2010 F-150 SVT Raptor
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Over the years, the Ford Special Vehicles Team built its reputation on how well its performance-tuned cars and trucks carved up the road. But the latest product from Dearborn's in-house skunkworks, the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor, takes a sharp turn off-road and into terrain that its predecessor--the street-fighting supercharged F-150 SVT Lightning--never dared to tread.
Like any SVT vehicle, the Raptor is capable of mundane tasks such as flying to the grocery store or winging through commuter traffic.
But this SVT truck is at its best when it's swooping down the desert floor at full speed, dodging rocks and sailing over whoop-de-dos.
Based on the F-150 pickup, the Raptor body is widened by seven inches to accommodate honking 35-inch-tall desert tires and extra wheel travel--11.2 inches front and 13.4 inches rear. From the A-pillar forward, it gets all-new SMC body panels that wrap around the stock three-valve, 310-hp, 365-lb-ft, 5.4-liter Triton V8 (320 hp and 390 lb-ft on E85, if they sell it in your part of the Mojave). The black Raptor grille is wider than the stock F-150 grille, and the skid plate angled below the bumper replaces the stock air-dam lower panels.
The Raptor launches like no other truck.
The Raptor comes in the five-seat, SuperCab 4x4 configuration, with rear-hinged rear-access doors opening wide to a racy orange-trimmed leather interior. We hear that a full four-door model is in the works, but for now, the extended cab is the only offering.
Engineers are proud of the fact that they kept all of the electronic programs: electronic locking differentials, AdvanceTrac with roll-stability control, even trailer-sway control and tow/haul mode. To those they added hill-descent control, which automatically applies the brakes to individual wheels for creeping down really steep trails safely, and a new off-road mode, which tailors the throttle map and shift schedule for off-road driving. There's even an auxiliary switchboard for easier installation of the 43 lights you'll want to wire into your light bar.
Like any SVT vehicle, the Raptor is capable of mundane tasks such as flying to the grocery store or winging through commuter traffic.
But this SVT truck is at its best when it's swooping down the desert floor at full speed, dodging rocks and sailing over whoop-de-dos.
Based on the F-150 pickup, the Raptor body is widened by seven inches to accommodate honking 35-inch-tall desert tires and extra wheel travel--11.2 inches front and 13.4 inches rear. From the A-pillar forward, it gets all-new SMC body panels that wrap around the stock three-valve, 310-hp, 365-lb-ft, 5.4-liter Triton V8 (320 hp and 390 lb-ft on E85, if they sell it in your part of the Mojave). The black Raptor grille is wider than the stock F-150 grille, and the skid plate angled below the bumper replaces the stock air-dam lower panels.
The Raptor launches like no other truck.
The Raptor comes in the five-seat, SuperCab 4x4 configuration, with rear-hinged rear-access doors opening wide to a racy orange-trimmed leather interior. We hear that a full four-door model is in the works, but for now, the extended cab is the only offering.
Engineers are proud of the fact that they kept all of the electronic programs: electronic locking differentials, AdvanceTrac with roll-stability control, even trailer-sway control and tow/haul mode. To those they added hill-descent control, which automatically applies the brakes to individual wheels for creeping down really steep trails safely, and a new off-road mode, which tailors the throttle map and shift schedule for off-road driving. There's even an auxiliary switchboard for easier installation of the 43 lights you'll want to wire into your light bar.
2010 Ford Taurus
Ford Motors has unveiled its all-new flagship Ford Taurus SHO which promises V8 levels of performance with the fuel efficiency of a V6.
A self-proclaimed American ’sleeper’, the Taurus SHO features the new direct-injection 3.5-litre EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 engine which reportedly develops 272kW at 5500rpm and 474Nm from 3500rpm.
This power is channelled through a six-speed 6F55 SelectShift transmission with a sophisticated torque-sensing All-Wheel Drive System.
The SelectShift combines typical automatic operations as well as paddle controls for spirited driving which allow “match-rev” downshifts and will hold manually selected gears for precise control.The driveline incorporates an array of internal electromechanical clutches to efficiently distribute torque to the wheels with optimum traction.The well-appointed interior is equally impressive with leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 10-way power adjustable front seats and aluminium highlights throughout the cabin.The spiritual equivalent of an XR6 Turbo, the Taurus SHO certainly boasts the performance figures to please Australian buyers in theory, so perhaps the demise of the Falcon wouldn’t be all bad news.
A self-proclaimed American ’sleeper’, the Taurus SHO features the new direct-injection 3.5-litre EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 engine which reportedly develops 272kW at 5500rpm and 474Nm from 3500rpm.
This power is channelled through a six-speed 6F55 SelectShift transmission with a sophisticated torque-sensing All-Wheel Drive System.
The SelectShift combines typical automatic operations as well as paddle controls for spirited driving which allow “match-rev” downshifts and will hold manually selected gears for precise control.The driveline incorporates an array of internal electromechanical clutches to efficiently distribute torque to the wheels with optimum traction.The well-appointed interior is equally impressive with leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 10-way power adjustable front seats and aluminium highlights throughout the cabin.The spiritual equivalent of an XR6 Turbo, the Taurus SHO certainly boasts the performance figures to please Australian buyers in theory, so perhaps the demise of the Falcon wouldn’t be all bad news.
2010 Ford Taurus
2010 Ford Shelby GT500
The 2010 Ford Shelby GT500, which will be officially unveiled at Detroit 2009, takes the recent Mustang redesign and injects it with everything Shelby to produce a super Mustang that should best the 2009 GT500 in nearly every respect. With notable power gains and an architecture built from the extreme Shelby GT500KR (King of the Road edition), the 2010 car differentiates itself from 2010 Mustangs to an even greater degree than last year's car.
2010 Ford Shelby GT500 Performance - Big Gains in the Right Places
While the new GT500 makes some significant gains in the engine and braking department, body roll and suspension architecture could still be a problem. Like standard Mustang GT cars and its predecessor, the 2010 GT500 has a relatively unsophisticated chassis and suspension setup perhaps not befitting of a car costing around $45,000 and packing 540 horsepower. Still, at this price point the new Shelby snake is a performance bargain.
Ford has made significant changes to the GT500 drivetrain, tuning up the final drive ratio to 3.55:1 while lowering the fifth and sixth gear ratios to .74 and .50, respectively. Higher final drive ratio and more power and torque should equal big gains in 0-60 times. Reports have pegged the 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 at a hair over 4 seconds in this performance metric.
2010 Ford Shelby GT500 Performance - Big Gains in the Right Places
While the new GT500 makes some significant gains in the engine and braking department, body roll and suspension architecture could still be a problem. Like standard Mustang GT cars and its predecessor, the 2010 GT500 has a relatively unsophisticated chassis and suspension setup perhaps not befitting of a car costing around $45,000 and packing 540 horsepower. Still, at this price point the new Shelby snake is a performance bargain.
Ford has made significant changes to the GT500 drivetrain, tuning up the final drive ratio to 3.55:1 while lowering the fifth and sixth gear ratios to .74 and .50, respectively. Higher final drive ratio and more power and torque should equal big gains in 0-60 times. Reports have pegged the 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 at a hair over 4 seconds in this performance metric.
