overdrive

_IN THE 1970s and 89s, auto-
mobiles were biand, stale, and
“boring, largely due to many
_ uninspired, look-alike designs
‘— most apparent in the fami-
ody car segment.
“General Motors and Chrysler,
“along with other automakers, - ”
believed that family cars should look
angular, flat, and appliance-like in
shape. Both continued to produce
such conservative cars as the :
Chrysler K-cars, They strongly felt
that consumers would not buy a
~ practical four-door sedan that looked
futuristic, ‘sporty, and worse of all,
curvy and round.
tot With the ‘introduction of the
smoothly’ sculptured, energetically.”
“Styled Ford Taurus and Mercury

able in:1986, however, Ford proved °

that they were: wrong. This was the
beginning of a new chapter i in car

: “We shocked our design staff by
- asking them to come up with some-
: thing that they would actually like to;
® drive,” commented Edward:
Hagenlocker, president of Ford
" "Automotive Operations. -
“lt didn't take long before this -

4Y FRIEND, Chris, asked

“me the other day, most elo-
“ quently, “man, what’s the

‘deal with these (infuriating

_ people), who signal right.

’ then'swerve way to the left

“Sand then make a really wide

‘right turn and sort of mean-
~ der into the wrong lane and .

: just generally (make me

Mad). ans

T replied, “gosh, Chris, I really
; “don’t know. Your question, howev-
er, certainly merits a spot in the

Signals column in the News!”

_, What is with these people that
*...“wind up” for a turn? Technically,
“+ one can take a comer at a greater

__ Speed if one elongates the arc, but.

* the practice is mostly effective on

“an indy circuit — kind of pointless

in town where vehicles cross paths

call the time. . .

CAS a simple act of common

‘

designer-driven jelly-bean shape
became the most important design
change to ever hit the automotive
industry. The spherical, soup-shaped
design has since become so common
that we no longer view this as an
innovative shape.

Nine years and three million cars
later, Ford is shaking up the automo-
tive design ficid once again with the
unveiling of its totally revised and
redesigned 1996 Ford ‘Taurus and
Mercury Sable sedans. According to
Ford design executives, their goal
was to “create cars that have the
same dramatic impact on automotive
design as the original.”

The new 1996 Taurus and Sable,
which will arrive in our showrooms
this fall, aren‘t as radical looking as
the original versions back in 1986,

- but they still make a strong state-

ment. Ford has been displaying the
two models at various auto shows in
both Canada and the U.S,

The new cars boast an elliptical
theme all around, from headlights to
the body contours, to the handsome
interior layout. Both the Taurus and

Sable share design cues with other -
Ford products, including the smaller

Ford Contour and Mercury
Mystique. The front design of the .

‘Taunus stands out the most, with four:

round lights reminiscent of the
Lexus SC400,

The interior is anything but
bland, either, The elliptical-shaped
dash panel looks as if it came ;
straight out of a concept car. It also
boasts 2n innovative centre control
panel, which neatly integrates the
radio and heater controls into one.
round pod, with no visible bound-
aries between the two sections. The
interior was designed to convey
quality throughout by incorporating

* soft-touch feel buttons and seamless

interior components — you won't

“eourtesy, most drivers try to

' squeeze over to the right shoulder

before making a right turn. After

“all, most of us slow down before a
_ turn and moving over simply gets
“us Out of the way of those cars

behind us that want to travel
Straight without slowing.

.. This is called “sharing the
road” and you are less likely to
have a “driver conflict” (as
Opposed to the old-fashion, inaccu-'
rately named “accident”) if you do
it. Likewise, staying to the left part

_ of the lane before a left tum is a
way of sharing, too. In either case, |

slowing down and making a sharp-
er, controlled turn is more safe,
more communicative with other
drivers and easier on your car and
its tires. Also, if you cared to mea-
sure, the distance traveled is less.
In the example my friend Chris
raised, the driver in front of him
signalled one way then moved his
vehicle the other. While the signal
itself was the irue indication of

where the driver was actually turn- .

ing, he made himself appear as one
of those drivers that truly have no

" clue as to where they want ta go. I
was surprised that Chris mentioned :
" signals at ail; not signalling is usu-

ally the first bad habit on the list
of unsafe driving practices, making

sloppy, wide tums comes later.

Anyway, Chris would appreci-

ate it if these drivers would stop

“making him mad.” Be safe.

’ Shaun Conlin is the
owner/operator of Upper Levels
Driving School. To reach Shaun

for a question or comment, call”

984-8688.

SORT Ge MRD Oa yds Me oe

see a single exposed screw any-
where.

Designs aside, the new Taurus
and Sable promise to deliver a high
level of refinement, comfort, and
performance, thanks to a 60% stiffer
body, roomier interior, 160,000 km
tunc-up V-6 engines, Micronfilter
system, and all the usual safety fea-
tures,

Is the new pair of sedans too
futuristic looking to appeal to main-
stream sedan buyers?

Maybe, but that's what some crit-

ics said back in 1986, and Ford '
proved them otherwise. This time
around, { don't think anyone is ques-
tioning Ford's aggressive approach
to car design.

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NOTICE TO MOTORISTS & CYCLISTS

LIONS GATE BRIDGE

SINGLE LANE TRAFFIC / SIDEWALK CLOSURES —

“The | Ministry of Transportation and Highways advises motorists that there will

‘be single lane traffic in both directions and sidewalk closures on the Lions.
Gate Bridge from Sunday, March 5 to Friday, March 31. Single lane traffic and
‘sidewalk closures are needed for the replacement o of sidewalk panels « on ithe
.bridge and will be in effect as follows: ots #

Single Lane Traffic
Sunday to Thursday
14:00 PM - 5:30 AM

$s DEWALK CL

Southbound: Sunday, March 5 to Sunday, March | 9 (24 Hoursiday) a
Northbound: Sunday, March 19 to.Friday, March 31 (24 Hours/da

Motorists and cyclists 2 are: masked to obey construction zone signing.

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B23 95 model Stk. #041 automatic, _p/iteerng
323 94 model Stk, #844, automatic p/steering, 20 ‘km

PROTEGE 95 model Stk, #026, LX, 1.8L.

MIATA. 94 convertible, Stk. #482, of steering, alloy wheels

MYSTERE 94-LS, 5 spd., red, brand new, Stk. #448
MYSTERE 94 Sports package, automatic, Stk. #399

Province of

British Columbia

Ministry of Transportation
‘and Highways :

$11,815
—- $9,978 |
$16,660.
PRECIDIA 94 MX3, GS., stk. #850, V6, auto, s/roof, 10 km § 1 &, 980
P RECIDIA 95 model, P/steering, Stk. #023, 5 spd., p/stesring, 1.6L $1 5 960 |

$19,980 —
$18,880
$22,500.
$20,650 -

CRONOS | 93 model, 626 premium, leather, 38 km, Stk. #862 $2 1 00 _

CRONOS 94 Touring LX, new, automatic, ABS Stk, #471

$21,800

: SERENIA 94 model, 929, premium, new, leather, alloy, Stk, #282 $37, 820

RX7 93 model, touring, vintage red, leather boje system, 40 km

®
®
e
c)
e
r)
© MYSTERE 33 model, MXS, LS coupe, 38 km, Stk, #822
e
®
e
8
®
eo

$33, 900

All prices include freight and PDI and are net of factory rebate

“dhnxtliny*

» Regency Mazda