2010 Ford Taurus

Scheduled for public release sometime in July 2009, the New Ford Taurus is Ford's latest innovation.

This week Ford brought a 2010 Ford Taurus SHO to our Ford Store in Hamburg for customers to preview. The word from those who had a chance to see the car is simply "AMAZING" transformation. No longer the frumpy look of the original and defiantly no bench seat to be found. This new Taurus is like nothing Ford has ever produced.

The name Taurus was first attached to a revolutionary car that changed the way auto makers and auto buyers thought of family sedans. It was America's No.1 car and its overall design was the benchmark for future competitors

Compared to the outgoing model this Taurus maybe the trend-setter the 80's version was, the chassis components under the 2010 Taurus should deliver sportier ride dynamics. Ford engineers built in more roll stiffness and more responsive steering. Like the Lincoln MKS, the new Ford uses struts up front and multi-link, fully-independent arrangement in the rear.

2010 Ford Taurus InteriorAt the auto show in Detroit where the Taurus was unvaled, Ford Executives spoke extensively about the legacy of the brand.

Indeed, styling is more forceful, with what Ford calls a “powerdome” hood, raised higher than bluff and brawny fenders. The grille differs from the recent Ford theme of horizontal chrome bars, identifiable and somewhat elegant. The 2010 Taurus grille features a dark matrix, still with horizontal bars but more subdued, inside chrome hexagonal trim spanned by a single chrome line holding up the Ford blue oval.

This is what howstuffworks.com had to say:

2010 Taurus SHO"The 2010 Ford Taurus gets a major freshening, with revised exterior and interior styling and new features. This large sedan retains the basic platform and powertrain of the 2008-2009 Taurus. The 2010 model reprises SE, SEL, and Limited trim levels, all with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is offered on the SEL and Limited. All are powered by a 263-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine teamed with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Also due in model-year 2010 is the high-performance Taurus SHO (super high-output). It has a turbocharged 365-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine, 6-speed automatic transmission, and AWD. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, curtain side airbags, and front side airbags. Blind-spot alert is also offered, along with Ford's Cross Traffic Alert, which is designed to sense oncoming traffic when slowly backing out of a parking spot.

SOS Post-Crash Alert unlocks the doors, sounds the horn and activates the emergency flashers in the event of an air bag deployment. Among the available features are leather upholstery, heated front seats, rear-obstacle detection, a navigation system, adaptive cruise control, and Ford's Sync voice-activated control for cell phones and MP3 players. MyKey allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle's top speed and audio volume. A capless fuel filler and keyless access and engine start are also available. We have not yet tested the 2010 Ford Taurus."

Links:

• Ford Taurus Official Site
• Find bargain on Taurus at westherr.com

2010 Lincoln MKSWith the government rasing the bar last week on gas prices, Ford has responded with a 26mpg (estimated at time) v6 screamer for their 2010 Lincoln MKS.

And with peak torque on hand from 1500 to 5250 rpm, just like its closely related crossover sibling MKT, the MKS EcoBoost accelerates from a dead stop or from 40-60 mph, 50-70 mph, etc., with alacrity. Both new Lincolns are plush and extremely quiet, and on traffic-free test tracks you'll find yourself hitting 120 mph like you were taking a walk in the park. (source Motor Trend)

We won’t make any “Hot Rod Lincoln” jokes, but it is more powerful than the Mustang GT. (source Car and Driver)

go to westherrlincoln.com

Search for Lincoln MKS

Available on AWD MKS models is Ford's new "EcoBoost" 355-hp twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6. Both engines use a 6-speed automatic transmission. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, curtain side airbags, and front side airbags. Standard is a capless fuel-filler system, which allows owners to fill their fuel tanks without having to remove a gas cap. Also standard is Ford's Sync, which offers voice control for cell phones and MP3 players. Other available features include a voice-activated navigation system with real-time traffic updates, front-obstacle detection, a rearview camera, keyless entry and starting, and adaptive cruise control. Newly optional on the 2010 Lincoln MKS is a system designed to provide hands-free parallel parking. (Source Howstuffworks.com)

2009 Scion XBIn the 50's every car had to have wings, in the 80's the style was rounded, today it's square. Some say that Scion started the Square style with its somewhat boxy, XB model. However to the critic's surprise it became an instant success. Attracting young buyers in droves that enjoyed how different the XB was compared to anything else on the road, especially their parents cars. Look for XB in West Herr's Inventory visit Scions Site.

Now KIA and Nissan have taken notice and released their own square cars. And boy are they different than anything else on the road. It's like the auto industry suddenly became Apple.

Lets first look at the new KIA Soul.

2010 KIA SoulSoul is a front-wheel drive, 4-door wagon that's slightly larger than Kia's Rio. Four trim levels are offered: Soul, Soul , Soul! (exclaim), and Soul sport. Base Soul models are powered by a 122-hp 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that teams with a 5-speed manual transmission. Standard on the other versions is a 142-hp 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that pairs with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, an antiskid system, front side airbags, and curtain side airbags. Power windows and locks are standard on all models. The base Soul has 15-inch wheels. Soul adds 16-inch alloy wheels, remote keyless entry, and a wireless cell phone link. Soul! has a sunroof and 18-inch wheels. Soul sport has unique 18-inch wheels, sport suspension, and specific interior and exterior trim. An uprated audio system is optional on Soul and standard on Soul! and Soul sport. Look for Soul in West Herr Inventory, visit Soul on KIA's Site

OK its time to talk CUBE,

At first glance, all you see is a box. But the Cube is a work of art. First of all, it's brilliantly asymmetrical. The rear hatch is in fact rounded glass on one corner, whereas the other holds the hinges. There is a circle design throughout. Yes, well, the circle motif playfully contrasts against the cubism. The grill, wheels, headlights and taillights are all actually circles on squares. This simple-yet-clever styling motif continues inside. That's right, the dials, seat pattern and even plastic molding on the glovebox are all circles on squares. Even cieling is looks like a water droplett. Look for Cube in West Herr's Inventory, visit Nissans Cube Site

Excerpt from Detroit Free Press:

Chevy Volt Electric CarGeneral Motors drove a stake through the notion that environmentally friendly electric cars can’t also be fun and sporty in a brief test drive of the company’s Chevrolet Volt powertrain this morning.

A fast, smooth blast from zero to 70 m.p.h. on the roads within the GM Tech Center in Warren proved the car can be electrifying as well as electric-powered.

The Volt is on schedule to go on sale in November 2010, GM vice chairman Bob Lutz said.

GM has about 35 test vehicles on the road equipped with the electric motor and lithium-ion batteries that will power the Volt. Those development cars have the body of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze compact, which uses the same architecture as the Volt.

GM will put 80 Volts with the production car’s sleek and futuristic body on the road beginning in June.

The test vehicle ran with smooth, quiet power, but driving it felt reassuringly like getting behind the wheel of any new car. That’s a key goal for the Volt program, GM electric vehicle chief Frank Weber said.

“People must understand that you don’t have to give anything up to drive an electric vehicle,” Weber said. “This is something you will really like and enjoy.”

The test car’s electric motor provided immediate torque for acceleration most sporty small cars would envy.

The Volt is designed to cover about 40 miles on electricity stored in the big lithium-ion battery pack that runs down the center of the car. For longer trips, a 1.4-liter gasoline engine will kick in to recharge the batteries. Unlike hybrids, the engine never drives the wheels.

The onboard generator frees the Volt of the drawback that crippled previous electric cars: range. While an electric vehicle without a generator must stop and recharge when the batteries run low, the Volt has an essentially unlimited range, and should be able to cover 500 to 600 miles on the combination of battery power and a single tank of gasoline.

Contact MARK PHELAN: phelan@freepress.com or 313-222-6731.

From GM-Volt.com

These are very interesting questions. About a year ago we worked through them and here is where we are...

1. Customer access to High Voltage
The customer will have no access to high voltage. In fact, if the customer accidentally takes some action that might get them close to high voltage (e.g. disconnects a HV connection) then the system will cut off that voltage up stream of the potential breach. As with all systems, “nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool”, but we have a number of layers of HV protection for the customer, the service technician, and the vehicle assembler.

2. “Jump” Start
We had also wrestled with this issue on the EV1. Answer there was no jump start of any kind, but the EV1 had a different electrical architecture that offered other remedies. For Volt the answer is a bit more conventional. Yes, we have a 12v battery. It is not a typical automotive “flooded” lead, but a sealed “acid starved” type.... and it is capable of providing enough power to jump start another vehicle.

Chevrolet's Electric Car Site .

2010 CamaroOk I know I'm a car guy, but you have to admit the New Chevrolet Camaro is hot. Chevy nailed it with this one, don't you think? This will be an instant classic.

Edmunds.com says:

OK, we're going to get straight to the point here. The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro rocks. After years of anticipation, Chevy's new Camaro not only lives up to the hype but also redefines what a muscle car can be. The traditional stereotype goes something like this -- the affordable base model looks fast but goes slow due to a lumpy V6, while the V8-powered model will do apocalyptic burnouts in the high school parking lot but can't corner to save its (or your) life. The latest Dodge Challenger comes uncomfortably close to this archetype, and the Ford Mustang is at least guilty on the V6 front. But this new Camaro, well, it's an altogether different beast.

NCTD.com Says:

It'll feel a bit like back to the future, as GM's iconic pony re-emerges to compete with the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger.

The new Camaro will be available with a 3.6-liter V6 aided by a six-speed automatic, a combination expected to be rated at 26 mpg on the highway. Enthusiasts will gravitate to the Camaro SS, equipped with a powerful V8 and a choice of manual and automatic transmissions and 20-inch wheels. The Camaro will be built on GM's new global rear-wheel-drive architecture.

The production version looks essentially identical to the concept first shown at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, a remarkable achievement given the demands a modern design must meet. Compared with the retro-styled Mustang and Challenger, the Camaro has a more contemporary and angular appearance that looks more cutting edge.

This is not a reissued '69 Camaro. In fact, some might have wondered if this car was designed in the Chevy studio at all. It's edginess looked Cadillac inspired.

Underneath, it's thoroughly modern, offering the latest in technology.

Quick Links:

Chevy Camaro Official Site