Built Ford Tough?

A 2016 Ford Super Duty prototype was vaporized in a spectacular fire and explosion in Death Valley.

Little is known about the cause but the pictures reveal the model was undergoing testing when a fire broke out on the driver's side of the prototype. The fire quickly spread and the truck was fully engulfed in flames within three minutes. The truck then exploded and was reduced to a pile of molten steel and aluminum after 21 minutes.

Ford is investing the cause of the fire but thankfully both engineers escaped without injuries.
As we have previously reported, the 2016 Super Duty is expected to follow in the footsteps of the 2015 F-150 by adopting a stronger and lighter frame as well as aluminum body panels. The model could also come equipped with more fuel efficient engines but nothing is official as of yet.

The all-new 2015 F-150 continues to set the standard for the future of trucks. Boasting more new Ford technology patents and/or patent applications than any truck in Ford’s 111-year history. The 2015 Ford F-150 – the toughest, smartest and most capable F-150 yet.

Ford has announced the 2015 F-150 will feature a seamless sliding rear window.

Designed to improve "looks and functionality while reducing components and manufacturing complexity," the seamless sliding rear window consists of two pieces of glass instead of the usual three pieces which are separated by vertical seams. When the driver presses a button, the inner window slides to the passenger side and creates an opening.

The company says the design reduces weight - because it uses fewer components - and helps to improve the rear defrost function.

This doesn't sound terribly exciting but Ford body mechanisms manager, Noah Mass, says it's "another great example of the intricate detail that goes into producing the next-generation F-150, setting it apart from any pickup on the market today.”

The new F-150’s structured look features squared-off edges, shapes and surfaces that convey confidence, capability and work readiness. Yet these elements also work together to allow F-150 to slip through the air more efficiently.

Ford has allowed four truck customers to get behind the wheel of the all-new F-150 pickup truck and offer feedback about its durability.

The four truck customers were selected from more than 15,000 submissions, with each entrant describing how he or she would test the toughness of the new F-150. Each of the four selected truck customers has tested a 2015 F-150 Lariat 3.5-liter EcoBoost 4x4 in different regions of North America. The truck has been tested on military-intensive off-road trails in the desert, has hauled rocks, towed hay bales and transported supplies on a distance of more than 900 miles (1,448 km).

The first video features Brian Schober, a systems engineer for military vehicle testing, in Yuma, Arizona. He put the F-150 through a series of off-road tests in the Arizona desert – some of which are used for the military vehicles he tests. The prove the F-150’s durability, the truck was driven for 36 straight hours on a rugged 10-mile loop, which included rock crawls, sand washes and suspension challenges in triple-digit temperatures.

“I work at the U.S. Army proving grounds where I drive approximately 350 miles a day on gravel and dirt roads, hauling parts and people. I’ve gone through my fair share of vehicles. We currently rent a 2013 F-150 and consider it a workhorse. With a new F-150 on my radar for my next vehicle, the 2015 looks like it will do the trick,” said Schober.

Scroll down to see how the 2015 F-150 handled the first customer’s durability test – just don't expect to hear anything bad about the new truck as this is a Ford-endorsed video.

During anti-glare testing in the Lighting Lab, which boasts 6,000 watts of lighting and a planetarium-like dome, Ford tested prototype F-150s under a full variety of simulated lighting conditions.

Cars.com Patrick Olsen tries out Ford's class-exclusive technology in its new F-150: Park Assist with a 360-degree camera and sensors that help with parallel parking.