Autoblog

We're shooting from the hip this week for Podcast #71. Rather than prepare, we're going with gut reactions. Starting it off, we mull over the loss of the USGP from Indianapolis, and postulate on where else F1 may pop up in the US. An F1 race on the Vegas strip would be the bomb. Staying with motorsports, we marvel at how Team SARD spanked everyone extremely hard at Tokachi with a hybridized Supra GT. We're sure that racing will improve the hybrid breed at a much steeper pace than conventional powerplants. In other racing news, Dale Junior has split from Budweiser, so he'll have new livery to plaster all over his left-turn machine.

Moving on from racing, we ponder the leakage and eventual announcement of the Porsche 911 GT2. It's as unassuming as a Porsche can get, but it packs 530 horsepower and uses the rear wheels to push top speed to the 200 MPH realm, while being a docile everyday car. While Porsches always make us giddy little schoolboys, Subaru's recent model line revisions have us alternating between cheers and jeers. The good: the Legacy SUS, or whatever the heck they call their Outback sedan is kaput. The bad: so is the straight Legacy wagon. We devolve into a styling review of Subaru's new corporate language for a while before surfacing again to discuss the inanity surrounding presidential candidates and hybrid vehicles. Idiocy, 'nuff said.

On a lighter note, we discuss the rumored sequel to Disney/Pixar's "Cars." Not surprising when you consider how lucrative the tie-ins usually are. Off entertainment and on to entertaining cars, we ogle the leaked pictures of the FPV Falcon, and discuss the future plans of that platform here in the US. It does look mean, so thanks to that janitor who picked these renderings out of the trash. Our pithy cavalcade keeps rolling along, and we chew over Bob Lutz's latest comments about the future of diesel powerplants in the US. It's odd that Bob is cool on diesel just as GM is poised to roll out new oil-burners. Wrapping up, we put out the call to action again for the Reader Ride - add your pix to the Flickr pool and include details! The hour duration of Podcast #71 will give you enjoyment to and from work, enjoy!

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UPDATE: More and better renderings can be found here.

Our desire for Australia's Fords and Holdens continues unabated, and the Courier and Mail has managed to snag shots of the new Falcon in the buff, further stoking our flame. While American sedans went all mamby-pamby (what could be more milquetoast than our family sedans?), Australia's cars have retained and distilled a certain kick of style and fun. The 2008 Falcon isn't set to arrive for a few more months, and Ford has staked $500 million on the new revision of the platform. The new look is instant badass. We love the blacked out portions under the headlamps -- it's as if this car's spent time in KISS. The greenhouse has a euro-flair to it, especially the kick at the base of the C pillar. The shape is muscular in the same way the Commodore VE is - not that there's anything wrong with that. Underneath this Australian institution, the suspension system retains its baked-in goodness from the outgoing BF Falcon, and the six- and eight -cylinder engines also carry over. We're sure the V8 versions will have a basso-profundo rumble capable of putting Peter Criss to shame.

Ford could do well with this car in the US; at least it would raise eyebrows in the way their current lineup can't. We're sure they're looking at it, seeing the anticipation build around the G8, née Commodore. Every internet blowhard will make statements like "Yes! bring it over! I'll buy one!", while in reality, the sales could disappoint once the initial novelty has worn off. While we enthusiasts have a thing for RWD sedans with V8s and capable chassis, Ma and Pa Camry find compromises where we find joy. The G8 is more of a niche model than if they'd turned the VE into the Malibu - and that's where we see potential for Ford in the US with the Orion. If it does stand any chance of coming here, make it the Fairlane, make the hot one the Fairlane 500, and promote the beejeezus out of it. Most importantly, make it good. Hey, Mulally did promise a convergence of global platforms, right?

Thanks for the tip, Andrew!

[Source: news.com.au]

Ford Australia's at work developing the next version of a car we can't have here in the US. Australian website CarAdvice snagged spy shots of camoflaged Falcons undergoing tests in the Melbourne area. Suspicions are that base models as well as turbocharged XRs were pirouetting around getting a variety of workouts to ensure that the next generation of not-available-here RWD sedans will continue to make us pine for them. Of course, Falcons on these shores would likely snag sales from the Taurus and Sable, but Ford's shuttered plants could offer a place to put these cars together from knock-down kits, or CKDs. Maybe it's just a case of the grass being greener on the other side, but the Falcon strikes our fancy, those Aussies know how to make cars that appeal to the way we roll. Click through the picture to see more.

Thanks for the tip, Dylan!

[Source: CarAdvice.com.au]