BORG

The boxy and bulbous front-end, from the beginning the designers wanted to lower the fascia but couldn't because of pedestrian crash regulations in Europe. The Mustang has always struggled to look lean and modern and this is definitely a signifiant jump forward. Although I like the louvered taillights, the hard vertical design didn't do the back any favors. The new sculpted c-shapes flow much better with the carved out back end. I still think the interior is WAY too retro dopey and over designed, it certainly won't age well, but it has its charms. The new instrument panel makes a huge difference.

I can't tell you the last time I saw an 80's Escort in Michigan, they completely dissolved along with all other 80's Fords which rusted the moment they hit their first winter. Living in Michigan you quickly recognize which brands have better corrosion protection.

The update really fixes all the things I didn't like about the last design.

Part of CAFE's function is stabilizing fuel consumption so price fluctuations don't drive instability in the economy. Other countries do this mostly through straightforward taxes while the US prefers to do it through very complicated regulations since it shifts the burden away from the consumer and gives private industry an opportunity to innovate their way through it (which they've done brilliantly). I'm not sure Trumps Anti-Environmentalism administration wants to encourage unsustainable consumption but I'm sure we'll see de-regulation. Whether the automotive industry actually changes because of it remains to be seen, ultimately consumers decide based on fuel prices. Tesla didn't come out of Germany or Japan after all and the Prius didn't become one of the best selling cars in the US because of regulations. I think the biggest issue will likely come on the world stage where the US will likely withdraw from cooperating on global carbon emission and regulations which isn't really an obligation anyway. I'm honestly more concerned about other environmental matters such as wildlife protection and conservation programs.

Also a great comparison of the differences.

Here is a video of the car's unveiling on the show floor today.

You'll find a White 2018 Mustang GT at the AutoShow now. This launch is a little weird, it's being done somewhat sloppily with no fanfare. It seems like they wanted to just bury this as a press release and not openly talk about it at an event which was only a few days ago. At a show with so few attention-seeking unveilings, a new Mustang could have drawn some significant press. I can't help but wonder if this has something to do with Ford's concern that fanfare around old-school gas-guzzling V8 vehicles like F-150 and Mustang could send the wrong message from a company thought to be falling behind on efficiency and electrification which is why their AutoShow presser focused on those plans instead of product. Ford is exceptionally good at handling the press and tend to lead the way so it's always fun to try and read into their intent.

Does the Ranger have EPAS? I know that's something all US Fords currently have which is critical toward improved efficiency and some of the assisted driving/parking technology. Based on the reviewer, it sounds like it probably doesn't. I have a feeling Ford needs to toss out everything but the frame and body to bring it up to code for the US but we should see some evidence of this work being done.

Automation will also continue to play the biggest roll in manufacturing job losses. The US Steel industry is a good example, they employ 75% fewer workers but make the same amount of steel. So there is just no way to get ahead of this but it also makes final assembly more sustainable in the US. And besides, final assembly is just a small part of the production, parts come from all over the world and there is no way to shift those supply chains to the US. Once cars move to electrification and automation, the hands needed to make cars will continue to decline sharply. This is one reason I'm glad Ford is holding the line on expansion far more aggressively than anybody else despite their obvious need to expand in areas. The move toward automation is actually driven by the Chinese economy, until recently there hasn't been an incentive to invest heavily in automation when workers were so cheap but now China's cheap labor force is gone and manufacturing is driving the move toward automation.

I hate to say it but almost all of the improvements to this Mustang can be attributed to the 6th gen camaro from the Magnetic Suspension system to the variable exhaust. That's the amazing thing about competition, GM is finally giving Ford a kick in the pants to evolve the Mustang. Ford can no longer take it's costumers for granted. I remember when you could count the lifecycle of the Mustang platforms by the decades and a solid rear axle was considered acceptable on a sports car in the 21st century. In any case, I'm a big fan of the updates. http://www.ford.com/cars/mustang/2018/?hptid=fv-2554-mustang-rvl%3Abillboard%3Aslide0%3Aford%20explorer

I would get confirmation on that first.

I kid you not, I heard people joke about Mathew McConaughey in the Lincoln exhibit no less than 3 times while I was there. And of course I think that's the first thing people see when they think Lincoln now. It really is brilliant marketing, the campaign is incredibly successful and a lesson to the industry. Obviously there is a shelf-life to such a phenomenon but they are keeping it fresh which is also no small thing.

Here is the thing about PR, it's never as simple as the headline that the company wrote for the reporters. Ford has actually substantially reduced it's outlook with the recent announcement by dropping a significant amount of capacity for cars and simply continuing ahead with their planned FlatRock electrification. So yeah, Ford's announcement was actually in-line with the bubble bursting. I'm not taking a close look at GM or Hyundai but remember Ford did not return any car production back to the US. So Ford's announcement really was part damage control (canceling expansion) and it worked brilliantly.

It's funny because I was just mentioning how dated Ford's Instrument Panels looked compared to everybody else and this Mustang is the first to get a 12-inch screen...although I'm pretty sure it's the same one in Lincoln and global Fords (Explorer Platinum).

Essentially it's very rough riding with heavy steering which are things that can be overhauled.

Haha, I'm definitely familiar with Lincoln's surging prices. My first loaded 2007 MKX was $43K, by 2011 it was $53K, and by 2016 it was $63K....but MKX base price also droped in 2016 which shows you they are holding firm on those base prices recently. Much of this is just a luxury brand tax, we saw that when the pricing on the Navigator surged in 2015 with the MCE which wasn't proportional to the changes or additions. It's clearly an arbitrary number dependent on what the market can bare so Lincoln has a ton of wiggle room to be on the value spectrum while pushing into premium pricing for the first time. It's important to pay attention to how many premium products Lincoln can sell which we won't really know until the next gen Navigator comes online and Continental moves up a notch with a next generation. Aviator would certainly help as well. Certain Lincoln models seem to have a fixed sales ceiling like MKX, MKZ, and MKC so we won't see much growth out of them but if they can hang onto sales while increasing ATPs than they are making another kind of progress.

It was planned. Ford has actually done this before in the middle of the Detroit AutoShow public week. It won't appear in an exhibit until Chicago. Ford had the press event today in a small venue. You'll also notice that none of the outlets currently under embargo are reporting the leak (or they shouldn't be anyway).

Hmm, sounds like the Raptor. The Mustang does get a tweaked rear with a familiar but improved taillight design and a re-sculpted bumper. The taillights retain that louvered appearance but are now sculpted so they aren't as linear...should have been this way from the beginning.

Incentives, leasing, fleeting, who knows but the most expensive Lincolns were only in the 50s until the 2016 MKX which broke into the 60s, and now we have Continental breaking into the 70s. Caddy and Mercedes obviously sell far more expensive products in greater numbers. So it's not really that hard to imagine this when MKC and MKZ, some of the cheapest cars in their segments, make up the bulk of their volume and they can be had with some significant incentives. So really half of Lincoln's struggle comes down to getting bigger paying customers, not just more customers.

I never liked the frowny Mustang fascia so a bigger and sadder one doesn't really do it for me, but I think people will be surprised by how more 'exotic' the Mustang looks with some of the design choices they made. It's smoother, wider, flatter, sharper, closer to the ground. I would argue it looks more upscale, less conventional and more contemporary. The less 'lumpy' look won't be for everyone, but I'm curious to see what the GT 350 looks like.

Yeah, Lincoln is actually around $37K, the lowest in the industry and going up slightly. Caddy and Mercedes are in the $53K region at the top of the industry. Lincoln sales are also among the lowest, which is made worse by the lowest ATPs (cheaper cars should sell more). So making money on Lincolns is very difficult for Ford until they get both of these things up which they are doing very slowly. It should accelerate a bit with Continental and more so with Navigator as they finally push into the upper tiers. Continental is still priced like a midsize sedan so it's still on the low-end of the spectrum but Lincoln's small budget is very unique in luxury which makes their margins bigger despite the lower prices and sales numbers.

The 2018 Mustang officially debuts tomorrow, embargo lifts at midnight btw. They start building them in June.

Ford is usually pretty aggressive with MCEs on Mustangs especially since they have such long life-cycles. It's necessary to keep their customers coming back for the newest thing. This MCE involved new fenders and a hood which is actually fairly signifiant for them. Personally I like the Fusion-inspirted redesign, it improves a design rather than changes it for change sake. I also think it looks better in a less flat color, Yellow blows out the details and sculpting in the fascia. And there are other fascia variants to be revealed.

I know Lincoln's average ATP is around $34K which is by far the lowest among luxury automakers (even below GMC) so I do believe Lincoln is largely aspiring to those customers more than actually attracting them. I don't know how they get such low ATPs considering the pricing of their cars but in any case they must be making improvements now. I know that Lincoln is still an outstanding bargain for the pricing and amenities. And I'm not just talking about Continental, but Lincoln as a whole which has a very consistent clientele for all its models. Every luxury maker, even Lexus, has some sort of youth aspiration which seems to be a successful part of marketing toward younger professionals buying luxury cars for the first time. Newer luxury car customers are less likely to chose a brand with a traditional image unless they offer something unique and exclusive. I'm not sure Lincoln quite does that but they have an interesting message for existing customers who might otherwise leave. I know they manage to keep me around.