雖然福特一直不斷打造綠色形象，但這并不意味著他們忽略了關(guān)注車輛性能的市場(chǎng)。在2015年北美國(guó)際車展上，福特推出了皮卡Raptor（猛禽）與Shelby Mustang（野馬）GT350 R的新版本，并首次推出了全新福特GT超跑，可謂賺足了觀眾眼球。
這款讓人目眩的GT超跑，是對(duì)福特原版賽車GT 40的現(xiàn)代版全新詮釋。原版GT自1966年起稱霸勒芒24小時(shí)耐力賽，曾經(jīng)勇奪四連冠。新版GT將于明年作為2017版車型正式投產(chǎn)，同時(shí)也將成為明年勒芒大賽的比賽用車，以此紀(jì)念GT 40首次跑贏法拉利50周年。熟悉這一項(xiàng)目情況的工業(yè)工程師們向《汽車工程》透露，新版GT將交由總部位于安大略萬(wàn)錦市（Markham）的摩緹馬蒂工程（Multimatic Engineering）公司打造。該公司在碳纖維組件制造方面經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富，并且與福特賽車（Ford Motorsport）有著長(zhǎng)期合作關(guān)系。
新版GT為中置引擎／后輪驅(qū)動(dòng)，配有一體式碳纖維底盤（monocoque chassis）和20英寸輪胎，使用3.5升雙渦輪增壓Ecoboost V6發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。福特的工程師們承諾，它將為7速雙離合自動(dòng)變速傳動(dòng)系提供超過(guò)600馬力（447千瓦）的動(dòng)力。這款發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)從福特用于代托納（Daytona）原型機(jī)的賽車型V6上吸取了寶貴經(jīng)驗(yàn)。
值得注意的是，作為車展上福特展臺(tái)的主角，這輛車凝聚了大約12個(gè)月的研發(fā)成果。更令人印象深刻的，也許是在這樣一個(gè)幾乎人人都可以隨時(shí)拍照并且上傳網(wǎng)絡(luò)的時(shí)代，福特的保密工作居然能夠如此滴水不漏，沒(méi)有一張照片被泄漏到網(wǎng)上，直到1月12日在北美國(guó)際車展上（NAIAS）正式揭幕，才讓世人見(jiàn)到了它的真面目。設(shè)計(jì)副總監(jiān)Moray Callum表示，車輛采用將每一條后擋泥板與車頂相連的飛拱造型，以及產(chǎn)生下壓力的機(jī)翼幾何元素，目前外觀設(shè)計(jì)“大概完成了95%”。
采用如此復(fù)雜的外觀設(shè)計(jì)，是對(duì)運(yùn)用計(jì)算機(jī)輔助功能，提高空氣動(dòng)力學(xué)效率，以及加強(qiáng)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)性能的一次很好的操練。根據(jù)全球性能交通工具總工程師Jamal Hameedi的解釋，車輛中冷器被并入了受到F1賽車造型影響的后擋泥板前緣，其向車輛后部噴射的熱氣通過(guò)尾燈中心排出。設(shè)計(jì)中還加入了一個(gè)活躍的多軸后擾流板，在完全縱向伸展后能夠同時(shí)提供下壓力與拖曳力。
新版GT的前后鋁制支架由碳纖維管連接，前懸架呈推桿型布局，并且使用碳陶瓷剎車片與Brembo卡鉗。車門能夠向上開(kāi)啟，從而使上下車空間達(dá)到最大。駕駛艙內(nèi)的兩個(gè)座位不可調(diào)整，與整個(gè)復(fù)合艙融為一體（integrated into the composite tub）。踏板與方向盤可通過(guò)電動(dòng)方式調(diào)節(jié)，儀表板也是可以重新組裝的。
該車搭載高性能V6發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)，其一大特點(diǎn)是采用了同時(shí)配備對(duì)噴（port-facing）和直噴（direct injector）的雙燃油噴射系統(tǒng)。福特工程師表示，雙噴射系統(tǒng)中的兩個(gè)噴油器都能使用較小的噴嘴，從而在各種駕駛條件下更精準(zhǔn)地控制燃油流量。相比之下，若僅使用大孔噴嘴，雖然在需要時(shí)能夠增加噴油量，但控制的精準(zhǔn)性會(huì)大打折扣，在需要較低的燃油量時(shí)尤其是如此。
在未來(lái)幾個(gè)月中，《汽車工程》將繼續(xù)報(bào)道更多有關(guān)GT的開(kāi)發(fā)過(guò)程、技術(shù)應(yīng)用與賽前準(zhǔn)備的內(nèi)容。
全新鋁制猛禽（Raptor）皮卡
猛禽也許是在F-150基礎(chǔ)上改裝的車型，但是其全新第二代車型繼續(xù)成為了福特高性能家族中十分引人注目的一員，并被看作是F系家族中的“光環(huán)（halo）”，福特卡車營(yíng)銷部經(jīng)理Doug Scott表示。新猛禽沿用了F系列家族中其他兄弟們一貫使用的鋁制車身，并首次采用了強(qiáng)度更高的鋼制框架。車身比前一款輕了500磅（227千克），減重程度不及F-150（700磅/318千克），因?yàn)楦Ｌ卦诿颓萜たㄉ?ldquo;加了”一些重量，以實(shí)現(xiàn)額外的功能，并搭載更牢固的車身框架。
和GT一樣，新猛禽使用的也是3.5升EcoBoost V6發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)，動(dòng)力比之前車型所使用的，按SAE標(biāo)準(zhǔn)計(jì)算動(dòng)力為411馬力（307千瓦）的V8發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)更加強(qiáng)勁，Scott如是說(shuō)。他還透露，這一新款發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)還配備了真正的雙排氣系統(tǒng)。另外，盡管排量沒(méi)有增加，但雙渦輪增壓V6發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)本身幾乎是全新的，只沿用了少數(shù)原先采用的部件，而V6將逐步全面引入未來(lái)的車型。在新猛禽上還首次實(shí)現(xiàn)了福特與通用聯(lián)合開(kāi)發(fā)的全新行星齒輪10速自動(dòng)變速器的應(yīng)用，該變速箱以一種創(chuàng)新的方式與新型雙速分動(dòng)箱整合在一起。
與先前僅使用兩輪驅(qū)動(dòng)（2W）、低速四驅(qū)（4L）和高速四驅(qū)（4H）的車型不同，新猛禽增加了基于不同離合器運(yùn)行狀態(tài)的全時(shí)四輪驅(qū)動(dòng)（AWD）模式。然而，當(dāng)車輛自動(dòng)進(jìn)入4L或4H狀態(tài)時(shí)，系統(tǒng)也會(huì)像駕駛員可選裝置一樣，機(jī)械化地鎖定檔位。當(dāng)系統(tǒng)感知到合適的負(fù)載狀態(tài)時(shí)，2WD模式同樣也是駕駛員可選（driver-selectable）的，或者非常接近這種狀態(tài)。而所匹配的分動(dòng)箱則是由博格華納（BorgWarner）為猛禽皮卡專門設(shè)計(jì)的。
猛禽的地形處理系統(tǒng)有六種模式：沙礫路面、公路路面、運(yùn)動(dòng)、標(biāo)準(zhǔn)、巖石攀爬和“baja”（如在沙漠中高速行進(jìn)）。而這些模式并非通過(guò)旋鈕切換，而是顯示在儀表板上供駕駛員選擇。
新猛禽比F-150寬6英寸（152毫米），懸架更長(zhǎng)，有Super Cab和Super Crew兩個(gè)版本。新車型擁有F-150的全部安全性能，包括自適應(yīng)巡航和車廂照明（cargo box lighting），以及全景行車記錄儀。
新車型還沿用了Fox高性能越野賽車減震器，但將活塞規(guī)格從先前的2.5英寸（64毫米）增加到了3.0英寸（76毫米）。
野馬（Shelby Mustang） GT 350 R繼續(xù)采用V8發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)
保留了V8發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的福特高性能型新版野馬Shelby Mustang GT 350 R，隨時(shí)準(zhǔn)備起跑的極簡(jiǎn)主義之作。在這款車上，福特不但省去了后座、音響、后備箱底板與地毯、備用行車記錄儀、排氣共振器，還放棄了空調(diào)，甚至連補(bǔ)胎液和打氣筒也一并舍棄了。新野馬采用碳纖維車輪，與鋁制車輪相比可以減輕約50磅（23公斤）的重量，整車比前一款車型輕了130磅（59公斤）。
5.2升V8發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)是新野馬的一大升級(jí)之處，按SAE標(biāo)準(zhǔn)計(jì)算可提供超過(guò)500馬力（373千瓦）的動(dòng)力。為這款發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)配備的是Tremec 6速手動(dòng)變速箱。V8是福特使用的首個(gè)水平曲軸發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)（詳見(jiàn)http://articles.sae.org/13709/），也就是說(shuō)，其曲軸銷呈180º，而非呈傳統(tǒng)十字曲軸發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)中的90º。氣缸點(diǎn)火雙側(cè)交替工作，從而能夠減少?gòu)U氣脈沖的同時(shí)發(fā)生，加上對(duì)氣閥機(jī)構(gòu)校準(zhǔn)與氣缸蓋的調(diào)整，使得這款高端發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)通風(fēng)性能有所改善。
GT350 R的車身設(shè)計(jì)，包括經(jīng)過(guò)改造的前飾板，導(dǎo)管式發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)托架（ducted belly pan），還有后擾流板上的微妙邊緣設(shè)計(jì)，都能夠增加下壓力。懸架則使用了不斷演進(jìn)（continuously variable）的MagneRide（BWI集團(tuán)的鐵粉液電控減震系統(tǒng)），據(jù)稱反應(yīng)速度只需10毫秒，能夠保證高性能運(yùn)行的需要。
Ford’s ongoing development of a green image does not mean ignoring the performance market, and at the 2015 North American International Auto Show it introduced new editions of the Raptor pickup and Shelby Mustang GT350R, and dropped a genuine bombshell with the debut of the new Ford GT supercar.
First the head-spinning GT, which is a thoroughly modern interpretation of Ford's original GT40 factory race car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four consecutive years beginning in 1966. The new GT will enter production in street trim next year (as a 2017 model) as well as serve as Ford's platform for a Le Mans effort next year—marking the 50th anniversary of the GT40's first victory over Ferrari. Industry engineers familiar with the program tell Automotive Engineering that the new GT will be built by Markham, ON-based Multimatic Engineering, which has extensive experience in carbon fiber component manufacturing and enjoys a long relationship with Ford Motorsport.
Featuring a mid-engine/rear-drive layout and carbon-fiber monocoque chassis and 20-in wheels, the GT is powered by a 3.5-L twin-turbocharged Ecoboost V6 that Ford engineers promise will deliver more than 600 hp (447 kW) to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The engine benefits from learnings gained from Ford's racing V6 used in Daytona Prototype-class machines.
Remarkably, the show car represents approximately 12 months of development. Perhaps even more impressive in an era where nearly everyone carries a mobile camera with internet capability was Ford's ability to keep the car secret—not a single leaked web photo emerged—until its NAIAS unveiling on January 12. The show car's overall exterior form, with its flying buttresses that connect each rear fender to the car's roof and feature a downforce-generating airfoil geometry, is "about 95% finished," according to VP of Design Moray Callum.
The complex exterior is an exercise in careful computational work aimed at making the car aerodynamically efficient as well as enhancing engine performance—intercoolers integrated into the leading edges of the F1-influenced rear fenders eject hot air toward the rear of the car, exiting through the taillamp centers, explained Jamal Hameedi, Global Performance Vehicle Chief Engineer. The design includes an active, multi-axis rear spoiler that provides both downforce and drag when it deploys to full vertical extension.
The carbon-fiber tub connects to aluminum subframes front and rear. Front suspension is by a pushrod-type arrangement. The show car wears carbon-ceramic brake rotors and Brembo calipers. The car's doors swing upward to open to optimize ingress and egress. Inside the cockpit the two seats are non-adjustable, being integrated into the composite tub. The pedal cluster and steering wheel are electrically adjustable, however, and the instrument cluster is reconfigurable.
The high-performance V6 features a dual fuel injection system with both port-facing and direct injectors. Ford engineers said dual injection permits use of smaller nozzle injectors in each of the two systems to more precisely control the fuel flow under all conditions. This contrasts with simply using injectors with larger holes, that would allow the increased fuel flow necessary but would lose precision, particularly when low fuel flow rates are commanded.
Automotive Engineering will provide further reports of the GT's development, technology, and race preparation in the months ahead.
All-new aluminum Raptor
The Raptor may be based on the F-150, but the new second generation continues to be a full-fledged member of the Ford high-performance family and serves as the "halo" of the F-Series family, according to Doug Scott, Truck Marketing Manager. The new Raptor gets an aluminum body like its F-Series cousins and a new higher-strength steel frame. The vehicle is about 500 lb. (227 kg) lighter than the previous model, vs. 700 lb (318 kg) for the F-150, as Ford “gave back” some weight on the Raptor to provide additional feature content and upgrade the frame.
Like the GT, the new Raptor is powered by a 3.5-L EcoBoost V6 that makes more power than the previous model's SAE-rated 411 hp (307 kW) V8, according to Scott. A true dual exhaust is part of the new engine package. Although the displacement is unchanged, the twin-turbo V6 itself is almost all-new, Scott said, with only a handful of carryover parts. It will be phased in across the board. This is also the first application of the new 10-speed planetary automatic that Ford is developing jointly with GM. The transmission is mated to a new two-speed transfer case with a novel integration of its operation.
Unlike the previous model with just 2WD, 4L and 4H, the new Raptor adds an AWD that is based on variable clutch operation. However, when the system automatically goes into 4L or 4H, like the driver-selectable gearing it mechanically locks into position. The 2WD mode is driver-selectable or is very close when the system senses an appropriate load condition. The case is a BorgWarner design, exclusively for the Raptor at this time.
The Raptor gets a terrain management system with six modes: sand, on-road, sport, normal, rock crawl and "baja" (as in high-speed desert operation). Unlike others that are selectable by a turn knob, the Raptor's appears on the cluster for driver to make a pick.
The vehicle is 6.0-in (152 mm) wider than the F-150, has more suspension travel, and will be available in a Super Cab and Super Crew. All the F-150 safety-convenience features, from adaptive cruise to cargo box lighting and 360º camera also are available on the Raptor.
The Fox high-performance off-road racing shocks continue, but the new Raptor specs a larger piston size: to 3.0-in (76 mm), from the previous 2.5-in (64 mm).
Shelby Mustang GT 350 R keeps a V8
There is one new Ford performance variant, however, where the V8 remains king: the Shelby Mustang GT 350 R, a track-ready model that reflects a truly minimalist approach. Ford took out the rear seat, stereo, trunk floorboard and carpet, backup camera, exhaust resonators, even the tire sealer and inflator, and of course deleted the air conditioning. It is equipped with carbon fiber wheels, alone saving some 50 lb (23 kg) vs. aluminum, and the car is 130 lb (59 kg) lighter than the previous model.
A major upgrade is the new 5.2-L V8, which will be SAE-rated at over 500 hp (373 kW). It’s mated to a 6-speed Tremec manual. The V8 features Ford’s first flat-plane crankshaft (see http://articles.sae.org/13709/), which features crankpins spaced at 180º rather than 90º on a conventional cross-plane crank. Cylinder firing alternates from one bank to the other, which reduces overlap of exhaust gas pulses. In conjunction with changes to the valvetrain calibration and cylinder head, the result is improved high-end engine breathing.
The GT350 R's body is designed for increased downforce, starting with a reshaped front fascia, plus a ducted belly pan and a subtle lip on the rear spoiler. Suspension is by continuously variable MagneRide (BWI Group's electronically-controlled damping with iron-powder-filled fluid), with a claimed 10-ms response time for high-performance operation.
猛禽以高性能EcoBoost V6發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)代替V8發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)，可謂是福特高性能家族中，F(xiàn)-150系列的“光環(huán)”車型。
福特2017版全新碳纖維GT超跑，將充分利用強(qiáng)勁的EcoBoost V6發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)，達(dá)到動(dòng)力極致。這款車是為2016勒芒24小時(shí)耐力賽特別打造的，以紀(jì)念福特首次跑贏法拉利50周年。
Track-ready Shelby Mustang GT 350 R remains a V8, and is built without such accoutrements as A/C, stereo, rear seat, etc. to save weight.