Here's How I Would Do It - A Plan For Ford Motor Company

Greetings one and all. First and foremost, I am an automotive enthusiast of the higher order. Sports cars. Big, cushy luxury sedans. Heavy duty diesel crew cab full-size trucks with eight inches of lift and 38 inch tall mud tires. Chromed out SUVs scraping the ground. Pocket rocket econo-hatchbacks. Old school muscle cars. I love 'em all. I also subscribe to several enthusiast magazines and take part in discussions on several enthusiast websites. As a matter of fact, a story on one website (either Autoblog or Jalopnik) led me to a group of GM engineers and enthusiasts who have far superior Photoshop and HTML skills than I do. They created a comprehensive GM lineup for North America, and presented it in a website with links to all of the specific lineups. That was my inspiration for this, and I must give a tip of the cap to the people behind GM: Revitalization In Action.

And with all honesty, regardless of brand preferences, good cars have universal appeal to the car enthusiasts. You can be a die-hard Mopar fanatic and still completely appreciate (and revere) the idea of a Don Yenko-prepped Chevrolet Chevelle SS LS6. Likewise a Blue Oval Early Bronco fan can look at an early 70s Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser with 4 inches of lift, lockers, a winch, 33 inch mud terrains, and a GM small block conversion, and be perfectly happy to go out rock climbing with it in the group. Even the snootiest of supercar fans can still acknowledge and respect the bang for the buck that has been wrought by the Mustang GT 500KR, the ZR1 Corvette, and the Viper SRT-10.

For the record, though, I am a Ford fan. The earliest Ford I remember being in my family was my father's 1969 Torino GT with a 390 V8. At one point when I was in high school, my family's vehicles were all Fords: Taurus Wagon for Mom, Ranger for Dad, and I had an Escort EXP. Even back then having a disdain for the mainstream GM products, I was still able to appreciate such vehicles as the IROC-Z28, the Buick Grand National GNX, and the Z71 full-size trucks. But I remained a Ford fan. I have had periods where I haven't had a Ford, but I still rank them high on my "consideration" chart. Currently the Edge is one of the leading candidates for when my current lease is up.

After the success that Ford had in the 80s, the 90s saw some drifting. The Explorer was introduced and was a smash hit. But as a contrast, the Taurus went far too long without a proper redesign, and the 1996 redesign was not worthy of the Taurus name, in my humble opinion. That design languished long enough as to bleed the equity out of the nameplate. Powertrain combinations failed to keep up with, much less surpass what was coming out of both GM and the imports in terms of both mileage and power. Refinement and quality suffered during those periods as well, and sales declined as people jumped ships to the juggernauts of Toyota and Honda.

Ford has initiated several programs to turn things around...Bold, The Way Forward, etc. There has been some positive action on these fronts...the return of the Taurus and Sable nameplates, the Fusion, the continued sales leadership of the F-Series trucks. But as I see it, there are still many concerns. The powertrains offered in the F-Series seem to be lacking in both mileage and power ratings compared to their contemporaries; the interior on the Mustang is horrendous; the 2008 North American Focus is horrifically unattractive; the lack of new and distinct product for Mercury is a shame; the interiors offered on current Lincolns, particularly the Navigator (which is also sorely underpowered compared to its competitors like the Escalade and GL450) goes so far in the retro style of the instrument panel as to be unattractive.

What I have attempted to do with this website is to create a comprehensive lineup for Ford Motor Company's three North American divisions, Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln. I have established basic styling themes and characteristics for each division, identified vehicle platforms for the individual vehicles, and established powertrain options. I have attempted to identify and/or utilize platforms, vehicles, and technology and powertrains that are currently available or proposed within the FoMoCo family. Where specific vehicles/platforms/powertrains do not exist, I have made my best possible suggestions based on what either is available, or seems reasonably feasible to create. I am neither an engineer nor am I a stylist, so I can offer no guarantee as to the feasibility of the vehicles and components I have proposed. That being said, I feel that the specifications I identify are not unreasonable given current offerings and announced technology. These vehicles, platforms, and powertrains are geared for the North American market, but could serve as the basis for global offerings. Some technology and componentry is sourced from other divisions of Ford Motor Company, but the vehicles ultimately described herein are strictly Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln.

All of that being said, Here's How I Would Do It. Platforms are discussed here. Powertrains are discussed here. The comprehensive lineup of Ford cars and trucks is discussed here. The proposed revitalization of Mercury is here. And the reestablishment of Lincoln as a true, top tier luxury brand is discussed here.

Should you have any comments, please feel free to comment on the specific posts. Or if you wish a more personal form of communication, I can be reached via email at: iamhoff@gmail.com.

Powertrains

OK. As discussed, now we get to the powertrains section of How I Would Do It. As with the Platforms post, I do not claim to be an engineer so I cannot attest to either the technical or financial feasibility of what I am proposing. Rather, what I am proposing is a reflection of recently announced technological directions combined with what are hopefully reasonable evolutions of existing engine and transmissions that are currently offered within the Ford Motor Company vehicle lineup. As an example, Ford has recently introduced the 6 speed automatic (6a) transmission/transaxle, and that would be utilized in most applications. I also envision the introduction of an 8 speed automatic for certain luxury and performance applications. If at all possible, the engines would be of a modular family that share basic bore spacing, some block casting, mounting points, and accessory components. That being said, here are the powertrains.

4cyl - Gasoline

This would be a DOHC 16 valve aluminum block with Direct Injection (DI). This basic engine running an Atkinson cycle would form the basis for a two-mode plug-in hybrid powertrain. ecoBoost turbocharging would be present for sport/SVT/SHO applications. Typically the engine would be mounted transversely, and would be coupled with 6m and 6a transaxles, and CVTs in hybrid applications. Basic displacements would range from 1.5L to 2.5L, and basic output would range from approximately 130 hp to 240 hp in ecoBoost turbo configurations.

6cyl – Gasoline

This would be a DOHC 24 valve aluminum block with Direct Injection (DI). This basic engine running an Atkinson cycle would form the basis for a two-mode plug-in hybrid powertrain. ecoBoost turbocharging would be present for sport/SVT/SHO applications. The engine could be mounted either transversely or longitudinally, and would be coupled with 6m and 6a transaxles or transmissions, and CVTs in hybrid applications. Basic displacements would include 3.0L and 3.5L sizes, and basic output would range from approximately 250 hp to 300 hp for naturally aspirated motors, and up to approximately 340 hp in ecoBoost turbo configurations.

6cyl - Diesel

This would be a turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24 valve direct injection engine, sharing its basic architecture with the gasoline engine. Bluetec-type emissions control methods would be employed to ensure 50 state emissions compatibility. It can be mounted transversely or longitudinally, and would be paired with 6m and 6a transmissions or transaxles. Bore and stroke allow for both 3.0L and 4.0L engines, and output would range from 235 hp to 295 hp. 6m and 6a transmissions.

8cyl - Gasoline

This would be a DOHC 32 valve engine with Direct Injection. ecoBoost turbocharging would form the basis for an SVT/SHO application. The engine would be typically mounted longitudinally, and bore and stroke allow for displacements ranging from 5.0L to 7.0L Standard output would range from 370 hp up to 450 hp, with top Mustang variants (i.e. Shelby GT500 KR, etc.) pushing out around 600 hp. 6m and 6a transmissions would be offered, with certain vehicles offering an 8 speed automatic.

8cyl - Diesel
As with the 6cyl variants, this would be a turbocharged and intercooled, DOHC direct injected engine. Bluetec-type emission control methods would be utilized for 50 state emissions compliance. The engine would typically be mounted longitudinally, and would share basic architecture with the gasoline variant. Displacements could range from 5.0L to 7.0L, with the initial engine sized at 6.4L. Output for the 6.4L ecoBoost turbocharged variant would be approximately 370 hp. Transmissions would include 6m and 6a transmissions.

I hope that provides a little more insight into where I would take the FoMoCo lineup. Full vehicle lineup posts will be coming in short order. Then you can all see how the vehicles I'm talking about utilize the platforms and powertrains that are proposed here.

Stay classy out there.

And Ford Does Something Right

Well dear readers (are there any of you?), a change in my work schedule and the holidays have conspired to keep me from updating things here at How I Would Do It. And wouldn't you know, after a lot of thought, study, and tweaking (of data, not myself), Ford went ahead and made two press announcements that will cause me to further revise my upcoming posts on vehicles, platforms, and powertrains.

Powertrains - Ford has finally decided to offer some leading edge powertrain technology. Yes, when the Modular V8 family came out, it offered a then current configuration...aluminum block, SOHC, etc. Likewise the Duratec V6 family, originally from the 96 and on Taurus/Sable and the Zetec 4cyl family from the Focus/Contour/Fusion vehicles. All were then-current technology, but didn't really raise the bar or anything. But Ford is now jumping onto the leading edge of engine technology. EcoBoost. Ford's code language for Direct Injection and turbocharging. Articles in Jalopnik, Autoblog, and others have heralded Ford's presentation of this leading edge technology. Yes, other manufacturers have very recently introduced DI motors (Cadillac 3.6 V6 offered in the CTS and STS) and Turbo DI motors (Audi TFSi engines offered in the A3, A4, and (I believe in Europe) A6 lines). But this is leading edge, and Ford has placed themselves right there with DI and twin turbocharging. Initial figures offered for the two initial applications are a 4cylinder putting out 240 hp, and a 3.5l V6 (based on the current 3.5l Duratec offered in the Edge, Taurus, Sable, etc.) that puts out a very healthy 340 hp. Ford has also announced a version of this motor will be the top engine offered in the Lincoln MKS sedan, and it will pump out an estimated 415 hp.

Platforms - a breaking post from Autoblog (and likely other sources) has confirmed that Ford is working on a new RWD platform. With the aforementioned EcoBoost engine technology, achieving reasonable CAFE numbers is a greater possibility and allow further consideration of larger RWD vehicles that otherwise would've required V8 power. Details have not been provided, but this actually fits into the scheme I've been working on. Expect further details to arrive in the near future.

Vehicles - Ford is sort of throwing a monkey wrench into my well-laid plans. A few days ago, Autoblog, and other outlets have all reported on the Ford Explorer America concept. This is a complete rethink of the Explorer, to reflect the popularity of crossover SUVs. It also features the EcoBoost powertrains mentioned earlier. I say "sort of" because I am proposing a vehicle of this nature, but probably not on the same platform identified by Ford.

With all of this news hitting the ground, I've got to get things together and get my powertrain, platform, and vehicle lineup posts together. Then I've got to get someone at Ford to read it, and hopefully find some inspiration. Wish me luck.

How I Am Going To Do It

So. Quite the task I've laid out for myself. Design a full product range for 3 divisions of a major US auto manufacturer. All while attempting to employ or hold on to a sense of reality, by which I mean attempting to make use of technology, components, and even entire vehicles that exist currently within the corporate toy box. I'm not saying that these aren't going to be budget busters (nobody could implement all of these vehicles all at once, retooling nearly every factory at the same time) or push the bounds of practicality, but based on what Ford Motor Company is currently producing, the vehicles I will present are theoretically possible to produce.

The way that I will organize this experiment is as follows:

1. I will prepare a post that outlines the basic vehicle platforms that would be utilized throughout the lineups. I'm no engineer, so I'm not saying that the platforms I describe (assuming they currently exist) could accommodate what I'm proposing. I'm just laying out a general description of where I think the company should go and how they could possibly get there. So the Platform Post will describe the various vehicle platforms, establish what size vehicles the respective platforms could support, and what powertrains the platforms could accommodate.

2. I will prepare a post that outlines the various engine and powertrain options that would be utilized throughout the lineups. Some engines are existing, some are likely variations on existing engines, and some are completely new engines. Horsepower ratings are based on real world examples of similar engines/powertrains throughout the entire industry. I'm attempting to be realistic and not guarantee that if Nissan's 3.5L V6 makes 305 hp then the Ford 3.5L V6 will make 310 hp. When the engines are tuned and tweaked, the hp figures will rise and fall to fit what is expected. But for now, my estimates are I believe to be realistic estimations. Also regarding engine displacement, again I'm not an engineer, so whether it's feasible to have a 4cyl engine block support displacements from 1.5L to 2.5L, I don't know. I do know that historically engine blocks can support a wide range of displacements, assuming they are sized to accommodate modifications to the basic bore and stroke figures. Witness the historic small block Chevy. The original displacement for this motor was 283 cubic inches. The engine block was sized in such a way that, maintaining the original bore spacing, displacements could range up to 400 cubic inches. In fact, the most popular recent such modification (still a popular one among hot rodders and off-roaders) is to take a basic 350 cubic inch engine (of which GM made billions of), increase the bore of the cylinder and piston by .030 inches, and the displacement rises 33 cubic inches (or approximately 0.5L) to the popular 383 c.i. displacement. So again, what I'm proposing is theoretically possible.

3. Once the platforms and powertrains are established, then I will do a post to lay out the vehicles, division by division and maybe even platform by platform (the Ford division obviously will have the greatest number of vehicles and may require multiple posts to lay out the lineup). Where possible, I will include pictures that are either of current vehicles (like the Aussie Ford Falcon or European Ford Focus), or photochop renderings of what I'm envisioning. Estimated basic vehicle dimensions or size comparisons will be provided, along with a list of potential competitors.

So there you have it. How I will do, "How I Would Do It." Hopefully the right people will find some inspiration out there.