2011 Ford F250 Powerstroke Super Duty

The Powerstroke was completely redone for 2011. The Super Duty line received a large exterior upgrade that included a new, much bigger and meaner looking grill. Its engines were also upgraded to better compete with the new Silverado HD and Ram HD.  It won Popular Mechanics best workhorse of 2011, and the best "Gear of the Year" in the trucks category as well. The pickup has been a big hit since its release and has overall been very popular. This comes to no surprise because Ford has been the number one seller for pickups for over the past twenty years.

The 2011 Ford Super Duty is available with either a gas or diesel engine. The gas options are an E85-capable 6.2 L 2-valve SOHC V8, which puts out 385 horsepower. The gas engine in this is new for this year but the new diesel engine has been creating a reputation of its own already. The diesel is the new 6.7 Liter Powerstroke, producing 400 hp and 800 lb·ft of torque. This diesel engine is the first diesel engine that is 100% produced by Ford, and its a huge success. Unfortunately, the new pickup is only offered with an automatic transmission. This transmission is the Torqshift 5R110, which is creating a reputation for outstanding pulling performance. Overall, the new 2011 Ford F250 Powerstroke is is a modern day workhorse.

2000 Honda S2000

The Honda S2000 is a roadster that was manufactured by the Japanese based Honda Motor Company. It was launched in April 1999 and was created to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary.  The S2000 is named for its engine displacement of 2 L, or 2000 cc's (cubic centimeters). The S2000 was introduced in 1999 for the 2000 model and was given the chassis designation of AP1.  It featured a front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout with power being delivered by a F20C inline 4 cylinder DOHC-VTEC engine producing 240 hp. The engine is backed by a six-speed manual transmission and Torsen limited slip differential.



It features a rigid X-bone frame which Honda claims improves the vehicle's rigidity and collision safety. The hood was made out of aluminum to save weight and the car had a 50:50 weight distribution. A 50:50 weight distribution keeps the amount of weight put to the ground the same for each tire, vastly improving its handling.  The compact and lightweight engine is mounted entirely behind the front axle, to keep more weight towards the center of the vehicle in an effort to keep a 50:50 weight distribution. The Honda S2000 is the common man's import sports car. It's affordable and fun to drive mostly due to all of the design efforts Honda put into handling. The car really is a modern sports car.

Ford F150 Raptor SVT

Released in late 2009 as a 2010 model, the Ford F150 Raptor was the first of its kind. It was released as a vehicle dedicated to mostly off-road use. The SVT (Special Vehicle Team) department's goal was to over develop the Raptor to make as stout off road pickup as possible. The pickup comes standard with Fox Free Floating Racing Shox with external fluid reservoirs that provide the Raptor with 11 inches of travel in front and 12 in the back. It comes stock with very low 4.10 gears in both the front and rear differential. The rear differential comes with an electronic locker that is designed to hold up well at high speeds. The front differential comes with a Torsen Helical Gear limited slip differential. On top of well-built axels, they come stock with 35 inch BF Goodrich tires to help make this an off-road ready pickup.

The Raptor comes with a 6.2 liter, fuel injected v-8, punching out 411 horsepower off the crank. The engine also puts out an astounding 434 ft. pounds of torque. Only in 2011, did Ford make this engine standard. It was also offered before with a 5.4 liter Triton v-8, which was the base engine option in all other F150 4x4's. This choice was made because the 5.4 Triton didn't match the performance of the rest of the pickup. I just wasn't enough. The 5.4 liter was rarely chosen anyway as an option for the Raptor so it made sense all around to remove it. The Ford Raptor is currently the only Baja Race style pickup on the market. Its ultra-high performance is what makes it a Raptor as well as a capable off road machine.

2011 Subaru WRX STI

The 2011 Subaru WRX STI is a perfect example of a modern sports car. It has many features that most cars just aren’t found together. The first big feature that all Subaru’s have is the symmetrical all-wheel drive. What that means, is that all of the tires are having power given to them all the time, as opposed to just the front or back like most vehicles. A modification to only the STI's, is that they come with a switch to make only the back wheels have power running to them. This is for extreme driving purposes such as drifting. The WRX STI's are available with two different turboed motors. The smaller motor produces 265 horsepower and the larger high performance motor produces 305 horse power.

The motors that come in the Subaru are known as a Boxer engine. What makes these engines so different as well as superior is the stroke position of the pistons in relation to the crank. Most engines are typically found in inline or v designs. The inline style has all of the pistons lined up vertically over the crank, so they are very efficient. However, they also consume up a large area of space due to their length. The v design has half the pistons at about 30 degrees from vertical while the other half are found 30 in the other direction. The v design allows for much more pistons to be allowed in a smaller space solving the issue of the inline motor. There is one flaw, it cannot be as efficient because of the orientation of the pistons is not parallel. The Boxer motor solves both of these issues. Its pistons are positioned horizontally on each side of the motor, saving much and in theory are much more efficient. The 2011 Subaru WRX STI comes from a line of dependable, very well designed vehicles and is no different in its search for quality in the sports car category.

Eagle Talon

The first generation Talon was released in mid-1989 as a 1990 model and ran through 1994. It was created through a joint operation between Chrysler Corporation and Mitsubishi Motors. It was a joint 50/50 corporate venture known as Diamond Star Motors, or DSM. This is why many enthusiasts refer the car and its similar counterparts as DSM's. The Talon was sold under the Eagle marquee, a brand developed by Chrysler to compete with Japanese rising number of imports in the late 1980's, after purchasing American motors, also known as AMC. This allowed the Talon to be produced in other versions under a different brand like the Mitsubishi Eclipse and the Plymouth Laser. The compatibility between these cars has produced groups who refer to them solely as DSM's.

The first generation Talon was released in mid-1989 as a 1990 model and ran through 1994. This era of DSM vehicles is commonly referred to as the first generation, or "1G" for short. The first generation of Talons built before 1992 had "6 bolt" engines. "6 bolt" refers to the number of bolts connecting the flywheel to the crankshaft. The second generation, or "2G," Eagle Talon was introduced in 1995 simultaneously with its Mitsubishi Eclipse counterpart. All 1G Talons built after April 1992.5 received a freer revving "7-bolt" engine, which was a vast improvement. By November 1998, the Talon was the last model in the shrinking Eagle lineup and the rarest Talon model year. Because of the slowing sales, the Chrysler management decided to stop promoting the Eagle brand and in 1998 stopped production of the Eagle Talon all together. The last one rolled off the assembly line on February 10, 1998.

The Ford GT 40

In an effort to compete with Ferrari in the Le Mans circuit, Ford created the GT40. It was created following Ferraris winning 6 years in a row up to 1965. The GT40 took its rein in 1966 and won the 24 hours of Le Mans for 4 years strait. It threw Ferrari off of its thrown in its shocking debut. The car was named the GT for grand touring and the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches as required by the rules. Large displacement Ford V8 engines such as the 4.2 liter, 4.7 liter and 7 liter were used compared to the Ferrari V12 which displaced 3.0 liter or 4.0 liter. During its years of production, it was sold in four different versions. They were called the Mk I, Mk II, Mk III, and Mk IV for short. Although they had subtle differences between them they all dominated the European racing circuit throughout the late 60's.

Out of the engines that were used in the GT 40, none has been more famous than the 5.0 liter. The 5.0 liter engine was not originally 302 cubic inches, but started out much smaller. It started life as the 4.7 liter, 289 cubic inch small block. To turn it into a 302, it had to be bored out to fit larger pistons. Along with the pistons, larger yet thinner rings, different heads were needed to convert it and to produce higher compression. Higher compression ratios gave the engine more horsepower. Soon after, Ford started producing the 302, or 5.0, in regular production vehicles. That basic 302 block was used up until 1995, still keeping a competitive edge with more modern engines.

1985 Ford Ranger Diesel

In 1985, Ford had released the Ranger with a new engine option that could only be special ordered. What made this engine different was that it was a diesel. From 1983 to early 1985, Ford had already offered a 2.2 liter Perkins diesel engine, which was carbureted and very underpowered. The positive of the 2.2 liter was that it could reach over 40 miles per gallon. But due to its lack of power, it was very unpopular and gave diesel rangers a bad reputation. In 1985, Ford changed the diesel motor to a slightly larger 2.3 liter Mitsubishi turbo diesel engine. This motor was far more advanced than the 2.2. It created nearly three times the power of the 2.2 and still averaged around 30 miles per gallon. Despite the engine change for the ranger diesels, the damage was already done and very few were sold. The last diesel ranger was produced in 1988 due to the redesign of the ranger.



There were other options that were changed along with the new engine in 1985. The diesel ranger was now available in four wheel drive, and was no longer backed by a limiting 4-speed manual transmission. It now came standard with a manual 5-speed overdrive transmission, which greatly improved the top speed. The biggest improvement with the engine was the fact it was turbo charged. This means that the engine uses the force of the exhaust to spin a spool, that in turn pressurizes and forces more air into the engine. More air in the engine means more power. In order to turbo the engine, it required a fuel injection system. Fuel injection eliminated any idle problems along with many performance issues due to change in elevation that caburated engines struggled with before. Over all, the 1985 Ford Ranger Diesel was a far improvement over many small pickups of the time, and is a very rare pickup today.

2011 Ford Mustang GT

In 2011, Ford introduced an all new, redesigned Mustang. Unlike in earlier years, this redesign was completely different than any that had come before it. Earlier redesigns had been focused on either body design, or a new drive train. It was very rare to have them both redesigned in a single year. This year, Ford started with a clean slate and introduced a fully redesigned Mustang from the ground up. The new car has been a hit with many Mustang enthusiasts, bringing back many styling cues of the early mustang. The all new Mustang GT is proving itself as one of the greatest modern muscle cars today.

The biggest new feature that was introduced in the Mustang is the all new Coyote motor. Ford decided to bring back the mustang heritage by introducing an all-new 5.0 liter motor, or 302 cubic inches. Up until 1995, Ford had used a 302 motor in all of the GT's. This new motor was completely different though than earlier 5.0 liters, it was fully redesigned from the ground up and shares only the name with its predecessor. It's a fully aluminum, V-8 block, that was designed by Ford Racing, and is capable of producing 412 horse power stock. This is a vast improvement over the modular, 4.6 liter, V-8 that was found in the GT's just a year earlier. The 4.6 liter motors only produced 315 horse power, which is considerably less in comparison to the new Coyote. The new GT's are backed by a 6-speed standard transmission, with a 3.31 ratio, limited slip, rear differential. With these features, the all new, redesigned, 2011 Ford Mustangs are the beginning of a new era in modern muscle cars.

1979 Ford F250 HighBoy

In 1979, Ford was ending the last year of a major era in pickups. In 1980, Ford was releasing an all new line of pickups.  The body and design of the pickup had been barely changed since 1973, with the exception of a different front grill design that was introduced in 1978. The 1979 F250 Highboy, had only two big block motor options for 1979, the 400 and 460 cubic inch motors. Although the 400 and the 460 were the only engines offered the last year, many other engines had been offered in earlier years in this body style. Engines such as the 360 and 390 big blocks, are known for their longevity. The F250 was offered with either an automatic or standard transmission. The automatic transmission was a c-6, which is a three-speed with overdrive. The standard transmission was a regular wide ratio four-speed.

The 1970's Ford pickups are known for their toughness and longevity. During the 1970's, Ford was one of the first automakers to start using galvanized sheet metal in their vehicles. Galvanized steel, which is steel with a coating, prevents the likelihood of rust occurring. This decision increased the quality of all of Ford's pickups to the point that in 1976, Ford took the title of selling the most pickups in the country that year. It is a title that Ford has retained since. In 1979, the F250 as it was known was ending forever. After that year, Ford pickups were never so purpose built for sheer toughness and strength. It was the end of an era.

1999 Ford F250 Powerstroke

In 1999 Ford redesigned their f-series pickups from the F250 and up, but excluded the F-150 in the redesign because it underwent one in 1997. The body of the pickup was a new start in comparison to the earlier F250's. A couple new features were included in this body design that became innovations in heavy-duty pickups. A big innovation was the mirrors. The new mirros could extend out from the pickup, if need be, to provide greater visibility for pulling trailers. Along with the mirrors, the front of the doors were cut out for greater visibility of the mirrors and the road. These subtle details made a big difference improving the visibility for the driver, especially while pulling trailers. The F250 was now new and improved.

While there were many new to the industry features, Ford changed some existing features for the better. The already used 7.3 liter turbo diesel, which is known for its longevity and reliability, was modified to have an inter-cooler. An inter-cooler is like a radiator for the pressurized air coming from the turbo, cooling it before it goes into the engine. Cooler air means that the air is denser, which means that more horsepower is produced. Another change that was made was the removal of the TTB independent front suspension. TTB stands for twin traction beam, and had been standard in Ford pickups since the 1980's. The TTB front suspension had many design flaws that made it hard to align the front differential for proper tire wear. Ford replaced it with a stronger, Dana 90 solid front axel, even though it was older technology. The 1999 Ford F250 Powerstroke, in my opinion, is one of the best and long lasting work pickups created.

1994 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel

In 1994 the Chrysler Motor company released a much needed redesign of its entire pickup division. The result was a much more modern and sleek looking pickup, but still had many qualities of its predesessors. One major decision that the company made, was to keep the solid front differential, as opposed to changing to a type of independent front suspension. The purpose of this was to show that their focus of the redesign was not just the ride and comfort of the vehicle, but to show the continued brute strength that the pickup was known for. Both Ford and Chevy had already turned to a indenpendent suspension system at this time. The biggest feature that was continued from the earlier Dodge diesels was the engine that they used. Only a 5.9 liter, inline 6 cylinder engine, the Intercooled Cummins twelve vavle was a legendary work horse thats known for its capability to pull, while still being able to get descent fuel economy. This engine has become iconic to Dodge pickups.

After the new design was relaesed, it was a hit. The Ram 2500 was much more modern and sleek in comparison to its earlier design. The pickup was offered in either a automatic or standard transmision. The new standard transmisson was the NV4500. Its has become known as one one of the strongest and longest lasting standard transmissions in the Dodge pickups. The NV4500 is known to have only one major issue that commonly occurs at high mileage. The lock ring behind fifth gear commonly unscrews during heavy shifting. The automatic transmission is just a normal 4-speed automatic, which was an improvement over the 3-speed automatics that were used earlier. The Dodge Ram 2500 with the Cummins twelve valve was one of the best workhorses that's ever been produced.

The 1995 Ford Mustang GT

The 1995 Ford Mustang GT was the last of an era for the Mustang. Due to new laws requiring all cars to be electronically controlled, Ford had do away with its 302 cubic inch small block motor that had come in the Mustang since 1979. It was the last pushrod motor to be used in the GT model. The car came stock with either the tremec T-5 standard transmission or c-6 automatic transmission. Off the showroom floor, they came with only 225 horse power, but the 302 block (also known as the 5.0 liter), is very well known to be easily modified to create much more power.

The new era of the Mustang that came from this is the overhead cam v8.  Only a 4.6 liter, it created large amounts of power for its size. Between the loss of the 5.0 and the complete body redesign, in 1996 the Mustang GT was unrecognizable compared to the earlier generations of Fox body Mustangs. This new era may have been brought on by legislation, but was much needed. Many people had the opinion that Mustang was falling behind in technology, and some believed the car to be serverly underpowered. Some were sad in this change, but many welcomed it. The major thing it signified is loss of not only needing wrenches to work on your car, but a laptop as well.

This Blog

This blog will be about giving descriptions and features of many different cars and pickups. These vehicles will be from  both today and yesterday.