SoonerLS

I would bet even money that Ford has been pushing for a review. The chances that this was due to cheating are exceptionally low (given Mulally's attitudes towards finding and fixing problems, that would almost certainly be a PCLM--Probable Career-Limiting Move--for all involved), but that does still leave two probable explanations: 1) mistakes in following the testing procedures; or 2) Ford's results are accurate. From an engineering standpoint, it's a win-win--it'll either validate Ford's testing or show them where they need to correct a problem. Obviously, they'd rather it be #2, but I think Mulally's the kind of leader who would be satisfied with either answer (as long as any necessary corrections occur), because #1 is a "teachable moment," which fits in well with his engineering management style.

http://youtu.be/3VqQAf74fsE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8P1THCn6IM

It's...it's...it's indescribably beautiful!

The article I read on the Chicago Tribune's site said it passed one chamber of the MI legislature, but the other can't vote on it 'til Tuesday at the earliest. A lot can happen between now and then, but getting it this far is an accomplishment for its backers.

Sorry, but I can't accept a test as being "better than EPA testing" when the only evidence is the word of someone who claims that their secret, err, "proprietary" testing methodology is both "repeatable and real world." You might as well throw the Drake Equation into the mix, because it's just as big a load of horsepuckey.

Apparently, it's not.

FTFY. Business case problems aside, it would have the same major problem today that it did back then--if it attracted new buyers to Lincoln, what else would they have to keep those new buyers? If you're going to woo Mercedes and BMW buyers, you can't do it with a lineup that's more like Audi, Acura, and Lexus; there's nothing else in the lineup to keep them coming back.

It's Philco, you Philistines. On my Philco I heard an echo, There was a wreck-o yesterday...

I'm not sure about that--remember, the MKZ was delayed because Ford brought Wolff aboard very late in its design cycle, and he was allowed to make changes to hard points. He would have been here for the start of the MKC, so its timetable shouldn't slip nearly as much as the MKZ's did.

I'd expect it to be a CUV rather than a sedan, but I don't know if that'll be the case.

Actually, wouldn't not being a daydream believer make him the homecoming queen?

You're missing something non-obvious here--it's not just a big demo, it's a loyal demo. In the recent fight between AMC and Dish wherein Dish stopped carrying AMC, that viewership took AMC's side and followed The Walking Dead to other venues, which eventually forced Dish, essentially, to give in to AMC's demands. (As I understand it, AMC didn't get everything they wanted, but the terms were tilted towards AMC.) That, IMHO, is exactly the kind of crowd you want if you're (re-)building a brand--if you can win them over, they'll stick with you.

When I first saw the video, I thought it was a joke on Fallon's part. Obviously, Capital One thinks he's an effective pitchman (at least they've kept him in the newest commercials), and he's reportedly in line for Leno's spot when he retires again, so maybe there's something there. Farley came up through marketing, and I don't see how they could've gotten this past him, so he must see something in this, as well...

I was surprised to discover that it was in the same size category as the Focus; I was expecting it to be a mid-size, like the Avenger...

I hadn't really thought about it, but yeah, I think that's where I've been seeing them, too.

In some ways, Ti-yoda had it easier with Lexus; it had no image, so it had no image to overcome--nobody saw it as an "old man's car." It will take product to fix that, but a halo car won't get the job done, and it will take too much precious capital to get there. To borrow a football metaphor, there are no 24-point plays in the playbook; they need to take it one drive at a time and make each one count. Start with making the MKZ a success, then roll that momentum into then next vehicle, and so forth; if they can do that, they'll be fine. If not, a halo car wouldn't have amounted to spitting on a burning house, anyway.

There's a lot of tongue-in-cheek in the first half of the piece (I think the repeated use of MKTaurus "because it makes me feel smart" kind of gives it away). I don't particularly agree with everything he has to say, but he does make some decent points.

I've seen quite a few Dart ads, and they're not too bad. The one thing about them is that, in the ads, the Dart doesn't look like it's in the same size class as a Focus (and whatever else is in that class); it looks like it's closer to the size of a Fusion. I wonder if that isn't dissuading the normal group of people who would be buying in that class--if it looks like it's the size of a Fusion, maybe they're thinking it will be too big, or maybe they're expecting it to be priced like a Fusion...

An Open Letter To Jim Farley, Mark Fields, And Everyone Else Re: Lincoln By Jack Baruth on December 5, 2012 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/12/an-open-letter-to-jim-farley-mark-fields-and-everyone-else-re-lincoln/

Oops; completely missed that part.

Between having an "all new" model coming out next year, and their current not-entirely-competitive powertrain lineup, it's not exactly surprising. I'd expect that number to go up dramatically next year, particularly if construction starts picking up (which would also help lift Ford and Dodge).

My parents have a similar mileage divide on their Freestyle; I don't recall the exact numbers, but my dad gets closer to 28MPG and my mother gets closer to 24MPG.

Personally, I prefer the more genteel "Late Unpleasantness Between the States." You still see a lot of Confederate Naval Ensigns in some parts of this state, and even some of the Stars and Bars, but even there you no longer hear much about the War Between the States in general, and I doubt many harbor any ill feelings towards Lincoln. (We do have a professor with a big-time man crush on Lincoln; he might be offended by using his likeness in an ad, but that's probably about it.) And I can't let this go without including on of my favorite quotes, by Yankee General Sedgwick, just before being killed by a sniper's bullet at Spotsylvania: "Why, they couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."

Is not!