SVTPerformance.com

Ford Adds 550 New Jobs to Expand Expedition Production

DEARBORN, Mich., March 19, 2019 – Ford Motor Company will again boost production of its hot-selling Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator this summer as both vehicles continue to gain share over their competitors in the large SUV segment.

Surging demand for Expedition and Navigator is driving an increase in production of 20 percent at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville. Retail sales of the Expedition eight-passenger SUV surged 35 percent and it gained 5.6 percentage points in market segment share last year. Expedition’s average transaction price increased $11,700 and is now $62,700. Navigator sales grew 70 percent in 2018 from 2017, to 17,839 sold, giving Navigator its best sales year since 2007...

SVTP's "Man on the Ground" Perspective of NMRA Bradenton 2019

Let me guess, if you're on the East Coast and live anywhere north of Georgia you're sick of winter at this point. I know I'm ready for it to warm up a bit. Luckily, the weather in Bradenton, FL was fantastic for the Annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout last weekend. That race is always a welcome break from the chilly boredom of winter, and an opportunity to hang out with friends you haven't seen for a few months.

That's what always sticks in my mind about any NMRA race, the since of camaraderie. You'll see guys locked in a battle to climb through the standings offering help to their competitors to keep running. I personally saw a racer loan a fuel pump to a another racer he was going to have to face in the next round. Shit like that helps restore your faith in humanity...

New Color | Grabber Lime | Coming to a 2020 Mustang Near You

DEARBORN, Mich., March 15, 2019 – Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Ford is unveiling Grabber Lime for the 2020 Mustang. More potent than krypton-ite, this high-impact green inspired by a vintage Mustang color from the 1970s is sure to leave other muscle cars green with envy.

“It’s lime green on steroids,” said Barb Whalen, Ford color and materials manager. “This color traces back to a Mustang heritage color while bringing it forward with more modern, dynamic pigments and bold new energy...

2020 Shelby GT500 Air-Flow Spaghetti Models and More

When the 2020 Shelby GT500 goes on sale later this year, it will be the quickest-accelerating, most aerodynamically advanced street-legal Mustang ever, thanks to virtual testing in supercomputers and 3D printing.

Borrowing best practices from more than a century of racing, Ford Performance designers, powertrain and aerodynamics engineers functioned as a virtual racing team to test hundreds of designs both digitally and physically. They used state-of-the-art digital and additive manufacturing prototyping tools as part of a mission to make the ultimate, most advanced performance street-legal Mustang of all time...

Raptor Road Trip - What it's like to drive 1,500 Miles in a 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor

Saying that Ford Performance's F-150 Raptor is a serious off-road capable machine is nearly a cliché at this point. Aside from a minor amount of competition from Ram's Power Wagon, no other factory pickup comes close to matching the Raptor's trail thrashing bona fides. And while The Truck Formerly Known as Dodge is quite impressive; the Raptor can basically perform 90% of its low-speed feats as well, if not better, than it can. However, the Ram can't even come close to matching the Raptor's high-speed performance. None of this is earth shattering news though. We've all seen and read those stories for nearly a decade now. You know what you don't see a lot of people talking about? - What it's like to have a S-Crew Raptor as a...

Spy Shots—Mustang Hybrid Mule or Just a Minor Facelift?

Is this a mule for the Mustang hybrid? According to sources familiar with the Blue Oval, it’s highly likely that’s what this is. This Mustang mule was caught testing with two other Mustangs with identical camo, another GT and a Bullitt.

As with earlier Ford powertrain mules (F-150 hybrid camo’ed front, F-150 diesel camo’ed bed), Ford has strategically camo’ed just the A-pillar forward on this vehicle. The only real change that can be seen is the placement of the foglights, which appear to sit a couple inches higher on the front fascia. Around back, there are virtually no changes, just a hacked-up lower rear fascia with some testing tips...

Ford Introduces All-New F-600 Super Duty To Continue Dominance in the Commercial Market

Indianapolis, March 5, 2019 – Ford is adding new engines, greater connectivity and smart new driver-assist technology across its commercial vehicle lineup – on everything from the vans that deliver our food to the plows that clear our streets to the utility trucks that restore our power after a storm.

First up, America’s truck leader introduces the all-new F-600 Super Duty chassis cab, a medium-duty truck with the right size, power and technology to tackle the toughest jobs. F-600 delivers the capability of a Class 6 truck – including a maximum GVWR of 22,000 pounds – in a familiar Class 5 Super Duty package. With F-600, customers no longer have to choose between a truck that doesn’t have enough payload to carry all the...

2020 Ford Transit Van Adds AWD and Two New Engines

New and improved powertrains are designed to meet a wide range of customer needs including advances in fuel efficiency. The all-new 3.5-liter PFDi V6 is the new standard gasoline engine. It features port fuel and direct injection for improved efficiency versus the outgoing 3.7-liter engine. An available all-new 2.0-liter EcoBlue® bi-turbo I4 diesel engine is more fuel-efficient and offers more power and torque than the outgoing 3.2-liter diesel engine. It is equipped with Auto Start-Stop and is quieter than its predecessor. Customers can also choose the proven 3.5-liter EcoBoost® gas engine, which now includes Auto Start-Stop Technology, as well. Both gas engines can be ordered with dual 250-amp alternators to provide a robust power supply for upfit equipment.

Video | SVTP Tours Livernois Motorsports

It's no secret that I've long been a fan of Livernois Motorsports in Deaborn, MI. Dan and the guys run one of the most complete and capable shops in the domestic performance industry. As you'll see in the video below, with the exception of body work Livernois can pretty much do it all. Not only do they turn wrenches and tune, they also develop and manufacture some unique high performance parts. If you're looking for some 3V Cam Phaser Lock-Outs[/URL] or a Coyote Cam Timing Control Kit, Livernois is the place to go.

So when the Livernois crew invited me over to give you guys an inside look at their facilities I couldn't RSVP quick enough. I mean, where else are you going to find a shop with 4 Chassis Dynos and that also develops its own tuning software? In fact, we happened to catch Dan testing out a new...

Ford's 450HP 7.3L 'Godzilla' V8 | Inside Info & Spy Pics | Where's the Direct Injection?

It's safe to say that there's some excitement around the release of Ford's New 7.3L Godzilla V8 Engine. Let's face it, no one really expected to see a brand new pushrod V8 engine design from Ford Motor Company in 2019. We here at SVTP did our best to bring you the insider info we uncovered during the 7.X's development, and now that it is here we can share with you some of the "behind-the-scenes" materials we were able to dig up and some HP numbers we keep hearing batted around.

So to not bury the lead, we've heard from several sources that the internal goal for the 7.3L Godzilla engine is 450HP. It may come in a little higher or lower, but that seems to be the figure Ford engineers were initially shooting for. No word yet on...

2020 6.7L Powerstroke Diesel Gets Steel Pistons From the Factory

Talk about burying the lead. This is a huge detail that is easily missed. Steel pistons in a diesel are serious business. They can handle way more heat and pressure than an aluminum piston, and are often found in custom built race engines. Here's how Ford decided to announce the change in the 2020 Super Duty Press Release we posted this morning:

"Super Duty’s third-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke includes a new 36,000-psi fuel injection system with all-new injectors that precisely meter and spray up to eight times per stroke to control noise levels and optimize combustion. This innovative inboard exhaust diesel V8 features a...

7.3L Godzilla V8 is Here!!! | Ford Releases the 2020 Super Duty

“With the addition of the 7.3-liter V8, upgrades to our 6.7-liter and the debut of an all-new 10-speed transmission, we are delivering the strongest, most capable Super Duty powertrain offerings yet,” said Mike Pruitt, Ford Super Duty chief engineer.

The 7.3-liter gas V8 engine delivers high performance in a compact package. Based on decades of commercial engine experience, this 7.3-liter is expected to be the most powerful gas V8 in its class – providing durability, ease of maintenance, and the towing and payload capability customers want. It uses an all-new cam-in-block, overhead valve architecture with cast iron block and forged steel crankshaft for maximum durability. Port injection with variable-valve timing optimizes the intake and exhaust to match performance with workloads. Oil...

Livernois Motorsports | Cylinder Head Porting for the Serious Power Addict

It’s safe to say that we’ve all heard that an engine is essential an air pump. That statement is as true today as it was when our hot rod forbearers were installing Offenhauser Intake Manifolds on the Flat-Head V8s in their A-Model Fords. While we might have moved on a bit from a technological standpoint, the basic principles still remain. Moving more air with less resistance allows you the opportunity to make more power, and few shops understand the intricacies of increasing airflow like Livernois Motorsports in Dearborn, MI (Detroit to you and me).

SVTP VooDoo Shirts In Production Today | Shipments Start Tomorrow

Early this morning we got a call from our supplier that our latest design of T-Shirts and Hoodies were going to enter production today. The lead time on these was much longer than typical due to the particular base hoodie we chose being back-ordered. Everything finally arrived and production was scheduled. Wanting to make sure everything went smoothly, I made a trip down to the manufacturer to observe.

New Cummins 6.7L Hits 1,000 lb-ft | Could it be Coming to a Ford Near You?

It was only a matter of time, Ram has become the first truck manufacturer to build a pickup truck to hit four-digits in the torque department. To be fair, about 98% of the credit for that achievement lies with Cummins. For 35 years Cummins has been cranking out the legendary B-Series engines, and for 2019 the 6.7L version has undergone a major update. It would basically be safe to call this engine completely new. While the overall design is basically the same, every major component has been upgraded. That includes; the block, the head, the pistons, the rods, the crank, the turbo, the cam, the lifters, the timing set, the fuel system, etc.

112 Detailed 2020 Predator Shelby GT500 Pics from NAIAS 2019

Obviously, the biggest story to come out of the 2019 NAIAS for the Ford Performance community was the long overdue introduction of the 2020 Shelby GT500 Mustang. In our earlier Intro Thread we let you in on some of the behind-the-scenes info that we had gathered over the past several months. So if you want some performance and power figures that Ford has yet to release.

Now that we are all caught up there, let's get to the topic at hand. After the crowds cleared out from the GT500 display we had time to give everything a closer look. We focused in on the details in this inspection. You'll notice a lot of casting and part numbers, along with a few undercarriage shots. But first, I'd like to start out with a little video we collaborated with the fine folks at Lethal...

It's a Whole New World | 2020 Shelby GT500 | Meanest Snake Yet | How Fast Is It?

It's been a long time coming. For over 5 years the SVTP Community has been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new Shelby GT500 Mustang. We've been speculating what the car might be, and finally we know. On paper, the car looks to be an absolute Monster. She is going to arrive this spring and will be packing a 2650 Eaton TVS Supercharged Cross-Plane-Crank 5.2L V8 cranking out well over 700HP. Ford has told us the engine will come equipped stronger forged connecting rods than those found in the GT350 Mustang; which we've seen churn out ridiculous numbers on a stock bottom-end...

The 2020 Explorer is Here - RWD and 10R80

Ford today introduces its all-new 2020 Explorer – a complete redesign of America’s all-time best-selling SUV – that now features the broadest model lineup ever, more power and space, and smart new technologies to help tackle life’s adventures.

Explorer is now more capable, comfortable, sportier and roomier in all three rows thanks to Ford’s flexible new rear-wheel-drive architecture. The strengths of the all-new Ford Explorer were showcased at a special reveal event for employees, fans, dealers, suppliers, government officials and media today at Ford Field in Detroit, where Ford brought to life how it can help American families get the most out of their road trips. The all-new SUV arrives this summer.

20 Years Later - This 2000 SVT Cobra R is Still Highly Desirable - And Available

I may be telling my age a bit here. but the first Mustang I really remember lusting for was the 2000 SVT Cobra R. I spent countless hours pour over the pages of Motor Trend, Car & Driver, Road & Track, etc. just to absorb every tidbit of information possible about the beastliest of all Modern Mustangs. Friends and family just didn't understand. How could a Mustang with no radio or air conditioning cost over $50,000? We all now know the answer to that.

No Replacement for Displacement | Is it Time for a 5.7L Tall-Deck Coyote???

Let’s face it, the 5.0 Coyote V8 has introduced an era of Ford Pony Car dominance the likes of which we’ve never really seen. The Terminator absolutely crushed the competition in its day, but that was a time where Mustang was really the only active pony car offering. Coyote has had challengers from both Mopar and Chevy during its three (so far) generation run. In the GT class the competition doesn’t really touch if, and when you start adding mods the dominance is even more apparent...