Ford Vertrek Concept @ 2011 Detroit Auto Show

Edmund’s Insideline does a little video on Ford’s Vertrek Concept.

[Source Insideline, Youtube]

Video: Ford yanks F-150 EcoBoost ‘hero’ engine out of Baja racer ahead of NAIAS teardown

Ford has finally pulled the Ecoboost V6 engine from its Baja racer in preparation for the mill’s tear down at the Detroit Auto Show. This particular lump has seen several lifetimes worth of abuse, from skidding logs to endurance towing around a NASCAR track and even competing in the legendary Baja 1000.

Even more surprising, all of that came after severe endurance tests at the factory. The engineers say that this V6 has racked up enough hours to drive the equivalent of six laps around the planet. How did it hold up? According to Ford, the Ecoboost engine still managed to turn out the same power figures on the dyno that it left the factory with.

Ford plans to strip the workhorse Ecoboost V6 down to its bare bones in front of a live audience at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. The action gets going on January 15 at 11 a.m., so if you’re in the greater Detroit area, swing on by for a glimpse at the engine’s innards.

[Source: AutoBlog, YouTube]

Videos: Ford’s 2011 Explorer and 2012 Focus go off the wall

Ford has been testing its upcoming 2012 Focus extensively, and it’s already put the compact through 12,000 crashes in both the virtual and real worlds. Ford says that the Focus features advanced restraint systems as well as next-generation airbags that feature upgraded chest-protection technology. The C-Segment car is not stealing all the focus (*ahem*), however, because the all-new 2011 Explorer has clearly received plenty of attention from the safety engineers. For the first time in the Explorer’s history, it has landed on the IIHS list of Top Safety Picks.

Enough talking, because you’re ready for some automotive snuff films, right?

[Source: Autoblog, Youtube, Ford]

Tattoos come into Focus – Literally – with Ford’s hot new small car

- The popularity of tattoos has turned body art into a fashion statement – especially among Millennials – and Ford is taking the trend one step further by offering car buyers a quick and inexpensive way to express themselves with tattoos for the new 2012 Ford Focus.

- Tattoos are not just body art anymore; customers will soon be able to express themselves with vehicle tattoos for the all-new 2012 Ford Focus

- Ford Custom Graphics will offer more than 200 unique vinyl wrap tattoos in an array of different colors for the new Focus at www.fordcustomgraphics.com

- Available in a variety of designs – from geometric patterns and racing stripes to whimsical imagery like splashes and swirls – the Custom Graphics offer the look of custom paint at half the cost

- Ford Custom Graphics are currently available for the Ford Mustang, Explorer F-150 and Fiesta

Grueling Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Just Another Bump in the Road for Ford F-150 EcoBoost ‘Hero’ Engine

Press Release Source: Ford Motor Company On Wednesday December 22, 2010, 12:15 pm EST

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

• F-150 EcoBoost™ race truck, with an engine that has the equivalent of 10 years of rugged use, finished the grueling Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in just over 38 hours, traveling 1,061 miles

• In addition to racing, the F-150 EcoBoost also acted as a “rescue” vehicle, assisting fellow competitors throughout the run

• The same stock EcoBoost engine endured the equivalent of 150,000 harsh user miles on the dynamometer, then was installed into a new 2011 Ford F-150

• The 2011 F-150 EcoBoost moved 55 tons of timber as a log skidder in Oregon, towed an 11,300-pound trailer at speeds approaching 100 mph at Homestead-Miami Speedway and beat the competition in a steep-grade towing contest at Davis Dam

WOAH Joey Lawrence Drives an Edge!

At our $29,000 SUV Shootout (details coming Feb. 1 on Cars.com and in USA Today, and on Feb. 5 on “MotorWeek”), actor Joey Lawrence and his wife, Chandie, helped us judge the nine SUVs on hand. We can’t tell you what they thought just yet, but we can let you in on our conversation with them about their Ford Flex, which they use to ferry their two young daughters. Like Joey and Chandie, I’m a big fan of the Flex, and you can read about my travels in it here and here.

Towing Showdown: 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost Beats Silverado and Ram

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

• 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost™  won a powertrain performance exercise against the competition towing a trailer up the Davis Dam in Arizona

• 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engine defeated larger engines from Chevrolet and Ram; each truck towed 9,000 pounds, with the EcoBoost outperforming both in “sprint” (0-60 mph) and longer-distance (3 1/2-mile course) demonstrations

• This real-world application is the fourth in a series of videos documenting the torture tests for the 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engine, which will be available in early 2011. Go to http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/experiencef150 to see how the new class-leading EcoBoost truck engine performs

The 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost™ won in a powertrain performance exercise while towing a trailer against key competitors during a demonstration near Davis Dam in Arizona.

It’s the latest phase of the new 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engine’s “Torture Test,” a multipart series of web-based documentaries that began when this randomly selected EcoBoost engine endured the equivalent of 150,000 miles or 10 years’ use on the dynamometer, replicating the duty cycle of the harshest-use customer.

Cops to get EcoBoost… We get.. More legroom…

Jay Leno has been a busy little denim-clad bee lately. The late-night host and car aficionado managed to get up close and personal with what Ford is hoping will become law enforcement’s vehicles of choice in the near future – the Ford Police Interceptor and its Utility counterpart. Leno was lucky enough to get a full walk around both bruisers as well as a stint behind the wheel in the rain. The man with the chin managed to run down the current-generation Crown Victoria-based interceptor during a lead follow, so the footage from the track is a little more entertaining than your run-of-the-mill hot lap.

BAJA F-150: Grueber, Irey – Ford interview 2010-11-10

Ford EcoBoost engine overview: animated video

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