2013 Ford Fusion Features Variety of Sustainable Materials

From Ford.com:

When Ford’s all-new Fusion hits America’s highways this fall, it will carry some unexpected materials beneath its aerodynamically fuel-efficient body:

• Denim material equivalent to slightly more than two average-sized pairs of blue jeans
• 38.9 clear plastic 16-ounce recycled bottles
• About 31,250 soybeans

“Building vehicles with great fuel economy is our highest priority in reducing impact on the environment,” says Carrie Majeske, Ford product sustainability manager. “With every new product design, we also are charged with increasing the use of renewable and recyclable materials in our cars, utilities and trucks to reduce impact on the environment.”

 

Fusion’s jean pool

Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) control is held to world-class standards in the all-new Ford Fusion with post-industrial, recycled cotton used as sound-absorbing material. In every Fusion, the denim equivalent of slightly more than two pairs of average-sized American blue jeans helps to nullify unwanted road, wind and powertrain noise. Paired with other noise-reducing practices and techniques Ford engineers have implemented for years, the 2013 Fusion will provide customers with a quiet, relaxing driving environment.

 

Clearly sustainable

Fusion’s North American cloth seat surfaces are made with 100 percent REPREVE^® yarn, which is a hybrid of post-industrial and post-consumer waste (or materials once utilized for industry purposes; and materials used by everyday consumers respectively). Cloth-seat Fusion models contain the equivalent of 38.9 recycled, clear 16-ounce plastic bottles. This fabric meets or exceeds all of Ford’s rigorous durability and performance standards and has a luxurious feel.

 

Post-consumer plastic water and soda bottles are collected, chopped, ground, melted and reformulated into chips. These chips are then extruded and textured into fiber. The fibers are then used in the creation of fabric, then dyed, finished and rolled for shipment.

 

Excess fabric from each procedure in the process is recycled back into the system to further eliminate waste.

 

Foam from soy

The foam used in seat cushions, seat backs and head restraints is a soy-based sustainable material, with the equivalent of approximately 31,250 soybeans.

 

Ford first used soy-based foam in the Ford Mustang in 2007. Today, Ford uses soy foam on every vehicle built in North America. Ford’s use of soy foam has reduced petroleum production by more than 5 million pounds and carbon dioxide emissions by more than 20 million pounds annually.

 

Post-consumer materials

Every 2013 Fusion utilizes plastic made from recycled car battery casings. These post-consumer materials were otherwise destined for a landfill. This plastic may be found in fender splash shields and other underbody components. Annually, these applications on the Fusion utilize close to 2 million pounds of recycled plastic.

Read entire article here.

Contact Lakewood Fordland for more information on Ford's commitment to vehicles with sustainable materials.

Video: Ford Hands-Free Tailgate Tested

Learn more about the all-new Ford Escape and the hands-free tailgate at Lakewood Fordland.

More About the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500

(from Ford.com)

From Ford.com:

• New Ford Shelby GT500 convertible serves as the celebratory vehicle of the 20th anniversary of Ford’s Special Vehicles Team (SVT) – the fastest open-air Mustang ever
• The newest Shelby GT500 convertible with the optional Performance Package is nearly 3.5 seconds faster than the outgoing model at Sebring International Raceway. The 5.8-liter supercharged V8 with 662 horsepower, Bilstein^™ electronic adjustable dampers and new Brembo^™ brake system are key enablers for the car’s improved overall performance
• SVT has produced more than 210,000 cars and trucks during its 20-year history, with more than seven different nameplates including the Ford GT, Mustang Cobra R, SVT F-150 Lightning, F-150 SVT Raptor, Shelby GT500KR and the soon-to-be-launched Focus ST

Read entire article here.

2013 Ford Shelby GT500 is Fastest Mustang Ever

From Ford.com:

• The new Ford Shelby GT500 is powered by an aluminum 5.8-liter supercharged V8 engine producing 662 horsepower and 631 lb.-ft. of torque. The most powerful engine ever in a North American production car propels the 3,852-pound vehicle to a top track speed of more than 200 mph, yet is exempt from gas-guzzler tax at a projected 15 mpg city, 24 mpg highway

• Nearly every vehicle system has been optimized, including a new Brembo^™ six-piston front caliper brake system, updated gearing for superior traction management, suspension tuning and a user-adjustable launch control that seamlessly works with the engine and chassis control systems

• 2013 Shelby GT500 sets a performance-driven design standard with new downforce-generating front grilles, an aggressive splitter, a new quad exhaust system and two new forged-aluminum wheel choices

• Also new for 2013 is an optional Performance Package with electronically adjustable dampers and a Torsen^® limited-slip differential. A Track Package can be added for all-out racetrack performance including three additional coolers

Read entire article here.

Contact Lakewood Fordland for more information on the entire 2013 Mustang line-up!

Ford Focus ST Features Sound Innovation

From Ford.com:

Discerning sports compact drivers not only want their engines to sing, they want them to roar. Ford engineers made sure the new Focus ST does both, with the help of a new twist on an existing technology.

Ford engineers added a special sound tube – called a sound symposer – to amplify the throaty frequencies enthusiasts crave in performance cars. Engineers worked to naturally amplify the specific lower range of engine frequencies found between 200 and 450 Hz that are most pleasing to performance enthusiasts through the use of a composite “paddle” that vibrates with intake air pulses.

While the sound tube concept has been used on Mustang in the past, the sound symposer used in Focus ST is unique because of its electronically controlled valve that opens and closes based on driver inputs – engine speed, accelerator pedal position and gear selection. In lower gears, the valve is mapped more aggressively, while in higher gears the effect is dialed back to enable quieter cruising. This isn’t possible with conventional, passive sound tubes. Part of the reason Ford made these changes is that on Focus ST, for the first time, the symposer is attached directly to the intake manifold (as opposed to between the manifold and air intake).

“For ST drivers, it’s not enough to have a car that is fast or feels fast. It also has to sound fast,” says Christopher Myers, Air Induction System engineer. “Part of this is the design of the exhaust, but we went further and engineered the symposer both to dial up the nice sounds the EcoBoost delivers under the hood but dial back the interior sound volumes at part throttle.

Read entire article here.

 

Contact Lakewood Fordland for more information on the Ford Focus ST.

Ford's Lighting Lab Leads to Design Improvements

Dearborn, Michigan is the site of Ford’s Visual Performance Evaluation Lab (VPEL), a unique laboratory containing a dazzling array of computer-controlled lights – 270 spotlights and floodlights, powered by 6,000 watts of electricity. In this controlled setting, Ford engineers can simulate any possible lighting condition from the blazing brightness of noon in the desert to the inky black of a backwoods midnight; from the neon-glare of midtown in the rain to a blinding dusk on a westbound highway.

 

Ford engineers don’t use the VPEL to see how their car looks in all of these different lighting conditions. Rather, they are testing and examining how these different types of light affect the driver’s capabilities and driving experience. They want to learn whether the controls are visible, and how light and glare impact, or even seem to alter, the texture, color and comfort of the interior – even how light may alter the moods of the driver and passengers.

 

“The VPEL allows us to see how various interior components would work under different sun load conditions, meaning clear sky, overcast sky, dusk or dawn, or artificial light conditions such as how interior components would appear in a dealer showroom,” said Mahendra Dassanayake, a Ford technical lighting specialist. “We want to create a very user-friendly, pleasant environment inside.”

Read entire IMakeNews article here.

Stop by Lakewood Fordland to experience the difference made by innovative design programs such as VPEL.

Ford Vehicles Win 3 TAWA Awards

(photo courtesy:  TAWA)

Ford vehicles were awarded with three top honors at the recent Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) Auto Roundup: 

Performance Coupe of Texas:  2013 Ford Mustang GT

Performance Sedan of Texas:  2013 Ford Taurus SHO (police pkg)

Best New Interior:  2013 Ford Taurus SHO

Learn more about these award-winning vehicles at Lakewood Fordland.

Taking Orders for 2013 Ford Focus ST

(photo courtesy:  Ford.com)

From Ford.com:

Drivers in the U.S. can now place their order for the new Ford Focus ST, a high-performance hatchback that will offer exhilarating performance and handling, a distinctive interior and muscular exterior design.

Focus ST, Ford’s first global performance car, will integrate a collection of advanced and sport-oriented technologies previously unavailable to North American customers. The combination of these technologies into a refined yet high-performance sport compact will elevate the category and further cement Focus as the most complete compact car range sold in North America.

Read entire article here.

Contact Lakewood Fordland for more information on the 2013 Ford Focus ST and ordering details.

Stop by to See Lakewood Fordland's Selection of Quality Pre-Owned Vehicles

Looking for a quality pre-owned vehicle at a budget-friendly price?  Stop by Lakewood Fordland to see our used vehicle inventory.  We are sure you will find what you are looking for.  Check out our inventory of 29 pre-owned vehicles priced at under $10,000.