Originally Posted by rhumb

Saw both the new 3.7 and 5.0 motors at the DC Autoshow last night. Just from eyeballing them, they both look like very good engines and significant (huge in the case of the 3.7) advancements over their '10 predecessors.

Both, in concept and in execution, do look like they share very similar design approaches with the 5.0 being nearly, though not exactly, a +2 cylinder version of the 3.7. While some may whine about the plastic intake manifolds, I think they're great -- lightweight, little heat sink and glossy interior passages.

These mills should keep the Stang fresh and competitive until the next redesign and beyond.

Negatives -- rear end is still the lumpiest, bumpiest and plumpest of the three pony cars -- just way too much going on. That diaper needs changing.

Autoshow side notes:

6.2 motor: Had one of these sliced up sitting around. Really does look like much more of a truck motor than the 3.7 and 5.0 mills, which it is. While some may hanker for it simply by dint of bigger jugs, I think the '11 Stang motors will be far more exciting drives.

PowerStroke engine: Some really funky design aspects including:

• Exhaust inside the V, intakes from the outside
• Crazy 4V push rod valve train with the valves positions rotated maybe 30 degree from normal.
• Weird split on the big end of the rods (not perpendicular to the main rod axis)
• Just a big, beefy lump of motor, would look at home powering an Amtrak train.

F-250 Super Duty: Big chrome front end is just looking clownish characature at this point, perhaps tone it down with some matte-finishes or something.

SVT Raptor: Looked real cook with a well done aggressive grill. Massive shocks look like they cost most of the added pricing alone.

Fiesta: Ford's gotta winner here, proof again that an econobox need not be a penalty box. Hatch looks a lot better than the 4-door, even in tropical lizard green.

Focus: New Focus is a stunner compared to the aged toad the current Focus has become. Hope Ford creates SVT versions of both the Focus and Fiesta.

Camaro: While the interior design/quality was better than I expected, you really are plopped deep down in some gun bunker when sitting in it. Lowering the belt line 2 inches and raising the roof line an inch would greatly ameliorate the cave like ambiance of the interior and allow you to see more than 3 degrees above and below the horizon line.

Challenger: Great big beast (I feel like I'm physically shrinking when I walk up to one) with a less than scintillating interior design, but by far the best styled exterior of the pony cars and somehow very comforting and familiar. Somehow I think an SRT8 would be the best of the three for doing an extended cross country jaunt. Trunk could hold more than a couple of bodies too. If the next gen shrinks 10-15% in size and weight and perks up the interior design while keeping the classic exterior design and all that Hemi goodness, Dodge will really have a winner. Hope the current version sells well enough to make that possible.