The difference lies in the culture of America. People think they are entitled to cheap but the best products. That just won’t happen. The domestics are having some sort of identity crisis. GM has decided to move up market, ditching the low-rent cars like the ION for the Euro Astra. Whether American will pay more for GM products remain to be seen.

It is Ford’s turn. Move up-market, or continue the fleet sales to move volumes of uninspired cars. I think Ford has figured out it is not all about bottom line. Selling more cars to fleet is short-sighted. Building good faith in customers is more important, even if they have to take a sales hit meanwhile.

Ford’s line up in the US isn’t crappy, although the Focus should be replaced. It is past its 5-year model cycle and Ford should let the 1st gen die. Ford should have ironed out all the kinks within a year of the launch, and to say that the old Focus is trouble-free now and should remain on the market is rediculus.

The Taurus/500 is more like the Avalon than the Falcon. So obviously, if you want a performance full size sedan like the Falcon, you won’t consider the Taurus in the state at all. You are comparing apple to orange at best.

Ford does not currently offer anything in the States that is comparable to the Falcon, maybe the Mustage, but it’s not a Sedan. Maybe the Crown Vic, but that’s OLD SCHOOL! How about modelling Mercury after Saturn, bring the Falcon over and call it the new Marauder?

Grasping at straws, like the Taurus/Five Hundred, and sitting on their hands, such as not shipping the second generation Focus, or actively pursuing a replacement for their Panther platform cars – until now – is not help FORD. In fact the longer they wait to do anything the less anyone will care.

There is a certain legend behind American Cars: Front engine, rear drive, big engines, Easy to maintain (a plus given the shotty quality but the performance was hard to beat for twice the price), and so on. Today American cars barely compete, if they do at all (not withstanding the Corvette, most Cadillacs, Mustang, and Full-sized trucks). This is an over-simplification, however, Detroit has been trying to make a buck by NOT making what they know they can sell.

The old formula, plus a healthy dose of intelligent design, and solid quality, will help move Detroit back on the attack. Then move on to what people need. They can’t really hide behind their lobbyists anymore because if Detroit doesn’t build it, Japan, Europe, or Korea will.

If FORD wants to make a singular “FORD” design language, much like say BMW or MERCEDES-BENZ which are practically the same cars sold around the world, Then they should make sure it is a good design language, They should get it done fast. Finally FORD needs to start running, fast and hard.

Stop with the Concept cars, the special limited editions of the Mustang and F-series trucks, Just get us some cars we will gladly buy.

between those two, the whole argument goes down the toilet. To stay in business you have to have product that sells. If foreign designs sell, then you at least should be offering those also. Nobody in a competitive auto market stays in business by telling people “we have determined this is what you should drive even if you prefer other stuff.”

The “easy way out” is probably the only way out. Foreign designs are more fluid, more agressive, and certainly less bland. Ford needs them to survive, and if it’s already got a bank of designs to choose from from abroad, the head-start can only help the bottom line.

I like it, but would this thing have any popularity in the states?
This should have been the new taurus, especially the SHO.

404hp from the 5.4 liter? Whould love to know the facotry engine mods they are using to get that power, and if I can get those mods here. Also the tranny mods.

But it still looks like my GTO!