Just curious what the general feeling is regarding retro styling for the next model, since there are a lot of conflicting opinions. Is it time to ditch the retro look, or should it be taken even further with the next model?

Personally I think it is wearing a bit thin, and I would like to see a more progressive design for the 2014/15, but how do we keep that "american car" look without rehashing the same design cues from the past? The retro look has been going for so long now that any departure from it might really upset the apple cart. Have Ford painted themselves into a corner design wise?

Imagine the outcry if the new model went more progressive after so long with the retro look. I can already hear the cries of "euro trash", "ricer" and "un-American" if the car doesn't have triple tail lights, fog lights in the grill and a side scoop.

The Mustang is unique in how much history it has, but is time to stop borrowing so heavily from the past?

 

I'd be happy with a modern facsimile of a '69 Fastback. It's the retro looks that make it stand out in a crowd. The 2010 moved the game away a little, but I wouldn't want it to go any further.

The problem with making it "modern" is you run the risk of it looking like any other generic coupe.....BMW/Audi/Lexus.

I love the fact my car has the 60s look without the high maintenance

 

I think if you make the retro to modern like some of these sketches you see it gets more in the line of the Camaro design.

 

Evolve the current designs... its what a stang should look like.

 

Evolve the design with some retro . . .

 

I know I am disliked for my dislike of the 2010-2011 rear end treatment. Why couldn't the next generation do something along the lines of what the 1968 had - a concave look, but maintaining the tri-tail light look - all three being even. Keep the long nose/hood and short rear deck, a flat roofline that slopes like the Iacocca, the hips, the fogs in some fashion. I guess what I am saying is don't allow the design to stray too much from the current design. That is what made the S197 such a huge hit.

 

Stay Tuned!

 

I think ill keep my '11 stock because the next Gen look very promising according to Topnotch.

 

You mean like this?

 

Yes, very much like that!

 

I said to go something ala SN95. We can't keep retro this whole time, but we do have to keep it recognizeable as a mustang. My sister knows what's a mustang from every generation except the II and a fox. And she's not a car person at all.

Personally, I love the triple tails, but the fogs can be moved down to be REAL fogs. It just doesn't work on the current design. And no more faux side scoops! Let's make those real brake ducts or something.

 

IMO, the '67-'68 fastbacks and any of the '69s have the best looking rears of the classic Mustangs, so its nice to see them possibly having a bigger influence on future Mustangs.

 

I am all for seeing the Mustang progress and evolve as long as there are certain key design elements that keep it looking unmistakingly like a Mustang while looking modern, fresh and trying new sculture here and there. The main cues for me are the mouthy wide grille with the running pony emblem, side scoop design, the familiar fastback roofline (semi or full, but I bet on full), triple vertical taillamps and the dual hooded dash. I am not so keen on the quarter window being integrated into the door window design unless they do it like the Shelby GTR concept with the extreme kick up from the door beltline which in turn is very early 1970's Ford coupe styling. I still have an strong affinity for the isolated quarter window design we currently have.

If the Mustang gets to the point where there is no "genetic resemblence" at all to the classic and newer ones then it would not be a Mustang anymore, just the name badge on a stranger.

 

[QUOTE=watchdevil;5862622]I am all for seeing the Mustang progress and evolve as long as there are certain key design elements that keep it looking unmistakingly like a Mustang while looking modern, fresh and trying new sculture here and there.]

What you have stated is what I have heard/read from Ford thru the years. There are basic design elements like the long hood, short rear, etc that are MUSTANG . IMO I don't see an increase in retro but a decrease.

 

See I don't find the current cars retro...
I think the previous versions (preo05) were so far detached from the originals that when the 05 came out, people started calling it retro.

 

I don't see the term "retro" being a bad thing. some folks speak of it as something of a bad thing.

 

Right about now, it's been 5 years and a freshening. In the span of 4 years, another is on the way.

That's 65-69 = 2005-2013

So we're talking the 70-73 is the 2014 to...?

At which point we can all hail the retro Mustang II design. I can't wait, and I'm thinkin Arin and others are with me on that.

/just sayin'.
//Yeah, that'll happen... not.

 

to me it doesnt have to look retro, it just needs to look good

 

I personally don't consider the 05-11 mustangs retro. The challenger, PT cruiser, SSR, and HHR are retro. To me the 05 just got back to what a mustang should look like. I own a 02 GT and while it does have some classic queues it still is of the jelley bean aero design like all the other cars of the time. I know I might get flamed for saying this, but the II was more of the classic mustang design than the foxes or even the SN95s. As far as the future mustangs go just let the current design evolve nautrally. Don't go radically stirring the pot so to speak. For instance take a look at the 911 you can trace the basic design all the way back to the original and no one considers it retro. That in my opinion is the way to go forward, just suttle tweeks to the design to keep it fresh.

 

Definitely.

Fox & SN 95 where jimmy square box and the underbite series from pluto.