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Taurus evolved with the addition of the SHO model in 1989, which came equipped with a 220 horsepower high-performance V-6. This week in 1985, Ford Motor Co. introduces its new midsize sedan, the 1986 Ford Taurus, along with its identical cousin, the Mercury Sable. More than 8 million Tauruses would follow during the next 34 years, making it Ford’s fifth-best-selling North American nameplate after the F-150, Escort, Model T, and Mustang. The car’s cutting-edge aerodynamic shape comes at a time when cars boast boxy, knife-edged design. powered by a 140-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6, it is Ford’s first front-wheel-drive midsize sedan.  Priced from $9,645, it proves to be a triumph, one that saved the company. Yet ironically, the company squandered its success, allowing the once-loved nameplate to wither into irrelevance.  Born at a bad time The story of the Ford Taurus begins in troubled times. High interest rates significantly depressed car sales, particularly larger cars, thanks to

If Dutch car company Spyker were an animal, it clearly would be a cat considering how many lives it has already gone through . Now, the on-again/off-again sports car manufacturer claims it is ready for yet another revival. Spyker was back with its new C8 Preliator Spyder in 2018. Now it’s back again with new investors. Originally founded in 1880, Spyker went bust in 1926 but was revived decades later by Dutch entrepreneur Victor R. Muller. Since 2000, it has rolled out a small number of largely hand-built sports cars. But it has been plagued bya series of seemingly endless financial setbacks that put it into bankruptcy last year. Now, Muller says, the company has ended this year with a new deal from an investor group that should end “a few very tough years.” “The collaboration agreement which we confirmed today is the starting point to rebuild Spyker as a sports car manufacturer with a more solid foundation than ever before, and with ample access to better technical and financi

TheDetroitBureau.com covers the top stories occurring in the auto industry in the latest edition of  the Headlight News podcast . The weekly roundup includes news, features, reviews and more.  Gas prices have been on the decline for five straight weeks, falling to a national average of $3.30 a gallon. Holiday travel is expected to be heavy, and as if right on cue gas prices are … falling. The average price of a gallon of gas has fallen for five straight weeks and is now down to $3.30 a gallon in the U.S. Other things you need to know this week include: Gas prices may be down, but new and used vehicle prices are up as inventory levels are still at or near record lows for automakers. This resulting in another expected decline of new vehicle sales in December; The Biden administration rolled out its new emissions and fuel economy standards, and they eliminate the rollback installed by his predecessor. By 2026 the fleet average must be 40 mpg compared to the 32 mpg mandated by the

Electric vehicle maker Tesla is sending out 2021 on a sour note, recalling more than 475,000 vehicles to address problems with rearview cameras and front trunks. If left unchecked, the issues could increase crash risks, safety officials warn. Tesla’s recalling nearly 120K 2017-2020 Model S sedans due to a problem with frunk latch. The  move impacts Model S and Model 3 vehicles built between 2014 and 2021 . The company’s also recalling about 200,000 vehicles in China for the same issues. In all, Tesla’s recalled more vehicles in 2021 than it built, noted Reuters. The affected Model S sedans have a latch problem that may lead a front trunk to open “without warning and obstruct the driver’s visibility, increasing the risk of a crash,” Tesla said. The problem affects a little more than 119,000 vehicles. Camera problems Tesla is recalling more than 356K Model 3 sedans due to rearview camera issues. The company’s recalling more than 356,300 Model 3 sedans from 2017 to 2020 to d

Like other Alpha vehicles, the SAGA ESTATE has a tough, pugnacious stance. Alpha Motor Corporation released photos of its latest battery electric concept vehicle last week, dubbed the SAGA ESTATE. The prototype joins its siblings, the SAGA and SUPERSAGA sports sedans , ACE coupe, JAX SUV, and the WOLF pickup., all of which are battery electric vehicles designed and marketed by Alpha, and contract manufactured. Like the company’s other prototypes, the SAGA ESTATE wears a face reminiscent of past performance cars, with styling cues cribbed from here and there. Yet it cloaks an up-to-date BEV driveline.  What motivates it Modern yet classic style is a hallmark of Alpha’s design. The SAGA ESTATE, like Alpha’s other models uses its “Sleek Adaptive Geometric Architecture” and employs a 450-volt, dual-motor all-wheel-drive system powered by an 85-kilowhatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Range is estimated to be 300 miles and can be recharged up to 80% in up to an hour using DC po

The Lamborghini Huracán STO is not just a pretty face, but is also a street legal race car. Other than Lamborghini cognoscenti, it would probably surprise most people that Lamborghini has never won any racing victories until recently. Company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini didn’t believe in racing. But that’s changed, with the 2021 Lamborghini Huracán STO being offered as Exhibit A. Overview This is not the car for shopping on Worth Avenue or Rodeo Drive with your fluffy pet, Snookums.  The STO in this Huracán’s name stands for Super Trofeo Omologata, meaning it’s a homologated car version of the Huracán Super Trofeo Evo and GT3 Evo race cars, and is the first Lamborghini designed for regular track use. Maurizio Reggiani, chief technical officer for Lamborghini, says the Huracán STO is, “perfectly set up for the world’s most demanding tracks, but created for the road.”  The Lamborghini Huracán STO is made for track use, or getting to the supermarket really, really quickly.

How do you top a year like 2021? Well, we might have said the same thing a year earlier, when COVID-19 led to nationwide lockdowns, a three-month shutdown of North American automotive manufacturing and what looked to be the start of another serious recession. Sales of the Mustang Mach-E have been on the rise, and that’s expected to continue in 2022. During the past 12 months we saw what looked like a record rebound of the auto industry melt away due to semiconductor shortages, which led to record increases in new car prices. We’ve also seen EV sales finally show serious momentum. So, what can we expect to see in 2022? That’s the question we asked of TheDetroitBureau.com’s editorial team and here are the 10 stories they expect will top the headlines in the coming year. The Year of the EV, Part Duh 2021 was a tough year, but surging demand for battery-electric vehicles, was a major development — sales more than doubling by midyear. We expect to see that upward trend really accel

Rivian will delay by at least a year delivery of its all-electric pickups and SUVs equipped its long-range battery pack, CEO RJ Scaringe advised customers this week. Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe revealed its R1T pickups with the Max pack may be delayed until 2023. The news came as a disappointment to buyers hoping to equip their vehicles with the Max pack, which the automaker claims can deliver as much as 400 miles of range per charge. But the news also was a setback for Rivian shares, investors already concerned that production snags will slow deliveries of the R1T pickup and R1S sport-utility vehicle. The Max pack now won’t make it into production until 2023, according to Scaringe. Until then, buyers still will have the option of getting vehicles equipped with a mid-range “Large” lithium-ion pack capable of delivering an EPA-estimated 314 miles between charges. “Max” pack, maximum wait About 20% of customers have been ordering the Max pack, according to Rivian, so the

Zeekr , Geely Holding Group’s premium electric brand, announced Tuesday that it will manufacture vehicles for Alphabet Inc.’s  Waymo One , the company’s autonomous ride-hailing service throughout the United States.  Zeekr 001 features a pair of sliding doors on each side of the vehicle for access. “By becoming a strategic partner and vehicle supplier to the Waymo One fleet, we will be able to share our experience, ideals and provide our expertise in collaborating on a fully electric vehicle that fits Waymo’s requirements for this rapidly expanding segment in the global market,” said Andy An, CEO, Zeekr Technology, in a statement. A vehicle designed in Europe The new vehicle will be designed and developed for Waymo One at Geely’s China Europe Vehicle Technology Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden using Zeekr’s new proprietary, open-source vehicle architecture. Once the vehicles are delivered to Waymo, the company will integrate its Waymo Driver autonomous driving software into the vehi

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