Uncovered! Hyundai Genesis Coupe = Mustang Competition
11/16/07, 01:18 PM
#62
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And sometimes, I just feel like Charlie Brown 
11/16/07, 05:53 PM
#63
I think Ford did miss a great opportunity here by using the S197 platform to create a Mercury Cougar. Add a few inches to the wheelbase for a bit of actual rear seat room, notch up the interior quality and features, drop in an IRS to raise the ride/handling standard and render it all in sophisticated modern styling and voila, the perfect counterpart to the retro Stang. But Ford, in their agonizing myopia, somehow rationalized their ways out of this excrutiatingly obvious solution.
Now Mercury, starved of any compelling models, is dying a slow, agonizing death -- Ford lacks either the guts to kill it outright and put it out of its misery or the foresight to reinvigorate its lineup to make it viable again. Thus, Mercury just stumbles along on money sucking life support with no future prospects at all. The one-model S-197 platform -- the bespoke Mustang -- has a rather small production volume to amortize development and production costs, is forced to pinch pennies and content, hence cheapish interior materials, antiquated SRA axle, etc.
Now Mercury, starved of any compelling models, is dying a slow, agonizing death -- Ford lacks either the guts to kill it outright and put it out of its misery or the foresight to reinvigorate its lineup to make it viable again. Thus, Mercury just stumbles along on money sucking life support with no future prospects at all. The one-model S-197 platform -- the bespoke Mustang -- has a rather small production volume to amortize development and production costs, is forced to pinch pennies and content, hence cheapish interior materials, antiquated SRA axle, etc.
Why aren't we developing the next Mustang platform here with intentions of the same underpinning a huge spectrum of models? For example we could realistically see....
1. A superb next gen Mustang that continues the performance on a budget them through the deft use of good chassis design and inexpensive but effective components like a mac strut IFS, but which also brings the goodies a stand alone Mustang platform struggles with like multi-link IRS.
2. Why not supplement the above with a proper tri-five T-Bird tribute? Ford is considering a RHT Mustang for the next redesign give it a proper sports luxury car redo inside and out and create a true modern day T-Bird to use that RHT instead? Ford would no doubt end up with something far better than the retiree special that was their last effort and at a lower cost. Other benefits include the possibility that a more upscale, twin cockpit interior developed for the T-Bird could also be employed in upmarket Mustang like the GT500 or an upcoming Boss making those cars even more special while further amortizing the cost of the Thunderbird. It doesn't have to be retro, but the same could offer great looks, sport, a dash of luxury, and a RHT for far less than anything else of similar size and power. A low volume model which should easily be profitable the T-Bird also brings image to the brand and customers to the showroom.
4. A two door Lincoln Grand Touring car which would effectively be a fixed roof version of the T-Bird. A Lincoln-ized Mustang in every way this could be another low volume players which makes money and brings consumers into showrooms by capitalizing on the basic goodness of the Mustang.
3. While were at it, why not ship this platform over to the land of Oz and let them whittle a new Falcon out of it? Realistically the demand for cars like the existing Falcon and Commodore is too small to justify platform development in these countries anymore, and lack of demand for the Falcon and Commodore may be an indication that these cars need to evolve or go away altogether in either case.
I would rather see Ford accentuate the positive, so why not let the Mondeo replace the Falcon as the mainstream, mid-size offering in FOA's portfolio and reinvent the Falcon as a 4-door fastback coupe intended to sell in smaller volume than the current model? In every respect this would be very similar to a four door Mustang and could be exported to virtually every market in the world, including our own. (I like the idea of this car coming to our shores as a Mercury) Real room for four is a must, and a slight retro theme (that preferably harkens back to the old XB) would likely play very well with the Australians. FOA could also devlop a new Territory on this same platform and that could be sold in America as a Mercury as well giving Australia an even greater export market and providing Mercury with the differentiation from Ford it so desperately needs.
3. Explorer and Edge replacements: These are obvious IMO. The Edge could evolve into something more akin top a first generation BMW X5 in terms of size and shape with the Explorer effectviely being a lwb, 3-row version of the same. Keep true off-road bits as an option, like an available low range 4wd, but the emphaisis here should be on car-like handling and performance.
Some may argue that Ford is planning much the same with Huntsman but IMO that platform is overly ambitious (trying to accomodate a Lexus LS competitor and a Mustang on the same platform seems ridiculous to be blunt) and we have no reason to believe the Australians know how to perform as cost effectiely as Team Mustang did. Just a thought.
11/16/07, 08:18 PM
#64
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I'm with you this time Rhumb. Given what they had to work with Team Mustang managed a fantastic job with the S197 seriously over-delivering by building a car which is a good bit better than the sum of it's parts. Now, since we know that Ford's US operations know how to execute very well here delivering better than can reasonably be expected on a budget why on earth aren't they capitalizing on it?
Why aren't we developing the next Mustang platform here with intentions of the same underpinning a huge spectrum of models? For example we could realistically see....
1. A superb next gen Mustang that continues the performance on a budget them through the deft use of good chassis design and inexpensive but effective components like a mac strut IFS, but which also brings the goodies a stand alone Mustang platform struggles with like multi-link IRS.
2. Why not supplement the above with a proper tri-five T-Bird tribute? Ford is considering a RHT Mustang for the next redesign give it a proper sports luxury car redo inside and out and create a true modern day T-Bird to use that RHT instead? Ford would no doubt end up with something far better than the retiree special that was their last effort and at a lower cost. Other benefits include the possibility that a more upscale, twin cockpit interior developed for the T-Bird could also be employed in upmarket Mustang like the GT500 or an upcoming Boss making those cars even more special while further amortizing the cost of the Thunderbird. It doesn't have to be retro, but the same could offer great looks, sport, a dash of luxury, and a RHT for far less than anything else of similar size and power. A low volume model which should easily be profitable the T-Bird also brings image to the brand and customers to the showroom.
4. A two door Lincoln Grand Touring car which would effectively be a fixed roof version of the T-Bird. A Lincoln-ized Mustang in every way this could be another low volume players which makes money and brings consumers into showrooms by capitalizing on the basic goodness of the Mustang.
3. While were at it, why not ship this platform over to the land of Oz and let them whittle a new Falcon out of it? Realistically the demand for cars like the existing Falcon and Commodore is too small to justify platform development in these countries anymore, and lack of demand for the Falcon and Commodore may be an indication that these cars need to evolve or go away altogether in either case.
I would rather see Ford accentuate the positive, so why not let the Mondeo replace the Falcon as the mainstream, mid-size offering in FOA's portfolio and reinvent the Falcon as a 4-door fastback coupe intended to sell in smaller volume than the current model? In every respect this would be very similar to a four door Mustang and could be exported to virtually every market in the world, including our own. (I like the idea of this car coming to our shores as a Mercury) Real room for four is a must, and a slight retro theme (that preferably harkens back to the old XB) would likely play very well with the Australians. FOA could also devlop a new Territory on this same platform and that could be sold in America as a Mercury as well giving Australia an even greater export market and providing Mercury with the differentiation from Ford it so desperately needs.
3. Explorer and Edge replacements: These are obvious IMO. The Edge could evolve into something more akin top a first generation BMW X5 in terms of size and shape with the Explorer effectviely being a lwb, 3-row version of the same. Keep true off-road bits as an option, like an available low range 4wd, but the emphaisis here should be on car-like handling and performance.
Some may argue that Ford is planning much the same with Huntsman but IMO that platform is overly ambitious (trying to accomodate a Lexus LS competitor and a Mustang on the same platform seems ridiculous to be blunt) and we have no reason to believe the Australians know how to perform as cost effectiely as Team Mustang did. Just a thought.
Why aren't we developing the next Mustang platform here with intentions of the same underpinning a huge spectrum of models? For example we could realistically see....
1. A superb next gen Mustang that continues the performance on a budget them through the deft use of good chassis design and inexpensive but effective components like a mac strut IFS, but which also brings the goodies a stand alone Mustang platform struggles with like multi-link IRS.
2. Why not supplement the above with a proper tri-five T-Bird tribute? Ford is considering a RHT Mustang for the next redesign give it a proper sports luxury car redo inside and out and create a true modern day T-Bird to use that RHT instead? Ford would no doubt end up with something far better than the retiree special that was their last effort and at a lower cost. Other benefits include the possibility that a more upscale, twin cockpit interior developed for the T-Bird could also be employed in upmarket Mustang like the GT500 or an upcoming Boss making those cars even more special while further amortizing the cost of the Thunderbird. It doesn't have to be retro, but the same could offer great looks, sport, a dash of luxury, and a RHT for far less than anything else of similar size and power. A low volume model which should easily be profitable the T-Bird also brings image to the brand and customers to the showroom.
4. A two door Lincoln Grand Touring car which would effectively be a fixed roof version of the T-Bird. A Lincoln-ized Mustang in every way this could be another low volume players which makes money and brings consumers into showrooms by capitalizing on the basic goodness of the Mustang.
3. While were at it, why not ship this platform over to the land of Oz and let them whittle a new Falcon out of it? Realistically the demand for cars like the existing Falcon and Commodore is too small to justify platform development in these countries anymore, and lack of demand for the Falcon and Commodore may be an indication that these cars need to evolve or go away altogether in either case.
I would rather see Ford accentuate the positive, so why not let the Mondeo replace the Falcon as the mainstream, mid-size offering in FOA's portfolio and reinvent the Falcon as a 4-door fastback coupe intended to sell in smaller volume than the current model? In every respect this would be very similar to a four door Mustang and could be exported to virtually every market in the world, including our own. (I like the idea of this car coming to our shores as a Mercury) Real room for four is a must, and a slight retro theme (that preferably harkens back to the old XB) would likely play very well with the Australians. FOA could also devlop a new Territory on this same platform and that could be sold in America as a Mercury as well giving Australia an even greater export market and providing Mercury with the differentiation from Ford it so desperately needs.
3. Explorer and Edge replacements: These are obvious IMO. The Edge could evolve into something more akin top a first generation BMW X5 in terms of size and shape with the Explorer effectviely being a lwb, 3-row version of the same. Keep true off-road bits as an option, like an available low range 4wd, but the emphaisis here should be on car-like handling and performance.
Some may argue that Ford is planning much the same with Huntsman but IMO that platform is overly ambitious (trying to accomodate a Lexus LS competitor and a Mustang on the same platform seems ridiculous to be blunt) and we have no reason to believe the Australians know how to perform as cost effectiely as Team Mustang did. Just a thought.
And what ever happened to the Reflex concept from a few years back?
Then they show a 427 concept a few years ago, don't build it (while Chrysler cleans up with the 300C)...then Ford shows essentially another version of the 427, the Interceptor, but heck, that's just a design "exercise," they don't really plan to build that either
I'm convinced that they really have no idea what they're doing.
Compared to GM, it looks as though Ford is just re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
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