New Ford F-150 Pricing

Ford product planners became more than a little concerned over the long term future of the company cash cow, the F-150 pickup. Although the all-new F-150, then undergoing final testing before launch, was a careful evolution of a highly successful formula, no-one knew whether that meant much anymore.

In May, as the average price of a gallon of gas neared $4.00, the F-150 was knocked off the top of the monthly sales charts for the first time in 17 years, outsold by Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, and Honda Accord. That sent a chill through Dearborn: Ford's product planners knew that for most of the 30-plus years the F-150 had reigned as America's -- the world's - best selling vehicle, gas had cost $2 a gallon or less. The world had changed. America was changing. Maybe the F-150 would have to change, too.

The solution wasn't rocket science: develop a pickup truck that was smaller and lighter. The product planners looked at three options -- adapting the T6 Ranger pickup being developed by The T6 Ranger was discounted because it was simply too small. A D4-based unibody truck looked costly and time consuming. That left a lighter truck built around the new F-150 hardware.

The more the product planners looked at it, the more appealing the idea appeared. The new Ford F-150 frame, designed to deliver maximum towing and payload capacity, was stoutly engineered, and therefore heavy. A revised frame, built to the smaller 126 in. and 133 in. F-150 wheelbases (which would allow a regular cab model with a 6.5 ft bed and a Supercab model with a 5.5 ft bed) and optimized for lower towing and payload, could be made lighter. Lighter wheels, tires, and suspension components could be used.

Body-on-frame construction mean a unique cab and front clip could be relatively inexpensively engineered. The F-150 beds could be carried over. Powertrains would be Ecoboost four cylinder and V-6 turbos. The V-6 looked especially promising -- even in a relatively mild state of tune the 3.7-liter turbo could pump out more power and torque than the F-150's base V-8.

The Ford F-150 could tow 11,300 lb, more than anything in its class. They reasoned that if the F-100 was to be Ford truck tough it, too, would need an impressive towing number. They picked, quite arbitrarily, say my sources, 7500 lb. That pushed up the overall vehicle weight. It pushed up cost. It killed engine choices. And in the end, it killed the F-100, too, when Kuzak and marketing boss Jim Farley rightly concluded that suddenly they didn't have the 21st century, $4-a-gallon pickup truck they thought they once had.

© Source: motortrend
We need your comments below >>

2009 H and R Springs Hot Rod Ford F-150

(from H&R Press Release) Ford F-150 pickup trucks continue to be the number one selling vehicle in the U.S. and you can safely say that theirs is the greatest American automotive phenomenon—the new 2009 Ford F-150 is no exception. The newest addition to the Ford lineup has more model variations than ever before, promises more power and efficiency, and is looking to set a new standard in fulfilling driver needs and desires. Our team at H&R Special Springs decided it was the perfect canvas for us to demonstrate its opportunities for personalization. Our vision for the F-150 reflects its versatility. Ford says the F-150 is built for you, and we took them at their word to create a project vehicle that is our take on a classic American hot-rod truck—and, with some ready available aftermarket parts, we created a truck that is truly original and unique.

First things first, suspension. Though it is uncommon to lower a 4-wheel drive pickup truck, we did. In keeping with our goal of creating a unique vehicle, we lowered the F-150 3 inches in the front and 4.5 inches in the rear using our H&R Sport Cup Kit prototype—improving handling and increasing ride comfort. The F-150 has a perfect stance, and hauls in turns come rain or shine. In order to go fast, you must be able to brake fast. We have upgraded the rotors with slotted and drilled Baer DecelaRotors as they increase stopping power and have a dynamic visual appearance. Adding to our truck’s hot-rod theme, and borrowing from the 1970’s, we have painted the factory calipers gold.

Now, throw on your safety glasses to protect your retinas from the awesome, custom built Forgeline VRP3 alloy wheels. Forgeline has precision built the lightweight wheels to custom fit this project—with matte black centers and exclusive, transparent red outer rim finishes wrapped by some of the largest Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimetrico tires available. This tire and wheel package is ready to rumble. We cannot get enough them—and the vivid red perfectly compliments the vehicle’s Blue Flame exterior.

The new 2009 Ford F-150 has exceeded our expectations, once again. Its versatility, combined with its practicality and rich automotive heritage, make it impossible to ignore. Whether attracting attention on Main Street or your favorite off-road path, the H&R Ford F-150 will stand out as an original and functional vehicle that offers great potential for matching individual style and performance preferences—a true American classic.

© Source: seriouswheels
We need your comments below >>

2011 Ford F-150

True truck owners, those who need to buy pickups for towing and hauling, need the practicality of a truck, but like everyone else, would like to use less fuel. Unlike the commuters who haul air in their trucks, true truck users don't have the option of swapping their pickups for economy cars.

The obvious solution has been for manufacturers to start putting diesel engines into their light-duty pickup trucks, but the large price difference between regular unleaded and diesel, often about a dollar per gallon, has caused a rethink of that plan. Ford says it has put off (at least for a couple years) its previously announced plan to offer a diesel in the F-150 in 2010.

Instead, the company is developing a V-6 EcoBoost engine for the F-150 which employs turbocharging and direct-injection - a design that Ford says will deliver similar power to a V-8 engine - all while using less gas.

Such engines are cheaper to build than diesels -- less than $1000 more costly than a conventional V-8 in comparison to the $4000 or $5000 price tag of a diesel engine, according to Ford. That thousand bucks buys you more power, expected to top the targets of 340 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque from the 3.5-liter turbo V-6, compared with the 320 and 390 for today's 5.4-liter Triton V-8.

It will also return 15-20 percent better mileage, Ford engineers predict. That extrapolates to 16 mpg city/23 highway for the EcoBoost engine, compared with 13 and 18 for the V-8 today. EcoBoost-powered F-150s will arrive in showrooms in 2010 for the 2011 model year.

© Source: motortrend
We need your comments below >>

2009 Ford F-150

The 2009 Ford F-150 doesn't bring any wild new hardware to the table. There's no two-mode hybrid like the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado and 2010 Dodge Ram will offer. Leaf springs still connect the rear axle to the frame, unlike the 2009 Dodge Ram which uses coil springs. Ford may introduce a diesel F-150 to compete with the upcoming diesel trucks from Chevrolet and Dodge, but the company seems to favor the impending EcoBoost engine which will combine direct injection and turbocharging to deliver diesel-like performance without the prohibitive cost of a diesel engine or diesel fuel. In true Ford fashion, this engine will not be available at launch.

The only significant changes for the 2009 Ford F-150 are the introduction of six-speed automatic transmissions, a larger crew cab, and a new 4.6-liter three-valve V-8 engine. The rest of the truck is just a freshening of the 2008 F-150, something you realize just as soon as you hit the road.

Ford is very proud of the fact that the 2009 F-150 offers more possible configurations than any competitor truck. If you decide to buy an F-150, you'll first need to determine which cab style fits your needs (regular, super, and crew cabs are available), then decide how much bed you require (there are three choices ranging from 5.5 to 8 feet in length), and, finally, determine how luxurious you'd like the truck to be, since there are seven different trim levels.

Once you've figured out all of that, you can choose among the three V-8 engines, then decide between rear- and four-wheel-drive. There are 35 different core configurations for the F-150 just taking cab size, bed length, and trim level into account. Fourteen of those possible combinations are available with the SuperCrew cab.

© Source: automobilemag
We need your comments below >>

2009 Ford F-150

(from Ford Press Release) Ford introduces the new 2009 F-150, the new benchmark in the full-size pickup segment from the industry's truck leader. F-150 offers the most capability, most "smart" features and most choice in the full-size pickup market.

F-150 is new from the inside and out - from its segment-first features, tough new exterior, more spacious, flexible and refined interior and unparalleled choice of cab styles and trim levels - including a new Platinum series that redefines truck luxury. F-150 expands its capability by adding more usable interior space to the SuperCrew model, a stronger, lighter frame - which provides improved horsepower and fuel economy - and more standard safety features than previous models.

Ford Work Solutions is an industry-exclusive suite of innovative and affordable technologies that includes four industry-first features: An in-dash computer, powered by Microsoft Windows CE with Windows Auto, provides full high-speed Internet access, via Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, and works with Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. The “Built Ford Tough’ computer, integrated into the trucks’ center stack, is equipped with a 6.5-inch, high-resolution touch screen (with stylus), two gigabytes of memory, a secure digital slot for additional memory, a USB port, and a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Ford Work Solutions will be available later this summer on the 2009 F-150 XL, XLT and FX4, and F-Series Super Duty XL and XLT pickups and E-Series vans. Transit Connect vans join the lineup in mid 2009. Many items will be available for dealer installation to upgrade existing trucks already in service.

The new 2009 Ford F-150 offers the most capability, most ‘smart’ features and most choice in the full-size pickup market. The new 2009 F-150 is new from the inside and out – from its segment-first features, tough new exterior, more spacious, flexible and refined interior and unparalleled choice of cab styles and trim levels, including a new Platinum series that redefines tough truck luxury. The addition of Platinum brings Ford to a total of 35 unique F-150 configurations.

© Source: seriouswheels
We need your comments below >>

Make sure to stop by AmericanTrucks.com and check out our large selection of Ford F150 Truck Parts.

2009 Ford F-150 Spy Shots!

One of our contacts stumbled upon an essentially undisguised prototype of Ford's redesigned F-150. As the sunlight was just about to slip behind the mountains, they managed one revealing shot as the truck rushed back to the safety of its enclosed trailer, parked up the street at a gas station.

Considering that every F-Series prototype seen to date has been covered from stem to stern in heavy black camouflage, it appears that we caught this unclad look at Ford's new truck at the tail end of a photo shoot. The prototype truck was loaded and covered before our impromptu spies could swoop in for more shots.

This cleanest-ever look at the new F-Series reveals Ford's surprisingly cautious approach on its new truck. Although significant engineering changes likely lie under the surface, it now seems clear that the visual changes represent little more than a thorough facelift.

The headlights, hood, grille, and front bumper have been changed, and it appears that this truck has a version of Ford's Edge-inspired grille. New taillights are also clearly in the cards. The front and rear fenders also show a very subtle change--a sharp-edged character line sculpted in above the F-Series' flared wheel arches adds some minor detailing to the side panels. New side mirrors, and a revised side trim strip round out the visual changes.

Expect a clear look at the new F-150 at January's Detroit auto show.

© Source: thecarconnection
We need your comments below >>

Stop by AmericanTrucks.com the newest Ford Truck Parts retailer on the net.