When it arrived on the market for the 2000 model year, the Ford Excursion monster SUV was a natural target for the green lobby, due to its sheer size and weight. Ford originally discontinued this leviathan back in 2005, but now it has returned, with a vengeance.

Custom Autos by Tim, a Guthrie, Oklahoma outfit will now build you a brand new Excursion to order, utilizing a current F-Series Super Duty pickup as the donor vehicle. From there Custom Autos locates rust free Excursions, primarily from the Southwest, which are then brought to the shop.

The rear sheetmetal of the tired Excursion is removed with surgical precision and grafted onto the back of your brand new Super Duty. The result is a vehicle that looks factory and Custom Autos even allows buyers to choose between four and six-door configurations.

However, the price for a ‘new’ Excursion doesn’t come cheap. The whole conversion package costs around $23,000. Factor in the $29,480 MSRP of an entry level F-250 Super Duty and you’re looking well north of $50,000 by the time all’s said and done.

Yes, a Chevy Suburban or GMC Yukon XL represents better value for money but for sheer impact and ticking off  a few humorless greenies, a new, 2011 Excursion is probably priceless.

[Source: Custom Autos by Tim]

According to a recent press release from Ford Motor Company; the 2011 Super Duty is currently accounting for 50 percent of total heavy-duty pickup sales in the United States.

Given quality and reliability issues in the past, this represents a major gain, especially in a market segment that, despite doom and gloom over predicted high fuel prices, has grown by 17 percent since last year.

And a lot of that growth has apparently been due to the S-D’s 6.7-liter PowerStroke diesel engine. The first to be designed and engineered completely in-house by Ford, the PowerStroke churns out 400 horsepower and a stomping 800 ft-lbs of torque, making this rig one of the most capable in its class.

“As always, our goal is to better satisfy the needs of our customers,” said Doug Scott; current Group Marketing Manager for Ford Trucks. “Super Duty’s continued sales and share leadership is validation that whether those needs are capability, durability, quality, power, performance, fuel economy, technology or safety, we are succeeding.”

It’s also been interesting to note, that along with little brother F-150, the Super Duty enabled Ford’s entire F-series line to sell more than 400,000 units in 2010 – the first nameplate to top this ‘magic’ sales figure over the last 12 month period.

Already boasting class-leading payload and towing, Ford has now increased the 2011 F-Series Super Duty‘s engine output to ensure it has class-leading numbers in all areas. Originally launched with 390-hp and 735 ft-lbs of torque, Ford is upgrading the truck to deliver 400-hp and 800 ft-lbs of torque. Better yet, owners who already purchased one of the lower-output 2011 models will be able to get a free upgrade from their Ford dealer.

“These numbers are impressive, yes, but that is not why they matter,” Samardzich said. “These numbers matter because our customers say they do. The higher torque means that fleet operators, such as Florida Power & Light, can plow through deep swamps and get to downed power lines faster and more confidently. It means that oil and gas crews in the Northwest can tow up an 8,000-foot grade maintaining a steady speed and using less fuel.”

In addition, F-350 dual rear-wheel (DRW) models will get upgrades that include an increased max payload from 6,520 to 7,070 and a max fifth-wheel tow rating set at 22,600 lbs, up from 21,600 lb.

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Not too long ago, if you had a 3/4 or 1 ton pickup that made 600 ft-lbs from its diesel engine, it was a really big deal. No longer. In 2010, both Ford and GM heavy-duty trucks top 700 ft-lbs from their turbo diesel engines with Ford claiming 735 ft-lbs and GM recently upping its number to 765 ft-lbs. But in what has become perhaps a new performance war, Ford is set to up the ante once again, this time by tuning it’s 6.7-liter PowerStroke turbo diesel to deliver 400 horsepower and a whopping 800 ft-lbs of torque.

It’s been claimed that these numbers are possible with the current powertrain due to such engineering features as a graphite iron block employed on the 6.7-liter version of the PowerStroke, along with Ford’s beefy six-speed automatic transmission, which was designed from the outset to handle extreme torque loads. At this stage it’s too early to say exactly how the increase in power and torque will be achieved, but expect revised engine mapping to be a prime factor, along with some hardware upgrades. However, given industry lead times and because 2011 Super Duty trucks are already on sale, the more powerful diesel will likely become available late in the model year, much to the chagrin of those that have already purchased one of the 2011 model year trucks. As somebody once said, the best things often come to those who wait.

And given the tug of war going on between Ford and GM, it will be interesting to see how the General responds to this latest salvo.

[Source: Pickup trucks.com]

Ford’s brand-new 2011 Super Duty pickup is creating a dramatic boost in truck sales, with May the best sales month for the model in two years. Sales of the truck beat retail targets by 237 percent in May, and beat the overall sales target (including fleet sales) by 153 percent.

According to Ford Truck Marketing Manager Doug Scott the majority of buyers are opting for the F-250 Crew Cab model with four-wheel drive. Also popular is the new 6.7-liter PowerStroke diesel engine that makes 390-hp and 735 ft-lbs of torque. In total, 60 percent of buyers opted for this powerful new engine.

The popularity of the F-Series Super Duty helped Ford truck sales overall, with total F-Series sales jumping 49 percent in May for a 39 percent increase total for the first five months of 2010.

See AutoGuide’s review of the new F-Series Super Duty at the link below:

2011 Ford D-Series Super Duty First Drive

GALLERY: Ford F-Series Super Duty

[Source: InsideLine]

The horsepower (and more importantly, torque) wars are heating up between GM and Ford. Last month Ford released the power numbers for its new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 in the all-new F-Series Super Duty, rating the truck at 390-hp and 735 ft-lbs of torque. Then just a few weeks later GM announced its numbers for the 6.6-liter Duramax V8 in the new 2011 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra HD pickups at 397-hp and 765 ft-lbs of torque.

Word comes from the folks at PickupTrucks.com that Ford isn’t prepared to sit back and take second place, with an increase in power numbers due out as early as next year. There’s even a suggestion of 400-hp and 775 ft-lbs of torque. Ford certainly has the upper hand as the all-new Power Stroke 6.7-liter has plenty of potential left in it, while the 6.6-liter Duramax is a revised version of an older engine design and has used up much of its potential already. The problem will be increasing power while hitting fuel economy and emissions targets.

Ford’s motivation is clearly from the marketing side here. Sure added power and torque make for a more capable truck, but Ford already leads GM in both towing and payload, even with the lower engine numbers. The new Duramax Silverado HD can tow up to 20,000 lbs and has a payload rating of 6,335 lbs. The F-Series Super Duty (F-350) is rated at 21,600 lbs and a payload rating of 6,520 lbs.

This battle is just the latest in a horsepower war between GM and Ford, with GM planning to deliver a more powerful V6 Camaro next year, while rumors suggest a twin-turbo V6 is on the way to rival Ford’s EcoBoost.

GALLERY: 2011 F-Series Super Duty

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Ford has just released the full stats on its new 2011 F-Series Super Duty, powered by an all-new 6.7-liter Powerstroke V8. The engine makes 390-hp at 2800 rpm and a tremendous 735 ft-lbs of torque at just 1600 rpm. A standard 6.2-liter gasoline, which replaces the old 5.4-liter V8, makes 385-hp and 405 ft-lbs of torque, an improvement of 85-hp and 40 ft-lbs of torque. Both engines are mated to an all-new 6R140 heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission

Ford rates this new engine in the F350 to tow a max of 21,600 lbs and a payload rating of 6,520 lbs. As for the F450 model, it is rated to tow 24,400 lbs.

Chevy has yet to release engine output figures for its Silverado HD model, but at this point that’s pretty much irrelevant as the F350 outshines it in towing and payload by 1,600 lbs and almost 200 lbs respectively.

See the full release after the jump and browse through our new gallery of almost 100 F-Series Super Duty photos:

GALLERY: 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Ford has just released seven new high quality videos about the new 2011 F-Series Super Duty (and its all-new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8) that debuted last week at the Texas State Fair. Hosted by Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs, the short programs examine the the new truck, its powertrain and incredible capability.

If you like trucks, diesels or just great engineering, these spots are all worth a look. They take you through the basics of the (complex) new diesel engine, as well as innovative features like Live Drive PTO (Power Take Off), which allows auxiliary equipment like snowplows or salt spreaders to be powered through the transmission.

The only thing Ford hasn’t told us about the all-new 2011 Super Duty is exactly how much power the new Power Stroke 6.7-liter V8 motor makes.

GALLERY: 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty

See after the jump for six more videos:

[Source: m80im]

Continue Reading…

As promised, Ford officially unveiled the 2011 F-Series Super Duty pickup at the Texas State Fair today. Truck-lovers have been anticipating this release ever since Ford announced that the Super Duty models would be available with an all new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8. Unfortunately, Ford still hasn’t released any info on how much power or torque this revolutionary new motor makes.

In addition to the Power Stroke diesel option, a 6.2-liter gasoline V8 will also be offed. A new 6R140 heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission is standard for 2011, which has Ford’s SelectShift function so drivers can choose gears just like on a manual transmission. This new tranny also gets a Tow Haul option with integrated engine exhaust braking.

Another amazing feature is what Ford calls Live Drive PTO (Power Take Off), which allows auxiliary equipment like snowplows or salt spreaders to be powered through the transmission. Ford is the first company to bring this technology over from agricultural machines.

Of course, the Super Duty will also get a long list of Ford’s impressive truck technology, like Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control, Trailer Sway Control, Trailer Brake Control and, of course, Ford’s AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control.

In addition Ford will offer it’s exclusive Ford World Solutions program which now comes with a 4.2-inch LCD screen between the truck’s gauges, which will display relevant information to the driver about things like fuel-economy or the status of the fifth wheel hook-up.

Now if only Ford would release those diesel ouput numbers.

GALLERY: 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…