Surprise! New York cabbies prefer Crown Vics to hybrids
Jul 30, 2010 Object
Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Work, Ford
If it weren’t for the somewhat obsessive and frankly narrow-minded love by taxi drivers and police officers for the body-on-frame Ford Crown Victoria, we’d imagine the old Panther platform would have been put out to pasture a very long time ago. As it stands, though, New York cabbies especially seem hell-bent on keeping it around on life support as long as possible.
Interestingly, though, a report from USA Today suggests that cab drivers make more money when operating a Crown Vic than any other automobile, and that supposedly includes hybrids. According to John Shaban, a 27-year-old cab driver, “I don’t like the hybrids… Mechanics charge an arm and a leg for them.”
Could it be that customers inherently prefer the Crown Vic? Shaban believes so, saying, “People wait for the Crown Vic because it’s roomier. They’re more likely to get in.” Regardless, that’s all set to change soon as Ford finally discontinues its long-running rear-wheel-drive people mover. It’s expected to be replaced with - you guessed it - a hybrid or some other fuel efficient alternative.
[Source: USA Today | Image: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty]
Surprise! New York cabbies prefer Crown Vics to hybrids originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: cab driver, crown vic, crown-victoria, emmanuel-dunand, hybrid-or-some, hybrids, newyorktaxi, taxis
Boston becomes first city to approve Ford Transit Connect Taxi [w/video]
Filed under: Minivan/Van, Ford, Autoline on Autoblog, Specialty
Ford Transit Connect Taxi - Click above for high-res image gallery
The Ford Transit Connect could soon start plying the streets of America’s cities in taxi garb following the decision by Boston to approve the compact van for the new application. Ford announced the taxi package for the Transit Connect at the Chicago Auto Show in February.
The Transit Connect is expected to start replacing traditional Crown Victoria sedans and will be a more practical alternative to the smaller Escape Hybrid. While the Escape is fuel efficient, it’s rather small for cab duty. The Transit Connect can more easily carry three passengers and plenty of luggage or other cargo. Ford has also moved the rear seat back three inches in the taxi version for extra leg room.
The Transit Connect taxi can also be ordered with a package that preps it for conversion to either propane or natural gas fuel systems. Check out video of the Transit Connect taxi after the jump.
Gallery: Ford Transit Connect Taxi
[Source: Ford]
Continue reading Boston becomes first city to approve Ford Transit Connect Taxi [w/video]
Boston becomes first city to approve Ford Transit Connect Taxi [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-leg-room-, america, becomes-first, boston, connect-at-the, crown-victoria, entry, escape, featured, ford transit connect taxi, general-motors, start-replacing, transit, transit connect taxi
Video: Porsche Panamera gets the taxi treatment
Filed under: Europe, Videos, Porsche
Click above to view the video after the jump
If you want to buy a used Crown Victoria taxi in New York city, it’ll cost you about $805,000. That’s $5,000 for the car and another $800,000 for the medallion. But when it comes to taxis (and almost everything else) New York is generally the exception to the rule - unless you’re in Stuttgart and you’re hailing the Autobild TV taxi.
The German auto rag apparently commissioned a $132,000 Porsche Panamera Turbo as its high-end taxi of choice, and customers were the ones who got more than they paid for. Hit the jump to watch the taxi-goers as they receive first-hand knowledge of the raw power of the boosted Panamera. Unfortunately the audio is 99 percent German, so all we could do is watch.
Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Porsche Panamera
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading Video: Porsche Panamera gets the taxi treatment
Video: Porsche Panamera gets the taxi treatment originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-gets-the, autobild porsche taxi, crown-victoria, entry, gets-the-taxi, jump, taxi-treatment, tires-world, video, videos, watch-the-taxi
Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor
Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Work, Ford, Police/Emergency
2012 Ford Police Interceptor reveal - Click above to watch the video
Earlier today, Ford unveiled its next generation Police Interceptor (they’d rather you not call it a Taurus) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway before a group of police agency fleet buyers. The event was webcast live, but you can now watch a replay as Ford president Mark Fields and vehicle line director Scott Tobin explain the process of developing the new cruiser and how it differs from a civilian Taurus.
The Dodge Charger has been stomping all over the Crown Vic and Impala in recent years during the annual Michigan State Police vehicle test, but that process could end this year when the new Taurus Police Interceptor hits the track. The 365-horsepower Ecoboost-powered Interceptor should be right up there with the Dodge and may well provide better fuel economy to boot.
Ford isn’t talking price yet for the new cop cars, but it aims to make it competitive with the rest of the class, and a claimed 25-percent boost in fuel economy compared to Crown Vic should help ease the pain of transitioning. Check out the video after the jump.
Gallery: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor
[Source: Ford]
Continue reading Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor
Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: 2012 ford, a-ditches-the, crown-victoria, ford, fordpolice, las vegas, next-generation, watch-the-video
Pics Aplenty plus VIDEO: Chevrolet Caprice PPV on patrol
Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Police/Emergency
Chevrolet Caprice PPV - Click above for new high-res images or click here for video
It occurs to us that as much as we want to test the just-announced Chevrolet Caprice police patrol vehicle [official details], the only chance we might have is from the back seat. The new police cruiser from General Motors has been designed specifically to woo precincts away from the Ford Crown Victoria police interceptor, and does so with seats designed to accommodate an officer’s belt, a humongous optional in-dash screen for electronics (at right) and a 355-hp 6.0-liter V8 to chase down the baddies.
The Caprice PPV, which really isn’t a Pontiac G8 at all but rather a left-hand-drive version of the long-wheelbase Holden Statesman, was announced late last night, but this morning General Motors has provided more images of the cop car along with video of it in hot pursuit, lights blaring and siren wailing. Click below to view new high-res images in the gallery or follow the jump for the first video of the only Zeta-based RWD sedan you can’t buy in the U.S.
Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car
[Source: General Motors]
Continue reading Pics Aplenty plus VIDEO: Chevrolet Caprice PPV on patrol
Pics Aplenty plus VIDEO: Chevrolet Caprice PPV on patrol originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: actually-sized, caprice, chevrolet caprice ppv, chevroletcapriceppv, chevy cop car, chevycopcar, crown-victoria, e-tron, entry, from-the-ford, only, police
First Drive: 2010 Acura ZDX offers figure over function
Oct 5, 2009 Object
Filed under: Crossover, Acura, First Drive, Luxury
2010 Acura ZDX - Click above for high-res gallery
Acura calls its all-new ZDX “a provocative luxury four-door sports coupe,” adding that it’s a “passionate getaway” vehicle designed for “a couple, their belongings, and more.” The proclamation is a twist on a pitch we’ve heard before, yet with an even narrower segment focus. While the marketplace has come to accept the stylishly squashed Mercedes-Benz CLS, Volkswagen CC and Jaguar XF into the non-sedan segment, this new niche - pioneered by the BMW X6 and accepted by consumers if only because the Bavarian delivers the goods - is still a substantial risk that could require a hard sell with pithy prose.
So to kick-off Acura’s all-new non-SUV, the automaker invited us to Southern California to drive the latest addition to its growing family. Constructed on the familiar MDX platform and sharing its powertrain, the ZDX pushes the automaker’s styling and innovation to the limit - it’s certainly not bland or boring. However, is there enough substance under the style to win buyers in this newly targeted segment? What game-winning cards, if any, does Acura really hold with its latest “sports coupe” SUV? Follow the jump to find out.
Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Acura ZDX
Photos copyright (C)2009 Michael Harley / Weblogs, Inc.
Continue reading First Drive: 2010 Acura ZDX offers figure over function
First Drive: 2010 Acura ZDX offers figure over function originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: 2010acurazdx, a-calls-its, acura zdx, chevrolet caprice ppv, chevycopcar, crown-victoria, featured, firstdrive, luxury
(Black and) Blue Oval: Ford of Canada labor costs reportedly world’s highest
Oct 3, 2009 Object
Filed under: Ford, UAW/Unions
it wasn’t long ago that U.S. automakers were producing a high percentage of their new products in Canada because labor costs were lower up north than are here in the States. The cost paradigm changed considerably after GM and Chrysler went into Chapter 11 reorganization, as the ailing automakers secured better labor deals with both U.S. and Canadian unions, making the UAW and CAW more competitive versus Japanese automakers.
The United Auto Workers renegotiated with Ford, giving Dearborn terms similar to those it gave GM and Chrysler. Ford reportedly told The Globe and Mail that it now pays about $52 per hour for U.S. labor after benefits. Unfortunately for Ford, the CAW hasn’t extended the same helping hand labor-wise, and the Blue Oval isn’t very happy. Ford says it is paying $16 more per hour for its Canadian workforce than it is for U.S. workers. In fact, Ford says its labor situation in Canada is so bad that the Blue Oval alleges its labor costs there are now higher than in any other region on earth.
The Canadian Auto Workers union appears willing to negotiate, but The Globe and Mail reports that it wants job security in return. Ford’s St. Thomas plant, which currently builds the Panther-platformed Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis, is scheduled for closure at some point in the next two years, and the CAW would like Ford to instead guarantee a new product for the facility. The CAW says it wants to continue to account for 13% of Ford’s North American production, but closing the plant and laying off its 1,600 workers would shrink that number to 9%. So far, neither party seems to be budging, but we have a feeling Ford won’t be paying the highest labor rates anywhere for very much longer.
[Source: The Globe and Mail]
(Black and) Blue Oval: Ford of Canada labor costs reportedly world’s highest originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-new-product, closure-at-some, crown-victoria, crownvictoria, granmarquis, region-on-earth, st thomas plant, towncar
REPORT: Ford preparing cops for life after Crown Vic, has police sample Taurus
Aug 28, 2009 Object, news, video
Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Ford, Specialty
Quick quiz: What vehicle transported Paris Hilton to prison? If you answered Ford’s Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, you took the easy route and you were correct. The older than thou Crown Vic accounts for about 85% of the 75,000 police vehicles sold each year - a market where styling, amenities and new safety features have little to do with the vehicle’s success.
The CV’s body-on-frame construction helps the ubiquitous cop cruiser stand up to the punishment doled out by the guys and gals in blue. Body-on-frame platforms are generally also easier to repair, and anyone who has been in a police parking lot can plainly see that these vehicles take a big-time beating in the name of public safety. The CV is also rear-wheel drive for better handling, it’s large enough to fit even the biggest of felons (and cops), and its column-mounted shifter enables the fuzz to have plenty of room for a laptop. But alas, the Crown Vic is also older than dirt. We’d joke that Henry Ford himself had a hand in the creation of the CV, but chances are that Henry II actually did, and he retired as the head of the Blue Oval when Pong was state-of-the-art video gaming technology.
According to The Detroit News, in June, Ford hosted police personnel from some of America’s biggest cities to discuss the future of the police cruiser. The Dearborn, MI-based automaker told the police departments that the Crown Vic would be gone by 2011. That’s bad news for departments like the LAPD, which has a shop set up specifically to deal with the CV. Some police departments told the Motown newspaper that rear-drive vehicles like the Charger can’t hold up to the abuse of police work. Others are looking into the Impala, though the front-drive Chevy hasn’t gained much traction with law enforcement. One ray of hope could come in the form of the Carbon Motors E7 purpose built police cruiser, but it isn’t quite ready for prime time yet, and it’s likely to be significantly more expensive than the equivalent Blue Oval cruiser.
Ford is in a bit of a predicament in that the Crown Vic has the police (and cab) market to itself and, as Ford President Mark Fields points out to The Detroit News, the CV gives Ford a presence in just about every municipality in America. One vehicle that Ford gave to police to drive during their stay in Dearborn was the new Taurus, which is almost as big and roomy as the CV, but with far more safety tech, improved fuel economy and the (costly) option of an Ecoboost V6 under the hood in the form of the SHO model. The Taurus may not be the ultimate answer (at least it won’t be outrun by a Toyota Camry or Nissan Altima), but Ford insists that it isn’t giving up its police share without a fight.
[Source: Detroit News]
REPORT: Ford preparing cops for life after Crown Vic, has police sample Taurus originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: blue, charger, crown-victoria, cruiser, detroit-news, form, japan, paris, paris-hilton, police, policeinterceptor, president, video
Frankfurt Preview: Audi to intro clean A4 TDI, A3 TFSI, coming to America?
Aug 28, 2009 Object
Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Sedan, Europe, Hatchback, Audi, Diesel
Audi A4 TDI - click above for a high-res image galleryAudi will be launching at least three new models next month at the Frankfurt Motor Show, two of which seem like they have a good chance of coming to North America and one that doesn’t. The A4 TDI clean diesel will make its debut at the German show with the latest edition of the firm’s 3.0-liter diesel V6. While the TDI V6 has been available in the current generation A4 since it launched early last year, the new one adds the same 2,000 BAR common rail fuel system and urea injection found on the Q7 and VW Touareg now available in the U.S. market. The V6 TDI A4 has always seemed like a natural fit for the torque loving American market and it now seems likely to arrive, especially since the gas V6 was discontinued for 2010. In sedan form, it’s rated at 34.6 mpg (U.S.) which is consistent with what we’ve seen driving the existing A4.
The A3 gets a new 1.2-liter TFSI (turbocharged and direct injected) gas engine with 105 horsepower and 129 lb-ft of torque. This little engine gets the A3 to 42.8 mpg (U.S.) although the 0-62 mph time is a more relaxed 11.1 seconds. This one could probably pass U.S. emissions with ease, but given Audi’s premium position in the market, they are less likely to offer it here anytime soon.
Finally, Audi will also publicly show the new A5 Sportback which it has already said will not be offered in the States. The five-door hatch A5 will get the same 333 hp supercharged 3.0-liter V6 going into the new S4 to start, but it will also likely get the other engines available in the A4/A5 eventually.
[Source: Audi]
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Continue reading Frankfurt Preview: Audi to intro clean A4 TDI, A3 TFSI, coming to America?
Frankfurt Preview: Audi to intro clean A4 TDI, A3 TFSI, coming to America? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-good-chance, a-natural-fit, audi a4 clean diesel, audia4, blue, copyright, crown-victoria, cruiser, frankfurt auto show, frankfurtautoshow, frankfurtmotorshow, video
VIDEO: Priceless 1989 Ford dealer training films offer timeless amusement
Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Videos, Ford, Humor
1989 Ford dealer training clip - click above image to watch the videos
Y’all remember Robocop? You know, the really excellent Eighties action masterpiece about a shot-to-hell cop that comes back as a bulletproof robot to rid Detroit of
Tags: crown, crown-victoria, dealer training, design-heritage, ex-pat-neighbor, fiat truck, ford fiesta, fordfiesta, fordltd, jensen-sport, population, slaps-at-very, social, someone-at-ford, verhoeven
