Ford says no way...

[313blkstang]

Thanx the great Lord above...

Ford: No way we'll make four-door Mustang
Company denies reports it is considering making Mustang variants.
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer
POSTED: 3:53 p.m. EST, December 15, 2006


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ford Motor Company released a statement today calling reports that the company would make four-door variants of its Mustang sports car "not true."

"The Mustang is an icon and will continue in its current form: a unique two-door, rear-wheel drive, 2+2 performance car," the statement says.

The term "2+2" refers to a car, like the Mustang, with small back seats.

The current issue of the auto enthusiast magazine AutoWeek includes a report that Ford was considering making four-door variants of the next-generation Mustang, possibly including a wagon.

"We are standing by our sources for that story," said Bob Gritzinger of Autoweek, acknowledging that the company might have changed its mind.

Ford's statement does not mean that the company would never manufacture a vehicle using the fundamental engineering or even some design cues from a future Mustang, Ford Brand Communications Manager Alan Hall said.

But the Mustang name will only be attached to the classic Mustang-style car, Hall said.

"You have to appreciate that we treat the Mustang as one of our crown jewels," said Ford marketing spokesman Jim Cain, "and you don't wear them to every party."

Ford will unveil a concept car called "The Interceptor" at the Detroit Auto Show in January. That car will be based on the Mustang's rear-wheel-drive architecture but it will not be a Mustang, the company emphasized in its announcement.

There are currently no production plans for that vehicle, the company said

 

[Henceforward]

http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=25050

I still don't buy it though...

 

[stanmckinney]

Sounds like a trial balloon. We float a rumor and see it it would fly. A 4-door Mustang is made of lead and sinks quickly.
Ford has done some dumb things but surely even its leaders aren't dumb enough to change the Mustang drastically. Then again, a few years ago Ford thought about dumping the Mustang. And a few years ago the Mustang was going to become a front-wheel drive vehicle eventually sold as the Probe after enthusiasts complained.
I'm starting to get worried.

 

[Marine One]

Sounds like a trial balloon. We float a rumor and see it it would fly. A 4-door Mustang is made of lead and sinks quickly.
Ford has done some dumb things but surely even its leaders aren't dumb enough to change the Mustang drastically. Then again, a few years ago Ford thought about dumping the Mustang. And a few years ago the Mustang was going to become a front-wheel drive vehicle eventually sold as the Probe after enthusiasts complained.
I'm starting to get worried.

And back in 1958 Ford took a very nice V-8 powered two seater sports car (the Thunderbird) and turned it into a family car. Go figure...

 

[red05bullitgt]

The original Ford Thunderbird even from it's inception in 1955 was never considered as a 2 seater sports car ? it was referred to by Ford as a personal luxury coupe which later evolved into the 4 seat version in 1958 to accomodate 2back seat passengers but was still considered a personal luxury coupe until Ford tried this dumb experiment in 68-69 by converting it into a 4 door ? thank God this idea failed miserably and lasted only one year...

 

[srothfuss]

I just read over on thecarconnection that there will be a 4 door wagon (5 door I guess) concept displayed at the Detroit Auto Show this year.

It'll be based off the Mustang platform, but it's nicknamed the interceptor....

 

[Marine One]

The original Ford Thunderbird even from it's inception in 1955 was never considered as a 2 seater sports car ? it was referred to by Ford as a personal luxury coupe which later evolved into the 4 seat version in 1958 to accomodate 2back seat passengers but was still considered a personal luxury coupe until Ford tried this dumb experiment in 68-69 by converting it into a 4 door ? thank God this idea failed miserably and lasted only one year...

Wasn't the 55 T-Bird Fords answer to the Corvette?

 

[metroplex]

I was hoping they'd bring the 2009-up Ford Falcon to the US. The FPV GT-P and Falcon XR8 have:
5.4L quad cam V8 making 348 - 388 hp
6-speed manual or automatic transmission

They have 4-doors and are RWD; commonly used as police cars or taxis.

 

[bigcat]

the Ausies get all the good sedans.

 

[metroplex]

Did I mention rumor has it that the 2009-up Falcon will be based on a LH drive Orion platform? It's just a rumor I read in a magazine, but if that is true, then it means Ford Australia intends to export them somewhere.

 

[CA Lightfoot]

Why not put a 4-door sedan/wagon body on the Mustang platform? Call it the Falcon for the U.S. market. And, priced right, I bet it would outsell the Mustang.

Think of the models: Falcon GT, Shelby Falcon, Boss Falcon, etc. Huge aftermarket tie-in with similar Mustang parts. People love that stuff. Guaranteed winner!

Of course, Ford could make a new luxury 4-door T-bird based on a stretched Mustang platform. Guaranteed to be a loser. Ford, please don't do that.

 

[red05bullitgt]

Wasn't the 55 T-Bird Fords answer to the Corvette?

That's what I thought too ? but after talking to several different 55-57 T-Bird owners from the classic car show circuits ? their responses were all the same..In fact ? they even showed the original window stickers or whatever they were called back then and apparantly the T-bird was never intended by Ford to compete against the original Corvette, Ford's intention was to set the original T-bird in a class by itself which kind of makes sense being the 55-57 T-birds were the only 2 seat personal luxury coupes in existence during that period...

 

[red05bullitgt]

Why not put a 4-door sedan/wagon body on the Mustang platform? Call it the Falcon for the U.S. market. And, priced right, I bet it would outsell the Mustang.

Think of the models: Falcon GT, Shelby Falcon, Boss Falcon, etc. Huge aftermarket tie-in with similar Mustang parts. People love that stuff. Guaranteed winner!

Of course, Ford could make a new luxury 4-door T-bird based on a stretched Mustang platform. Guaranteed to be a loser. Ford, please don't do that.

I'm no expert on any of this, but from what I've heard ? The Mustang's current D2C platform cannot be stretched into a sedan nor a wagon..However ? there's the possibility of a new Lincoln coupe that is supposedly going to be based upon the Mustang's D2C platform and if you also remember ? the Ford 49 concept coupe was to also be based off the Mustang platform as well...

 

[metroplex]

I'm no expert on any of this, but from what I've heard ? The Mustang's current D2C platform cannot be stretched into a sedan nor a wagon..However ? there's the possibility of a new Lincoln coupe that is supposedly going to be based upon the Mustang's D2C platform and if you also remember ? the Ford 49 concept coupe was to also be based off the Mustang platform as well...

The Falcon doesn't use the D2C platform. The Falcon is slated to go to a new LH Drive Orion platform in a few years.

 

[srothfuss]

But there is a Lincoln coupe coming in the future. I think I just read about it again in either Autoweek or Motortrend.

So then is the Interceptor concept (that'll be at NAIAS in January) sitting on a prototype mustang chassis?

 

[metroplex]

But there is a Lincoln coupe coming in the future. I think I just read about it again in either Autoweek or Motortrend.

So then is the Interceptor concept (that'll be at NAIAS in January) sitting on a prototype mustang chassis?

The Lincoln 2-door coupe may very well be built on the D2C platform. I'm not sure what the Interceptor is, but if it pays homage to the Interceptor from Mad Max, then it might be a US-market LH drive Falcon. If not, and refers to the CV Police Interceptor, it still may be a Falcon. Hopefully the SVT Falcon would be the FPV GT-P: 388 hp naturally aspirated 5.4L quad cam V8 with a 6 speed manual.

 

[srothfuss]

Here is a link to the story about the interceptor: http://www.thecarconnection.com/Car...007_Ford_Interceptor_Concept.S283.A11592.html

The concept, dubbed Interceptor, is based on the Mustang's architecture. But Ford officials were forced to confirm the Interceptor's Detroitdebut after several automotive publications reported a four-door Mustang was in the works. Ford says explicitly that no expanded Mustang line is planned: "Recent media speculation concerning an expanded Mustang line - including a sedan and wagon model to be sold in global markets - is not true. Mustang is an icon and will continue in its current form: a unique, two-door, rear-wheel drive, 2+2 performance car."

 

[Kevindust]

I'm no expert on any of this, but from what I've heard ? The Mustang's current D2C platform cannot be stretched into a sedan nor a wagon..However ? there's the possibility of a new Lincoln coupe that is supposedly going to be based upon the Mustang's D2C platform and if you also remember ? the Ford 49 concept coupe was to also be based off the Mustang platform as well...

Isn't the current Mustang chassis derived from the Lincoln LS chassis? There should be no problems building a stretched 4 door/ wagon version. With any luck, larger production numbers will re-open the door to IRS as well.

 

[metroplex]

Isn't the current Mustang chassis derived from the Lincoln LS chassis? There should be no problems building a stretched 4 door/ wagon version. With any luck, larger production numbers will re-open the door to IRS as well.

There is conflicting info on this. There was speculation the S197 is based on a DEW98-lite, but there is also info stating the S-197 is based on the all-new D2C Global Shared Technologies platform.

If the Interceptor concept is ever going to see the light of day/market, then it will never be a 2-door sports coupe unless the Mustang is cancelled or changed into something else. I can see the Interceptor concept based on a new Falcon (mid-sized sedan, RWD, V8) but never a 2-door coupe/sedan like the Mustang.

 

[red05bullitgt]

Isn't the current Mustang chassis derived from the Lincoln LS chassis? There should be no problems building a stretched 4 door/ wagon version. With any luck, larger production numbers will re-open the door to IRS as well.

Kevin, yes you're correct about the Mustang chassis being derived (modified) from the DEW/98 platform which consisted of the Lincoln LS, Jaguar S type sedan and the recently discontinued T-bird ? However, D2C only borrowed certain aspects of the Dew/98 chassis..Therefore as a direct result ?? the D2C platform is it's own chassis within itself and as of right now ? belongs solely to the Mustang...Can D2C be modified, stretched into a 4 door sedan/wagon version ??? I would believe so but according to what others have commented about this ? they claim that it cannot be done so I suppose the only way were going to get a straight answer to that question is if someone from Ford engineering comes forward one way or the other...