McCain has no plans for Detroit bailout

Back in the late seventies and into early eighties, Chrysler had gotten itself into such horrid financial shape that the U.S. government decided to step in and fix the situation itself. Considering the sorry state of affairs that all three of the Detroit automakers find themselves in today, some may wonder if a government-funded bailout is in the cards. Not so much... at least according to John McCain. "Frankly I just don't see a scenario where the federal government would come in and bail out any industry in America today," says the Republican.

So, what plan does McCain have in store for the Detroit 3? More Chevrolet Cobalts and Pontiac G5s for one, as the Arizona Senator said the above words after touring the plant in Lordstown, Ohio where the GM compact cars are made and a where third shift has just been added. "I am convinced that what is being done at the Lordstown assembly plant is the future of the American auto industry," added McCain.

In more related good news for the U.S. automakers, McCain says he supports nationwide CO₂ standards and would oppose any state's individual plans -- California, we're looking at you. The Presidential hopeful also wants to see more fair-trade standards implemented with the other various auto-building nations and quicker violations for unfair practices. We await a response from the Democratic side.

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2008 Ford Shelby GT- H Mustang Convertible

The new GT-H Mustang Convertible project is part of the Ford-Shelby GT-H ‘Rent-a-Racer’ program that was initiated in 2006. The new version of the Ford Mustang GTs will be soon available from the Hertz Fun Collection through their selected dealers at Arizona, California, Colorado, and Hawaii towards the end of the year.

The 2008 Convertible’s exterior appearance resembles the 2006 Shelby GT-H Mustang Coupe. However, the blackish exterior will be modified with the ‘Le Man’ sporty stripes and ‘Shelby GT-H’ rocker stripes. It will be provided with a unique hood and front fascia. The hood will feature the running horse emblem on a brushed aluminum grille. The front fascia will be featured with integrated lower grille and a set of body side scoops.

The 2008 Convertible will be powered with major engine modifications. The Power Pack offer from the Ford Racing Performance Group, combined with the Ford Racing Handling Pack will make the Ford-Shelby GT-H power train the best of its category sports cars. The 4.6L V-8 five-speed automatic transmission will yield a 319-horsepower output. Added to this engine features are the special-tuned dampers, lowering springs, sway bars and a strut tower base. The new rear axle assembly features an extra off-the-line acceleration.

Ford and Shelby will produce 500 units of the 2008 Convertible in the beginning exclusively for Hertz. Thus the muscular 2008 Convertible will offer a new sporting experience to the fans of Hertz and will open a new arena of thrilling racing experience.

2007 Ford Focus World Rally Car (WRC)

The new Ford Focus Rally Car is a modified version of its 2006 model. The new race model that is added with more intelligence and power is based on the Ford Focus ST road car.

The man behind the technology of this powerful version of the Ford Focus ST is Christian Loriaux, the technical director at M-sport, a British-based company that is known for the Blue Oval’s WRC programs.

The engine of the WRC has not been changed from its base road car model. Therefore, to meet the race conditions, the new WRC has to be fitted with additional engines that qualify the racing criteria. Thus the car has been now provided with a 2.0-liter Duratec engine unit, along with a turbocharger and 34-mm inlet restrictor by M-Sports, to meet the current demands. The all-alloy block of this engine reduced its weight considerably and made it racer friendly.

There are slight modifications made in the suspension parts too. In order to take the new model in the racing grounds, the weight reduction and the cost reduction were imperative according to the WRC engineers. Thus they reduced the use of titanium material in the body and provided the racer model with a cheaper and lighter material. There were proper adjustments done in order to have a better balance between the handling and traction.

Another notable change is in the gearbox. The Ricardo gearbox is featured with five gears instead of the earlier six gears. This facility again is intended for weight reduction and less energy loss through friction, but without any compromise on the performance.

2008 Ford Kuga

When Ford showed the Iosis X concept car at Paris in 2006, they promised to develop it into a new model in less than two years. Now, not even one year later, they have announced that the production model will be on display at the Frankfurt Auto Show this year and go on sale in early 2008.

Little is known about the new crossover besides its name, Kuga. Ford has adapted the name from the long-lived Mercury Cougar, a mid-size coupe that was discontinued in 2002.

2006 Ford GT Tungsten

To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Ford's first win at Le Mans, the 2006 Ford GT will be offered in a limited-edition Tungsten Silver, which replaces Quick Silver on the Ford GT's color palette. A Quick Silver racing stripe can be added to the Tungsten Silver package.Tungsten Silver was developed for the 2004 North American International Auto Show Ford "Performance Trilogy" show cars - the Ford GT, the Shelby Cobra roadster concept and the new 2005 Mustang GT. Customer demand was so overwhelming that the color was added to the production palette.