Unhappy with the current state of affairs with diesel engine supplier Navistar, Ford has instead taken matters into their own hands producing a diesel V8 codenamed ‘Scorpion”.

This turbocharged 6.7 liter  diesel burning V8 engine  has been meticulously deigned in-house by Ford to include just about every modern feature you can think of. Hell, they even put it through tests equivalent of being driven 250,000 miles. We’ll apparently be seeing this appear in Ford’s 2011 Super Duty vehicles.

Ford released a lot of information regarding this new engine, way too much for me to list here, but I’ve included the official press release after the break so you can read all about it.

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Everyone fantasizes about driving a certain truck at some point of their life and I have a feeling that future trucks will be even cooler to drive. Check out the Scania Concept truck to see what I mean. First of all the design will make you fall in love wit it. Then you will probably have an eco-friendly engine under the hood. Does diesel-electric hybrid sound good for a truck engine? The cockpit will feature some of the most advanced features available to ensure both the safety of the driver and cargo and the safety of everyone else using the same roads you do. Last but not least, those wheels have light indicators that will tell you and the cops how many hours you have been driving for and if you’re respecting the legal limit or not.

via Yanko Design

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It seems that a man by the name of Simon Lewington from Leicesterhire decided to attach a sled to the back of his truck and give his 6-year-old son the ride of his life.

Well that’s all fine and dandy but the man decided to take a route straight through city streets and even passed a police station while doing it. The act wasn’t all bad as he did put a helmet and goggles on the 6-year-old and claims to have never went above 8 mph.

The consequence? Well, after Lewington was caught he was slapped with a suspension of his license for 1 year along with 180 hours of community service. Remember dads, if you’re going to tow your kid on a sled using your truck, do it on PRIVATE property.

Read (BBC)

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It seems that the U.S. Postal Service aren’t the only ones hopping on the green delivery boat as it was recently made known that the University of Alberta has purchased 4 hybrid delivery trucks like the one above.

The hybrid vehicles are based on the Ford E450 and created by Azure Dynamics. Each truck features an electric motor mounted on the drive shaft, electric only drive for low speed, and regenerative braking capabilities. Of course, it will still have the less environment friendly 5.4 liter V8 found in normal Ford E450s.

Press release, thanks to AutoBlogGreen, after the break. (more…)

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Ford F-150

There is plenty of pick-up in this 2009 Ford F-150 pickup. When it comes time to work, the Ford just soldiers on to get the job done in elegant fashion. If you need to tow anything, this workhorse feels steady as a rock and you’ll almost forget you are towing even during any descending and curved portions of the road. The F-150 has ideal steering response and little body roll.

Our F-150 is also a good daily driver, due to its quiet and comfortable cabin and capable braking . Ford has stretched the crew cab body (SuperCrew in Ford-speak) 6 inches, which allows for limolike room for rear passengers along with increased in-cab cargo transporting ability. The 2009 Ford F-150 is a great option for anyone who wants a truck that furnishes plenty of towing and hauling capacity.

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What’s the use of turning our cars into eco-friendly fuel-saving machines if we can’t do that with our trucks, trains and airplanes? Today we’re looking at a truck which uses a diesel/electric hybrid setup and a converting sleeper cab.

The Atropos truck uses a steam generator to harvest thermal energy from the cooling system. The thermal energy is being used by a combustion turbine which is coupled with the electrical generator. The generator will charge the battery reservoir and that will power your engine. The steam generator will also get you more cooling and it will reduce the size of engine ventilation and overall body drag.

The sleeper cab is also quite innovative. It will get you a better visibility while driving and it will conveniently rotate to offer you a better sleeping position. When it rotates, the pedals will be hidden away which means you won’t push them by mistake, whatever you will be dreaming. Fold down the seats and enjoy a comfortable foam mattress. There’s also a storage compartment for personal stuff and a mini dresser.

Here’s what the designer, Peter Azzouni says about the truck:

Aerodynamic Converting Hybrid Semi. The hybrid truck utilizes its aerodynamics by eliminating the sleeper cab and rounding the body. Long haul truck drivers are the target market. The driving cab rotates to accommodate the driver for sleep and exposes a storage compartment for clothes and possessions. The wheelbase adjusts to provide optimum aerodynamics and ride comfort, while allowing parking to become an easier task. The rear portion of the cab is curved to form the radius of the trailer to allow for turns and additional aerodynamics. The top portion of the cab has an adjustable airfoil to allow air over the top of the trailer, thus reducing even more drag. In the cab the driver experiences a sense of openness and optimal vision, but when he or she needs privacy the Ionized windows will tint or even black out for sleep.

Will we see one of these Atropos trucks out on the streets soon?

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Ford Flex 2009

The 2009 Ford Flex is a great alternative for families who want minivan features without the clunky, retro minivan styling. The Flex is an affordable mid-size SUV (MSRP runs between $28,300 and $36.600) that looks like no other SUV on the market. Inspired by the long defunct Ford Fairlane, the Ford Flex is the largest crossover vehicle yet, with lots of headroom and seating capacity for up to seven adults. Kind of sporty but boxy in an offbeat way that is likely to appeal to younger families, the 2009 Ford Flex is already winning praise from media reviewers such as Road and Travel, Automobile Magazine, and Wheels Media, which named the Flex the Urban Truck of the Year. 

The Ford Flex gets 17 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway, better than you might expect for a crossover vehicle of its size and weight. With a top safety rating, plenty of cup holders, and a new cap-less fuel filler system, the Ford Flex looks likely to inspire plenty of copycats in 2010.

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We aren’t the ones to declare the Hummer H3T the Pickup Truck of the Year, but Four Wheeler is. The magazine chose the H3T Alpha the Pickup Truck of the year. And it had some exquisite competition: the Dodge Ram, the Ford F-150 and the Suzuki Equator. And the Hummer won.

The trucks went through about 1,000 miles of different terrain. After all they should all be capable of overcoming all sorts of obstacles right? Here’s what Four Wheeler said about the H3T:

Not only was the HUMMER highly competent and the staff favorite on the trail, it also has the added pluses of on-road comfort, distinctive looks and a usable pickup bed.

Surprised to see it win? So are we!

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Ford’s F150 truck was delayed this summer in order fo dealers to sell the remainder of the 2008 inventory. The truck was originally set to officially arrive in October and then pushed back to December. We’re in October now and it seems like Ford wants to launch the F150 earlier. We’re expecting a November launch after all.

Ford’s Jim Farley said the move is caused by two main events. On one hand it looks like Ford dealers have cleared the old and are waiting for the new and on the other hand, Dodge has launched its 2009 Ram. Well I am not sure about the cleared stock thing but since Dodge has launched their truck, Ford can’t fall behind. Good job Dodge on bringing the Ford F150 out of its cage earlier.

Expectations for the new F150 seem appropriately timid. Current market conditions, including the relatively high price of fuel and the difficulty in securing credit, mean the the days of Ford selling a million tucks a year are over. Still, there is a large market left of users who depend on their trucks for work, and Ford’s targeting them. We’ll see how it goes beginning next month.

via Autoblog

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While the concept pickup truck from VW hasn’t been actually released yet, pictures with it have surfaced across the Internet. The Robust, that’s the name of the one-ton truck was supposed to be reveiled at the
62nd IAA Commercial Vehicles Show. The truck will be destined for South American markets and other emerging markets with Europeans and North Americans being cut out of the whole Robust deal.

Official production is expected to start in Pacheco, Argentina in 2009 and the Robust is quite a car. It’s a double cab truck with SAR badges, a functional light bar and all the life-saving tools you might need for, well, life-saving. Both gas and diesel versions will be available, depending on your wallet size.

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Have you decided on your next half-ton pickup truck? It’s just happens that Ford has announced prices for its 2009 F-150.

Pricing starts at $21,320 for a two-wheel-drive XL Regular Cab while the most expensive F-150 Platinum will retail for $44,860. The base price is just $500 more than the previous version but there are more features included.

If money is no object to you, then you should know that F-150 has the highest available towing capacity and the highest payload capacity. Not to bad right? Or you don’t really care about those details either? OK, then here are all the versions and corresponding prices. Make up your own mind!

2009 FORD F-150

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There’s nothing wrong with driving an old car. How old? Well the truck spotted on this street is a 1932 Alameda DOTS Champion. Not to bad considering we tend to change our cars every couple of years or so.

I’d be curios to see how much gas does this car consume when you start the engine? How about safety while driving? Any music player or GPS?

How much would you pay to drive this 1932 Model B Ford truck?

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A GMC truck in UPS service since 1987 has just turned 1 million miles. The odometer of one Bret Boyd has turned up to zero. That’s quite a performance for a service truck which has been around working full time for about 22 years.

The UPS truck is currently being used in Texas. During its lifetime it has gone through at least three engines and at least three paint jobs. Bret Boyd, its driver, has never been involved in any accidents with the GMC and he refused to replace it when he could have chosen a newer model.

Congratulations to Mr. Boyd and to GMC. I have a suggestion for him, if he still wants to keep the car, he should consider getting an engine that won’t eat as much gas.

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