It takes money to make money. A company that’s been in business as long as Ford knows that. Which explains why the automaker is pumping $500 million into its Lima, Ohio engine plant so that it’s set up to produce the 2015 F-150’s new 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6.
There are several reasons why this investment should pay off.
-This year, 57 percent of F-150 buyers have opted for 6-cylinder power, from either the naturally aspirated 3.7-liter unit or the 3.5-liter EcoBoost.
-Retail V6 light-duty truck registrations have increased more than six-fold since 2010. Ford’s F-150 has enjoyed a 91 percent share of that action.
-In the past three years, the Blue Oval has moved more than 2 million EcoBoost-equipped vehicles into customer garages.
-Almost half a million F-150s have been sold with the 3.5L version of the fuel-saving power plant since 2011.
-About 20 percent (100,000) of the cars and trucks Ford sells every month around the world have an EcoBoost badge on them.
The new 2.7-liter mill will bring things such as a durable, lightweight compacted graphite iron/aluminum engine block and fuel-saving Auto Start-Stop tech that’s smart enough not to shut off the motor when the next-gen F-150 is towing or in four-wheel-drive to the EcoBoost portfolio. Its production will also mean 300 new jobs and the “renovation of 700,000 square feet … for machining and assembly functions” at the Lima Engine Plant.
When the 2015 Ford F-150 lands in dealerships late this year, it will be available with EcoBoost motors in 2.7- and 3.5-liter capacities, a fresh 3.5L regular V6 or a tweaked 5.0 V8.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
