Michigan wllz

By BRYAN LAVIOLETTE
Michigan wllz

DETROIT — Maybe last year’s show set this year’s up for a letdown.

At the 2009 show, General Motors went on the offensive with major announcements about its plans for a battery research facility, Chevy Volt production plans, partnership programs with battery manufacturers and a new Cadillac concept using the Volt’s technology.

It was exciting because GM, facing the toughest trials of its existence, went on the offensive and actually wrested the fuel economy lead away from Toyota.

But on Monday, Toyota and Ford went on their own offensives. Jim Lentz, head of Toyota’s U.S. sales arm, said that the company planned to develop a “family” of Prius hybrid vehicles. It also announced that there are eight new hybrid models in the pipeline and that the company plans to increase global hybrid production from 530,000 in 2009 to 1 million within the next couple of years.

Lentz went on to say that the company is approaching what it calls “sustainable mobility” with a four-prong approach that includes the company’s hybrids, plug-in hybrids, fuel cell vehicles and battery electric vehicles.

Toyota has already announced a new plug-in Prius that the company will build in limited numbers later this year. Lentz also said that the company plans to market a fuel cell vehicle by 2015.

So what was on GM’s agenda regarding fuel economy? GM showed production versions of the Chevy Spark and Cruze, vehicles it has shown previously. It also showed a sporty concept of the next generation Chevy Aveo and of course the Volt.

It also showed an urban utility vehicle concept for GMC called the Granite,  a Denali version of the GMC Acadia and a Buick Regal called the GS.

As for big announcements about advanced powertrains, GM officials didn’t offer much. It still has a press conference scheduled for Tuesday to talk about plans for Cadillac, but no major announcements on fuel economy are expected.

At last year’s show, GM showed the Cadillac Converj concept using the Volt’s high-tech powertrain. Some had hoped that GM would announce that the Converj was a go, but right now, all that is expected is for Cadillac to show the CTS-V Coupe.

Ford also stepped up with some major announcements. The Dearborn automaker announced plans to invest $450 million and create 1,000 jobs to build lithium ion batteries for hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

“This investment underscores how serious we are about delivering a range of electrified vehicles to customers — including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles,” Bill Ford Jr., Ford’s executive chairman, said in a statement.

DEARBORN — A groundbreaking research project by Ford and Auburn University shows that global positioning system (GPS) satellites that can “talk” to cars could help prevent serious accidents in the future.

The researchers have found potential for a GPS satellite to act as an early warning system that detects when a vehicle is about to lose control and communicate with the vehicle’s stability control systems and other safety features to prevent a rollover or other serious accident.

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BY STEVE SILER
September 2009

Ford’s compact C-Max vanlet, launched as the Focus C-Max in Europe in 2002, has been such a sensation that Ford followed it up by launching a full line of MPVs, including the larger S-Max and Galaxy. The idea was to make Ford of Europe the go-to company when it comes to one-box vehicles, sort of what Chrysler used to be here in the U.S.

Behold C-Max 2.0. Okay, it won’t really be called C-Max 2.0, but it is the second-generation C-Max, which incidentally lost its “Focus” designation upon its refresh in 2006. But the van hasn’t lost its Focus altogether, as it will be based on an evolution of the C1 architecture that underpins the current European-market Focus, the Mazda 3/Mazda 5, and more. This new modified platform will also underpin the next-generation Focus, which is due soon and will be sold in both Europe and the U.S. This C-Max will launch in Europe in the second half of 2010.

From a styling standpoint, the C-Max offers no surprises to anyone that’s been following Ford’s “kinetic design” theme of late, and it is in fact a direct descendant of the Iosis Max show car we saw earlier this year in Geneva. To those unfamiliar with the styling language, however, it may be surprising to see so much design crammed onto so little—and tall—a body. One-box automobiles are tough to make attractive, but Ford seems to have done it with the C-Max’s polygonal graphic elements, high waistline, and bulging fenders filled with big fat wheels. Also note the two-row moonroof, a rarity in this class.

While we don’t have many details about the powertrain lineup at this point, we do know that Ford will show the C-Max with its new 1.6-liter, direct-injection, four-cylinder EcoBoost engine. It will also have a semi-automatic parallel-parking system and blind-spot detection.

We can’t say if we’ll get this one in the U.S. as seen here, but we can say that after attending several of Ford’s backgrounder events in recent months, its small-vehicle plan is comprehensive and does include offering several vehicles sprung from the new global compact platform to U.S. customers. Furthermore, we think with its newfound style, the C-Max would be a good fit as Americans slowly warm up to mini-minivans.

Source: Car and Driver

A comment that came out of the story about Ford ditching the Crown Victoria reminded me of this Car and Driver story from a few years back. While it appears that GM has taken its excellent Pontiac G8 away and doesn’t plan to let those of us in the states have that great car anymore, it is interesting to note that Ford also has some excellent rear-wheel-drive cars from the Land Down Under. Eh, mate, I wonder if anyone over at Ford is looking at the continued interest in the GM’s own car from Australia.

Think I’m kidding about interest in the G8? Why does the G8, which was essentially a Holden Commodore and was even built in Australia, continue to show up in Google’s 100 Hot Trends? It’s because the car developed a very loyal, cultish following in its only year on the market. Those who love the G8 see GM’s decision not to rebadge it as a Buick or Chevrolet as just another backwards decision, one like the giant automaker used to make on a regular basis.

So, here’s the 2006 article about these Fords from far-off lands.

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Ford Motor Co. Friday confirmed plans to phase out production of its popular police car, the Crown Victoria, in 2011 at a plant in Ontario.

However, the Dearborn automaker declined to say if that means the Crown Victoria police car would cease to exist afterward or confirm reports that it wants to replace the Crown Vic with a police version of the Ford Taurus. Ford recently launched a new version of the Taurus, which is built in Chicago.

Ford’s decision could impact General Motors’ decision about bringing the Pontiac G8 back as a police-only vehicle, an idea that top company officials have said is a possibility.

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Mark Horvath is telling the story of the homeless

There is meaning in the name of Mark’s video blog. He explains that some homeless are passed on the street as if they don’t exist. As if they are invisible. Others are ignored the way one would disregard a piece of trash on the sidewalk. Mark’s goal is to make homeless visible to everyone.

This summer, InvisiblePeople.tv is traveling across America to capture the stories of people without a home. By visiting tent cities, motels, and other modern-day accommodations for people without a home, this tour will unearth the modern-day realities of homelessness while providing a venue for “invisible” people to tell their story, raw and unedited.

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A friend of mine made an interesting suggestion for vehicle marketing. My friend, a long-time buyer of Ford vehicles including cars and trucks, suggested that Ford would do well to market all of its trucks as Fords and all of its entry-level cars as Mercurys.

His idea is that Ford could pitch its namesake brand as Ford Tough. The F-150 would be the centerpiece, but it would also have Ford’s growing stable of SUVs, including the Flex, Edge and Escape. Maybe it could even come up with a modern Ranger small pickup truck to replace the ancient version the automaker currently peddles. Ford’s luxury brand, Lincoln, would continue selling a mix of high-end cars and trucks.

My friend says he understands that his proposal really won’t work going back to the days when Ford’s first vehicle was the Model T. And besides, a Mercury Mustang?

What do you think?

Ford Mustang AV-X10 "Dearborn Doll"

Build #1 of 1 Ford Mustang AV-X10 to be sold at auction July 30, at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, with proceeds supporting youth experiences and education

Ford Motor Co. created a one-of-a-kind vehicle, the Mustang AV-X10 “Dearborn Doll,” to be sold at auction during the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) 2009 AirVenture Oshkosh, the world’s greatest aviation celebration. Ford is the exclusive automotive partner with EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and all of the proceeds from the sale will benefit the Young Eagles organization. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh will be held from Monday, July 27, to Aug. 2 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

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Automakers are searching for all sorts of new ways to market cars to a new generation of buyers. They talk about engaging these young people on their terms — which means with technology, on the Web and with unique experiences.

So, it was with interest that I found the blog by Jaime Case and Chris Hodges. Instead of having a traditional wedding reception to celebrate their marriage, they decided to use the money to travel the country visiting friends instead. And they got Ford to loan them a Ford Fusion — nicknamed Roxy — to do it.

The couple is more than halfway through their odyssey, but it’s still fun. Just one question. Has Jaime worn that dress for the whole trip?

http://weddingroadtrip.com/

Look, no hands!

If you fear parallel parking, you are in good company. Technology available in the 2010 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT can remove that anxiety by managing this challenging chore for you. Not only does Active Park Assist perform the difficult parallel parking maneuver, it also will help you find a parking space large enough for the vehicle to fit in.

Active Park Assist — How It Works

The push of a single button activates Active Park Assist, and the system begins scanning for an appropriate parking spot. When a suitable space is detected, an audible signal will sound, and the cluster-mounted message center will display a “space found” notification.

Active Park Assist will coach the driver with a prompt when to stop, shift to reverse and let the system take over. The system will not select an inappropriately sized space.

Park Assist will calculate the appropriate trajectory, regardless of the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle parked in the space just ahead. All steering is performed by the system, so the driver only needs to brake. Active Park Assist also properly positions the vehicle relative to the curb.

If the vehicle is not positioned properly in the space, the system will continue to coach the driver for proper placement. The driver will shift and brake normally, but the system steers the vehicle throughout the maneuver.

Active Park Assist is enabled by Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) which is standard on 2010 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with the 3.5-liter EcoBoostTM V-6.

Active Park Assist is optional on the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 equipped Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT, on sale late this summer.

Watch this video at this link for a demonstration:
http://www.thefordstory.com/smart-technology/let-your-car-parallel-park-itself-with-active-park-assist/