jarradasay

Hold the hate posts for a second.
Here is what hyundai has

Entry level 2.0 Turbo with 210hp 6 speed IRS @ 22K
Mid level V6 with 300 hp 6 speed and IRS@ 25K
Then bring in the 5.0 @ 400 for 30K
SE
GT500...

Right now there is a huge gap between V6 and GT both in price and in performance. They are already working on a Ecoboost 4 cyl. Incorporate that as the entry level (if hyundai can do it at the price why cant ford) Bring in the 3.5 or 3.7 next more power but still thousands less then a V8, and then bring in the 5.0. A mustang with 210 Turbo'ed horses with 225 ftlbs would scream and weigh les then the current 4.0. I don't know how ford is going to bring the 3.7 in at the same price point as the current 4.0, so they will lose the lower end buyer.

The hyundai progression solves the problems. Something for everyone. Who knows maybe they can woo some of the Tuner buyers over.

David Young

That would be great! Mustangs use to have a in-line 4 cylinder, V-6 and a V-8 offered.

YSUsteven

2.0 turbos are well over 250 HP now from the factory, why would you only want 210 ???

And I would still prefer a N/A V6 than a turbo four.

rhumb

I think Ford ought to start the Mustang lineup with the 3.7 V6 and work up from there.

For more a more economical sports coupe, I think they ought to have a Fiesta-based coupe spinoff or a Focus Coupe that doesn't look like poo.

While their may be some overlap between the high end Fiesta/Focus coupe and the lower end Stangs, they would/could/should be distinct enough not to cannibalize each other too much: FWD/AWD vs RWD, sport coupe vs. muscle/pony car).

Maybe a 4-banger Stang might be necessary for those secretaries who really must have that Mustang style unencumbered by actual Mustang performance, but I'd keep it a cheap, naturally aspirated motor as those Stangers with any real performance desires are going at least V6 if not V8, especially that the upcoming 3.7 will have actually performance.

Zastava_101

Same here.

2k7gtcs

I'd rather have a Ford style engine line up for 2014 myself.

Blue Notch

Everyone keeps talking about giving the V6 more and more power. Lots of V6's are owned by young drivers. You really want someone who's barely begun to drive behind the wheel of something that fast? 210hp 4cyl might be a good idea afterall....

jarradasay

Because turbo 2.0s making 250 hp are all near GT pricing. I want an inexpensive mustang! They are currently too DAM expensive, and going to get worse when the new engines come online (unless ford has some not before seen magic they are going to use).

Hyundai has a RWD, 6 speed, IRS equipped sport coupe with 4.0 v6 like power and torque starting at 22K which is already well equipped. A mustang with the same set up would stomp the current 6 and be a great entry level tuner. Not to mention at 210 ford would have a lot less to worry about in terms of reliability.

MBK

2.5L T 300/300
5.0L V8 430/400
5.0L T 600/600

Flagstang

My camaro hype sense is going crazy. The Hyundai brand has been growing on me over the years. BUT, who here would buy/trust a 400hp Hyundai?

jsaylor

If the Mustang wasn't going to get a 400hp V8, and Hyundai somehow shoehorned their upcoming 5.0L Tau V8 into the Genesis coupe at a competitive price, I would seriously consider the same over the Camaro SS for various reasons.

jarradasay

I did not say I wanted a hyundai, or a hyundai engine, but that ford would do well with an engine line up similar to hyundai's.

And to your question, when was the last time ford warrantied the engine, trans, and rest of the drivetrain for 100,000 miles. So why wouldn't you buy a 400 hp hyundai? At least you know 100K from now you'll still be covered, what about the 5.0 next year? 100K miles from now what happens if your ford engine/tranny/or drive train goes???

Of course, all else equal I would buy Ford, but Hyundai is coming on strong.

1trickpony

I'm asuming the Camaro is the Mustang's #1 competitor so this is biasing my option. The Camaro V6 costs $23K or less than the 3.7L and just above the turbo $? I think a turbo 4 will cost about as muh as the 3.7L to produce when you add in the intercooler and turbo. The 3.7L won't cost that much more than the 4.0L. I'm guessing less than $1000 increase in price ($21,995?). I like the idea but I'd offer only 1 engine, either the 2.0 turbo with 270 HP or a 3.7L with 300 HP. With the new CAFE standards, we might see the 2.0 turbo in a few years!

jarradasay

I figured on this response. The 23K camaro is like a unicorn. Everyone says it exists but no one has seen one. The cheapest i have seen is 26K. Not to mention the 23K Camaro is really base, even when compared to a bottom of the line mustang. When you limit your focus to your nearest competitor you go out of business!
The current 4.0 bases at 21995 already, so even a 1K increase puts it at 22995, not a bad price but i will be surprised if ford can pull it off. Not to mention that has a 5 speed and solid axle.
Ford ought to be able to produce a turbo four easily and inexpensively. And it could be shared across more lines then the 3.7 (hearing a 2.0T focus!!, fusion, etc. Like i said the reason for the extra engine is to fill out the model better. Currently price and performance jump is drastic enough to allow for additional editions, other then high performance ones. I guarantee a small four turbo'ed would be a huge hit for ford.

1trickpony

Chevy is selling every Camaro they can make so I'm not surprised there isn't a lot of base models out there. Once things settle down you should see more of these on dealer lots. The fact is Chevy is offering a $23K Camaro and that's what folks see on the Internet. If Chevy can offer a IRS, DI V6, 6 speed tranny for $23k its almost insulting to say Ford cannot match them. A minor point but the 2010 Mustang starts at 20,955 not including shipping so yes there's a little more room to wiggle. I'm very confident Ford can and will sell a 3.7L for $21,995 next year. While I agree you need to look at the whole market, the Camaro is outselling nearly everything else in the market (Challenger, Mustang, Genesis) combined and nearly double the Mustang last month. I'd definitely keep an eye on the Camaro. A turbo four would be popular with some folks but I don't see how you can take that much cost out of it. I'm guessing a $1500 spread between a modern 6 and 4. Throw in DI, Turbo, and intercooler and things start to look pretty even to me. I'm aware of economy of scale but the 6 also enjoys a lot of volume as well. My 2 cents and we'll see what Ford does in the years ahead. I just toured the Hino factory yesterday and I think Ford will try to keep things as simple as possible.

2k7gtcs

But Ford's trying to make a profit...Chevy's playing with house money. Not really a fair fight for now.


But...sometimes the house runs out of money too.

Rather B.Blown

Because Hyundai is using cheap, non-union, Korean slave labor practices.

1trickpony

I think even Government Motors is trying to make a profit. I don't see Chevy using a $23K Camaro as a loss leader and I think Ford will make money off of a $22K Mustang. Ford just needs some sales volume to make money. Mustangs have usually been sold on price compared to Camaro so I see Ford keeping the price low and volume up.

Flagstang

I was thinking about this today. Why even keep making V6 mustangs? I know some like them better as daily drivers and all that jazz. Why not have a Focus RS replace the V6 stang and work on making the new 5.0 mustang better?

also every chevy lot that I have dropped by to see the new camaro had 5+ V6's on the lot. They all started at $27,000 for some very base looking cars. They had a delux model on the lot for 31k and yes it was a V6. I laughed and told the sales guy that how much my brand new mustang gt costed.

2k7gtcs

True. But what it does show is a lack of profitability and a bad business model over the past few years. Have they seen the light? Are they all of a sudden on the right path, or are they just wandering in the wilderness.

I don't have any faith in them like I do in Ford. And so no I don't have any faith that they even know how to make a profit, other than simply taking in more money than you spend.