[reldridge]

When they're out, I'll be looking to replace the Focus... Fiesta ST (or whatever performance version we get) for me!

[mo_focus]

OAC_Sparky,Jun 20 2008, 10:24 PM Wrote:You know, all I hear on this f***ing board is people whining about "why don't they bring the Euro Focus over?", "why no hatchback?" blah blah boo f***ing hoo.

Focus sales are on a rocket right now, and they announce that the beloved Euro and hatchback are coming, and you still get (the same f***ing people) whining.

Why don't you just take up knitting or join a BMW circle-jerk board if it bothers you so much?
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DOn't get me wrong... i'm excited for this news. But i just dont want to be disapointed just like how i was in 2000. I purchased one of the first ZX3's thinking its the same European focus, but then i found out so many changes its gone thru just to make it accross the pond.
1- The cheap materials that was used.
2- Only 1 engine choice
3- the bumpers that stick out a mile.

SO all i'm saying is that it better not be the same s*** over. When they brought the Focus over it was supposed to be the 1st international car Ford made. It looked the same all over the world with few changes, but deep down there were miles apart.

[mo_focus]

meford4u,Jun 21 2008, 02:02 AM Wrote:They haven't brought the diesel over from Europe for a reason.  the diesel overseas is more refined.  I believe in 2010 or maybe even 2009 the standards for diesel are changing and Ford can then bring over the diesel.  But why would they?  It's not like Rabbit diesel sales are really that spectacular.
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well as you said, things will change in 09. Look at the world gas prices. NA is finally going to produce good quality Diesel and lot more car companies are finally going to bring thier diesel engines over.

In 09 Honda is going to produce the CRV+ accord Diesels.
We got MB already producing bluetech
BMW is coming with TD's as well
There is always the WV TDI's
Cadilac's got the new 2.7L Turo Diesel.
Jeep's got the 3.0L Diesel

Now we need Ford to step up to the plate and bring me the Focus TDii :)

[NikiterZTS]

we need more Hybrids

[NOS2Go4Me]

mo_focus,Jun 20 2008, 11:06 PM Wrote:

meford4u,Jun 21 2008, 02:02 AM Wrote:They haven't brought the diesel over from Europe for a reason.  the diesel overseas is more refined.  I believe in 2010 or maybe even 2009 the standards for diesel are changing and Ford can then bring over the diesel.  But why would they?  It's not like Rabbit diesel sales are really that spectacular.
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well as you said, things will change in 09. Look at the world gas prices. NA is finally going to produce good quality Diesel and lot more car companies are finally going to bring thier diesel engines over.

In 09 Honda is going to produce the CRV+ accord Diesels.
We got MB already producing bluetech
BMW is coming with TD's as well
There is always the WV TDI's
Cadilac's got the new 2.7L Turo Diesel.
Jeep's got the 3.0L Diesel

Now we need Ford to step up to the plate and bring me the Focus TDii :)
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I'm inclined to agree with Mo. Had there been a turbo-Diesel Escape, I would have been all over that! Memories of Land Cruisers, anyone?

[Gravter]

Anyone notice the shifter in this pic?




yup, that a 6 speed manual :)

Hopefully that will follow along with the motor options.

[D-Dub]

Diesel hybrids will be the next thing, maybe in the next 3 years you'll see something get dropped.....Im thinking in the next 10 years gasoline will be slowly getting phased out in N/A for automobiles.

Unless our civil planners can re-design all our cities where we dont have to drive around them to get stuff done?( you know WALK down the street to the bakery)...........which will probably not happen, so we're going to have to keep driving and keep paying the premium to do so. We slowly f***ed our self over because we never thought gas would get this high and now it is and its only going to get higher.

Oil companies and Car companies have a us by the balls.........we want more fuel efficient cars so we're getting rid of our old ones and slowly buying newer ones, oil companies see this and raise the price of oil at the same time. Untill we create a car with a fuel that cost us next to nothing we will stay in the circle we're in.

[OAC_Sparky]

D-Dub,Jun 21 2008, 12: Wrote:Unless our civil planners can re-design all our cities where we dont have to drive around them to get stuff done?( you know WALK down the street to the bakery)...........which will probably not happen, so we're going to have to keep driving and keep paying the premium to do so. We slowly f***ed our self over because we never thought gas would get this high and now it is and its only going to get higher. [right][snapback]267533[/snapback][/right]

A lot of things will have to change as energy prices rise.

You may see the return of local merchants to your neighbourhood. Ever wonder why people used to have local butchers/bakers/candlestickmakers in the first place? Because not everyone had a means of getting around cheaply like they do now.

Another consideration:

Q. Who is the largest group of oil consumers in the world? American drivers? The utility companies?

A. None of those. It's the merchant shipping fleets around the world. By far. As fuel prices rise over long term, you're going to see a drastic rise in cost for shipping everything from overseas including cars made in Korea and crap that's made in China. As that happens, and as those people in these countries demand higher wages to keep up with their new standard of living, you're going to see a shift back to more local (in country) production as the cost advantage of producing overseas erodes.

Soon, it won't make financial sense to ship Cananadian raw materials to China for them to turn it into goods to ship back here. Then you'll see the big box companies like Walmart and Costco in big trouble.

[naz]

OAC_Sparky,Jun 20 2008, 10:24 PM Wrote:BMW circle-jerk board
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i think you're a bigger jerk than most on the BMW board, but i think that's the online persona you're trying for

[OAC_Sparky]

naz,Jun 21 2008, 04:19 PM Wrote:

OAC_Sparky,Jun 20 2008, 10:24 PM Wrote:BMW circle-jerk board
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i think you're a bigger jerk than most on the BMW board, but i think that's the online persona you're trying for
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Well, seeing

a - You're not Canadian
b - You don't live here
c - You have no clue about 95% of the issues of actually living here
d - You don't own a Focus
e - You hate Fords, or just about anything North American it seems
f - You fast stroke over BMWs making comparisons with cars 1/4 of their price

....you really don't have too much to offer here except for being the resident Eeyore.

But I have to admit a grim satisfaction being called a jerk by a snobbish idiot. Personally, I don't care what you drive. It's how you come across. On most of the other forums I belong to, you would be considered a troll.

Maybe it's how you want to project yourself as well. How I am here is how I am in real life as well. I'm one of the friendliest, generous guys that you'd meet -- but I have aboslutely ZERO tolerance for people that either act like tools or criticize the company I work for just for the sake of it. Hell, I'm the first to admit Ford's flaws, adding your own theory isn't worth the $.02. I have absolutely ZERO qualms about telling you or anyone else how I feel to their face, about any subject. Ask anyone that knows me.

All I know is that I've actually taken time and effort out of my busy life to:

a - help people - I've had numerous members (some that were strangers) over to my house to help them out.

b - gotten people discounts on their cars, parts or whatever.

c - imparted my experience or knowledge when I can.

And I ask for ZERO in return (save maybe "Hey, grab me a coffee on the way here, will ya?") Why? Because I don't need the money. Ford has been very good to me. It allows me to be good to other people, without having to put my hand out looking for payback.

So if it makes me a jerk standing up for the company that butters my bread, then I'm happy to be a jerk.

[Frost__2001]

NikiterZTS,Jun 20 2008, 11:55 PM Wrote:we need more Hybrids
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Ford will be launching the new Fusion & Milan Hybrid(s) next year, plus Nissan has already launched the Altima Hybrid this year but there has been little press news about it.

however me saying that I will point out that Honda is correct when it said "large Hybrids are might be good for SUVs, and very good idea for small cars, and maybe small pick up and utility city vans, but mid and larger car and trucks it's not practical to off a hybrid option, as diesel is a far better choice in the long run" Honda's Japanese president said that shortly after they killed off the Accord Hybrid in 2007, due to very poor sales of the Accord hybrid.

If you currently look at the hybrids out there from GM, and Chrysler, you'll see a very high price attached to those models on their SUV's and trucks, and see they have not been selling very well as they hoped.

[meford4u]

Atta boy Sparky.

Behind you 110%.

[mo_focus]

Gravter,Jun 21 2008, 03:43 PM Wrote:Anyone notice the shifter in this pic?




yup, that a 6 speed manual :)

Hopefully that will follow along with the motor options.
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mmmm I have the exact same mirror style and wiper blade connector on my freestyle. As for your comment about 6 spd, what is that???? :( after the marriage had to trade in the stick for auto bc the wife didnt want to learn and our driveway narrow for one car only. Which means i had to get up and move the car every morning so i got tired...Hence the auto. But i do miss the 5spd.

[NOS2Go4Me]

Yeah Mo, my Escape has the same wiper blade connector too.

I like the driver's side window control panel as well. :)

Auto headlights are a nice touch, too. :)

[Gravter]

mo_focus,Jun 22 2008, 07:28 AM Wrote:mmmm I have the exact same mirror style and wiper blade connector on my freestyle. As for your comment about 6 spd, what is that???? :( after the marriage had to trade in the stick for auto bc the wife didnt want to learn and our driveway narrow for one car only. Which means i had to get up and move the car every morning so i got tired...Hence the auto. But i do miss the 5spd.
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Wow... my gf can drive a stick no problem. Maybe you should of had that in your minimum requirements when dating LoL (just kidding ;) )

[Frost__2001]

NOS2Go4Me,Jun 23 2008, 09:21 AM Wrote:Yeah Mo, my Escape has the same wiper blade connector too.

I like the driver's side window control panel as well. :)

Auto headlights are a nice touch, too. :)
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remember they will take away certen items when it gets here like the rear fogs...

[NOS2Go4Me]

if they decontent auto-headlights... that's a waste of engineering and part design.

Rear fogs are another story... but then again adding Euro-spec stuff should be as easy as first-gen FoFos or even easier! A win for modders at least!

[OAC_Sparky]

It would not surprise me if some of the European safety stuff makes it here. North Americans are being a little more open to these features now; VWs, Volvos and Mercedes all have features in their NA cars (even the tail lamp fog light). As long as it doesn't conflict with US/Canadian regs the feature might stay.

[NefCanuck]

OAC_Sparky,Jun 23 2008, 10:01 PM Wrote:It would not surprise me if some of the European safety stuff makes it here. North Americans are being a little more open to these features now; VWs, Volvos and Mercedes all have features in their NA cars (even the tail lamp fog light). As long as it doesn't conflict with US/Canadian regs the feature might stay.
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But isn't that also a matter of cost? They sell so few units over here (relatively speaking) that its cheaper to leave stuff in on the NA bound cars than it is to figure out how to take it out.

It's why for years until GM caved in and made it standard NA wide, that a US spec car could be made to have Canadian spec DRL's with the addition of one fuse, it was cheaper to design them all to be DRL friendly and just not put in the fuse than to make a "Canada only" model.

NefCanuck

[ZX3_2NV]

alot of european manufactures are leaving rear fogs Theres tons of Saab's and Audi's with rear fogs not to mention VW and Merc's