That's a sweet looking car!

From what I hear, people will be lining up to buy the next Mustang.

 

3V Crown Vic!!!!

arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr: arty: :arr:

 

I think I just got a woody.

"Ford now has a single product development department"
This statement bothers me though. After working with the NA Ford R&D for 5+ years, I have absolutely no confidence in their ability to do anything other than waste money and point fingers. I am hoping that car R&D can remain in Europe/Australia and NA can concentrate on trucks and SUV's.

 

I've been telling the nay-sayers that there is a lot of great product in the pipeline and to hang in there.

 

The only bad thing I see, we have to wait so long

 

I think I just got a woody.

"Ford now has a single product development department"
This statement bothers me though. After working with the NA Ford R&D for 5+ years, I have absolutely no confidence in their ability to do anything other than waste money and point fingers. I am hoping that car R&D can remain in Europe/Australia and NA can concentrate on trucks and SUV's.

I have confidence Kuzak can whip them into shape .. I assume you worked with Ford NA PD department ... protected and liked by their equally incompetent NA bosses

Now the NA PS is jsut one part of a global PD department .. and imagine how their reviews will look like when Europe does something in 2 months, but US takes 5 and does a worse job .. The NA PD is not longer protected .. they all respond to Kuzak, and you can bet that Kuzak's head will roll if he cannot unify the PD department - s he will not tolerate some little protectionist fiefdoms inside his department. Finally, the simple fact that all the divisions of the Global PD department will not work on common - shared programs means that Ford USE cannot just play on their own sand .. their own products - they will have to work with the other divisions .. and if they decide to slack off, they will drag down Europe and Australia with them ... I can guarantee you the other division will not take that quitely ...

Igor

 

Hmmm nothing about the FI motors though.

 

:thumbup: good 2 hear

Bobby

 

Hmmm nothing about the FI motors though.

I just did not talk about them ..

Igor

 

I have confidence Kuzak can whip them into shape .. I assume you worked with Ford NA PD department ... protected and liked by their equally incompetent NA bosses

Now the NA PS is jsut one part of a global PD department .. and imagine how their reviews will look like when Europe does something in 2 months, but US takes 5 and does a worse job .. The NA PD is not longer protected .. they all respond to Kuzak, and you can bet that Kuzak's head will roll if he cannot unify the PD department - s he will not tolerate some little protectionist fiefdoms inside his department. Finally, the simple fact that all the divisions of the Global PD department will not work on common - shared programs means that Ford USE cannot just play on their own sand .. their own products - they will have to work with the other divisions .. and if they decide to slack off, they will drag down Europe and Australia with them ... I can guarantee you the other division will not take that quitely ...

Igor

Kusak will not be the first one to try. I saw so much half ass stupid **** come out of PD that it would make anyone not want to buy another Ford. It goes for manufacturing, management, and the bean counters as well. Working on the mustang and F150 had me crying myself to sleep at night.

 

Ford cannot save itself by appealing to enthusiasts. I wish Jetters could grasp that.

 

Ford cannot save itself by appealing to enthusiasts. I wish Jetters could grasp that.

I dont think anyone is saying that here. In fact, this is the exact opposite. There is no talk from Ford of SVT, Retro thunderbirds, Harley version trucks, and limited production supercars. All things that were failed attempts to get people to buy other Fords and drained the company of money that could be better spent on quality vehicles. Ford is now talking about clearly defined product lines targeted at a wide audience. This is the BEST thing to come out of Ford in close to a decade.

However, a global product line gives much better options for enthusiast type vehicles as well as more money to spend in developing those vehicles.

 

^^^^^^ agreed. Just waiting for the "where is the 260hp focus model?" posts.

 

Finally, the companys going in the right direction.












(Eagerly awaits the Falcon)

 

I've been telling the nay-sayers that there is a lot of great product in the pipeline and to hang in there.

Get me the Falcon or you shut your mouth.

 

theyjust need ot bring the falcon name and that car and all versions over here!

 

I'm predicting an announcement in about 2009 where Mullaly declares that "One Ford" does not work, it's been tried in various "world car" itterations over the past 3 decades, and they always fail because the markets have such different requirements. And thus, Ford will again split up their design teams to work on their respective markets.



This has been going back, and forth, over and over for 30 years.

 

But euro buyers are buying bigger cars than they used to, and Americans are buying smaller car since gas prices went up. Also most of the other manufacturers make it work at this point, and save allot of money wile providing superior products.

There may be some differences in the cars, say the US primarily sells a sedan version of a car with the bigger motor and less options, wile the hatchback version with more tech options and the smaller motor sell more. That is fine, but the basic engineering, design, and manufacturing systems need to be shared. Every other successful car company can do this, so it is time ford figures it out. There is no more back and forth. If they don’t figure it out this time, they are going out of business.

 

^^^^^^ agreed. Just waiting for the "where is the 260hp focus model?" posts.

That would be 285ps Focus model....

 

all the euro fords have trapeziodal grilles.

whats gonna happen with the three bar?

 

Correction "a VERSION of the C-Max will be introduced in the U.S. in 2011 or 2012"

Appreciate your comments poondobber " I am hoping that car R&D can remain in Europe/Australia and NA can concentrate on trucks and SUV's." Totally agree, and is the reason I get very concerned when I read comments from an article in MotorTrend regarding Ford Global Architecture,

Here is a line from he article "The next-generation Focus architecture will be developed in "Dearborn" (OMG) with Japanese and European engineers to ensure cost is kept low enough to make a version of the car viable for North American buyers, while giving Europeans the ability to deliver the unique body styles and features their markets demand."
Article http://www.motortrend.com/features/consumer/112_0707_ford_global_architecture/

It scares me in the sense that with FoNorthAmerica calling the shots, there will be so much infighting between the international teams (EGO) we consumers end up with some half baked mediorcre vehicles(cars). FoAmerica still has not proven or given me reason to have confidence that they can and will stop cutting corners with cost cutting measures when developing new vehicles(cars).

Hopefully Kuzak can get through this and all markets, especially North America will be offered the best Ford vehicles(cars) possible.

 

all the euro fords have trapeziodal grilles.

whats gonna happen with the three bar?

grill is easy to change. That could be something they do to appeal to certain markets. Grill, bumper lines, etc.....basically what they did with the focus and how the differences were subtle between the NA and the euro focus for the first year or so.

I think its a good idea. Ford needed to unify platforms a long time ago... Means that they pay less per car and tooling is universal.

 

...
It scares me in the sense that with FoNorthAmerica calling the shots, there will be so much infighting between the international teams (EGO) we consumers end up with some half baked mediorcre vehicles(cars). FoAmerica still has not proven or given me reason to have confidence that they can and will stop cutting corners with cost cutting measures when developing new vehicles(cars).

Hopefully Kuzak can get through this and all markets, especially North America will be offered the best Ford vehicles(cars) possible.

sounds like ford has the idea about right to me.
and they HAVE to cut costs to some degree - they cant spend their way out of a deficit...and as much as we would all like it they probably arent going to start competing with BMW...

they have to come up with a product better than the competition for cheaper.

its called innovation and ford wrote a few chapters in that book.

and how does north america get a better global vehicle than someone else?

 

this is truely great news for ford, and for all of us who really want our next car to be a Ford. The Falcon is perfect, as it always has been, and would be nice to have over here. I am excited for the Mondeo/Fusion, and for the next gen Focus (please have 3 doors), the new Feista (don't change the name, or add the chrome grille), and who wouldn't be excited for a new Crown Vic. The cops and taxi drivers need something nice to drive as well.

I can't wait for some of this product to make production. Perhaps Ford really has learned from their mistakes, and they are going to fix them.

Is the Kuga the Escape replacement in both platform and name, or just in platform? Hopefully whatever they make will get better mileage than my wifes' Escape Limited!

 

igor2, great news. I love this new direction and I'm really looking forward to the new Fords that will be coming out.