Drew Dowdell

Happy Birthday @dwightlooi!!

The Arteon doesn't impress me like it seems to impress everyone else. I've seen zero in the wild other than the test car I had. Better make it look like a Tiguan... then it would really sell.

It looks like a Golf... What was gained was more rear cargo room for a car of its size.

Arg... I'm going to be in meetings until 1pm.

Moody's Investor Service has downgraded Ford to junk status rating of Ba1, one step below investment grade. They say that Ford's cash flow and profit margins are below expectations and are expected to remain weak for the next two years. Outside of the financial sector, Ford is one of the top 15 issuers of corporate bonds. The primary cause for concern is a cash crunch brought on by a lengthy restructuring plan that includes closing factories and laying off thousands of workers. Investors are not impressed with CEO Jim Hackett's plans to ditch sedans and revive an aging lineup of SUVs and trucks. All new versions of the Ford Explorer and Ford Escape debuted this year. Back in July, Ford issued a disappointing profit forecast as it struggles to compete in China's slowing car market. So far S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings have an investment grade of BBB on Ford, however both firms have a negative outlook on Ford's future. After the Moody's announcement, Ford's shares dived 4.2 percent to $9.14. View full article

But they're not giving up on sedans entirely. Cruze is still in production south of the border. Almost all of Ford's car lineup is still available in Europe and China... heck they still make a next generation Taurus for China. If GM needs to, the Cruze can be imported from south America tomorrow.

Maximum room for maximum aerodynamic efficiency.

Throw your hat in the ring @dfelt , maybe you could be CEO.