calypsocoral

I'll be completely honest-- I'm feeling a little conflicted. Part of me is totally relieved to see that the new Mustang looks exactly like that-- A Mustang. The identifiable visual cues are all still there, the proportions are nicely tightened-up, and the overall look works quite well. On the other hand, I'm slightly-disappointed that they didn't do anything particularly-daring. Although it's safe to say that if they did, I'd probably be complaining about it not looking like a Mustang. In the end, it's the driving experience that counts, although the look of this car is still quite sweet!

Hah! I have to admit, part of me was waiting to hear something like: "And in 2014, Lincoln will say 'Hello, Again' to the body-on-frame platform, as well as to the livery industry..."

A disappointment compared to WHAT, exactly? This car's only real competition is the Mazda MX-5 and the occasional 10-year-old Honda S2000. That's it. It wasn't meant to take on 300-hp turbo-AWD Rally specials. Nor was it meant to take on 3800-lb, 400+hp V8-powered muscle cars. It is simply supposed to be a lightweight, balanced, and FUN little sports coupe with communicative chassis and steering. Every owner I've spoken with about their FR-S or BRZ confirmed that Toyota and Subaru met that objective.

I just said I would. And I fully-intend to. But I doubt I'll have to, because it's not likely to happen. I wanted Ford to give us a better Focus. When they did, I bought a 5-door Focus SE. I do agree with you, though-- many people who ask for stuff like this are the ones who can't afford it, or find some other excuse not to put their money where their mouth is.

Ian Callum did the DB7, the DB9's direct predecessor. Although it is worth pointing out that Fisker didn't exactly reinvent the wheel when doing the DB9-- much of Callum's DB7 design, including the proportions, remained pretty-much intact.

Good point. I just checked the Volvo trucks U.S. website and didn't see them. I have noticed that cab-overs are much more popular in Europe than they are here.

They've been around for a long time. Let's not forget that 2-door sedans (not coupes-- actual sedans) persisted well into the 70's as well.

I'm going to end up selling everything I own-- including my Focus 5-door-- if Subaru actually has the cajones to bring this to market: The Subaru "Cross Sport Concept" Yes, the name makes me CRINGE, but you gotta read what it really is...

Pretty cool, I think. "Bloodsport" is still a bad-ass martial arts movie. He was also a bad-ass villain in The Expendables: 2. Even more amazing is the fact that Volvo is using this technology in a Cab-over format. I haven't seen a major truck-builder put a new cab-over with sleeper on the market in some time.

Wow... it's amazing that even when tampered-with, Henrik Fisker's designs age very well. Also see: Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage.

Hyundai's design department is kind of in its adolescent phase-- trying on different "looks" on the way to developing their own identity. This may take a while, but I think they'll eventually get it. Heck, Lexus has been around for more than 20 years and they have JUST NOW figured out something that works-- see the new sports coupe they just debuted. Their current grill design took a while for me to get used to, but it seems to be working better with each new model they release.

Isn't this basically just taking Mazda's "SkyActiv" system a step further?

I think the article is a bit of cowsh!t, because enthusiasts can SAY they want something, but an auto company will only take a risk if they believe it will pay off. Thus, enthusiasts have to ACTUALLY BUY what they said they wanted! Having said that, if Ford were to bring over the Mondeo Wagon and call it a Fusion Estate (or something like that), available in the "S" trim level with the 2.5L 4-cyl, I'd totally trade in my Focus 5-door and buy it! But don't just offer it in Titanium trim, effectively pricing it out of most buyers' reach, including all kinds of crap that many buyers don't want, see it not sell, and then offer that as an example as to why they shouldn't offer a wagon. I HATE that.

Yes, the torque and HP numbers are important. But, an EVEN BETTER indicator of the differences in character between the EcoBoost and either of those V8's is the engine speed at which the PEAK torque is delivered. Would I rather have my torque curve peak at 2500 RPM or 4000 RPM when I'm towing a horse trailer? Hmmm...

Straight from the Manufacturer websites, all 2WD: GMC Sierra 5.3L EcoTec V8: -- 355hp @ 5600 RPM -- 383lb-ft @ 4100 RPM -- 16/23 MPG City/Highway Ford 3.5L EcoBoost Twin-Turbo V6: -- 365hp @ 5000 RPM -- 420lb-ft @ 2500 RPM -- 16/22 MPG City/Highway Ford 5.0L V8: -- 360hp @ 5500 RPM -- 380lb-ft @ 4250 RPM -- 15/21 MPG City/Highway Draw whatever conclusions you may.

The Daimler-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-series, and Audi A8 already comprise a highly-competitive, but ultimately-small, niche. And that's without mentioning the Jaguar XJ or Maserati Quattroporte. I think a compromise can be reached-- Volvo can certainly take the S80 up a notch, since its own worst enemy seems to be its very own stablemate-- the S60. I also fail to see how it is in Volvo's interest to cater to a Chinese Elite class that could very well be short-lived. If Geely wanted to compete in the executive sedan market, they should have bought Jaguar, NOT Volvo!

That's why I read Automobile and Road & Track. The former may be full of latte-sipping Euro-centrics, but at least they have Ezra Dyer (whose wit and writing style gives me a good chuckle in every issue), and most of their predictions are correct. R&T is still my favorite magazine, though-- proof that "sister" publications (with C&D) can be quite different. R&T's reviews strike me as the most balanced, and their info on upcoming models is usually pretty accurate.

A little context goes a long way here, Richard-- let's not forget that the current truck remains largely UNCHANGED since it was introduced in 2004-- almost 10 years ago! Back then, the Titan stacked-up favorably against virtually any half-ton the Big 3 produced at the time-- the Titan led in horsepower, torque, towing capacity, and payload when it was introduced. It's 5.6L V8 is still a gem even by today's standards, simply in need of an update. But, reliability issues, limited options, and mediocre marketing kept it from making much of a dent. I don't doubt Nissan's ability to engineer a good truck-- they just need to revise their execution. Let's also not forget that the Titan was, effectively, Nissan's FIRST TRY in the half-ton pickup segment!

Drivers I hate: #3-- BMW drivers. Richer, more successful, scored more tail, and not afraid to rub it in your face! #2-- Hybrid drivers. They don't REALLY save the environment. The batteries are hugely-expensive to replace and are highly-toxic. And nearly as many fossile fuels have been burned to produce the electricity for the "plug-in" variants as are burned with a small-displacement turbo-charged car that would also be much lighter. But, like all bleeding hearts, the result doesn't matter, so long as people acknowledge their "good intentions" so that they can FEEL good about themselves! And the #1 driver I absolutely HATE is... ... #1-- RAM drivers.Their misery springs from the unfortunate reality that mother nature refused to bestow a sizeable phallus upon them. So, they go out and buy the biggest, "manliest"-looking truck they can find, which, of course, is the one that looks vaguely like a Conventional 18-wheeler. Add a pair of noisy, smog-producing smokestacks on the sides of the largest-possible cab to complete the desired aesthetic, raise it another 6 inches, stick a decal of Calvin (from Calvin & Hobbes) urinating on a Ford logo, drive 90mph in the 55mph zone, cut off everyone they speed by, and tempt everyone they pull-out in front of to broadside them, and you have the worst drivers on the road. I suppose their reasoning is if they can't HAVE a big d-ck, they'd might as well BE a big d-ck!

I'm going to go ahead and sort of "disagree" with you there... I think shedding the wreath helped Caddy shed some of the last vestiges of the soft-riding, FWD "retirement home" stigma that Cadillacs of prior decades have inflicted upon the brand. I always thought the Caddy logo looked really "busy" anyway. I like it, I hope they stick with it. Anybody catch the movie reference?

Okay, little thought exercise here. Count the Class 6, 7, & 8 trucks you see on the road. I don't know about you guys, but I've been seeing a lot more Volvo Class 8's, with more Mitsubishi-Fuso and Isuzu Class 6 and 7 trucks, than I have International, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Freightliner, or Mack. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I've seen a Mack... :do what: If the "furriners" can take over the highway, I'm not going to assume for a minute that they can't take away sales from the Big 3. And I think Nissan's partnership with Cummins is quite telling about how, exactly, they're going to do it. Will the average suburbanite using his F-150 for the occasional trip to Lowe's or Home Depot consider a Toyota or Nissan? Not likely. But, how about a small business owner shopping for a truck for commercial use? He (or she) is less likely to care about the stigma of a "furrin" truck, so long as said truck provides more bang for the buck...

I don't know why... but I somehow believe that family has stumbled on a fountain of PURE AWESOME!!!!!

Imagine this-- a final run of 5.8's in... ...wait for it... A RAPTOR!

Yeah, I have to admit that I'm not exactly well-studied in the nomenclature of the Fox-bodied Mustangs-- that's an era I tend to ignore, although I know many folks on this forum owned and loved them. So, sure, SVO it is. I've always considered the Mach 1 to be a torque monster, like the original GT-500 and the BOSS 429. If I were to do a Mach 1 today, I'd probably go with the 6.2L V8, re-tuned for 420+hp and 450+ lb-ft. Carrol Shelby himself expressed a great deal of interest in the 3.5L EB before he passed-on, so I think doing a Shelby-labeled Mustang with that powertrain would be appropriate, hence my "GT-350." And, this time, since this will likely be the last generation of Mustangs to carry on the "Shelby" name, I think Ford should be obligated to do a GT-500 "KR" (King of the Road).

One can hope, but I've been reading that the engine bay of the next Mustang might not be large enough for the "tall deck" (5.4 and 5.8) variants of the MOD V8, hence the projected move to a twin-turbo 5.0 I won't lose sleep over it, though-- I think a twin-turbo 5.0, with less mass (and weight) than the 5.8 could easily crank out 600HP. Since the next Mustang is supposed to be lighter than the current one, it might even gain some performance!