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The Truth About Cars | Crossovers | Features | Ford | Future Vehicles | News Blog | Product Planning | SUVs
2020 Ford Explorer Goes Rear-Wheel Drive, Steals Lincoln Engine
By Adam Tonge on January 29, 2018
Since former CEO Mark Fields announced Ford would bring the Bronco and Ranger back to the United States, the Blue Oval rumor mill has focused mainly on those vehicles. With the 2019 Ford Ranger now out of the bag, car enthusiasts everywhere will now hone their attention on the 2020 Ford Bronco.
However, the Bronco is not the most important new Ford in 2020. That honor goes to the next-generation 2020 Ford Explorer, a vehicle that diverges from the current model in significant ways.
Even though the Explorer's underpinnings are a decade old, 2017 was its best sales year in the United States since 2004. Last year saw the Explorer flex its muscles and freestyle its way to 271,000 U.S. units sold. The last time Explorer volume dipped under 200,000 units was 2013. It's a sales powerhouse that, along with F-Series trucks and the Ford Edge, has significantly increased Ford Motor Company's average vehicle transaction price. America's insatiable lust for crossovers led Ford to add the premium-priced Sport and Platinum trims to the Explorer line.
Ford plans to continue the trend of high transaction prices in a premium product by moving the next Explorer to a rear-wheel-drive platform.
We were the first to tell you the next Explorer would be rear-wheel drive. Now, thanks to TTAC's Blue Oval sources, we have details. The Explorer and its Lincoln counterpart will be built on Ford's new modular CD6 platform at the Chicago Assembly Plant. This platform is a flexible one, accommodating front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive products, and has been described as a significant chunk of the $5 billion Ford allocated to Lincoln's revival.
Unlike the F-series trucks, the Explorer and its Lincoln counterpart will have mostly steel body panels.
Sources tell TTAC that the Explorer will boast four engine options. The only engine to carry over from the current Explorer is the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder . The 3.5-liter V6, which is the Explorer's volume engine, will be replaced by a 3.3-liter V6. This is currently the entry level engine in the F-150.
The 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 and Sport trim will be no longer be options on the Explorer. Instead, an Explorer ST will debut with the company's 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6. Currently, this engine makes 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque in the Continental and MKZ. Because this is an ST vehicle and the V6 engine will be mounted longitudinally, expect a bump in power. The Explorer will also sport a hybrid option. Ford expects this option to further enhance the Explorer's dominance over the police vehicle market. The 10-speed transmission found in the F-150 and Mustang will also be available in the Explorer.
The Explorer's Lincoln sibling will have fewer engine options. Standard equipment will be the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6. The only other powertrain option will be a plug-in hybrid version of the same engine. Our sources claim it will boast a better electric range than the current Energi-badged Ford vehicles. Both engines will send power to the drive wheels through Ford's 10-speed transmission.
We reached out to Ford Motor Company for comment, but a spokesperson stated the company doesn't speculate about future products. Production of the sixth-generation Explorer starts in spring of 2019.
[Image: Ford Motor Company]
Posted in Crossovers, Features, Ford, Future Vehicles, News Blog, Product Planning, SUVs
Tagged as 2020 Ford Explorer, crossovers, Ford, ford explorer, Future Vehicles, Product Planning, SUVs
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129 Comments on "2020 Ford Explorer Goes Rear-Wheel Drive, Steals Lincoln Engine..."
Sounds like they've set themselves up well for putting LOTS of profitable _UV items on this platform.
Bold moves.
Heh, probably the next gen Mustang platform as well. I hear Hackett canceled the " S650 " program for the 2020 Mustang.
They probably threw the Mach 1 moniker out there to test public reaction and Hackett is probably sitting around in Ron Zarrella mode thinking " that's not too bad these guys complain about the Camaro's lack of green space an Explorer based Mustang will solve that problem plus we will improve rear seat room and only add 3,000 more pounds! They'll never know the difference"!
I look forward to the 4,900 pound Mustang Ghia III.
dukeisduke
Ron Zarrella? That's gonna leave a mark.
RWD Continental for 2021??
China says thanks, but no.
Maybe the return of the Town Car?
The Continental should have been RWD/AWD from the get-go. It should also have been four inches wider, with a four inch longer wheelbase, and ten inches longer overall.
The FWD, transverse engine setup is for minicars for maximum space in a small footprint. Give them enough power for American roads, and the need to correct the oversteer causes other problems.
If Lincoln wants to be an American luxury car company, it has to make luxury cars for American roads, American bodies, and the American concept of luxury, and to hades with other markets.
dal20402
Four inches wider and the Continental would be within half an inch of requiring clearance lights. It's wider (admittedly by fractions of an inch) than every full-size German or Japanese sedan.
SuperCarEnthusiast
February 3rd, 2018 at 10:12 am
That the Expedition model! LOL!
Last year saw the Explorer flex its muscles and freestyle…
I C WAT U DID THERE
Thank God. At least someone likes D-platform puns.
Well focused! And even up-tempo!
It's nice to see Ford regaining its focus.
Dirk Wiggler
Anytime FWD is countered is GREAT. How many times has a vehicle gone from RWD to FWD and back to RWD?
Depends on how wet the road is and how fast the MR2 was going.
EBFlex
Scott that is the greatest comment I've read in a long time.
Ba-da-BOOM.
carguy
COTD @Scott25!
sorta like the Pathfinder, BOF to unibody to BOF to unibody FWD
bumpy ii
I dunno, you can sorta count Chrysler's odyssey through the M-body, K-car variants, LH, to the LX cars.
Though the names don't line up (New Yorker gets closest) one Dodge example which went R-F-R and maintained the name is the Charger.
You're quite the Diplomat to respond with such Fury. Do you think you'll head up to Fifth Avenue for lunch or just dine at The Imperial down Newport Ave?
I was planning on dinner at the St. Regis or the Omni. Both of them won the Acclaim of Town & Country magazine.
You could relax in Aspen with a bottle of Belvedere and watch a Satellite feed of someone singing Volare backed by a Coronet.
Thanks, I needed some laughs, since it's a Monday.
Jeremiah Mckenna
Don't forget about the 300 series.
Was there a K 300 as well? I wasn't sure about that one, just the 300M of Intrepid nature.
There was no K-based 300, but the original "letter series" cars (1955-1965) and subsequent non-letter models through about 1970 were RWD. Then the 1999-2004 LH 300M was FWD. And then back to RWD for the current car. (Still angry they didn't call it 300N.) More recently, Sergio has publicly mused about moving the next generation to the Pacifica's FWD platform.
Nice! What a way to expand our horizons!
You don't want to mention that middle F.
But S H E L B Y
I was going to mention the Chrysler 300 series. RWD to FWD back to RWD/AWD.
Also, most of the Cadillac range, even if they were given new designations.
And let's not forget the Maserati Quattroporte! Yes, it had FWD once upon a time….
OzCop
They should never have gone away from rear drive to begin with. Glad to see they are coming back closer to their roots…the engine combinations sound interesting…
JohnTaurus
If you're suggesting they should have replaced the BOF version with a Federalized Territory, I totally agree, but for a platform already designed for North America, there wasn't a RWD one available when the Explorer was last (fully) redesigned. And no, before anyone tries to counter that, it would not have worked on Mustang or the Panther platform. One is too small, the other too big.
"there wasn't a RWD one available when the Explorer was last (fully) redesigned."
SWB F-Series platform?
At the time there just wasn't another choice. The previous version was poison when gas went to $4/gal so they killed it before its originally planned execution date and rushed the current version into production.
Bringing the Territory over would have been a stupid move as it would not have appealed to the masses as it wouldn't have addressed the main concern at the time of better MPG what with the choices of an ancient inline 6 or a derivative of the Modular V8 that lost its appeal with $4/gal gas.
Putting the Explorer on the D platform was the right choice at the time as shown by the fact that despite being one of the oldest in the segment on an even older platform it is still the best seller in the segment.
DownUnder2014
Even in Australia, in later years, once the Diesel-engined versions came out, they seemed to be more popular as most of the newer ones I see tend to be Diesel (the diesel engine is the same one used in the Discovery 3 and the Jaguar XF, being a 2.7 TDV6) instead of the Petrol Six. But I suppose partially that is also due to Ford Australia, after 2010, AWD models were Diesel only, so to get a Patrol, you could only get a RWD verison.
There was never a V8 in the Territory either. At the time that Explorer was released, there was only one engine available, the reliable-but-thirsty 4.0 Barra Straight Six. The Turbo version of the Six had been discontinued, and the Turbodiesel was still a few months away.
I would agree with Scoutdude on this one as well.
tylanner
I thought this was a minivan?
No! It's not a wagon or hatch either! It's a SUV!!!
d4rksabre
Mmmmm yesss RWD. Between this and the Ranger, Ford will have my attention in about 5 or 6 years…
I seriously doubt that the Hybrid versions will use the 10sp transmission. The two motor/generator eCVT architecture or something like the Honda Accord's serial two motor/generator with clutch are the a much better way to go that strapping a motor on a conventional transmission.
I do believe that the 10sp will be found in all of the versions that aren't a hybrid.
SC5door
I mentioned this quite some time ago. They're working in the background at the plant to refurbish the paint shop (and other areas) to minimize downtime when the switch happens. Word on the street is that it will use a significant amount of aluminum and the plant body shop will be completely re-tooled for it.
It sounds like it will be similar to how GM uses aluminium on the CT6. The Expedition/Navigator/F-Series process is much different. I've been told "mostly steel" but I'd imagine there will still be significant aluminium usage.
While it's nice to see Ford move away from the horrendous D3 platform, where is the 5.0 V8 option?
why do you need all of that unnecessary weight and fuel consumption when you can have a TT V6 or 4Cyl that gives you similar, if not better performance?
The 5.0L is more efficient than those gas guzzling, turbo V6s.
Here ya go…show me where the 5.0 is better.
https://www.edmunds.com/ford/f-150/2015/long-term-road-test/2015-ford-f-150-fuel-economy-test-27-liter-ecoboost-vs-50-liter-v8.html
In the real world, maybe, but not by the EPA's yardstick.
You are more full of $#!+ Than a Christmas Turkey
How much does the TTV6 weigh in with all the added plumbing? The 5.0 isn't all that heavy (around 445 pounds IIRC). The 3.5 TTV6 weighs in around the same from what Google is telling me.
Ford pushing all its Ecoboost stuff aside and people's proclivity for shiny stuff I'd say its more a real estate issue than a weight one since the V8 is a 90 degree engine with a few more inches out front compared to 60 degree bank angle on the EB motor (although I also suspect any advantage the V6 might gain with less weight over the front axle due to its more compact length is probably lost or is a wash due to the plumbing and heat exchanger hanging ahead of said axle).
In any event the EB engine's real advantage is its percieved superiority. Ford could have just as well loped two cylinders off of the old 4.6 SOHC 3v and hung a set of turbos on the resulting V6 engine and people would have been just as gobsmacked.
I'm most intrigued by the idea of a Lincoln variant with 3.0TT and a plug-in hybrid system. Tell me more.
"Last year saw the Explorer flex its muscles and freestyle its way to 271,000 U.S. units sold."
I think your gratuitous puns are a distracting excursion from the point of the article. I suggest an escape from such practices.
Now we are going to lose focus. Corey is going to throw a pun fiesta.
Not even a Meteor through the Galaxie could stop me from making Five Hundred additional puns, like an Aviator on a grand Expedition.
Transit back to serious business or I'll escort you all out.
TEXN3
F-that! You're such a bull, acting all high and mighty on your horse.
87 Morgan
I must Escort you out Corey, EXPressly for the overuse of puns.
He's always been a do-things-his-own-way maverick.
I think I will be interested in Ford for something other than an F series truck or a Mustang. Although the Focus RS is a looker, but that ridiculous $41k price tag and only two color availability has got to change.
SkookumFord
Pictured: 2018 Explorer Sport.
Not Pictured: 2020 Explorer.
Because nothing has been built/designed for public release on it yet. This is an article on the subject of the drive train.
We could use a photo of an Explorer mule for an image, but we don't own them. This is cheaper since it is a Ford media image we already had on file.
James2
How much does Ford charge for its use?
Ford doesn't charge anything for the use of their press release photos. However they don't press release spy photos of mules undergoing road testing. Any photos of a mule will come from a 3rd party who will want what ever they can get for the use of their photos.
Scoutdude has it right. $0
I've seen a number of Explorer mules in the Detroit area. I work in Dearborn a few days a month. The TTAC staff says I need to camera up my C-Max.
Yeah, I've heard that Priddy pictures are on the expensive side.
Could always disguise yourself as a tree and stand beside the admission line to the Henry Ford Museum. (At least that butted right up against one of the perimeter walls of the Dearborn Proving Grounds last time I was there..prolly 30 years ago! I seem to recall seeing SOMETHING flying by back in the day!)
@sgeffe: Could always disguise yourself as a tree…
The place to go is on Enterprise Drive in Allen Park. Position yourself in the vegetation between i-93 and Enterprise. Another good spot is on South Dearborn Rd. in Melvindale. There's a berm in the ice arena parking lot that provides a bit of cover along with several trees along the road. The stop signs at Harmon St. and S. Dearborn are a good spot as well.
Yeah Adam you need to get a dash cam and see what you get.
Top Photo: 2018 model, bottom photo 2016-2017 model.
@Scoutdude. Thanks for the info.
Nick 2012
With these becoming the police car of choice throughout the Galaxie, it will be interesting to see what they do to the interceptor models.
I don't know what the take rate is on the 3.5TT versions as all the ones in my area are 3.7L powered.
CD6 can support front, rear and all-wheel-drive products? The only times I've seen front and rear wheel drive simultaneously have been with platforms that had longitude-mounted engines, and the transmission mounted in line with the front wheels.
Rumor has it that Chrysler was going to do something like this. The LH platform was longitude-FWD, with the engine pushed way ahead of the front axle, and half shafts that came out of each side of the transmission to form a transaxle for the front wheels. in the mid-late 90s, they started working on a replacement platform designated "LX", which was a derivative of the LH platform for RWD and AWD vehicles. LX would have the same engine / transmission layout, but would support a driveshaft conventionally running along the length of the car to connect to the rear axle. However, when the DaimlerChrysler "Merger of Equals" took place, Daimler decided the LH-based LX platform was too expensive and scrapped the idea. They instead developed a conventional RWD platform that supported a significant number of existing Mercedes-Benz components, like floorpans and transmissions, and that is the actual LX that we know today. Supposedly some of these early LH-based LX prototypes appeared in the Viper TV show of the late 90s, as police cruisers.
Mind you, that's just a rumor.
The LH platform was designed from the get go to be FWD, AWD and RWD which is the reason for its longitudinal layout. Of course Chrysler didn't have the funds so they were FWD only. The LX just dusted off those plans for the RWD and AWD LH but when Daimler came along they stopped the orders for tooling and forced a redesign to use existing Mercedes components like the diff and trans to name the key parts.
Just as I suspected. Like I said, it'll be interesting to see if Ford does do a platform like that. VW Group has had great success with it, the latest of which is their MLB platform. In fact, they just moved the newest generation of their large SUVs to MLB (Cayenne, Bentayga, Q7, upcoming Touareg), where the previous versions had a traditional longitude-RWD-based layout.
Of course, the VW / Audi MLB series of platforms has never specifically been used on a RWD-only vehicle, but it conceivably could be.
danio3834
Can confirm, an LH intrepid will accept an OHV V8 with automatic transmission in the engine bay and trans tunnel without serious sheet metal modification. All it would really need is a rear differential/suspension which would either be really easy with a janky solid axle/leaf spring setup or very involved with IRS, say one cut from a Charger.
If you've ever seen one on the lift you can see how they left the space for a diff and half shafts to get to the center of the rear spindles.
According to something I read at Allpar from a guy who claimed to be involved in the LH development the designs were all complete to offer and AWD V6 or a RWD V8 using carry over small block and trans, all that was really missing was the funding for the tooling.
I think Ford is trying to build an architecture/platform that can do either a longitudinal or transverse engine layout. I'm guessing that is difficult.
They might be. I really don't understand why they'd do that.
Pete Zaitcev
Ford did it before, for Transit. It supported either FWD or RWD. The U.S. market version never had an FWD, but supposedly the platform allowed it.
krohde
Ok, I'll take the enthusiast bite and say, "yay, RWD again!" But for the Explorer's planned usage, what about FWD makes it a bad platform, exactly? It can tow 5,000 pounds currently, so I guess they might be able to bump that by 1-2,000 pounds? More than what wheels are the primary drivers, I would think the major concerns for the next Explorer are interior packaging and weight/fuel mileage and I'm not sure how RWD itself solves either of those.
I'm trying to figure out why go to RWD for 2020 when the 2020 Bronco is going to be a RWD/4wd vehicle too.
Bronco = Wrangler
Explorer = Durango/Wagoneer
So then what will be the vehicle configured for maximum interior space? Or does Ford think the max cube Pilot/Traverse segment is not the way of the future?
I think you'll see another vehicle in there. The Edge L and S-Max exist in other markets. I'm sure there is something that they could replace the Flex and FWD Explorer with. Still, I think a lot of Explorer buyers would move to the new Explorer. The brand is good.
This move opens up the space for the 3 row Edge that they promised so many years ago, before the gas price shock forced them to switch directions on the Explorer.
I still think the Bronco is going to be "rebadged Everest" – which might step on the 4Runner's toes but not the Wrangler.
I'm happy to be proven wrong but I'll be more believing of a rendering that looks like the new Ranger crew cab with a cap on it.
"I still think the Bronco is going to be rebadged Everest"
Don't put that evil on me.
How do they pronounce Bronco in Thailand?
*robert downey jr eyroll gif*
Because the Explorer will fill the family truckster/tow vehicle role it currently does while the Bronco will fill the off-roader wannabe role.
I think Explorer going RWD may be an answer to the new market of "performance-SUV" like Cayenne, X5/6, F-pace, Grand Cherokee SRT…while the Bronco targets wrangler and 4-Runner.
Well, a lot of the savings are going to come from smarter use of metals and weight-saving materials on this new CD6 architecture, as well as just plain old not using the D platform anymore, which is a pig and terribly space inefficient (source: my 2014 Lincoln MKS).
Other than that, since they still need the rear driveshaft stamping for AWD applications, the floorpan wouldn't necessarily be any flatter if the vehicle were FWD. And if they're going to a longitude-engined platform like VW Group's MLB—in which the engine and transmission are pushed further to the front—packaging won't be much worse than in a transverse-FWD vehicle, if at all, because the bulk of the engine / transmission assembly will be under the hood.
So it comes down to…why not?
That's fair, as long as it doesn't make the packaging worse or have the Explorer take a step back in terms of drivability. I know it's sacrilege for an enthusiast to say but, having driven a recent Explorer and 4Runner pretty close to back to back, the Explorer is just a much more pleasant vehicle to drive in everyday situations, departure angles and transfer cases be damned.
Yes, but the 4Runner (and its GX460 cousin) is also body-on-frame and has a space-robbing solid rear axle. So it's an apples-and-oranges comparison.
The Explorer will still be unibody-based. Picture it as being more like its crosstown rivals, the Grand Cherokee and Durango, which are RWD-based, but unibody…and also share their DaimlerChrysler-era platform with the GLE-Class and GLS-Class.
The D platform is not space inefficient. The problem with the MKS/Taurus was that they went the 4dr coupe/console the size of Texas route. Look at the original Ford version the 500 which packed a ton of interior and trunk room for the exterior size.
You should be able to tow the same amount as the current Explorer in hybrid form. I think that is a positive.
Well, shoot. I'm thinking of selling the 2008 Explorer V8 and replacing it with the closest option: 4Runner Limited. I wonder if I should wait 3 more years (after first year model) or get the proven but ugly and thirsty Toyota.
Hmmmmmmmmmm when is the 4Runner supposed to be redesigned? I'd be scared that the 4.0 is going away during the next redesign.
Let's hope. That 4.0 is a dog.
Yeah the 3.5 in the Tacoma is even worse, but keep in mind that when Toyota made it that way it looked like $120 a bbl oil, an economic recovery limited to investors only, and CAFE 2025 were all certainties.
Four years from the first two of those being true, and a year from the third, let's see if they haven't learned.
I've driven V8 and V6 4Runners. I believe the V8 is based on the 1UZ in my Lexus, and that's a heck of an engine. The only problem with 4Runners is of course the gonzo prices for used ones.
Jerome10
I don't really get this move.
Explorer has become crossover minivan type. Of which basically all are Fwd platforms.
I thought maybe this made sense if they want grand Cherokee or 4runner sales… But the Bronco is coming.
Well maybe this is a move to get more in the Tahoe/Denali zone of space, towing, etc. But Ford has the Expedition.
What, exactly, is the point of this? I'll cheer rwd with the rest, but what is the business decision here?
My ONLY guess is that this platform is designed first to accommodate Lincoln. To be more than a nicer Ford, they want rear drive bias to give it closer feel to the Germans. Lincoln will never "come back" if it goes the Lexus route of offering just nicer Fords. Just like Acura NEVER cracked the luxury sedan market because of their refusal to do V8s and RWD. Some things are just more required in premium brands at higher price points. So I could see it being designed with that first and then down-engineering from Lincoln to Ford. Otherwise I simply don't get this change.
Getting the feeling Ford is starting to have too may trucks and crossovers starting to step all over each other.
I also wonder if this is part of the reason the fusion might die. New explorer and bronco can cover the Edge bases (based on fusion). Up size a focus/escape to cover from the bottom. Future Continental models based on this new platform as well. Just don't need a midsized Fwd platform anymore?
The Bronco is coming to fight the Wrangler and 4-Runner with a more off-roader focus. The new Explorer will be intended as a competitor for the Grand Cherokee, Pilot or Highlander with a greater towing capacity.
This will also likely be the basis for a RWD and AWD version of the Continental as its platform is at the end of its life cycle, but was what they had to get it on sale sooner rather than later.
Other than sacrificing a miniscule amount of interior space, there is no real disadvantage. The dynamics will be better than a FWD/transverse layout, it gives the Explorer a better opportunity to snag potential Tahoe/Yukon buyers that find the Expedition to be a little too big, and it's well know that law enforcement still prefers RWD. Plus, the V8 and new turbodiesel V6 drivetrains will plug right in should either be considered. (I won't be surprised if the diesel is offered at launch, but I don't seriously expect a V8 option.)
I wouldn't be so sure that they are going to leave room under the hood for a V8, if they aren't putting one in the Expedition I don't see it in an Explorer.
sportyaccordy
What is the excitement over this change about? It's still going to be a two and a half ton 6 foot tall something or other. Drive wheels are an afterthought at that point
Possibly TCO/resale related.
As I've mentioned in a few threads I've been looking at various options for either replacing my Lexus sedan with a family-size vehicle or adding one to the family. One thing that's become very clear in that process is that RWD SUVs, especially BOF or frame/unibody hybrids, retain value far better. I went in with the idea of a used minivan or three-row CUV, but now I'm thinking about used SUVs. In a big surprise to me, the TCO with my limited amount of driving pencils out lower for the SUVs because depreciation is so much less.
The cheapest option I looked at in TCO terms actually was a GMT900 Hybrid (which are retaining value incredibly well). But my wife vetoed that because rolling a GMT900 would make her feel like her exurban Texas sister-in-law. Next up: early 2008-09 versions one of the most expensive SUVs on the planet, the Land Cruiser/LX570. Odd to think that could be a low-cost vehicle, but in my usage that would be the case.
I could see a properly executed RWD-based Explorer similary retaining value better than the existing FWD-based versions.
Hit em where they ain't (as much) with a tidy GX.
Included that on the list. Depreciation on the LC/LX is lower, and the interior is a good deal roomier. If I'm going to truck, might as well truck all the way.
I prefer the LC look to the kind of gaudy LX, but so does everyone else. In the 2008-09 range I'm finding about a $5-8K premium for LC over LX, with *lower* expected depreciation for the luxified version, making the LX the better financial choice. It's a weird little corner of the market.
Interesting. I didn't have a good feel for GX depreciation – the only ones I ever saw for sale were old gen 1 examples. It's like the newer ones were missing.
It's funny, the luxury customer spends all that money up front, and more often than not ends up with less when they go to sell it.
Agree on the gaudy LX. I am okay with the LX100 versions because of how they share the same front end motif as the GS, and how the two-tone gold badges 90s thing was appropriate at the time.
I think I might be able to explain the higher GX depreciation. Based on my limited experience, it seems like the ATP of new GXes is quite a bit off MSRP. So, I believe that the depreciation hit is higher because of that factor. For example – my father bought a new GX last year. Sticker was right at $60K, but they offered a $6000 discount pretty easily.
It makes sense for the Lexus dealers to deal readily, given that GXes can't possibly cost a ton more than 4runners to make.
There's a crazy-high floor for LC/LX values. If you have a really clean one, it's worth $15k almost no matter how many miles are on it, and $20k if it has low miles almost no matter how old it is. That really helps when you're buying in the "still depreciating but most of the way down" range.
By contrast, my low-mile, optioned-up, pristine 2008 LS is worth $14k and falling like a rock.
I think the Explorer is a very nice looking SUV. Always wondered why Ford doesn't stick a Mustang V8 in one.
Well they did before. But these are modern times.
If I remember, the Explorer's 5.0 represented the Pinnacle of development of the old school Ford Small Block. They got the best intakes, headers, and heads ever fitted to the modern incarnation of the motor.
Yup the GTP engine was pretty much the ultimate 5.0 and the unique parts for it were in demand with Mustang tuners.
Oberkanone
Will there be a Taurus for us?
Now there is an American Car that has exactly what you've been looking for…
Maybe a reincarnation of the Crown Vic? Yes, I'm kidding. Mostly.
Gardiner Westbound
What's old is new again!
Next: The straight-six engine.
Straight sixes are current. Wake me up when the straight-8 is revived. You haven't lived till you've heard the purr of a 1950s Packard straight eight.
Dang Durango R/T is looking better all the time.
Better looking than a car that doesn't exist? Impressive!
Comparative as it pertains to my wallet, not a styling commentary. In the next year to 18 mo's I can see a SUV in the family driveway. The more I read about new products coming out, the more likely another Hemi in the fleet is becoming. Clear as mud?
The only way RWD flies in this is as some track-day special, or as a fleet/police version for warmer climates. AWD/4X4 in a wagon package is what made the Explorer the choice for all those 'active lifestyle' folks (who aren't all that active and will never drive on a gravel road).
What this discussion sorely lacks are the delicious tears of enthusiasts of Flex.
John Horner
Bit by bit the Ford platforms with lots of 1990s Volvo DNA in them are moving on. I wonder how long the Ford Flex will stick around?
DelsFan
OK, the 2020 Explorers are available for purchase – hooray! We have an alternative to the Highlander, Pilot, and CX-9 (my favorite), which may not make me mad every time I have to drive it, or torque steer my spouse into the ditch when she experiences a minor emergency!
But wait! Discounting the loss-leading XLT model, you can't get into an Explorer for less than, gasp, $50K! Back to the (Subaru) drawing board.


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Home / Futures Blog / Copper futures drop yet strikes in Chile raise eyebrows
Copper futures drop yet strikes in Chile raise eyebrows
July 29, 2011 by Daniels Trading
Copper futures were driving for a monthly gain, building on advances for the second straight month, Bloomberg reports.
Shipments of the industrial metal from the Escondida mine in Chile were cancelled due to a weeklong labor dispute. Chile is renowned as the world's top producer of copper. Reuters reports growth in the U.S. slowed more than anticipated, reducing demand for the industrial metal.
"It's clear that we are nowhere near the end of macro data having an impact on copper prices," analyst Gayle Berry of Barclays Capital told Reuters. "There are still a number of big macro issues that need to be addressed, such as the U.S. debt crisis, tighter Chinese monetary policy and manufacturing data. Metals are going to be subject to volatility and disappointment sometimes."
At 10:13 a.m. on Friday, copper futures edged down in price 1.1 percent, a 0.049 cent drop to 44.4205 per pound.
Escondida, the biggest mine in the South American nation, could see a prolonged strike that would prove to be damaging to the nation as other mines also might halt labor. That would lead to shortages of copper, which would lead to price hikes.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Proof verification for determining the determinant of A where the sum of every row of A is 0 Could you please review my proof?
Let $ (F, +, \cdot) $ be a field and $A$ be a a matrix of order $n$ over $F$. Assume that for each $1\le i\le n,\sum_{k=1}^na_{ik}=0$. I want to prove that $\det(A)=0$.
Take $s\in F$ such that $s\neq 0$ (For example $ 1 $ ). Let $0\le i \le n$. We shall look at the $i_{\text{th}}$ row.
$sa_{i,1}+\ldots+sa_{i,n}=s(a_{i, 1}+\ldots+a_{i,n})=s(0)=0$.
Therefore, the vector $ (s,\ldots, s) \in F^n $ is a non-trivial solution to the homogenous system $ Ax=0$, which means the rows of $ A $ are linearly dependent $\Rightarrow A$ is singular $\Rightarrow\det(A)=0$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


0%82°50°Night - Partly cloudy. Winds from E to ESE at 4 to 9 mph (6.4 to 14.5 kph). The overnight low will be 56 °F (13.3 °C).Sunny with a high of 87 °F (30.6 °C). Winds variable at 4 to 11 mph (6.4 to 17.7 kph).
0%87°53°Mostly sunny today with a high of 87 °F (30.6 °C) and a low of 53 °F (11.7 °C).
5%89°59°Mostly sunny today with a high of 89 °F (31.7 °C) and a low of 59 °F (15.0 °C).
Tonight - Partly cloudy. Winds from E to ESE at 4 to 9 mph (6.4 to 14.5 kph). The overnight low will be 56 °F (13.3 °C).
Today - Sunny with a high of 87 °F (30.6 °C). Winds variable at 4 to 11 mph (6.4 to 17.7 kph).


RedBaren 907's new release "W.A.W.G" aka "We All We Got" feat Skyzoo delivers a classic sound. This is the first video off his upcoming album "Begin Again", which also contains the track "Red Sand", in which he teamed up with Homeboy Sandman.
"W.A.W.G." displays the versatility of RedBaren's soulful voice on the hook and poetical verse. Once again RedBaren landed a knockout punch with perfect harmony to a classic beat produced by Mutton Arbuckle.
Both Red and guest Skyzoo display top notch lyricism on the track and the video features a special cameo by Homeboy Sandman.


"Why should I delay? Still the invaders flocked over. Of one nation all came – men, women, and children – leaving a desert behind. In the year of our Lord 500, the whole of the east and most of the south country were in the hands of this new people. Now this strange thing has been observed of them. They love not towns, and will not willingly dwell within walls for some reason connected with their diabolical religion; or perhaps because they suspect magic. Therefore, when they conquered the country, they occupied the lands indeed, and built thereon their farm-houses, but they left the towns deserted. When they took a place they utterly burned and destroyed it, and then they left it, so that at this day there are many once rich and flourishing towns which now stand desolate and deserted. For instance, the city and stronghold of Rutupiæ, once garrisoned by the Second Legion; this they took and destroyed. It is reported that its walls still stand, but it is quite deserted. So also Anderida, where they massacred every man, woman, and child, and then went away, leaving the houses in ashes and the dead to the wolves; and they say that Anderida still stands deserted. So, also, Calleva Atrebatum, which they also destroyed, and that, too, stands desolate. So, too, Durovernum, which they now call Cantwarabyrig. This they destroyed, and for many years it lay desolate, but is now, I learn, again peopled. So, too, alas! the great and glorious Augusta [later to be London], which now lies empty, a city lone and widowed, which before was full of people.
"When Cantia fell to the Jutes we lost our trade with that fair and rich province. When the East Saxons and the Angles occupied the east country, and the South Saxons the south, trade was lost with all this region. Then the gates of the Vicinal Way and that of the Bridge were closed. Also the navigation of the Lower Thames became full of danger. And the prosperity of Augusta daily declined. Still there stood open the great highway which led to the middle of Britannia and the north, and the river afforded a safe way for barges and for boats from the west. But the time came when these avenues were closed. For the Saxons stretched out envious hands from their seaboard settlements, and presently the whole of this rich country, where yet lived so many great and wealthy families, was exposed to all the miseries of war. The towns were destroyed, the farms ruined, the cattle driven away. Where was now the wealth of this famous province? It was gone. Where was the trade of Augusta? That, too, was gone. Nothing was brought to the port for export; the roads were closed; the river was closed; there was nothing, in fact, to send; nay, there were no more households to buy the things we formerly sent them. They lived now by the shore and in the recesses of the forest, who once lived in great villas, lay on silken pillows, and drank the wine of Gaul and Spain.
"Then we of the City saw plainly that our end was come; for not only there was no more trade, but there was no more food. The supplies had long been scanty, and food was dear; therefore those who could no longer buy food left the town, and sallied forth westward, hoping to find a place of safety, but many perished of cold, of hunger, and by sword of the enemy. Some who reached towns yet untaken joined the warriors, and received alternate defeat and victory, yet mostly the former.
"Still food became scarcer. The foreign merchants by this time had all gone away; our slaves deserted us; the wharves stood desolate; a few ships without cargo or crew lay moored beside our quays; our churches were empty; silence reigned in the streets. Now, had the enemy attacked the City there would have been no resistance, but no enemy appeared. We were left alone – perhaps forgotten. The marshes and moors which surround the City on all sides became our protection. Augusta, to the invader, was invisible. And she was silent. Her enmity could do no harm, and her friendship could do no good. She was full of rich and precious things; the Basilica and the Forum, with the columns and the statues, stood in the midst; the houses contained pictures, books, baths, costly hangings; yet the Saxon wanted none of these things. The City contained no soldiers, and therefore he passed it by, or even forgot its existence.
"There came the day when no more provisions were left. Then those who were left, a scanty band, gathered in the Basilica, and it was resolved that we should leave the place, since we could no longer live in it. Some proposed to try escape by sea, some by land. I, with my wife and children, and others who agreed to accompany me, took what we could of food and of weapons, leaving behind us the houses where our lives had been so soft and happy, and went out by the western gate, and taking refuge where we could in the forest, we began our escape. Mostly we travelled by night; we passed burning towns and flaming farmsteads; we encountered hapless fugitives more naked and miserable than ourselves. But finally we arrived in safety at the town of Glevum, where we have found shelter and repose.


Cigar-shaped UFO above Santa Rosa,California.
The photographer contacted Mufon: "Help me out! I am uploading a picture I found on my camera. I didn't see or hear anything until I downloaded my photos from the moon shots I took tonight 1-31-14".
Da-da and his oldest son saw this exact same object in the exact same flight path -- but going in the opposite direction -- in 2008. He reported it to MUFON and they sent out an investigator.


text:
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Picking up the slack for municipal incompetence
As local municipalities across South Africa continue to struggle with corruption and maladministration, developers are left to pick up the pieces
By Mark van Dijk
, |
4th Sep 2020	| by	Dani | 0 Comments
By Mark van Dijk 4th Sep 2020
South African communities are buckling under the weight of municipal mismanagement and broken promises. What role could – and should – developers play in digging local municipalities out of the mess?
Potemkin Villages
In 2015 and 2016, the eThekwini Municipality handed over 344 RDP homes to beneficiaries in Oakford Valley outside Verulam, north of Durban. It was half the intended total of 696 planned houses, but even then the supposedly completed houses had no toilets (families have to share chemical toilets), no water (households rely on Jojo tanks) and no electricity.
There are power lines in Oakford Valley, but – in a bitter irony of Potemkin Village proportions – the houses aren't actually connected to the grid. Instead, they make do with illegal connections.
Leadership setting the tone
The Oakford Valley story is horrifying (<LINK TO EL PIECE>), but it's consistent with a national trend of municipal ineptitude, of promises broken, and money wasted. In June 2019, Auditor General Kimi Makwetu called on municipal leaders – the managers, mayors and councils – to take an active role in the financial behaviour of municipalities.
'The leadership sets the tone at the top of any organisation,' the AG said. 'The leaders in local government should therefore steer their municipalities to success. They should take responsibility for the deteriorating accountability in municipalities, and it is their duty to turn the situation around.' Another year on, that call had obviously gone unheeded.
Makwetu's Municipal Report for the year was titled, ruefully, 'Not Much To Go Around, Yet Not The Right Hands At The Till'. The report suggested that 60% of revenue reflected on the books of South African municipalities will never be paid. Only 8% of the nation's 257 municipalities received clean audits for the 2017/18 financial year, while irregular expenditure came to R32 billion.
Spending money they don't have
Believe it or not, it gets worse. A research report released in October 2019 by the Public Affairs Research Institute (Pari) noted that nearly half of South Africa's municipalities got their political councils to approve unfunded budgets in the 2019 financial year. In other words, their fiscal strategy is to spend money they don't have, and know they won't get.
The report didn't get much attention, but in just 150 words – which bear repeating here – it sums up the extent of the problem. Highlighting more than 30 municipalities that have received either a disclaimer or adverse audit outcome, or have failed to submit their financial statements on time, or both, for the past two years, it said:
'This group represents a complete breakdown in good governance and municipal management and, in many cases, the misappropriation of considerable amounts of public money. Most importantly, they indicate a deep-rooted and long-term serious problem that no one seems able (or willing) to address. These are places where the municipality struggles to deliver even the most basic services, a significant percentage of municipal infrastructure has disintegrated alarmingly (due mostly to a lack of maintenance), and the municipality can barely be considered a going concern. Often the causes of these problems can be traced to maladministration, corruption and theft of public assets. In many examples, the municipality has become the central site of local political battles, so that employment and contracts are traded as part of a wider jostling for political influence. There is little regard for even the most basic principles of good governance or the needs of the wider community.'
What next for developers?
As municipalities fail – dismally, in some cases – to fulfil their role as service providers, is this an opportunity for developers to step up? They may not have a choice, as the Municipal Fiscal Powers Amendment Bill – which closed for public comment in March – makes its way to becoming law.
The Amendment Bill provides – among other issues – that a municipality can withhold any approval or clearance (including a rates clearance certificate) if a development charge has not yet been paid, or if the landowner has failed to install external engineering services in accordance with the conditions of approval or an engineering services agreement.
(It's worth noting that revenue collection has been a massive challenge for municipalities, with more than R130 billion owed around the country for water, electricity and other services. It's also worth noting that there's no guarantee that moneys paid will not be ill-spent.)
In the meantime, developers will – by choice or by force – increasingly find themselves building or fixing infrastructure that municipalities can't or won't, because without it, they will not be able to complete construction of their developments. As the Pari report pointed out: 'Infrastructure that has fallen into disrepair (particularly infrastructure that is necessary for municipal revenue generation, such as water and electricity meters) cannot be replaced or repaired, since there simply isn't any money available.'
That's good news for people who benefit from the work of those developers. It doesn't, unfortunately, help communities like Oakford Valley, who continue to feel the sharp end of South Africa's growing inequality and deepening municipal incompetence.
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3 min readThe exotic island of Mauritius, nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean, offers plenty of scenic beauties and hidden adventure experiences. Mauritius is considered by many to be a Paradise Island which has something to offer to everyone.
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3 min readEstablished in 1997 and home to nearly 1,400 students from ages 3 to 18 across four campuses, Elkanah House is the leading school on the West Coast of Cape Town. Our school boasts four leafy and picturesque campuses, each with a unique architectural design overlooking Table Mountain, which is conducive to allowing children to learn optimally in a homely environment.
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3 min readOperating in the Mauritian financial services sector since 1993, DTOS Group has positioned itself as a leading regional Management Company. With 27 years of existence, the group has been closely associated with the development of the Mauritius International Financial Services Centre since its early days and keeps contributing to the development and the reputation of this industry.
How to turn the digital nomad dream into a reality in 2021
3 min readWith a promising vaccine on the horizon, life is slowly returning to what it was pre-pandemic, but a future of remote working is definitely not off the cards. Companies around the world have been forced to extend their remote-working policies well into 2021, and are starting to consider more flexible working styles beyond that, both to reduce their overhead costs, and to support employee productivity and wellbeing.
Keeping track of utilities bills is tricky
3 min readAs estate managers we are responsible for ensuring that all our residents pay for utilities, so we need to be 100% confident that the bills we forward accurately reflect the actual consumption for which we are charging. And we can only do that if the utility companies send us accurate accounts.
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3 min readWith the way Eskom and various municipalities have been (mis) managing our power and water supply, and other utilities, it is very tempting to go off the grid. A few years ago, that was seen as an impractical pipe dream but, with improved technology, it is now decidedly possible. However, it's not that simple, so you need to do some serious pre-planning.
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Not all real estate licensees are the same; only those who are members of the national association of realtor are properly called realtor. They proudly display the realtor " ®" trademark on their business cards and other marketing and sales literature.
Agents take the spam out of your property showings and visits. If you're a buyer of new homes, your agent will whip out her sword and keep the builder's agents at bay, preventing them from biting or nipping at your heels. If you're a seller, your agent will filter all those phone calls that lead to nowhere from lookie loos and try to induce serious buyers to write an offer immediately.


Certified designers and installers create your optimum solution.
Berkshire Systems Group's Audio & Video System Integration team has over 75 years of combined experience in the industry. With industry certified designers and installers on staff, whose experience spans a wide range of projects, we understand the need to utilize equipment from many different manufacturers to obtain the optimum solution.


MAIN PAGE > Journal "World Politics" > Rubric "Psychological warfare"
Abstract: International relations are more and more often becoming the field of political conflicts. Despite the fact that the epoch of global confrontation has come to an end, the total number of political conflicts in the world is not only on the decline, but rather continues to be on the rise, and are manifested in new forms, with a low likelihood of responding to stabilizing impacts of traditional instruments of political management. Modern day conflicts have become one of the leading factors of instability in the world today. Because they are poorly managed, they have the tendency to escalate and to draw in a greater and greater number of participants, which creates a threat not only to those who are directly involved in the conflict, but to everyone else as well.


Bridal hairdressing and visiting hair stylist for weddings in the UK - bride's hairdresser.
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Absolute exclusivity in your town, a multi-page bridal website, unique domain name & email address. Each site is fully optimised for Google, Yahoo and Bing... and is linked into our UK network so you benefit directly from all of our visitors, national marketing activities and local wedding hairdresser searches.
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Danish advertising pairs and panes are listed, using identical numbering, by both Facit and AFA. The centering of the advertising labels and the stamps varies greatly within the panes and pairs; examples with VF centering are unusual in most cases; Superb centering is exceptional. The perforations of these issues were often quite variable, with small-hole perforations that resulted in rough appearance -- this is usually normal and typical. All are available for viewing on approval. Please send your want list for any items not listed.
Danish Advertising Pairs on cover are also availlable.
You will note in the illustrations that sometimes the postmark does not continue onto the label. This is typical and normal due to postal regulations which stated that the labels were not permitted on international mail. Thus, on covers, the labels were often covered by other stamps (which masked the postmarks).
In 2005, an important new handbook Danish Advertising Panes by James A. Gaudet was published. It contains a great deal of new research and never-before published information on the Danish advertising label pairs/panes and booklets. The book thoroughly covers the development, printing, production, and usage of these issues, with particular emphasis on the varieties of both the labels and the stamps. The result of many years of painstaking work, this book brings new life to its subject. Completely in English, hundreds of illustrations, hardbound, 230 pages. Published by the Scandinavian Philatelic Foundation, the book can be ordered from Jay Smith and Associates, with 100% of the funds going to the SPF. Join today (minimum $15 donation) to help promote the translation and/or publication of English-language Scandinavian philatelic literature.