The $20K V8 thread

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usa1 said:
It simply makes no sense for Ford to bring out a V8 Mustang for under $20K in 2005. They do not need to do something like this for years. Demand in 2005 will be high for the new Mustang. Demand in 2006 will be high as well and the new Cobra and convertible will come out to add excitement and volume. It won't be until 2007 at the very earliest that Ford will feel a need to start tinkering with the Mustang to increase sales and interest.

Ford invested a lot of R&D and tooling into the new 2005 Mustang. They simply cannot afford to bring out the new car at the price the current V8 GTs are being discounted to. The current model has all its production tooling completely depreciated and paid for with no real R&D being charged to it for changes since 1999. The new Mustang needs to pay all these things off over the first few years. I'm guessing 5 years is the accounting norm for new car tooling.

Ford is making the new Mustang at the same plant that is making the Mazda 6. They do not need (and probably cannot without capacity problems) to sell 300,000 of the new Mustangs to keep the plant at full capacity. They estimated something like 150,000 to 180,000 units the first year. They don't need a $20K V8 to make this volume number. Demand will invariably drop to a normal level of 120,000 to 150,000 cars per year after the newness of the new car wears off and they will have the Mazda 6 volume to keep the plant humming and cost efficient.

Anyone who thinks $26K for a 300 HP V8 car on a new platform is too much has not shopped around recently. Nothing else on the market will beat the Mustang on the bang for the buck scale. Nothing.

Lastly, a $20K V8 Mustang starts the new Mustang off on the wrong foot. It makes Ford look desparate to sell this new car when the competitors are selling 4 cylinder FWD cars with a measly 180 HP for $22K. Ford wants to move the Mustang up market a bit, not start it off as a car immediately seen as cheap and discounted.

As much as it we would all like a $20K V8, it simple makes no sense.

All that being said, I hope Ford brings out a V8 powered Mustang for under $20K! :D

Mark

on the contrary, I think ford NEEDs to do something like this. I don't think it will make them look desparate..it'll make them look awesome. they have virtually no competition in their class and this will just make sales go thru the roof. I see lots of GM owners switching over if this happens. if they want to take the market by storm with a new product, this is the way
 
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Omegalock said:
And I don't think anybody is arguing for a 20k fully loaded and optioned GT. We are talking about a barebones interior in a V6 body with a GTs drivetrain. That's possible. Likely maybe not but definately possible.

Remember, in the original Mustang they sold very few GTs, but a heckuvva lot of V-8s.
 
sounds like some people dont want this to happen the way many are acting, however this isnt too unlikely to be true as many of the facts others have stated, and to support this, i personally will be 21 when they become available. i cannot afford a gt, and i will not buy a v6, i currently have a 2000 v6 which is basically useless as far as performance goes. therefore IF this is true, i will be owning a 2005 mustang, if not then i'll just wait a few years and get a used one. which would ford prefer? not to mention the amount of buyers they would gain from other companies by offering such potential at a low price.

could it even be possible that they would use the current gt 2v v8 for this?
 
siege said:
on the contrary, I think ford NEEDs to do something like this. I don't think it will make them look desparate..it'll make them look awesome. they have virtually no competition in their class and this will just make sales go thru the roof. I see lots of GM owners switching over if this happens. if they want to take the market by storm with a new product, this is the way

But I have seen articles about people believing that Domestic cars are cheaply made. Because of the rebate wars that have been going on. Where the domestics seem to need rebates to sell. Whereas the imports do not. And to offer a cheap V8 could add to the image
 
I think it will happen. Listening to J. Mays' little speech, he emphasizes BOTH: "200 or 300 horsepower BOTH under twenty grand...a new generation of american muscle." He sounded confident, and didn't do anything to show an error, or try to corect himself. What he said also gives me the idea that they are bringing back the ol' days of lots of options. I will be getting one GUARANTEED if this is the case. Also, Ron Jeremy stated that he knows "execs" in Ford, and they said that a bare-bones V8 stang will be available for under $20k. That is enough for me to say that it WILL happen:

- J. Mays' speech saying both for under $20,000
- Execs confirming this
- Ford saying that they are trying to take the market by storm (they did say this righ?)
 
I think this will be beneficial to the performance enthusiast.

If Ford releases a 300hp V8 Mustang starting under $20k, then imagine what DODGE and GM might release in the same price range just to compete with it.

Possibly DODGE will encorporate their new HEMI into a nice RWD monster for about the same price range of $20k?

As for GM, well I know they WILL have a RWD vehicle soon that will probably be in direct competition as well.

Can there be a competitive price/HP war happening soon with all domestic car builders like the 60's? (Ford, GM, Mopar)

I guess we will just have to wait and find out... but I hope that Ford wont be at the BOTTOM of the pot as usual.
 
holler said:
the difference is not 1,000 dollars. the base model v6 will be 17000 and the base model v8 will 20000

And you know this how? At this point, 90% of this thread is rumor and speculation. So tell me how you know this for a fact. Show me proof.
 
holler said:

Now go back and watch that video again. Notice where he says the GT will probably start around under $20,000 and the base will probably start around under $17,000.

See that is the thing about auto journalists, they say things when they have no clue what they are really talking about. I believe NOTHING auto journalists say. J.Mays said that BOTH 200HP and 300HP for under $20,000. NOWHERE did he say the GT would be under $20,000.

That, and C&D is not one of my more respected auto mags.

But I will give you all of the credit in the world for having a source unlike so many other folks who come here and spout off "facts" that have no merit, you actual have merit behind what you are saying.
 
holler said:
yes, i have no love for caranddriver either. i am as skeptical as they come. i should have rephrased my statement.

Mostly, I prefer to wait for Ford to release something. Now if the journalist would have stated that "Ford has stated the prices to be..." than I would be singing a different tune altogether. But the way he stated "probably" and "around" makes me think he is speculating just as we are here in this very thread. If it was that easy, then we would all be auto journalists for crappy car magazines too.
 
Mostly, I prefer to wait for Ford to release something. Now if the journalist would have stated that "Ford has stated the prices to be..." than I would be singing a different tune altogether. But the way he stated "probably" and "around" makes me think he is speculating just as we are here in this very thread. If it was that easy, then we would all be auto journalists for crappy car magazines too.


Actually you bring up a good point and gives me reason to think that caranddriver editor purposefully choose those numbers tactically. Once people start talking about a 17,000 dollar v6 and 20,000 dollar v8, it will force Ford to come out with price sheets sooner. Reason being, if those values are indeed too low, they don't want to aggravate buyers and lose potential sales and thus would want to invalidate those speculative prices immediately.
 
yellow5.0cobra said:
I think this will be beneficial to the performance enthusiast.

If Ford releases a 300hp V8 Mustang starting under $20k, then imagine what DODGE and GM might release in the same price range just to compete with it.

Possibly DODGE will encorporate their new HEMI into a nice RWD monster for about the same price range of $20k?

As for GM, well I know they WILL have a RWD vehicle soon that will probably be in direct competition as well.

Can there be a competitive price/HP war happening soon with all domestic car builders like the 60's? (Ford, GM, Mopar)

I guess we will just have to wait and find out... but I hope that Ford wont be at the BOTTOM of the pot as usual.
And thus will be the end to the ricer fad. Back will be the days of V8 roaming the streets battling it out without worrying about some ricer flying by 3 minutes later.

Why bother buying a 180-200 hp 4 cyl FWD that is consider the "sporty" edition for 22,000 when you can buy a 300hp car for 20,000. Yes, Yes, Yes days will be good my friends. Less bwwwaahhhhhh bwaaaaah and more VROOOOOM VROOOOM!!!
 
nito88stang said:
And thus will be the end to the ricer fad. Back will be the days of V8 roaming the streets battling it out without worrying about some ricer flying by 3 minutes later.

Why bother buying a 180-200 hp 4 cyl FWD that is consider the "sporty" edition for 22,000 when you can buy a 300hp car for 20,000. Yes, Yes, Yes days will be good my friends. Less bwwwaahhhhhh bwaaaaah and more VROOOOOM VROOOOM!!!

oh so true, and that's something else I didn't even think of. I forgot about all the imports running around that the 05 could just stomp on :)

refering to the post by yello5.0cobra...yeah, this could inspire some real wars between american manufacturers, but for the first couple years...who's gonna compete? I haven't heard anything about GM's new RWD, but It probably ain't comin out in 05 :)

ooh all this stuff makes me excited (cause I want one) and sad (cause I don't make all that much money) at the same time
 
Market share has to be worth something in this equation. Toyota is nipping at GM and Ford's heels with market share for cars.

If 1 point of market share is worth $10MM bottom line (made up #), why wouldn't you load your line-up with as many variations as possible and go after market share AS WELL AS price?

Has anyone taken a look at the 46+ varaitions of the new F-150 ?? You can get a F-150 configured any way you want.

Mays did not stutter at the car show. It was NOT a mistake. There will be a base V8 under $20M.

I would make that bet.
 
Kyle-02GT said:
I've heard rumors of a Hemi Powered Dodge Charger in the 07 time frame. I think it was on edmunds. The Camero isn't dead either its just taking a few years off...

Granted, there will be competition in the future, but only performance wise. Dodge and Chevy have already proven that they cannot build a quality car for a reasonable price. Ever look at the interior of a C5 Vette? The interior of that thing makes the current Mustang interior look good. All of that cheap plastic for a mere $45,000.

Chevy has a ways to go with interior quality.

Dodge on the other hand has had build quailty to rival a Geo Metro. They are still struggling to build a car that won't fall apart after 100,000 miles.

This is about bang for the buck. I would LOVE to see Chevy or Dodge attempt to build a reliable competitor to the $20,000 V8 Mustang. I'd also like to see pigs fly.
 
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