Ford's Future Powertrain Direction

While many auto manufacturers are scratching their heads trying to decide how to meet likely new EPA fuel economy standards in the next few years, Ford thinks it has an answer. They also hope that answer will address the power shortages that some of their engines have relative to the competition (particularly their V8s, in a world where the competition has 400 and 500 horsepower, with the same or better fuel economy of Ford's current engine lineup).

Ford's solution is called Twin-Force, and it means twin turbos coupled with gasoline direct injection. Starting with the 2008 Lincoln MKS sedan, Ford intends to apply twin turbos to I4, V6, and V8 engines over the next several years, and rumor is that engine sizes and power outputs will be:

• 260 horsepower for the 2.5 liter I4 (likely to appear in the 2009 Fusion sedan)
• 350-420 horsepower for the 3.5 liter V6 (likely to appear in the Mustang and F150 later in 2009)
• 400 horsepower for the possible 5.0 liter V8
• 650 lb-ft of torque for the 6.2 liter V8 (likely to land in the F150 and Super Duty as a diesel alternative).

If the power figures appear as rumored, I'll be very impressed. Even more impressive is that Ford expects fuel efficency to be on par with contemporary diesels of similar size, but expects diesel-like fuel economy, at a lower cost because the expensive emission equipment will not be needed.

Finally, the last part of Ford's powertrain future is called a Powershift gearbox, which is similar in concept to Volkswagen's much-loved twin clutch DSG gearbox. DSGs promise less driveline loss than a conventional torque converter-equipped automatic (so better fuel economy) and faster, more direct shifts.

Giving Ford the benefit of the doubt that they actually can meet these rumored horsepower and fuel economy numbers, plus rolling out a DSG, all they'll need to get in order is a more interesting, engaging styling direction. They have the ideas (the Ford Interceptor would be a nice start), but need to actually implement them.

I was someone who questioned Ford's strategy of going with a twin turbo V6 in the upcoming Lincoln MKS rather than the Volvo-sourced V8 in the original concept car, but if a Twin-Force V6 exceeds the V8's fuel economy, and with potentially 400+ horsepower (versus about 311 for the V8), it's hard to argue with the results. The photo at the top of this post is of the Twin-Force V6 in the Lincoln MKR concept car, which was first shown at the NAIAS in Detroit in January 2007.

I wish them luck. Now let's see these engines and transmissions actually installed in production vehicles.

The $104,000 Question- Is Lexus There Yet?

Lexus has unveiled the LS600h L — a performance hybrid version of its new flagship sedan — at the 2006 New York International Auto Show. Scheduled to arrive in Spring 2007, it will be the world's first vehicle of any class or category to feature a full hybrid V8 powertrain. The LS 600h will combine an all-new five-litre V8 gas engine with combined massive, high-output electric motors and a newly designed large-capacity battery pack. It will deliver a peak, combined output of more than 430 horsepower. As a SULEV-rated (Super Low Emissions) vehicle, LS600h is estimated to produce just 20 per cent of the smog-forming emissions of a conventional five-litre V8. Power is delivered to the wheels via a 2-stange ECVT transmission. It also has the first LED front headlights of any production vehicle.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/lexus-debuts-20072007-lexus-ls-600h-l.html

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And just like that, poof, the last bunker of the Euro marques is penetrated.

What's been amusing is all of the chatter following the announcement of the pricing of the LS600.

• The domestic fans, clutching their hearts in unison because Cadillac/Lincoln don't have a vehicle to compete with the GS, nevermind the LS, have been throwing out the 'I'd take a Corvette Z06 and an Aura for that kind of money OMG LOL!!!'
• The European fans (MB, BMW and Audi fans I'm looking straight at you) have begrudgingly given kudos to the vehicle while still being snarky and saying 'well it doesn't have the cachet of a Euro brand, and plus it's just a Toyota OMG LOL!!!'

Do either of these generic comebacks make any sense? Seriously?

Lexus is officially in the big boy club now. Alongside Mercedes, BMW and Audi- they've finally made the leap.

A breakdown if you will-

Exotic Luxury
Bentley
Rolls-Royce
Maybach

Pretty much well the 'we have so much money that we can spend it on $10,000 paint upgrades to match our favorite polo shirt' club.

A-List Luxury
Mercedes-Benz
BMW
Audi
Lexus

I'm still not entirely convinced that Audi belongs in this group, but the interior design and craftsmanship puts them in here in the end. This group is basically the 'you've arrived' segment of the luxury market. The Alpha Dogs of the industry if you will. They've got sales, full lineups, and a brand cachet rivaled only by the exotics. They also have a very forgiving audience- BMW, and moreso MB, have been coasting on their quality reputations in recent years, but the strength of their brand perception has been strong enough to let them overcome any possible bad stigma overall.

B-List Luxury
Infiniti
Cadillac
Jaguar (and sliding)

Infiniti made the jump very recently by coming out with some world class sedans- prior years saw them down there with Acura...and even more prior years, in the D-League. Cadillac is on a downward slide (they'll need more than the CTS), and Jaguar is one failed product cycle away from oblivion and fond reminiscence at the next Barrett-Jackson auction show. They're all very competent luxury cars, but they're missing the cachet- pretend to own one of these for a day, just tell people you drive an Infiniti, Caddy or Jag... and most won't even bat an eye.

C-List Luxury
Acura

Acura gets their very own luxury segment to themselves. Not quite at the level of the B's, but not an also-ran. At the end of the day, the perception of Acura vehicles as very very well engineered Honda vehicles has been a hard perception for Acura to shake. The vehicles in the segments which they compete in are all competitive, and sometimes class leading- it's the brand that needs work now. The worst move they ever made was dropping model names- the Acura Legend, Vigor, Integra et al were great brand builders, and they were all dismissed without any long term planning.

D-List Luxury
Volvo
Saab
Lincoln

The end. Lincoln is almost done at this point. Saab and Volvo have never really been 'prestige' luxury makers- just solid performing vehicles with a good safety record. Not a true luxury car in my opinion, but more of a 'premium' set of brands.

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Failed Platform: DEW 98

When the Ford Motor Company introduced its new global midsize RWD platform in 1999 underneath the 2000 Lincoln LS, it was met with great fanfare by the automotive press. The LS garnered Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award and was nominated for North American Car of the Year. With such jazzy features as rear-wheel drive, a manual transmission (V6 only) and an available V8, the LS seemed like a great mix of attainable luxury and unpretentious sportiness.

How did the marketplace react? In 1999, it sold 26,368 copies. Its first full calendar year, 2000, saw sales hit 51,039. Ford had a mini-hit. How did mother-Ford nurture its nascent sedan? They starved it. It was treated to one update (in 2003) before becoming a V8-only $45,000 has-been. Anyone remember seeing an LS ad anytime between 2004 and 2006? I don’t. Sales collapsed to 19,000 by 2005 and less than 9,000 found [ostensibly] willing buyers in 2006 before the axe fell.

Soon after the LS hit the streets, Jaguar twisted the DEW architecture into the base for the retro-fabulous S-type. Its 2000 CY sales were 24,507—by far the most popular Jaguar that year. Of course, being the cheapest one in the lineup probably helped the S-type attain the sales crown. Over the years Jag tried to keep buyers engaged with a refresh or two and a supercharger, but that wasn’t enough to stave off the grim reaper: just 5,875 customers gave this cat a home in 2006. The S-type is to be taken under in 2007.


Where did Ford take this globe-trotting platform next? Well, back to the ‘50s of course. The 2002 Ford Thunderbird took the DEW98, added some ‘50s styling clichés and removed all of that era’s intrinsic automotive design charm and served it up with a weak power plant and a high base price. The car sold well for about five months. Then Ford decided that it needed to upgrade it for the ’03 MY. This decision, however, came a little late in the planning process. As such, Ford had to extend the ’02 MY well into what should have been the ’03 MY. Compounding the problem was the fact that dealers were now fully stocked up on left-over, convertible, RWD cars with winter sneezing on their doorsteps. Consumers wisely stayed away. The Thunderbird never regained its momentum. Sales fell from 19,000 in 2002 to just 9,500 in 2005 when Ford once again stopped producing the ‘Bird. It was destined to be the last vehicle Ford would develop on the once promising DEW98.

What went wrong? This:

1) Lack of flexibility in design and manufacturing
2) Expensive to produce (and Ford cordially passed that expense onto its customers)
3) Starved for development funds
4) Terrible marketing for all model-lines

Had the platform been cheaper to produce and more flexible, then the Mustang could have been its savior. Alas, that wasn’t meant to be. Ford had to modify (i.e.: cheapen) the DEW98 to such an extent that it had to become a whole new platform (D2C) before the galloping horsie could have a new home in 2005.

Ford completely missed a lucrative opportunity. Rear-wheel drive is decidedly in fashion—so long that it’s affordable. Chrysler did everything right with its RWD LX platform that Ford did wrong with the DEW: It is flexible, cheap, isn’t being neglected, manufacturing is consolidated to one plant, and the vehicles built off of it were brilliantly marketed at launch and consistently advertised. GM has found success with its Sigma Cadillacs and is poised to follow suit in ’08 with its inexpensive Zeta sedans and coupes. All Ford has to offer rear-wheel-drive buyers is its 28-year-old Panther cars and a niche-market Mustang.

Imagine if the Five-Hundred came out on a DEW-derived platform with the Mustang 4.6L V8 under the bonnet and styling that wouldn’t get lost in the bread isle of your local A&P? It most certainly wouldn’t have been demoted to Taurus status.

What looked like the start of a good thing was merely a brilliant flash in the pan. How typically Ford.