01 F350 (1-ton) 7.3l Power-stroke 4x4 Lwb Strong Clean Tx ! ! ! . . . . . . . on 2040-cars

Auto blog

How the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor became a reality

The camouflaged Ford F-150 SVT Raptor prototype captured above blazing its way across the desert during a test run left company engineers giggling in amazement, reveals Jamal Hameedi in a new Autoweek video. Ford's global performance vehicle chief engineer, accompanied by senior exterior designer Bruce Williams, sat down with the publication to discuss the concept and development of the automaker's super off-road F-150.
Designing a high-performance pickup in 2008, right when the cost of gasoline was going through the roof, seemed insane at the time, but the team pushed forward with the innovative vehicle regardless. The interview includes plenty of Ford B-roll footage as visual candy, and the conversations include discussions about exterior design, ride comfort, anti-lock brake tuning, suspension engineering, weight reduction and why it was necessary to make the Raptor visually different than Ford's standard F-150. The model's origin story is very interesting, and you can learn more about it by watching the video below.

RTR Spec 5 Concept shows off 2015 Ford Mustang's drifty potential

Meet the Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5 Concept, a fully functional drift car that, according to our team in Sin City, has been doling out demo drifts in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Destined to be the flagship of RTR's Tactical Performance Line, the Spec 5 Concept is, in addition to its 5.0-liter Aluminator V8 engine, chock full of performance parts that you can buy for your very own 2015 Mustang. In addition to the Ford Racing engine, the OEM parts supplier has lent the Spec 5 an aluminum radiator and a close-ratio six-speed transmission.
ASD Motorsports provided the front lower control arms, while the car itself rides on a fully customized coilover suspension. Magnaflow and American Racing have provided the exhaust system and headers, respectively. 20-inch HRE wheels, designed for RTR, are wrapped in sticky Nitto rubber.

Hot sales have Detroit automakers shortening summer shutdowns

Back in May, there was speculation that the Detroit Three automakers would maintain or perhaps even extend their traditional summer shutdowns, mostly due to a bitingly cold winter that saw below-freezing temperatures infiltrate the southernmost reaches of the US, putting a chill on auto sales. Now, though, the numbers are in, and thanks to some promising sales figures, it looks like some domestic line workers are going to be working clear through July, in some cases.
According to Automotive News, Ford has slashed its traditional two-week hiatus for factory workers in half at four of its plants, while both Chrysler and General Motors will keep factories running nonstop (two plants in Chrysler's case and a third of GM's factories).
This is, as we said, thanks to some positive numbers. Chief among those is the Seasonal Adjusted Annual Rate, which was at an eight-year high of 17 million units. Individual figures were less promising. GM, embroiled in its recall scandal, still saw a one-percent increase while Ford dropped six percent in year-over-year sales. Chrysler was the big winner, though, with a nine-percent jump in June.