Should Lincoln be preparing an über sedan, perhaps with an extended rear wheel drive platform?
Future Lincoln Town Car?
Should Lincoln be preparing an über sedan, perhaps with an extended rear wheel drive platform?
Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing Longroof
Looking through my earlier work, I realized I haven't yet posted this mid 1950s Mercedes Benz 300 Gullwing Tourer on this blog. I chopped this up in 2007 or so. All the cool people that collect station wagons these days refer to them as "Longroofs" and that's certainly true of my version. I don't believe this change would have added too much weight to the original coupe and with that rear hatch and additional loading space, might have made this incredible sports car just a bit more useful for Grand Touring.
The New Gullwing
My primary reason for modifying the current SLS, the newest Gullwing, was to change the window graphic. The new one has a solid B/C pillar instead of having rear quarter windows as the original. I just don't think the car looks right without them. I'm sure the blank quarters add torsional rigidity, but I'm also certain that Mercedes/AMG engineers are brilliant enough to overcome any loss with added windows. Above, my "South Beach" edition is metallic gold with additional strakes and silver trim. You just can't be "bling" enough for South Beach! Below, additional work was done to shorten the very long hood. I wanted this Gullwing to be a hybrid, and to be as lightweight as possible to I changed the proportions accordingly. I still think it's a beautiful car and could be the Hybrid to end all Hybrids if produced.
Note:
My friend Woody Thompson's car site has a new URL now: woodyscarsite.blogspot.com. The old links won't work for it. Please adjust your bookmarks and head over there today!
Audi Revisited
Until I can carve out a night to finish several chops I've started, how about some cool Audis from my past... Above, the first generation TT coupe reimagined with a larger glass area, smoothed contours and detailing and more ground clearance for true snow- and off-road capabilities. The better for those quick trips to Gstaad in the winter.
One of my early chops, but still one of my favorites, a mythical Bi-Turbo V12 hybrid mid-engined super saloon.
My futuristic third generation TT e/Tron, based on a recent concept car from Audi.
Audi really ought to have a large coupe to compete with the S Class coupe (CL). Above is my large 2-door A8L-c.
The Black Forest edition Avant. I will keep trying to get today's manufacturers to use micro-veneers until my Photoshop is taken away from me, lol.
Another of my very early chops, this Audi A6C was inspired by the large Italian luxury coupes of the seventies, such as the Fiat 130 and Lancia Gamma.
My 2010 Mercury Hybrid Project
Back in early 2010 I was "desperately" trying to save Mercury in the only way I could: with renderings. It was my idea that Mercury could become FoMoCo's high-tech, hybrid division. Ford would be the mainstay bread-and-butter cars, the volume sellers, in a position it has held for more than 100 years. Mercury would be a step-up in price and features, but instead of just "fancy" upholostery, the drivetrains would have been exclusively hybrid and electric. The styling, inside and out, would be more contemporary and high-tech than Ford's more traditional looks. Lincoln would have been pushed further upscale, ensuring Ford's presence in the full luxury market. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Mercury was dead not long afterwards. In all, I believe I created more than 40 Mercurys in about 2 years of trying to bring the marque back to relevancy.
My first car was a '69 Comet sport coupe, the bottom-of-the-line pillarless coupe. It was nicely optioned though with 302 V8, power steering, power brakes, air conditioning and a power trunk opener. I'm not sure how many low-line Comets were equipped like that.
The renderings:
Subcompact "B" market Comet sports hatch.
Compact-sized Medalist sedan. "Medalist" was last used in the mid '50s by Mercury.
Slightly larger Marin sedan, a prototype to replace the then-current Milan, but...
... then I created this new Milan 4-door "coupe" which I preferred.
Sitting at the top of the Mercury heap would have been this Cyclone sedan, a full size hybrid sedan with supercar levels of power.
Moving to crossovers, this Villager would have anchored the compact segment ...
... and the Mountaineer would have elevated their top-shelf SUV to Range Rover levels of capability at Land Rover prices.
So much work for nothing! : )
2013 Subaru Recalls Review, Price, Interior, Exterior, Engine
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| 2013 Subaru Recalls |
2013 Subaru Recalls
Welcome to inex-cars.blogspot.com, will give you the latest information about the 2013 Subaru Recalls. The 2012 Subaru Forester drives more like a car than like an SUV and it features a superb all-wheel-drive system giving it excellent foul-weather capability. A compact SUV that seats five, the Forester offers good cargo capacity.
It competes with the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, but the Forester offers much better handling than those two, on dry pavement but especially on wet pavement, snow, ice or dirt.
The current-generation Forester was launched as a 2009 model. For 2011, Subaru gave the Forester a new standard engine with chain-driven dual overhead camshafts rated at 170 horsepower and 21/27 mpg City/Highway. The turbocharged Forester 2.5XT models retain their belt-driven twin-cam engine, which produces 224 horsepower on Premium fuel, with EPA estimates of 19/24 mpg.
For 2012, there are only minor changes. Among them: 2012 Forester Limited and 2012 Forester Touring models offer an integrated navigation system with a 6.1-inch touch-screen display. Included in the navigation package is a rearview camera and an AM/FM/HD/CD stereo with six speakers (seven on Touring), voice-activated controls, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and audio streaming, iPod control capability, iTunes tagging, USB port, 3.5mm auxiliary input jack, SMS text messaging capability, and satellite radio capability. The old removable Tom-Tom nav system is still offered on 2.5X Premiums with automatic transmission. Also new, the front-passenger seat adjusts for height on all 2012 Subaru Forester models.
The Subaru Forester is a very practical vehicle. The rear seats are split 60/40 and easily fold flat to make a gigantic cargo area capable of carrying lots of gear. Rear-seat legroom is excellent, at 38.0 inches. That alone is a big plus, and it's one of the reasons the Forester is such a good family vehicle. The front doors are wide, and the rear doors swing open 75 degrees and feel light, making it easy to get in and out.
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| 2013 Subaru Recalls |
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| 2013 Subaru Recalls |
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| 2013 Subaru Recalls |
The 2012 Subaru Forester comes in four trim levels, each with all-wheel drive. The 2.5X models come with the 170-hp engine that was all-new last year; 2.5XT models get the familiar 224-hp turbocharged engine.
Forester 2.5X ($20,595) comes with rugged cloth upholstery, air conditioning with rear vents and an air filtration system, a 60/40 split rear seat, four-speaker AM/FM sound system with single-disc CD, height adjustment for both front seats, cruise control, rear window wiper, a trailer wiring connector, and 16-inch steel wheels with wheelcovers. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard. The only options are a 4-speed automatic transmission with manual mode ($1200), and 16-inch alloy wheels, which come with roof rails ($400).
Forester 2.5X Premium ($23,295) adds 17-inch alloy wheels with wider-profile all-season tires, privacy glass, 10-way power driver's seat, tilt-and-telescope steering, a reclining rear seat with retractable tray, roof rails, power moonroof, and an upgraded six-speaker audio system that adds steering wheel-mounted controls, an auxiliary input jack, Bluetooth hands-free calling and audio streaming, iPod control capability, USB port and Sirius satellite radio capability. An all-weather package ($500) includes heated front seats and side mirrors, plus a windshield wiper de-icer. The 2.5X Premium with automatic transmission ($24,295) makes available a package ($1,095) combining the all-weather equipment with a removable TomTom navigation system.
Forester 2.5X Limited ($26,595) features perforated leather seats in black or platinum, seatback storage pockets, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, an even more deluxe sound system with 4.3-inch display screen, automatic climate control, and foglights. It comes with the automatic transmission and cold-weather package as standard. All-new integrated navigation ($1200) includes a rear camera and additional sound system upgrades.
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| 2013 Subaru Recalls |
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| 2013 Subaru Recalls |
Interior of 2013 Subaru Recalls.
The Forester cabin is comfortable and the seats are good. We like the leather better than the cloth. The cloth seats come in gray or black, are more conservative than sporty, and the material doesn't feel as rugged as the material that Mazda uses. The available perforated leather is a whole new ball game, eclipsing the mundane cloth. Forester XT gets sporty aluminum pedals.
Visibility is excellent through the windshield, with a modest hood, tight front fenders, and A-pillars designed to minimize blind spots. Visibility in the rearview mirror is not so good. The rear glass fills the mirror, but the rear seat headrests, middle seatbelt hanging from the ceiling, and rear center-mounted-stoplamp all intrude. Over your shoulder around the C-pillars, visibility is okay again, the blindspot a small one.
We drove the Forester in summer and winter, and found that the air conditioning cools fast, but the heater heats and defrosts less fast, not a feature when it's cold. The fan is louder than in other models, also.
The dash has a beautiful sweep like sculpture, from the center stack off to the passenger side, in dark titanium plastic that looks nice, with more of that trim on the center stack, instrument panel, and doors. The glovebox is big. There's a thin digital display inserted at the top center of the dash for time, temperature, and fuel mileage.
The tachometer is on the left and larger speedo in the center, both with blue rims at the numbers. There's a smaller fuel gauge to the right, in a space where there could and should be an engine temperature gauge, but it's been erased by an idiot light, which we only knew because it comes on blue when the engine is cold.
Just forward of the shift lever is a big deep slot for storage, although you have to reach around the lever to use it. Climate and audio controls on the center stack are simple to operate, no touch screen that doesn't always respond or menus to figure out and navigate, just old-fashioned knobs to turn. We like this, because old-fashioned knobs always work, at a time when always working seems not to be in fashion. The front doors have a nice elbow rest and large pockets each with a recess for 24-ounce bottles. The center console is deep, and slides forward four inches to make an armrest, on all models but the base 2.5X.
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| 2013 Subaru Recalls |
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| 2013 Subaru Recalls |
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