From LeftLaneNews:

While GM may have put its RWD ambitions on hold for the time being, rival Ford still has plans for a new rear-drive architecture. Ford North America president Mark Fields said the first vehicles would arrive within the next five years, according to the latest GoAutoNews newsletter.
"I'd say that we are looking at that very, very closely," Fields said. Like GM's Zeta platform, Ford's new RWD architecture will also come from Australia.
It's not known if the next-generation Mustang will also share the platform, or if it will continue on its own architecture. The Mustang will receive a facelift for the 2009 model year, and a complete redesign — with a new platform — for 2012.
Earlier this year, Ford revealed the Interceptor concept, which was built on a modified Mustang platform.

 

Five years is to long to wait.

 

Blame rebuilding. They have to concentrate on bleeding sores like the lack of a B-car, getting the cars which they are biulding right now to sell, and addressing capacity. They simply can't get a whole new family of RWD cars out sooner with their current resources. Apparently, neither can GM.

What this does is increase the likelyhood that they'll do it right. Rather than just stretching the Mustang or making a half-arsed attempt to bring the BF Falcon over (like the GTO fiasco), they'll develope something Americans will acutally want.

 

With as slow as they are to react to any market trends or customer desires, and the competance of that response when it does happen I wonder if there will even be a Ford in 5 years. Hell, why not promise a Focus with 400hp if you're not going to be here to build it?

 

wait i thought the stang redesign was going to be 2010 model year. Now they state 2009. Hmm... head to head with the Camaro... Ford better have an ace up their sleaves.

But 2012 for any other RWD car...ahh way too long..why does ford take so long.

 

Since I missed the original story. What is the reason for the renewed interest in RWD?

 

did you not get the memo...FWD sucks.

Technology in cars now with stability and traction control and such make driving a rwd much safer for idoits. So now the common people can drive rwd.

why would anyone want wrong wheel drive?

RWD or AWD is the only option.

 

I meant why are automakers showing a renewed interest in RWD.

I know FWD sucks. But the public has not yet rejected FWD. If you look at the 20 most popular vehicles (according to Edmunds) and subtract trucks, only two vehicles are RWD and 15 vehicles are FWD. So without seeing the original story it surprises me that automakers would consider making more RWD cars. Perhaps TCS electronics+RWD is cheaper to build than FWD?--is what I was thinking.

 

Customer demand.

 

So there's hope for Interceptor?

 

I remember info here on TMS that said the face lifted Mustang will come in 2009 as a 2010 model year vehicle. Maybe they've moved the facelift up 6 months to make it an 09 model.

 

Yes indeed

 

the other thing is, fwd is killer on tires, but good on gas, breaks easy and hard to work on in such confined areas IE a mini-van that fwd...a nightmare..., plus u can make just about any vehicle thats rwd capable of pulling a trailer without the worry on demolishing your transmission...plus..more room..more power, and cost is a big factor..i bet its not cheap to make a fwd car with all the components required, amd amother thing, a solid-axle car will handle a rear-quarter hit a lot better than a whiplashing fwd sedan
o and weight distrabution

 

Here Here I'll second that !

 

Since RSC is now going to be required by law, doesn't that mean there'll be a lot of one-wheel-peel cars out there?

I don't think anyone has even built a car with RSC and a trac-lok diff.