calypsocoral

It's called "competition"-- consumers naturally gravitate toward higher numbers, be they performance figures (horsepower, torque), or gas mileage. Having to lower those numbers (in this case, both performance AND efficiency) in order to meet the emissions controls puts one at a competitive disadvantage. True, VW should have complied with those regulations--I've never said they were right to market a product they knew did not meet enacted regulatory standards-- but they saw an incentive not to, even though they had the ability to do so. I wonder why...? And, by the way, the original regulations may have been enacted decades ago-- but they are revised to an ever more-stringent set of standards pretty frequently. So knock it off with the feigned outrage and your cartoonish caricaturizations of anyone who has a different opinion than you (or, in this case, an actual grasp of the facts).

I'll give you a hint, Richard-- we started seeing 350+ci v8's struggling to produce 150 horsepower right around 1974...

So, because I suggested that the EPA standards were too strict for most automakers to comply with, and are far more strict than is necessary to maintain or improve our air quality, I somehow want everyone to breathe smog? Wow... If you want anyone to take you seriously, try acting your age, not your shoe size!

I'm not saying they were right to do it, but I do think we are seeing another classic case of the emissions standards getting ahead of the technology and feasibility of existing technologies to meet those standards. Combine that with a corporate culture that, according to several sources, (Bob Lutz most notably) was run with an iron fist ("find a way to make this work, or I'll find someone else who will") and I cannot say I am the slightest bit surprised at any of this. Note that VW/Audi/etc were some of the biggest proponents of diesel passenger cars here. Mercedes made a play of it as well, but with higher-maintenance, more costly systems. Very few others even bothered doing diesel here. Now the "why" of it is plain for all to see.

It's my understanding that the U.S. does, in fact, have significantly-stricter laws concerning diesel emissions than Europe does, only making allowances for trucks. Unless they are relaxed at least a little bit, it is nearly impossible to meet the US emissions requirements AND make competitive power and consumption figures without urea injection or similar "scrubber" technologies, which add cost, complexity, and gives you yet one more fluid level to keep your eye on... Mad about the lack of selection of high-mpg diesel passenger cars? Thank your government!

That's an insanely-high belt-line, even for an SUV... Just the height from the chin spoiler up to the top of the hood must be a good 4 feet!

Yep, I think that's safe to say!

I happen to be on board with the Ford GT powertrain being put into the next GT-500. As for the twin-turbo Coyote... anyone else thinking "Mach 1"?

I just read the "Future Cars" issue of Automobile and was waiting to see what the speculation would be on the next GT-500. The magazine thinks that the powertrain will be the twin-turbo V6 from the upcoming 2017 Ford GT. The big question posed is "are Ford fans ready to accept a non-V8 Shelby?" FWIW, I do remember reading an interview with Carroll Shelby a few years back when he said he would like to do something with the then-new 3.5L EcoBoost V6, so the man himself was clearly interested in the idea... but as a GT-500? That might be pushing it for some people. As for myself, I kinda got the feeling that the GT-350 may very well be Ford's "sending off with a BANG!" of the V8-powered sportscar/musclecar, so I think it is entirely possible... I was sure someone else would have brought this up by now-- did I miss a thread (or two)?

I hope it TROUNCES everything in its class! How about another 1, 2, 3 finish?

Hmm... 5.2L V8 with flat-plane crank... One already arriving in the GT350... But hmm... what to do... what to do... Answer: Lincoln Mark IX (pronounced "Mark Nine") /thread

Whatever the new Continental is, it needs to be a complete game-changer, just as the Fourth Generation Continental in the early-1960's was. Its decidedly-understated elegance stood in stark contrast to Harley Earl's over-chromed bling at GM. It took conventional American Luxury car thinking and turned it on its head. I'm not exactly sure how to do that in today's market. But I hope Ford has a vision for this car. They very clearly know how to pull of the unveiling of a halo car-- witness that of the new Ford GT just over a month ago.

That's too bad, because I have a feeling it would look pretty good with Candy Tangerine stripes/accents, as per the Gulf Oil GT40 that was one of the 3 top finishers in Le Mans...

I was really hoping for a lower beltline...

I'll take mine in white, with green GT stripes, please!