The Bullitt's power pack includes a redesigned air box, a different filter, and an updated engine calibration. It is different than the Shelby GT.

 

I wonder if the Bullitt's air box will make it to the FRPP CAI? They have it on the V6 85mm CAI already, much better looking IMO than the current V8 CAI air box.

 

A different air filter hardly constitutes a new engine variation.

 

Driveline's are certified as a package for most purposes, and if the Bullitt's driveline was certified with the SGT's then the Bullitt would wear the same GGT the Shelby does. This means that the Bullitt was certified as a stand alone product and that car will pay for it's own certs without any help from the SGT.

While I'll agree that certain cars make for interesting comparisions in particular categories the reality is that the Mustang is like nothing else. IMO it is interesting that when discussing issues like the 2:1 price range rule and the amount of plausible engine options we're effectively discussing the status quo as the auto industry sees it, and we're then applying this to a vehicle which regularly defies the same.

My personal opinion. Pre-conceived ideals and 'the status quo' are at the fore of the problems which are killing Detroit. Status quo is just a nice way of saying 'we're doing what everybody else is doing', and Ford's best moments have always been when they defied convention. For this reason the argument that 'nobody else' does it doesn't do much for me. In fact, typically speaking the idea should be to try to do what nobody else is doing.

AFAIK Porsche has released nothing regarding total production, etc. as yet. That said, GT2 has always defied the 2:1 rule (the last model was almost a 200k car) and has never had an issue selling out (the last model was sold out before the first car was built IIRC)

And I disagree. You could pose this same argument as it applies to Chevy's Corvette, and for the same reasons. That car sells a rather high percentage to people who wanted one when they were young and have become affluent enough with time to realize this. Sales numbers for the GT500 are strong and there is no reason to believe this will change with a follow up model.

 

Cool.

Here's my future lineup thinking realistically. I think it will go in 100hp steps.

Mustang - 3.5L DOHC V6, 250hp
Mustang GT - 5.0L SOHC 3v V8, 350hp
Boss 302 - 5.0L DOHC V8, Twin Turbo, 450hp
Shelby GT500 - 5.4L DOHC V8, Supercharged (new Eaton TVS), 550hp.

 

Why would Ford reduce the power of the D35? Today it puts out 263 HP on regular gas. With GDI it could easily get a 30 HP bump up.

 

Going too far out of the box can easily become a billion $$ fiasco.


But GT2 sales are tiny. Historically Porsche has done an excellent job of gaging what the market is and then producing a few less than the market demands.


I didn't say that the GT-500 would not continue to sell if Ford continues to produce it. What I did say is that in the not too distant future the GT-500 will no longer sell with $20K ADMs. (ie. the $20K ADMs are a one time phenomona.)

 

The FRPP air box and filter are different on the Bullitt and not a re-use of the FRPP air box and filter in use on the Shelby GT. That was the point of my comment.

As jsaylor mentions, the engineering work would be amortized differently between the two.

 

Yes, but without mitigating circumstances simply trying to do what the established players are doing almost certainly dooms you to be an also ran for the forseeable future, and that in an best scenario.

Yes, but then two of the six engine choices I said I would like to see would be utilized in models with extremely limited production as well. And while I will absolutely agree that Porsche is the master of knowing how to satisfy the market in the just the right way and amount with the 911, the Mustang is one of the few other vehicles in production that holds something like the same kind of broad-based, universal appeal. In terms of marketing possibilites I think the similarities are striking.

In this respect I agree. But I think the GT500 has absolutely helped to prime the way for a 60k plus Mustang should Ford choose to build one. The primary difference between such a model and the current GT500 IMO would be that a future Mustang moving for that much money would have to be a genuine 60k+ car.

 

I would really like to know how many GT-500s have really sold with $20K ADMs. I think we'd find it's less than we've been thinking.

 

quite a few I am afraid.

 

"quite a few" is not a very definitive #.

I want to see some hard #s.

 

Heres my line up in light of the new 35 mpg CAFE standard being passed


Base - 250hp n/a V6
GT - 300hp n/a V8
SE - 350hp n/a V8
SVT - 400hp n/a V8

I don't think it will mean the end of V8s , but I would mean the end of FI V8s

 

I hope we don't see this line-up

base - 100hp I4
GT - 150hp V6
SE - 200hp V6
SVT - 250hp V6



Just kidding!

I do wonder what the effects of this will be on Ford's fleet. I suspect that we will know better as more hybrid, diesel, and fuel cell technology makes it to the mainstream.

 

There will still be the FI V8's. Just in much more limited numbers. You might see 3000 produced a year instead of 7000 or 8000.

 

definatly not an end to FI. maybe SC but thats why they are going turbo. because turbo will actually improve the efficency of an engine and you can still ahve your rediculous horsepower.

 

as long as you keep your foot out of it, while a turbo is good at reclaiming lost thermal effeciency you still have to richen up the A/F mix when your on boost.

Ultimately though you can extract only so much power from gasoline and the only way to increase MPG would be to reduce power.

Still though, I can't see a problem with a 400hp SVT Mustang, thats a 12 second car if they were to do that N/A and keep the weight down around GT Mustang weight.

We have become truly jaded I think, the GT is an entry level car capable of mid to high 13 second times and it does nearly 150 and just under .9 on the skid pad, yet people bash it for being slow and ill handling

Perhaps the 35 mpg CAFE thing isn't to bad in some sense.

 

Why worry about something that will never happen??

A 120mpg plug-in hybrid would offset the poor fuel economy any Mustang gets, besides, you can have huge power and big mileage numbers too, by 2020 who knows what we'll be able to do. Private companies can build electric Mustangs that are faster than anything Ford sells, it's just a matter of refinement and time, big powered Mustangs are here to stay.

 

How about a V8 hybrid mustang? hey, if GM can call something that gets 20 mpg "green" why can't Ford do the same with Mustang?

 

I agree. You can't hardly call that an "engine option" or "power adder" or "engine variation" at all. Ford fell way too short on offering a bonafide power option for the 2008 BULLITT. Most folks I have spoken with agree also.