This is what I'm talking about, these are Bold Moves!

The Iosis concept! The showpiece of "Kinetic" design for Ford of Europe! This is where Ford should have gone for their North American designs, not the "Taurus/500". Not DAVE

I want a Reflex! This is a hot little car, and could be built on Fiesta mechanicals.

And even the "lowly" Fiesta is going to be a real hottie.

Hey Allen, Bill, Mark! This is where you should have gone!

What's going to happen to poor Ford?

What's going to happen to Ford? I doubted and they denied for the longest time, that they would sell their Premiere Auto Group brands, but it keeps popping up in the news. The latest that Indian auto maker Tata may buy Jaguar and Land Rover. And while there are new and interesting models coming from all sectors, what's coming from Ford? What happened to the much hyped Fairlane and Bronco concepts? When will the new Fiesta get here? Why drop the Focus hatchbacks ? How many variations of Mustang can you sell? Where is the Way Forward leading?

It's been depressing for a devoted Ford Fanatic like myself to watch what's been happening or not happening over the last 2 years. And I just don't see Mulally or Fields pulling any rabbits out of their hats. Yes, I know it's not just FoMoCo that's doing poorly, GM and Chrysler have made their mistakes too, but I'm a Ford guy! Yes, I know I bought a Mazda, but I still have my Ford truck and bleed Dearborn Blue.

Over the last 2 years I've said countless times what I think Ford should have done, but I'll spit out some quick one liners here to remind you.

Bring out the Reflex! Based on the Fiesta/Mazda 2.

Bring the Euro Focus here to North America!

Bring the Mondeo here!

Bring the EcoSport/Fusion here!

Bring the Australian Falcon here!

Bring the new Ranger/BT50 here with their Diesel powertrains.

Bring a new Econoline to market!

Bring a new Bronco out based on the EcoSport!

If the Interceptor comes to market, make sure it has IRS!

Get more power in the base Mustang and Mustang GT now! 210 hp for the 4.0 and 300 for the GT are not enough. I read today that Hyundai's new 4.6 V8 may put out as much as 360 hp, and it will be in a new RWD sedan and coupe, FoMoCo needs to get it's head out of it's ass and make some of these things happen!

So much for Driving American Inovation!

Oh and one last cheap shot, concerning this new Sync system developed with Microsoft. Stupid! I mean I fear each time Microsoft comes out with a new system, because I know there will be bugs and service packs for months. Do you want that with a new car?

Poor Ford my ass! If they go down, it will be because of their own stupidity! And if a Ford fan says that, then you know it's serious.

Look at that spike in June!

I found this amazing, I posted a video in June from YouTube of TopGear's review of Focus ST and look at the traffic spike!! I have to admit that I'm also amazed at the traffic level for the months where I posted nothing at all??

Sorry about these nonsensical posts tonight, but getting back into the groove of blogging again is a process. Besides, I'm not a professional, just some guy.

Looking back at my begining...........

I don't know what I was hoping for when I started this blog. Just over 2 years ago, in April of 2005 I started MyFordDreams. And at the time I knew nothing about blogging and little about computers. that first year I posted over 900 times, that's for 9 months by the way, averaging 100 posts a day.

I guess I wanted to be the Ford version of AutoBlog or Jalopnik, I don't know.
I learned a lot in the last 2 years and Blogger added a lot of features that made it easier too.

I had some fundamental guidelines, it should be FREE, not cost me a dime, and it should be fun.
When it started to be painful, I slowed down.

Linked in the title is my first post on MyFordDreams, take a look.

Not dead, not yet

MyFordDreams isn't dead yet, really I plan on coming back in the fall, just a few weeks.

I needed to push back from this and get perspective. FoMoCo hasn't been doing well and it had been discouraging. I'm not going to try and be AutoBlog or Jalopnik anymore. No more rehashing of press releases. I'm just going to do this for the fun. Now that may mean that I'm not here everyday, and that my posts are sometimes just the fun YouTube videos but I'm not going to kill it.

I was over at The Auto Prophet's blog today and he pointed out that many blogs are dead or dying. Take CarPundit, he's ended it after 3 years. CarsCarsCars hasn't posted since July. My friend JD of AutoEratic hasn't posted in months either. The Autobloggers group is dark too. The last post over there was my post in July about my friends' Blogathon efforts over at KMRL.

Igor a faithful reader and source of inspiration had offered to take over MyFordDreams months ago when I had my crisis of faith, but I couldn't give this to somebody else. I loved doing this! I started MyFordDreams in April of 2005 and MyFordDreams2 in April of 2006.

I've interacted with some great folks, people I respect and admire and I don't want to just end it, I'll be back, check with me in 30 days.

Joe

Can I proudly wave the Blue Oval bannter driving this.....?

So there's the $64 dollar question, can I claim to be BigFordFan driving a Mazda?

I say yes! Because this is the Ford I should have been able to buy. The Mazda3 shares more in common with the Euro Ford Focus than the current offering in the US does. Same great chassis, better appointments, the works.

YouTube video from TopGear, Clarkson drives the Focus ST

MyFordDreams floundering? Getting long in the tooth?

As much as I still jones for a Reflex fix, is MyFordDreams floundering? It's been a month since I last posted anything and it was touch and go before that. Don't get me wrong my love of things Ford is still strong, but there hasn't been a lot of good news to write about. And I'm just tired of doing nothing more than bitch about what's wrong with Ford's lineup. For 2 years I've blogged at MyFordDreams and MyFordDreams2, but I'm not sure I have it in me anymore.

There are others outthere who get paid to do this, I don't. This has always been a labor of love for me. But where's the love? Where is the warm feeling for Ford? Like Ford's sales, the interest is slipping. I love what Ford does overseas, the Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo, Falcon and much much more. But with the exception of endless special Mustang models what do we have to look forward to in North America? Sure, we're supposed to get a Fiesta in 09, and sales of some of the new product like the Edge and Fusion are improving, but what excitement is there?

It's tough doing a blog called My Ford Dreams when those dreams are becoming nightmares.

I've also got other projects I'm involved in that don't tie in to MyFordDreams, so I can't honestly say what the future of this blog is. Nor can I see much interest from others either.

I remember when I interacted with other bloggers and would get the ocassional e-mail from Ford employees and fanatics, but now all I get in comments is spam and e-mails are no better. Not like the heyday of MyFordDreams when Jalopnik and AutoBlog would refer to pieces I had done on the Focus and Fiesta. I still get a bit of traffic on this blog, mostly people doing Google searches on Ford products and that's great if this can be of some help or interest to those people, but I can't get jazzed up by what's happening at FoMoCo these days.

So, I'll be back, but not as often and with less fire. Unless something amazing happens in Dearborn soon. MyFordDreams isn't dead, yet....

Fiesta finally??

Could it be true? Igor, a frequent commentor here, has been saying so for a year and of course there have been rumors. But now AutoBlog is reporting on a Motor Trend article saying that the Ford Fiesta will be coming here to the US a year after it's freshened version comes out in Europe. And it's not going to get the Dave treatment. The Fiesta could look something like this Auto Express CGI from the UK. It's Kinetic DNA from Europe intact.

Well, maybe things are looking up at FoMoCo. I read recently that the new Edge CUV is doing very well, Fusion/Milan sales are slowly but steadily rising and I've seen quite a few new Escapes on the road. Is it enough? I don't know, but signs are slowly improving at Dearborn.

Maybe MyFordDreams won't all be nightmares? But I still vow that if the Interceptor sedan comes to market iwth a solid rear axle, I will loose all interest in the Blue Oval and never buy a Ford branded car again!

Jalopnik has news about Lincoln MKS, why am I not thrilled?

Jalopnik (and AutoBlog) has a piece on the Lincoln MKS, well actually a disguised test mule and speculation that it could have up to 380 hp from a twin turbo version of Ford's new 3.5L V6. And you wonder why I'm not thrilled right? I mean a Lincoln with 380 hp! Well lets start with that. You know FoMoCo doesn't have the stones to actually produce a car with that much power, even with all wheel drive. And despite the MKS not being the ugliest car I've ever seen, it's not the most awe inspiring either.

And lets face it kids, it's just a pimped out 500/Taurus. Not that the Taurus is a bad car, but is it a "flagship" vehicle?? Lincoln would be better served by the MKR concept in that respect.

If FoMoCo wants to really make any "Bold Moves" then how about something more like this?

MyFordDreams are turning into nightmares everyday.

It's tough to get jazzed up by half assed efforts, when I know what FoMoCo can do. They have to look no further than their overseas operations for a handbook on how to do it right.

Why it's difficult to be a Ford fan at the New York Auto Show

So, I fnally got to the Javits Center this Friday and while I'm sure you've read about everything on AutoBlog and Jalopnik, but here's my take on the show in general and Ford's offerings in particular. It's getting tough be be enthusiastic about FoMoCo these days. I can take a positive spin and say how nice the Edge/CX9/MKX are, how really impressed I was with the Volvo C30 and how cool the Lincoln MKR and Ford Interceptor concepts looked. The concepts were well received by the crowd, even after a week of the show being open to the public. But as hard as I tried, I just couldn't become one of the sheep and ooh and aah at the Interceptor. It's just a shame really. As the spokesman stood on the rotating turntable dazzling the crowd with specs like "330 hp from the 5.0 Cammer engine" I could not help but want to puke my guts up when he with a straight face tried to excite the crowd with " and underneath, you'll find the Mustang multi link rear suspension with solid rear axle. What??? Hold on, solid rear axle?

And the story got no better at the turntable for the new Shelby GT500KR. An improved multi link rear supsention and solid axle. And for the incredible markup we can expect from dealers over list price, you get only about 25 more horsepower, a different hood and other minor improvements. So let's guess that the list price will be about $50k and that like the GT500 dealers will shaft you for another $20k. If you're gonna screw me like that, at least kiss me first!

In 2004 when the 05 Mustang was rolled out and I saw it at Nashville Super Speedway for the 40th Aniversary celebration, I like many was so excited to see it, that I appologized for FoMoCo's failure to equip the Stang with an IRS. The rationalization was that at the lower price point for a Mustang GT it was the best bang for the buck you could get! Well that was 2004, this is now.

And in this market if Ford tries to bring the Interceptor to market without an IRS then they deserve to go down the toilet. Seriously, Chrysler/Dodge have the 300/Magnum/Charger all with more power and IRS. GM is bringing the Pontiac G8 with more power and IRS. Ford sells the Falcon/Fairmont in Australia with more power and IRS. See what I'm saying?

Ford will be signing their own obituary if they bring a rear wheel drive sedan to market here in North America without an IRS! I hope to god that someone at FoMoCo can see this.

I will go further with this, if FoMoCo does come out with a RWD sedan and it doesn't have IRS like every one of their competitors, then I will never buy another Ford Branded product in my life! And I will advise anyone who asks to follow my lead. If they want to die a misserable death, so be it! But they can't say they didn't see the trends in the market place or that they couldn't design an IRS that would work. They have no farther to look than the Control Blade IRS used in Australia!

MojoRadioLive to revamp and relaunch in May

Several months ago, I told you about MojoRadioLive KMRL Radio and Internet Radio station. And the Mojo went in for a bit of a tuneup and is getting to kick off again in May.

I've seen and heard some of the shows, and heard good things about the others, some of the station favorites such as DJ DarkStar, WebKyttn, Bug, Grey's Garage and the Gimp are returning and there will be some new shows .

So, head on over to MojoRadioLive at the link in the title and check it out.

I've heard from a reliable source that there may be some Car Talk from time to time.

Just when I was starting to warm up to Mulally, he goes and pulls a bonehead move like this.

Over at AutoBlog they've got a piece, indluding two videos, showing Ford CEO Mulally caught in a lie, where he makes President Bush look foolish. Now, if your company is doing poorly and wants to work with the Government and this administration, to improve your situation, then you don't attempt humor at the President's expense. Simple really, even if you're angry at the administration and frustrated that things aren't going your way, you don't do this.

Just when I was thinking that Mr Boeing Boy was getting with the program, he pulls this bone head move. Way to go Alan! You dumbass!

Now, I don't care what your politics are, you have to recognize that this was not a smart move.

Holy crap, AutoBlog has Volvo C30 pricing

The closest we can get to this in the US is the new Volvo C30, and now.............

Autoblog has fairly comprehnsive pricing information on the new Volvo C30, the 3 door version of the Ford Focus based S40. And I'm impressed with several things. First is the fact that the Turbo 5 will be the only engine, and putting out 227hp. Second is the base price below $23,000.

But try and add a few options and the price jumps real quick!

And as impressive as 227 hp is, the MazdaSpeed3 beats that by over 20 hp for around the same price, with more standard equipment.

Now for my money, and that's what's important to me, the Mazda is the beter deal. Hell, my 3 Cost less than the base price of the C30 and it's loaded with the exception of auto trans and DVD navigation!! Sure I only have 160 hp, but those heated leather seats and 6 disc CD stereo help smooth things out when I open my power moonroof in January. And I've got 2 more doors.

Don't get me wrong, the Volvo is nice, but what I really want is the Focus ST from Europe.

Funny how Ford can sell the C30 and Speed3 here in the US for under $25k, but not the ST.

AutoBlog has details on GT500KR and quite frankly, I'm not impressed.

40 more horsepower and a few suspension tweaks. What a steaming pile of crap!
As I said in my last post on this, it's not enough! There will be only 1,000 of them and collectors will snatch them up. But what's really special about it?

Ford Shelby GT500KR What's going to make this King of the Road?

I found this over at Jalopnik, and I wonder what's going to make the new GT500KR better than last year's GT500? Is it finally going to get an IRS? Is there going to be more than 500 hp? What's going to make them King of the Road? And what's it going to cost? The GT500 is impressive, there's no doubt about that, but there is room for improvement. I doubt Ford is going to give it the IRS it so sorely needs.

Is this just another way to screw Mustang enthusiasts?? Is this just old money bags Carrol Shelby cashing in again?

I know you're thinking "what kind of Mustang enthusiast are you Joe?" Well, I'm one that's sick of half hearted efforts on Ford's part. I'm also one of the rare enthusiasts that doesn't bow down and whorship at the altar of Shelby. While I respect the cars, he's just a man. Just the first of several to slap their name on the Mustang and overcharge for it. Saleen, Roush, Steeda, all Shelby clones a generation later.

This video will change your mind about speed! (not really)

I'm posting this video for only one reason, it features Australian Ford Falcons. It's a public service message about the evil of SPEED. While there may be valid points raised, it really won't change the way I drive.

The still unanswered chalenge!

The still unanswered challenge at Ford is the B segment sub-compact. If sales of GM's Aveo, Honda's Fit and DCX's Caliber/Patriot/Compass triplets and assorted other micro cars aren't enough proof, what will it take for Ford to get off the blocks? The Focus is a good car, could be better if we got the Euro/New Focus, like my Mazda3, and not just an "Americanized" refresh and 2 door coupe. I'm not saying the new coupe is a bad idea, but even with the entry price of the Focus ZX3 below $14k and the 2.0L base model achieving 37 MPG, that's not enough!

Well, that's not entirely true, the numbers for the base Focus are very competative on paper, matching the new batch of "B" entries to our market. But still the perception is that Ford has become stale, not just the Focus, but the entire brand. And while the new Edge and renamed Taurus/Taurus X and even the very capable Fusion are fine, they don't address the perception that Ford isn't bringing fresh product to market.

Some of my earliest blog entries were rants about how Ford has a competative model(s) in their European lineup. The Fiesta/Fusion twins.

The Fusion is based on the very good Fiesta chassis, but is about the size of the Fit. It's a really capable five door wagon with room for most family needs. I've seen the Fusion up close and personal when I was in Ireland on vacation and the pictures don't do justice to how nice this is.

And in Latin American markets there's even an all wheel drive soft roader version called the EcoSport. No dual range transfer case or rock crawling gears, but more than suitable for North Eastern snow storms and the ocassional trip to the beach or hiking. No worse than you get from Subaru, as far as "Off Road" capability goes.

There's been much speculation in the automotive press/blogsphere about Ford utilizing the Mazda2 for their B segment model. That's fine with me, since both the Fiesta and Mazda2 are built on the same platform and share powertrains. If it makes the Japan loving press happy to say it's Mazda based, so be it. But in reality, the European/Latin American production would be cheaper to import than Japanese produced models.

This is a photoshopped guess of what the next Fiesta (sporty version) may look like, from Auto Express, a UK auto magazine.

This is a 2006 Fiesta prepared by a tuner for the Euro market.

Bottom line is, at least to me, is that Ford doesn't have time to speculate or delay. If they truly want to be percieved as making "Bold Moves" they need to do something quick and this could be the move they need to make. It's not all about new Super Duty Trucks! With gasoline prices silently rising to $3 per gallon again, it's time to address the weakness on the entry level part of their lineup.

One further thing, I read online today that Mazda is looking to bring a clean diesel to the US market possibly by 2011. Well where do you think Mazda is going to pull that diesel from? Why from Ford of Europe of course! Mazda sources their diesels from the Franco/Ford partnership.

Ford Transit Backbone of Britain

Ford Transit commercial

What the hell?