rsgnome Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 Edmunds.com If you notice, in the video, the sedan has more camoflague around the C-Pillar. Looks like this may be more of a substantial exterior update then Edmunds is willing to admit. Can't wait to see the final version in January. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildosvt Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Im looking forward to seeing it as well. Thanks for posting this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Has anyone have any interior pics? I read a description on another thread but it would be nice to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgey Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 I wonder if the Focus will have a stack design similar to the new Escape, with the modular switchgear and displays. I'd also be pleasantly surprised if they added Navigation as an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
66fairlane Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Me too, hoping for 2.3 manual ZX2 :happy feet: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcsario Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Edmunds.com If you notice, in the video, the sedan has more camoflague around the C-Pillar. Can't wait to see the final version in January. Yeah seems they'll borrow that from the C1 Focus, nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Selby Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Maybe it's the camouflage, but some of the pictures remind me of a Toyota Echo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrlandoGuy80 Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Can't wait to see it, but I'm going to miss the hatchbacks. I'd rather see the attractive ZX3s and ZX5s sell than the not-so-attractive Caliber! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WC-MAN Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Looks Great! Too bad I'm out of the small car market. About the echo thing, that's the only thing Ford must be carful of. It's great to want all your cars to look like clones, I guess, but styling that looks good on the longer low fusion can lokk very chunk on the shorter compact body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgey Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 (edited) You know the 2008 NA Focus will look dramatically newer than the C1 Focus, despite the carried over components. The coupe just doesn't look right, a coupe design doesn't work with that tall shape. I remember when the ZX2 was introduced. It was celebrated as the breakthrough way in which to turn around a new product. It was developed in record time (18 months if I recall), featured completely unique sheet-metal and interior design, and designed entirely on the computer. What happened to that Ford, now they seem paralyzed by a need to compromise everything because they are so poor! Edited November 11, 2006 by Edgey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 What happened to that Ford, now they seem paralyzed by a need to compromise everything because they are so poor! Let's properly assign blame. Ford still spends more on R&D than Toyota, GM, and DCX. The WAY they spend it is foolish at times, but the money is consistently there to spend. You are dealing with workplace structures at Ford that are in need of serious overhaul. Said overhaul to be accomplished while Ford continues to develop new products. Since 2004, each clean-sheet Ford design has been better tailored to the market than the last. This indicates that Ford is getting new systems in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgey Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 (edited) Let's properly assign blame. Ford still spends more on R&D than Toyota, GM, and DCX. The WAY they spend it is foolish at times, but the money is consistently there to spend. You are dealing with workplace structures at Ford that are in need of serious overhaul. Said overhaul to be accomplished while Ford continues to develop new products. Since 2004, each clean-sheet Ford design has been better tailored to the market than the last. This indicates that Ford is getting new systems in place. Why do so many of their products seem to be half-measures? If they had the money, why carry over so much (between model years and brands)? Edited November 11, 2006 by Edgey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 (edited) Why do so many of their products seem to be half-measures? If they had the money, why carry over so much (between model years and brands)? Pablo Picasso once said, "There is no abstract art, you always start with something." Ford spends money, they get very little in return. Why? Duplication of effort, inefficient use of manpower (e.g. delays in getting designs approved and excessive effort employed in cancelled/delayed products and features), and poor customer research. How do you address this? Simplify parts count, parts sharing, and component carryover, restructuring and 'job discontinuation', and better research methods. How is Ford doing? On isolated cases they are doing well, but overall there has been no drive to improve the way the entire company works. Mulally brings that, and for that reason, what remains to be done at Ford is not as drastic as some might expect. With C1, EUCD, and B3, Ford is moving in the right direction. What remains is a coherent corporate structure where platform development is shared (and scheduled, and structured) across all 'centers of excellence' from Hiroshima to Cologne, and where product development is done in the markets where the products will be sold. And yes, there is plenty of room for Mercury in that structure. When Mulally talks about 'too many Fords', I see that as a critique of the way Ford SA got to develop the EcoSport, Ford Europe/Land Rover/Volvo EUCD, Ford Europe/Volvo/Mazda C1, Mazda/Ford NA CD3, etc. There needs to be an organizational structure for this, Ford can't continue to develop architectures and vehicles on an ad-hoc basis. That's what I get from Mulally's remarks, not some idea that Ford can continue to develop products willy-nilly, but that they need to 'streamline' their distribution network (as in "ax Mercury"). Edited November 11, 2006 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sixcav Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 It's butt ugly, especially that 2 door coupe. They haven't learned a damn thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 It's butt ugly, especially that 2 door coupe. They haven't learned a damn thing. Dude. ZOOM ZOOM. You like MAZDAS, not Fords. Therefore, it shouldn't surprise you that you find the Focus ugly. I happen to think the gauges in your Mazda3 are pointlessly boy-racer, but then I'm not a Mazda target customer. I'm the Mercury customer moving towards eventual Lincoln ownership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sixcav Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 (edited) Dude. ZOOM ZOOM. You like MAZDAS, not Fords. Therefore, it shouldn't surprise you that you find the Focus ugly. I happen to think the gauges in your Mazda3 are pointlessly boy-racer, but then I'm not a Mazda target customer. I'm the Mercury customer moving towards eventual Lincoln ownership. I don't believe in target customers Richie. It's all a bunch of horse shit and you know it. This morning I saw a 60 year old woman driving a Chevy Cobalt. Is she the target customer for that car? No. People don't fit into the little boxes that car companies (and a lot of other companies) think they do. It doesn't work, it never has, you'll never make me believe it. There are far too many examples of people buying products that are not in the "target" audience. By the way, round gauges are boy racer? lol, I guess every Ford sedan in the line up is boy racer than because they all have round gauges. Let's just cover the vehicles I have owned Richie. 78 Granada 85 Dodge Charger 2.2 (POS!!!) 90 Dodge Dakota 92 Toyota Paseo 95 Chevy Camaro 97 Pontiac Grand Am 99 Toyota Tacoma 01 Pontiac Firebird 03 Isuzu Rodeo 06 Mustang 07 Mazda 3 Along the way I seriously considered the Camry, Mazda 6, Mazda 5, Subaru Outback, Subaru Baja, Chevy 1500, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Saturn Aura, Saturn Sky, VW GTI, and Nissan Alitima (V6), among others. Given that wide range of cars exactly what target customer am I? lol PS I know a nice looking car when I see one, and that new Focus isn't it. It's ugly. Edited November 11, 2006 by Sixcav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCK Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 (edited) I'm the Mercury customer moving towards eventual Lincoln ownership. Well the good news is you'll be there sooner than later. How low can Lincoln go down the market? They are at where mercury should be. Edited November 12, 2006 by DCK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgey Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 Hey, I went directly from Ford to Lincoln, I skipped Mercury altogether! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 I don't believe in target customers Richie. Do you know what a statistical outlier is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgey Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 Do you know what a statistical outlier is? One of those lonely dots! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sixcav Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 Do you know what a statistical outlier is? It's 50% of the population. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 (edited) It's 50% of the population. lol No. It's 100% of the population, we're all statistical outliers of some sort. That doesn't mean that we don't share traits with other people, with enough other people for products and marketing campaigns to be tailored to us. You like to talk big, but I'm pretty sure some ad agency has your number. If I knew enough about you, I could probably say exactly which company's marketing campaigns are working on you. And you could dispute all you want, but that doesn't mean you're not being manipulated. Just means you don't know it. Whether they're reinforcing your opinion of yourself, or saying something you've been saying for years, they're playin' you for their own evil ends. Edited November 12, 2006 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 CBC radio has a neat marketing series on their Radio One service. http://www.cbc.ca/programguide/program/ind...startTime=16:00 Terry O’Reilly continues his exploration of how marketing and advertising have permeated almost every aspect of our lives. You can get the national broadcast schedule, or get the web feed. Yesterday's program covered All the World’s a Marketing Opportunity. This week on The Age of Persuasion, Terry O’Reilly explores how - and why - marketers find opportunities… everywhere. You’ll tour “naming rights” deals and athlete endorsements. You’ll hear how an Australian restaurant chain used the Clinton/Lewinsky sex scandal to sell chicken, how a Saskatchewan town once “sold” its name, and how an activist group tried to recruit a mass murderer to promote its ‘animal rights’ message. Terry O’Reilly and the Age of Persuasion, Saturday afternoon at 4 (4:30 NT) on CBC Radio One. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sixcav Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 You like to talk big, but I'm pretty sure some ad agency has your number. If I knew enough about you, I could probably say exactly which company's marketing campaigns are working on you. And you could dispute all you want, but that doesn't mean you're not being manipulated. Just means you don't know it. Whether they're reinforcing your opinion of yourself, or saying something you've been saying for years, they're playin' you for their own evil ends. I'm not "talking big" Richie, what the hell does that even mean? If I go buy something weather it's underwear or golf clubs I can assure you it's not because of some ad campaign in light of the fact that I don't watch much TV and when the radio starts playing a commercial I change the channel. I buy something because it's what I want. If it's an item that is a high dollar purchase I research it first. So you might be buying things because you're the victim of some subliminal conspiracy, lol, but I just buy what I want. Buying what I want does not imply that I am being manipulated by marketing company man, get real. I think the Quiznos commercials are absolutely the dumbest commercials ever made, but they make good sandwiches so I don't mind buying them. Ever been to the theater and seen those dumb ass Fandago commercials? Did it keep you from going back to the movies? Me either, but I don't use Fandago. lol Sorry man, we are not being manipulated by some slick advertising agency, people really are smarter than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 I buy something because it's what I want. Riiiiight. Ever cross your mind why you want it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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