Another Car Company Bites the Dust: Mercury, R.I.P.

Image from source, Wall Street Journal

It makes sense for Ford to kill off Mercury.  They haven't been a distinct brand in a long time, seemingly made up of a bunch of Fords with different badges (and higher prices).  But it's still a little bit--a very little bit--sad.  In my lifetime, I've seen the demise of AMC, Plymouth, Eagle, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer.  Of those, the biggest surprises were Plymouth (which had survived the near death of Chrysler in the 1970s), Olds (which just seemed too old to go away) and Pontiac (which seemed to at least have the most classic cars in its history). But Mercury was just kind of there.

The last Mercury I remember with a distinct personality was the last iteration of the Cougar, and even it was only "cool" for a year or two before it just looked kind of odd.  All the rest have been retreads of Fords, and they didn't even come up with a better logo than the 80s "M" thingy.  I think Mercury missed out on the "retro" craze brought in by the Volkswagen New Beetle, the Chrysler PT Cruiser, the newer Ford Mustangs, the Chevy Camaro and the Dodge Challenger.  They should've pulled one of their classic nameplates out of mothballs, and maybe even put a new spin on the winged Mercury head logo.  Too late now.

[Excerpt]

Ford Will Shut Down Mercury

People who work in or follow the car industry have been predicting the demise of Ford’s Mercury division for years. So it is no surprise to hear today that Ford will kill its middle-of-the-road brand by year’s end. . .

Read more at: Wall Street Journal

New Car Update: Mitsubishi Galants, Old and New

I'm beginning month four with my new (okay, slightly used) red Mitsubishi Galant (named "Rusty").  It is slowly transitioning from my "new car" to just "my car."  That doesn't mean that I have the proper position figured out in the garage yet. I still occasionally have to start it up again, and skooch it up, so that the garage door doesn't wreck the back bumper.  I drove a Jeep Wrangler for nine years, after all, and it was significantly shorter in length than this car.

Anyway, my car is still new enough that I look for others like it when driving around. This is a fruitless endeavor, most days, as the Galant was not a huge seller.  And more often than not, I spy an edition that predates the redesign that my 2009 version got.  Each time I see one of the earlier Galants, I try to see the differences, to see what exact changes were made.  But doing so in traffic can lead to some unfortunate changes to my car, so I try not to get carried away.

Today while going shopping at Target, I happened to park right beside the earlier version (2004-2006).  So I got to take a good look, and boy did they improve my version.  That nose thing that Mitsubishi tried to make a "family look" on their vehicles in the early 2000s was a mistake.  Who were they trying to ape?  Oldsmobile? Pontiac? Saturn?  All dead.  So, while if I were the designer, I would've done something with the old-school headlamps, I for sure would have tweaked the grille. Good move. The lines of the hood are better too.  Still, it would have been way cooler for them to put the Lancer nose on this one.

In the rear, things are drastically improved. The rear window is bigger, the butt looks trimmer, and the taillights are much more modern.  Not that it matters, I suppose, since Mitsubishi Galants seem to sell about as well as. . .Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs and Saturns.  Oh well. I do like driving a car that doesn't have millions of twins out there.  And in case you're wondering, I still really, really like it.

GM Killing off Brands

Image from source, Jalopnik

It's kind of strange to think that Pontiac as a brand is about to shrink away to mostly nothing. Saturn? They made mostly ugly cars until recently, and I never understood how they made it anyway. And Hummer should've died of embarrassment long ago.

It just goes to show you, absolutely nothing is permanent. Today's rock-solid brand is tomorrow's Plymouth, AMC or Oldsmobile. Remember them? My prediction: Mercury is next. Just a hunch.

[Excerpt]

GM To Officially Kill Saturn Brand, Most Of Pontiac

Our sources tell us GM's viability plan set to be released at 5:00PM will kill the Saturn brand by 2011. Pontiac will also go away as a division. But the nameplate will sorta live on. . .

Source: JLOPnik

Science is Cool: Ocean on Saturn's Moon, Titan?

Image from source, Live Science

I love cool science stories. Mostly, because with our dumbed-down society and our ridiculous political side shows, it's nice to know that there are humans using their brains on this world. New discoveries about our solar system have always interested me, though I was bummed when Pluto got downgraded.

This story (brought to my attention by Stupid Monkey Planet) tells us about all sorts of new discoveries about Saturn's moon, Titan, including the fact that it might have an ocean hospitable to life.

[Excerpt]

Evidence for Ocean Found at Saturn's Moon Titan

An ocean seasoned with the chemical ingredients of life may lie hidden beneath the icy surface of Saturn's moon Titan.

The evidence? The entire surface of Titan appears to be sliding around, scientists say, like cheese over tomato sauce on a slice of pizza. . .

Read more at: Live Science