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Ford highlights new F-650 and F-750 with full-size Tonka show truck [w/videos]

Who among us hasn't been tempted by the prospect of buying a big yellow truck and painting the name Tonka along the side? Well apparently there were some folks over at Ford who were just as tempted, only they actually had the means to make that childhood fantasy a reality in the form of the truck you see here. Revealed at the NTEA Work Truck Show this week in Indianapolis, this Tonka show truck stands nearly 10 feet tall. It's painted bright yellow, just like the one you played with in the sand box (and probably still would given the opportunity and maybe no one else looking) and has a blacked-out nose treatment and special graphics. As you can see, it's also equipped with a working dump bed, and has a truly staggering 33,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating, built to showcase the Blue Oval's new line of medium duty trucks. Of course "medium duty" is a relative term, and the new F-750 is clearly a heavier piece of machinery than the company's own Super Duty pickups, but they're lighter-duty than a proper big rig. The new 2016 Ford F-650 and F-750 are just as tough as the models they replace, but they're now quieter and more comfortable to use. In fact, Ford says its 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel is now 25-percent quieter inside the cabin at highway speeds, 45-percent quieter at idle and 35-percent quieter standing outside in front of the grille. Ford notes that it's the only medium-duty truck manufacturer that makes its own engines and transmissions. That Power Stroke diesel comes with 270 horsepower and 675 pound-feet of torque as standard, but can be upgraded to 300 hp and 700 lb-ft or all the way up to 330 hp and 725 lb-ft. Commercial buyers will also be able to choose between Regular, Super and Crew Cab models with a straight-frame, dock-height or tractor-towing frames, meaning that whatever it is you've got to haul, chances are high that the new Ford F-650 and F-750 can be set up to get the job done.

Ford and Lincoln recall roundup: Explorer, F-350 Super Duty, Aviator

Ford and Lincoln released information on a flurry of recalls this morning. There are three in total, and they span different models and separate issues. Those models include the 2013-17 Ford Explorer, 2020-21 Lincoln Aviator and 2020-21 Ford F-350 Super Duty. We’ll organize these three in order of most cars recalled. 2013-17 Ford Explorer This recall includes a substantial 774,696 vehicles, of which 676,152 are in North America. Why? Ford says these vehicles “may experience a seized cross-axis ball joint that may cause a fractured rear suspension toe link.” The diminished steering control that would follow could increase the likelihood of a crash, Ford states. Only vehicles that spent time in high corrosion states should be affected, Ford says. That means places that lay salt down, experience cold weather and high humidity. Owners of these vehicles will need to take their car into the dealership, where it will be inspected to determine if it needs work. If so, Ford will replace the cross-axis ball joint/knuckle, then replace the toe links with a newly-designed part. Notifications to owners of these vehicles are scheduled to be sent out the week of August 23.  WeÂ’ll note that Ford is reporting six “allegations of injury” related to this issue. For those who donÂ’t live in the high-corrosion states/their car was never registered in those states, Ford is offering a customer satisfaction program in case you were interested in having the work done anyway. 2020-21 Lincoln Aviator Lincoln is pulling back 40,995 new Aviators due to an improperly secured battery cable wire harness. This recall applies to gasoline-only versions of the Aviator, so Grand Touring PHEV buyers neednÂ’t worry. The wire harness may contact the AC compressor pulley due to it being secured improperly. Ford says that over time, the pulley could rub through the wire harnessÂ’ insulation, resulting in a short circuit and ultimately a fire. However, Ford is not currently aware of any injuries or fires related to this concern as of now. When you bring your car in, the dealer will inspect all the parts to determine what needs to be done. Fixes range from a basic tie strap to keep the harness away from the pulley (if it hasnÂ’t made contact yet), to replacement of the wire harness and AC belt if the contact has caused damage. Owners should expect to be notified the week of July 30 if their Aviator is involved in the recall.

Driving the Lincoln Aviator and flogging Abarths at Laguna Seca | Autoblog Podcast #593

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick and Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. To begin, Greg takes a moment to remember the fastest woman on four wheels and former host of Autoblog's "The List," Jessi Combs, who died this week. Then our editors turn their attention to the cars they've been driving, including the Lincoln Aviator, Ford Ranger and Nissan Frontier, as well as Joel's recent stint in the Fiat 500 Abarth and Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, including track time at Laguna Seca. Finally, they turn their attention to a listener in Germany who is looking to replace an aging Volkswagen Eos with a newer convertible in this week's "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #593 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Remembering Jessi Combs 2020 Lincoln Aviator and Aviator Grand Touring 2019 Ford Ranger 2019 Nissan Frontier 2019 Fiat 500 Abarth and 124 Spider Abarth at Laguna Seca Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.