Hiring

While stopped at an intersection I noticed a man standing on the corner
in front of a Burger King.
He was holding a sign that read "Will work for food."
If he had only looked up, he would have noticed that the Burger King
sign directly a above him read "Now hiring."

First Look: 2011 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 6.2

From: Mike Levine

Sent: Monday, August 09, 2010 9:48 PM

Subject: First Look: 2011 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 6.2

By Larry Edsall for PickupTrucks.com, photos courtesy of Ford

The 411-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 engine that ignites Ford's already-fabled F-150 SVT Raptor pickup truck will be installed in the ninth version of the Ford Harley-Davidson F-150, which will be unveiled Tuesday at the 70th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.

In addition to the enlarged power plant, the 2011 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 features a unique front end with a six-bar, billet-style, satin-finished chrome grille, satin chrome Harley-Davidson badging and a fully integrated and deployable running board that gives the truck the look of a lowered stance.

Standard equipment also includes 22-inch Euroflange forged wheels with polished center cap, low-profile tires and the buyer's choice of Tuxedo Black or Ingot Silver paint.

Inside, the new truck shows trim panels in Tuxedo Black with an engine-turned finish on the door scuff plates and center console lid. All interior chrome surfaces are satin-finished. The leather-trimmed seats have colored inserts and cloisonné badges.

A voice-activated navigation system with an 8-inch touch-screen, Sirius satellite radio, power moonroof, rearview camera and remote starter are standard. Even the second-row seats are heated.

All 2011 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150s also come with a new 4.2-inch information display, which debuted in the 2011 F-Series Super Duty. Controlled by a steering wheel-mounted five-way button, this screen, located between the speedometer and tachometer, provides information ranging from fuel economy to towing performance.

The nav system, information screen, power moonroof and remote starter are new to the standard equipment list for 2011.

"The new 2011 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 perfectly blends the flexibility and capability of F-Series trucks with the free spirit of Harley-Davidson motorcycles," said Eric Kuehn, the chief engineer for the truck's development. "Both companies have a passion for the road, which shines through in our specialized truck."

"Overall, we're trying to reduce the complexity of ordering F-150s," said Marc Lapine, F-150 consumer marketing manager. "Historically, the Harley-Davidson F-150 has been a premium truck and they've tended to be loaded up. We decided to make many of those features standard that were so predominantly being ordered."

Pricing for the 2011 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 won't be announced until Ford shows its full 2011 truck lineup in September.

The 2010 Harley F-150 with the legacy 5.4-liter V-8 started at $43,355. The 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor with the 6.2 engine carried a $3,000 premium over the 5.4 version, so we wouldn't be surprised if pricing for the 2011 Harley F-150 starts around $46,000 or higher.

Though a limited-production vehicle, Lapine said sales volume may increase because of the use of the 6.2-liter engine, which also is used in the Raptor and the Ford Super Duty. The 2011 Harley version will get the same horsepower and torque ratings as in the Raptor. That means 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque. That also means a bump in towing capacity to 9,300 pounds -- from 5,300 pounds in the 2010 Harley F-150.

In the Super Duty, the 6.2-liter V8 is rated at 385 horsepower and 404 pound-feet.

"This engine has tons of torque and already has been proven in the field with both the F-150 SVT Raptor and Super Duty," said Mike Harrison, V-8 engine program manager. "The exhaust for the Ford Harley-Davison edition has been specially tuned to feature a throaty V-8 rumble customers will love."

The 6.2 mill features a single-overhead-cam valve train with roller-rocker shafts to enhance low-speed torque and engine breathing; dual equal-variable cam timing to optimize fuel economy and engine performance across the rev range; two spark plugs per cylinder for more efficient air/fuel mixture and combustion, thus increasing torque and fuel economy; and dual knock sensors to optimize spark timing.

Preliminary pics of the 2011 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 show a much more subtle graphic look. Instead of lots of bold orange paint, the 2011 model features hot rod style "speed scallops" that trail back from the front wheel flares. The flares are defined by orange borders around a satin-finish design. There's a similar scallop on the hood.

"We ensure Ford Harley-Davidson trucks exude the same bold personality as the legendary motorcycles," said Brad Richards, design manager for the Ford/Harley project.

"We take two brands that are undeniably unique and forge a product that embodies the best qualities of both," he added.

In addition to the 2011 F-150, Ford and Harley-Davidson have cooperated in the past on F-150, Super Duty F-250, F-350 and F-450 edition trucks.

The 2011 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 is expected to go on sale this winter.

Ford: F-150 delivers the mpg buyers want

Ford: F-150 delivers the mpg buyers want

Charles Child
Automotive News | August 16, 2010

DETROIT -- Even with gasoline prices stable and below $3 a gallon, pickup buyers want good fuel economy, Doug Scott says.

"Fuel economy is the No. 1 unmet need" for owners of full-sized pickups, said Scott, Ford Motor Co. truck group marketing manager, at a media event last week.

Citing Ford research, he said 70 percent want better fuel economy and about a third of those say they would change brands for a "significant improvement" in mpg.

Ford is replacing the F-150's entire engine lineup for the 2011 model year. A V-6 will be standard. Also available: two V-8s and an EcoBoost V-6 with turbocharging and direction injection.

Ford says the new lineup will be 20 percent more fuel efficient than the current lineup of three V-8s. Currently, the standard engine is a 4.6-liter V-8 that gets 19 mpg on the highway.

Ford has not released EPA mileage figures for the new engine lineup.

Fuel economy is more important to buyers now than it was before the 2008 price spike, Scott said. And Ford still believes gasoline will jump to $4 to $4.50 a gallon in 2013 or 2014, he said.

Gasoline peaked at a national average of $4.05 a gallon in July 2008. Last week, it was $2.74.

Dealers can order 2011 models in October. Sales of vehicles with three of the four engines begin in December. The EcoBoost engine will be available in the first quarter of 2011.

 

The F-150's new engine lineup

• 3.7-liter V-6, standard
• 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6
• 5.0-liter V-8
• 6.2-liter V-8
Source: Ford Motor Co.