A 40 MPG Ford Taurus?

Could Ford be selling a Ford Taurus right now that gets a real-world 40 MPG? Well, they could, but they aren't.

In the European markets, the Ford Mondeo (just slightly smaller than the Taurus -- a little larger than the Ford Contour that was sold here in the 1990s) is getting a new direct injection gasoline engine. The tester for Yahoo cars got 39 mpg consistently in real world driving conditions.

The Mondeo is based upon the world car platform that gave us the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique in the 1990s. Ford cancelled the Contour and Mystique to use the plant for the Ford Escape SUV. In doing so, Ford replaced a car that got up to 34 mpg with a truck that topped out at 28. As the new Mondeo shows, using current technology, and automatic-transmission family-sized car can get 40 mpg without resorting to hybrid technology. At the same time Ford (and other carmakers) lobbied Congress saying they couldn't meet tougher fuel economy standards.

The Engine of the Mondeo 1.8 SCi is a direct injected 1.8 liter gasoline engine. Direct injection gasoline engines (modern ones anyway) were introduced in Japan in the mid 1990s. They have not made it to the U.S. yet because of emissions concerns and the fact that they don't get along with our gasoline standards. Similar issues regarding the quality of our diesel fuel have kept high performance turbo-diesels out of our market as well. If the automakers would have spent have the time lobbying for cleaner fuel as they have spent lobbying against higher CAFE standards, we never would have had to invade Iraq.

Notebook Computers Outsell Desktops

For the first time, notebook computers outsold desktops in May. To me, this just makes sense. The displays are so good now, and they're plenty fast enough. The price difference is at a record low. Here's a tip. If you are buying a notebook computer, make sure it has a graphics chip from either NVidia or ATI. Without a third party graphics chip, you are really crippling your system performance.

zdnet.com.com/2100-1103_2-1022905.html

Notebook Computer Sal

Is Chrysler the "World's Sweatshop"

Thecarconnection.com editorial writer Jerry Flint calls Daimler Chrysler the "World's Sweatshop" because of the company's current campaign to make suppliers match Chinese prices.

(Flint refers to a New York Times series on the subject, but I couldn't find it in my search of the nyt.com site.)

Here's the Flint editorial:

www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6179&sid=192&n=156
Quoting from Flint's editorial:

"Nice work for Peter Rosenfeld, who is Chrysler’s purchasing chief. You want our American suppliers to match prices from “The World’s Sweatshop.” Do you want them to match working conditions, too? How about death rates among Chinese workers? Do you want those matched, too?"

and

"Another thing, I haven’t noticed that Daimler in Germany, the parent company, has told its suppliers over there to match Chinese prices. You know, Bosch GmbH and Siemens and ZF Friedrichshafen and ThyssenKrupp and Continental AG and Freudenberg and Behr and Benteler and Mahle GmbH. Enough of the names. You get the idea."

and

"Could it be that the Board of Supervisors of Daimler, and every other German company, includes a strong representation from the workers and their unions? That they might not be happy to have their fellow German workers at parts-making plants put out of work because they couldn’t match the sweatshop pay and conditions in China?"

Here Here Jerry!
www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6179&sid=192&n=156

[ Wed Jul 02, 01:02:55 PM | Steve Hofer | edit ]
I liked the show Bewitched. My favorite character was Gladys Kravitz

"Abner, there's an elephant at the Stevens' house. . ."

www.harpiesbizarre.com

Incidentally, this site follows the seemingly endless rumors of the Bewitched feature film. The latest buzz is that Nichole Kidman will play Samantha. My vote goes to Christina Applegate, who from some angles, is a dead ringer for Elizabeth Montgomery.

I liked the show Bewitched. My favorite character was Gladys Kravitz

"Abner, there's an elephat at the Stevens' house. . ."

The harpiesbizarre website shows what happens when fans get a little carried away.



Incidentally, this site follows the seemingly endless rumors of the Bewitched feature film. The latest buzz is that Nichole Kidman will play Samantha. My vote goes to Christina Applegate, who from some angles, is a dead ringer for Elizabeth Montgomery.