2011 Ford F-350 Super Duty Lariat King Ranch Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

Gallery: OC 2009: 2011 Ford Super Duty

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Gallery: SEMA 2008: Ford pickup concepts

SEMA 2008: Ford pickup concept gallery originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gallery: 2005-2007 Ford Super Duty

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Ford to keep truckin at Super Duty plant despite International strike originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Ford Super Duty Trucks at 2007 SEMA Show

Continue reading SEMA Preview: Don't forget about Ford's Super Duty

SEMA Preview: Don't forget about Ford's Super Duty originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With gas prices at record highs, Ford's heaviest and biggest trucks, the F-350 models and F-450, are surpassing all sales expectations.

The decked out Lariat and King Ranch variations of the F-350, as well as the F-450, are going gangbusters, with the King Ranch up 53-percent over last year, while the Lariat is up 30-percent. Overall, both models are leading their segment. With options topping $17,000 and sticker prices exceeding $60,000, the truck's decent sales are likely a breath of fresh air to the incentive-prone automaker.

Ford has more to brag about in its lighter trucks -- the F-250 also continues to be the top seller in its segment, and the F-150 historically has been one of Ford's most important vehicles behind the Taurus, set to relaunch this fall.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Ford Super Duty seeing super sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jun 2007 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

2008 Ford Super Duty: Big truck, mini-site originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Oct 2006 07:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Texas site of 2008 Ford Super Duty and 6.4-liter Power Stroke unveiling

Texas site of 2008 Ford Super Duty and 6.4-liter Power Stroke unveiling originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Aug 2006 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford employee chases spy photographer in 2008 F-250 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week we saw a picture of a heavily-camouflaged 2008 Ford Super Duty; this week brings additional shots of vehicles in more revealing livery - something that looks more like Mossy Oak. The sharp eye of Chris Doane found three examples - a single-rear-wheel truck, a dually, and a medium-duty flatbed - undergoing hot-weather testing in the desert.

The most obvious change is in the area of the headlights, with these vehicles sporting lamps that look much like the Ford Tonka concept of several years ago. The hood has a less-prominent budge than the current Super Duty, and the front fenders appear flatter along their upper edge. The openings in the front bumper appear to be larger and the grille has grown in height, likely to accommodate the increased cooling needs of a more powerful twin-turbo diesel. Those who tow trailers on a regular basis will likely appreciate the mirrors, which appear to be only slightly smaller than the average billboard and carry relatively large turn signals.

A peek at the interior shows some styling cues from the contemporary F-150, but it's hard to say what trim level we're seeing. A final assessment will have to wait until all the pieces are in place and the data acquisition equipment is removed.  

[Source: Pickuptruck.com]

Spy Photos: 2008 Ford Super Duty originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Spy Shots: 2007 Ford F-350 Super Duty originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jun 2006 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When a new Ford Power Stroke diesel comes along in 2007 to replace the current 6.0-liter model, it may represent the first use of piezo injectors in a pickup truck. The Siemens-built injectors should help International's 6.4-liter twin-turbo meet upcoming emission standards while also improving upon its predecessor's spotty reliability record, as well as giving the Blue Oval oil burner an European-like level of technological sophistication.

The injectors work via the piezoelectric effect, as the name might hint. They use a small disc of quartz-like crystalline material that deforms when subjected to a high-voltage low-current source, which provides the injector opening and closing action. With cycle times as low as 0.2 milliseconds, such injectors are several times faster than conventional solenoids, which in turn is said to allow up to seven injector events during each compression stroke. The precision of each injector is also increased, with injector-to-injector variation of only a few percent.

All of this adds up to a significant improvement in emissions and fuel economy, but at a price; piezo injectors are reportedly up to twice as expensive as the traditional solenoid-based squirters. With the average pickup truck diesel engine carrying a $5,000 premium, we're guessing that there's plenty of room in the budget.

[Source: Automotive News/Autoweek]

New Ford Powerstroke to use piezo injectors? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Jun 2006 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Those waiting to do a spot of stump-pulling with Ford's revamped 2007 Super Duty pickups will have to hold their horses a little longer. The fortified F-Series trucks won't hit dealers until January, despite internal plans to release it in the fourth quarter of 2006. As a result, the Blue Oval's profit-rich big boys likely won't reach the market ahead of rival General Motors' revamped heavy-duty variants of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the delay has something to do with quality measures on its new diesels, among other issues.

Regardless of the reason for the holdup, analysts are predicting that the push-back will likely hurt Ford's earnings for 2006.

[Sources: Detroit Free Press; Inside Line]

Ford's Super Duties delayed until calendar 2007 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 May 2006 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The pending replacement of Chevrolet's full-size pickup for 2007 has been well-documented with a few million grainy spy shots, but this is the first time we can recall seeing the new-for-2008 Silverado HD out and about.  And while most of the KGP Photography captured mule is done up in industry-standard Hefty Bag school of camouflage, it's possible to divine a couple of things: With an 8' bed, it's a predictably lengthy son-of-a-gun. And two, under its hastily-assembled cover, it doesn't appear to look terribly different than the regular strength Silverado.

As Inside Line points out, arch nemesis Ford is planning on further differentiating their heavier duty variants of the F-Series platform, and the existing production versions are already far more visually distinct than their General Motors counterparts.

Which stylistic strategy do you find more appealing? Which will garner consumers' attention in the showroom showdown?  Make your predictions in 'Comments.'

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

Snapped! 2008 Chevrolet Silverado HD originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 May 2006 14:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, the fuse has been lit on the 2006 installment of the splendiforously-titled Tire Rack Cannonball One Lap of America presented by Car & Driver (better known as 'One Lap'), and as usual, your trusty Autoblog contact is on the scene. We had high hopes for 'live-blogging' the Cannonball Run offspring this year via daily updates, but circumstances have conspired against us.  At any rate, for those not terribly familiar with the event, here's the (kinda-sorta) quick and dirty:

Brock Yates, patron saint of modern American automotive journalism and founder of the original 'Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash,' created a weeklong national road rally in 1984 for gearheads and their hangers-on. In its original incarnation, the event was a bleary-eyed run around the perimeter of these United States. In more recent times (1992-present), One Lap has evolved into a more sophisticated setup that sees racers drive from racetrack to racetrack around the country (the route changes each year), with stops at major and minor tracks along the way. The race is essentially a 'rung whatcha brung' event in which cars of wildly varying description and capability duke it out in different racing venues for overall and in-class wins. The beauty of One Lap is its simplicity-- if you can find a state willing to slap a license plate on it, it's okay by Brock. Racers must attend a couple of track day schools and meet certain rudimentary safety standards (helmets, SFI-rated firesuits, etc.) and run on tires purchased from title sponsor The Tire Rack, but everything else is essentially fair game.

Entrants test the durability of their rides, their backsides, and their mental states not only with long transit stages, but also a good cross-section of events -- everything from road courses to ovals to drag strips. Transit stages on public roads are not timed or scored events, though generally there is at least one passage control along the way to keep things 'on the level.' By way of example, a few years ago, One Lappers were treated to a dirt oval, proving once and for all that auto afficianados haven't lived until they've seen a Lamborghini Diablo spraying muddy roostertails up over the catch fence.

Click through to the jump for more One Lap of America, including dozens of photographs!

Continue reading Autoblog Travelogue: 2006 One Lap Of America

Autoblog Travelogue: 2006 One Lap Of America originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 May 2006 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Not content to let the newly-redesigned Super Duty rest with only five trim levels, Ford has announced two more for the late May start of 2007 production - the Lariat Outlaw and Lariat Highline.

Available only with the Powerstroke 6.0L diesel, the black monochrome Outlaw is designed to attract the sort of disobedient bad-asses who buy $50,000 trucks. Leather-covered captain's chairs keep prospective Young Guns comfortable, and there are a set of chrome step bars in case they've got trouble making a big single leap into the cab. Tinted windows are included to hide all those law-breaking activities from the authorities.

The Highline, available with all three options, adds to the already long list of standard Lariat equipment by adding an all-black leather interior, brushed aluminum trim, and a billet grille that is larger than most garage doors.

Ford's full press release is posted after the jump.

[Source: Ford Motor Company]

Continue reading Ford dresses up the Super Duty Lariat with Outlaw and Highline packages

Ford dresses up the Super Duty Lariat with Outlaw and Highline packages originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 May 2006 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.