T6: Bigger and Better / Ford Aust. Engineering Demands

[jpd80]

T6: bigger and better

LINK

Details of Ford's T6 global light commercial replacement (designed and developed by Ford Australia to replace the current Mazda BT50 and Ford Ranger) are slowly emerging.

 

Those close to the project have hinted that the new model would grow in size, in line with the latest Toyota HiLux and Nissan D40 Navara with its width no longer 'tied' to the Japanese 1.7m width restriction that has defined every Ford Courier/Ranger/Mazda B-series so far.

 

Other 'insider' news indicates it will feature a full chassis and rear leaf springs to meet the work expectations of this type of vehicle worldwide. The challenge currently facing local engineers is to set new ride standards while maintaining a true one-tonne load capacity -- unlike, for example, the D40 Navara which comes in well under one tonne to achieve its softer ride.

 

As for the current model's torsion bar front suspension, one senior Ford engineer said: "I have never wanted to design a torsion bar front suspension and I have no intention of starting now." Hmmm… It seems it's a safe bet that the new "truck", as Ford boss Tom Gorman likes to call it, will feature double-wishbone coil spring front suspension.

 

The engineer also noted the passenger car levels of finish and amenities in the abovementioned Nissan's cabin were a direction he saw as an important development.

This is all good news and looks like the Aussie engineers are building a practical yet tough truck

that most will find quite surprising, especially if it has a cosy interior.

 

Engineering Demands

Like its Holden counterpart, Ford Australia's engineering assets are flavour of the month. With the local team successfully hitting and beating the myriad development gateways of the T6 project, one senior Ford source told CN Confidential that it is increasingly hard pressed to keep up with the escalating demand for its engineering input -- on a whole range of projects.

After these engineering resources were recently boosted to over 1000 personnel, the talent pool is still nowhere near enough, says our source.

 

To meet this demand, Ford Australia has boosted apprenticeships to 50 and attracted several hundred European engineers left redundant from the many rationalizations of the last decade.

 

These engineers bring top-shelf experience when they come from Aston Martin, Jaguar, Bentley and others, often via a German company. Especially important is experience in vital areas such as Euro III and IV compliance.

 

"The arrival of these people and the experience they bring has allowed us to grow much quicker than expected and take on the work which otherwise would have been lost," the senior boffin told CN Confidential.

 

Further down the track, this must consolidate Ford Australia's new role as the Blue Oval's key engineering centre for Asia and Africa. In the current climate of declining large car sales, it's good to hear demand exceeds supply -- even if it's not measured in cars coming down an assembly line.

Maybe Ford Australia is becoming a "skunkworks" for Ford products?

[rkisler]

This is all good news and looks like the Aussie engineers are building a practical yet tough truck

that most will find quite surprising, especially if it has a cosy interior.

Maybe Ford Australia is becoming a "skunkworks" for Ford products?

 

jpd80,

 

This is really good news. I have a high regard for FoA PD, particularly the ability to do more with less.

 

Of course one of the biggest problems is that the PD had previously been tied solely to Falcon and derivatives which led to a wide swinging harmonic in terms of workload. So it was either feast or famine, and it was tough to keep people during the downswing.

 

FoA bid on engineering for many projects, but nothing ever seemed to work out. Now it looks like they have a tiger by the tail!

[jpd80]

Thanks Austin,

I was really blown away with the amount of funding - $1.8 Billion over the next 10 years.

The engineers will be moving ito a new facility early in 2008.

 

2008 Ford Falcon countdown begins

Ford today revealed a series of investments it has made in preparation for the new Falcon, including:

 

a new $27 million research and development centre

a new $55 million stamping plant

a $29 million upgrade of its proving ground in You Yangs

plans to invest $1.8 billion in engineering and development over the next decade, as it builds a new Focus and Falcon and engineers a new pick-up for Asia.

[Ford Jellymoulds]

I never knew so much was going on down in Aussieland you learn something new every day, do you think the Mondeo will help your sinking sales pick-up a bit JPD.

 

[Edstock]

Good news indeed. The extra size, especially width, of the new Ranger replacement is exactly what the truck needs for the NA market. OZ engineers are as good as any and better than most — over 40 years ago, they even managed to turn the old BOP aluminum V-8 into the Repco F-1 championship engine.

[jpd80]

I never knew so much was going on down in Aussieland you learn something new every day, do you think the Mondeo will help your sinking sales pick-up a bit JPD.

Thanks Ford Jellymoulds,

The Launch of the new Falcon next year will put local production right again, the Falcon needed to be refreshed last year for the Zeta based Commodore but due to delays the BF II Falcon staggered on.

 

The Mondeo is a cracker of a car but FoA had a bad launch, only 160 available at launch nation wide!!!

Seems numbers are incredibly tight due to UK demand (RHD) putting the squeeze on available stock,

Aussie models needing small changes for our Australian Design Regs didn't help either.

New Zealand did better but their mondys are un modified.

 

Good news indeed. The extra size, especially width, of the new Ranger replacement is exactly what the truck needs for the NA market. OZ engineers are as good as any and better than most — over 40 years ago, they even managed to turn the old BOP aluminum V-8 into the Repco F-1 championship engine.

 

Thanks Edstock, you're one of the few who remember the early Brabham efforts.

 

Our insider info is saying the Aussie engineers are doing a ripper of a job on the the new Truck,

all the niggly PIA stuff that set the Mazda based Thai Ranger below the American Ranger is being

addressed and engineered out whilst making the truck comparable in size to the new Hilux/Tacoma.

If the cab is as cosy as a Falcon or Territory, it's going to win a lot of friends for sure!I think Ford

 

Australia is being shown a lot of trust, on the back of years of innovation on shoestring budgets,

their engineering skills are reknown through the company and now they have over 1,000 engineers

working for them, more projects are coming their way.

[Bob Rosadini]

Hard to believe! Some good news with respect to Ranger. And lets hope it truly is a "truck" instead of some yuppie featherweight. Leaf springs??? A good sign! Again a segment that Ford owned but then neglected. Remember it was not that long ago that in the list of top ten selling vehicles Ford had ranger, Taurus, 150, and Explorer.

 

Only bad news in the post was no mention of a RWD sedan.

[jpd80]

Don't get your hopes up Bob, but depending on the job FoA Engineering does with the T6,

their next job may be the GRWD platform but no one is saying a darn thing yet.

Edited December 16, 2007 by jpd80

[GT40 2]

By worldwide they mean everywere but NA right?

[jpd80]

By worldwide they mean everywere but NA right?

T6 is still a 'Project' that is still incomplete and has to be submitted for approval as a platform.

 

T6 is the replacement for Mazda BT50 and Thai Ranger only and was awarded before Mulally was hired.

Mulally's dislike for duplication may have changed the plan but no one has any confirmation of this.

I am not sure what they will do for North America but it seems silly to develop a really neat replacement

Ranger/SUV for the rest of the world and disregard North America as a potential market.

 

Either way, every stakeholder needs to be onboard now if they want to replace all Rangers.

Edited December 16, 2007 by jpd80