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!

Hah! Yeah, I caught that too! Never ceases to amaze me when I think about what could have happened if Lincoln actually ran with the LS, Jag S-Type owners be damned!

Hah! I could just see the ad campaign now. Find a hot actress in her 40's (there's plenty of them), have her pull up in the convertible, flash a wink at a 20-something GQ boy, and voila!

Taken from Autoblog in the last couple of hours. Still a few concerns here and there, but overwhelmingly-positive! http://www.autoblog.com/2014/06/09/2015-lincoln-mkc-first-drive-review/

I'm also a little mad at the fact that, if you want a Focus in Performance Blue, you can't get it with a manual transmission, since an automatic is part of the $2700 "appearance" package that you have to upgrade to in order to get a Performance Blue Focus. There's also this. Customer: I want HD radio. Ford: Then you have to upgrade to the $2700 appearance package. Customer: I don't need most of the things in that package... Ford: Tough. What are you going to do, go to another brand? Customer: Yep. I hate, hate, HATE how most of the interior and exterior options are only available with a freaking package. It comes across as downright dishonest when the configurator shows you options with checkmark boxes next to them, giving you the impression that you can select that option individually, only to find that nearly 2/3's of those options bring up a pop-up box telling you that you have to upgrade to an expensive package containing options you don't want or need. Unless they fix this, my next car will NOT be a Ford.

It finally appears as if there is a shift toward sleeker designs, which couldn't be more welcome. After more than a decade of belt-lines looking like this: ... ...giving us side and rear windows reminiscent of this: ...it finally appears as though they are beginning to recede. The new Accord is a good example.

"Coupe" literally means "cut," and would be appropriate IF the 4-series "Gran Coupe" had a shorter wheelbase, shorter overhangs, and a raked-out roofline when compared to its 3-series parent. Somehow, I don't think any of that is true.

Dude, the GT-500 WAS a Shelby. It doesn't look like Ford will be doing another GT-500. They have CAFE 2016 to worry about, after all. The upcoming GT-350 is likely going to have a naturally-aspirated 5.0L V8 with a flat-plane crank (a la Ferrari). Torque won't likely go very far above that of the standard Mustang GT, but HP could be close to 500. I kind of question the move by automakers pushing standard models into ultra-high-power territory, since tuners like Hennessey and Callaway do it better anyway... Personally, I'd rather Ford focus on handling and steering feel than excessive power. Then again, I'm also one of those guys who thinks the Toyota FR-S has the right amount of power (for a standard model, anyway-- a "TRD" version deserves more power), so feel free to take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Not ALL of Chrysler. Dodge is definitely toast before 2018, I'd bet. As long as there are adventurer wannabes, there will be Jeep. Also, as long as there are guys born with undersized phalluses, there will be RAM.

I'll take one in Oxford White, with a pair of Ruby Red stripes, please!

A scene from the movie "Death Race" comes to mind...