calypsocoral

I would say something snarky along those lines, but then I remember that Ford was nearly a decade late to the party as well.

Actually, I have long been under the opinion that a stretched MX-5 chassis, combined with a 2.0L EcoBoost, would make a truly kick-ass Thunderbird, allowing Ford to return to that car's roots, whereas Chevy had gone astray by turning their Corvette (with which the T-bird was originally designed to compete with) into a knuckle-dragging 2-seat muscle car. Some excellent road handling and MODERN style with a few retro cues here and there (unlike that abomination Ford tried to sell back in 2000), and Ford can have a hot little sports car on their hands.

In the "mediocre" portion, don't forget LaSalle and DeSoto. I hope you're not including Auburn and Deusenberg in that list...

The sides and the rear look pretty good. It's just the front-- especially the headlamps-- that I have to get used to. One thing is for sure, though-- Hyundai has successfully leap-frogged Honda and Toyota in exterior design. At least the new Sonata doesn't look like it was designed by the Witness Protection Program...

Is that just their Automotive branch? Or does that include their motorcycles as well? I'm wondering, because Kawasaki and Suzuki collaborate on a lot of their bikes...

And in other news today, the sky is blue.

It's nice that Ford got a decent review, especially for such a niche vehicle. All it needs now is those bright bar lights above the cab, and a gun rack in the back of the cab, with a pair of Dixie flags mounted in front of the tailgate. Don't forget the jug of Rebel Yell and the case of malt liquor!

In their attempt to sidestep the whole "wagon" mystique, they've tried to rake out that back end into something sort of Prius-like. I think it looked better as a wagon. What the hell is this thing supposed to be now? The back end is too raked-out to serve any remotely-useful function now...

I've always thought it was a neat little car. Attractive in sort of an esoteric, not-everyone-will-get-it sort of way. I mean that as both a criticism and a compliment... I was glad the article mentioned a new color palette-- the current model is available in three shades of blue, two red, and a ton of grey or beige. Something a little more interesting is definitely in order...

A very interesting read. I'm glad to see Ford taking leadership in creative solutions to powertrain engineering, rather than simply re-hashing European and Asian approaches.

Yeah, I'm sorry-- as an avid South Park viewer, I just couldn't resist!

Phase One: Collect Underpants! Phase Two: ...??? Phase Three: Profit!

Can't they downsize GRWD a bit? Hyundai's Genesis sedan and coupe are built on the same platform. With a 4" cut in wheelbase, and a 13" cut in length, the Genesis coupe is about 350 lbs lighter than the sedan. I'm sure Ford will be able to save enough weight to keep the Mustang from becoming too much of a porker, especially now that fuel economy, smaller engines, and lighter weight will all be crucial for meeting the federal mandate.

Hi Tico, Yeah, I certainly get your point. Sheet Metal-- truthfully, I'm pretty happy with the 2010 Mustang sheetmetal-- I think the 2005 was a little too retro. The 2010 re-skin gives it a more 21st-century appearance. To all the guys who want to completely ditch the "retro" theme, I say "Be careful what you wish for!" What I like about the 2005 and 2010 models is that they look like a Mustang-- they cannot possibly be mistaken for anything else. Even Nissan's 370Z has a bit of the old Datsun Z-car in its design DNA. As for dimensions, I don't think it will get any bigger-- I think we have once again reached that point in automotive history where things need to downsize in order to reach a government mandate. Just like 1974. Ford needs to be careful not to make a Mustang II, though. Steer clear of hatchback, sedan, wagon, or "4-door coupe" (*cringe*) body formats-- DON'T WATER DOWN THE FORMULA!!!!! I would absolutely love to see a new platform, loosely based off of a downsized Falcon platform, roughly correlating with the size of a BMW 3-series. Ford would use it for the Mustang. Lincoln could use a slightly-stretched version as a Mark IX coupe and a REAL LS successor (the name "Premier" comes to mind).

Tanking sales of the RDX, perhaps?

Mine! Red on White Blue on White, with Hood Scoop And my personal favorite... VENOM Man, this thing is AWESOME! Edit: I just created another Green one. I like to call it Spearmint Frost. I added some nice, subtle silver stripes. Whereas the others scream "Race-inspired", this one is more "Grand Tourer"-- traveling in style!

My understanding was that D2C borrowed quite a bit from Fox...

My wish list for the 2014 Mustang: 1) A new chassis. Seriously. Please. 2) New suspension geometry-- 5-link rear, maybe? Possibly? Please? 3) Slightly-downsized, lighter weight. This is not a dowdy, plebeian family sedan. If you can't fit 2 offensive linemen in the rear seats, so be it. 4) Front-mid-engine format, for better front/rear weight distribution. Yeah, I know, that has about as much a chance as Maria Sharapova marrying me-- but that's why it's called a "wish list!" 5) Cylinder deactivation on the V6 and V8. 6) Shelby GT-350 available in Performance White with Candy Red GT stripes. If they built it, I'd sleep with a thousand fat chicks at $50 each to afford one. (For those not in the know, that was a reference to the cartoon Family Guy).

The way I wrote it, the 2.5 was only available on the LX model-- basically, because both up-front AND maintenance costs would be cheaper with the 2.5 than the 1.6 EcoBoost. For that matter, I should probably axe the 2.0 EcoBoost from the LX as well (leaving the 2.5, the 3.7, and the 5.0). I put in the 1.6L EcoBoost for the sake of CAFE 2016, but, with 180 hp, I figured it was more than quick enough for a Mustang. On the other hand, Nick, I guess if someone can splurge for the extras in my "GS" trim, they can afford the fuel cost for a 3.7 and the maintenance cost of a 2.0 EcoBoost. So, yeah, I guess in the end you're right-- it doesn't need a 1.6 EcoBoost. AFTER 2016, however...

Here is what I think the next Mustang lineup should look like... If I were in charge! Highlights: 1) The return of the LX trim, for a Mustang on the cheap. 2) The introduction of a "GS" trim for 4-and-6-cylinder models, reserving "GT" for the V8. 3) The BOSS 5.0-- a lightened GT with more performance upgrades than you can shake a stick at. 4) The Shelby GT-350-- a 400hp 3.5L EcoBoost V6, which the man himself has already expressed interest in. 5) Engine lineup consisting of 2.5L DI, 1.6L EcoBoost, 2.0L EcoBoost, 3.7L DI, 5.0L DI, and 3.5L EcoBoost. 6) A Hybrid Mustang-- The California Special, with a lightweight Lithium Polymer battery pack.

Erm... not for much longer. Hence why the new Audi S4 has a supercharged V6, whereas previous editions had a high-revving V8.

Eh, well, for that matter, Audi has been doing pretty darn well without RWD. But longitudinal engine mounts with AWD has its bonuses, as both Subaru and Audi can attest...

Ford and GM sharing a common RWD architecture-- now THAT would be interesting! No need to follow Chrysler's high beltline, excessive weight, and brick-like aerodynamics. Just a (slightly) downsized version of a Holden Commodore/Ford Fairlane would suffice-- those really hard-up for hugeness can go for the Taurus. Size-wise, I'm thinking something along the lines of a BMW 5 series or Mercedes E-class (or, *cough* Lincoln LS *cough*)-- these are vehicles for driving enthusiasts, after all, and a smaller, lighter "full-size" car may be just the ticket for some fast, chuckable fun. This also prevents the coupe derivative (Mustang, in our case) from becoming too much of a porker. If anything, I think this would be just the thing to re-ignite the GM-Ford rivalry. Round 1: D-class sedans (full wheelbase, full-length bodywork)-- Ford Galaxie vs. Chevrolet *cringe* Caprice. Round 2: CD-class coupes (shorter wheelbase, shorter overhangs)-- Ford Mustang vs. Chevrolet Camaro Round 3: D-class utes-- Ford Ranchero vs. Chevrolet El Camino Round 4: D-class luxury sedans-- Lincoln (hypothetical "Continental") vs. Cadillac (insert random letter here)TS sedan Round 5: CD-class luxury coupes-- Lincoln (hypothetical "Mk (pronounced "mark") 9") vs. Cadillac (insert random letter here)TS coupe Why this would be interesting: 1) Both companies have different powertrain lineups. 2) Both companies have different approaches to suspension tuning. 3) Both companies have different legacies to draw styling from. 4) Both companies have different tuners. (We got Shelby on our side!) Seriously, it's the performance crowd that cares about RWD layout-- those simply looking for size can care less. So, yeah, it's time to downsize RWD.

Actually, you know what? This could work. Dodge's new Charger is a 4-door sedan too, with the 2-door, short wheelbase Challenger based on the same platform. The new Chevelle as a RWD sports sedan actually sounds kinda sexy. Plus, not ALL orginal Chevelles were coupes, after all...

The CAPRICE?!?!? Are you f#cking serious?!?!? Okay, GM, repeat after me-- I-M-P-A-L-A See, it's not difficult at all to pronounce. Ugh... splashing scalding hot oil on my face would be less painful than trying to contemplate the latest move by this flowering example of pure wisdom.