatesh Prasad, another member of the early development team and now senior technical leader of open innovation for Ford Research and Innovation.

Ford Pledges to Cut Energy Used in Automaking 25% by 2016

Ford Motor Co. (F), claiming a one-fifth cut in energy used to make cars since 2006, pledged to reduce consumption in its factories an additional 25 percent by 2016. The second-largest U.S. automaker used 2,778 kilowatt hours to produce each vehicle in its global factories last year, down 22 percent from 3,576 kwh in 2006, it said in its annual sustainability report today. While Ford is using more energy- efficient tools and production methods, part of the gain is from increased use of factory capacity as sales rebounded, said John Viera, the automaker’s global director of sustainability.

Enlarge image
Ford Pledges to Cut Energy Used in Automaking 25% by 2016 Kuni Takahashi/Bloomberg Quality control check at the Ford India Pvt. Maraimalai Nagar factory in Chengalpattu, India. Quality control check at the Ford India Pvt. Maraimalai Nagar factory in Chengalpattu, India. Photographer: Kuni Takahashi/Bloomberg.“Our plants are running at a higher capacity,” Viera said in an interview. “That’s definitely going to be a factor.”

Environmental efficiency is a cornerstone of Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally’s turnaround plan. As Ford has broadened its lineup with small cars such as the Fiesta subcompact, the fuel-efficiency of its U.S. vehicles has improved almost 17 percent since 2006, Executive Chairman Bill Ford said in a letter in the report. Factory emissions of carbon dioxide, a global-warming gas, fell 48 percent from 2000 to 2010. “Ford is a different company than we were a few years ago,” Bill Ford said, referring to the automaker developing cars for global markets rather than regional ones. “It’s helping keep us on track to meet our goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from our vehicles in every region in order to address the climate-change issue.”

Reputation Builder
While it isn’t clear that Ford sells more cars and trucks because consumers are impressed by its environmental efforts, Viera said it enhances the reputation of the Dearborn, Michigan- based automaker, which avoided a government-financed bankruptcy such as those used by General Motors Co. (GM) and Chrysler Group LLC. “The corporate reputation is we didn’t take the bailout money and we’re a responsible company from an environmental standpoint,” Viera said. “Collectively, those positive reputation pieces do allow us to sell more cars or get more consideration.”The efficiency gains Ford is realizing in its factories have a relatively small impact on the total environmental impact of its cars, said Jim Kliesch, research director of the clean vehicles program at the Union of Concerned Scientists environmental organization.

“The total amount of emissions attributable to manufacturing is fairly small compared to what a vehicle puts out over its lifecycle,” Kliesch said in an interview. “Factory emissions account for about 15 percent of the environmental impact. The fuel economy of the vehicle is much more important.”

Shifting Focus
Ford highlighted fuel-efficiency gains in previous reports and decided to focus on factory improvements this year, Viera said. Ford’s fuel economy is improving, thanks to new technologies such as turbo-charged, direct fuel-injected engines that boost mileage, Kliesch said. Ford still trails leaders such as Honda Motor Co., he said. “Ford continues to push the envelope, but they’re still fairly well behind the industry as a whole,” he said. “The difference between the best and the worst is shrinking.” Ford last month began selling an electric version of its Focus compact car. Also coming this year are hybrid and plug-in versions of the C-Max wagon Ford is bringing to the U.S. from its European lineup. Next year, Ford will introduce a plug-in version of its Fusion family car, Ford said in its report.

Ford will cut energy use at its factories over the next four years by installing more-efficient tools, lighting, paint processes and converting inefficient steam-powered systems to direct-fired gas systems, said Thomas Niemann, the automaker’s manager of sustainability. “It’s not very sexy,” Viera said. “It’s not the big project you could put in a headline. It truly is the smaller things, the blocking and tackling.”

The 2013 Ford F150 in a Police Uniform

Announcing the new Special Service F-150 today our response is, “They didn’t have that already?” But think about. How many police trucks have you seen lately with the Blue Oval on them? None. Odds are your local highways and byways have plenty of Silerado’s in your local law enforcement livery though. Today Ford has announced an official SSV F-150 to offer police departments, highway patrol agencies and fire departments among others a vehicle purpose built for the duty. Best of all, the package is no charge.

“Our fleet customers have been asking us to create this option for F-Series trucks,” said Ford Government Sales Manager Tony Gratson. “We’re confident the current and updated 2013 F-150 equipped with the SSV Package will be of particular interest to our government customers with rugged jobs such as law enforcement, firefighting, and national and state park patrols.” To meet wide-ranging need, agencies will be able to order the package in both SuperCab and SuperCrew configurations, 4×2 and 4×4 models, and with a choice of 5.0-liter V8 or 3.5-liter EcoBoost engines.

When SSV-equipped, the F-150 interior is optimized for driver comfort, maximum adaptability for aftermarket upfit of task-specific accessories, and second-row seat durability. F-150 SSV content includes a high-capacity 220-amp alternator to support fleet-class electrical needs. The SSV seating package is 40/20/40, with the center 20 percent omitted completely to maximize space for in-cab aftermarket equipment such as law enforcement communications and firearms installations. The central console is omitted also, creating even more space. Individual driver and first-row passenger seating surfaces are upholstered in easily cleaned cloth for comfort over the long haul. The three-across, full-width second-row seat is covered completely in rugged, durable vinyl, ideal for law enforcement use or work-crew transport.

Ford places no restrictions on F-150 optional content so that fleets – both government and commercial – have maximum flexibility in ordering exact vehicle specifications. This enables F-150 SSV buyers to specify such options as heavy-duty tires, 4×4 skid plates and interior convenience content. The move is no doubt a strategic overture to keep business for the many government agencies who may be asking where the body on frame rear-wheel drive vehicles are. Ford stopped production of the police department favorite, the Crown Victoria last fall. Since then they have been pushing front-wheel drive Taurus and Explorer based police vehicles on them, with less than enthusiastic response from many.

Ford Reveals 2013 F-150, Celebrating Rugged F-Series Pickups and 65-Year Future Farmers of America Relationship

BRUCEVILLE, Texas, June 4, 2012 – Ford Motor Company today celebrates introduction of the new 2013 Ford F-150 – part of the best-selling line of pickups in America – with the agricultural professionals and leaders of tomorrow. “Like our hardworking customers, Ford is committed to getting the job done right with our industry-leading trucks,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “The 2013 F-150 demonstrates our commitment to continuously improving our trucks with new features and capabilities, allowing F-Series owners to be increasingly productive.” For 2013, the Ford F-150 receives new front-end design and advanced technologies such as MyFord Touch® with voice-activated driver controls and available high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps.

“Farm families have always represented an important F-Series truck constituency,” said Doug Scott, Ford Truck group marketing manager and FFA sponsor board member. “For these multitasking customers, a Ford pickup means family transportation, economic livelihood, rugged capability and reliability. Like FFA, Ford pickups are an enduring agricultural tradition, and we are delighted to join forces with them to reveal the new F-150 models.”

America’s pickup
For 2013, the most fuel-efficient and capable light-duty pickup on the market continues to push forward with updated design and advanced technologies. F-150 also adds even more breadth to its expansive lineup with a new Limited luxury model and availability of the groundbreaking EcoBoost® engine, powerful 6.2-liter V8, electronic-locking rear axle and Hill Descent Control™. Outside, the F-150 lineup gets bold new grilles combining fresh designs with instantly recognizable F-Series cues highlighted on the XLT model revealed today. New HID projector headlamps are available as a segment-first technology to deliver improved visibility and increase driver confidence.

HID technology provides exceptional lighting performance while contributing a distinctive look with stylish L-shaped lamps. F-150 style also is enhanced with new 18- and 20-inch wheels offered in various trim packages. Segment-exclusive power-telescoping and power-folding trailer-tow sideview mirrors add flexibility and convenience when operating in tight quarters, while enabling class-leading visibility. F-150 pickups are available in three new hues including Blue Jeans Metallic, Kodiak Brown Metallic and Ruby Red Clearcoat Metallic.

Truck-focused technology
The 2013 Ford F-150 adds Ford’s award-winning SYNC® voice-activated communications and entertainment system with 911 Assist® and Vehicle Health Report as standard equipment in XLT series and above. This enables hands-free, voice-activated control of enabled mobile devices. Buyers may choose from an optional suite of SYNC Services, including Traffic Information, Turn-by-Turn Directions, Business Search, Send to SYNC from Google Maps and MapQuest, News, Sports, Weather and Horoscopes. F-150 also introduces SYNC paired with a new 4.2-inch LCD center-stack screen that provides enhanced displays of audio and climate-control functions. In addition, the instrument cluster contains a 4.2-inch driver-configurable LCD productivity screen including menus for gauge setup, trip computer, fuel economy and towing/off-road applications. Lariat, King Ranch®, Platinum and Limited series models are equipped with SYNC with MyFord Touch, adding voice control to more vehicle systems coupled with an all-new, large 8-inch LCD color touch screen mounted in the center stack.

This package adds a media hub with two USB ports, an SD card reader and audio/video input jacks. Ford’s unique truck interface allows drivers to tailor their vehicle to their specific needs, such as wearing work gloves. This premium system can be augmented with an available voice-activated Navigation System, SD map-card reader, point-of-interest storage and integrated SiriusXM Travel Link.

Interior design
The 2013 F-150 offers a range of interior updates. The new 4.2-inch multifunction display and MyFord Touch interfaces gave designers the opportunity to deliver a more modern center stack and control layout. Several new environment colors include a Steel Gray interior on Lariat and a Black interior for King Ranch. Both of these series receive upgraded wood grain appliqués to enhance premium style. The aggressive FX Appearance Package now adds Alcantara seat inserts that amplify its sporty persona. The Platinum series – synonymous with high-end trucks – offers new choices of Black or Pecan leather seating. F-150 continues to offer a wide array of models and packages, allowing buyers to tailor their Ford pickup to their individual needs and preferences.

Fuel-efficient capability
From the powerful yet fuel-efficient EcoBoost® engine to the mighty 6.2-liter V8, the most powerful eight-cylinder engine in the segment, F-150 offers an engine to meet the needs of every customer. Each engine across the F-150 lineup is mated to a fuel-saving electronic six-speed automatic transmission with tow/haul mode, with tow packages and STX series and above adding SelectShift® capability.

F-150 engine choices include:


• 3.7-liter four-valve Ti-VCT V6
• Best-in-class 302 horsepower at 6,500 rpm
• Unsurpassed 278 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm vs. V6 competitors
• Best-in-class 17 mpg city and best-in-class 23 mpg highway (4×2)
• Best-in-class 6,100 pounds maximum trailer tow vs. V6 competitors 5.0-liter four-valve dual-overhead-camshaft Ti-VCT V8
• Best-in-class 360 horsepower at 5,500 rpm vs. standard V8 competitors
• 21 mpg highway, unsurpassed 15 mpg city (4×2)
• Best-in-class 10,000 pounds maximum trailer tow vs. standard V8 competitors 6.2-liter two-valve single-overhead-camshaft V8
• Best-in-class 411 horsepower at 5,500 rpm
• Best-in-class 434 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm
• 13 mpg city, 18 mpg highway (4×2)
• Best-in-class 11,300 pounds maximum trailer tow 3.5-liter Ti-VCT EcoBoost engine
• 365 horsepower at 5,000 rpm on regular fuel
• Best-in-class 420 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,500 rpm vs. premium V8 competitors
• Up to 90 percent peak torque available from 1,700 rpm to 5,000 rpm•Best-in-class 11,300 pounds maximum trailer tow vs. all competitors
• Best-in-class 3,120 pounds payload vs. all competitors
• Unsurpassed 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway vs. all competitors

“The 2013 Ford F-150 adds more style and technology that sets a benchmark for capability and efficiency in light-duty pickups,” said F-150 Marketing Manager Raj Sarkar. “We continue to focus on the no-compromise solution for our customers, giving them all of the conveniences and technologies they want with the capability they need and the fuel efficiency to go further.”

FFA and Ford – making a difference
Future Farmers of America is a dynamic youth leadership development organization that changes lives by empowering its 540,000 members to set a course for the future. FFA operates within the context of agricultural education to complement classroom and laboratory instruction with hands-on experiential learning, useful life skills and individual motivation. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their leadership potential, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Ford’s FFA alliance gets a boost from supporting Ford dealerships serving agricultural markets. For the 2011-12 academic year, the Built Ford Tough® Scholarship Program and 285 participating Ford dealers awarded a total of 540 individual $1,000 grants for post-secondary education.

Now in its 15th year, the Built Ford Tough Scholarship Program, the Ford Fund, and participating Ford dealers have awarded $7.1 million in grants. Built Ford Tough Trucks also sponsors the affiliated National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Lifetime Achievement Awards and an FFA chapter grant program. In 2011, six winning chapters were each awarded a $3,000 grant to support local initiatives

Technological Innovation is the key to Michigan’s Growth

 DEARBORN, Mich., May 31, 2012 – At today’s Mackinac Policy Conference, Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford calls for key policy reform and the need to foster innovation as critical to ensuring Michigan’s economy.

“While Michigan is the home of the auto industry, the trends affecting our industry offer a great opportunity to make it the home of a variety of other industries as well,” said Bill Ford. “We are heading in the right direction to grow Michigan by putting the right policies in place and investing in Michigan’s future.” Ford told delegates that the trends emerging in manufacturing, green technology and mobility demonstrate a great opportunity for Michigan to create a dynamic, diverse and growing economy that affirms the state as a global innovation center.

Manufacturing strength
Ford discussed the need to not only diversify Michigan’s economy but also build on its manufacturing history. “No other sector of the economy creates as many spinoff jobs as the auto sector. For each job created in autos, nine more jobs are created to support it,” said Ford. “In the past two years, half of the new jobs that have been created here were manufacturing-related.”

Continuing to lead the green transformation
Ford also highlighted the benefits Michigan has realized by being at the center of exciting developments in green technology, including electric vehicles and battery innovation. “At Ford, we have invested nearly a billion dollars to build electric vehicles and the battery packs that power them right here in Michigan,” said Ford.“We want this technology to become a core competency for us in the 21st century. And we are building the expertise to do that right here in our home state.”

Addressing urban mobility
While great strides have been made with green technology, Ford also discussed the pressures of a growing global population and the new challenge of global gridlock – the potential that the world will face a never-ending traffic jam that wastes time, energy and resources. Ford outlined the company’s vision to address this global challenge in the company’s Blueprint for Mobility, announced earlier this year. He also described urban mobility as the greatest opportunity for Michigan. Ford believes that tackling this challenge will pave a future for Michigan akin to the birth of a new Silicon Valley. “To address this issue, we will once again need new technologies, as well as new ways of looking at the world,” explained Ford. “We will need to view the automobile as one element of a transportation ecosystem.” Integrating the automobile with this new transportation ecosystem will require an incredible variety of high-tech and policy jobs, which should be based in Michigan, he said. “This technology is in varying stages of development and deployment, but it promises to radically transform the experience of driving,” said Ford. “As it develops, I believe Michigan must become the Silicon Valley of the mobility revolution.”

Making Michigan competitive
Ford also outlined key public policy areas that will help improve Michigan’s competitiveness and ensure that the state realizes the full benefit of the impending mobility revolution. He called on policymakers to ensure policy was not holding back innovation and prosperity in Michigan. Ford argued for an updating of the state tax system by eliminating personal property taxes as well as investment in updating the electric grid. He noted that there are encouraging signs of progress being made, citing a study released last fall by the TechAmerica Foundation that indicated Michigan added more high-tech jobs than any other state between 2009 and 2010.“We can keep this momentum going if we are frank about the areas in which we can improve and we build upon our advantages,” Ford added. Ford also noted that Michigan needs a world-class infrastructure and that its location on the U.S./Canada border provides Michigan with a unique advantage. He affirmed his support for the construction of a new crossing to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion, ensuring the timely flow of goods to support Michigan businesses.

Ford support for innovation Ford Motor Company also introduced a number of ways in which it is helping to encourage innovation in Michigan, including two new initiatives the company is announcing today. These include the Motor City Innovation Exchange, a collaboration between Ford, TechShop Detroit, Wayne State University’s TechTown and AutoHarvest to help entrepreneurs commercialize their creations. The program provides a showroom for innovators to show off their creations to peers and potential customers. Ford Land also announced the Jump Start Program, which offers startup suites, including space located near TechShop, to provide flexible, discounted work space and support for TechShop members who are ready to grow their businesses. “All of these efforts are to encourage innovation, not just in our company, but throughout our state,” said Ford. “New ideas are a priceless resource, and the ultimate driver of economic growth.”

We always knew these were tough hombres!

The future of the U.S. Army’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program might be powered by a Ford V8. BAE Systems, Northrup Grumman and Meritor Defenses said this afternoon that their proposed light fighting vehicle, which is called the Valanx, will have a Ford Power Stroke 6.7-liter diesel engine under its steel hood. (And likely a .50 cal on its roof.

If it’s good enough for the Super Duty, it’s good enough for a Call of Duty.

“Ford products have a reputation for dependability and performance, even under challenging conditions,” said Ann Hoholick, BAE Systems Vice President of Amphibious & New Programs in the release.

Ford had dropped out of the JLTV program, which is searching for the next fighting machine to replace the venerable Humvee for the U.S. military. Ford is not a partner with the group but did provide a statement this afternoon.

“We’re proud of Ford’s 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel engines and their best-in-class power, durability and fuel economy,” said Ford spokesman Mike Levine. “And we are proud the engines were chosen to be part of BAE’s JLTV entry.”

A new 1,000 Horsepower Shelby Mustang hits the streets!

Speed demons tingling for even more brutal power are about to be able to come within a whisker of breaking one of their most hallowed barriers: 1,000 horsepower.The automotive aftermarket outfitter founded by auto legend Carroll Shelby is introducing a modified Ford Mustang that it calls the Shelby 1000 at next week’s New York Auto Show. As the name implies, the racetrack-only version of the car will get more than 1,100 horsepower. The street-legal version will come in at 950. The car represents a substantial increase from the 800 horsepower that Shelby American now offers in its hottest conversion, the Shelby GT500 Super Snake. Though the conversions are being done in the aftermarket, they show how new technologies are bringing levels of power to the street that previously could only be found on tracks, if even there. The Shelby 1000 will be aimed at “anybody who has need for speed,” says John Luft, Shelby American’s CEO. It will also target those who don’t have a desperate need for money: The price of the conversion alone for the street version will be $149,995.