Fast-Ford expert Graham Goode Racing has turned the Focus RS up to 368bhp. We take the front-wheel drive supercar for a spin.
Auto Express Car ReviewsText: Jack Rix / Photos: Otis ClayDecember 2009

This very special Focus RS is on a power trip! One thing the standard 300bhp RS has never lacked is performance, but that hasn’t stopped fast-Ford specialists, Graham Goode Racing, from turning up the heat on the blue oval’s flagship Focus hatch. We drove the lightly-warmed GGR RS340 back in September, but now it’s time to tackle it’s bigger brother, the white-hot 175mph GGR RS370FR...

Mechanical changes are far more comprehensive than the RS340’s simple ECU remap, although the building block is the same 2.5-litre turbocharged engine. A new carbon-fibre induction system, larger intercooler and bigger injectors all help stuff more fuel into the cylinders, while a large bore exhaust and a further ECU remap finish off the modifications. The result is a juicy 368bhp and 460Nm of torque and like the factory car, it’s all channelled through the front tyres.

In the interests of safety, Graham Goode Racing is also offering an optional AP Racing front brake package. For £2,294 you can replace the front stoppers with larger 362mm grooved discs, clamped by either black or high gloss red calipers.

Graham Goode is keen to emphasise that this is a fast road car (hence the ‘FR’ in the car’s title), not just a track-day special. And it certainly lives up to its name. There are no official 0-60mph times yet, although accleration off the line feels similar to the standard car, but once on the move, the in gear performance is gobsmacking. We hit 160mph on a closed test-track and the car was still pulling hard. Luckily the upgraded brakes wiped the speed off with ease - although we’d be hard pushed to recommend them unless you spend a lot of tiime on track.

In corners it has the same adjustability and poise as the stock RS, but more careful use of the throttle is called for to avoid spinning the front tyres and understeering off your intended line. Like on the GGR RS340 torque steer is unavoidable, but there’s far less than you’d expect from what’s essentially a front-wheel drive supercar. Our only disappointment though, is that the extra induction noise has hushed the standard model’s fantastic five-cylinder warble.



Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews ... z0bEvkzTCn

Along with the revised Galaxy MPV , Ford -officially- unveiled today the minivan's 'sportier' sibling, the facelifted 2010 S-MAX that will also make its public debut at the 2010 Brussels auto show next January. Being twin-models, the two people carriers share most upgrades including the introduction of Ford's new 2.0-liter EcoBoost STCi petrol engine and the new diesel lineup.



However, the S-MAX's makeover is a little more noticeable that that of the 2010 Galaxy. At the front, the new S-MAX gains a redesigned bonnet, bumper and upper and lower grilles, with the high series models now featuring distinctive LED daytime running lights.


Meanwhile, at the back, the seven-seater minivan gets a more dynamically profiled tailgate, a tweaked lower fascia, and reshaped LED tail lights.


Interior upgrades concern the new multifunctional overhead console, an available one-piece panorama roof equipped with power sun blinds, a new LED interior lighting system and revised upholstery colors, graphics and materials.


Like the Galaxy, the S-MAX will be offered with Ford's new 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine featuring direct injection that delivers 203 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 300 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 4,500 rpm.


The new powerplant is linked to Ford's dual clutch transmission that drives the front wheels. According to Ford, the S-MAX EcoBoost accelerates from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 8.5 seconds and has a top speed of 221 km/h or 137 mph.


Ford says that the new gasoline motor will produce 189g/km of CO2 with a combined fuel of 8.1lt/100km or 29.0mpg US / 34.8mpg UK.


At the same time, Ford's diesel offering for the new S-MAX have has been improved with the upgraded 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi engine family now complying with Stage V emission regulations. The diesel unit is available in three power levels with 115, 140 and 163 horsepower.


The 2010 S-MAX and Galaxy will go on sale across Europe early next year.

FORD RACING UNVEILS THE NEXT GENERATION OF RACING MUSTANG IN THE NEW BOSS 302R
By Staff Report
Published: December 30, 2009





DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. – Forty years after its namesake became a road racing legend, the BOSS is back on track for 2010 with a new 5.0-liter V-8 engine.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Parnelli Jones’ 1970 Trans-Am championship in a Mustang BOSS 302 prepared by Bud Moore Engineering, Ford Racing is introducing the BOSS 302R, a factory-built race car ready for track days and road racing in a number of Grand-Am, SCCA and NASA classes.

“To keep pace with consumer demand, the Ford team has built modern versions of the most iconic performance Mustangs over the years,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsports. “From Shelbys to Bullitt, Mach and Cobra Jet, it is now time for BOSS to join the list of America’s most coveted Mustangs. The original BOSS 302 was a championship-winning legend and the new Mustang BOSS 302R will carry on the tradition. The Mustang was born to race from the start, and this new Mustang is bred to win.”

The Mustang BOSS 302R is a serialized off-road-only vehicle ready to race. Each base model will come with a 5.0-liter four-valve engine and a six-speed manual transmission with a roll cage, race seats, safety harness, data acquisition and race dampers/springs, and a Brembo brake and tire package, starting at an MSRP of $79,000.

And, with a special Grand-Am Homologation Package (M-FR500-BOSS R1), it will also be ready to compete in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series (formerly known as KONI Challenge), starting with the season-opening race in Daytona on Jan. 29, 2010. As of today, five BOSS 302R race cars will be delivered to customers ready to race in Daytona. MSRP of the BOSS 302R1 is $129,000.

The Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge-ready Mustang BOSS 302R will feature a sealed high-output race engine with an upgraded cooling system, a close-ratio six-speed transmission with integral shifter, a seam-welded body, race suspension/KONI dampers and ABS brake tuning, race performance exhaust and a high-speed balance one-piece driveshaft.



The BOSS 302R follows in the very successful footsteps of its most recent road racing predecessor – the Mustang FR500C from Ford Racing. In 2005, when the Mustang FR500C debuted at Daytona, the first car was delivered on Wednesday of that week and won the KONI Challenge race on Friday.

In five years of competition since then, the Mustang FR500C has won three Triple Crown championships of driver, team and manufacturer’s titles in KONI competition including back-to-back (2008 and 2009). The FR500C has also seen success in FIA GT4 competition winning the 2007 and 2008 driver’s championships.

“We expect the BOSS 302R to continue the successful tradition of winning with factory-built production-based race cars from Ford Racing,” said Allison. “The FR500C and FR500S road racing Mustangs, and the Mustang FR500CJ (Cobra Jet) for drag racing have proven to be great cars for our customers, helping teams win races and championships. We believe that the BOSS 302R will provide that same sort of competitive product for our customers with the tradition you can only get from Ford Racing.”

Each Ford Racing factory-built production-based turnkey race car has won its competition debut.

“Racing has long served as a technical proving grounds for production engines,” said Allison. “What’s good enough for the streets is now good enough for the racetrack. The 5.0-liter block and architecture in the Mustang BOSS 302R is the same as the 2011 Mustang GT.”

“We have a great team on the BOSS 302R project,” said Andy Slankard, Ford Racing engineering supervisor and the lead engineer on the BOSS 302R project. “Between our partners at AutoAlliance International, where the Mustang is built, Team Mustang, Multimatic and the entire Ford Racing team, we have once again proven to be a leader in turnkey production-based race cars.”

Available through Ford dealers, a total of 50 BOSS 302R Mustangs will be built by Ford Racing. Delivery is anticipated in the third quarter of 2010.

For more information on Ford Racing Performance Parts, please visit www.fordracingparts.com.

Jamie LaReau
Automotive News -- December 29, 2009 - 4:16 pm ET

DETROIT -- Next year Ford Motor Co. will be the first automaker in North America to offer HD radio technology and the ability to tag songs on iTunes in the vehicle for later purchase, the company said today.

The technology initially will be available only on certain vehicles. Ford will announce which vehicles early next year.

HD technology captures free digital radio broadcasts, helping eliminate problems associated with traditional analog signals, such as static and fade-out. For a listener, it means CD-quality FM audio along with AM audio that resembles the quality of today's FM broadcasts.

HD radio digital technology also delivers extra FM channels and on-screen information such as the artist's name and the song's title.

If a listener likes a song, he or she can capture it on the HD radio receiver through Apple Computer's iTunes tagging and buy it later. To do so, the listener pushes the “tag” button on the radio display, and the song information is stored in the radio's memory.

Up to 100 songs can be stored on Sync, Ford's hands-free information technology, until an Apple iPod is connected to receive the download. Once the iPod is hooked up to iTunes, a playlist of “tagged” songs appears. The customer then can preview the list and buy the songs from the iTunes store.

You can reach Jamie LaReau at jlareau@crain.com.

Driving
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlR8hbpk ... r_embedded

Dyno test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwvLEx10 ... re=related

Ford Motor Co.: 3.5L Twin-Turbocharged DOHC V-6
By Drew Winter
WardsAuto.com
Special Report
Ward’s 10 Best Engines
Engines that combine direct injection with turbocharging are not new to the Ward’s 10 Best Engines list. Most recently, we’ve recognized the beautiful synergy of the two technologies on BMW AG’s 3.0L DOHC Twin-Turbo I-6 in the 1-Series, Mazda Motor Corp.’s DISI 2.3L turbocharged DOHC I-4 in the MazdaSpeed3 and others.
But Ford Motor Co.’s 3.5L twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 is a different take on the technology.It represents the cornerstone of a massive global engine downsizing strategy aimed at dramatically improving fleet fuel economy and reducing carbon-dioxide emissions.
Gasoline turbocharged direct-injection technology branded by Ford as “EcoBoost” eventually will encompass not just premium and performance vehicles, but popularly priced vehicles as well.
That includes fullsize pickups in the U.S. and 4-cyl. engines as small as 1.6L in Europe. Ford says EcoBoost will improve fuel economy up to 20% and reduce carbon-dioxide emissions as much as 15%.
As many as 1.3 million new Ford vehicles will be powered by EcoBoost technology annually by 2013, the auto maker says.
We laud Ford’s executives and engineers for launching such an ambitious plan, but that’s not what impressed jurors most about the 3.5L EcoBoost. It wasn’t even the V-6’s 365 hp or 104 hp/L specific output.
What ultimately convinced Ward’s jurors EcoBoost is the real deal is the stunning 350 lb.-ft. (475 Nm) of torque the V-6 produces at just 1,500 rpm. After starting there, it’s torque “curve” remains flat as a table top to 5,250 rpm.
That blew away some excellent V-8s vying for a spot on the list this year. The 4.6L V-8 in the Toyota Tundra has lots of low-end grunt and makes a healthy 327 lb.-ft. (443 Nm) of torque, but it doesn’t get maximum twist until 3,400 rpm.
Even the only V-8 that made our list this year, the 4.6L Tau in the Hyundai Genesis sedan, can’t match the EcoBoost with its 333 lb.-ft. (451 Nm) at 3,500 rpm. Ditto for the DI supercharged 3.0L V-6 in the Audi S4 Euro hotrod. It needs at least 2,900 rpm to reach maximum torque of 325 lb.-ft. (441 Nm).


Of course, that doesn’t mean judges spent all their time staring at torque charts. The EcoBoost did an admirable job motivating the big and beefy Taurus SHO, whose porky 4,368 lbs. (1981 kg) would challenge the strongest, biggest-displacement V-8.
And it delivered decent fuel economy considering it’s a high-performance engine in a beast of a car: 17/25 mpg (13.8-9.4 L/100 km). That’s exactly the same as the thrifty Tau V-8 in the Genesis sedan, which is more than 350 lbs. (159 kg) lighter.
If the SHO suffers any negative feedback in this area, we can only hope the body will tell the engine: “Look, it’s not you, it’s me.”
We’re convinced the Ford 3.5L EcoBoost is going to make the world a better place, in more ways than one.

Ford Motor Co.: 2.5L DOHC I-4 HEV
By Drew Winter
WardsAuto.com,
Special Report
Ward’s 10 Best Engines
The best way to ensure a return appearance on the Ward’s 10 Best Engines list is to substantially improve on what you did the previous year. Ford Motor Co. did that in spades with its hybrid system in the ’10 Fusion sedan.
A winner in 2009 when we tested it in the Escape Hybrid, the system in the Fusion Hybrid boasts mechanical, engineering and software upgrades. The result is smoother power transitions from gas to electric assist, the ability to drive faster in all-electric mode and even better fuel economy.

The Escape Hybrid impressed us last year with 34/31 mpg (6.9-7.5 L/100 km) city/highway, numbers we easily exceeded during testing.
The Fusion Hybrid offers an even better rating, 41/36 mpg (5.7-6.5 L/100 km). We also easily beat those in real-world driving.
“I reached 55.2 mpg (4.3 L/100 km) during a highway run,” brags Ward’s AutoWorld Executive Editor Tom Murphy.
Both vehicles use the same 2.5L DOHC I-4 operating on the Atkinson combustion cycle, but the Fusion makes 156 hp vs. 153 hp in the Escape. The torque peak of 136 lb.-ft. (184 Nm) arrives much earlier in the Fusion as well: 2,250 rpm compared with 4,500 rpm in the Escape.
Total system power goes up too: 191 hp instead of 177 hp in the Escape, even though the electric motor is smaller (275 volts vs. 330 volts).
Ford says the system upgrades allow the Fusion Hybrid to operate longer at higher speeds in electric mode, up to 47 mph (76 km/h). That’s about 7 mph (11 km/h) faster than the CUV. Editor Murphy managed 40 mph (64 km/h) in EV mode.
Judges also noted the interaction of internal-combustion and electric-power sources was even more seamless. That’s because the transaxle on the Escape still is a first-generation model with software and control-strategy improvements.


The new Fusion features the next-generation transaxle with a downsized traction motor and generator, plus the addition of a variable voltage controller that allows the electric motor output to hit 160% of rated power.
Credit also goes to Ford’s aggressive use of engine braking, instead of foundation brakes, to initially – and smoothly – slow the vehicle during deceleration.
This technical tweak, combined with the ability to stop the engine during deceleration and start it up again during acceleration so effortlessly the driver does not even notice, led to high marks in the noise, vibration and harshness department.
“Near flawless,” gushes Ward’s Dealer Business Editor Steve Finlay.
Because they are designed to be HEVs and not plug-in electrics, both the CUV and the sedan only can drive about 1 mile (1.6 km) under full electric power. But that’s plenty of time to deliver a unique and addictive driving experience, something we never, ever, thought we’d find in an HEV.

by Jonathon Ramsey

401-hp Ford Focus tuned Mcchip-dkr

There are few things we love more than hooning around in a vigorous, purebred sports car – and that's exactly how Mcchip-dkr describes its 401-horsepower Ford Focus RS. That's the Stage 2 version delivering the "whole-blood athlete," but if you want to work your way up to those heights, you can get the Stage 1 conversion for €799 ($1,142 USD). You'll take your hatch from 301 stock horsepower to 345 and bump torque by about 50 lb-ft to 383 with an ECU upgrade.

But if 401 is your lucky horsepower number and you like the sound of 457 lb-ft. of torque, then you'll need €4,499 ($6,421 U.S.). That pile of pounds will give you access to a new manifold, uprated intercooler, spark plugs, and a sports exhaust as well as the necessary ECU tweaks. Mcchip-dkr thankfully didn't do anything regrettable to the Focus RS' already terrific looks. What they've done with torque steer outside of the stock RS' trick Revoknuckle and limited-slip setup is anyone's guess.

Have a look at the press release after the jump, and there are more images of the car in the high-res gallery below.



Gallery: Mcchip-dkr Focus RS

[Source: Mcchip-dkr]


PRESS RELEASE

Focus RS with 401 HP – by Mcchip-dkr GmbH

December 2009 -- Quick as a bird and dressed with sportive elegance – these are the strengths of new Ford Focus RS. But in case of Mcchip-dkr still there is another characteristic to add: it is vigorous like a purebred sports car!

The well-known software tuner from Salzgitter/Germany has perfectly attuned the performance to the vehicle. The result is only uncompromising fun from driving but also full suitability for daily use. The engine, completely overhauled by Mcchip-dkr, reaches enormous 401 hp.

Certainly tuned by Mcchip-dkr Focus RS is an outstanding vehicle in any situation. Mcchip offers two power upratings at once. Power stage 1 transforms serial 305 hp (440 Nm) into comfortable 345 hp with no less than 520 Nm. Power stage 1 consists „only" in software optimization made by Mcchip-dkr, available for 799 Euro, and your car will easily reach the speed of 271 km/h.

However it is power stage 2 for 4,499 Euro that transforms Focus RS into a whole-blood athlete. Power stage 2 gives the car even 401 hp. That is enough to accelerate RS up to 278 km/h without any problems. In addition to that the torque equals to 612 Nm. That means powerful pulling and dynamic drive. The „big" power stage consists in the enhanced intercooler and sports exhaust system, modified inlet manifold incl. tubes, special sparking plugs as well as world famous and in-house engine electronics.

Self-confident and fast – that is the look of the recent creation by Mcchip-dkr, already available...

More information about the large Mcchip-dkr Improvement - program is available under: www.mcchip-dkr.com

by Jeremy Korzeniewski


There's seemingly no end to the lists and awards that can be dolled out to (sometimes questionably) deserving cars and trucks at the end of the year. Take, for instance, the Urban Automobile of the Year Award by On Wheels Media. This is the 14th year in a row the award has been passed out, and this year top billing goes to the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO.

Athletic, upscale, class-leading, confident, engaging and impressive are all words that seem befitting of an award winner, and you'll find all of them in the press release after the break describing the new SHO. But wait – there's more! We have a second Urban AOTY, this one on the green side of the coin. With the latest Toyota Prius and Honda Insight obvious choices for such an award, Ford is surely happy to see that its 2010 Fusion Hybrid – the most fuel efficient midsize sedan in America at 41 city, 36 highway – earned the trophy, giving the Blue Oval a total sweep of the ceremony.

So, what qualifies a vehicle to be an Urban Automobile of the Year, anyway? Glad you asked. According to Randi Payton, president and publisher of On Wheels Media, "The Urban Automobiles of the Year resonate with the majority of new car buyers who live in urban and suburban areas. The vehicles chosen are cost and fuel-efficient and have performance and safety characteristics relevant to consumers in metropolitan areas." So, there you have it.

Source: Ford]


PRESS RELEASE:

Ford Taurus SHO & Fusion Hybrid Named 2010 Urban Autos of the Year

The Ford Taurus SHO America's smartest full-size sedan has been named '2010 Urban Car of the Year' by On Wheels Media and an independent panel of 15 automotive journalists

The Ford Fusion Hybrid America's most fuel-efficient mid-size sedan has been named '2010 Urban Green Vehicle of the Year' by On Wheels Media, the fifth award for Fusion in recent months

The awards will be presented during the 14th Annual Urban Wheel Awards taking place in Detroit on January 12, 2010

The Ford Fusion Hybrid America's most fuel-efficient mid-size sedan has been named '2010 Urban Green Vehicle of the Year' by On Wheels Media, the fifth award for Fusion in recent months
The awards will be presented during the 14th Annual Urban Wheel Awards taking place in Detroit on January 12, 2010

Human touch is highly subjective and complex, making it difficult to replicate in a lab. So designers of vehicle interiors have historically relied on direct feedback from customers to determine which visual and tactile interior environments pleased most people. However, the results were unscientific and sometimes resulted in customers feeling unsatisfied and uninspired by their driving experience.


To energize dull, lifeless interiors, Ford Motor Company has developed a secret weapon: A robot known as RUTH – short for Robotized Unit for Tactility and Haptics. RUTH enables Ford engineers to refine various touch points around the vehicle’s interior to objectively meet a wide range of subjective customer preferences. Ford is the world’s first automaker to use a robot to scientifically test the feel and appearance of switches and surfaces.

Engineers at Ford’s European Research Center in Aachen, Germany used the robot in developing the interiors of the European models of the new Focus and Fiesta, versions of which are coming to the United States in 2010.

Weird science
RUTH brings a scientific, three-dimensional approach to touch. Friction, force, roughness, softness and temperature are among the parameters measured throughout the vehicle’s interior. The measurements taken are then compared and correlated to consumer feedback on what is perceived as having a high-quality appearance and feel. The output from this research is helping engineers generate measurements for the “Ford DNA” – a consistent signature look and feel – for different parts of the interior, such as the armrest or steering wheel.

The advantage RUTH has over a human is its higher perception resolution. For example, Ford engineers can take a consumer’s perception of soft or cool and then establish scientific measurements that meet those characteristics.

Unlike some automakers that test components or materials in a lab setting, apart from the actual vehicle application, RUTH assumes the role of the driver and can feel components inside three-dimensional spaces, such as a design prototype. RUTH mimics complex human movements, from pushing knobs to adjusting the air vents, just as the customer experiences it. Other systems have only linear or rotary measurements, which typically fall short when it comes to replicating customer operation.

Some examples of RUTH’s uses include:



•Measuring the resistance of pushing buttons and turning knobs to make sure they don’t feel too loose or have too much resistance. The robot also compares the different buttons and knobs to one another, to ensure they have a uniform feel.


•Determining softness, hardness and texture of surfaces like the dashboard to ensure they fall within limits consumers have shown they prefer.


•Taking the temperature of components so materials match expectations. For instance, a metallic-colored knob should feel cool, while a wooden trim piece should feel warm in order to be perceived as high quality.


•Measuring the spaces between pieces to minimize gaps for a tight look throughout.



Ford modified the robot – typically a model used to package consumer products in manufacturing plants – for its specific scientific purposes. Besides the new Fiesta and Focus, Ford engineers have used RUTH to refine the interiors of Ford of Europe’s Mondeo, Galaxy, S-MAX and C-MAX. It’s been in use for about four years, with its work is now being reflected in Ford production models around the world.

Quotes
“Instead of telling our suppliers we want a certain surface soft, we can give them the data curve for a particular softness requirement based on RUTH’s calculations. This means a characteristic like soft is no longer a subjective input. We can provide our suppliers with objective data so that the final product is so precise that we practically eliminate the need for numerous iterations to get what we want.”
– Mark Spingler, Vehicle Interior Technologies Engineer for Ford of Europe

“All of these little measurements add up to a much greater sense of quality from the moment you sit down inside a Ford. We’re leading the way in measuring touch so that high quality interiors can be delivered in affordable cars, not just expensive luxury models. We’re able to convey in numbers exactly how something needs to feel and build exactly to those specifications. It takes the guesswork out and replaces it with science.”

Ford Motor Company is the only automaker to use the same type of motion-capture software in its virtual engineering labs as Hollywood employs to create such motion pictures as “Avatar,” “Lord of the Rings,” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and “Polar Express”
•Ford uses motion-capture software for a variety of automotive applications including the study of human movement for better ergonomics, immersive virtual driving experiences, and virtual manufacturing
•The technology is the latest innovation at Ford to help engineers optimize vehicle design, comfort and ergonomics. The work from this technology is being applied to future products
VIDEO: Human Occupant Package Simulator (HOPS)

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 24, 2009 – Leaping into the world of virtual engineering, Ford Motor Company now employs the same type of motion-capture technology used to create films like “Avatar,” “Lord of the Rings” and “Shrek” to design vehicles that are more comfortable and enjoyable to drive.

Motion-capture, a technology that digitally captures movement, is used by Hollywood computer animators and video game designers to make nonhuman characters appear more lifelike. Ford uses the technology to create realistic digital humans that engineers use to test vehicles in the virtual world. Ford is the only automaker to use motion-capture software in this way for vehicle design.

“Just like in the movies, we hook people up with sensors to understand exactly how they move when they are interacting with their vehicles,” said Gary Strumolo, manager, Ford research and engineering. “Once we have all that motion captured, we create virtual humans that we can use to run thousands of tests that help us understand how people of all sizes and shapes interact with all kinds of vehicle designs. It’s an incredibly efficient way of engineering tomorrow’s vehicles.”

Capturing motion in movies and cars
One of the newest ways Ford is using motion-capture technology is through a system called Human Occupant Package Simulator (HOPS), which combines motion-capture software with a special test vehicle to measure and evaluate body motion.

A human test subject is outfitted with up to 50 motion-capture sensors. The test subject performs a series of movements, such as swinging a leg outside of the vehicle or reaching for the seat belt. The markers record trajectories of the test subject’s movements. The recordings are then loaded into a database to create digital human models.

Ford engineers use the digital human models to evaluate movement using different virtual vehicle design proposals from a small car to a full-size pickup truck. The system also can be reconfigured to represent the driver and the front, second or even third-row passenger compartments.

The HOPS motion-capture technology allows engineers to apply a more scientific approach to understanding how people interact with vehicles.

“Comfort or discomfort is inherently a subjective measure,” said Nanxin Wang, Ford technical leader. “For a given vehicle, some people will say it’s comfortable to get in, while others may say just the opposite. The challenge is to find out why people feel that way and how we can change the design to improve the perception.

“Before HOPS, the only way to evaluate a given design was to have people get into a vehicle and tell us how they liked it,” Wang continued. “This took lots of time and guesswork. Now we can couple this subjective appraisal with objective measurements of their arms, legs and head movements, along with muscular efforts to quantify movement mathematically. Our design teams use the data as a guide for developing a variety of vehicle platforms that provide optimal comfort, regardless of a person’s size or shape.”

Creating a holistic experience
Ford also is applying motion-capture animation software to improve real-life driving situations before the first prototype is even built. In Ford’s Immersive Virtual Evaluation (iVE) lab, engineers create virtual vehicles complete with exterior views with buildings, intersections and pedestrians.

“This technology enables us to evaluate many vehicle exterior and interior alternatives in a virtual environment from any location – in the driver’s seat or hundreds of feet away from the vehicle – with animated characters and vehicles,” said Elizabeth Baron, a technical specialist in Virtual Reality and Advanced Visualization at Ford.

Two specialized tools used in the iVE lab are the Cave Automated Virtual Environment (CAVE) and the Programmable Vehicle Model (PVM).

“The CAVE is a room where images are projected in stereo onto three walls and the ceiling to generate real-time, virtual vehicle interiors and exteriors at actual scale,” explained Baron. “When you look around, you can see virtually everything inside and outside of a vehicle that is still only a design in a computer.”

The PVM, an adjustable physical device that can be scaled to the actual dimensions of a car or truck, provides an even greater realistic experience by adding the element of touch.

“We set up key dimensions – steering wheel, gas, brake, center stack, etc. – and then we put the virtual world around that physical model,” said Baron. “Instead of being in a room, you’re actually sitting in a representation of the vehicle. You can touch and feel most everything, but what you’re looking at is digital.”

Both virtual design tools help Ford improve the design aesthetics, engineering and ergonomics of its cars and trucks. They also enable the company to bring products to market faster and more cost effectively

2010 Ford Taurus
.•The new 2010 Ford Taurus has earned the U.S. government’s top five-star ratings for driver and passenger in front and side crash tests
•The new Taurus has an advanced crash safety structure, a standard suite of advanced restraint and air bag technologies, and previously earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s “Top Safety Pick” – adding to Ford’s industry-leading number of top crash safety-rated vehicles
•Taurus advanced collision avoidance technologies, including radar-enabled advanced collision warning system and Cross Traffic Alert that warns drivers of hard-to-see parking lot traffic, are well received by consumers

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 24, 2009 – The strong-selling new 2010 Ford Taurus has earned top five-star crash ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and is seeing good consumer response to its suite of advanced crash-avoidance technologies.

The redesigned Ford flagship sedan previously earned a “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Ford Motor Company has more IIHS “Top Safety Picks” and NHTSA five-star ratings than any other automaker.

“The new Taurus is the Ford safety flagship with top safety ratings and advanced crash-protection and crash-avoidance technologies that you may not find in luxury vehicles that cost twice as much,” said Sue Cischke, group vice president for Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “A stiffer body structure and new crash-avoidance technologies make the Taurus even safer.”

Safety sells
The new Taurus features crash-avoidance technologies, such as a segment-first, radar-based forward collision warning system that helps drivers avoid accidents. The system, enabled by Adaptive Cruise Control, uses a radar sensor to detect moving vehicles ahead and provides a visual “heads-up” warning signal and an audible warning when slower-moving traffic is detected ahead.

One in three purchasers of the Taurus Limited AWD opts for Adaptive Cruise Control with the Collision Warning with Brake Support system, as do nearly half of Taurus SHO buyers.

The new Taurus is selling faster than its key competitors in the full-size segment – Toyota Avalon, Chevrolet Impala, Buick LaCrosse and Chrysler 300 – recording double-digit percentage, year-over-year growth, said Taurus Marketing Manager Pei-Wen Hsu.

“What’s remarkable is that more than 90 percent of Taurus customers are ordering the higher-end series or additional technologies such as the fuel-efficient EcoBoost™ engine and Ford’s advanced safety features,” said Hsu. “The car is attracting younger, more diverse and affluent customers than it has in the past.”

Safety leadership grows
The new 2010 Taurus earned the five-star and “Top Safety Pick” ratings based in part on advanced features such as the Personal Safety System™ – a suite of protection technologies, including dual-stage front air bags and front-passenger weight classification, which work together to help protect occupants in moderate to severe crashes. The Ford-exclusive Safety Canopy® features side curtain air bags that help protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollover and side-impact crashes.

The new Taurus also features some of the industry’s first side air bags that use pressure pulses from a side impact to deploy up to 30 percent faster than traditional air bags with acceleration-based sensors. Pressure-based sensors more accurately measure crash severity to better differentiate between a potentially serious air bag-deployable crash and a less serious accident that would not require air bag protection.

Other key safety features include:
•Side Protection and Cabin Enhancement (SPACE®) Architecture is comprised of a hydroformed cross-car beam embedded in the floor between the door frames, providing additional strength in the side of the vehicle.
•Trinity Front Crash Architecture is a new body structure optimized for strength and stiffness. The energy-absorbing structure features octagonal front frame rails, engine cradle/front subframe and “shotgun” front structural members designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment.
•AdvanceTrac® with ESC (Electronic Stability Control) constantly monitors road conditions and the driver’s responses, using sensors to detect and measure the vehicle’s oversteer and yaw to help detect and prevent potentially dangerous conditions.

More driver-aid and safety technologies
The new Taurus features other segment-exclusive safety and driver-aid technologies such as MyKey™, which helps parents encourage their teens to drive safer with top speed and audio limits, as well as a “no belts, no tunes” feature that mutes the audio system if front seat belts are not buckled.

Taurus also helps lessen common stresses with a Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) that uses two multiple-beam radar modules to detect and help warn drivers of an approaching vehicle entering the defined blind spot zone. Cross Traffic Alert uses the BLIS radar modules to sense oncoming traffic when slowly backing out of a parking spot.

“We want to help drivers avoid crashes while giving them enhanced protection if a crash does occur,” said Steve Kozak, chief engineer, Ford Safety Systems.

12/25/2009, By Andrew Ganz
Ford says that its first ever North American application of the three blink turn signal technology – where a light tap of the lever in either direction blinks the lights three times before self-canceling for quick lane changes – will debut on its all-new Fiesta in 2010.

Ford is hardly the first automaker to offer the technology; first introduced by the Germans about a decade ago as an autobahn tool, the feature has found its way into most of Europe’s offerings, as well as a good number from Japan and Detroit. Ford is one of the last major automakers to offer the convenience feature.

The automaker says it introduced the system in response to a list of the “Top 10 Driving Pet Peeves” compiled by Hagerty Insurance. The survey nicknamed those who leave their turn signals on for an extended period as “Morse Coders.”

The system will also show up on Ford’s upcoming 2011 Super Duty and we’d expect it to arrive on pretty much every new Ford from here on out.

Ford Taurus earns five-star crash ratings

Posted By Mark Kleis On December 25 @ 4:22 am



Although the all-new Ford Taurus has been on the market since August 2009, the Taurus had not yet received federal crash test ratings – until now. The 2010 Taurus has officially received five-star ratings for driver and passenger in front and side crash tests.


Although the Taurus has just now received official crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it already wore the title of “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

“The new Taurus is the Ford safety flagship with top safety ratings and advanced crash-protection and crash-avoidance technologies that you may not find in luxury vehicles that cost twice as much,” said Sue Cischke, group vice president for Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “A stiffer body structure and new crash-avoidance technologies make the Taurus even safer.”


Although the Taurus is engineered to handle an impact well while keeping its passengers safe, it also features crash-avoidance technologies, such as a segment-first, radar-based forward collision warning system that helps drivers avoid accidents by warning them of impending collisions. The system, enabled by Adaptive Cruise Control, uses a radar sensor to detect moving vehicles ahead and provides a visual “heads-up” warning signal as well as an audible warning when slower-moving traffic is detected ahead.

Ford says that it currently holds more “Top Safety Picks” and five-star crash rated vehicles than any other automaker.

12/25/2009, 12:00 PMBy Mark Elias


The Canadian fall and winter can be brutal when the roads are slick and you’ve got a lot of power to put down to the tarmac – so it’s a good thing Ford equipped the Taurus ess-aych-oh with all-wheel-drive. A brief jaunt into Ontario from Michigan up King’s Highway 402 proved that the SHO is back – just don’t pronounce it phonetically, as lame fanboys are wont to do.

After a few forgettable years with a poseur Taurus (nee Ford Five Hundred), The company brass felt ten years was a long enough wait to revive a legend in the Ford Taurus SHO.

The Taurus SHO was one of the first four-door sports sedans built in America. Starting as a mid-size model in 1989 and continuing until 1999, if started off with a Yamaha-designed, OMC-built V6 with a manual transmission, eventually winding up in 1999 as a V8 with Yamaha heads on a Cosworth block mated to an automatic tranny. After skipping a couple of generations, it re-entered the fray, returning this year as a 2010 full-sized luxury-level sedan.

But by this time, the Taurus SHO has some competition, both foreign and domestic.

As we discussed at the launch of the Taurus SHO about six months ago, rivals include Acura’s TL, Cadillac’s CTS, Chrysler’s 300C and Lexus’ GS350 all the way up to BMW’s turbocharged 535i.

To compete, Ford upped the Taurus Ante. Gone is the rental fleet darling, and in its place is a high-value full-size sedan chock full of amenities.

Playing the part
Looking like a large five-seater family sedan with a positive, or forward lean, the Taurus epitomizes the phrase “sleeper.” So subtle, in fact, the only way you could tell it was the SHO model, is by the two-toned grille, and the SHO badge on the right rear. Otherwise, expect that the spoiler and split-spoke wheels might begin showing up as dealer-installed options on a regular Taurus before long.

The Taurus is a big sedan, but it wears its proportions reasonably well. At its core, it’s a three-box design with some glitz added around to jazz things up around the greenhouse.

Unlike the Fusion, Taurus wears Ford’s new kinetic design language – expect to see more of this in the future.


Inside and out, the Taurus doesn’t scream luxury by any stretch, but the SHO still offers one of the better-designed interiors in a Ford in many years. A personal “pod” built up around the driver keeps all pertinent buttons and switchgear close at hand. When looking at the dashboard overall, with the two “brushed aluminum” eyebrows, one pictures the dashboards found in large Thunderbirds from the mid 1960s. That this retro vibe that carries over to the contemporary confines of this cockpit is a case of looking back to move forward.

We likethe ability to quickly sync a Bluetooth equipped smart phone simply by pushing the setup button and then issuing voice commands, and we appreciate the almost Korean-like level of equipment not typically found in this price range. Heated and cooled front seats, a kicking Sony-branded audio system and more – luxury brands don’t typically include this much spec with this much grunt (more on that in a minute) for another $15,000.

And probably for the first time in any Ford, this Taurus SHO’s optional multi-contoured seats feature… get this: A butt massager. Occupants of the driver’s seat bottom will be delighted, and in some cases thrilled, when they discover their chair has rollers in it to keep the blood flowing in the glutes during long cross country ventures.

Still, this interior isn’t as upscale as the Taurus SHO’s intentions would make it seem. Roomy and comfortable, absolutely. World-beating, probably not.

A seven-letter mantra
Repeat after me: Ecoboost. The twin turbo-equipped V6 has found its way into the Flex and Lincoln’s MKT, but here is where it really shines. Add to that the Haldex all-wheel-drive system from Sweden and you’ll think you are driving a safety-enhanced Volvo. No, not really, but the system adds a fair amount of stability when encountering less than ideal conditions on the tarmac.

As for powerplants, this Ecoboost 3.5 liter direct injection V6 engine is brilliant. Producing 365 horsepower at 5,500 rpm, and 350 lb-ft. of torque, the V6 can propel this 4,400-pound beast at high speed in an amazing manner. That it has 12-pounds of weight for every single horsepower equivalent is nice to note, as well. So good, in fact, we think the idea of an SHO Fusion is one that should be seriously considered. Perhaps it’s time to ready the SVT offices for occupancy again.

Our test Taurus SHO came equipped with the optional SHO Performance Package option box ticked, and as a result scored us with 20-inch P245/45 Y-rated summer performance tires and nickel-aluminum wheels. In addition to beefier brakes, and a sport tuned electronic steering system, the transmission is equipped with a 3.16:1 final drive ratio.

We thought the Ecoboost V6 was torquey the first time around. Today, we still think it’s only rock and roll, but we like it! That and the audio cone under hood that funnels the fun decibels back to the cockpit for soome grat automotive aural excitement. The handling is once again sporting without being racecar harsh, making this a very livable, high performance boulevardier.

The six-speed transmission offered us a chance to exercise our thumbs by way of the paddle “chiclets” on the steering wheel. They work well enough; we just think they should be of the flatter, larger, more controllable paddle-style of shifter.

The ride over the pock-marked highway leading to Canada was smoother than we thought possible considering the conditions of the road. The strut tower brace linking the MacPherson struts get most of the credit here, coupled with the reverse lower control arms. A rear-mounted multi-link suspension handles things out back and maintains the rear tire adhesion with the pavement. Overall, the ride was such that we just wanted to push the SHO harder through the nicely swept turns in lower Ontario than most people would ever be capable of doing in other vehicles.

Leftlane’s bottom line
Better than the sum of all the juicy bits that come as part of the Taurus SHO is the public observations and remarks of everyone from the drive-thru attendant at Tim Horton’s Donuts, to the Immigration Officer at the U.S./Canadian border in Sarnia. The positive reactions were universal.

While the Taurus SHO is a damn good car judged on its own, it walks a fine line between performance and luxury, merely dabbling in both sides. Channel some of the lessons learned in developing the Taurus into a more trim, budget-friendly EcoBoost V6 Fusion SHO - it just rolls off the tongue – and we’ll be first in line with cash in hand.



Words and photos by Mark Elias.