EXCLUSIVE: DAN & GALAXIE INTERVIEW HAU THAI TANG
7/25/04, 02:35 PM
#1
I Have Admin Envy
Thread Starter
Surprise everyone
First off I would like to thank some people for making this happen.
Arboc (Kevin W) from our forums and GTAMC (Greater Toronto Area Mustang Club)
Steve Mason from GHMA (Golden Horseshoe Mustang Association)
John Vernile from Ford of Canada and GHMA
Chris Banks, Public Affairs Manager, Ford of Canada.
On July 24, Dan and I had the chance to attend the 40th Anniversary show at Ford of Canada headquarters in Oakville, Ontario. In attendance was Hau Thai Tang, Chief Program Engineer of the 2005 Mustang. We were lucky enough, thanks to the good people listed above, to arrange to sit down with Hau Thai Tang for about 25 minutes and discuss the upcoming 2005 Mustang.
Hau Thai Tang also had a 1-hour tech session where he talked about the 2005 Mustang. From hearing that entire presentation, I am positive that this car will be the best Mustang ever, and all little doubts I had in my mind have been erased. This car is spectacular and I will do anything I can to get one next year. Everybody that has already ordered one, rest assured, you are in for a pleasant surprise.
A lot of info from the tech session had already been discussed, but I will touch on some of the highlights of the presentation.
At the SEMA show in November, there will be over 10 Mustangs on display from people like Roush, Saleen, etc. There are 3 Mustangs currently circulating among the big aftermarket companies, and bolt-ons will be available soon after launch.
The IRS is not there for several reasons,
-Cost
-Rear-seat packaging
-The Lincoln LS IRS could not handle the torque output of the 4.6
-The LS IRS would not be a good platform when a convertible was used. When Hau Thai Tang was doing the chassis work on the Thunderbird, had to put a lot of bracing to stiffen then chassis which he could not do on the 2005 Mustang because there would be no rear seats.
-A solid axle is much easier to build on the line.
He made a great quote from J Mays on the styling on the car: “I want people to quiver when they see a Mustang in their rear-view mirror”
The pedals were moved closer together for better heel-toe downshifting
Team Mustang spent a lot of time on the chassis of the car, Volvo safety engineers had some input in the chassis design and as a result, the front rails are splayed to make the car much safer in front-end offset crashes.
The 2005 Mustang GT is 40 pounds heavier than the 2004 Mach1. This is with a much bigger car in every dimension.
The Mustang’s exhaust is basically as loud as it can be to pass government regulations.
The 18” wheels will be delayed until MY2006. This is because equipment at AAI is not currently capable of handling the 18” wheel package.
The 2005 Mustang is the best rear wheel drive car Hau Thai Tang has ever driven in the snow.
Funniest quote of the presentation:
“I’ll point out some of the other cars that were at the track, an RX8, an M3, an Infiniti G35 and the last one is a GTO.. or is that a Cavalier?”
When testing at Road Atlanta that day, the Mustang was within a half-second lap time of the M3
INTERVIEW
NOTE: Hau Thai Tang said right at the beginning he could not answer any questions about special editions
Steve
We represent themustangsource.com which is the most popular independent 2005 Mustang website on the internet. We congratulate you on a great job on this new Mustang, which is certainly going to be a hit (OT I have been waiting for this car for 2 years) we will both be purchasing one
Dan
I would just like to say the presentation was excellent and it re-enforces to us that this Mustang is the best Mustang ever and we are just dying to get in one. The job you guys have done should really be commended.
HTT
Been a long journey with lots of hard work
Dan
Obviously being in charge of the Mustang design team is much more different than any other car, you have attained a celebrity status that you wouldn’t have doing any other car. What kind of challenges have you had? What is the best/worst part about having this project?
HTT
The best part about working on the Mustang is everyone knows what a Mustang should be. When I was working on the Lincoln LS, we were trying to change the direction of Lincoln, we are coming out with a new model and we don’t have a customer base to go talk to. We were trying to figure out how to position the car. With the Mustang, we have 40 years of history, what has worked and where mistakes have been made. In that respect, it was very easy.
The best part about working on the Mustang is everyone knows what a Mustang should be and they all give your opinion on it. For example early in the design stage, executives would walk into the studio and say, “make it more like a 67, make it more like the 70, add louvers,” so we got a lot of input , it comes from working on an icon. The toughest part is working on a budget. Anyone can design a great $120,000 car, but I had to make the car affordable and make some money for Ford. Otherwise we wouldn’t be in business. That said, it is either an IRS, or variable cam timing and 300HP.
Steve
Was the styling being planned as retro/heritage from the outset?
HTT
Typically when we design the car we assemble we start with a bunch of different designs, then narrow it down to one or two, do clay models and do a lot of research. With Mustang we didn’t do any research, J Mays position is “If we don’t know what a Mustang should look like, then we have hired the wrong people to work on it” We basically had a board put up with all the best features of past mustangs showing taillights, scallops, grilles. We basically looked through it and picked out our favorite elements.
Dan
Were there any other engines in the works?
HTT
It was always the 4.6, we studied at one time the spray bore technology through Ford Racing, but that technology wouldn’t work on such a high volume. We looked at different V6 engines, we looked at the Duratec but we thought that it didn’t have enough low-end torque for a Muscle car. There wasn’t a lot of wavering with power plants.
Steve
Did you use the Mach 1 as the benchmark for performance or the now defunct F-bodies? How does it compare with the Mach 1/ F-bodies?
HTT
We didn’t really have one car because Mustang in a market of its own. We did spend a lot of time looking at driving dynamics with the M3. In my opinion, it the benchmark car in terms of handling. For Mustang sound quality, the exhaust, we looked at the Mach. The Bullitt was a car that I did and I really liked it from an overall driving dynamic balance. There wasn’t really one car that we looked at.
Dan
Can you elaborate on how the straight-line performance will be? Will it be close to the Mach 1?
HTT
We are not ready to come out with the numbers, but it is going to be a measurable improvement over the outgoing car. With some of the speculation out there 5.3, 5.2, it is going to be in that ballpark
Dan
What do you think the most significant improvement is over the previous generation? ie. what will customers be most surprised by?
HTT
I think what will surprise people is how refined the car is, how well it steers, how well it rides, how well built the car feels, the brakes, the structural integrity of the car, all of those things we fixed in the car. I think overall the quantum leap is refinement, and people will be greatly surprised.
Dan
Is there any part/component of the car you would have designed or implemented differently looking back?
HTT
At the 50,000 foot level I am convinced we made the right decisions for the customer. There were some challenges, like the 18” wheel and tire packages, because of the increased space constraints. It was a big challenge, but it worked out from a styling perspective.
Dan
Can very wide tires be squeezed in the front/rear wheel wells?
HTT
We basically have to design the wheel well size for government snow chain regulations. That said, we needed to have a certain amount of clearance in there. There is a little bit more room there. There is plenty of room. We have made sure that there are no clearance issues.
Dan
How well does the three-link setup really handle vs. IRS setup?
HTT
Really well, phenomenal handling car. The 3-link setup is superior to the 4-link and is the optimal solid axle design. I don’t think people will be disappointed.
Dan
Was the platform designed to accept an IRS in the future?
HTT
Yeah, the SVT guys really believe they need an IRS and there will be one for that. Being said, I don’t want people to think that they will be able to order an IRS and bolt it into your can in your garage. I don’t want people to think you can just drop out the 3-link and bolt in the IRS. But it will be the same body structure.
Steve
So it is confirmed that the 18’s are delayed until 2006
HTT
Yes
Steve
Thanks, I hope you understand there has been a lot of speculation and I am glad you could put the rumors to rest.
Dan
Rumor has it the computer will be difficult to manipulate. Can you comment on how flexible the ’05 will be for modifications?
HTT
It will be more difficult to manipulate but at the same time, it will not be something that is impossible. There are ways around it and there is a lot of incentive from the people in the aftermarket. It is a more sophisticated car, but at the same time nothing insurmountable.
Steve
Other than the wheels, do you expect any other changes for 2006? Colors?
HTT
Sure, the titanium that was at the car at the Detroit auto show will be offered in 2006, there were other changes on the color palette as well, but I can’t recall.
Dan
On behalf of TMS, we would like to thank-you for sitting down and talking through us, directly to true Mustang enthusiasts, it’s been a pleasure and we congratulate you on a great job.
Everyone,
Hau Thai Tang is a super-nice guy and he was really nice enough to talk to us, we both hope you enjoy this. We wanted to surprise you guys,
Dan and Steve (aka Galaxie)
PS Thanks to boomer for hosting pics.. too bad you could not come
Legend Lime GT Pics - This is the First Legend Lime GT seen...
For more (with some vids) more goodies
First off I would like to thank some people for making this happen.
Arboc (Kevin W) from our forums and GTAMC (Greater Toronto Area Mustang Club)
Steve Mason from GHMA (Golden Horseshoe Mustang Association)
John Vernile from Ford of Canada and GHMA
Chris Banks, Public Affairs Manager, Ford of Canada.
On July 24, Dan and I had the chance to attend the 40th Anniversary show at Ford of Canada headquarters in Oakville, Ontario. In attendance was Hau Thai Tang, Chief Program Engineer of the 2005 Mustang. We were lucky enough, thanks to the good people listed above, to arrange to sit down with Hau Thai Tang for about 25 minutes and discuss the upcoming 2005 Mustang.
Hau Thai Tang also had a 1-hour tech session where he talked about the 2005 Mustang. From hearing that entire presentation, I am positive that this car will be the best Mustang ever, and all little doubts I had in my mind have been erased. This car is spectacular and I will do anything I can to get one next year. Everybody that has already ordered one, rest assured, you are in for a pleasant surprise.
A lot of info from the tech session had already been discussed, but I will touch on some of the highlights of the presentation.
At the SEMA show in November, there will be over 10 Mustangs on display from people like Roush, Saleen, etc. There are 3 Mustangs currently circulating among the big aftermarket companies, and bolt-ons will be available soon after launch.
The IRS is not there for several reasons,
-Cost
-Rear-seat packaging
-The Lincoln LS IRS could not handle the torque output of the 4.6
-The LS IRS would not be a good platform when a convertible was used. When Hau Thai Tang was doing the chassis work on the Thunderbird, had to put a lot of bracing to stiffen then chassis which he could not do on the 2005 Mustang because there would be no rear seats.
-A solid axle is much easier to build on the line.
He made a great quote from J Mays on the styling on the car: “I want people to quiver when they see a Mustang in their rear-view mirror”
The pedals were moved closer together for better heel-toe downshifting
Team Mustang spent a lot of time on the chassis of the car, Volvo safety engineers had some input in the chassis design and as a result, the front rails are splayed to make the car much safer in front-end offset crashes.
The 2005 Mustang GT is 40 pounds heavier than the 2004 Mach1. This is with a much bigger car in every dimension.
The Mustang’s exhaust is basically as loud as it can be to pass government regulations.
The 18” wheels will be delayed until MY2006. This is because equipment at AAI is not currently capable of handling the 18” wheel package.
The 2005 Mustang is the best rear wheel drive car Hau Thai Tang has ever driven in the snow.
Funniest quote of the presentation:
“I’ll point out some of the other cars that were at the track, an RX8, an M3, an Infiniti G35 and the last one is a GTO.. or is that a Cavalier?”
When testing at Road Atlanta that day, the Mustang was within a half-second lap time of the M3
INTERVIEW
NOTE: Hau Thai Tang said right at the beginning he could not answer any questions about special editions
Steve
We represent themustangsource.com which is the most popular independent 2005 Mustang website on the internet. We congratulate you on a great job on this new Mustang, which is certainly going to be a hit (OT I have been waiting for this car for 2 years) we will both be purchasing one
Dan
I would just like to say the presentation was excellent and it re-enforces to us that this Mustang is the best Mustang ever and we are just dying to get in one. The job you guys have done should really be commended.
HTT
Been a long journey with lots of hard work
Dan
Obviously being in charge of the Mustang design team is much more different than any other car, you have attained a celebrity status that you wouldn’t have doing any other car. What kind of challenges have you had? What is the best/worst part about having this project?
HTT
The best part about working on the Mustang is everyone knows what a Mustang should be. When I was working on the Lincoln LS, we were trying to change the direction of Lincoln, we are coming out with a new model and we don’t have a customer base to go talk to. We were trying to figure out how to position the car. With the Mustang, we have 40 years of history, what has worked and where mistakes have been made. In that respect, it was very easy.
The best part about working on the Mustang is everyone knows what a Mustang should be and they all give your opinion on it. For example early in the design stage, executives would walk into the studio and say, “make it more like a 67, make it more like the 70, add louvers,” so we got a lot of input , it comes from working on an icon. The toughest part is working on a budget. Anyone can design a great $120,000 car, but I had to make the car affordable and make some money for Ford. Otherwise we wouldn’t be in business. That said, it is either an IRS, or variable cam timing and 300HP.
Steve
Was the styling being planned as retro/heritage from the outset?
HTT
Typically when we design the car we assemble we start with a bunch of different designs, then narrow it down to one or two, do clay models and do a lot of research. With Mustang we didn’t do any research, J Mays position is “If we don’t know what a Mustang should look like, then we have hired the wrong people to work on it” We basically had a board put up with all the best features of past mustangs showing taillights, scallops, grilles. We basically looked through it and picked out our favorite elements.
Dan
Were there any other engines in the works?
HTT
It was always the 4.6, we studied at one time the spray bore technology through Ford Racing, but that technology wouldn’t work on such a high volume. We looked at different V6 engines, we looked at the Duratec but we thought that it didn’t have enough low-end torque for a Muscle car. There wasn’t a lot of wavering with power plants.
Steve
Did you use the Mach 1 as the benchmark for performance or the now defunct F-bodies? How does it compare with the Mach 1/ F-bodies?
HTT
We didn’t really have one car because Mustang in a market of its own. We did spend a lot of time looking at driving dynamics with the M3. In my opinion, it the benchmark car in terms of handling. For Mustang sound quality, the exhaust, we looked at the Mach. The Bullitt was a car that I did and I really liked it from an overall driving dynamic balance. There wasn’t really one car that we looked at.
Dan
Can you elaborate on how the straight-line performance will be? Will it be close to the Mach 1?
HTT
We are not ready to come out with the numbers, but it is going to be a measurable improvement over the outgoing car. With some of the speculation out there 5.3, 5.2, it is going to be in that ballpark
Dan
What do you think the most significant improvement is over the previous generation? ie. what will customers be most surprised by?
HTT
I think what will surprise people is how refined the car is, how well it steers, how well it rides, how well built the car feels, the brakes, the structural integrity of the car, all of those things we fixed in the car. I think overall the quantum leap is refinement, and people will be greatly surprised.
Dan
Is there any part/component of the car you would have designed or implemented differently looking back?
HTT
At the 50,000 foot level I am convinced we made the right decisions for the customer. There were some challenges, like the 18” wheel and tire packages, because of the increased space constraints. It was a big challenge, but it worked out from a styling perspective.
Dan
Can very wide tires be squeezed in the front/rear wheel wells?
HTT
We basically have to design the wheel well size for government snow chain regulations. That said, we needed to have a certain amount of clearance in there. There is a little bit more room there. There is plenty of room. We have made sure that there are no clearance issues.
Dan
How well does the three-link setup really handle vs. IRS setup?
HTT
Really well, phenomenal handling car. The 3-link setup is superior to the 4-link and is the optimal solid axle design. I don’t think people will be disappointed.
Dan
Was the platform designed to accept an IRS in the future?
HTT
Yeah, the SVT guys really believe they need an IRS and there will be one for that. Being said, I don’t want people to think that they will be able to order an IRS and bolt it into your can in your garage. I don’t want people to think you can just drop out the 3-link and bolt in the IRS. But it will be the same body structure.
Steve
So it is confirmed that the 18’s are delayed until 2006
HTT
Yes
Steve
Thanks, I hope you understand there has been a lot of speculation and I am glad you could put the rumors to rest.
Dan
Rumor has it the computer will be difficult to manipulate. Can you comment on how flexible the ’05 will be for modifications?
HTT
It will be more difficult to manipulate but at the same time, it will not be something that is impossible. There are ways around it and there is a lot of incentive from the people in the aftermarket. It is a more sophisticated car, but at the same time nothing insurmountable.
Steve
Other than the wheels, do you expect any other changes for 2006? Colors?
HTT
Sure, the titanium that was at the car at the Detroit auto show will be offered in 2006, there were other changes on the color palette as well, but I can’t recall.
Dan
On behalf of TMS, we would like to thank-you for sitting down and talking through us, directly to true Mustang enthusiasts, it’s been a pleasure and we congratulate you on a great job.
Everyone,
Hau Thai Tang is a super-nice guy and he was really nice enough to talk to us, we both hope you enjoy this. We wanted to surprise you guys,
Dan and Steve (aka Galaxie)
PS Thanks to boomer for hosting pics.. too bad you could not come
Legend Lime GT Pics - This is the First Legend Lime GT seen...
For more (with some vids) more goodies
7/25/04, 02:37 PM
#2
I Have No Life
7/25/04, 02:48 PM
#3
I Have No Life
I really wish I could have come guys....
Thank you so much for posting this.
I can live vicariously through you guys
Great pics, great vids, great cars, great day.
I was thinkin about you guys...well no, not really...
I was thinkin about the car!
Special thanks again to Mr. Hau Thai Tang for giving you bums the time of day
The site and myself really appreciate the honest answers and passion for this car.
We've never felt so many emotions at one given time...anxiety, pride, curiousity and excitiment...and we haven't even riden in the car yet!
"For those about to rev....we salute you!"
Thank you so much for posting this.
I can live vicariously through you guys
Great pics, great vids, great cars, great day.
I was thinkin about you guys...well no, not really...
I was thinkin about the car!
Special thanks again to Mr. Hau Thai Tang for giving you bums the time of day
The site and myself really appreciate the honest answers and passion for this car.
We've never felt so many emotions at one given time...anxiety, pride, curiousity and excitiment...and we haven't even riden in the car yet!
"For those about to rev....we salute you!"
7/25/04, 02:55 PM
#4
Do You Remember Me?
Join Date: January 29, 2004
Posts: 6,000
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I have to say that this day and the events which occurred were beyond anything I could have imagined.
It was great to meet Steve finally as well...eh Steve?
Plus, the chance to talk to the man behind the car was a once in a lifetime experience. I have to say that Mr. Hau Thai-Tang is as hardcore a mustang enthusiast as they come and a pretty darn nice guy! Thanks Mr. Thai-Tang for the interview and to all that made this possible (including you Steve).
And thanks to Boomer for his hard work posting and hosting. Wish you were there buddy!
Sorry we kept you guys in the dark, but we really wanted to surprise you.
Anyways,
Enjoy!!!
Dan
It was great to meet Steve finally as well...eh Steve?
Plus, the chance to talk to the man behind the car was a once in a lifetime experience. I have to say that Mr. Hau Thai-Tang is as hardcore a mustang enthusiast as they come and a pretty darn nice guy! Thanks Mr. Thai-Tang for the interview and to all that made this possible (including you Steve).
And thanks to Boomer for his hard work posting and hosting. Wish you were there buddy!
Sorry we kept you guys in the dark, but we really wanted to surprise you.
Anyways,
Enjoy!!!
Dan
7/25/04, 03:05 PM
#5
Team Mustang Source
Very nice guys guys. Frankly, I have been getting bored with the site. No real big news, a lot of bickering and false speculation. I looked today to see if any new news. It was nice to open the site and find this. You have outdone yourselves.
Dan, you are right, that was a once in a lifetime experience. Enjoy that experience over the rest of your life as you enjoy your Mustangs.
Dan, you are right, that was a once in a lifetime experience. Enjoy that experience over the rest of your life as you enjoy your Mustangs.
7/25/04, 03:17 PM
#8
Mach 1 Member
Join Date: January 30, 2004
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Great job guys. Good questions you asked him.
Too bad about the 18's not making it until MY06, but at least we have confirmation on that.
How did the parchment interior look with the IUP? I noticed that's what the car had, from the video. That's what I ordered, and want to see what it looks like. Did you guys get any interior pics?
Too bad about the 18's not making it until MY06, but at least we have confirmation on that.
How did the parchment interior look with the IUP? I noticed that's what the car had, from the video. That's what I ordered, and want to see what it looks like. Did you guys get any interior pics?
7/25/04, 04:17 PM
#14
Do You Remember Me?
Join Date: January 29, 2004
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Originally posted by CA Stang@July 25, 2004, 5:20 PM
How did the parchment interior look with the IUP? I noticed that's what the car had, from the video. That's what I ordered, and want to see what it looks like. Did you guys get any interior pics?
How did the parchment interior look with the IUP? I noticed that's what the car had, from the video. That's what I ordered, and want to see what it looks like. Did you guys get any interior pics?
The windows were closed and the car was locked except for one instance when they let a guy sit in it and start it up. This is the best pic I have of it: