Ford’s Big EcoBoost Plans
By Michael J. DeWane | April 21, 2009
Direct injection is a fairly recent innovation for gasoline fueled passenger cars. Ford’s EcoBoost technology is one of the latest variants garnering attention these days, and deservedly so. Utilizing direct injection, turbo charging and a host of other improvements Ford Motor Company has come up with some new engines that allow inline 4 cylinder and V6 engines to perform like V6 and V8 engines respectively. Well almost anyway, while boosting power output they’ve also managed to retain the fuel economy that you’d typically see in a 4 or 6 cylinder engine. Not bad.
More than once at Mondo Motoring we’ve been asked how direct injection works and more than once we’ve botched the explanation. Ford explains the technology a bit here in their press release a bit while expressing their intentions to have 90% of their North American product line feature the technology over the next 4 years.
Click here to continue to Ford’s Press release and Pictures.
Topics: Ford, Technology | No Comments »
Jaguar and Buick: Modern Marques of Dependability
By Michael J. DeWane | March 25, 2009
News flash: Buick and Jaguar Rated Most Dependable by J.D. Power. That many automakers have taken great strides to improve their reputations for elements such as quality, customer satisfaction and dependability has been no secret in recent years. For certain brands the achievement has been remarkable. For Jaguar in particular, given their reputation in the 1970s, this would seem nothing short of herculean. But is it really?
It would seem that for the last 10 years or so that it is nearly impossible to buy a bad car. In reality, the differences in reliability/dependability for the typical work-a-day car or truck are narrow enough to be darn near meaningless.
Automotive technology has matured quite nicely in the past 50 years. We’ve seen bias ply tires give way to radial, the advent of run-flat tires. Carburetion has given way to the far more reliable fuel injection. Seat belts, airbags and other passive restraints have significantly reduced fatalities. Meanwhile, anti-lock brakes, active handling technology, and other safety systems have helped to reduce the likelihood of getting into a crash to begin with.
Reminisce if you will over the cars of the past, but the simple fact is that the common car of today is nearly miraculous compared to those of the past. Some may argue that cars of the past were easier to work on, and while that may be true, it’s also true that those relics we hold so dear in our memories needed to be worked on rather frequently. Think about it, when was the last time you had a tire blowout? Heck, when was the last time you even heard of someone having a blowout? How about carburetor adjustments? Tune-ups… modern cars are typically owned, driven for years and sold before they ever need a tune-up.
So here we are, were you to be told in the 70s, 80s, or even the early 90s that Jaguar and Buick could someday share the throne for most dependable automakers would have been downright laughable. No one is laughing now, least of all the Folks at Lexus.
Topics: buick, jaguar | No Comments »
USA F1 Team: It’s About Time
By Michael J. DeWane | February 24, 2009
It’s not even March yet, so this can’t be an April Fools joke. After a 20 year drought SpeedTV is announcing there will finally be another USA based Formula 1 team. The new team will be based in what has become an unofficial capitol of USA auto racing; Charlotte, North Carolina. Check out the video below for the good news.
Topics: Auto Racing, Formula 1, Racing | No Comments »
It’s SHO-TIME
By Michael J. DeWane | February 16, 2009
Ford has seemed to be a little engine that could story of late, chugging along through a slackened economy while GM and Chrysler beg for taxpayer dollars. The latest sign of a still vital Ford Motor Company has been the recent unveiling of an all new Taurus SHO at last week’s auto show in Chicago. With 10 years having passed since the last SHO variant of Ford’s family sedan this news is quite welcome to performance fans, especially in a world where underpowered and anemic offerings seem to be the only vehicles that make the news.
Pictures and more after the jump.
The original Ford Taurus was quite a surprise back in its day. The mild mannered family car SHO’d up in 1989 with a lively Yamaha V6 delivering 220hp. Handling was improved as well, and the resulting product was an American car that had at least some of the comfort, handling and power that was usually associated with higher end Euro-sedans of the day but at a far more reasonable price.
Interestingly, the Taurus SHO might never have existed in its original form had Pontiac’s Fiero been more successful. It turns out that the SHO’s high performance V6 was originally purchased from Yamaha to power a mid-engine Fiero fighter that Ford had in the works. Somewhere along the line the 2 seater got canceled but the engines remained in inventory. Then came the idea to put the 220hp engine into a special edition Taurus and voila… the Taurus SHO was born. Initial sales success led the the SHO to carry through 3 revisions of the Taurus until 1999 when then weaker sales caused its exclusion from the next revision.
Fast forward to present day and Ford is gracing customers with the opportunity to own an all new and even more potent version of its family four door. This time motivation comes from the freshly developed Ecotec V6. Both powerful and economic the new engine is expected to crank out 365 horses while still delivering the fuel economy expected from a V6 power plant. This SHO is much more than just high power and a pretty face. All wheel drive is available to help put the power to the road. The 6 speed manual, Ford calls the new system SelectShift, can be operated as a conventional automatic or gears can be selected manually from the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. Further enriching the experience, downshifts are rev-matched in a manner similar to the technique used by racing drivers.
Modern technology abounds in the new SHO, there is a power restricting system called MyKey. Think of it as a safeguard that means you can lend the car to your teen without unleashing all the power contained beneath the hood. Exclusive to the SHO in the Taurus line is an optional reverse camera system which projects an image of the camera’s view behind the car. Adaptive cruise control, collision warning and blind spot info systems are included in the list of safety items featured on the car.
In the entertainment and convenience department there is a 12 speaker Sony entertainment system. Ford’s award winning SYNC is standard while adding the voice activated navigation system also brings a 10 Gigabyte hard drive for storage of music.
Strangely, VW’s Routan mini-van advertizing campaign comes to mind. If compelled by life to drive a vehicle with more than 2 seats and 2 doors, it seems that something like this new Taurus SHO would be far more appealing. SHO babies seem a bit more believable than Routan babies.
Topics: Ford | 1 Comment »
L is for Little; L is for Lincoln
By Michael J. DeWane | January 12, 2009
Small cars may have lost a bit of their luster lately with fuel prices dipping well into the the sub $2 range. Regardless, there is one thing that is certain. Cars like the MINI Cooper, the Volvo C30 have proven that premium small cars can sell in the USA and that is what it’s going to take to make small platforms profitable across the board.
With this in mind Ford via their Lincoln division has unveiled a little Lincoln at the North American International Auto Show. The Lincoln C Concept simultaneously small yet recognizably Lincoln. "Efficiency without compromise" is the order of the day according to Freeman Thomas, director of Ford’s Strategic Concepts Group.
Now this of course is a concept, but the b-pillar-less four door layout can still be done today as Mazda has demonstrated with their RX-8. Design elements like the windshield extending to the roof may be a bit less likely to be realized should the Focus based C Concept evolve into a production model.
Whether the USA is ready for micro luxury from Lincoln remains to be seen. It would however be compelling to see the Ford company take a quirky car risk with the Lincoln name plate. I Just hope they aren’t feeling too burned by the lukewarm reception to the Ford Flex.
More pictures plus the Lincoln press release after the jump.
Topics: Detroit Auto Show, Ford, Lincoln, concept | No Comments »
Internet Ready Blaupunkt to Debut at 2009 CES
By Michael J. DeWane | January 5, 2009
To many it may be an answer to a question they think no one is asking, but ready or not here it comes. It’s the Blaupunkt New Jersey 600i. The idea is that the 600i will connect to the interwebs via Bluetooth on your data enabled cell phone. This is potentially the satellite radio killer, it’s access to nearly unlimited content. Furthermore, it’s the type of technology that could render a rumored return of the fairness doctrine meaningless.
Topics: Automotive Electronics | No Comments »
BMW Reveals New MINI Cooper Convertible
By Michael J. DeWane | November 30, 2008
BMW has released details and photos of their new MINI Cooper and Cooper S convertibles. Photos and the full press release from BMW follow, but some items of particular interest
- Top can be lowered or deployed at up to 20 MPH
- Openometer records top down time
- Standard sliding sunroof feature is standard allowing a partial open air experience
- Orders are being taken now with deliver beginning on March 28th 2009. Just in time for early spring. Take note however, prices have jumped noticeably. Cooper convertibles now start at $24,550, while the S starts at $27,450 including destination charge.
Continue for Press Release from BMW followed by photo gallery.
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
MINI E at Los Angeles Auto Show
By Michael J. DeWane | November 18, 2008
Even with fuel prices plummeting, electric cars are of great interest while we look for ways to get the oil monkey off our national back. BMW group shares this desire as they prepare to officially premiere their all electric MINI E at the Los Angeles Auto Show on the 19th and 20th of November.
(read more plus additional photos and BMW’s press release after the jump)
Topics: Uncategorized | 7 Comments »
Nissan’s New Z Car Revealed
By Michael J. DeWane | October 29, 2008
Ahead of the LA Auto Show scheduled for November 19th. Nissan is revealing the first official images of its new 370Z Coupe. An obvious relative of the 350Z, the new model more effectively recalls the original Z cars of the early 70s without doing the modern retro thing.
Look for the Nissans new Z car in dealers early next year.
More photos after the jump.
Topics: Nissan | No Comments »
Mazda Kiyora to Debut at Paris Motor Show
By Michael J. DeWane | September 4, 2008
Don’t ask me how they do it, but Mazda is is getting ready to unveil the latest of their concept vehicles expressing their flowing Nagare design language. This time it’s the Kiyora meaning “Clean and Pure” in Japanese. The Kiyora is the Urban Compact variation ever growing range of concepts being shown by Mazda. They say water is the design theme, but in more than a few of these latest concepts from Mazda, this one most of all, I’m seeing a bit of Bruce the shark from Finding Nemo. Call me crazy, but I’m telling you, this car is Bruce
Bruce, er Kiyora is equipped with a direct injection 4 cylinder and Mazda’s Smart Idle Stop System. It all adds up to something like a Mini Cooper that looks more like a shark than a bulldog.
Of course few of these Nagare concepts look very buildable as production cars, but it we can hold out hope that something as interesting as the Kiyora may find its way into show rooms in the years to come. Even now we’re seeing Nagare design language creep into Mazda’s existing line as seen in the latest version of Mazda’s 6. Also to be seen at the Paris show will be a refreshed version of the third generation MX-5 (Miata) More pictures and Mazda’s full press release after the jump.
Topics: Mazda, concept | No Comments »