F-150 Lightning Named 2023 North American Truck of the Year™

While acceleration times like 0-60 and quarter-mile times are useful and well-established, the ultimate performance metric for a high-performance vehicle is how fast it can lap the Nürburgring in Germany. Benna Ford is pleased to announce that the Ford Mustang GTD has entered an extremely exclusive club by lapping the “ring” in under seven minutes. Only six production models worldwide can claim to be in the “Under seven” club; the Mustang GTD is the only one from America. The specifics are this: On December 10, 2024, the 815-horsepower Mustang GTD, driven by Multimatic Motorsports driver Dirk Müller, completed the 12.9-mile 73-turn lap in 6 minutes, 57.685 seconds. This marks an achievement of a goal stated by Ford CEO Jim Farley at the Mustang GTD’s debut in August 2023. “The team behind Mustang GTD took what we’ve learned from decades on the track and engineered a Mustang that can compete with the world’s best supercars,” said Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. “We’re proud to be the first American automaker with a car that can lap the Nürburgring in under seven minutes, but we aren’t satisfied. We know there’s much more time to find with Mustang GTD. We’ll be back.” Ford has produced several blisteringly fast Mustangs in the past couple of decades, and some Shelby Mustangs even have greater horsepower than the GTD. However, even they aren’t as race-track-bred as the Mustang GTD. It began with the Ford Mustang GT3 race car, developed by Ford Performance and Multimatic Motor Sports, to compete in IMSA endurance races, such as the 24 Hours of LeMans, 12 Hours at Sebring, and 24 Hours of Daytona. The goal was to create a high-performance production car inspired by and derived from the Mustang GT3. This is a more challenging task than it sounds. Not only do production cars need to meet all manner of Department of Transportation and NHTSA safety standards, but the engine can’t be expected to be rebuilt after every long day of driving, as in a race car. At the heart of the Mustang GTD (taking its name from the GT Daytona IMSA class) is a Ford Performance-engineered 5.2-liter naturally aspirated (non-turbo or supercharged) V8 tuned to achieve 815 horsepower.  The engine features a dry sump oil system to prevent oil starvation on fast curves and is the first dry sump fitted to a production Mustang.  The V8 is paired with an 8-speed dual-clutch transaxle driving and is located between the rear wheels to help produce a 40/40 weight distribution. The chassis features a semi-active suspension with short-long arm geometry up front to handle High-G cornering, while carbon-ceramic brakes slow things down when necessary. Much of the body is made of carbon fiber panels, including the large rear wing, which forms road-gripping downforce at speed. As mandated by the Nürburgring, the production car was fitted with a competition seat with a five-point harness and a roll cage. Ford plans a limited run of about 1,000 Mustang GTDs. With a starting MSRP of about $325,000, it is more than a mere step up from a Mustang GT, so you will unlikely find one in Benna Ford’s inventory. That said, it is a testament to Ford’s engineering prowess and is an example of lessons learned on the track finding their way into production cars.

The Baja 1000 is considered one of the toughest races in the world and is unrivaled as the toughest race on this side of the globe. Consequently, Benna Ford is proud to announce that at the event’s end, both the Ford Bronco DR and Ford Ranger Raptor emerged with class wins. It is difficult to overstate how rugged and punishing the Baja 1000 course can be. This year’s course featured thick silt beds, jagged rocks, hard rain and snow, and Baja’s legendary darkness, which tests the driver’s reflexes as obstacles quickly appear in a vehicle’s light beams. “The Baja 1000 is brutal,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “It pushes every part of a truck to its limits and demands everything from the drivers and teams. This isn’t just about crossing the finish line—it’s about proving that our vehicles can take on and conquer challenges as tough as Baja.” Bronco DR Wins Heavy Metal Class The Bronco DR (Desert Racer) took the win in the Heavy Metal Limited class. It is purpose-built as a desert racer, aimed directly at the Baja competition and similar events. The Baja victory marks its third victory out of three competitions for this year. Driver Brad Lovell and navigator Roger Lovell began the first third of the event, followed by Jason Hutter and Paul Blangsted, who helped secure the DR’s August victory at Vegas to Reno. Jason Scherer and Jason Berger took the checkered flag upon completion of the final leg of the 864-mile race. “This year put an exclamation mark on how brutal Baja is,” said Brad Lovell, who has piloted the DR at all races. “It’s said it’s the toughest race in North America, and I do believe that’s true. Having been involved with Bronco DR testing for quite a while, I always wanted the opportunity to race it here in the 1000—it’s what we designed it for, it’s where we made it spirited, lively and fun. To understand Bronco’s legacy in Baja and be part of it is overwhelming. Bronco is utilitarian, a jack of all trades, but it has a special spirit and place in Baja.” Lovel is undoubtedly referring to the Bronco known as “Big Oly,” driven by Rod Gall and Larry Minor. In 1969, it was the first 4x4 vehicle to win the Baja 1000 outright, a feat usually achieved by motorcycles. Ranger Raptor Wins Stock Mid-size Class Possibly even more impressive is the showroom-stock mid-size class win by the Ranger Raptor. The vehicle is far closer to stock than the vehicles in the Heavy Metal class. It meets SCORE’s Stock Mid-sized regulations, which allow only very limited performance and durability enhancements. Driver Loren Healy and navigator Eric Davis started the competition before turning it over to John Williams III and Nate Williams, who drove for the middle section. Bailey Campbell and Bryan Crofts took it across the finish line. Racing as Research “Baja threw everything it had at us this year,” said Loren Healy. “We fought some trials and tribulations last night, but this amazing Ford Performance team put everything—their whole hearts and souls—into this, in the dark, in the cold, in the rain. I’m really proud of everyone here.” The Ranger was equipped with a MoTeC data acquisition system to collect critical performance data during the race. “One of our top priorities is always to gather as much data as possible, and we see so much varied conditions here that helps that,” said Brian Novak, North American Off-Road Program Manager. “We’ve taken insights from this program to enhance our durability testing process. When we take this truck back to Dearborn, we’ll analyze every piece and part in detail to see what we can do to make our consumer trucks better.” Racing improves the breed. You can see for yourself by test-driving the Bronco, Ranger, and Ford’s other 4x4 stars at Benna Ford.

Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) programs offer used car shoppers a welcome bridge between the lower cost of used cars and the product confidence in a new car. An extensive inspection program backed up by a manufacturer’s warranty is common among these programs. The manufacturer operates most CPO programs, and much of the actual legwork is done at the dealer level.  Outside the inspection and warranty, the programs vary by what other benefits they offer, which vehicles qualify as CPO vehicles, and other program details. Which CPO models have the greatest value is something that automotive industry data and analysis firm Vincentric has taken it upon themselves to discover. Benna Ford is proud to inform you that they like Ford’s CPO program and CPO models very much. Vincentric is a privately held automotive data compilation and analysis firm that has made a name for itself in measuring vehicle cost of ownership using eight factors: depreciation, fees and taxes, financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, opportunity cost, and repairs.  They have been judging the value of CPO programs and vehicles for 12 years.  For 2024, they voted on Ford Company as having the brand award for the Best CPO Value in America in the Truck and Van categories.  Individual Ford models earned Vincentric CPO awards in six additional categories.  It is also worth noting that in all cases, the brand and its models have earned this award multiple times.  Here is the complete list of Ford’s Vincentric Best CPO awards: Ford – Best CPO Value in America: Truck Brand category (fifth time, second consecutive) Ford – Best CPO Value in America: Van Brand category (ninth consecutive) Ford Maverick ® Hybrid – Best CPO Value in America: Small/Mid-Size Pickup segment (second consecutive) Ford F-150® Lightning ® – Best CPO Value in America: Full-Size 1/2-Ton Pickup segment (ninth time for F-150) Ford Super Duty ® F-250 ® – Best CPO Value in America: Full-Size 3/4-Ton Pickup segment (second time) Ford Super Duty ® F-350 ® – Best CPO Value in America: Full-Size 1-Ton Pickup segment (third time) Ford E-Transit™ 350 – Best CPO Value in America: Large Cargo Van segment (seventh time for Transit) Ford Expedition ® – Best CPO Value in America: Large SUV segment (fifth time, third consecutive) "Vehicle cost of ownership is important to our customers,” said Jim Baumbick, Vice President, Ford Product Development Operations and Quality. “Earning Vincentric’s CPO Value Awards for our trucks, vans, and SUVs is a testament to our engineers and their dedication to designing durable, cost-effective vehicles that help minimize operating costs to help hold their value over time.” Ford’s dominance in these awards shouldn’t be surprising, as these are all areas where Ford excels. Ford has been America’s best-selling truck manufacturer and the best-seller in commercial vans and commercial vehicles for 39 consecutive years. New or used, private or commercial, you can’t go wrong with a Ford truck or van, and you will find them at Benna Ford.