Image: Motor.TV via YouTube
About This Quiz
They're the "Top Guns" of driving. They're the best of the best. They are, literally, the top .18% of some of the world's best drivers. They are the Ford Tier 4 test drivers, and their job is to make sure that the Ford vehicles that show up on the dealership floor and put into the hands of customers are the safest cars the company can make. To car enthusiasts in general — and Ford fanatics in particular — they have the coolest job in the world, but how much do you know about these elite drivers?
Ford put its "tier" system into place in 2001 as a way of ensuring that drivers are trained and prepared to test vehicles in different situations, with each advancing tier able to handle more difficult tasks. Tier 4 is the last tier, and its drivers show what a vehicle can truly do.
The main goal of these drivers is to give their feedback to the engineers responsible for designing the vehicles. Simulations can only go so far. To get real-world information about a car, you have to have someone drive it, and there's no one better for the job than a Tier 4 driver.
It's a rigorous training program, with very few reaching Tier 3 and even fewer awarded with the elite Tier 4 rating. So, how much do you know about the program and what it takes to make the grade? This quiz will shed some light on these heroes of the test track. Are you ready to push your knowledge to the limit on the track? Let's go!
They slowed the vehicle using just the transmission.
They put the car into a powered slide.
A "drift" happens when the driver deliberately oversteers the vehicle, losing traction in the rear wheels going through a corner but is still being in control. It's a tricky maneuver but can tell the driver — who can tell the engineer — more about how the vehicle handles.
They tested it on icy roads.
They released the steering wheel to test tire alignment.
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To keep the vehicle upright
To maintain radio communications
To set the boundaries of the course
To protect the driver in the event of a rollover
A roll cage is a frame built within a car's frame that is designed to protect the driver and passenger in the event of a rollover or other accident. The vehicles Tier 4 candidates train in roll cages — in the case of the training truck, the cage is outside of the frame, which is known as an "exo cage."
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Trailer-towing limit testing
High center-of-gravity tests
Off-road tests
All the above
To test a vehicle and stress it to its limits, the driver has to know their car and their own abilities to get useful, actionable data and information. The vast majority of ordinary drivers will never put their vehicles into the situations that Tier 4 drivers do, but this type of testing ensures that the car will meet the "everyday" needs of customers.
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Press interviews
Providing feedback to engineers
The drivers' main goal is to gather information about their experience with the vehicle and then give feedback to the engineers responsible for its design. By offering "real-world" information, rather than data collected in simulations, the drivers provide designers with crucial information to improve the vehicle.
Car show appearances
Racing pit crew training
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Helmet
Sunglasses
No matter how trained and prepared a driver may be, when testing vehicles at this level, it's wise to be prepared for anything. Test drivers wear helmets and fire-resistant clothing just in case something goes disastrously wrong so they can do it all again the next day.
Gloves
Firesuit
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To be able to make "stunt" commercials
To show off what the car is capable of doing
To make them "forget" they are driving
The goal of making drivers training for Tier 4 certification to push the Mustang PF350S to its limit is to train them to know — automatically — what to do in any situation so they can pay attention to how the vehicle they are testing is performing, rather than worrying about their own reactions. By "forgetting" about their own driving, they can provide better feedback about the automobiles they test.
To find the best of the best
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To steer from side to side
Driving a vehicle from side to side, often to avoid hitting cones put out for the exercise, is a great way to test a vehicle's stability when it comes to tight maneuvers. The truck used to test Tier 4 candidates is equipped with outriggers to avoid overturning the vehicle.
To test the vehicle's braking distance
To oversteer intentionally
To perform a tire "burnout"
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Smooth, flat asphalt
"Wet pad" roads
High-banked curves
All the above
The Dearborn Development Center offers drivers and engineers the opportunity to test their vehicles on roads and in conditions that consumers may find themselves driving (and some, like high-banked curves, that they may not). Real-world situations give designers information that flat, perfectly smooth roads alone will not.
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150 mph
Tier 3 certified drivers have undergone extra training and are cleared to conduct stability control and braking tests, along with other maneuvers. While they are limited to a top speed of 150 mpg, they are professionals who know how to handle the vehicle in a number of situations safely.
75 mph
200 mph
100 mph
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Ford F-250 Super Duty
Ford Econoline van
Ford Transit Connect
Ford Explorer Sport Trac
The "Buggy O' Fun" is a specially modified Explorer Sport Trac that has had a system of adjustable weights, outriggers and a roll cage added to test drivers on their ability to put a top-heavy vehicle on two wheels and get it back under control safely. It was developed to address rollover concerns in SUVs in the late 1990s.
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Chevy Camaro
Ford F-150
Mustang FP350S
The "performance" vehicle used in Tier 4 testing and certification is a Mustang FP350S, a special racing variant of the Shelby GT350R. It was made in 2017, and only 50 units of this model were ever offered for sale. The Mustang used for testing has been further modified.
Ford Focus RS
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Drifting
Figure-8 drifting
Initiating near rollovers
All the above
Test driving at this level isn't for the faint of heart, and Tier 4 drivers must be comfortable maneuvering a vehicle in ways that test its design and control features. These skills and more are necessary to give engineers feedback on improving designs.
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Drive up to 200 mph
Perform spin maneuvers
Conduct "every day" road tests
To reach Tier 2, a Tier 1 certified driver undergoes training and testing to ensure they can safely handle the vehicle in situations the average driver could reasonably find themselves in and then provide feedback about their experiences. Ford estimates that about 95% of the consumer's expected experiences with the vehicles fall within Tier 2 testing.
Perform the "Bootlegger 180" challenge
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Daring
A love for speed
Consistency
One of the main qualities a test driver must have is the ability not only to perform a maneuver but also to be able to deliver that maneuver again and again with a high level of consistency. This allows the engineers to look at a bigger set of useful data, rather than a "one-off" experience.
Eagle-like eyesight
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They must beat their instructor's time.
Within 2.5%
To pass and earn Tier 4 certification, a student must come within 2.5% of their instructor's lap time. To earn the Tier 3 certification, they must be within 4.5%. While it's not a competition, these times set the bar for what is expected from test drivers.
Within 4.5%
Within 10%
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Advanced mathematics
BMX riding
Speaking a foreign language
Automotive writing/journalism
The ability to communicate findings to designers is one of the top skills needed in test driving prototype vehicles — it's how the engineers know what is working and what needs more work. Being able to write and communicate clearly about an automobile goes a long way into becoming an effective partner for the designers.
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Mechanical engineering
While it's not a requirement to have a college degree to become a test driver, a solid understanding of mechanical engineering, and especially automotive engineering, goes a long way in effectively communicating findings and experiences to those professionals who are designing the automobile.
Statistical analysis
Aerospace engineering
Physics education
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1957
2001
To get the best data from its staff of test drivers, Ford put into place the four-tier system in 2001. This allowed the bulk of the data to come from those who were qualified but not trained to elite status while offering those with the talent and skills to push vehicles to their limit to give feedback only they could offer.
1987
2011
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Five years
Earning Tier 4 certification is the top honor in the Ford test-driving program and only open to those who have shown talent, determination and persistence. Also, before Tier 4 training begins, the student must be nominated by their manager.
One year
Six months
90 days
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Albany, New York
Detroit, Michigan
Los Santos, California
Dearborn, Michigan
Ford Motor Company's proving grounds, where Tier 4 drivers are certified, are a part of the Dearborn Development Center, a 365-acre facility with 70 miles of test track made to be able to duplicate any road or weather conditions the company's vehicles might encounter.
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Press appearances
Design consultations
The scope of the projects they are assigned
Tier 4 drivers are usually tapped to test vehicles from multiple programs, while Tier 3 drivers are often assigned to particular projects and stay with those vehicles during development and testing.
Training other drivers
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1,000
5,000
11,000
Ford produces a lot of vehicles on the global stage, and each of them has to be tested on several different levels, from "everyday" usage to stressed operations to ensure that the vehicle is more-than-reasonably safe for consumers. Ford has 11,000 drivers around the world who are key components to achieving this goal.
20,000
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Master's degree
Bachelor's degree
Post-graduate degree
High school degree
Becoming a test driver doesn't require a college degree. To be successful, a candidate must be able to communicate clearly above all — their main job is to provide feedback to designers about how the vehicle handles and what their experience was like. An understanding of the mechanics of the machines involved is also fundamental.
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Tier 1
Tier 3
Tier 2
Engineers don't have to have elite training to test out the vehicles they are designing, but they do require some practice to test out their ideas in the real world safely. Those who hold Tier 2 certification can put their projects to the test — up to a degree — and get first-hand knowledge and information about their vehicles.
Tier 4
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True — the staff are always kept separate.
Mostly true — there are only a few who travel between.
False — the company doesn't actually have separate lines.
False
Ford engineers often work on more than one product line, and that includes "performance" machines. This crossover helps move technology that was once considered "racing" tech into the consumer market. Test drivers are key in providing feedback that helps this transition between product lines, as well.
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True
False
The vehicles used in the testing and training of test drivers are equipped with two seats, with the instructor being able to observe the candidate's performance first hand.
It depends on the type of test being administered.
The instructors can decide where they'd rather be during the test.
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It can generate more than 500 horsepower.
The Ford Performance Shelby FP350S is a monster of a vehicle, with a 5.2-liter V8 that can generate more than 500 horsepower. This specially designed version of the Shelby GT350R also has modified suspensions and a six-point roll cage. It takes a special kind of driver to tame this beast.
It's an unmodified 2017 Mustang.
It's got two steering wheels (driver/trainer).
All the above
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About 35%
Before they can even consider Tier 4 training, drivers must achieve Tier 3 status, which isn't an easy level to attain — about 35% of those taking the tests fail the test. Ford wants to make sure only qualified drivers are put behind the wheel when it comes time to stress a vehicle on the track.
About 60%
About 10%
About 90%
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Up to 50
The vehicle used in training and testing Tier 4 candidates is equipped with a data acquisition system that measures up to 50 different elements during the ride, including information about the student's braking, steering and other handling metrics.
Up to 100
Up to 25
Up to 75
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Ford Future Driver Program
Driver Certification and Training System
Vehicle Skills and Handling Training Internship
Electronic Driver Certification Tracking System
The Electronic Driver Certification Tracking System (EDCERTS) is the training and testing system set up by Ford that awards Tier 1 through Tier 4 status to its drivers.
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Attempt roll-over correction
Driver faster than 100 mph
Drive a vehicle on the proving grounds
You've got to start somewhere, and anyone who wants to be a Ford test driver starts at Tier 1. The main qualification for this level is a valid driver's license. This is your ticket to the track — where you go from here is up to your determination, skills and willingness to learn.
Give feedback to engineers
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10
20
Tier 4 status is the elite level of Ford's test-driving program and is only open to the best of the best. These drivers put vehicles through maneuvers that ordinary drivers will never face to test the limits of the vehicle. Only .18% of drivers in the program reach this highest level.
50
500
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True
It depends on a number of factors.
They are classified as "testing drivers."
False
To be considered a "test driver," you must achieve at least a Tier 2 level of certification. Those with only Tier 1 certification are not considered part of the group of 11,000 men and women in the Ford test-driving program.
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47
315
While it's a notch below the elite Tier 4, Tier 3 drivers are still some of the best in the world, with only 315 drivers out of the 11,000 — or 2.8% — qualifying for this level. This is also the pool that Tier 4 drivers are selected from.
512
2,518
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80
Drivers wanting Tier 4 certification must successfully complete 80 hours of training and testing before achieving this status. This training is done over the course of several weeks and pushes the driver to their limits as they push their vehicles to the limit.
20
160
370
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You Got:
/35
Image: Motor.TV via YouTube
About This Quiz
They're the "Top Guns" of driving. They're the best of the best. They are, literally, the top .18% of some of the world's best drivers. They are the Ford Tier 4 test drivers, and their job is to make sure that the Ford vehicles that show up on the dealership floor and put into the hands of customers are the safest cars the company can make. To car enthusiasts in general — and Ford fanatics in particular — they have the coolest job in the world, but how much do you know about these elite drivers?
Ford put its "tier" system into place in 2001 as a way of ensuring that drivers are trained and prepared to test vehicles in different situations, with each advancing tier able to handle more difficult tasks. Tier 4 is the last tier, and its drivers show what a vehicle can truly do.
The main goal of these drivers is to give their feedback to the engineers responsible for designing the vehicles. Simulations can only go so far. To get real-world information about a car, you have to have someone drive it, and there's no one better for the job than a Tier 4 driver.
It's a rigorous training program, with very few reaching Tier 3 and even fewer awarded with the elite Tier 4 rating. So, how much do you know about the program and what it takes to make the grade? This quiz will shed some light on these heroes of the test track. Are you ready to push your knowledge to the limit on the track? Let's go!
