Buy them while you can. Ford recent announcement of the good looking 2011 Ford Explorer is great, but one little detail was left out. No more Explorer Sport Trac, the half-SUV, half-pickup. If you’re a Ford fan, I found this to be a great in-between truck, the Ford Ranger seems too small and F-150 has grown too large for me. The Explore Sport Trac was the right size , plus a 4-door and it’s better looking than the Honda Ridgeline.

The Ford Explorer Sport Trac will be missed!!

Source:thecarconnection.com

I was FINALLY able to update the Automotive Family Tree. If you bought automotivefamilytree2010 in July, you should receive 2010-2 file soon in your email box.

Thanks for your support.

Andy

How many gears are too many? 8? 10? 16? I understand being a Semi-truck driver why you need 16 gears, but 9 in a large sedan? Mercedes-Benz is working on a 9-speed automatic gearbox. It’s going to be connected to large-capacity engines, which will help in fuel economy and CO2 emissions. Mercedes engineers “believe nine gears is max as well as being the most customers will be able to cope with”.

Source: autocar.co.uk

Automotive Family Tree updates will be coming out soon. Look for the new large diagram, the 2010.1 file, to come out middle of the month, if not towards the end of the month of July. For anyone that buys the large diagram this month will receive the new file for FREE!

Andy

Why can’t we have this much fun in the States? Ecurie Ford France put together a collection of five (only 5), special editions of the European Ford Focus RS in special Le Mans historic victories. The Focus’s will take part in the Le Mans Classic event July 9-11, then will be sold. No word on what the selling conditions has to be, new or crumbled.

Me personally, I want the Euro Ford Focus RS as a choice in the USA, but to also have one painted in the old Gulf colors, I WANT! Plus you get Recaro seats in leather, leather-trimmed center armrest, handbrake and gearshift boot. Ford also plans to provide each buyer with a limited-edition Le Mans Class three-dial chronograph.

ME STILL WANT!!

Source:insideline.com
Video: Ecurie Ford France - Facebook

I want to thank GQ Magazine for publishing my diagram. If you’re a subscriber to GQ Magazine - Taiwan and looking for the detail version of what was printed,please pick here.

I thought Ford was going to wait for July to kill Mercury, but I guess they couldn’t wait. Ford has announced that Mercury will be dead after fourth quarter of 2010. Ford is already working with closing out dealerships.

Look for Lincoln to take up some of the slack that Mercury. Lincoln will make its first C-segment vehicle in the future.

Source:autoweek.com

The Automotive Family Tree is about to get more complicated. With EV’s (electric vehicles) getting more and more popular thing to do, I’d expect more joint venture’s in the future. Daimler has a joint venture with BYD to build a research and technology center to develop EV’s.

In other news, looks like Ford is thinking about closing out Mercury. The plan would be submitted to Ford’s board in July.

Source:wsj.com
autoweek.com

Time to update the Automotive Family Tree. But this time I’m not adding a new connection as much as updating logos. Dodge is doing some shuffling of brand names. Ram, used in the current Dodge logo, will be used on the trucks and trucks only as the “Ram” brand, using the old logo. Dodge on the other hand is changing the logo for its more sporty, youth-oriented brand. The new Dodge logo will spell out Dodge in a new script with red slashes from the SRT performance brand. However, on the car itself, it will just spell out Dodge.

Check back soon at automotivefamilytree.com for the new logo’s.

Source:autoweek.com

Looks like I need to update the Automotive Family Tree. Toyota and Tesla will become partners to produce electric vehicles, with the possibility of Toyota following in Daimler lead and owning a stake of Tesla after it goes public.

A few more details about the deal:
1. Toyota to make a sub-$30,000 EV with Tesla’s unique powertrain design.
2. Tesla will build its Model S sedan at the NUMMI plant that Toyota once owned with GM.
3. A $50 million investment when it goes public, maybe.

Source:autoweek.com