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In science and engineering, you almost always learn more from your failures than you do from your successes. It's only a failure if you don't learn something from it.

Yeah, I told you all that months ago....

The problem with exiting Europe is that it costs a tremendous amount of money to do so, but Ford has been fairly quickly de-coupling from Europe so that operation can be spun off eventually. Ideally Ford could partner with VW to take over most of their European operation which is something I've LONG advocated for. I don't think we are close to that, but it's a possibility. Ford wants to get out of the unprofitable volume segments which dominate their European business (Focus/Fiesta) and focus on utilities and vans. I think they might be able to do that with VW's help since I know they are also struggling to run Europe with healthy margins despite enormous volume. It's going to be a fascinating thing to watch. Ford has SOO many fires to put out it's mind-boggling.

If you kill Europe, all the shit unzipps very quickly from there and you kill ROW and all your RHD markets, Ford becomes North America only.

Or hoonigans.........

This is really the only successful "killer electric" and they ain't making them anymore....

The fascinating part for me is that Ford and VW can help each other in Europe without any need of a high profile takeover, there's a great opportunity for both manufacturers to work together to either co-develop or just supply each other vehicles that simplify manufacturing and lower costs. There are also bigger implications that stem from this for places like South America, Asia and possibly China......

Another thing to note, the Carscoops article is actually showing spy photographs of the Buick Encore, not the Trax.

Looks better than the 2019 Silverado half-ton!

Yes, my son has a 13 GT500 (3 years now) and after riding in my 18 GT he said he didn't think he could beat me in the 1/4. His car is 1,700 miles away, or we would've tried already. GT350 is more road race, while the GT/A10 is a Stoplight/drag race setup. They each win in the area that they were designed for.

Very true. Also, it takes a pretty good pilot in a 2013-2014 GT500 to beat a new Mustang GT. I have seen them run at my tracks and while they turn a higher trap speed, they don't always turn quicker ETs. Another interesting thing is that our 10 speed auto mustangs are quicker on the dragstrip than new GT350s with their voodoo engines and manual transmissions. Those Voodoo engines sound exotic once wound up but they don't have low end torque and the manual makes them difficult to launch without bogging.

"Enhancing investor value" has always been the mantra of Wall Street....they don't give a shit about the companies as long as their investors make $$$.

The current issue IS chasing profit at the expense of all else and it really shows lately. Maybe stop worrying about shareholders and return to building great cars?

Jim Hackett bought it before he was CEO and still managing the Ford Mobility division This venture cost Ford a bundle, they purchased it and expanded it to multiple cities before realizing that it was a bust. What part of that advances their mobility business? If anything, this business venture showed them what not to do, assume that people would take up a ride share company when there are already established players in the market....I won't even start on bicycles..

I question if any of those types of services are profitable at all right now. I'm not even sure they can be as they’re set up currently.

All mid-priced brands had one foot in the grave when the ladder strategy started to collapse. The trim level concept is obviously far more cost effective than splitting hairs with several mainstream brands. Ford tried to find a niche for Mercury, but it was just too late.

In my opinion, the problem with Cadillac is their designs doesn’t age well.

They all pretty much look that way, but they've been out long enough that I've gotten used to them. The vertical screen should be easier to follow maps without the need to lean over and squint at the current sized screen.

It is a little confusing about the 8-speeds Ford is using. There are actually two, currently used with different engines. At least in the Nautilus, Edge and Transit (if I remember correctly). In the Nautilus, the base 2.0 engine comes with the joint-venture new 9-speed that Ford modified to reduce it to 8. The upgrade 2.7 engine comes with a modified 8-speed version of the 6-speed that Ford/Lincoln have used for a number of years now (also, originally, the product of a joint venture with GM). Ford optimized one for higher-performance engines like the 2.7 and the other for engines like the 2.0. I'm linking below a fascinating news article from last spring going into the details on this. https://www.autonews.com/article/20180423/OEM01/180429934/no-thanks-ford-says-to-9-speed-offered-by-gm

Ummm… what?!! "1 An investor will be randomly chosen to win a brand new 2018 Ford Raptor which can be traded for one of our first Atlis Motor Vehicles 75TOR pickup truck when we begin shipping." What?!! You're developing an EV to save the world of gas hogging pickups and the prize it this? I'd rather keep the raptor rather than get their truck anyway. Nothing like having confidence in your ability to develop this, when the prize is the anthesis of what you're developing. and... If we reach our $1 million dollar goal Tell DR. Evil that the auto industry needs a little more than one million dollars to develop product! This company is run by a loon! I goning to kickstart a balsa wood Fred Flintstone car to see if I can raise one million dollars too.

How many billions can GM just waste on Cadillac? It's infuriating that over the last decade and a half they have spent billions trying to chase the Germans (erasing a lot of debt in their bankruptcy). They are finally wising up, realizing that it doesn't matter how good your sedan is, it may even perform better than a BMW or Merc, but nobody is going to buy it because it's missing that badge. Plus the people who would buy a Cadillac, would rather have have an CUV, which until recently had few options. The SRX/XT5/XT4 are all really just OK. It looks like their next CUV, which debuts next week, is expected to be very meh as well. So now this is what they throw at the wall. SMH! If they would have just not made the Bolt look like a 90's hatchback and actually styled it better, maybe there would be more buzz. However, this seems more like a cry for help for Cadillac, than any indicator of how good/bad the Bolt is doing.

Which is pretty much what it is at this point. This leaves the Chevy brand free to take an approach similar to the one Ford is taking.

I think Ford will keep the C2 platform for now but the next gen will probably converge with VW's MQB. But I think the open question is will there be a next gen for either company? If VW and Ford are right, there will be more more ICE small car development past 2023 or 2024. Everything from Escape / Tiguan size down will be electric only so they will be using Model E or MEB architecture.

In North America yes. In China not possible. Neither Ford nor VW own any plants in China so they cannot produce vehicles for each other. This pending announcement is all about Ford rebadging VW models and vice versa in Europe and also aligning future platform and drivertrain (including electric) development. South America may also be part of it.

Why do they continue to do one off vehicles instead of incorporating electrification into their mainstream products? Rhetorical question. The answer is because.... GM.

Ford have underutilized plants in America and Europe and VW need more capacity. That is the key of the deal. The other is the difficult to export vehicles between america and China because the tariff. VW and Ford can share plants in both countries and produce the vehicles thay need. Of course, both companies need to share platforms and some parts to make easy this plan.

I was loosely involved in the last VW/Ford JV (Autolatina). Ford got screwed BIG TIME !

The 2018 Mustang GT/A10 is the first Mustang under $50K to run 11's out of the showroom, bone stock. And they can be bought near $30K new with the right deal. Only stock Mustang quicker from Ford is the 2013-14 GT500, and not by much. The 2018 NA 460HP is quicker than the 2012 GT500 that came with a 550HP SC engine. That's pretty amazing what 6 years of technology does!

Probably didn't have the profit margins to fit Hackett's overall plan.

The only question that would remain would be if all that data was worth the $65 million.....

Ahh yes!! GM is now going to build a "Tesla beater" .....where is "Maximum" Bob Lutz when you need him??

1. Car sales going down 2. MPV sales going down 3. Brexit

Do you think Ford would give up C platform like that? Considering what is coming down the pike with Escape/Maverick/Pickup truck and who knows what else?

best looking one by a mile. All the cheap black cladding also blends in better when everything else is black. Also the touchscreen doesn’t look that bad in this pic.

I have the same problem with the delayed audio (as well as other issues with the Rear Entertainment System). It is quite tragic that we have to find workarounds for basic functionality after spending practically $100k on a vehicle. Along those lines, when you are connected to the Rear Entertainment System via Bluetooth for the audio, can you guys use the various Apps (Waze, etc) that Lincoln is currently marketing on tv ads? I can't make it work - CustServ Manager at the manufacturer of the Rear Entertainment system says that it can't be done, but he wasn't convincing in his explanation. Maybe I'm just hoping. This is likely just something else that will require a workaround. Most RES issues would have been resolved had Lincoln run a cable from the Stereo to the Rear Entertainment system like all other manufacturers do.