Ford launched its new 2011 Super Duty this spring, and if you are not impressed by this redesign of diesel as well as gas engine please step away from this post, if you’re in…. read on!For the first time Ford designed an engine from an in house perspective, and didn’t rely on the other guy to make an engine that would last until the end of time!  This engine was stripped from top to bottom, and made to go through some serious conditions that only some of us (Canadians) can appreciate.

We’re talking about tests that truly test the metal that this engine will go through from a consumer’s perspective.  It wasn’t tested in the California desert in ideal conditions, it was tested in conditions that we really go through day to day.

If you were to try to start your car or truck in -40 degree weather without having plugged it in over night, you may be in trouble.  Consider this… the new 2011 Super Duty engine was run through real life simulation, and has passed with flying colors.

First of all, it was run through 1200 hours of FULL THRODEL testing to see if it could handle the stress- “Bring it on” it said!

Secondly, the new turbo chargers were shocked by ice cold water over and over to see if the engine would seize- Again, it said “yaawwnn”.

It was also run for 250,000 MILES of simulation in a temperature difference ranging from 130 degrees Fahrenheit to -40 degrees Fahrenheit without hesitation.

Granted, our weather conditions will never get that extreme but it has shown that it will stand the test.  If you consider that a truck will run for well over 500,000KM in its lifetime, why wouldn’t you want this in your arsenal of weapons as a Crew Chief?  Or for that matter, in your driveway to tow that camper you have to Jasper and back on your summer vacation?

The new 2011 Super Duty has passed some of the most gruelling tests ever run on an engine.  And if for whatever reason you haven’t seen this truck yet, it has seriously brought sexy back into the truck world!

Come on own to Capital Ford Lincoln, and we would be happy to show you why Ford has led the truck industry for over 30 years!

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Ford’s backing it with incredible numbers, unbeatable fuel economy and a power train that built all by Ford. If you want some more information about SuperDuty just ask in the comments and we’ll wrangle up absolutely anything you’d like to know within a few hours. Like what you’re reading so far? Read on!

In Saskatchewan there’s some obvious candidates for this type of truck and it’s epic. If you’re a farmer and would like to know more about the towing or you work in the oil patch and want to know how well it will hold together as you dodge through ditches and down washed out roads the video below will be a good start for some info. The best way to get what you want is to ask for it in the comments and we’ll be happy to do all the digging for you, that’s what we’re here for.

There’s a bunch of these SuperDuty “webisodes” available and we’ll be bringing them to you over the next few months but please let us know what you’re interested in so we can make sure we get the right ones to you!

What a mean looking front end!

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This annoying habit is so frustrating to drivers that it made the “Top 10 Driving Pet Peeves” list by a leading vehicle insurance company, which surveyed thousands of drivers nationwide. Nicknamed Morse Coders in the survey, these drivers often cruise for miles without realizing their blinker is on. Meanwhile, they are annoying everyone behind them. Are you ready for the list?

Most annoying driving habits:

1. Distracted drivers talking on cell phones (28.5 percent)
2. Slow drivers in the fast lane (21.6 percent)
3. Pushy drivers who tailgate (18.1 percent)
4. Drivers who weave through traffic to gain one or two car lengths (12.5 percent)
5. Obnoxious drivers who speed up to keep you from changing lanes (5.5 percent)
6. Hasty drivers who change lanes without signaling (4.9 percent)
7. Road Rage (2.7 percent)
8. Motorcyclists who race down the middle of a lane, between cars (2.1 percent)
9. Women applying makeup and men shaving (1.7 percent)
10. Drivers who leave their turn signal on for miles (0.92 percent)

Source: Hagerty Insurance

Capital Ford, Saskatchewan’s Ford Dealer wants to hear from you! Drivers in our province must be perturbed by similar pet peeves. Do you have one that didn’t make Hagerty’s list? Let us know in the comments below!

Coming this summer on the 2011 Ford Fiesta

Ford’s three-blink lane change technology is simplifying the way drivers maneuver on the road. With a simple flick of the switch – either up or down, depending on which lane the driver is moving into – the turn indicator will blink three times and automatically shut off. The switch can be held in the lane change position longer for additional blinks beyond the three minimum.

To engage the turn signal, drivers move the switch into the standard position, one more press past the lane change mode.

For motorists who drive behind the “Morse Coders”, this is welcome news: “Driving behind a car that’s blink, blink, blinking is enough of a driver annoyance that we’re putting the technology in our full Ford line going forward,” said Murphy. “Customers say this is confusing – and it bugs them. So we’re doing something about it.”

Going on sale in the summer of 2010, the all-new Ford Fiesta is among the first vehicles in the Ford lineup to receive the new three-blink technology. The “annoyance avoidance” feature is yet another technology going into the expressive, fun-to-drive Fiesta that makes perfect sense.

With a projected best-in-class highway fuel economy of over 50mpg, Fiesta is designed to be versatile, personal and adaptable. In fact, Fiesta is expected to deliver best-in-class safety, convenience and connectivity with segment-exclusive SYNC® voice-activated communications system, an expressive color palette and available graphics.

The 2011 Ford Super Duty is also set to receive the three-blink turn signal technology when it goes on sale in 2010.

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All-new diesel and gasoline engines are key reasons why the 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty maintains best-in-class towing and payload and adds enhanced off-road capability. Managing the increased horsepower and torque is the all-new 6R140 heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed transmission, which delivers power quickly and seamlessly while maximizing fuel economy.

Creating a transmission to serve both diesel and gasoline engines in a Super Duty application is a challenging proposition because the gearbox needs to deliver the substantial low-rpm torque produced by the diesel engine and efficiently use the higher rotational speeds of the gasoline engine. The solution was to use a proven architecture, but adapt it for heavy-duty use.

Lepelletier powerflow: New application of tried-and-true system
Ford’s 6R140 TorqShift transmission uses a Lepelletier-style powerflow, which is a proven technology in rear-wheel-drive vehicles but not typically used with larger diesel engines. A key benefit of the Lepelletier architecture is that it reduces the complexity in connecting the gearsets and clutches. The six speeds require only five clutches, and the speeds of the clutches relative to one another are low, increasing the efficiency of the system.

To handle the torque of the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel, Ford strengthened the system by employing a unique powder-metal carrier in the compound Ravigneaux planetary gearset. The carrier consists of four pressed powder-metal components sinter-brazed together to form a rigid, power-dense structure. This solution ensures robustness and makes the architecture compatible with both the diesel and gasoline engines. A Ford-patented rocker one-way clutch is integrated with the carrier and helps improve 1-2 shift quality through the gearset.

A deep first gear ratio and two overdrive gears create a wider ratio span. This, combined with available lower axle gear ratios and a control system that automatically selects the most efficient shift schedule, provides an outstanding combination of pulling power and fuel economy.

Six-speed gearbox offers best of automatic, manual transmissions
The 6R140’s heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed transmission balances convenience and control by automatically shifting during routine operation and also allowing complete manual control. It features SelectShift Automatic transmission functionality, which includes both Progressive Range Select and manual functions.

With Progressive Range Select, a toggle on the shift lever allows the customer to reduce the range of available gears while in Drive. When the customer “taps” down into Range Select mode, the display shows the available gears and highlights the current gear state. This feature allows the driver to limit use of upper gears when heavily loaded or while towing on grades.

For full manual function, customers also can pull the shift lever into “M” for manual mode and use the same toggle switch to select the gear desired. The display will show the selected gear, and the control system will lock the torque converter and hold that gear for a full manual transmission feel.

Looking for more? Learn more about Ford’s TorqShift technology. This link will allow you to download a tech spec PDF.

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Super Duty customers rely on their trucks. Whether its on the farm or the construction site the Super Duty is a real work horse. In Regina, at Capital Ford it’s always been the case with our Super Duty customers to go through all the details. The majority of Super customers have lots of technical questions and expect a great deal of information which we’re always ready and eager to provide. Recently we had a customer comment about wanting to “meet the man who engineered this thing” so we thought we’d do our best to introduce him.

Like the new 2011 F-Series Super Duty, Chris Brewer is the right choice as the vehicle’s chief engineer. His background includes degrees in engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and business from The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), plus he’s a native of Texas – the epicenter of tough trucks.

“Yeah, yeah, I sound like a Super Duty commercial,” Brewer said with a laugh. “But I really enjoy being part of the Super Duty team. No other Ford vehicle has such a diverse set of customers – retail, ‘fleet-tail,’ fleet and commercial accounts – who buy a wide range of trucks from work trucks to chassis cabs to high-end Lariat and King Ranch pickups.

”Serving all those customers in a challenging economic environment isn’t easy, but Brewer draws on his acumen in engineering and business to help deliver the best Super Duty possible. He started his career at Ford on the business side, working as a product planning analyst between his first and second years in business school.

“I found that I really enjoyed working on what’s easily the world’s most complex consumer product, and came back to Ford full-time after business school,” Brewer said.

Super Duty attributes mirror engineer’s talents
Brewer stays busy away from Ford watching and coaching his kids’ soccer games, going to a park or pool with his family or heading out to a baseball game. He has been to more than 30 Major League parks (past and present) and hopes to get to all of them someday.

In his spare time, Brewer also plays duplicate bridge, a form of bridge where skill, rather than luck of the draw, determines success: just like the new Super Duty.

“Super Duty customers are diverse and demanding,” Brewer said. “They absolutely depend on them for their livelihood – in many cases it’s literally their office. The 2011 Super Duty has more capability than ever before and is ready to exceed the expectations of our customers.”

Brewer lives in Ann Arbor, Mich., with his wife and four children – three girls and a boy ranging in age from 8 to 3. He describes himself as low-key but intense, and someone who likes to have fun while getting the job done.

Sound like any trucks we know?

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