We kicked it off a several weeks ago by asking you to share photos of creative ways that you’ve packed your vehicle for a trip. And you responded with pics of stuffing the trunks of Mustangs, stacking the rear of your favorite Ford SUV and frankly being way more creative than we imagined. A sample of some the photos submitted are in the slide show shown above.

Now we’re looking for photos that show the world where your Ford has taken you. Send us one from a recent trip or dig through those photo files for an image from your favorite adventure. Then head to the Ford Facebook page to submit your photo! Come back later to see if you picture was selected.

While you’re there, you can click on the left and right arrow buttons near the photo to see the adventures that others have shared. Click here to visit the Ford Facebook page to get started!

This kind of cold work includes putting the hotly popular EcoBoost® engine through the paces. “Customers buying the 2.0-liter I-4 EcoBoost will expect torque of a V-6 with the economy of a smaller, more efficient engine,” explained Dan Badger, Ford Powertrain Integration Supervisor. “Our testing helps ensure that they won’t see a noticeable difference in performance in even the coldest weather.” It also means Ford engines and transmissions are designed to withstand years of wear and a wide range of operating temperatures typical of freezing winter mornings and cook-an-egg-on-the-ground summer afternoons.

Want the scoop on secret testing? One is called “Deep Thermal Shock”; an engine is cooled to -22 degrees for fifteen minutes, then started and idled for one minute. It is then accelerated to horsepower peak speed for 14 minutes so the manifold heats to the point of glowing cherry red. The engine is then shut off and cooled back down to -22 degrees. This cycle is repeated for 100 to 200 hours.

And more secrets: “We test in Bemidji, Minnesota, or Yellowknife in the Canadian Northwest Territories, where it’s painfully cold. You take a glove off and in five seconds you can’t feel your fingers,” Dan explained. “Testing in extreme conditions helps the calibration team answer vital questions such as, ‘Are we getting the cold start times correct? Is the throttle body icing? Are we going through blizzards and seeing snow ingestion that we didn’t get in wind tunnel testing?’ We want protect customers in a worse-case scenario and deliver the best experience possible when they step on the accelerator pedal.”

Another example of advanced technology that is ready to take on the thermostat is the Focus Electric. Extreme temperatures can affect battery performance and reduce the range of electric vehicles. The range will not be impacted as much with a liquid-heated system compared to an air system. The Ford active liquid-cooling and heating system regulates the temperature of the lithium-ion battery packs, which are designed to operate under a range of ambient conditions. The battery is able to provide additional power and longer range, and is preconditioned after charging, in all cold temperatures. “A liquid-heated battery can accept a charge faster from the regenerative braking that recaptures kinetic energy and sends it back to the battery, essentially providing longer range for the customer in real world cold weather conditions,” said Sherif Marakby, Ford Director of Electrification Programs and Engineering. “Additionally, since acceleration in an electric vehicle comes from the power available in the battery, the customer will have more power available if the battery is warmer.”

“The 2.0L EcoBoost was previously tested in Europe when it was launched in the Mondeo. They had initial feedback and we made design changes to the throttle body,” Dan noted. “We had a lot of learning by the time we got to the Explorer and the Edge testing here. The One Ford philosophy really promotes continuous improvement. Our team here applied what was learned in Europe to our new products, then turned around and shared what we learned. And it keeps going.”

And you don’t have to limit yourself to one adventure either. Upload photos from various travels and expeditions!

Head to the Ford Facebook page to submit your photo, and then come back to see if you picture was selected.

The interaction between the students and working professionals brought insight to both groups, and gave them a window into the ideas, philosophies and priorities of each other. The session focused on colors, materials and trends, but also covered business aspects as well.

The students were able to talk openly with the Ford design leaders, and learn more about their work and potential career paths, while they gained insight into real-world projects.

In addition to meeting with Art Center students, these Ford design leaders also worked with EcoStiletto to create the “EcoStiletto to the Metal: Sustainable Design Media Salon,” at the historic Farmer’s Daughter Hotel in Los Angeles. You can read more about that and watch a video from that experience at Fashion and Automotive Design Meet to Talk About Sustainability.

We got a firsthand demonstration of the app from Brian Petersen, MyFord Mobile Platform Engineer for Ford at CES. He walked us through the key features of the app and how it can help customers maximized the benefit of driving a Ford Focus Electric or plug-in hybrid such as the Ford C-MAX Energi or the Ford Fusion Energi.

Drivers of Ford electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will be able to share, learn and teach smart driving by participating in forums on the MyFord Mobile website – with gaming features such as leaderboards, unique achievements and social networking – when the car becomes available through dealers in the first half of 2012. In the process, users will be able to seamlessly upload driving achievements and statistics to popular social platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

In addition to the fun of not having to stop at gas stations, drivers of the Focus Electric can earn online achievement points based on how far they drive and how much CO₂ they save by not using gas. The leaderboards help MyFord Mobile users track their driving results against other Focus Electric drivers.

Drivers will also earn achievements for engaging in the online MyFord Mobile community forum. The first time drivers share their experiences, help another driver answer a question or provide a helpful tip to others, they will earn an achievement, with more to come after 20 and 100 postings.

MyFord Mobile was announced in early 2011 as a social platform to revolutionize the EV driving experience. In November, the International CES awarded the app as winner in the software and mobile app category. Going further, CES awarded MyFord Mobile the “Best of Innovation” recognition, a first for an OEM.

MyFord Mobile’s Value Charging by Microsoft offers drivers a “set it and forget it” mindset to ease concern about managing the vehicle’s charge in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. This technology can lower a driver’s utility bill by automatically charging the Focus Electric at off-peak times when energy is cheapest, an industry-exclusive to Ford.

Additionally, Ford is leveraging its relationship with MapQuest – and its commitment to having the best EV charge point database and route planning feature – to offer the industry’s only charging station locator. MyFord Mobile is the only electric vehicle management application to include routing and charge station location functionality.