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Drew Dowdell

Editor-in-Chief
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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell

  1. Happy Birthday @dwightlooi!!
  2. The Arteon doesn't impress me like it seems to impress everyone else. I've seen zero in the wild other than the test car I had. Better make it look like a Tiguan... then it would really sell.
  3. It looks like a Golf... What was gained was more rear cargo room for a car of its size.
  4. Arg... I'm going to be in meetings until 1pm.
  5. Moody's Investor Service has downgraded Ford to junk status rating of Ba1, one step below investment grade. They say that Ford's cash flow and profit margins are below expectations and are expected to remain weak for the next two years. Outside of the financial sector, Ford is one of the top 15 issuers of corporate bonds. The primary cause for concern is a cash crunch brought on by a lengthy restructuring plan that includes closing factories and laying off thousands of workers. Investors are not impressed with CEO Jim Hackett's plans to ditch sedans and revive an aging lineup of SUVs and trucks. All new versions of the Ford Explorer and Ford Escape debuted this year. Back in July, Ford issued a disappointing profit forecast as it struggles to compete in China's slowing car market. So far S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings have an investment grade of BBB on Ford, however both firms have a negative outlook on Ford's future. After the Moody's announcement, Ford's shares dived 4.2 percent to $9.14.
  6. Moody's Investor Service has downgraded Ford to junk status rating of Ba1, one step below investment grade. They say that Ford's cash flow and profit margins are below expectations and are expected to remain weak for the next two years. Outside of the financial sector, Ford is one of the top 15 issuers of corporate bonds. The primary cause for concern is a cash crunch brought on by a lengthy restructuring plan that includes closing factories and laying off thousands of workers. Investors are not impressed with CEO Jim Hackett's plans to ditch sedans and revive an aging lineup of SUVs and trucks. All new versions of the Ford Explorer and Ford Escape debuted this year. Back in July, Ford issued a disappointing profit forecast as it struggles to compete in China's slowing car market. So far S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings have an investment grade of BBB on Ford, however both firms have a negative outlook on Ford's future. After the Moody's announcement, Ford's shares dived 4.2 percent to $9.14. View full article
  7. But they're not giving up on sedans entirely. Cruze is still in production south of the border. Almost all of Ford's car lineup is still available in Europe and China... heck they still make a next generation Taurus for China. If GM needs to, the Cruze can be imported from south America tomorrow.
  8. Maximum room for maximum aerodynamic efficiency.
  9. Throw your hat in the ring @dfelt , maybe you could be CEO.
  10. They gotta save something for the actual Frankfurt show. They've been doing all the small releases ahead of time because they can't fit them all in during show days.
  11. The latest CEO at Nissan, Hiroto Saikawa, is out-of-office permanently as of September 16th after yet another financial scandal rocks the company. Saikawa is the second Nissan CEO to be tainted by financial misconduct allegations. Allegedly, Saikawa received improper payments with regards to the sale of Nissan stock. The payments were after the date of the sale of the stock was altered and netted Saikawa additional hundreds of thousands of dollars. Saikawa has not yet been charged with a crime. Saikawa originally said he would stay on until a replacement was found, but abruptly changed course and formally resigned today. The temporary replacement will be Chief Operating Officer Yasuhiro Yamauchi until a permanent replacement has been found. There are currently ten candidates for the positions and Nissan says it is considering outsiders and non-Japanese. View full article
  12. The latest CEO at Nissan, Hiroto Saikawa, is out-of-office permanently as of September 16th after yet another financial scandal rocks the company. Saikawa is the second Nissan CEO to be tainted by financial misconduct allegations. Allegedly, Saikawa received improper payments with regards to the sale of Nissan stock. The payments were after the date of the sale of the stock was altered and netted Saikawa additional hundreds of thousands of dollars. Saikawa has not yet been charged with a crime. Saikawa originally said he would stay on until a replacement was found, but abruptly changed course and formally resigned today. The temporary replacement will be Chief Operating Officer Yasuhiro Yamauchi until a permanent replacement has been found. There are currently ten candidates for the positions and Nissan says it is considering outsiders and non-Japanese.
  13. I still think 30 miles EV only range is kinda sad in this day and age.... but the performance of this should be swift.
  14. It's a one month blip. But in the UK, the Model 3 outsold the Focus which is one of the top 10 popular cars there.
  15. I thought the current generation of Hemis were Hemi-in-name-only and didn't actually have a hemispherical combustion chamber. They also have 2 spark plugs per cylinder, so putting more valves in there would be challenging.
  16. Volkswagen debuted today the Volkswagen ID.3 for the European market. Those of you reading from North America will be disappointed to learn that this is yet more Forbidden Fruit. The ID.3 is the first vehicle built on VW's new MEB electric vehicle platform. Basic versions will be priced under €30,000 ($33,156) with a range of around 205 miles. Two more battery options will be available, the mid-range giving 260 miles and the largest battery enabling a range of 342 miles. When using DC fast charging, the ID.3 can add enough range to cover 180 miles with just 30 minutes on the plug. With 201 horsepower driving the rear wheels and 229 lb-ft of torque, the ID.3 promises spirited and engaging driving. The inside is roomy for a vehicle just 165.4 inches long, and should seat 5 with relative ease, while 13.6 cubic feet of cargo room allows for some luggage as long as it is tidy. VW is limiting the configurations at launch to just 3 options. The basic ID.3 1ST edition includes navigation, heated seats and steering wheel, and 18-inch wheels. The ID.3 1ST Plus adds a rear view camera, adaptive cruise control, keyless access and starting system, a center console with USB-C charging ports, and ambient lighting. For the ID.3 1ST Max, you'll also get an augmented reality heads up display, Beats audio system, panoramic sliding glass roof, and 20-inch alloy wheels. Volkswagen will be offering home chargers with optional datalink and remote access. VW plans on offering these chargers at a significant price cut below the existing chargers currently available on the market. Free energy with ID.3 1ST Edition purchases allows owners to charge up to 2,000 kWh for free at any WeCharge or Ionity network charging stations, allowing access to more than 100,000 charging stations across Europe. The ID.3 will be available in Germany in mid-2020. View full article
  17. Volkswagen debuted today the Volkswagen ID.3 for the European market. Those of you reading from North America will be disappointed to learn that this is yet more Forbidden Fruit. The ID.3 is the first vehicle built on VW's new MEB electric vehicle platform. Basic versions will be priced under €30,000 ($33,156) with a range of around 205 miles. Two more battery options will be available, the mid-range giving 260 miles and the largest battery enabling a range of 342 miles. When using DC fast charging, the ID.3 can add enough range to cover 180 miles with just 30 minutes on the plug. With 201 horsepower driving the rear wheels and 229 lb-ft of torque, the ID.3 promises spirited and engaging driving. The inside is roomy for a vehicle just 165.4 inches long, and should seat 5 with relative ease, while 13.6 cubic feet of cargo room allows for some luggage as long as it is tidy. VW is limiting the configurations at launch to just 3 options. The basic ID.3 1ST edition includes navigation, heated seats and steering wheel, and 18-inch wheels. The ID.3 1ST Plus adds a rear view camera, adaptive cruise control, keyless access and starting system, a center console with USB-C charging ports, and ambient lighting. For the ID.3 1ST Max, you'll also get an augmented reality heads up display, Beats audio system, panoramic sliding glass roof, and 20-inch alloy wheels. Volkswagen will be offering home chargers with optional datalink and remote access. VW plans on offering these chargers at a significant price cut below the existing chargers currently available on the market. Free energy with ID.3 1ST Edition purchases allows owners to charge up to 2,000 kWh for free at any WeCharge or Ionity network charging stations, allowing access to more than 100,000 charging stations across Europe. The ID.3 will be available in Germany in mid-2020.
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Drew
Editor-in-Chief

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