Here's a quote from the December issue of Car & Driver:

"Lightning Only Strikes Twice"

"It won't be called the Lightning, but Ford's sporty version of the F-150 pickup truck, dubbed the F-150 FX2 Sport, gets a supercharged V-8 that, according to Ford, produces 425 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels. Although it is only bound for the show circuit, Ford is quick to point out that "any enthusiast could build it with parts from the Ford Racing and Genuine Ford Accessories catalogs.""

Mike

 

Basically just a regular truck with a blower. They better not call it Lightning. A lightning is a complete package, not just a fat truck with a few extra horsepower.

Ford is lost and the guys at the top are clueless. Keep cutting costs and shipping part production to China and you will end up with nothing.

TB

 

+1 i tottally agree!!

 

All those early retirement packages and pensions are killing GM and Ford.

 

That's a bunch of company *bull***** propaganda. They would have no problem paying those pensions if they hadn't lost half of their market share. Ford is now closing 14 plants since they aren't building cars that people want to buy. Sure that is expensive but don't put the blame on employees, its management that has made the wrong short-term decisions. Like having a product mix that is 75% trucks and sinking 13 billion dollars in Jaguar that is now only worth 1.5.

Listen to an interview with Toyota executives. They know exactly where they are going. They don't work with a 2-5 year plan, they have a 50 year plan which clearly state that they are to become the largest auto manufacturer in the world. Guess what, they are 20 years early and will achieve that in the next year.

TB

 

Toyota doesn't have to worry about unions or have the baggage from decades of bad, short sighted contracts. It is easy to look nimble when you are nimble.

-Mark

 

I agree but Toyota takes care of their employees and therefore there is no reason to have a union in their 12 North American plants. Look at the history of FoMoCo and how confrontational they have been with their employees. You can see how unions were desperately needed. They are paying for it now.

 

How well would they take care of employees if their competition wasn't unionized. There are lot's of ways to put down unions (Most of them well deserved.); but, unions are not all bad. They serve a purpose and benefit non-union workers as well. If there wasn't the fear of workers unionizing, I don't think my pay or benefits would be as good. I don't think any of us would ever have seen overtime pay either.

 

So that's good for you, but what about for your company? Why should it have to pay more than the free market rate?

And what about for consumers? Why should we have to pay more for our products just so you can have more takehome pay? Sounds like socialism to me.

Let the market set salaries without government interference.

 

Back on topic... that mag has been very misinformed. The FX2 package is not a "special" package at all- nor does it entail a supercharger. Ford introduced a new package that is basically an Fx4 in terms of price, leather, etc, but with a 2wd drivetrain a few extra monochrome items (and diff headlights, mirrors, handles, and ptm step bars).

 

You don't take into consideration the way employees were treated by companies before unions were established in this country. I don't have to explain that to you. You're an educated man. Look at the plight of the coal miner pre UMWA or truck drivers before the Teamsters. In the late 1800's factory workers in the north were barely making enough to live with the entire family working. Not just mom and dad; but, the kids, too. The whole while, the owners of the businesses were living like kings. Better than kings in certain instances. Unions have screwed up a lot of things. Ford and Gm are just a couple of examples. Without them, where this country would be is up for discussion. Who knows how things would have turned out. A lot of the Robber Barons may have been killed in a workers uprising; and, this may just have turned out to be a communist country. Nobody knows for sure. It's possible though.

 

The original intent of the Unions was to guarantee a certin wage, and working conditons..Now, at least in the auto industry (UAW) they guarantee a job....If the average man on the street American actually knew what went on inside the American auto factories they wouldn't believe it...

 

I've seen it and it IS ugly. Many say the same about teacher's unions. It should be reformed in some way. Not eliminated.

 

What I would like to know is this- Do they read the boards? Do they know what enthusists want is a vehicle? Give me a good old fashion 9 inch Ford rear end, the existing 5.4 with a real set of rods, heads that don't puke plugs and a GT 500 twin screw lets say 425HP with popential, 6 SPEED, put on a suspension rivaling a Hotchkis setup, Standard cab 2wd, a nice set of buckets, clean up the exterior with a mono color exterior, nice stance and a set of aggressive 20's, done, now look at the list is there anything there that rivals re-engineering the Hoover Dam, NO, 2/3 of the parts already exsist. As far as I'm concerned they can keep all wheel drive, 4 door sport trac, A/C intercooled, and the most current sticker job shown above, offer me the goods and you'll get my business, offer me the above and I'm shopping somewhere else.

 

It's makes me wonder if I'll ever get my truck parts to keep up with that new Z06 in 07/08 600hp they are advertising.