Ford Lightning

The First Generation 1993 1994 1995

The first Lightning was the 1993 Ford Lightning F-150. Produced in limited number in 1993, 1994 and 1995. Originally offered in black or red, the color white was added for 1994 and 1995. There were a total of 11,563 Ford Lightning trucks procuded of the first generation. Offered only in a standard-cab short-bed fleetside (styleside).
The truck was born amongst the engineers and marketing executives at Ford's Special Vehicle Team. This team transforms pedestrian production vehicles into asphalt-pounding race machines.

The Second Generation 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Ford re-introduced the Lightning in 1999 based on the new-for-1997 F150. The new truck features an Eaton supercharger to boost power. Produced from 1999 through 2004, a total of 28,124 trucks were made. The truck was only offered as a two-door standard-cab truck, with step-side bed. The truck offers 360 horsepower and 440 lbs-ft torque, and records a 6.2 second 0-60 time.
For 2001, the truck receive several upgrades. The air intake manifold offers improved airflow, to yield 20 additional horsepower to reach 380hp. Torque also improves to 450 ft-lbs. Resulting 0-60 times have dropped to 5.8 seconds. The truck features an aluminum driveshaft, and a 3.73:1 rear axle ratio. Mono-tube Bilstein shocks improve handling, while the passenger side shock is repositioned in front of the axle to reduce axle-wrap.
Goodyear stepped up with unique Eagle F1-GS tires with a new rubber compound. The wheels are also new. Unique headlamps, corner lamps, fog lamps and tail lamps with a modern clear front lens have been introduced. The roof-mounted third brake lamp is now illuminated by a sindle row of LED. Upper and lower grill inserts get a new design.
The upgraded Lightning reflected the high-mark for Lightning production. Subsequent years retained many of the same features while demand lacked until it was dropped in 2004.

The Lost (3rd) Generation 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008...

Ford built a SVT F-150 Lightning concept based on the new-for-2004 F150. It debuted at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The truck featured a Tremec T-56 manual transmission (borrowed from the SVT Mustang Cobra), 500-horsepower supercharged V-8 engine, independent rear suspension, massive Brembo six-piston calipers and gigantic 22-inch wheel wearing Gooyear tires.

The Next Lightning ...2010?

Rumors circulated in 2008 about a new Lightning based on the new-for-2009 F150 platform, perhaps as a 2010 model. With potential power anywhere from 450 to 550 horsepower, if it sees the light of day.

Lightning Bolt Prototype (Ranger)

Ford SVT produced a prototype Lightning Bolt Ranger in 2002. This standard-cab Ranger boasts a 5.4-liter V-8 complete with supercharger from 2002 Lightning. Custom engine mounts keep the motor nested snugly under the otherwise stock sheetmetal. The designers appropriately reenforced the stock frame rails by fully boxing them and adding cross-bracing. In addition, the front a-arms, spindles and springs were pulled straight from its full-size benefactor. Likewise, the truck uses a narrowed Lightning rear-end and brakes all around. Topped off with 18-inch Lightning wheels.

 

Ford Shelby Cobra GT500

The legendary partnership between Ford and Carroll Shelby dates back to the early 1960s. Ford would produce the Mustangs, and the Shelby factory would modify them. The result? Some of best performing muscle cars of all time. In 2007 they renewed the deal releasing the Shelby GT500.

Design: The two companies managed to revive the Mustang prestige with the GT500 model. The red and white body colors are classic, with the “Le Mans” stripes going from nose to tail. Aggressive look as usual, featuring a new front line and air splitters.

Performance: The Shelby GT500 comes with a 5.4-litre, DOHC V8 engine, producing 500 horse power. It can accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-100km/h) in 4.5 seconds. The car also features a suspension kit and other improvements from Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT).

Chick Factor: High. Mustangs are a legend and a tradition of the American sports cars scene. If on top of that you go around with a Shelby GT500, you sure will make an impact.

Ford Ranger Offers enjoyable Leisure for Family

latest Ford Ranger is expected to meet the needs of workers as well as the family car. Features and design an entirely new vehicle will meet the needs for the following worker families.

Latest Ranger was created for comfort and superior toughness. Air bag on the front and sides and 23 place of the goods in the cabin with a deep tub in the back is ideal for workers following their families. Oh.. yes, there are also facilities voice command, Bluetooth, and camera surveillance in the aftermath of a car.

Workers, traders, and farmers are very helpful with the performance of Ranger, which is not only tough but also comfortable and it is not out of date model. new product of later Ranger who wed toughness and comfort can be an alternative choice for families.

2011 Ford Focus rendered speculation

The face lifted Focus range has reinvigorated the popular hatch, headlined by the aggressive performance flagship RS model, although this merely preempts the arrival of the all-new Focus due in 2011



The new model will take Ford’s kinetic design to its limits, offering a truly global package with international style, highly-efficient powertrains and innovative green technologies.

These artists’ renderings provide a glimpse at what we may be able to expect from Ford, combining the current kinetic motif with the “Bold American” theme currently employed by the Fusion and Edge crossover SUV.



Under the “One Ford” product strategy devised by CEO Alan Mullaly, the next-generation Focus is being designed and engineered by Ford of Europe which has been assigned the role as the brand’s centre for global small-car development.

This strategy has been formulated with the aim of reducing initial costs and improving manufacturing economies of scale by employing a single design for all markets rather than introducing separate designs for specific regions.

The car will likely debut Ford’s new C3 architecture which has been built as a versatile platform to suit a wider range of vehicle types including compact-crossovers and people movers, along with eventually forming the underpinnings of sister models such as the Mazda3 and Volvo range.

The new Focus will be the make-or-break car for Ford as the economic slump will no doubt eventually take its toll on what has so far proved to be the most resilient US car maker.

Shelby will release an anniversary limited edition Ford Mustang GT350

At the auction collector car Barrett-Jackson in the U.S. known American company Shelby presented the next version of the tuning coupe Ford Mustang GT - GT350. The car was built in honor of 45 anniversary of the appearance of the first classic "Mustang" Shelby GT350, which was released in the amount of 562 copies. The new model will be assembled in the number of 2,200 pieces.Specialists of the company with Shelby racing division of Ford made improvements to the standard five-liter eight-engine "Mustang" power of 412 horsepower, the addition of a firm mechanical supercharger. This has increased the impact of the engine to about 500 horsepower. The unit works in tandem with a six-speed manual gearbox. Dynamic characteristics of new items, which at Barrett-Jackson auction was presented in the form of ready for mass production concept car, not announced.





Also Tuning coupe was upgraded suspension (there were constructed new subdivision Ford Racing springs, stretching, racks and other stabilizer bars), via six Baer brakes on the front axle, exhaust system, Borla, Cragar rims with tires Goodyear, as well as the redesign of the front end and additional monitoring instruments at the front desk in the cabin, responsible for the fuel pressure, oil and boost.


According to the Shelby, production car will hit dealerships this spring. The cost of improvements without the basic machine will be 33 thousand 995 dollars. Note that the price of a regular Ford Mustang GT in the United States begin from 30 thousand dollars and the total price of the Shelby GT350 is greater than the 540-strong "Mustang" Shelby GT500.


Shelby will release an anniversary limited edition Ford Mustang.

Ford supercar - Ford Shelby GT500

Supercar Ford GT500 is mechanically an evolution of the previous model.Ford used the current-gen Bullitt model as the starting point for the 2010 Mustang GT, the lessons learned from developing the limited edition GT500 KR fed directly into the latest Shelby-badged variant. Output of the supercharged 5.4L V8 has now been cranked up to 540 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque, and the handling is claimed to be better than before.

Compare with the old GT500, this new supercar model gets more aggressive styling, particularly in the nose, and reprises many of the same detail elements. The horizontally mirrored trapezoidal shape of the grille in the upper and lower front fascia is meant to echo the oval shape of the Shelby Cobras of the '

60s. The upper grille is tilted forward at a steeper angle than the GT and the grille surround is separated entirely from the hood. The hood of the GT500 still has a functional air extractor allowing some of the massive heat generated by the blown V8 to escape.

The engine for this supercar is still a twin cam 5.4L V8 with a supercharger. The updates bump output from from 500 hp at 6,000 rpm to 540 hp at 6,200 rpm. Twisting fo

rce also goes from 480 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm to 510 lb-ft at the same peak speed. The iron block from the F-150 was used with the top end of the GT engine, which pushed the car's weight up over 3,900 lbs.

The top two ratios in the new GT500's gearbox have been made numerically lower. The clutch plates for supercar GT500 have been increased in diameter from 215 mm to 250 mm. All that torque flows from the Tremec 6-speed gearbox through a limited slip differential with a 3.55:1 final drive ratio. The 2010 GT500 gets 17% stiffer springs at the front axle and 7% stiffer at the rear axle.

Ford announces dual clutch PowerShift gearbox

Ford Motor Company announced today it will introduce an advanced dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed transmission in North America in 2010 for the small-car segment.

The new gearbox will deliver the fuel efficiency of a manual gearbox with the convenience and ease of a premium automatic transmission,making it a key enabling technology as Ford targets best-in-class or among-the-best fuel economy with every new vehicle it introduces in North America.

Overall, Six-speed transmissions already have helped vehicles such as the 2010 Ford Fusion achieve best-in-class fuel economy, while at the same time allowing the Ford Flex and Ford Escape to achieve unsurpassed fuel economy in their respective segments.
Ford is leveraging six-speed transmissions, advanced internal combustion engines such as EcoBoost, hybrids, full electric vehicles, vehicle weight reduction and electric power-assisted steering to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions fleet-wide by 30 percent by the year 2020.

Compared to traditional automatic four-speed transmissions, PowerShift can help reduce fuel consumption by up to 9 percent depending on the application.

PowerShift provides the full comfort of an automatic with a more sophisticated driving dynamic, thanks to uninterrupted torque from the dual-clutch technology, which consists essentially of two manual transmissions working in parallel, each with its own independent clutch unit. One clutch carries the uneven gears – 1, 3 and 5 – while the other the even gears – 2, 4 and 6. Subsequent gear changes are coordinated between both clutches as they engage and disengage for a seamless delivery of torque to the wheels.PowerShift, unlike conventional automatic transmissions, does not need the heavier torque converter or planetary gears. In addition, the dry-clutch derivative eliminates the need for the weighty pumps, hydraulic fluids, cooling lines and external coolers that wet clutch transmissions require. As a result, the dry-clutch PowerShift transmission can weigh nearly 30 pounds less than, for example, the four-speed automatic transmission featured on today's Ford Focus.

Differentiating PowerShift even further in terms of its customer appeal is its shift quality, launch feel and overall drive dynamic, which are all facilitated by an expert blend of Ford-exclusive electro-mechanical systems, software features, calibrations and controls. These unique driving features include:

• Neutral coast down – The clutches will disengage when the brakes are applied, improving coasting downshifts and clutch robustness as well as reducing parasitic losses for increased fuel economy.

• Precise clutch control in the form of a clutch slip to provide torsional damping of the engine vibration – This function improves noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) at low engine speeds and enables lower lugging limits for improved fuel economy.

• Low-speed driving or creep mode with integrated brake pressure – This function simulates the low-speed control drivers are accustomed to from an automatic transmission. The amount of rolling torque in Drive and Reverse is precisely controlled, gradually building as brake pressure is released.

• Hill mode or launch assist – Prevents a vehicle from rolling back on a grade by maintaining brake pressure until the engine delivers enough torque to move the vehicle up the hill, providing improved driver confidence, comfort, safety and clutch robustness.

source:ford

Modified Ford Escort Cosworth

Modified Ford Escort Cosworth