J.Mays Hints at Next Mustang in 2014...
10/6/10, 06:34 AM
#81
Shelby GT350 Member
Well from what i heard and the interview its no doubt we will see a smaller/lighter Mustang. Getting it back to the 64/65 original pony car aspect. Its sounds like the Mustang is going to evolve into a full blown sports coupe. Another rumor is the 5.0 being DI with 460 hp. The problem will be making this car affordable. I think again we will see a pretty good increase in price and GT will really start getting out of the average persons price range. If retro is going to take a back seat to more modern concept it will have no choice but to be more generic coupe. I just hope the interior space is not compromised as it is tight now.
10/6/10, 07:49 AM
#82
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Saw the video, nice thoughts. However if they change it too much it will become a paperweight no matter the performance.
Two icons in automotive history stand out for longevity of production.
Porsche 911
Mustang
This is where Ford needs to take a hint. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel with every new platform because the designer wants it to. Listen to a designer and you end up with a bugatti veyron @4000lb and nothing to do with the heritage besides an emblem and a grille and also a dazed and confused engineer trying to come up with ways for it to perform.
The thing Porsche does, and it does well is evolve the design to look contemporary and retro at the same time. Why cant ford do this? They demonstrated they can with the 05-09 then again with the 10-14, keep the theme going. Solid rear, irs, 4cyl, v6, v8, I6 dosen't matter. The thing that matters is that it looks like a mustang and its RWD. Other things, very much unimportant.
Simple, a mustang must resemble a mustang... Keep evolving the design and the chassis underneath. But the overall shape and design ques have to scream at you icon status.
Im excited, hopefully for good reason. Otherwise I'm not buying another to add to the stable.
Two icons in automotive history stand out for longevity of production.
Porsche 911
Mustang
This is where Ford needs to take a hint. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel with every new platform because the designer wants it to. Listen to a designer and you end up with a bugatti veyron @4000lb and nothing to do with the heritage besides an emblem and a grille and also a dazed and confused engineer trying to come up with ways for it to perform.
The thing Porsche does, and it does well is evolve the design to look contemporary and retro at the same time. Why cant ford do this? They demonstrated they can with the 05-09 then again with the 10-14, keep the theme going. Solid rear, irs, 4cyl, v6, v8, I6 dosen't matter. The thing that matters is that it looks like a mustang and its RWD. Other things, very much unimportant.
Simple, a mustang must resemble a mustang... Keep evolving the design and the chassis underneath. But the overall shape and design ques have to scream at you icon status.
Im excited, hopefully for good reason. Otherwise I'm not buying another to add to the stable.
10/6/10, 07:59 AM
#83
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I'd add Corvette to that list. Evolution, not revolution, is what's called for here. The 2005+ cars are the best looking Mustangs since 1970. Why? Because they look like Mustangs. Scale the car down, make it smaller and lighter. That's cool. But it needs to look like a Mustang. Otherwise, call it a f'n Probe.
Last edited by coffeejolts; 10/6/10 at 08:03 AM.
10/6/10, 11:04 AM
#85
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Thanks Ministang, you beat me to the reply button! You understood exactly what I meant...I'd like to see the Mustang scaled down to something close in size to the SN-95/Fox cars.
10/6/10, 11:39 AM
#86
Shelby GT350 Member
I think that's the consensus with a lot of the thoughts but it seems to be pretty well split, some want a more SN-95/Fox sized(but more modern) and then some want the continuation of the S197 evolution. It will be interesting to see how it goes since there seem to be obvious sides to this drawing out. I am all for lighter and smaller. I'm not a big guy, nor do I need a Mustang to be huge. M3 proportions?
10/6/10, 12:11 PM
#87
MOTM Committee Member
I think that's the consensus with a lot of the thoughts but it seems to be pretty well split, some want a more SN-95/Fox sized(but more modern) and then some want the continuation of the S197 evolution. It will be interesting to see how it goes since there seem to be obvious sides to this drawing out. I am all for lighter and smaller. I'm not a big guy, nor do I need a Mustang to be huge. M3 proportions?
)
10/6/10, 12:50 PM
#89
10/6/10, 01:01 PM
#90
Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
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Look, I know people have a soft spot for the Mustang they grew up with. I was a kid during the Fox years and know the feeling. But some looks are not coming back. My first Mustang was an SN95 and I'll always love it even if it was really not all that great objectively, but I don't expect to ever see the jellybean come back.
10/6/10, 01:21 PM
#91
GTR Member
However, there are legions of 911 fans, just as there are legions of Mustang fans. Porsche keep their fans happy by simply tweaking the design, always making the tech a bit more techie, the style a bit more stylish, the engine a bit more powerful. They've got a winning formular, and they're not going to ruin it. And the fans keep buying them.
In 2005 Ford found their winning formular again. They improved it again in 2010 and 2011 with a few tweaks (OK, some major tweaks) but the core product was still recognisably the same.
For 2014, I'm happy for it to sit on an all new, lighter, shorter more efficient platform, especially if that means greater performance going hand in hand with greater fuel consumption. I still want usable back seats though....my 2 kids enjoy the Mustang as much as I do. No need for the styling to deviate too much to accomodate this though
10/6/10, 05:38 PM
#94
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I don't understand all the 74-04 Mustang bashing and how they "finally got it right again" in 2005. Like music and clothing styles change over time. What was cool in 1968 probably would not be cool in 1988. The Mustang has had great success because it has been able to adapt to what people want in a Mustang. Even though we all bash on the Mustang II years of 74-78 it was the right car at the time.
People act as if the Mustang was in great peril prior to the 2005 model and it just was not the case. The the 2nd through 4 gen cars all achieved a great deal of success too! Compare the 99-04 sales to the 05-09 sales and you won't see that big of a difference. Can you imagine that the 1974 and 1994 Mustangs won Motor Trend car of the year yet the 2005 Mustang did not?
I think Ford did a great job with the 5th gen Mustang but retro styling is starting to get played out. Because of the Camaro and Challenger jumping on with the same idea Ford should mix it up. Perhaps it is just me but I think the new Mustang, Camaro and Challenger are all rather similar looking now.
let the debates begin! lol
People act as if the Mustang was in great peril prior to the 2005 model and it just was not the case. The the 2nd through 4 gen cars all achieved a great deal of success too! Compare the 99-04 sales to the 05-09 sales and you won't see that big of a difference. Can you imagine that the 1974 and 1994 Mustangs won Motor Trend car of the year yet the 2005 Mustang did not?
I think Ford did a great job with the 5th gen Mustang but retro styling is starting to get played out. Because of the Camaro and Challenger jumping on with the same idea Ford should mix it up. Perhaps it is just me but I think the new Mustang, Camaro and Challenger are all rather similar looking now.
let the debates begin! lol
10/6/10, 07:38 PM
#97
Shelby GT350 Member
10/6/10, 08:44 PM
#98
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Hmm, I wonder how they concluded that Ford would "depart" from retro design based on what he said? Just because the car might look more modern or "progressive" doesn't mean they are eschewing the retro look, at least not totally.
10/6/10, 09:02 PM
#99
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I think it would be a mistake to forget about the retro theme all together. I say keep the lines and overall shape, but make it sleeker and more aerodynamic. Move the wheels closer to the corners of the car, and shorten the hood a few inches.
Another problem, if they shrink it, hopefully they will be able to keep the interior dimensions the same (if not even grow the back seat a bit), if that goes away I think a lot of buyers will have to look elsewhere. I know for me, having a back seat that will fit 2 children/small adults is very important as I can't afford, nor want, a vehicle that wouldn't be practical with a family.
Something I would like addressed is the trunk opening, though it would never prevent me from buying a car, it would be nice if it were to have an opening that was easier to deal with. Plenty of things fit in the current trunk, but because the opening space lost due to the lights and the angle of the trunk floor, its hard to get many items in there.
Another problem, if they shrink it, hopefully they will be able to keep the interior dimensions the same (if not even grow the back seat a bit), if that goes away I think a lot of buyers will have to look elsewhere. I know for me, having a back seat that will fit 2 children/small adults is very important as I can't afford, nor want, a vehicle that wouldn't be practical with a family.
Something I would like addressed is the trunk opening, though it would never prevent me from buying a car, it would be nice if it were to have an opening that was easier to deal with. Plenty of things fit in the current trunk, but because the opening space lost due to the lights and the angle of the trunk floor, its hard to get many items in there.
10/6/10, 09:22 PM
#100
Legacy TMS Member
Now that the car is as big as it is, I think it will be tough to shrink the dimensions, especially if it remains a 4-passenger vehicle. The C6 Corvette and the Nissan 370Z are the only performance coupes that come to mind as cars that shrunk, but even then, the overall weight losses were not on the order of hundreds of pounds. It was more like 60-75 lbs.