http://wot.motortrend.com/ford-desig...ro-118729.html

The next-gen Ford Mustang arrives on the 50th anniversary of the iconic pony car, and the pressure is on for Ford designers to produce a product that will please fans of the marque both inside and out. Ford’s design boss J Mays was on hand at the Frankfurt Motor Show to provide an update on how the model-year 2015 Mustang is coming along. In an interview with Automotive News, Mays stated that the styling is “being locked down.” He also stated that the next Mustang will skip the retro look employed on the current generation.
“The challenge or the opportunity for 2014 with a 50th anniversary car is to not just look back over your shoulder, but to try to win all of the Mustang faithful yet bring the brand forward as well,” he says.
Like many of the recent products to come from the automaker, the next Mustang will be a display of the “One Ford” program. That means for the first time ever, the Mustang will be sold in overseas markets such as England, Japan, and Australia. Additionally, Ford’s design studios in Europe and Australia are contributing to the design.
“It has to look like a Mustang,” Mays said. “But you go down a list of things that might or might not be necessary to make the car look like a Mustang.”
Mays didn’t provide any clues on mechanical bits, though it’s widely assumed that the 3.7-liter V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8 engines should carry over since they are fairly new designs. One thing that won’t be making its way back, however, is the live rear axle, which should get the axe to make room for an independent rear suspension setup.

 

SN95 New Edge II please!

 

There's a linked article at the bottom: "Ford Promises “Very Cool Mustang” for 50th Anniversary" - Mustang III???

I was really hoping there would be one last throwback for the 71-73 models.

 

im not sure im liking this...hope were not going down that whole probe idea again....

 

If they are skipping the so-called "retro" look, I'm very curious to hear in what ways J Mays thinks this new car will "look like a Mustang". For me, what people are calling "retro" and what is sometimes referred to as Mustang "DNA" are one and the same.

From what little we've officially heard about the Nextstang, I'm not at all encouraged at the direction things are going.

 

I think you will see some of the lines of the Evos in it.

I think maybe I'll just hang onto my "retro look" models then.

 

Independent rear suspension! At least one thing sounds good about this...

 

2015 here you go

 

No thanks.

 

Gah!

 

I think cudak888 at AFM was going in a good direction.

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forum...photoshop.html

 

That will never happen.

 

SN95 part II

 

Interesting. I think Ford needs to remember the retro approach is what brought the car back to prominence. I understand what they are trying to do but they need to be very careful what they mess with lest they upset the faithful. And I'm not thrilled with IRS...Ford tried that once and it continues to be a mistake IMO...plus there's a reason that axle has a following. It also makes the car considerably cheaper...IRS could push Mustang GT trims easily into $40,000 and away from the cars niche as affordable muscle

 

I'm ready for something new. Something strong and muscular. It can still have the DNA but it's time to move on. The same way each generation did in the past. I'm sure they know what they are doing.

 

I guess I think about this differently than most of the guys on the forum but.....The Mustang has been around for almost 50 years because it has apealled to a wide variety of people. It must continue to do so. It can't just be directed at those among us who long for the glory days of the 60's. I grew up in the 80's and 90's so I think of the fox bodies and SN95's as "the Mustang". But I still accept all of the various redesigns as being "the Mustang" in somebodies eyes. If Ford wants to get back to selling over 100k of them per year it has to move forward. The 2005 retro theme sparked interest but that has faded due to the return of competition from Camaros and Challengers. I trust Mays and the boys will strike a good balance of heritage and future.

 

Ford knows how important the Mustang is to the brand so they won't stray too far. However, I do believe if you really like the look of the current car, you better get one before '15 because the 2015 Mustang will look different from the current model, not simply an evolution.

 

More than likely it will just be another sports coupe with Mustang cues. The hockey stick, some form of the tri bar lights and shark nose front. Most likely the size of the Hyundai Genesis coupe and a variation of the Evo. We can be coming to the end of a muscle car war already. Im sure the Camaro will follow suit and refine the Camaro and the Challenger may fade away all together. Mustang sales aint that hot right now so the public must want a different twist and to bring in more buyers and foreign buyers they must europeanise the stang.

 

Yeah, but that was 6 years ago. Right now Mustang's sales are the lowest in his 47 year old history.
By the way, a 1999-2004 Mustang wasn't really all that retro and still sold better than 2005-2009.

 

I guess the 05-09 will go down as the best looking modern retro mustang to date