Ford: Taurus News
04-16-2003, 03:19 PM
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Ford: Taurus News
any comments on getting rid of Ford's most popular car?
http://news.yahoo.com/fc?tmpl=fc&cid...utomotive_news
http://news.yahoo.com/fc?tmpl=fc&cid...utomotive_news
04-16-2003, 07:01 PM
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The five hunderd is supposed to fill some of the gap. Bottom line, the general reason is because Ford is changing their strategy of approaching that targe market that they did 5-10 years ago. Now you need more than one vehicle to cover that market. Ford and GM have the resources to do that. Others do not. The strategy will show its fruits in a few years from now (in terms of sales).
04-16-2003, 07:05 PM
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By kak
Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] announced today at the New York Auto Show that it will follow the introduction of four all-new cars in 2004 with a new mid-size sedan in 2005 - the 2006 Ford Futura - as part of a comprehensive revitalization of the Ford brand’s car line up. "We have an incredible array of new products coming next year - a freshened Focus, the Five Hundred, the Freestyle, the Ford GT and the all-new Mustang. But Ford’s product-led revitalization - and the resurgence of our car business - will not end there," says Steve Lyons, president of Ford Division. "We’re applying every lesson we have learned about vehicle interior design, packaging, driving dynamics and powertrain performance while adding a dose of design edge from the Ford 427 concept to create the new Ford Futura."
· All-new Ford Futura slots between Focus and Five Hundred in the Ford showroom
· Cutting-edge design combined with breakthrough interior spaciousness
· All-new powertrain lineup, including Ford’s next hybrid vehicle
· New car showroom will fuel market share gains and business structure improvements
· Futura’s architecture will spawn as many as 10 new products and 800,000 units of volume across Ford, Lincoln and Mercury ranges within the next three years
The Futura will be aimed squarely at the heart of the mid-size car market, where sedans like the Honda Accord have achieved considerable success. But the Futura has an all-American design - and is unmistakably a Ford car. It will boast world-class I-4 and V-6 engines and will come with a range of fuel efficient, modern transmissions, including manual, automatic and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and many other best-in-class features.
Futura also will become Ford’s second full hybrid vehicle.
The Ford Futura, Five Hundred and Freestyle are among the 65 new products Ford, Lincoln and Mercury will introduce in North America during the next five years. The Futura is built on a new vehicle architecture that will form the basis for up to 10 new products and 800,000 units of volume across all three brands within the next three years.
Unmistakably American
The Futura is designed to be immediately recognizable as an American car - and a Ford. It takes design inspiration and cues from the critically acclaimed Ford 427 concept car that is currently touring North American auto shows.
The Futura’s profile is clean, smooth and unfettered by extraneous detail. The production Futura will borrow the vertical and linear front fascia from the 427 concept car, replete with its powerful thick bent bar grille inspired by some of Ford’s landmark sedans from the 1960s.
"The Futura has been conceived to pull at consumers’ heartstrings, not their purse strings," says J Mays, vice president, Design, Ford Motor Company. "Futura will be that rare mid-size sedan that oozes style but doesn’t sacrifice roominess, comfort, trunk space - or affordability."
Optimizing space for five passengers and all of the things people travel with - from water bottles to compact discs - was a priority for the Futura design team.
The Futura’s interior will benefit from an unrelenting commitment to vehicle interior leadership. In fact, Ford has tripled its investment in interior design and development for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles during the past few years, which is already evident in the Lincoln Navigator and Aviator, the 2004 Ford F-150 and the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans.
World-Class Powertrains - Including Ford’s Second HEV
The Futura also will benefit from the massive investment Ford has made to develop powerful but lightweight and fuel-efficient engines and fuel-economy-boosting transmissions.
"Futura will offer a world-class powertrain for the economy-minded consumer, the enthusiast and the environmentally committed driver," says David Szczupak, vice president, Powertrain Operations.
An all-aluminum 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine based on Ford’s new global I-4 engine architecture will be standard. It will be fitted with a counter-rotating balance shaft for smoothness, and it will feature four valves per cylinder and variable intake valve timing (VVT) for good low-end torque, strong high-end power, improved fuel economy and low emissions. This engine weighs approximately 40 pounds less than Ford’s current Zetec 2.0-liter I-4 engine.
Four-cylinder power will be a key to Futura’s success:
· Today’s mid-size car segment leaders sell from 50 to 80 percent of their volume with four-cylinder engines
· Approximately 25 percent of small-car buyers migrate to mid-size cars, and more than three-quarters of them purchase a four-cylinder model
The performance of Futura’s four-cylinder engine will be significantly enhanced by modern, fuel efficient transmissions, while Futura’s optional 3.0-liter Duratec V-6 engine will raise the performance bar even higher.
An additional Futura powerplant - which will be introduced after the 4- and 6-cylinder models enter production - will be the hybrid electric powertrain developed first for the Ford Escape Hybrid.
The Futura Hybrid, like the Escape Hybrid, mates a 2.3-liter I-4 gasoline engine with a 65-kilowatt electric motor. As a full hybrid, it will have the capability to run on full-battery power, the gas engine alone or gas and battery together. Full hybrids dramatically improve fuel economy and reduce emissions in city driving - particularly in "stop and go" traffic by shutting down the gasoline engine and running on battery power alone.
The gasoline engine starts on demand when the driver requires more acceleration. The gas engine also is used for steady-state highway cruising. The battery is recharged using regenerative braking. Performance will approach the level of the Duratec V-6, but with fuel economy better than a similarly sized four-cylinder car.
Car Resurgence
The launch of Ford’s new car showroom will help drive important improvements to the brand’s overall business structure.
"We’re making full use of the best technologies and components available across Ford Motor Company, including vehicle architectures, engines, transmissions and safety equipment. That’s smart investing - both financially and for quality," says Phil Martens, vice president, Product Creation, North America.
The Futura’s architecture, for example, was developed from a modified Mazda6 design. The Five Hundred and Freestyle also share a common vehicle architecture. All three products use engine architectures proven across a wide range of Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Mazda products.
On the manufacturing side, Ford will use flexible manufacturing at the Chicago Assembly Plant to tailor production of Five Hundred and Freestyle to exactly line up with consumer demand.
Manufacturing plans for Futura will be announced at a later date.
Another area where Ford expects significant improvement is in car market share, even though the annual production of each individual new nameplate by itself will be well below the average production of the Taurus, the brand’s sole entry in the mid-size segment today.
"We’re eager to show that Ford - the leader in SUVs and pickup trucks - can field a full range of car products that are the equal of any competitor in the world," says Lyons. "The combined volume of Futura, Five Hundred and Freestyle will exceed that of Taurus alone, and the mix of sales will be heavily concentrated on retail consumers. This will help enhance our brand image in the car market, improve our residual values and reduce incentive spending."
With 10 new products and 800,000 units of volume within the next three years, the Futura platform will bring a whole new family of products to Ford, Lincoln and Mercury showrooms.
"With Futura slotted between Focus and Five Hundred in our showrooms, we will have a very orderly, logical progression in price, cabin volume and overall size from the bottom of our car range to the top," Lyons says. "The Freestyle crossover will complement these traditional cars by attracting customers looking to blend SUV attributes like all-wheel drive with three rows of seating and the driving dynamics of a car."
Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] announced today at the New York Auto Show that it will follow the introduction of four all-new cars in 2004 with a new mid-size sedan in 2005 - the 2006 Ford Futura - as part of a comprehensive revitalization of the Ford brand’s car line up. "We have an incredible array of new products coming next year - a freshened Focus, the Five Hundred, the Freestyle, the Ford GT and the all-new Mustang. But Ford’s product-led revitalization - and the resurgence of our car business - will not end there," says Steve Lyons, president of Ford Division. "We’re applying every lesson we have learned about vehicle interior design, packaging, driving dynamics and powertrain performance while adding a dose of design edge from the Ford 427 concept to create the new Ford Futura."
· All-new Ford Futura slots between Focus and Five Hundred in the Ford showroom
· Cutting-edge design combined with breakthrough interior spaciousness
· All-new powertrain lineup, including Ford’s next hybrid vehicle
· New car showroom will fuel market share gains and business structure improvements
· Futura’s architecture will spawn as many as 10 new products and 800,000 units of volume across Ford, Lincoln and Mercury ranges within the next three years
The Futura will be aimed squarely at the heart of the mid-size car market, where sedans like the Honda Accord have achieved considerable success. But the Futura has an all-American design - and is unmistakably a Ford car. It will boast world-class I-4 and V-6 engines and will come with a range of fuel efficient, modern transmissions, including manual, automatic and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and many other best-in-class features.
Futura also will become Ford’s second full hybrid vehicle.
The Ford Futura, Five Hundred and Freestyle are among the 65 new products Ford, Lincoln and Mercury will introduce in North America during the next five years. The Futura is built on a new vehicle architecture that will form the basis for up to 10 new products and 800,000 units of volume across all three brands within the next three years.
Unmistakably American
The Futura is designed to be immediately recognizable as an American car - and a Ford. It takes design inspiration and cues from the critically acclaimed Ford 427 concept car that is currently touring North American auto shows.
The Futura’s profile is clean, smooth and unfettered by extraneous detail. The production Futura will borrow the vertical and linear front fascia from the 427 concept car, replete with its powerful thick bent bar grille inspired by some of Ford’s landmark sedans from the 1960s.
"The Futura has been conceived to pull at consumers’ heartstrings, not their purse strings," says J Mays, vice president, Design, Ford Motor Company. "Futura will be that rare mid-size sedan that oozes style but doesn’t sacrifice roominess, comfort, trunk space - or affordability."
Optimizing space for five passengers and all of the things people travel with - from water bottles to compact discs - was a priority for the Futura design team.
The Futura’s interior will benefit from an unrelenting commitment to vehicle interior leadership. In fact, Ford has tripled its investment in interior design and development for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles during the past few years, which is already evident in the Lincoln Navigator and Aviator, the 2004 Ford F-150 and the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans.
World-Class Powertrains - Including Ford’s Second HEV
The Futura also will benefit from the massive investment Ford has made to develop powerful but lightweight and fuel-efficient engines and fuel-economy-boosting transmissions.
"Futura will offer a world-class powertrain for the economy-minded consumer, the enthusiast and the environmentally committed driver," says David Szczupak, vice president, Powertrain Operations.
An all-aluminum 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine based on Ford’s new global I-4 engine architecture will be standard. It will be fitted with a counter-rotating balance shaft for smoothness, and it will feature four valves per cylinder and variable intake valve timing (VVT) for good low-end torque, strong high-end power, improved fuel economy and low emissions. This engine weighs approximately 40 pounds less than Ford’s current Zetec 2.0-liter I-4 engine.
Four-cylinder power will be a key to Futura’s success:
· Today’s mid-size car segment leaders sell from 50 to 80 percent of their volume with four-cylinder engines
· Approximately 25 percent of small-car buyers migrate to mid-size cars, and more than three-quarters of them purchase a four-cylinder model
The performance of Futura’s four-cylinder engine will be significantly enhanced by modern, fuel efficient transmissions, while Futura’s optional 3.0-liter Duratec V-6 engine will raise the performance bar even higher.
An additional Futura powerplant - which will be introduced after the 4- and 6-cylinder models enter production - will be the hybrid electric powertrain developed first for the Ford Escape Hybrid.
The Futura Hybrid, like the Escape Hybrid, mates a 2.3-liter I-4 gasoline engine with a 65-kilowatt electric motor. As a full hybrid, it will have the capability to run on full-battery power, the gas engine alone or gas and battery together. Full hybrids dramatically improve fuel economy and reduce emissions in city driving - particularly in "stop and go" traffic by shutting down the gasoline engine and running on battery power alone.
The gasoline engine starts on demand when the driver requires more acceleration. The gas engine also is used for steady-state highway cruising. The battery is recharged using regenerative braking. Performance will approach the level of the Duratec V-6, but with fuel economy better than a similarly sized four-cylinder car.
Car Resurgence
The launch of Ford’s new car showroom will help drive important improvements to the brand’s overall business structure.
"We’re making full use of the best technologies and components available across Ford Motor Company, including vehicle architectures, engines, transmissions and safety equipment. That’s smart investing - both financially and for quality," says Phil Martens, vice president, Product Creation, North America.
The Futura’s architecture, for example, was developed from a modified Mazda6 design. The Five Hundred and Freestyle also share a common vehicle architecture. All three products use engine architectures proven across a wide range of Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Mazda products.
On the manufacturing side, Ford will use flexible manufacturing at the Chicago Assembly Plant to tailor production of Five Hundred and Freestyle to exactly line up with consumer demand.
Manufacturing plans for Futura will be announced at a later date.
Another area where Ford expects significant improvement is in car market share, even though the annual production of each individual new nameplate by itself will be well below the average production of the Taurus, the brand’s sole entry in the mid-size segment today.
"We’re eager to show that Ford - the leader in SUVs and pickup trucks - can field a full range of car products that are the equal of any competitor in the world," says Lyons. "The combined volume of Futura, Five Hundred and Freestyle will exceed that of Taurus alone, and the mix of sales will be heavily concentrated on retail consumers. This will help enhance our brand image in the car market, improve our residual values and reduce incentive spending."
With 10 new products and 800,000 units of volume within the next three years, the Futura platform will bring a whole new family of products to Ford, Lincoln and Mercury showrooms.
"With Futura slotted between Focus and Five Hundred in our showrooms, we will have a very orderly, logical progression in price, cabin volume and overall size from the bottom of our car range to the top," Lyons says. "The Freestyle crossover will complement these traditional cars by attracting customers looking to blend SUV attributes like all-wheel drive with three rows of seating and the driving dynamics of a car."
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04-18-2003, 02:32 PM
#8
Cruisin'
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Ford should have scrapped the Taurus years ago. The Mustang is the only car that I would consider and I'm 6'4" so I can't fit in one.
Their money is in the pickups and SUVS. The Taurus could'nt compete with the Accords, Camrys, and even the Impalas that's out now so I won't miss it.
Their money is in the pickups and SUVS. The Taurus could'nt compete with the Accords, Camrys, and even the Impalas that's out now so I won't miss it.
04-19-2003, 12:56 AM
#10
Subie Dubie
Ford is finally waking up, you've got to sell some cars !! The SHO was awesome and WAY ahead of it's time, 0-60 in the low 6s, 140+ top end in 1989 !! They need a high performance sedan.
04-19-2003, 07:02 PM
#11
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hopefully ford will turn around, their current lineup sucks, the new licolns however lookquite good. from the 04 f-150 interior, it looks like they realize interiors are important for less expensive cars too.
06-07-2004, 09:02 PM
#13
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Mercury to kill Sable station wagon, Taurus likely next
Mercury to kill Sable station wagon, Taurus likely next - - By AMY WILSON | Automotive News - - Source: Autoweek
ATLANTA - Ford Motor Co. is killing the Mercury Sable station wagon, and the Ford Taurus wagon may not be far behind.
A Lincoln Mercury spokesman confirmed that production of the Sable wagon will end in August. Dealers have been notified to put in final orders for the wagon, which account for about 10 percent of Sable sales.
A Ford Division spokesman said the automaker will produce a 2005-model Taurus wagon. He declined to say whether the Taurus wagon would end its run during the model year. But sources at Ford said the company is planning to cease production of the Taurus wagon, probably by January.
ATLANTA - Ford Motor Co. is killing the Mercury Sable station wagon, and the Ford Taurus wagon may not be far behind.
A Lincoln Mercury spokesman confirmed that production of the Sable wagon will end in August. Dealers have been notified to put in final orders for the wagon, which account for about 10 percent of Sable sales.
A Ford Division spokesman said the automaker will produce a 2005-model Taurus wagon. He declined to say whether the Taurus wagon would end its run during the model year. But sources at Ford said the company is planning to cease production of the Taurus wagon, probably by January.
06-08-2004, 09:05 AM
#15
Fahrvergnügen'd
Originally Posted by gavriil
I hope the sedans are also cut.
But with the 500 and Futura/Whateveritscalled coming down the pipe, I don't see a need for the Taurus/Sable anymore.
06-08-2004, 09:11 AM
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I am surprised they lasted as long as they did. When the "new" Taurus design first came out, Ford presented it as something out of this world, but I just wanted to barf.
06-29-2004, 04:53 PM
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Should this be the next Taurus?
GM brought the Aussie Monaro to launch the GTO, should Ford follow a similar strategy for the next Taurus? Should this be the next Ford sports sedan?
Excerpts of the article:
The Falcon XR6 and XR8 are the swaggering road burners of the family. For a base price of U.S. $37,859, an XR8 driver sits behind Ford’s 5.4-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8, outracing a kookaburra’s call with 349 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of steamship torque. Ford calls the engine the “Boss 260,” but to Australians it’s a hallowed “vee-bloody-eight.”
Antipodean fuel is pricey, however, so Ford has developed the new $36,065 XR6 Turbo, which is just a well-aimed spit from the XR8 in performance. It gets—now follow this closely—a 4.0-liter DOHC 24-valve inline-six with an electronic throttle and variable valve timing on both cams. A Garrett GT40 ball-bearing turbo spins a humongous 3.2-inch-diameter compressor wheel, blowing 5.8 psi of air and allowing the so-called Barra 240T to drop 322 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque into your choice of a four-speed automatic or, if you’d rather stir with a stick, a five-speed manual.
---------------
Brutally rough roads can unsettle the mechanism, the body skittering sideways with repeated hammer blows from the pavement. Otherwise, the stiff structure dissipates much of what the suspension doesn’t soak up. Screw the wheel, and the XR6 responds fervently, the nose tucking into corners and the rear end staying planted. Safety still reigns: With the power turned on, the rear end barely twitches and the front rubber plows more readily when the corner speeds get warm. The mediocre 0.82-g skidpad run was performed with the front tires turned at agonizingly high angles. Serve it just medium spicy, and this bird tastes much better.
----------------
Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
Price as tested: $38,850 (base price: $36,065)
Engine type: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 243 cu in, 3983cc
Power (SAE net): 322 bhp @ 5250 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 332 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Wheelbase: 111.4 in
Length/width/height: 193.5/73.4/56.9 in
Curb weight: 3849 lb
Zero to 60 mph: 5.9 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 15.1 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 21.8 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.2 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 14.3 sec @ 98 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 143 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 169 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.82 g
Fuel economy, city driving: 19 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: 12 mpg
*Base price includes all performance-enhancing options.
Excerpts of the article:
The Falcon XR6 and XR8 are the swaggering road burners of the family. For a base price of U.S. $37,859, an XR8 driver sits behind Ford’s 5.4-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8, outracing a kookaburra’s call with 349 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of steamship torque. Ford calls the engine the “Boss 260,” but to Australians it’s a hallowed “vee-bloody-eight.”
Antipodean fuel is pricey, however, so Ford has developed the new $36,065 XR6 Turbo, which is just a well-aimed spit from the XR8 in performance. It gets—now follow this closely—a 4.0-liter DOHC 24-valve inline-six with an electronic throttle and variable valve timing on both cams. A Garrett GT40 ball-bearing turbo spins a humongous 3.2-inch-diameter compressor wheel, blowing 5.8 psi of air and allowing the so-called Barra 240T to drop 322 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque into your choice of a four-speed automatic or, if you’d rather stir with a stick, a five-speed manual.
---------------
Brutally rough roads can unsettle the mechanism, the body skittering sideways with repeated hammer blows from the pavement. Otherwise, the stiff structure dissipates much of what the suspension doesn’t soak up. Screw the wheel, and the XR6 responds fervently, the nose tucking into corners and the rear end staying planted. Safety still reigns: With the power turned on, the rear end barely twitches and the front rubber plows more readily when the corner speeds get warm. The mediocre 0.82-g skidpad run was performed with the front tires turned at agonizingly high angles. Serve it just medium spicy, and this bird tastes much better.
----------------
Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
Price as tested: $38,850 (base price: $36,065)
Engine type: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 243 cu in, 3983cc
Power (SAE net): 322 bhp @ 5250 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 332 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Wheelbase: 111.4 in
Length/width/height: 193.5/73.4/56.9 in
Curb weight: 3849 lb
Zero to 60 mph: 5.9 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 15.1 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 21.8 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.2 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 14.3 sec @ 98 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 143 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 169 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.82 g
Fuel economy, city driving: 19 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: 12 mpg
*Base price includes all performance-enhancing options.
06-29-2004, 04:55 PM
#22
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No reason to compare the price, as cars are more expensive in Australia. Also, if the Falcon came here as the new mid size sedan from Ford, it'd wear the new 3.5 liter V6 under currently development and maybe have a hot version with either a V8 of this beautiful force-fed inline! six. So that would lower the price on the base car to make it a $20K base-price-mid-size-sedan.
I dont know...it sounds like a good move if manufacturing issues were not many and economically it made sense for Ford.
I dont know...it sounds like a good move if manufacturing issues were not many and economically it made sense for Ford.
06-29-2004, 04:56 PM
#23
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Whenever word comes to inline turbo engines, the 3 liter Supra engine comes to mind. We all know the insane amounts of power aftermarket part could make, make for that engine. Imagine what you can do with 4 liters of displacement.
06-29-2004, 06:49 PM
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I definitely like the looks of that more then the Taurus. The Falcon looks like it is aimed at a different buyer, though. It actually looks sporty, while the "sport luxury" Taurus SEL looks like a boring family-mobile to me. If Ford spices up the Taurus, they may lose some of the conservative, family-oriented buyers that they currently attract.
So, I guess I'd agree and say the Falcon should come here as a separate model.
So, I guess I'd agree and say the Falcon should come here as a separate model.
06-29-2004, 06:55 PM
#27
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nice rsx headlights....
07-01-2004, 10:21 AM
#30
Senior Moderator
I read that article previously. Unless Ford discontinues the Taurus (which I doubt), it's unlikely they'll import the Falcon; particularly given the Ford 500 that's soon to arrive in Ford showrooms soon.
My hunch is that IF Ford imported this, we're not going to see the Boss 260 motor. We'll probably see a Duratec carryover. $.02
My hunch is that IF Ford imported this, we're not going to see the Boss 260 motor. We'll probably see a Duratec carryover. $.02
07-05-2004, 07:23 AM
#31
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Since Ford is already going to bring out the 500 tall sedan, the Freestyle tall wagon, and the Mazda 6 based "Futura" ( or whatever they are going to call it now since they lost the name to Pep Boys) Ford could slot this car as the sportiest of the Ford family (excluding the Mustang of course). But naming it Taurus could bring a lot of baggage. People will still think its a lowest common denominator rental car.
04-20-2005, 09:51 AM
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Taurus To End in '06 - - Source: The Car Connection
Ford's Taurus will cease production in early 2006, and the Atlanta plant that builds it faces an uncertain future, according to a report in the Detroit News. The News reports that Ford will end the Taurus' 21-year-run next year, and has notified the plant's UAW employees in a newsletter distributed this month. The Taurus bowed in 1986 and is widely seen as the vehicle that kept Ford in the passenger-car business in the late 1980s and early 1990s; for five years in a row, it was America's best-selling car. In the late 1990s, as Ford management turned its attention to trucks, the Taurus withered and saw its sales dominance give way to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Ford will end production of the Mercury Sable, the Taurus' kin sedan, this month. So far, Ford has not confirmed a role for the Atlanta assembly plant beyond 2006, but industry sources have suggested Ford will move Lincoln production to the plant and add a pair of sport wagons to the product range in 2007.
04-20-2005, 01:51 PM
#38
The sizzle in the Steak
Taurus is dead!!!
04-20-2005, 03:42 PM
#39
Originally Posted by gavriil
By kak
"With Futura slotted between Focus and Five Hundred in our showrooms, we will have a very orderly, logical progression in price, cabin volume and overall size from the bottom of our car range to the top," Lyons says. "The Freestyle crossover will complement these traditional cars by attracting customers looking to blend SUV attributes like all-wheel drive with three rows of seating and the driving dynamics of a car."
"With Futura slotted between Focus and Five Hundred in our showrooms, we will have a very orderly, logical progression in price, cabin volume and overall size from the bottom of our car range to the top," Lyons says. "The Freestyle crossover will complement these traditional cars by attracting customers looking to blend SUV attributes like all-wheel drive with three rows of seating and the driving dynamics of a car."
Last edited by zeroday; 04-20-2005 at 03:45 PM.
04-20-2005, 04:38 PM
#40
I'm the Firestarter
Why didn't they just create a completely new Taurus? Why do they have to come up with a new name every few years? Do American model names get "tainted" that fast? I personally didn't have a negative image of Taurus, I don't understand why they're getting rid of it.
On the contrary, all this changing of names makes it seem like they're ashamed of their past models.
On the contrary, all this changing of names makes it seem like they're ashamed of their past models.