Ward's article on 05 Mustang Platform Development

[351CJ]

Someone posted this article on Brad's Mustang site. Since it's probably copywrited, I'll just post the link:

http://waw.wardsauto.com/ar/auto_dew_drop/index.htm

The are a bunch of gems in this article, such as:

From the new platform will come a slow and steady stream of Mustang derivatives. The Cobra will bow about 18 months after the coupe goes into production later this year.

The auto maker feels an onus to continue offering all the variants and features that have marked the Mustang over its 40-year history. The result is a complicated program: V-6, V-8, manual and automatic, coupe, convertible, feature cars such as the Mach, Bullitt, Cobra, Cobra convertible and potentially a Cobra R.

Or how about this one that implies you won't see rebates on the 05, 06 or even 07 Mustang since they are limiting production:

The new platform will be profitable, he asserts. Annual sales are projected at about 170,000 units, and Martens expects Mustang to sell out for the first three or four years.

Mabe this will will get you high rollers drooling:

a traditional Mustang product has,” says Martens of the complicated family with about nine variants planned, from the base coupe to a high-end $60,000 Cobra R.

 

[Omegalock]

I just saw this on the Camaroz28.com boards.
They aren't too happy about some of Mays' comments lol.
I'm wondering though...what differences will the Mach and Bullit have? Will the Bullit be a slightly massaged 3v with mostly cosmetic changes or will it have significant performance improvements over the GT.

 

[351CJ]

Are you talking about the same article?

In the link I posted, J. Mays is not mentioned, it is an interview with Phil Martens about platform development.

There is a different article about styling that quotes J. Mays.

 

[Omegalock]

Yup different article. Has some of the same info though.

http://waw.wardsauto.com/ar/auto_ford_tweaks_styling/index.htm

 

[351CJ]

a traditional Mustang product has,” says Martens of the complicated family with about nine variants planned, from the base coupe to a high-end $60,000 Cobra R.

So who wants to start speculating on what the 9 variants will be?

1. V6
2. V6 Pony
3. GT
4. Bullitt
5. Mach 1
6. GT-350
7. GT-500
8. Cobra
9. Cobra-R

 

[Omegalock]

Wouldn't the Vert count as a "varient" persay?

 

[66Satellite]

Or how about this one that implies you won't see rebates on the 05, 06 or even 07 Mustang since they are limiting production:

The new platform will be profitable, he asserts. Annual sales are projected at about 170,000 units, and Martens expects Mustang to sell out for the first three or four years.

I can see maybe no rebates, but I don't see that they would limit production. I'll be curious to see if they do fleet sales with the V6 cars to the rental companies.

 

[78CobraII]

I think that one of the things you can read between the lines in both articles is that the new Mustang platform will be used for other vehicles...probably 1 or 2 in the Lincoln-Mercury family. How about a Mercury Cougar with a solid rear axle and 24 valve 4.6L and a Lincoln Mark X with IRS and 4.6L DOHC?

I would expect to see rental fleet sales with the '05, but very limited. The current Mustang is pretty tough to find to rent, at least here in Birmingham, and I wouldn't expect things to be any different with the '05.

78CobraII

 

[Lawman85]

I don't know if this question will fit here but since you are talking about variations: I heard that Ford is going to certify the new mustang for law enforcement use. They will be offering a "Police Interceptor" package (usually nothing more than heavy duty springs and transmission along with certain deletes). Since the camaro was the last police certified sports car the market seems to be wide open for Ford's picking.
Hmmm... an 05 GT in black and white with lots of blue lights...... anyone got a good photoshop of one?

 

[Detroit_guy]

if I ever see a 2005+ mustang police interceptor in any form I will trade mine in and never buy a mustang again.

 

[numenor27]

I don't know if this question will fit here but since you are talking about variations: I heard that Ford is going to certify the new mustang for law enforcement use. They will be offering a "Police Interceptor" package (usually nothing more than heavy duty springs and transmission along with certain deletes). Since the camaro was the last police certified sports car the market seems to be wide open for Ford's picking.
Hmmm... an 05 GT in black and white with lots of blue lights...... anyone got a good photoshop of one?

i would not want to see that

 

[USAF-Sergeant]

So who wants to start speculating on what the 9 variants will be?

1. V6
2. V6 Pony
3. GT
4. Bullitt
5. Mach 1
6. GT-350
7. GT-500
8. Cobra
9. Cobra-R

Not so sure about the V-6 Pony, but the rest of the lineup looks to be right on the mark. They seem very logical to me, just not sure how Ford will market all those varients.

 

[66Satellite]

if I ever see a 2005+ mustang police interceptor in any form I will trade mine in and never buy a mustang again.

why?

 

[mustang sallad]

So who wants to start speculating on what the 9 variants will be?

1. V6
2. V6 Pony
3. GT
4. Bullitt
5. Mach 1
6. GT-350
7. GT-500
8. Cobra
9. Cobra-R

i'm pretty sure he was counting convertibles and coupes as serparate variants.
so according to this article, we know for sure about a v6 coupe and vert, gt coupe and vert, and the cobra R. So that's five right there. I'm assuming there'd also be a regular cobra, both coupe and convertible. So that doesn't leave much room for all those four special variants, nor the boss. Both GT-350 and GT-500 would be cool, but i think it's a bit of a stretch to have them both, if they'd be made at all. I'd like to see the top end be a ford gt-engined GT-500 instead of the cobra R, but i guess its just a matter of naming, but i'm pretty superficial so this matters to me, hahaha.
so anyways, i see two variants falling in between either the gt and the regular cobra, or maybe 1 in that range, and the other between the cobra and the cobra R.
I doubt all this stuff would come out very quickly though. anways, for now i'll keep dreaming about the $60K stang that'll take on a viper or a z06

 

[351CJ]

I heard that Ford is going to certify the new mustang for law enforcement use
Hmmm... an 05 GT in black and white with lots of blue lights...... anyone got a good photoshop of one?

Someone already did a photo chop of a black & white PI 05 Stang a while back. It was posted on a couple of boards, but I don't remember which ones.

 

[351CJ]

Wouldn't the Vert count as a "varient" persay?

I thought about that, but if you count the Verts as part of the total, it there seems to be too few variants.

1. V6 Coupe
2. V6 Vert
3. GT Coupe
4. GT Vert
5. Cobra Coupe
6. Cobra Vert
7. Cobra-R Coupe
8. ?
9. ?

So that leaves only 2 more variants. Which seems too few since the names R, Boss, GT-350, GT-500, Mach 1, Bullitt have all been thrown around by Martens and Mays. After all counting Verts there were 9 variants of the 99-04 Mustangs, the 7 listed above + Bullitt & Mach 1.

In any case I don't think that the 9 variants is a hard and fast #. It could be more, it could be less. The number 9 was probably just thown out in the interview as an indication that there will me many Mustang variants over the life of S197.

Also, don't expect all 9 (or whatever the real # turns out to be) all available for sale at the same time. I'm sure some of the special models will come and go over S-197's life.

 

[351CJ]

i'm pretty sure he was counting convertibles and coupes as serparate variants.
........ So that doesn't leave much room for all those four special variants, nor the boss

Quote from the j. Mays in article that Omegalock gave the link to:

Besides, you'll soon see a cracking roll-out of limited editions: the Mach One, Bullitt (and) Boss Cobra

I think the reporter screwed up, that Mays really said: Mach 1, Bullitt, Boss, Cobra. That is there will be not be a "Boss Cobra"

So there are 4 special editions right there. Ford recently renewed its tradmark on the "Boss" name too.

 

[RodStang]

I can see maybe no rebates, but I don't see that they would limit production. I'll be curious to see if they do fleet sales with the V6 cars to the rental companies.

I don't think he was trying to say they were limiting production. That is probably just the capacity of the production line or of some key components.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Look here. There "WILL" be rebates on the new Mustang. Maybe not for the first year, but after the first year Ford will have rebates on the 06 and 07 Mustang. Why? Because there will be an abundant number of these cars unsold sitting on the dealer lots. If Ford will build 170,000 units per year the Mustang will not be a limited production car. Ford has been building 170,000 units of the Mustang for the past 4 years since 2000. So, I wouldn't lose any sleep over the Mustang being a limited production car.

One other thing to consider here is the price of gasoline. The news all week says that gasoline will go up to $3 a gallon by summertime. It may even go up to $4 a gallon. If this does happen, fewer people will buy the Mustang (or at least the Mustang GT) and Ford will want to give massive rebates to get these cars off their lots. Mark my words.

 

[351CJ]

I don't think he was trying to say they were limiting production. That is probably just the capacity of the production line or of some key components.

You are correct.

Right now Ford is planing on building 170,000 - 180,000 S197 Mustangs per year. This sounds like 2 shifts going flat out to me. If order's significantly exceed expectations Ford's options to increase production are:

1. Overtime - long shifts, extra days
2. Add 3rd shift
3. Add another production line at another plant.

#3 is very low probability. I don't think that Ford would want to make the investment in an additional line because we all know that sales will fade after the first couple years.

#2, adding a 3rd shift makes a big bump in production, but creates complications because of the costs involved both adding the shift and then eliminating the extra shift when sales fade and they need to end the extra shift. I'd say the only way this will happen is if on May 17, the unexpected happens and Ford is just over run with orders as they were on April 17, 1964.

So that really leaves option #1. Which means that Ford would be able to stretch production up to 200,000 - 220,000 a year and that's it.

My expectation for US sales are(assuming Ford builds to meet orders):
2005 - 250.000+
2006 - 200,000
2007 - 170,000 - First rebates will appear at the end of the 2000 MY - August 07
2008 - 150,000 - Here's where you will see significant rebates
2009 - 165,000 - Ford will do some significant freshening this year to keep sales going.