I was looking through the July issues of Motor Trend and Car & Driver, and both mentioned Ford bringing out a new car--based on the CrossTrainer SUV, of course--due in '04, same time as the CrossTrainer. Called (for now) the FiveHundred, it's Taurus-sized, Duratec 3.0-powered, and will have either a 6-speed AT or a CVT. They don't say if it's FWD or RWD. But both mags showed pics of it, and OH MY GOD! It's BOOORRRIIIINNNNGGGG!!!!! This retro crap has got to GO!!! It looks good for the T-Bird (which is out of reach of most of us anyway), but this thing tries to look '60s--somehow--and flunks horribly.
Of course, I'm peeved that not only is it a car based on a sport-ute, there ain't no STICK! 6-speed MANUALS aren't even in wide circulation yet, and Ford's going to shoehorn a 6-speed AT between cheek and gum?
BTW, the CVT is being sourced by ZF, the same wonderful people who brought us the ATX used in the Eagle Premier (yes, that's the one; the tranny that spits its gears out every 70-100K).
