Insane gas prices and declining truck sales have prompted Ford to rethink its plans for its large trucks and SUVs. Ford told suppliers last week to stop work on a 6.2L V8 engine that was going to go into the new F-Series pickups.
The engine was originally planned to go into production as early as next year, but now those plans have been scrapped...well at least for the F-150. It's still uncertain if it will appear in the larger F-Series Super Duty trucks. The V8 was already taken out of the plans for the next-generation Expedition and Lincoln Navigator.
Internally the engine program was known as Boss and was Ford's answer to GM's large displacement V8s. Ford has said that the program is still on but the plans have been scaled back. The displacement of the engine that Ford is working on now, is unknown and will be sold in much lower volumes than originally planned.
It's possible that the Boss name could be applied to a new 5.0L V8 that is rumored for the next Mustang.
Full Story: eGMCarTech
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Ford Delays the Launch of the All-New 2009 F-150
Comments (11)
a great shot for the Ford Annual report cover:
A guzzler from the company that is not out of the woods.
Posted by waldorf and statler | June 23, 2008 6:03 PM
Posted on June 23, 2008 18:03
too bad gas is going to go down
Posted by CKV | June 23, 2008 8:01 PM
Posted on June 23, 2008 20:01
too bad gas is going to go down
yeah you keep tellin yourself that...
Posted by Charlie | June 23, 2008 8:56 PM
Posted on June 23, 2008 20:56
I too believe gas will come down in price. The price increase is a catalist for change, both in attitude and in manufacturing. $4+ gas happened overnight and its because of gas stations taking advantage of the lack of knowledge of the public and investers continuing to purchase commodities so that prices dont fall back to where they should be based on supply and demand. Demand did not increase 40% since Feb, but prices have. That in itself says the law of supply and demand will eventually bring the price of gas back to a more reasonable level.
Meanwhile the public will over-react and make stupid decisions like in an effort to save $600 on gas they will purchase and $18,000 Compact Car.
I however will keep both my L6 and V8. All those that over-react and purchase that 106HP car, please stay out of the fast lane.
Posted by Austin814 | June 24, 2008 10:46 AM
Posted on June 24, 2008 10:46
@Austin, you may be right, that would make this the perfect time to get a beast at a bargain.
Posted by gm0n3y | June 24, 2008 1:11 PM
Posted on June 24, 2008 13:11
@Austin & gm0n3y
Yes, gas prices must be headed down so let's consume more of it. Idiots!
Posted by Eric Schmidt | June 24, 2008 3:36 PM
Posted on June 24, 2008 15:36
So gas prices go down a few cents from 4.01 to 3.97 (U.S avg) and people just automaticly assume it's going to continue to go down? HA.
Posted by SteelCity1981 | June 24, 2008 9:07 PM
Posted on June 24, 2008 21:07
@Eric
No, dont consume more of it, just dont over react and purchase a $18,000 solution to a $600 problem. As the housing / mortgage market floped and the feds lowered interest rates anyone with a brain new that meant oil prices would rise because oil is traded in US $'s so billions of dollars were put into buying oil futures which made oil prices rise further. It may last awhile but it wont last forever. What I'm commenting on is the insane number of people not able to do the simple math that would lead them to the result that its cheaper to drive what you have and lighen up on the gas pedal a little. Top Gear recently ran a Prius against an M3 for 10 laps around their track. The Prius did its best on lap times and the M3 just followed the Prius. The Prius got 17Mpg and the M3 got 19Mpg. Sometimes its more important how your drive then what you drive.
Posted by Austin814 | June 25, 2008 6:20 AM
Posted on June 25, 2008 06:20
Even if gas prices go down, I'm actually happy that people are 'overreacting' and buying more efficient cars. Maybe we need to have an oil crisis ever 5 years or so to encourage people to stop buying F350s and Escalades to drive to work.
Posted by gm0n3y | June 25, 2008 11:40 AM
Posted on June 25, 2008 11:40
Austin, your bringing too many facts to the table and we will have none of that, j/k. Here's another, a 4 cylinder civics' gas prices are not less then a V8 GTO. If people with V6 cars are thinking of buying a V4 car. With that logic don't you think that a person with a V4 car is looking into a scooter now? haha.
Posted by Pepe the Bandit | June 27, 2008 11:10 AM
Posted on June 27, 2008 11:10
The Top Gear test was interesting, but ultimately moot. Who really cares? Set up another test in which both cars drive in stop and go traffic for a while and then compare mileage numbers.
People don't buy Prius's to run them flat out for 10 laps on a track. They buy them to get excellent gas mileage (obviously).
People don't buy M3's to putt around the track after Prius's, they buy them to drive fast and aggressive.
According to "fueleconomy.gov", the estimated annual fuel cost for the Prius is $1335. The estimation for the M3 is $4059 (with mileage comparable to most full-size trucks and SUV's). That's over $2700 annually. A little more than a $600 problem, it seems.
Posted by ofcourse | July 4, 2008 7:35 AM
Posted on July 4, 2008 07:35