Ford Edge, 2011 3.5l V6 Sel W/ Leather Am/fm Cd, Sync And Ford My Touch on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2021 Ford F-150 Raptor vs. 2021 Ram 1500 TRX | How they compare on paper

Yep, the F-150 Raptor is back, though you'd be forgiven for not noticing that it ever left. Ford's off-road model is taking a few months off to accommodate the broader 2021 F-150 redesign from which it benefits. And the fine folks over at Ram took full advantage of that lull to launch the new 702-horsepower TRX, which in one big way (hint: it's the engine) stands at the top of the performance pickup heap. Ford says that's all going to change in 2022, but for now, the Raptor returns with a familiar 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 (albeit with an unspecified power figure) along with several other revisions to Ford's tried-and-true formula. The 2020 Raptor was already a worthy adversary to the beefy Ram despite the latter's definitive power advantage, so how has that picture evolved for 2021? Let's take a look.    Powertrain This is a big question mark for the Ford right now, but it seems reasonable to expect a bit more than the outgoing model's 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. The TRX's Hellcat-sourced powerplant needs no introduction. Its 702 horsepower will easily eclipse whatever Ford has planned for its 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, even if the V6 has more grunt than it did before, but that's OK. It's not the base-model Raptor's job to dethrone the TRX in straight-line speed; that honor will go to the 2022 Raptor R. We also don't know what the Raptor's fuel economy will be like, but we suspect it will be better than the TRX's, if only slightly.  Both these trucks come with four-wheel-drive standard, and they both have a number of drive modes that alter the powertrain’s characteristics depending on the terrain. Baja mode transforms the trucks into the desert runners that they both are at heart, but theyÂ’re plenty capable of crawling around rocks, too. We wonÂ’t know for certain which is best at specific tasks until we can get them both on (or off) equal ground. Suspension / off-roading capability And the ground is where things narrow significantly, both on- and off-paper. The specs are freakishly similar when we compare ground clearance, approach/departure angles and water fording, but the Raptor's leapfrog here is clearly evident. Both trucks utilize a coil-sprung rear suspension now, with Ford having abandoned the Raptor's previous leaf-spring setup with the redesign.  The two use different shocks to handle 100-mph-plus desert running.

Detroit 3 and UAW could create healthcare pool

Healthcare costs continue to multiply in the US with no clear end in sight, but the United Auto Workers and the Big Three are negotiating a way to rapid growth under control. As part of the latest contract talks, the union has an idea to create a healthcare pool across all of its members at Ford, General Motors, and FCA US. If accepted, the company-wide integration would spread out the expenses and create a massive member base for bargaining with insurance companies. Both Ford and GM are at least considering the proposal, according to The Detroit News, and FCA US might be on board, as well. The idea is the work of current UAW president Dennis Williams and is based on the similar pool for the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association for retirees. "I've walked through this several ways; I just don't have any other answer," Williams said to The Detroit News. "I do believe this will work. It's worked with the VEBA." Williams was elected UAW president last year and won by an overwhelming margin. He vowed no more concessions to automakers. In addition to healthcare, the two-tier wage system is another major talking point in the contract negotiation because it gives fewer benefits to entry-level workers. Higher wages are also a request. Healthcare costs are a massive expense for automakers and are expected to reach over $2 billion this year, according to The Detroit News. The payments are up nearly 50 percent or more in just the last four years.

'Born of a Blue Sky' brings the Amelia Island Concours to you

The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance has more clout every year and is getting a reputation as Pebble Beach minus the madness. Held in March this year, it celebrated Ducati and the 50-year anniversaries of Lamborghini, the Corvette Sting Ray, Porsche 911 and the Ford GT40.
Justin Lapriore was there, and seemingly everywhere, getting footage of the various wares on display on the lawns and the sand and the runway. The resulting video, Born of a Blue Sky, is a 16-minute survey of some of the finer sights and plenty of engine sounds. Check it out below.