It need not be an either-or proposition.

Am wondering what a hybrid system woudl do for a Panther with a smaller V-6 ICE.

I think it would do a lot more to convince consumers to buy a Chrsyler to hear that fleets get 400K miles from them, rather than a warranty that lasts only as long as the company issuing it.

I work in Manhattan a lot — the number of yellow Siennas and Camrys on the street is scary.

I know that breaks the hearts of the “newer is better” crowd, but the market has spoken.

If Ford knew what they had, they would actually do something to the Panther, other than wish it could stop selling so they could kill it.

There is no way I’d spend $35-$40 k for a rwd Ford sedan over a $19,000 Panther. Maybe I’m odd, but the market is not there for an expensive Ford sedan.

Ford has the market gift-wrapped for them, and they are completely blowing it. Ford is not what I’d call the brightest bunch of people you will meet.

It remains to be seen if the LX platform can stand up to the same abuse that the Panther platform endured all these years. With (some of) the Mercedes E-Class DNA you would think so, but it’s hard to beat a full frame when curbs are cleared and suspect’s vehicles nudged off the road.

They should do whatever it takes to just OWN those markets, the way Ford has for the last 20 years. Ripe for the picking a freakin’ annuity of $25K times 200,000 units annually — what is that like $5 Billion a year?

How can Chrsler be so blind to the obvious?

I agree that they should be looking at small and mid-size RWD platforms instead of the mid-size to large setup that GRWD is designed to accomodate. However, when you don’t have cash to burn through, and CAFE/gas prices are breathing down your neck, your options are somewhat limited…

Then Ford would have a desirable product…and we can’t have that…

to bate (third-person singular simple present bates, present participle bating, simple past and past participle bated)
1. (transitive) To reduce the force of something; to abate.
2. (transitive) To restrain, usually with the sense of being in anticipation; as, with bated breath.
3. (transitive, figuratively) To cut off, remove, take away.
* c.1658 Dr. Henry More, Government of the Tongue :
He will not bate an ace of absolute certainty.

Kind of like flammable = inflammable. English is a hell of a language.

I agree with taxman100: why not keep the Panther platform around if Ford can’t shit or get off the pot re: this development program? The tooling was paid for, in, oh, probably 1983?

4 cylinder in the F-150? Sounds more like Ford’s throwing out a trial balloon and trying to make itself sound bleeding-edge than anything.

Killing RWD cars completely?

It’s no wonder US automakers are going bust at an accelerated rate. People are going to line up none-deep for a four cylinder fullsize.

Pardon me – picky, I know, but doesn’t one wait with BATED breath, as in abated, or held breath. Otherwise, I’d hate to think how their breath was baited!

Oops. I’ve performed the requisite bate and switch.

(1) Yes.

(2) Yes. (but what other small cars is Ford talking about? Already bringing the Fiesta and the Focus. The Ka? The Mazda2?). In addition, bring the smaller displacement engines for the Mazda3 and Focus (1.4-1.6L gas, unless that 2.0L in the new US Focus will do the job).

(3) Eh.

Wow…a turbo 4 in a F-150? That engine should have some pretty decent torque numbers.

Simple, durable, and rear wheel drive – it’s what I like.

Considering his record visa-vis Vietnam I’m not sure Johnson is a decision making role model.