Mustang customers will appreciate new features that will help achieve more power and better fuel efficiency.  For example, V6 models equipped with the 6-speed automatic are projected to deliver class-leading V6 fuel economy with 19 city/30 highway mpg.  This is an increase of 3 city and 6 highway mpg!

Here’s a quick look at how the 2011 Mustang V6 stacks up against the competition.

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2009 “Best of Show (NAIAS)”

-The Detroit News Reader’s Choice

2010 Taurus SHO Named Esquire’s “Car of the Year” for 2009

-Esquire Magazine

2010 “Top Safety Pick”

-IIHS

2010 “Technology Breakthrough” Award

-Edmunds.com

2010 “International Car of the Year”

-ICOTY Award

NADA Guides “Car of the Month”

February 2010

2010 “Best Resale Value” Award

-Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com

“The Official Car of the 2010 CES”

2010 Canadian Car of the Year Award “Best New Family Car (over $30K)”

-Automobile Journalist Association of Canada Award

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In addition to important and class-exclusive technology-features such as SYNC, Ford Work Solutions and standard upfitter switches, here’s a look at new technologies for 2011:

• Flex Fuel capability on 6.2L
• B20 biodiesel capability on 6.7L
• Heavy Duty TorqShift 6-speed SelectShift Automatic transmission includes Manual mode, Progressive Range Select and Tow/Haul mode
• Tow/Haul mode on diesel engine-equipped trucks includes an integrated exhaust brake in the turbocharger
• The transmission on diesel-equipped models can be ordered with the optional Live-Drive Power Takeoff (PTO) Provision
• SRW models get Trailer Sway Control and Hill Start Assist (same as pickups)
• MyKey is optional
• An all-new Productivity Screen with 4.2-inch LCD display is standard on Lariat models
• Crew Cab models (XLT and Lariat) get a 60/40 flip-up/fold-down rear seat with locking underseat storage and auxiliary power point

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Ford Motor Company has made an official statement regarding recent media coverage surrounding Fusion floor mats. They do not recommend stacking floor mats in any vehicle from any automaker.  In fact, Ford’s all-weather floor mats have these instructions printed on th top of every driver’s mat.  The packaging for these also cautions that they should not be stacked on other mats. In addition, all Ford vehicles and mats have an attachment on the driver side to secure them to the floor properly.

Ford is unaware of any customer complaints or any accidents related to 2010 Fusions with properly installed floor mats and will cooperate fully with NHTSA on its investigation as they always do.

Instructions to properly install floor mats:

-Move driver’s seat to rear-most position  -Remove existing mats from the vehicle.  Failure to do this could result in an interference with the foot controls

-Position mat under pedals  -Lift rear corners of the mat away from the floor  -Slide mat back until hole in the floor mat is directly over the hook located on the carpet “locked” in place, or snap grommets to buttons on floor

Ford Ti-VCT makes its debut in the 2011 Mustang this summer and will quickly follow in the 2011 Fiesta, 2011 Edge and 2012 Focus. While improved fuel economy, peak horsepower and reduced emissions are tangible Ti-VCT benefits, it’s important to understand the whys and hows behind this engine evolution.

Camshafts

It all starts with the camshaft. Camshafts play a key role in engine power and efficiency. They regulate the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves, letting the air/fuel mixture into the cylinders and the spent exhaust gases out. The timing of the induction/exhaust events is critical to achieving a good balance of power and efficiency.

Regardless of engine design-overhead valve, single overhead cam or dual overhead cam-for many engines the cam and valve actuation is fixed.

With a fixed camshaft, engineers design and engine to perform well, but ultimately the engine is tuned with a specific purpose in mind. For example, fuel-efficient vehicles with fixed camshafts are tuned to perform fuel-efficiently. Many truck engines with fixed camshafts are tuned for maximum power and torque, and of course, performance vehicles are tuned for high performance.

Variable Cam Timing (VCT)

VCT was the next evolution of camshaft design and brought with it the ability to adjust cam performance. With VCT, the cam, depending on demand, can be shifted between advanced or delayed in milliseconds, resulting in enhanced efficiency under low-load conditions like highway driving and increased power for brisk acceleration.

Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT)

What Ti-VCT brings to the table is the ability to have the best of both fuel efficiency and performance.

With Ti-VCT the camshaft and valve timing are continuously monitored and automatically adjusted as engine demands change, hence the term “variable cam timing.” Ti-VCT technology is flexible, allowing the engine to operate at peak efficiency across an entire range.

The independent adjustment of intake and exhaust valve timing significantly contributes to maximum fuel efficiency when driving under regular conditions and it also allows the delivery of optimized power when full throttle is demanded. In other words-the best of both worlds!

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The new V6 Performance Package of the 2011 Ford Mustang.  Right from the factory, the new performance package will bring enhanced driving features previously only considered for the GT.

In addition to the V6s enhanced suspension, the V6 Performance Package adds these components:

• 3.31:1 rear axle ratio, for quick off-the-line acceleration
• GT suspension components (front springs, front and rear stabilizer bars) for enhanced performance feel and control
• Upgraded front and rear calipers with performance brake pads
• Strut tower brace adds to overall vehicle rigidity
• AdvanceTrac Sport mode is a unique calibration of the AdvanceTrac system, allowing for more spirited driving with AdvanceTrac still enabled
• 19-inch painted aluminum wheels and Pirelli summer compound performance tires grip the road and enhance driver control

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Ford Motor Company announced this week that it will discontinue the 71-year-old Mercury Brand by the end of the year.  Over the next four years, Lincoln will get seven all-new or entirely refreshed products –including its first ever C-segment vehicle. Lincoln also will get brand-exclusive powertrains and other technologies to distinguish it from Ford’s namesake Blue Oval brand and make its vehicles more competitive with offerings from rival automakers. 

Ford’s President of the Americas, Mark Fields, announced the board voted to stop production of all four Mercury models in the fourth quarter. Ford plans to send letters to Mercury dealers around the nation, offering them buyouts or the chance to merge with Ford dealers.

“Given our improving financial situation, it really allows us to absorb the short-term cost of discontinuing Mercury,” Mark Fields said, declining to reveal the expected expense. “We’re very proud of Mercury’s history, but we’re now looking forward.”

Mercury was the creation of Henry Ford’s son, Edsel and was launched in 1938 as a midmarket brand intended to bridge the gap between the mass market Ford brand and the luxury Lincoln brand. Although a novel idea, Mercury vehicles often were little more than rebadged Fords, and sales have declined steadily since 1993.

“It is a storied brand,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s global product development chief. “But what’s really important today is not the past. What’s important today is the future: the future of Ford and the future of Lincoln.”

The Ford brand has performed well over the past 18 months, benefiting from a new product lineup, but Lincoln has struggled to find its place in an increasingly crowded and competitive luxury market. Ford plans to redirect the resources invested in the Mercury brand into Lincoln. “We’ve made a lot of progress with the Ford brand,” said Ford Americas President Mark Fields. “Now’s the time to do that with Lincoln.”

Mercury now claims just eight-tenths of a percent of the U.S. car and truck market, Fields said. The Ford brand, by comparison, has gained more than twice that much share in the first four months of the year.  Fields said Ford’s recent success enabled the automaker to retire Mercury, providing the financial resources needed to wind down the brand without undermining Ford’s goal of being “solidly profitable” this year.

Ford will continue to honor warranty agreements and support Mercury owners with parts and service.