Ford e-News - Oct. 20, 2010

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ --

Fiesta Facebook Challenge: Get your zombie on

Fiesta fans are being asked to get their creative juices flowing again, thanks to the Ford Fiesta Facebook Challenge in which Facebook fans of Fiesta participate in monthly challenges inspired by missions done by Fiesta Movement agents. The challenge kicked off with Zombie Survival Guide, asking users to "zombify" themselves and create a picture that pushes the envelope of creativity. An introductory video by former Fiesta Movement agents for each challenge helps give the user a better idea of what the challenge requires.  more...

Angie Kozleski |  [email protected] |  313.323.1984

Why no techno, why no crickets? Ford looks to science to cue the sounds of warning

It's no accident the all-new Ford Focus has just the right tones, chimes and lights to warn drivers in a range of situations, from reminding occupants to buckle up to warnings of possible collision. A team of Ford engineers spend their days dreaming up sounds and subjecting them to a battery of tests to determine which warnings help drivers best react to possible dangers and work in harmony with other vehicle sounds. This grueling process involves complex scientific theory, listening clinics and on-road simulations to whittle down the multitude of sounds to the few that prove most effective. Why no crickets, for example? Too literal to be effective, Ford scientists determined, while electronic music is not audible enough to cut through the chatter.  more...

Wes Sherwood |  [email protected] |  313.390.5660

High-tech Focus I-4 marks Ford debut of direct-injected flex-fuel powerplant

The 2.0-liter engine coming to the 2012 Ford Focus for North America will be one of the first on the market to combine the technology of gasoline direct injection with twin independent variable camshaft timing and E85 flex-fuel capability. That combination makes the Focus four-cylinder one of the most powerful, fuel-efficient and refined engines in its class and one of the most advanced non-turbocharged four-cylinder powerplants Ford has ever offered. Horsepower is rated at 160 and torque at 146 lb.-ft., up from 140 and 136 respectively in the 2011 Ford Focus. The blend of technologies will help Focus achieve an estimated 40 mpg highway with automatic transmission when it arrives in showrooms early next year.  more...

Angie Kozleski |  [email protected] |  313.323.1984

2011 F-150 projected as fuel economy leader

The 2011 Ford F-150 adds projected best-in-class fuel economy to best-in-class power for its new V6 and V8 engines. The new 3.7-liter V6 is projected to deliver a best-in-class 23 mpg highway, pending final EPA certification. The new 5.0-liter V8 is projected to deliver best-in-class 21 mpg highway, also pending final EPA certification. The V6 also delivers best-in-class 302 horsepower and unsurpassed 278 lb.-ft. of torque, while the 5.0-liter V8 is rated at both best-in-class 360 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. Each arrives in Ford dealerships later this year.  more...

Anne Marie Gattari |  [email protected] |  313.323.7809

New 2011 Lincoln MKX urban ad campaign shines spotlight on luxury and style

Lincoln has revealed a new urban advertising campaign tied to the 2011 Lincoln MKX crossover, a move that will continue to expand the brand's efforts to differentiate the new Lincoln product in today's luxury market. The "Touch Me All Over" campaign will show consumers that the Lincoln of today is both sexy and smart. The campaign features TV, print, radio and digital executions that are designed to appeal to upwardly mobile women in the urban market, with TV spots appearing on such media outlets as BET, TV-One, The Gospel Music Channel and CNN.  more...

Michelle Matthews-Alexander |  [email protected] |  313.845.1007

Reinvented Explorer heads to SEMA with standout style

The all-new Ford Explorer has been turning heads with its eye-catching, modern design, and things will be no different when it hits the floor of the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show this year. The all-new, fuel-efficient Ford Explorer provides the perfect base for customizers to create ultimate versions of the modern SUV, including an ultra-luxury Bond Explorer with iPad, an Explorer for outdoor adventurers and the Funkmaster Flex urban SUV. Customized versions of Ford Taurus SHO, Edge and Fusion Sport also will be showcased, along with the new 2011 Lincoln MKX.  more...

Patrick Hespen |  [email protected] |  313.206.3902

Ford joins forces with universities on big-picture sustainability projects

Ford is joining forces with Georgia Tech and George Washington University on two sustainability projects that will help the company identify environmental trends and maintain its ethical standards as it expands its global operations. Working with Georgia Tech, Ford will continue to develop manufacturing processes that allow it to maintain its commitment to reducing global water usage. From 2000 to 2008, Ford reduced its global water use by 56 percent – or 9.5 billion gallons – as part of its goal to reduce the environmental impact of its facilities around the world. Ford will work with George Washington University to determine the best business strategies as it encounters human rights issues in unstable countries and strives to maintain high ethics.  more...

Dan Pierce |  [email protected] |  313.594.0949

Fiesta World Tour wraps after more than 15,000 global miles

Ford's hot-selling Fiesta – sold in all areas of the globe – can now add "world traveler" to its growing list of firsts, following more than 15,000 miles of travels in just over two months to about every continent on the planet. Fiesta World Tour 2010 made stops in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Asia before ending up in Australia. Highlights include having Fiestas washed by an elephant in Malaysia, participants getting to put their driving skills to the test at the Formula One track in Abu Dhabi, and spending time with aboriginal artists in the Australian outback.  more...

Angie Kozleski |  [email protected] |  313.323.1984

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 159,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company