The systems weren’t compatible at the time.  Engineers didn’t do ( or weren’t allowed to do) their due diligence.

I wonder if Ford has seen an opportunity to pick up at low cost, the Ram 3.0 I-6 turbo, maybe indifferent sales of that engine in Ram 1500 has Ram knocking on Ford’s door…   Also,I kind of agree with biker with regards to outsourcing smaller capacity engines and transmissions from say, VW?   The main reason for Ford doing any of this would be to reduce ICE production assets  as in, getting them off the books by out sourcing like it’s already done with big chunks of its other production assets…   So, If they don’t see a down side to this, could that be a future problem?

I don’t really understand why Ford bailed on their Rivian investment so quickly. Money was already spent. They have solid underpinnings that could have merged with Ford efforts to saves costs. 

Ford Australia is most likely waiting until 2026 when our new low sulphur fuels become available, Ford Europe stopped making the Euro 5 specific Puma so that dried up sales in Australia until after Christmas when we get Euro 6 version. So hoping Territory comes when the new fuel is available.

It’s common practice across several region that Ford tests the upper price thresholds and with it buyer dedication. Maybe taking premium pricing and “right sizing sale” a little too far to the high side….

Given the big price difference, Ford deliberately accentuates traffic towards the popular Bronco Raptor. Ranger Raptor is there for buyers who want a bargain  but open to a pickup versus the iconic  Bronco.   The best thing Ford ever did was to  make Bronco the first T6 mark 2 vehicle developed, sharing those North American gasoline power trains with Ranger is what keeps the costs down for RR, thank you Ford.

This also presumably answers the question of the long-term status of the (stupid) Ford/VW tie-up, which I assume will disappear as these products phase in, and the VW-made ones phase out.

Rivian R2 'Will Underpin All Future EV Projects' At Volkswagen   Not only will the Volkswagen Group have access to a shared software platform to help close the Cariad-shaped gap in its vehicles, but it turns out that the platform that underpins Rivian's upcoming SUV will actually become the official digital brain of all future Volkswagen-branded EVs. Everything Volkswagen touches in the EV space will now be humming along on the same platform and tech stack that will be used as the building blocks for the highly anticipated Rivian R2. That news comes straight from Rivian's Chief Software Officer, Wassym Bensaid. In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Bensaid noted that the R2's modular platform is set to be the secret sauce that makes up every single Volkswagen EV in the foreseeable future. Yes, you read that right—the R2's DNA will be in not just one future product, but all of Volkswagen's new battery-powered models moving forward. That all starts with the upcoming affordable VW Every1 (which will have a new name by the time it releases), which will use an off-the-shelf version of the zonal architecture, and then trickle into newly-released models thereafter. Here's what Bensaid revealed: Notice the last bit of Bensaid's quote. He mentioned that "each of the brands" will have the ability to "express their own identity." Reading between the lines, that tells us that it's not just the VW brand that will have access to the R2's underpinnings. Audi? Check. Porsche? Also check. Don't forget newcomer Scout, plus Lamborghini, Skoda, Seat and all of the others under the VW group umbrella. We already knew that these brands would have access to the software joint venture, but Bensaid's reveal confirms that all brands under the portfolio will be able to have access to the R2 platform and tech stack. Here's another snippet from the interview that explains it further:   More at the link above.   Definitely interesting news.

I don't believe they'll be able to drop the price significantly. What would help is sharing the coupe platform with a mustang sedan, which we know is the plan for now, with the goal of stabilizing prices even if they don't reduce them. Sharing the platform with multiple vehicles would also in theory make it easier to invest more in the mustang moving forward.    For the prices the gt and above are now selling for, I personally believe an effort should be made to give the mustang more seductive proportions. Longer wheelbase, shorter rear, and much shorter front overhangs. Maybe push the a-pillar back an inch or two. Lower the roof maybe 2 inches, and the beltline by an inch. Keep the strong haunches, and accentuate the fastback rooflines.   The s650 is a good looking car, but the size of the overhangs drive me nuts, I'd love to see whatever came next keep the 60s inspiration, but push the wheels to the corners more. Give it larger, more eye catching wheels as well.    Basically just minor tweaks here and there to make an already good looking model even better looking to help justify the higher price tag. The s650 in well equipped gt form is a 55-60 grand car with the same basic shape and proportions to an s550 that was 30 grand new. Casual car buyers don't notice that, hard core sports car enthusiasts do.   I don't know how flexible the hard points on the s650 chassis are, but assuming they're making a sedan using that chassis, it seems like there's a fair amount of flexibility with the dimensions. 

America’s Electric Vehicle Surrender If Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” passes, the entire supply chain could be ceded to China.