RideLust

Over the years automakers the world over have used animal names to describe their newest cars. These names are supposed to immortalize the true essence of these cars and portray to their owners the automobiles inner spirit. More often than not however these names are ill-seated at best and unfortunately at the end of the day, don’t do the poor animal any justice at all. Below is a listing of 20 cars that have taken their names from members of the wild kingdom. Some are appropriate, others, well… not so much. Either way though you can’t blame the manufacturers from trying to put a little personality into their rides.
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File this under foul and nasty! A homeless person was found dead in a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis in Costa Mesa, CA after riding shotgun in the passenger seat for 10 months. Apparently the vehicles owner said the homeless person could use the big Mercury as a shelter. The owner however failed to report the death to the authorities and continued driving the vehicle for almost a year! Only detected because the vehicle was illegally parked, police were greeted to a 30 lb. mummified body and stench that smelled like road kill. What’s creepier though is that the cars owner simply threw a sheet over the body as they continued to use the car. They did however throw down a box of baking soda… you know, so as to absorb some of that stink. It’s stories like this that make one wonder what the hell is wrong with society. I mean ten months with a dead body? Ugh…

Source: OCR.com

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I love a good car story don’t you? I mean in the sea of automotive BS that we deal with everyday it’s just nice to see someone who really does love their car. Meet Mrs. Rachel Veitch, the 91 year old great grandmother and mother of 4 (well 5 if you count the car) who is in love with her 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente. Bought new in 1964 this wonderful Comet has transported her more than 562,000 miles and to say that it is her pride and joy would be an understatement. Mrs. Veitch simply gushes with joy in talking about her prized Comet. The 289 cu inch V8 is original to the car as are all the memories it’s provided to her over its 46 year life span.

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1970 Cougar Convertible. Gone, but not forgotten.

Mercury may be no more, but the marque will always live on in the hearts and minds of the Mercury faithful. The brand hasn’t produced anything of interest to enthusiasts in years, at least since the Marauder was canned in 2004 after its two-year run.

That hasn’t always been the case, and Mercury built a loyal following through the years by offering fast cars with a bit more luxury and style than their Ford cousins. Below are seven examples of very lustworthy Mercs, cars we’d be proud to have in our own garages if space and bank accounts allowed. There’s something for everyone here, whether you like going slow and terrorizing the neighborhood, kicking ass in the quarter mile or collecting cars that will appreciate in value in the coming years.

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We told you this was going to happen last week, but now it’s official: Ford will drop the Mercury brand in the fourth quarter of this year. The action should come as a surprise to no one, since Mercury brand sales have been on the decline for the past decade. According to Autoblog, Mercury sales currently account for less than one percent of Ford’s overall market share, making them more of an annoyance than a viable brand.

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Is it me or does anyone else out there in automobile land feel like Ford’s Mercury division should have died off years ago? Well it may just happen as Bloomberg News is reporting that the top brass at Ford is preparing documentation that may in fact propose eliminating the 71 year old brand. Since 2000 sales at Mercury have dropped a heart stopping 74%. Just stop and think about that for a moment. Right now Mercury has only four vehicles in its line-up, the Ford based Mountaineer, the Grand Marquis, the Milan and the Mariner. I mean really, what’s the point in keeping this division around if they’re only going to produce re-badged mainstream Fords? Last time I checked these things weren’t flying out of showrooms and I’ll be damned if I even know anyone that’s bought a Mercury in the last 10 years. Hopefully the suits at Ford will see fit to kill off this boat anchor of a brand, save themselves some money and in the process reallocate some funds to new vehicle development.

Source: Jalopnik.com

The San Francisco Chronicle just published a study on the amount of time it would take to offset the difference in cost between hybrid cars and their gasoline powered counterparts. The study looked at the cost of fuel saved per year and did not factor in other variables, such as the cost of replacement batteries for hybrid vehicles. On the other hand, the study also didn’t factor in the environmental benefits of driving a greener vehicle, which are difficult to quantify with cold, hard cash alone.

Below are their findings by vehicle, ranked in order of longest payback to shortest payback. All vehicle prices are MSRP, and gasoline cost is set at $2.86 per gallon.

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Ford Motor Company has announced a recall on some 33,000 2010 vehicles to replace front seats equipped with faulty recline mechanisms. Models effected are:

- 2010 Ford Fusion
- 2010 Ford Explorer
- 2010 Ford Explorer SportTrac
- 2010 Mercury Mountaineer
- 2010 Mercury Milan

The existing seat mechanisms may fail in the event of a rear-impact crash, causing injury to front and rear seat occupants. Rather than replacing the seat recline mechanism, Ford dealers will replace the entire seat assembly. Ford will begin contacting owners in the near future, but you can always contact their customer service hotline at (866) 436-7332 with any questions.

This morning, Green Car Journal confirmed the five finalists up for nomination as the 2010 Green Car of the Year®, including the Audi A3 TDI, Honda Insight, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Golf TDI. The winner will be announced on December 3rd at a press conference during the media preview days at the LA Auto Show which, unlike last year, we’ll actually be attending. Also unlike last year, we find the majority of the nominees surprisingly fun to drive and genuinely deserving of the accolades (“majority” being the operative word, the jury’s still out on the Insight).

Unfortunately, our humble opinion will have very little bearing as the winner of this year’s prestigious award will be chosen by a star-studded panel of judges that in years past have included the likes of Jean-Michel Cousteau, Carroll Shelby, and the Crimson Chin himself, Jay Leno. We will, however, have the exclusive privilege of sitting somewhere in the back of the convention hall and straining to hear the ceremonial address as we try to get our new camera to focus, so check back later for official updates. Read More…

Future Looks Good For Taurus

Ford continues to pull the Taurus back from its dark “Five Hundred” depths and towards the favorable glowing light of positive reviews that the Fusion garners.  As another example, the 2010 Taurus adopts some very basic elements and even more technological innovations from favorite Ford child: the Fusion. Read More…