2008 Ford F450 Super Duty Crew Cab 4x4 Power Stroke Dually 80k Miles on 2040-cars

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The tricky business of octane, power, and MPG

Given tepid green-car sales numbers this year, consumers in the US aren't making the transition away from internal combustion engines too quickly. Regulations are still mandating cleaner emissions, though. In addition to downsizing and turbocharging, there's growing consideration about moving to higher-octane fuel to improve overall efficiency. In a new report, engineers at FCA, Ford and General Motors Powertrain are showing that it could work, too. The major advantage to higher-octane fuel is that it supports higher compression ratios. That in turn can lead to more power from burning the same amount of gas. "Higher ethanol content is one available option for increasing the octane ratings of gasoline and would provide additional engine efficiency benefits for part and full load operation," the researchers write in the study's abstract. The authors even think it could be possible to update some modern vehicles' engine calibration to be optimized for the better gas. While the benefits are there, we still have a long way to go before higher-octane fuel becomes a national standard. According to Green Car Congress, 87 percent of the gas sold in the US is regular grade 87-octane. Meanwhile, premium 91-93 octane makes up just 10 percent. The various grades of fuel illuminate even more annoyances with the current system. For example, Ford generally recommends 93-octane for EcoBoost engines, and the power outputs that the company publishes are based on using it. However according to Green Car Reports, such premium gas is very difficult to find in some regions of the US, especially along the West Coast. The powertrains still run on lesser grades but with lower power output. The researchers' discussion of possibly increasing ethanol in gas also comes during a heated debate on the substance. The current administration is pushing for less of the corn-based fuel in the coming years. Although, several presidential hopefuls might be favor of reversing that course.

Ford readying 2015 F-150 drift truck for SEMA

Between the Mustangs you'd find in Formula D and the Fiestas in the Global and World rallycross championships, there's no shortage of Ford drift cars on the scene. But at the upcoming SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the Blue Oval automaker intends to show off a different kind of drift machine.
Created in collaboration with driftmeister Vaughn Gittin, Jr., this custom F-150 has been designed for "on- and off-road capabilities, as well as drifting and jumping." It's got a suspension with components from Kibbetech King and Air Lift Performance to give it 12 inches of travel and comes packed with 5 Recaro seats. Other details remain limited, but if the rendering above is anything to go by, it ought to be pretty awesome.
Alongside the Gittin truck, Ford will also be showcasing another F-150 designed together with freestyle motorcross rider Brian Deegan, packing the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine and a long list of enhancements. Between these two trucks, Ford hopes to extend its winning streak for the Hottest Truck award that it's taken four years running now. Feel free to read more in the press release below.

Second-tier UAW workers promoted for first time after Ford hits quota

The United Auto Workers put out a statement on Friday that 55 Ford workers chosen by seniority would be moved from the Tier 2, entry-level pay rate of around $19 per hour to the Tier 1, non-entry-level rate of about $28 per hour. One of the stipulations in the 2011 UAW-Ford agreement was that only 20-percent of the total hourly workforce could be paid the Tier 2 wages agreed upon in 2007; after that, those workers had to be moved to Tier 1. Even so, the new Tier 1 status makes them less expensive to Ford than veteran Tier 1 workers because they receive fewer benefits. However, Automotive News had reported that same day that Ford was 69 workers shy of the limit, and when AN asked Ford about the situation Ford said it had "some room" on the entry-level roster. If workers do move to the higher pay grade, it will be the first time that's happened since the two-tier system was agreed. But it sounds like there's going to be some haggling between the UAW and Ford before that happens. Ford is the only one of the Detroit 3 automakers to have to work with a cap, since it didn't go through bankruptcy proceedings during The Great Recession; General Motors and Chrysler jettisoned the cap in 2009. GM is said to have 16 percent of its hourly workers at Tier 2 while Chrysler has 42 percent, but Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has long been opposed to the two-wage system. The UAW is preparing for its 2015 negotiations with the US automakers. It wants to eliminate the difference in pay by going to the higher scale, if there is a consensus among automakers it seems to be that they also want a single wage, but less than the higher scale, with the addition of profit-based bonuses. The recent statement from the labor union is below. UAW President Dennis Williams and UAW-Ford Vice President Jimmy Settles announced today that the union is delivering on its promise to convert workers DETROIT, Jan. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- UAW President Dennis Williams and UAW-Ford Vice President Jimmy Settles announced today that the union is delivering on its promise to convert workers making entry-level wages to traditional employees. "The 2011 UAW-Ford agreement allows for a contractual limit of entry-level employees. Once that threshold is surpassed, entry-level employees convert by seniority to 'regular, non-entry level employment.' At this time, fifty-five UAW-Ford workers will receive the wage increases, which put them in the category of non entry-level employment.