2007 L.A. Auto Show
Look for the 2009 Ford Flex at dealerships in early 2008.

Though it didn't formally meet the press at this year's L.A. show, the blue-oval brand did premiere two vehicles. The more commercially significant is the 2009 Ford Flex, the replacement for the late Freestar minivan. Sales should be underway in early 2008. Flex shares a platform with the revamped 2008 Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable large sedans, but wears boxy, low-profile wagon styling--Ford's idea of a people-mover without the sales-killing "soccer mom" stigma. Standard features include a mandatory 3.5-liter V6 with six-speed automatic transmission, plus three-row seating, traction control, and curtain side airbags. Stability control will be available, along with the Ford Sync system for voice-controlled operation of cell phones and music players. Ford should release full Flex details, including prices, by this January's 2008 Detroit Auto Show.

2007 L.A. Auto Show
The 2008 Mustang Bullitt recalls the iconic 1968 Steve McQueen "Bullitt" movie Mustang with specific dark-green paint and 18-inch wheels in period style.

The other L.A. premiere--and almost lost in the crowded exhibit--was the latest special edition of America's pioneer ponycar, the 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt. Like its 2002 predecessor, it recalls the iconic 1968 Steve McQueen "Bullitt" movie Mustang with specific dark-green paint and 18-inch wheels in period style. This time, though, the galloping-horse grille emblem is left off--as on McQueen's car--and designers have taken more liberties with interior trim, though Ford insists it's "authentic to the period." Otherwise, the Bullitt is basically the normal Mustang GT coupe with specific suspension tuning and a 4.6-liter V8 mildly massaged up to 315 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. Base price is $31,075. Just 7700 copies are planned. The Bullitt is part of an ongoing series of special editions intended to keep Mustang looking fresh, a must now that the old warhorse is facing its first direct competition since 2002 from a reborn Chevrolet Camaro and a resurrected Dodge Challenger.

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