We take a look at the coolest, and nutties cars from the LA Auto Show and give you the long and short of that Toyota gas pedal issue. Also, Audi wants drivers to scribble on their dashboard. Have you seen the latest in high tech auto seats? We also go for a ride in the Lincoln MKT.
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EPISODE 147
SHOW NOTES• CNET's L.A. auto show coverage
• Audi intros in-dash handwriting recognition
• CNET's review of the 2010 Mazda6
(Credit:
Josh P. Miller/CNET)
When Ford launched the revised Mustang last year, we were pretty bummed to learn that there wasn't a new power plant to go along with the improved aesthetic. At the 2009 LA Auto Show, this inequity has been rectified with a new 3.7-liter Duratec V-6 that boosts engine output to 305 horsepower while raising fuel economy to an estimated 30 mpg on the highway. For the first time ever, a V-6 Mustang is nothing to be ashamed of.
We've already taken a look at how the Duratec achieves such power and economy through a combination of weight and friction reduction, along with a new variable valve timing system. Spinning the crank to the tune of 305 horsepower means that the Mustang is now more powerful than the Chevrolet Camaro (304 horsepower). Of course, a one pony gap isn't much to write home about, but bragging rights are bragging rights.
Along with the new heart, the Mustang receives a few aero tweaks to the front end and undercarriage that will likely be invisible to all but the most diehard 'Stang lovers. Revised spring rates and a new thicker rear anitroll bar also help the Mustang V-6 to handle slightly better, but an optional Performance Package adds the suspension and stability control programming of the Mustang GT, bringing the V-6 model dangerously close to the V-8 in terms of performance--at least, until the new GT is revealed at the Detroit Show in January.
Check out our gallery of the 2011 Mustang V-6 at the 2009 LA Auto Show.
The 2011 Mustang's new engine is designed to compete with the V-6 Camaro.
(Credit: Ford)
Mustang fans have been nagging Ford Motors for a better V-6 engine in the base model of the long-running pony car--one with more horsepower and less hoarse power.
Next spring they'll get it when the old 4.0-liter V-6 is replaced by a 3.7-liter, 305 horsepower, 24-valve V- 6 with double overhead cams. It's the Mustang's first high-performance six-cylinder engine.
The old, rough, 210-hp V-6--which has been built in various displacements since the late 1960s--couldn't compete with the 3.6-liter V-6 in the new Chevrolet Camaro.
The base version of the 2011 Ford Mustang, due in the spring, noses ahead of the 2010 Camaro V-6--but not by much. The Mustang has one more horsepower and one more highway mile per gallon than the Camaro.
The 3.7-liter engine in the base 2011 Mustang is also being used in several front-wheel- and all-wheel-drive Lincolns. The Mustang is the first rear-wheel-drive application.
To boost horsepower, the intake areas of the engine's heads were ported and polished to increase the volume of the air-fuel mixture. The valve tappets were polished to reduce friction. A new intake manifold improves engine breathing. The changes helped raise horsepower from 273 in the Lincoln MKS to 305.
The Mustang also gets these upgrades:
- Two new six-speed transmissions, automatic and manual
- Stronger brakes and firmer suspension from the GT model
- A slightly revised interior with a new roof-storage system.
The updated engine includes such fuel-saving technology as variable valve timing and an advanced fuel injection system that cuts off the fuel supply when the car is decelerating.
The old engine was built in Cologne, Germany, and shipped to Flat Rock, Mich., where it was installed in the Mustang. The new engine is built in Ford's Cleveland, Ohio, plant.
Camaro sales have exceeded the Mustang's for six straight months. General Motors thinks the Camaro will outsell the Mustang for the entire year, although through October the Mustang still led, 56,469 to 47,233. The Camaro went on sale in April.
Ford plans to show the 2011 Mustang V-6 this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Upgrades are also in store for the Mustang GT that, according to Ford, it plans to introduce in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit
(Source: Automotive News)
This promo video looks more like a video game as professional skateboarders Pat Duffy and Jake Brown take on a 2010 Mustang. The car (with the help of professional drivers and CGI) lands ollies, 360s, and kickflips.
Yesterday's clip was all about some blazing hot custom made Ford Mustangs making their presence felt at the 2009 SEMA Show last week in Las Vegas. Chevrolet reportedly also got in on the act with pimpin' out Camaros a plenty for SEMA insiders and car enthusiasts alike. Well, if you're thinking Dodge didn't have something similar up their sleeves, then like Judas Priest says "you've got another thing coming."
Today's Web video features Edward Loh from Motortrend.com gushing over some flashy custom 2009 Dodge Challengers, and with damn good reason. These Challengers are spectacular to look at, and a hot green convertible in particular is given a lot of camera time for its blingtastic wheels and 560HP V-8 engine. Roughly half way through the video, we get to scope a red Challenger that's been infused with a Viper V-10 engine and all sorts of custom options built in. Anyone who thinks that modern American muscle cars aren't something to get excited about should probably think again.
Earlier this week, we took a quick glance at a few of the many production and concept cars making their debuts at the 2009 SEMA Show last week at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Well, today's video needs little explanation, simply because I don't have much extra information to give you. This Web clip shows off four nice customized Ford Mustangs that were exhibited at the most recent SEMA Show in Vegas, and really, this video is just a lot of nice eye candy for Mustang enthusiasts. Observe...
This video is more or less a commercial for Stage 3 Motorsports and TheMustangNews.com. Stage 3 Motorsports specializes in building custom Ford Mustangs and is also a supplier of Mustang engines and components. TheMustangNews.com boasts that it is "the Web authority for Mustang and Ford News," and its home page has profiles and reviews of several different Mustangs and Ford products that were on display at the 2009 SEMA Show. It's not the most intellectually stimulating Web clip you'll ever see, but if you just enjoy seeing some pimped-out custom Mustangs, then you will be more than satisfied.
In January, Nissan Motor will steer what has been mainly a luxury-car feature--the navigation screen--into new territory when it offers the standalone option in the Sentra compact for $400.
The color screen, supplied by Robert Bosch, provides navigation but also can be connected to an iPod or MP3 player and a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone.
The nav screen has become like the iPhone for cars--a gold mine for suppliers striving to provide applications such as traffic reports, parking-assist systems, and backup cameras.
This year automakers will install about 1.4 million navigation systems worth $2.6 billion in vehicles sold in North America, according to iSuppli, a Los Angeles consulting firm that tracks sales of consumer electronics. That's up from 890,000 systems worth $1.8 billion installed in 2004.
"By 2016, one in three cars will have a navigation system of some sort," says Phil Magney, vice president of iSuppli's automotive practice. If that prediction pans out, nav screens could be standard equipment in about 5.4 million vehicles sold annually in North America, he says.
| Lots of action |
|---|
| Functions are proliferating on navigation screens. |
| • Active parking assist on Ford and Toyota vehicles |
| • Telephone controls |
| • Traffic and points-of-interest information |
| • Controls for the radio and air conditioner |
| • Route guidance |
| • Fuel economy performance information for hybrids |
| • Live video from backup camera |
| • TV programs |
One year after the spectacular meltdown of the domestic auto industry and three years after becoming Ford Motor CEO, Alan Mulally's turnaround efforts are gaining traction.
Ford reported a surprise $1 billion profit last week, and Mulally credited the improvement to better products, prices, and market share. Mulally, 64, was interviewed by Associate Publisher Peter Brown, Editor Jason Stein, and Staff Reporter Amy Wilson just before the earnings announcement.
A year ago you were part of a three-man team from Detroit in front of Congress asking for help, and now you're kind of on your own. How would you assess how Detroit and Ford have weathered the past year?
In Ford's case, we have made tremendous progress. We were really there to support GM and Chrysler getting temporary help with their situation approaching bankruptcy and [because of] suppliers. They could have taken the entire industry down and taken a recession into a depression.
... Read moreThis last week saw yet another big auto show in the form of the 2009 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show ran from November 2 to Friday November 6, and boy, was there a ton of eye candy for us car enthusiasts. However, the SEMA Show was not open to the public--only auto industry insiders were allowed inside these doors full of what SEMA refers to as "automotive specialty products." This video is a teaser of some of the many automotive delights that were on display at this year's event.
Here we go with another quality highlight video from the folks at Inside Line courtesy of Edmunds.com. This highlight reel features Camaros galore, plenty of Ford mods, and the stateside debut of the $375,000 Lexus LFA. Other notable vehicles include the Hyundai Genesis (with the midcar engine), Kia's first foray into racecars, and the Brooks & Dunn sponsored Toyota Tundra with an onboard barbecue grill--yummy.
Ford's inflatable seat belts are designed for the rear seat.
(Credit: Ford)Ford announced a new seat belt innovation on Thursday: seat belts that inflate during a collision. Designed for rear-seat passengers, Ford claims the new seat belts spread collision force over five times the area of a traditional seat belt when inflated. In a crash, the seat belts limit head and neck movement, which should reduce injury.
Ford also says the extra bulk of these seat belts gives them a padded feeling, making them more comfortable, so rear-seat passengers are more likely to wear them. Current usage statistics show that 82 percent of front seat occupants wear seat belts, but only 61 percent of rear seat passengers wear them.
These inflatable seat belts will be included in the next update to the Ford Explorer, with other Ford vehicles following.
