Recent Comments:
Analysts: Ford could sell Mazda to raise capital {Autoblog}
Aug 6th 2008 5:07AM The Mazda 6 had a Ford automatic?
I remember Ford installing their craptastic automatic on the 4-cylinder versions of the 94-02 626 and MX-6, whose constant breakdowns nearly tanked Mazda's reputation. But after that, I thought the era of force-fed Ford trannies had ended.
Analysts: Ford could sell Mazda to raise capital {Autoblog}
Aug 6th 2008 5:01AM The Mazda 6 had a Ford automatic?
Lots of people remember how Ford installed their craptastic automatic on the 4-cylinder versions of the 94-02 626 and MX-6, whose constant breakdowns nearly torpedoed Mazda's reputation. But after that, I thought the era of force-fed Ford trannies had ended.
BMW cancels plan for range-topping X7 SUV {Autoblog}
Aug 6th 2008 4:49AM Hasn't BMW essentially been making an X7 for the past six years -- the Land Rover Range Rover?
Mercury rising: Thursday announcement expected to lay out Euro-infused future {Autoblog}
Jul 22nd 2008 5:19PM Seems like the blogger here got a little liberal with the "speculation" part -- nowhere in this lengthy NY Times article is there any proposal of turning Mercury into a Euro-Ford dumping ground.
Heck, the word "Mercury" only comes up in this excerpt:
"And while Ford has shed upscale brands like Land Rover and Jaguar, the company will keep the Mercury brand and use it as another distribution channel for small cars."
Some analysts have speculated that Ford might abandon Mercury as it streamlines its overall operations."
Pretty good trick for stirring up comments/revenue, though.
Spy VIDEO: Nissan 370Z caught in Arizona {Autoblog}
Jul 11th 2008 7:02PM Very cool indeed.
Now, how about yanking an old Maxima engine to make a lower-line 300Z for those of us who are perfectly happy with 222 HP? (and less weight, lower price, and sweeter engine sounds... the VQ was already kinda discordant at 3.5 liters)
The wait is over. First U.S. Nissan GT-R delivered at 12:01 AM {Autoblog}
Jul 7th 2008 7:21PM "After adoring the Skyline GT-R from afar for nearly two decades"
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Hasn't it been just over two? If I have things straight, the first GT-R (R32) was launched back in 88 right alongside the first of the great Silvias. Then the next year came the new 300ZX, which was supposedly created by an entirely separate division within Nissan for no good reason. (Maybe if they'd pooled their efforts and resources on the Skyline, we could've gotten it a long time ago?)
Lutz chimes in on the Chevy Beat {Autoblog}
Jul 7th 2008 6:49PM "The base 08 Yaris gets 29/36 while the base Corolla gets 28/37 according to fueleconomy.gov.
The only real advantage of the Yaris is its initial purchase price."
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But when you get out into the real world, the Corolla gets about 29 and the Yaris 34. 0.3 engine liters and 496 pounds still makes quite a difference.
Rumormill: Ford converting North American factories to make European cars {Autoblog}
Jun 18th 2008 10:51PM Question: in what country was the Ford Focus designed and engineered? Everyone only says "Europe" but isn't Ford of Europe based in Germany?
Spy Shots: Really Long-Wheelbase Bentley Arnage {Autoblog}
Jun 7th 2008 5:55PM And the bottom 1% of the IQ barrel. Most of the world's smarter snobs have been passing up this $230,000 British parody of the Lincoln Town Car for the Bentley with real (read: German) engineering, the $175K Continental Flying Spur.
Mazda extends rotary warranty on RX-8 to 100k miles {Autoblog}
Jun 6th 2008 1:18AM Hasn't the rotary engine held a reputation for longevity for quite some time now (given the generous assumption of proper maintenance, anyway)?
From a 1986 Consumer Reports: "Previous RX-7s have had a much-better-than-average record."
"Fuel economy has never been a strong point of the rotary engine, but reliability has."
