An article from Automotive News "Next Mustang to undergo global design input", Ford says

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...110309969/1491


Sorry if this has already been posted.

 

Here's how I see it. Ford could probably benefit from having Ford of Europe or it's sometimes partner Mazda do the chassis design. They are used to making lighter cars and might do a better job of coming up with a lighter design than the boys from Dearborn. And while we TMS'ers may disagree on styling, IRS vs. solid axle, ideal engine size, manual vs. automatic, I think we universally agree the Mustang would be better if it were lighter.

As far as styling goes, it should be an American design. No one says that Jaguars look too British or that Lamborghinis look too Italian. The Mustang is an iconic American car and I think it's unique American styling will help, not hurt, sales in the rest of the world. I'm not saying the next-gen Mustang must be another retro design, but it must really maintain some of the classic Mustang design cues, like the forward-canted grill, tri-bar taillights, and the "scoop" or "hockey stick" design on the side.

 

Yet they have no experience making 500+ hp production cars in either case. Ford EU and Mazada's lighter cars are all sub 400hpo models.

Japan's only regular production car making in excess of 450hp is the GT-R and it weighs almost 3900 lbs. and uses a few exotic materials to keep weight down.

A cursory glance at most of the high powered stuff coming out of Europe is just as heavy when it comes to conventional cars.

 

You guys are reading too much into this. Ford taking input from all their design/engineering centers globally doesn't mean the car will turn into the Probe, the Hyundai Genesis, or the Easter Bunny. It just means Ford's best and brightest will be involved, wherever they are and whoever they are.

 

Agreed. Too often in the past, Detroit designs have been blinkered or constrained by a myopic "not invented here" syndrome -- at best ignoring better design options and at worst taking an almost spiteful rejection of superior engineering ideas.

That American designs can be open to integrating the best ideas, regardless of where they might have originated is, I think, the strongest strategy that Ford can pursue. Just look at just a few of the most iconic Fords of the past to give concise example of that:

Shelby Cobra
GT40
Pantera
Mustang

Yes, the Mustang, which originally was a canny melding of both American and European sport coupe traits.

 

Good points, rhumb.

 

I dont have a problem with Ford taking some good ideas from elsewhere, however the engineers located in the US of A aren't a bunch of unschooled hacks (the current 5.0 is one very good example, the Ford GT - not to be confused with the GT40 which was derived from the Broadly GT is another), if anything you'll find the clumsy ham-fisted touch of an accountant leading to alot of compromised products (for example, the 07-09 GT500's and thier cast iron blocks which while very very very tough were a profit maximizing manuever) we have in the US.

Another example to consider; the Focus ST and Mondeo ST which magazines raved about with sophisitcated european manners and lamented not being available in the america were ripped right from the Focus SVT and Contour SVT programs developed in the US.

We have very talented and capable people in the US who can engineer and deliver world class cars, unfortunately before Mullaly it seems they weren't allowed to do so.

 

Bob the Focus ST and the Focus in general were always light years ahead of what was available in the US. Also the Mondeo was a completely different car than what was avail in the US. Granted SVT was here in the US but really didn't have any role at all for what was going on in Europe. The Focus SVT was so down on performance vs. the Euro version..I mean look at what the Focus RS was capable of. I tell you why Ford didn't import the Focus RS is due to the fact at the time it would have thoroughly embarassed the Mustang, Ford US's champion for performance cars. Not to mention the interior as well as the rest of the car was just so much better than what was available here in the US. That is finally being rectified next month.

Dave

 

What's being rectified next month? The Focus release?