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Ford reducing total platforms to 5, one RWD unibody, new Explorer will be RWD...

Topnotch

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Stam616

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Lincoln will be axed eventually. IMO. Thereā€™s no real business case for it as Ford refuses to do what really needs to be done with that brand. Thereā€™s no aspirational vehicle such as a Coupe/convertible in their lineup. German brands are selling them in decent numbers but yet Ford wonā€™t go there for Lincoln. Then you also need to build exciting luxury vehicle that are not only high style but need substance too. Cadillac has been dong this and yes itā€™s still not there yet, but itā€™s far closer than Lincoln has been in over a decade.
 

Stam616

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Generally Iā€™m pissed that since the change in government here and theā€I donā€™t give a crap about the environment or the futureā€mentality, auto companies are starting to push the SUVā€™s and crossovers again. Saying coupes and sedans arenā€™t selling. Tell that to the Germans, tell that to the japanese. I work for Toyota, Camryā€™s are still selling very well because they are redesigned, look good and offer great content for the money. The Fusion is a great car, you know why itā€™s not selling? Because the dash and interior still look like my 2013! The engine and driveline are terrific and the AWD option is a major plus for me. Toyota and BMW just spent hundreds of millions on the new Supra and Z4whichnBmW will sell very well and Toyota may do the same with the Supra, unlike the Toyota 86. People will buy whatever product you make if itā€™s marketed correctly and offers things that are unique and high content. Iā€™m not an suv guy. I MAY want a Bronco, but Iā€™d be far more interested in a Fusion AWD sedan that is styled well, has good performance and offers a beautiful cabin. Not that I should have to say this but I LOVE my Mustang and want more cars like that from Ford than SUVs like the Explorer!
 

UAmach1

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Lincoln will be axed eventually. IMO. Thereā€™s no real business case for it as Ford refuses to do what really needs to be done with that brand. Thereā€™s no aspirational vehicle such as a Coupe/convertible in their lineup. German brands are selling them in decent numbers but yet Ford wonā€™t go there for Lincoln. Then you also need to build exciting luxury vehicle that are not only high style but need substance too. Cadillac has been dong this and yes itā€™s still not there yet, but itā€™s far closer than Lincoln has been in over a decade.
The Continental, but it's lacking on the performance side vs a BMW or MB. Reviews for it all seem positive though.
 

Bullitt

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The Continental, but it's lacking on the performance side vs a BMW or MB. Reviews for it all seem positive though.
I only drove one for about 15 minutes but was impressed. I actually see a decent amount of them in my area but it must be atypical of other suburban areas. 2 things are sinking the Continental from what I've heard. One, it's actually not big enough in the rear seat area for a vehicle of it's class. The second reason is that the trunk isn't big enough for fleet use. If the trunk were closer to the size of the Town Car, fleet sales would have been the Continental's saving grace. Unfortunately, fleet purchasers haven't been jumping all over the Continental like I'm guessing Lincoln expected.
 

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Twin Turbo

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Move the Continental to the RWD platform and I think it'd stand an even better chance.

Whilst I've only experienced it from the comfort of my armchair, the Continental was a let down in being transverse engine & FWD/AWD......and it's associated proportions. It looks good.....but could be so much better.

Then remove the rear-doors for an BMW 8 Series competitor.....
 

GreenS550

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Ford MUST find a way to share platforms. It's just too expensive to have a stand alone like the Mustang. If Mustang sales slip, what backs that up?
Think of the SS Impala, Corvette, Camaro, etc. They share a lot of stuff. Admittedly the Corvette is it's own thing, but not the powertrain. Mustang GT powertrain is unique for the most part. Yes, shares with the F-150, but that's it with several major changes: cam, intake, exhaust, etc. The SHO, Fusion, Continential are quite different. Then you have the Explorer, different. Mopar and GM share much of the same powertrain components. Heck, the Charger, Magnum, Challenger, 300 have very similar chassis.
We need Ford to find a way to make the car more cost effective. The 5.0 alone is a very expensive engine to make. Compare the components of the 5.0 to the GM or Mopar equivalent. Their engines are just refined 60's engines. Pushrod refined. Very good, but much cheaper to make than a 4V 4 cam engine.
I have had 4 explorers and 1 mountaineer. They are great. I pull my tractor with the 3.5NA engine better than my 4.6 Mountaineer. I have pulled in excess of 8K pounds with a brake controller just fine.
I hope Ford can keep going. A major recession would hurt the auto makers big time. Their bond ratings are constantly hovering near junk. Yes, Ford, share components and platforms. You NEED a profit to keep the lights on when the economy declines as it always does. I still remember their stock at $1.05 a share.
 

limited02

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Lincoln will be axed eventually. IMO. Thereā€™s no real business case for it as Ford refuses to do what really needs to be done with that brand. Thereā€™s no aspirational vehicle such as a Coupe/convertible in their lineup. German brands are selling them in decent numbers but yet Ford wonā€™t go there for Lincoln. Then you also need to build exciting luxury vehicle that are not only high style but need substance too. Cadillac has been dong this and yes itā€™s still not there yet, but itā€™s far closer than Lincoln has been in over a decade.
Are you not aware that dealers cannot keep the new Navigator on the lots because they are selling so fast? Lincoln is going to be around for a long, long time and they are turning out some rather slick rides.
 

EJS2016

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For itā€™s new Explorer-based SUV, Lincoln is reviving the ā€œAviatorā€ nameplate.
I suspect it will be released along side the 2019 RWD Explorer.
 

GreenS550

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Then will the explorer just be a larger version of the Bronco?
 

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EJS2016

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Hard to know, but it would make sense because certainly the base Bronco will be RWD with optional 4WD.
Check out the draped Bronco ā€œsilhouetteā€ on Bronco6g.
Looks pretty cool with the right proportions and large wheel openings.
Ford will be offering many dealer-installed factory modifications.
Iā€™ll be taking a very serious look when itā€™s released.
 

Vato

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I thought of what could get me to buy another mustang after I pay this one off. Like another member previously said, aluminum body. An aluminum body Shelby would be a nice companion to the Saleen years from now. I just hope they keep a V8 in the engine bay.

Do it for survival Ford.
 

Nagare

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For itā€™s new Explorer-based SUV, Lincoln is reviving the ā€œAviatorā€ nameplate.
I have a feeling my mom is going to be verryyyyy upset by this no matter which way it goes. She loved her original one and still wishes they made it now, but she hates the design of most SUVs because of the curves and thinks non-curved ones are either too egg shaped or look like minivans (current Explorer fits in to the minivan shape in her mind).

So if it does look like the current Explorer she'll be on about them ruining what made it perfect. If it looks wonderful and she loves it, she'll be mad about how she just got her new GX 460 because no Aviator was coming!

I'm excited to see what we get for the Mustang out of all of this though, with a shared basis it should be able to get more attention and hopefully weight reduction to benefit the Explorer too.
 
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flaps

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Generally Iā€™m pissed that since the change in government here and theā€I donā€™t give a crap about the environment or the futureā€mentality, auto companies are starting to push the SUVā€™s and crossovers again.
This was happening before Trump took over. If you want more cars to sell over SUVs, you need higher gas prices (which would also not help sports cars).

http://www.autonews.com/article/20160718/OEM/160719863/54-5-mpg-target-is-off-the-table-u-s-regulators-say
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