Yahoo Autos The Taurus Might Be About To Die
Welcome to The Grid, R&T's quick roundup of the auto industry and motorsports news you should know this morning.
The End of the Taurus?
At one point, the Ford Taurus was the best selling car in the country. Now, it appears to be on the verge of going away forever, again. Blame the softening market for small cars and sedans, but Ford is apparently considering dropping the Taurus and Fiesta (for the US) and GM the Impala and Sonic.
The Fiesta has been assumed as a loss for us ever since the new ST was essentially confirmed as not being sold in the US. But we hadn't heard that GM was considering dropping the Sonic, a fun little hatch that doesn't get enough recognition, and the Impala, a lovely fullsize sedan that is also not selling anything like it used to. According to Automotive News, both Ford and GM issued statements saying that these cars are important members of the lineup. For the Taurus, this would be its second death after it died and was replaced by the Five Hundred in 2006.
Honda Changes
After an unsuccessful debut with Toro Rosso at the Australian Grand Prix, Honda is already making updates to its F1 engine for this weekend's race in Bahrain.
The issue is that this year, F1 teams are only allowed to use three engines during the season, and this weekend Pierre Gasly will already be on his second power unit. Honda says that Gasly had an issue with the MGU-H and turbo in the race in Australia that damaged the engine, so all three components have been modified and replaced in both Toro Rossos.
McLaren Wants Regulation
McLaren hasn't had the greatest run the last few years with Honda power (see above). But the 2018 season is already looking up with a double points finish in the first race of the year. But the team wants to see closer racing in the seasons to come.
Speaking to Motorsport, McLaren's racing director Eric Boullier said that he hopes the next set of regulations allow for a more level playing field. Whether that means regulations that help keep the cars closer or a spending cap, it sounds like Boullier wants the 2021 regulations to keep the grids closer and make races more unpredictable. Liberty Media will unveil its proposed plans for 2021 this weekend.
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