In Memoriam Carroll Shelby

I should have had my camera with me. Because if I had photos to show you, you’d understand. Too late now!

It happened in Wilno, a small town in rural Ontario. I had just stepped out of the local tavern when I saw the thing, only meters away.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

It lay close to the ground, absolutely still. Its striped, muscular frame suggested immense power, and its skin reflected the blood-red rays of the setting sun. I stood frozen, refusing to believe what my eyes were telling me.

Moments passed, and I decided I had nothing to lose. I began to walk towards it. Closer… closer… closer.

Finally, I was standing over it. No response. So I reached down and, ever so gently, stroked it. And then it happened. A voice behind me, yelling a question. I mustn’t have responded, because the question was repeated.

“So would you like a peek under the hood?”

"Yes", I said.

Beneath the thing’s hood was a gleaming and oh-so-potent 427 V8. And the thing itself was an AC Cobra, immaculately restored to its mid-60s glory. For the next 30 minutes, the Cobra's owner treated me to a bumper-to-bumper inspection of the car, inside and out. I must have exclaimed “Cool!” about 100 times. Because it was.

The best part? When the owner started it up. The car's engine and side-mounted exhaust pipes erupted into sonic mayhem, right off the decibel scale. Pure rock ‘n’ roll.

Ever since then, I have had the comfort knowing that, on the highways of Ontario, there can be found an unalloyed embodiment of one man’s automotive vision and imagination. A man whom I've never met, but whose work I've admired for more than 45 years. An man who, just recently, left us. The car, an AC Cobra. The man, Carroll Shelby.

RIP Carroll.
 

QNX-based nav system helps Ford SUVs stay on course down under

Paul Leroux

This just in: SWSA, a leading electronics supplier to the Australian automotive industry, and NNG, the developer of the award-winning iGO navigation software, have created a QNX-based navigation system for Ford Australia. The new system has been deployed in Ford Territory SUVs since June of this year.

To reduce driver distraction, the system offers a simplified user interface and feature set. And, to provide accurate route guidance, the system uses data from an internal gyroscope and an external traffic message channel, as well as standard GPS signals. Taking the conditions of local roads into account, the software provides a variety of alerts and speed-camera warnings; it also offers route guidance in Australian English.

The navigation system is based on the iGO My way Engine, which runs in millions of navigation devices worldwide. To read NNG's press release, click here.


SWSA's new nav system for the Ford Territory is based on the Freescale
i.MX31L processor, QNX Neutrino RTOS, and iGO My way Engine.
 

Improved Technology and Facilities For the 2012 Ford Flex

• Recent Posts

  • Improved Technology and Facilities For the 2012 Ford Flex
  • Performance Ford Developing Engine Turbocharged EcoBoost Four For 2014
  • About Mercedes-Benz
  • MEC Design Mercedes Benz CLS 2011 Pictures
  • 2009 Martinsville2 Oct NSCS prerace Greg Biffle race hard video clip
  • McLaren MP4-12C GT3 – Built for FIA GT Series Racing
  • The Complete History: The Birth and Evolution of the Mercedes-Benz, by Daimler & Benz
  • mercedes benz CL600 pictures
  • 2011 Mazda CX-7 – I Sport, I SV, S Touring and S Grand Touring
  • Tutorial Performance Fuel Injection Systems HP1557: How to Design, Build, Modify, and Tune EFI and ECU Systems. Covers Components, Sensors, Fuel and Ignition Requirements, Tuning the Stock ECU, Piggybac
  • Concept Car Porsche 911 Turbo 997 with TechArt Tuning

Improved Technology and Facilities For the 2012 Ford Flex

2012 Ford Flex continues to provide technology and customer facilities are not available at the intersection of three lines of the other,” said Craig Patterson, Flex marketing manager. “Front to back and top to bottom, the Ford Flex 2012 improved to add some new content and maintain popular, customer-focused features.” Flex is the initial recipient of the Ford EcoBoost ™ technology. Efficient EcoBoost 3.5 liter V6 available in Flex Limited and Titanium, provides strength comparable with a standard V8 engine.

Standard on the 2012 Ford Flex is a V6 3.5 – liter engine that gives 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway (front – wheel drive). Both standard and V6 EcoBoost V6 matched with fuel-saving transmission six-speed automatic, with SelectShift available ™ functionality.
The 2012 Ford Flex to build off of Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. To get a Top Safety Pick, vehicles must receive a rating of “good” in frontal-offset, side and rear crash tests – evaluating the impact and roof strength, and offer electronic stability control.
Flex Limited and Titanium series have upgrades available for the seats – the second and third – the line for 2012. 60/40 split fold – flat second row bench seat now includes a fold-out armrest with two cupholders, one – touch PowerFold ® and chaotic folding third-row 50/50 – divided by the average bench tailgate is also available.
Data 2012 Ford Flex :
Bold Style
From every viewpoint, Flex is not your ordinary crossover.
Grooved Door Panels
The four deep grooves on the bodysides are like character lines, setting the tone for the clean, linear look and feel that sets Flex apart.
Wheel Sizes and Styles
Flex comes with 17″ painted aluminum wheels on the SE model, 18″ machined aluminum wheels on SEL, 19″ polished aluminum wheels on Limited, and 20″ polished aluminum wheels on the Titanium model. Stylish 20″ bright painted aluminum wheels are also available on EcoBoost and Limited models. They’re all designed to deliver a smooth, comfortable ride, and confident handling capability.
A. 17″ Painted Aluminum Wheel
B. 18″ Machined Aluminum Wheel
C. 19″ Polished Aluminium Wheel
D. 20″ Bright Painted Aluminum Wheel
E. 20″ Polished Aluminum Wheel
Grooved Door Panels
The four deep grooves on the bodysides are like character lines, setting the tone for the clean, linear look and feel that sets Flex apart.
3-Bar Chrome Grille
The clean, linear look and feel of Flex begins, fittingly, up front with the signature Ford 3-bar chrome grille and carries through to virtually every facet of its bold, innovative design. A black chrome grille with unique badging distinguishes the Titanium model.
Two-Tone Roof Option
Select the two-tone roof option and go for a customized look. Choose White Suede or striking Ingot Silver. The Titanium model roof is Black. Go ahead and pick one. It’s perfectly okay to stand out from the ordinary crowd.
Flowing Design
The “greenhouse” is a term automotive designers have used to refer to a vehicle’s windows, the vertical pillars separating them, and the roof. The unique all-black Flex greenhouse, with privacy glass on the 2nd- and 3rd-row windows and liftgate, seamlessly ties together the body and roof, an effect that is all the more striking with the available two-tone roof.
Titanium Model

Start with the exceptional luxury and comfort of Flex Limited. Add striking interior styling touches like
• Painted alloy Metallic accents on the center stack, steering wheel and door switch bezels
• Circle check appliqués on the instrument panel and door panels
• Illuminated scuff plates
• Steering wheel with perforated leather insert
• Charcoal Black leather-trimmed seats with Gray Alcantara® suede inserts.

Exterior features include:
• All-season tires on 20″ polished aluminum wheels
• Unique black chrome finish grille with the Flex badge on the leading edge of the hood
• Black fog lamp bezels
• Headlamps and taillamps with unique blackout treatment
• Black chrome liftgate appliqué
• Body-colored door handles
• Black belt-line molding and mirror skull caps
• Black painted roof. Available colors are Red Candy, White Platinum Tri-Coat, Black, or Ingot Silver.

[Source: Ford]

ford flex

2012 Ford Flex

2012 Ford Flex

2012 Ford Flex

Posts Related to Improved Technology and Facilities For the 2012 Ford Flex

• 

  2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class – Leading-Edge Automotive Technology

  2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class Wallpaper (1) 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class – Impressive SUV Mercedes has officially launched the 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class. The 3rd generation M-Class sets new ...
• 

  Performance Ford Developing Engine Turbocharged EcoBoost Four For 2014

  Performance Ford Developing Engine Turbocharged EcoBoost Four For 2014 Posted on July 18 2011 by A machine that is smaller -6 V under 3.0-liter engine ...
• 

  2012 Audi TT RS with 360 HP Priced at $56850

  2012 Audi TT RS Wallpaper (3) 2012 Audi TT RS With 360 HP Priced at $ 56850. Audi USA has announced pricing for the new ...
• 

  Modified Subaru Impreza STI Prodrive UK 2002 Pictures

  Modified Subaru Impreza STI Prodrive UK 2002 Pictures gallery (9 photos) more car pictures... CAR MAKE & MODEL Modified Subaru Impreza STI Prodrive UK 2002 ...
• 

  Full Data Specifications 2012 – Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  Data Specifications 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Debut at Chicago Auto Show Chevrolet Cam

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

Ford will release new supercar 2010 - 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 force 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.