Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Ford

The Ford Fusion Hybrid we talked about yesterday, the one that had as of our last report cleared 1,000 miles on its hypermiling publicity stunt, has finally reached the end of the road its fuel supply. The final number: 1,445 miles on a single tank of gas.

For the high-mileage odyssey, the Fusion hybrid was pushed to an average of 81.5 mpg. Even considering that hypermiling techniques were employed to reach these numbers, we’re quite impressed, as the event took place on city streets and public freeways, not on a closed course. Better still, the entire 69-hour event raised $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. You can read the details of how the driving teams managed the 80 mpg in the official press release after the jump – and no, they didn’t find a thousand-mile downhill road. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford Fusion Hybrid pedals its way to 1,445 miles on a single tank

Ford Fusion Hybrid pedals its way to 1,445 miles on a single tank originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Ford, Humor

The recent happenings of the auto industry are anything but funny, especially when it comes to the tens of thousands of lost jobs. Well, it wasn’t funny until the writers at The Onion put their comedic minds to it. Beyond the jump is a positively brilliant spoof on Onion News Now for a reality show called Auto Warriors. The reality show won’t show people trying to win $1 million dollars or score a record deal with Simon Cowell. Instead, the faux show pits workers from two Ford plants against one another, and the winners keep their jobs. The task for the big two hour edition of Auto Warriors? Build 1,000 Ford Focus models in 24 hours… with no electricity.

From where we sit, the satire is funny because it shows exactly why reality shows have gone over the deep end. It’s brilliant because it underscores the apathy with which job losses are reported in the media, while also showing just how difficult a situation blue collar America is in. It sounds like an attack on the auto workers, but when you watch it you’ll see that the the auto workers are the only ones that survive the 3:24 spoof intact. Hit the jump to watch it for yourselves. (Belated) Hat tip to Neil.

[Source: The Onion]

Continue reading VIDEO: New reality tv show pits Ford factory workers against each other for job survival

VIDEO: New reality tv show pits Ford factory workers against each other for job survival originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Green, Ford

The team that set out this past weekend to cover 1,000 miles on a single tank of gasoline succeeded and then some. When the team of race drivers, engineers and hyper-milers crossed the 1,000-mile mark a little after 9:00 am on Monday morning, there was still more than a third of a tank left. Over 47 hours of running the team led by NASCAR driver Carl Edwards and including record braking hyper-miler Wayne Gerdes averaged over 80 mpg.

The plan is to drive the bone stock Fusion until the tank runs dry. Along the way team members are running public clinics to help teach people how to drive more efficiently, even if they can’t necessarily match the antics of Gerdes, while simultaneously raising money for the Juvenile diabetes Foundation. While it’s obviously possible to achieve these kinds of lofty mileage numbers in the Fusion, it isn’t something most people will do on a regular basis, but Ford set out to prove it could be done and the team succeeded. Kudos.

Continue reading UPDATE: Ford Fusion Hybrid travels 1,000 miles with 1/3 tank left, team still going

UPDATE: Ford Fusion Hybrid travels 1,000 miles with 1/3 tank left, team still going originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertibles, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Auction Action, Etc., Ford, Special/Limited Editions

According to this eBay seller, this is the only 1967 Ford Mustang ever fitted with a retractable hardtop. As we’ve never seen one before (or one wearing butterfly doors, for that matter), we’ll give the auctioneer the benefit of the doubt.

In any case, this restomod ‘Stang has been comprehensively reworked, including a new Ford Racing 302 crate motor, along with a new Tremec T5 gearbox, a fully reworked suspension and a set of four-wheel discs hiding out under the American Racing Torque Thrust II wheels.

Of the staffers we surveyed here at Autoblog, we’re not crazy about the paint or the doors, but the retractable fiberglass top unit from Mustang Plus is something we can’t help but find interesting, particularly if this conversion was done to a donor car that wasn’t originally terribly collectible (non numbers-matching, etc.). Admittedly the lines of the top don’t blend with the rest of the design as nicely as a stock hardtop’s roofline does, but that’s to be expected with conversions like this. Besides, both the engine bay and the underbody are incredibly sanitary – certainly cleaner than they were the day this ‘Stang rolled off the assembly line.

The seller says that the droptop conversion is something of an homage to a concept Mustang model that Ford originally considered building back in 1967. According to the listing, the Blue Oval invested some $250,000 in exploring the concept, only for it to get nixed by Henry Ford II because it couldn’t be motorized. A quarter century later, retired Ford designer Ben J. Smith apparently devised the system seen here. Be sure to check out the huge gallery of images and the link below… only a few hours left to get your bid in!

[Source: eBay]

eBay Find of the Day: Crazy Horse – 1967 Ford Mustang with butterfly doors and folding hardtop originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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