I was fortunate enough to join John McElroy’s Autoline After Hours last week to discuss the new Mustang with Ford’s chief engineer Dave Pericak. The job of a chief engineer is as much one of omission as it is commission. Nearly everyone seems to want to tell Dave what the Mustang should do; it’s his job to curate only the best ideas and sell it at a profit. That’s a tough job. Based on how the ‘11 Mustang drives (I’ve only been in the V-8 but can’t wait to drive the new 305-hp V-6), I think he’s nailing it.
Warning: this is 81 minutes of straight car talk. If you’re hoping to press play and receive Dave’s words of wisdom right away, you’ll be disappointed. It’s not a greatest hits film, just regular old BS session between four guys who love cars and the car business.
![loudpop:
1953 DKW Auto Union
via farm4.static.flickr.com
If America is dead set on believing that minivans “are only for [boring] moms,” I hope that crossover vehicles like the Mazda5 and Toyota Venza move ever so slightly taller, sort of trojan-horsing the microvan back into our lives. Minivans of the full size type (Chrysler Town & Country, Honda Odyssey) are actually some of the most useful vehicles on the road today, but there could be some innovation in the segment whereby going smaller might bring about a new understanding of how fun they can be. This DKW/Auto Union feels and looks like the perfect little runabout (the white wheels are great, too).](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3557/3320385653_6e7e5eb3b6_o.jpg)
1953 DKW Auto Union
If America is dead set on believing that minivans “are only for [boring] moms,” I hope that crossover vehicles like the Mazda5 and Toyota Venza move ever so slightly taller, sort of trojan-horsing the microvan back into our lives. Minivans of the full size type (Chrysler Town & Country, Honda Odyssey) are actually some of the most useful vehicles on the road today, but there could be some innovation in the segment whereby going smaller might bring about a new understanding of how fun they can be. This DKW/Auto Union feels and looks like the perfect little runabout (the white wheels are great, too).
