“Dumber than a sack of bricks”?  😀   Whoever thought the entire planet would cow down in fear without pushing back hard doesn’t understand humanity, or different cultures at all.

Peter Navarro is a dope.

That’s a good question.  I don’t know but see similarity in size to the smaller previous generation.  Toyota site shows 2026 Crown with shorter length, etc., so even if related apparently hasn’t been updated to recent all-new platform yet.  The new ES is offered both HEV or BEV, so maybe Crown will follow.   An apparent difference is that on new Lexus ES, they went from base fuel-efficient and proven 2.5L hybrid to all-electric and skipped the optional and newer Crown’s 2.4L Turbo hybrid option.  Obviously turbo hybrid offers more power, but given fuel efficiency is so much lower than more-traditional hybrid powertrain, it makes little sense to me.  I still think most hybrid buyers are biased towards fuel efficiency more than acceleration.  Buyers who value acceleration more so may go to a BEV, leaving Turbo hybrid in no man’s land.

Peter Navarro is a Harvard grad.  By definition that means he has no common sense..part of the curriculum in the Ivy League🤔

I can’t stand using my phone for navigation either due to screen being too small, but have had success with iPad Mini for years, and expect it would be fine for a truck like the Slate which is meant to stay close to home in the first place.  I already know where I’m going so it’s mostly to check traffic congestion anyway.  It’s unfortunate the screen behind steering wheel is so small on Slate, otherwise maybe it could display navigation.  Pictures show tiny screen no bigger than a phone, and much smaller than iPad Mini, so it wouldn’t help much other than being located closer to line of sight.   Anyway, what I really love about the Slate approach of getting back to basics is eliminating over the air updates, other than what can be accomplished through phone when necessary.  The approach Tesla started of having cars that are rolling computers is not appealing to me for the most part.  I prefer (for myself) a basic vehicle that happens to be driven by electricity, not a car designed for future autonomous driving.  I understand the advantages of OTA updates, but don’t like associated compromises.   InsideEVs article on Slate basic function and updates is interesting.   https://insideevs.com/news/757681/slate-ev-screen-software-updates/  

Mid-engine is wrong in a Mustang?    

I've got it on my 38' fifth wheel.  Installation of the sensors is a pain because you've got to dismount the tires to have them placed, but the rest was super easy.  The system works great other than an occasional fault due to losing signal on one sensor, but it's not a big deal as it doesn't happen often, and it's usually back in a few minutes.  Looking back, I would do it again.

There was a long tunnel somewhere that required headlights and there was a restaurant on one side of the tunnel.  Folks would stop to eat in the daytime and forget their lights were on (this was before autolamps) and come out to a dead battery.  The state looked at several high tech solutions including elaborate sensors and other complicated and expensive technologies.   In the end they simply put up a sign that said “Are your lights on?”

Seems like someone is sniffing around for a lawsuit.....hope your friend is ok.

Hello, has there been any progress with your order? My situation is quite similar to yours. My order was confirmed on October 29th last year, and it entered production on February 21st this year. However, there have been no updates since then. I tried to contact my sales representative, but apart from receiving an internal screenshot marked as "NON SHIPPABLE," I have not gotten any further information. I did some research myself and even managed to find the VIN and order number by searching nearby inventory. Then I called a local Ford dealer pretending to be a potential buyer interested in a vehicle to inquire about the current situation from the manufacturer. I received two unconfirmed pieces of information: The manufacturer is conducting quality control inspections, which is quite normal and standard procedure for a newly redesigned model. After some vehicles were shipped from the factory last month, they encountered hailstorms, resulting in damage to some vehicles. Ford is prioritizing repairs on those damaged vehicles, which has caused overall delivery delays. (This information came from my local dealer, where a repaired official "like-new" vehicle from Kentucky is expected to arrive soon.)