2011 FORD EXPLORER MORE ADAPTABLE THAN EVER FOR DRIVERS AND ROADS

Innovative technology creates new 2011 Explorer that adapts to drivers and roads to deliver new levels of comfort and safety
The new Explorer will be one of Ford’s first vehicles with four-way head restraints designed to provide occupant protection and more adjustable comfort for passengers of different heights, while encouraging proper use of restraints
The new Explorer also features new technologies to help the vehicle adapt to driving conditions, including a terrain management system, Curve Control and radar-based systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Warning with Brake Support
Customers can personalize Explorer even more with custom graphics and seven accent lighting choices for footwells, cupholders and other areas
Fact Sheet: 2011 Ford Explorer: More Adaptable Than Ever (PDF)

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 12, 2010 – Whether hauling mountain bikes through mud ruts or groceries and kids through rush hour traffic, the new 2011 Ford Explorer will adapt to peoples’ lives more than ever – building on the capability, flexibility and utility that made it America’s favorite SUV for two decades.

The redesigned Explorer, which arrives later this year, will deliver more adaptability than ever before – from adjustable creature comforts like a four-way head restraint to responsive driver-assist and safety technologies such as terrain management system and Curve Control.

“The Explorer has always been about maximum adaptability, but it’s not just about off-road capability, flexible cargo space and seating configurations anymore,” said Amy Marentic, group marketing manager, Ford cars and CUVs. “With the new Explorer, we’ve redefined what adaptability means by expanding the user’s ability to adjust vehicle features and functions. At the same time we are offering innovative technologies that can allow the Explorer to automatically adjust to driving conditions if needed”

Making easy adjustments for comfort and whiplash protection
One of the new Explorer’s flexible features is a new four-way head restraint designed to provide protection for occupants with more adjustable comfort than industry standard two-way restraints.

The four-way head restraint offers increased flexibility over the two-way head restraints that proliferate in the industry. The four-way system moves up and down, as well as forward and backward using a manually operated ratcheting system that allows 12 positions to increase occupant comfort while helping to provide occupant injury protection in rear impacts.

“A well-positioned head restraint is important because it helps keep the occupant’s head and neck aligned with their torso and may reduce the risk of whiplash injury,” said Agnes Kim, Ford senior technical specialist. “Our four-way system is designed to provide protection while offering more flexibility so drivers can find more comfortable driving positions.”

Ford recommends properly adjusting the head restraint so that the top of the head restraint is even with the top of one’s head and positioned as close as possible to the back of one’s head. For occupants of extremely tall stature, the head restraint should be adjusted to its full up position. Approximately 80 percent of all passenger vehicles in the United States have adjustable head restraints, yet studies indicate less than 10 percent of occupants adjust them properly.

Two other Explorer features that should be adjusted before hitting the road are the adjustable brake and accelerator pedals and tilt/telescoping steering wheel that allow drivers of different statures to position these controls at a comfortable distance closer or farther away from them.

Adapting to the road; Taking curves and all terrain
While the new Explorer’s driver and passengers can easily adjust interior features to their liking, the Explorer seamlessly adjusts to external driving conditions. Two new-for-2011 technologies that perform in this adaptable manner are Curve Control Hill and a terrain management system.

Curve Control, which makes its debut on the Explorer, senses when a driver is taking a curve too quickly and rapidly reduces engine torque and can apply four-wheel braking, slowing the vehicle by up to 10 mph in about one second. The system can be useful when drivers are entering or exiting freeway on- or off-ramps with too much speed.

The new Explorer gets adventurous by offering Ford’s first intelligent four-wheel-drive (4WD) control system that optimizes vehicle capability by integrating powertrain and braking controls to provide appropriate traction for any driving conditions. Terrain management is activated by a console-mounted, switchable knob, enabling 4WD control through an intuitive choice of settings that eliminates guesswork with simple icons that represent the climate or surface situation drivers may encounter.

“The Explorer’s terrain management system and Curve Control are predictive technologies that are designed to work with the driver to respond to varying road conditions or potential hazards,” said Jim Holland, Explorer chief nameplate engineer. “They help the Explorer and its driver adapt to changing conditions.”

Adapting to the driver’s mood
Explorer drivers will be able to adjust the ambience of their vehicles in several ways. First they can personalize the interior by selecting from a spectrum of seven different ambient lighting colors, for the gauge cluster, foot wells, cup holders, door map pockets and rear foot wells. Drivers and passengers also can get comfortable with the Explorer’s dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control.

Other adaptive technologies on the new Explorer include:

MyKey™ which helps encourage safer teen driving and seat belt use, and allows owners to program the vehicle key to incorporate features such as limited top vehicle speed and audio volume.

Ford SYNC® in-car connectivity system with 911 Assist™ - designed to assist occupants in using their paired cell phone to place a call to a local 911 operator should an accident occur that activates an airbag or the emergency fuel cutoff.
HomeLink gives the vehicle the technology to learn up to three garage door and power gate remote control codes, eliminating the need to clutter the interior with separate remote control units.

Reference by Ford Motor Company

The F-150 EcoBoost Engine Endures More Torture Testing

The 2011 F-150 EcoBoost Engine Endures More Torture Testing

November 2010

The new 3.5-liter EcoBoost™ “torture test” truck engine moved from the lab to the outdoors with a stop at a logging company in Oregon. It’s the current phase of a multi-part series of Web-based documentaries that began when this randomly selected EcoBoost engine endured the equivalent of 150,000 miles or 10 years of use on the dynamometer, replicating the duty cycle of the harshest-use customer. You can read more about that by clicking here.
After the dyno torture testing, the engine was dropped into a new 2011 Ford F-150 to work as a log skidder for Nygaard Logging of Warrenton, Oregon. Skidding is the process of moving harvested timber, after the branches have been removed, from the forest to a staging area where it is placed on a truck to be sent to a sawmill.
The 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost replaced a vehicle similar to a backhoe that “ropes” the harvested timber using high-strength cables and drags it to the staging area.
The work was performed at Clatsop State Forest, where the 2011 F-150 EcoBoost pulled logs weighing from 4,000 to 9,000 pounds. That’s where the new engine’s best-in-class torque of 420 lb.-ft. at 2,500 rpm was essential – especially low-end torque. Up to 90 percent of the EcoBoost truck engine’s peak torque is available from 1,700 rpm to 5,000 rpm – all on regular fuel.
The EcoBoost truck engine also delivers best-in-class maximum towing capability of 11,300 pounds.
Go to fordvehicles.com to see firsthand how the EcoBoost truck engine performs.

Reference: Ford Motor Company

FORD POSTS THIRD QUARTER 2010 NET INCOME OF $1.7 BILLION; ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL DEBT REDUCTION ACTIONS

Ford reports third quarter net income of $1.7 billion, or 43 cents per share, a $690 million improvement from third quarter 2009. Pre-tax operating profit totaled $2.1 billion, or 48 cents per share, a $1.1 billion improvement from third quarter 2009++
Ford is announcing further actions to reduce Automotive debt and strengthen its balance sheet, including further paying down its revolving credit line by $2 billion; plans to use cash to fully prepay the remaining $3.6 billion of debt owed to the VEBA retiree health care trust; and conversion offers on two convertible debt securities
Ford now expects its Automotive cash to be about equal to its debt by year end, earlier than previously expected. This will be an improvement of $8 billion to $9 billion from the end of last year
Ford ended the quarter with $23.8 billion of Automotive gross cash and total liquidity of $29.4 billion. Automotive operating-related cash flow was $900 million positive
Revenue for the quarter totaled $29 billion, a decline of $1.3 billion from third quarter 2009; excluding Volvo revenue from 2009, revenue increased $1.7 billion ++
Ford Automotive operations posted a third quarter pre-tax operating profit of $1.3 billion, a $953 million improvement from third quarter 2009++
Ford North America reported third quarter pre-tax operating profit of $1.6 billion, a $1.3 billion improvement from third quarter 2009
Ford Credit reported third quarter pre-tax operating profit of $766 million, an $89 million improvement from third quarter 2009, and provided Ford with a $1 billion distribution during the quarter
Ford will deliver solid profits in 2010 with positive Automotive operating-related cash flow, and continued improvement in 2011

Read More: http://www.ford.com/about-ford/news-announcements/press-releases/press-releases-detail/pr-ford-posts-third-quarter-2010-net-33434

2010 Halloween Photo Contest

What will your entry be, Wacky? Scary? Cute?
Show off your child, grandchild, family, friends, or your pets this Halloween. We want to see your costumes and you can win a prize too. Friend us on Facebook, and tag us in your picture, or post to our Flickr page. We will be accepting pictures till November 6th. 1st Place will win a $50 gift card to Zona Rosa shopping center to start off there holiday shopping, 2nd Place winner will recieve a Free "Works" Package to Thoroughbred Ford. Have a Happy Halloween!

Ford Focuses on the Details of Life with an Electric Vehicle

Ford Focuses on the Details of Life with an Electric Vehicle
October 7, 2010
Electric Vehicles will bring about new ways of refueling. Instead of gassing up, customers will plug in, and Ford is working with its supplier partner, Yazaki, to make this a natural and comfortable experience.
The two companies used internal ergonomic studies to design the convenience cord, drawing inspiration from hockey sticks, curling irons and tennis racket handles. While most owners are expected to recharge the zero-emissions, gas-free Focus Electric at home with an optional wall-mounted 240V charging station, they also will have the ability to recharge at remote locations with a standard 120V convenience cord. Both types of connectors will use an industry-standard five-point plug fitted with an ergonomic Ford-branded handle specially designed for comfort and durable daily use. Owners of Focus Electric will recharge the car’s onboard lithium-ion battery pack by plugging the convenience plug or charge station plug into the vehicle’s charge port.
The Ford Focus Electric, which debuts in late 2011, will bring enhanced recharging flexibility with a 120V convenience cord to allow users to recharge the all-electric vehicle at remote locations; the convenience cord will serve as a backup to an optional 240V home charging station. Focus Electric is one of five new electric vehicles Ford will deliver over the next three years in North America and Europe; it will be built at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant.
When plugged in, the vehicle’s onboard charger converts the AC power from the electric grid to DC power to charge the liquid-cooled battery pack. A full recharge is expected to take six to eight hours with a 240V charge station or more than 12 hours with a 120V convenience cord set. When fully charged, Focus Electric is expected to deliver up to 100 miles of gas-free driving – more than enough for most U.S. commuters, who average 40 miles per day.
Like most household electrical plugs, Focus Electric’s cord set connector has three pins at the end that plug into a standard outlet. But the similarities stop there. The end that connects with the car has five pins, including one that communicates with the vehicle about the type of electrical current (120V or 240V) it is requesting and another pin that deactivates the current when the user disconnects the plug from the charge port.
Focus Electric’s convenience cord will be 25 feet long, making it long enough to reach the nearest outlet, eliminating the need for an extension cord. When not in use, the user can spool the cord around a special oval-shaped holder that also accommodates the cord’s control box. The spooled cord will have a designated spot in the vehicle’s trunk.
Between plugging in and unplugging at home, work or other places, Focus Electric owners are likely to recharge their vehicles two to four times each day (nearly 1,500 times a year) compared to once a week for gassing up (52 times a year). With a Focus Electric owner in contact with the connector so many times, Ford conducted an ergonomic study to help determine plug handle design, as well as charge port height and insertion angle. Study participants – who ranged from petite adult females to larger adult males, ages 21 to 61 – tested a variety of plug handle prototypes.
In seeking a blend of tactile toughness, high-tech polish and ergonomic comfort, the team benchmarked Craftsman® tools and considered the attributes of such disparate products as Apple® mobile electronics and OXO Good Grips® kitchen utensils.
The plug handle uses a matte-finished blue rubber that allows for a comfortable, non-slip grip and the plug head is shielded with a glossy white hard plastic to protect the electronics. The Ford Blue Oval trademark helps make the device immediately recognizable.
Ford supplier partner Yazaki conducted extensive and durability tests on Focus Electric’s cord set connector, including an insertion/extraction study of 10,000 cycles to assess the durability of the interaction between the handle and plug. For every thousand insertions, testers dunked the plug into a sandy salt water solution to add grit to the connectors and they repeatedly dropped the handle and rolled over it with a car tire to test its durability. Testers also subjected the cord set connector to ambient extreme temperature increases.
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New V6 Engine Makes 2011 Ford F-150 Most Fuel Efficient Full-Size Pickup

New V6 Engine Makes 2011 Ford F-150 Most Fuel Efficient Full-Size Pickup
October 14, 2010
You asked, and Ford Motor Company answered: 70 percent of F-150 customers said better fuel economy is what they’d like improved most in their truck. And that they got – the 2011 Ford F-150 is projected to be the most fuel-efficient full-size pickup of any manufacturer, thanks to a projected 23 mpg highway (pending final EPA certification) with the new 3.7-liter engine. The new 5.0-liter V8 engine is projected to deliver 21 mpg highway, pending EPA certification.
“The all-new engine lineup for the 2011 Ford F-150 is focused on delivering what matters most to truck customers – best-in-class power, capability, durability and fuel economy,” said Barb Samardzich, vice president of Powertrain Engineering. “Each engine offers an unequaled combination of these attributes.”
The new 3.7-liter V6 is projected to deliver 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway in 4×2 configuration. Projections for the new 5.0-liter V8 are 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway in 4×2 configuration. No manufacturer offers better fuel economy numbers in these respective segments.
Also new for 2011 are the 6.2-liter V8 and 3.5-liter EcoBoost™. The EcoBoost will be available in early 2011; trucks with the 3.7-liter V6, 5.0-liter V8 and 6.2-liter V8 will arrive in dealer showrooms later this year. The new V6 and V8 make up half of an all-new powertrain lineup for the 2011 Ford F-150, part of the most extensive engine makeover in the 62-year history of F-Series. This versatile new powertrain lineup enables F-150 customers to choose the engine that best suits their needs.
Each engine is mated to a fuel-saving 6R80 six-speed automatic transmission, which has SelectShift capability with progressive range select and manual mode for the first time. Ford is the only manufacturer to equip its entire full-size pickup lineup with six-speed gearboxes as standard. A one-way clutch, which allows for smoother 1-2 and 2-1 shifts, faster downshifts and improved fuel economy, also has been added. The gear ratios, span and shift schedule have been optimized for better off-the-line performance and improved fuel economy. The double-overdrive gear also provides better fuel economy.
Another fuel saver is the addition of class-exclusive electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) to the 3.7-liter V6, 5.0-liter V8 and 3.5-liter EcoBoost powertrains. The EPAS system replaces a conventional hydraulic system, which runs continuously off the engine, with a system that draws power only when needed. Ford is the first manufacturer to widely offer EPAS on full-size pickup trucks. EPAS contributes about a 4 percent fuel-economy benefit compared with conventional hydraulic systems.
“Our new engine lineup allows greater flexibility for customers to select the powertrain choice that best suits their needs,” said Samardzich. “And each engine delivers outstanding power, capability and fuel economy.”
Here are highlights of each new engine:
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• Best-in-class 6,100 pounds maximum trailer tow• Ti-VCT (twin independent variable camshaft timing) creates precise, variable timing control of both the intake and exhaust camshafts to optimize power, performance and fuel economy• E85 flex fuel capability• Piston-cooling jets, which squirt oil on the underside of the pistons to keep the piston crowns cool under extreme operating conditions• Forged-steel crankshaft for improved durability• Built at Cleveland Engine Plant
5.0-liter four-valve DOHC Ti-VCT V8
• Best-in-class 360 horsepower at 5,500 rpm• Best-in-class 380 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm• Best-in-class 10,000 pounds maximum trailer tow• New strengthened block and new cylinder head optimized for performance and enhanced cooling• Unique intake camshafts, combined with Ti-VCT, composite intake manifold and optimized compression ratio for improved low-speed torque and towing capability• Forged-steel crank and all-new oil cooler enhance durability• Piston-cooling jets, which squirt oil on the underside of the pistons to keep the piston crowns cool under extreme operating conditions• E85 flex fuel capability• Built at Essex Engine Plant; Windsor, Ontario
6.2-liter two-valve SOHC V8
The 6.2-liter V8 is a premium engine offering on the 2011 F-150. It is now standard on F-150 SVT Raptor, with expanded offering on other specialty applications.
• Best-in-class 411 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 434 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm vs. all competitors• Best-in-class 11,300 pounds maximum trailer tow vs. all competitors• Projected 12 mpg city, 17 mpg highway (4×2 configuration), pending final EPA certification• Durability of race-proven components and technology showcased in November 2008 when a 6.2-liter Raptor R not only survived the grueling Baja 1000, it earned a podium finish. The same engine then completed every mile of the 2009 Best in the Desert series• Utilizes a large bore and shorter stroke. This approach to creating power has its roots in storied Ford racing engines. The large bore allows for larger intake and exhaust valves for improved engine airflow, and the short stroke allows higher engine speed for increased horsepower• Because of the large bore size, two spark plugs per cylinder are used to more efficiently burn the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber, enabling better fuel economy and increased engine torque. The twin plugs also help maintain a smooth, stable idle• Built at Romeo (Mich.) Engine Plant
3.5-liter Ti-VCT EcoBoost
A premium powertrain offering available after launch, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost has more torque than any competitors’ V8 with the fuel economy of a smaller-displacement engine. This EcoBoost engine will establish a new benchmark for its combination of performance capability and fuel efficiency.
• 365 horsepower at 5,000 rpm on regular fuel• Best-in-class 420 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,500 rpm on regular fuel• Best-in-class 11,300 pounds maximum trailer tow vs. all competitors• Best-in-class 3,060 pounds payload vs. all competitors• Up to 90 percent of peak torque available from 1,700 rpm to 5,000 rpm• New benchmark for combination of performance capability and fuel efficiency• Ti-VCT creates precise, variable timing control of both the intake and exhaust camshafts to optimize power, performance and fuel economy• Intake and exhaust camshafts optimized for improved fuel economy and performance• Cast exhaust manifolds for heavy-duty operation and durability• Improved manifold and cylinder heads for improved performance• Direct-acting mechanical bucket (DAMB) valvetrain with polished buckets to reduce friction and improve fuel economy• Built at Cleveland Engine Plant
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Yogurtini - New to Zona Rosa

If you have been looking for a new place to treat yourself or your family and friends, try out the newly opened Yogurtini in Zona Rosa, Next to Dillards. Yogurtini is a self service frozen yogurt shop. With 10-16 different flavors served daily, and 65 different toppings giving you an endless possibility of flavor. The frozen treat is made with real non fat yogurt you pay by the ounce. So if your up near Zona Rosa and in the mood for something sweet, drop in and make your own serve-'yo'-self frozen creation.Check them out on their website click on the Yogurtini logo, as well as they are on Facebook and Twitter.