Ford plans a hot Mustang Mach-E Shelby

[Norm Peterson]

If this does happen, it will NOT be because of some design Ford has to change the public. It will be Ford reacting to a changing public.

Merely reacting to overall changes in the public, or giving everybody a little nudge in that direction as well?


Norm

 

[TMSBOSS]

Merely reacting to overall changes in the public, or giving everybody a little nudge in that direction as well?

Would you buy it if you did not want one??

 

[Norm Peterson]

Would you buy it if you did not want one??

No, but that's not exactly the issue.

It's if public perception - with tacit assistance from Ford through its advertising - shifts the image of the Mustang name away from its ponycar roots. And either drags the ponycar along with it (toward utility) or kills it off entirely.


I think it's easier to see this sort of evolution as a threat when similar market shifts have affected you directly. Personally, that has involved manual transmissions in intermediate "family sedans" and the current SUV/CUV craze. Our choices have been pretty limited the last couple of new car purchases.

We've been dropping cars from consideration over the MT issue since 1971. Any more, it's "who still makes a family sedan with a stick?" before we step out the door to go look at the actual cars. I'd hate for that to turn into something like "does anybody even make a sedan these days?". Hope I never have to throw in the towel on this.


Norm

 

[TMSBOSS]

Again, the Manufacturers DID NOT limit what they brought to market. The manufacturers responded to the market. Want to "Blame" someone for limits?? Contact your elected officials, they did it.
As far as "Testing the Waters" in the two door pony car market. The Mustang V-8 is a huge success In Europe and Australia. Folks still want the V-8 power, feel and sound....Globally!!

As a "Hedge" I have a low mileage Boss and a lower mileage 350. Stop making the 2 door manual pony car and I am good for 20+ years.

Why does "Adding" take away?? Ford has Added electric to the menus. I just checked, the GT-500 is still being delivered very soon. The GT-350 continues. The Mustang GT is still rolling off the assembly line, one followed me home, the wife loves it. The 4 cylinder Ecoboost still there.

No one makes a family car with a stick because NO ONE wants a family car with a stick. Mom does not want to have to clutch and shift while attending to the next generation bouncing around inside the car.

The Sky is NOT FALLING. There is just one more bird flying. Even a CEO who made furniture knows you build what people buy. If the Pony car does go away, Don't blame Ford. Blame the new generation who just may want something else.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Again, the Manufacturers DID NOT limit what they brought to market. The manufacturers responded to the market.

It's a pick-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps process when you think of it in terms of response to market demand creating still greater response from the market, which causes a still stronger mfr response . . . Change starts out slow and increases over time.

As a "Hedge" I have a low mileage Boss and a lower mileage 350. Stop making the 2 door manual pony car and I am good for 20+ years.

Most of us have a similar hedge today. We can hope to continue to have that hedge, but we can't guarantee it, or even for how long we'll have it.

Why does "Adding" take away??

Because dilution does take away from the original. "Aspirin" as a brand name was once exclusively identified with Bayer. Chevy hung the 'SS' tag on just about everything, trucks included.

No one makes a family car with a stick because NO ONE wants a family car with a stick. Mom does not want to have to clutch and shift while attending to the next generation bouncing around inside the car.

That was never a problem for my folks with me and my siblings, or for my wife and I with our kids. Or, for a time, even for my daughter for hers. Your attitude toward clutching and shifting only has to be that it's just the way some cars work and get on with doing it. What I am going to blame is people becoming spoiled over time toward increasing the amount of luxury and decreasing the amount of physical involvement required. Same goes for lots of other things in life.

The Sky is NOT FALLING. There is just one more bird flying. Even a CEO who made furniture knows you build what people buy.

And he's fully ready to throw those of us who don't want to buy what the majority of his customers want under the bus (even though this whole name thing was Farley's baby, not his). He didn't put all of the family sedans on the chopping block because he gives a hoot about what Fusion and Taurus buyers want.

If the Pony car does go away, Don't blame Ford. Blame the new generation who just may want something else.

If it's the new generation wanting something else, why would they want an old heritage name? Why wouldn't they want something more up to date or futuristic-sounding? "Mach E" by itself should have been able to fill that bill, and would have been two fewer syllables for a generation that abbreviates communication down to tweets and acronyms.


Norm

 

[Bill Pemberton]

I think the positives are while the electrification of the Automotive Industry is getting wired up, Ford is pushing the Mustang concept and extolling the known virtues of their legendary Marquee. Chevy is on the negative pole, heavily discussing pulling the plug on the Camaro. I will take the Blue Oval moves towards the future.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I suspect that Chevy's options aren't as strong given the Camaro's far lower sales.


Norm

 

[VoodooBoss]

There would still be manual transmissions in all cars if that's what the public wanted. Even Porsche sells about 10 to 1 PDK vs Manual in the 911. Their customers complained about no manual option so they brought the manual back and didn't sell many. FWIW with the PDK and other DCT's you can still control all shift points just like a manual. You don't have a clutch though so is it really the shifting of gears or the clutch people miss? The new GT500 does not have a manual transmission option. They still sold out of the first year allocations.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

In the future there will likely be a buyer subset who wants the tactile feel of a manual, allowing it to live in a niche market. After all the man/woman controlling their machine was part of the mystique that saw the Harley Davidson come back from the ashes of the 1970s. Porsche brought back the manual as VBoss noted and one has to figure some folks in the Mustang camp are already on full alert. Why so optimistic , you say, well simply because while we are worried about an Energizer Bunny Ford we have a Mustang with a GT Performance Pack, a PP2 Option, a GT 350, a GT 350R, a GT 500 and yes an Ecoboost with a HPP package ---- virtually all manuals except the 500. Seems we have failed to see the reality, and for those of us that love to move that gearshift lever, it seems Ford came through in the clutch.

 

[VoodooBoss]

You forgot the Bullitt. The EcoBoost HPP looks like a sweet car.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Darn, another choice with a stick , makes one wonder if the niche market for a manual goes by the name , Mustang?

Norm and I may not always agree, but I respect his feelings and the good thing for both of us older Mustang owners, is it is unlikely the complete demise of the manual will occur in our lifetimes?

 

[302BOB]

There would still be manual transmissions in all cars if that's what the public wa

Hon had to order her BMW manual special order from Germany when she ordered hers 4 yrs ago.She traded it in last yr....maybe could be a collector item in the future?????????

 

[ChrisM]

Clearly this new "Mustang" is a very polarizing topic.

It's okay, I'll show myself out.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Darn, another choice with a stick , makes one wonder if the niche market for a manual goes by the name , Mustang?

Haven't there been some rumblings for the GT500 involving a much different method of clutch actuation than anything in current use?

Norm and I may not always agree, but I respect his feelings and the good thing for both of us older Mustang owners, is it is unlikely the complete demise of the manual will occur in our lifetimes?

Thanks, Bill. Respect works the other way, too.

I can see what I've got now seeing me into my eighties, but I certainly hope that the ability to choose MT in something new remains available that far out (and of course that I do as well).


Norm

 

[Norm Peterson]

Clearly this new "Mustang" is a very polarizing topic.

I'd be feeling exactly the same if it was Chevy doing this to the Camaro or Dodge to the Challenger. Even if Subaru was planning to do it to the WRX.


Norm

 

[VoodooBoss]

This is a polarizing topic as are many EV discussions. But I bet Ford is glad we’re at least discussing it. If Ford developed another Prius type car I doubt we’d even care enough to discuss it.

 

[Racerpilotalan]

This is a polarizing topic as are many EV discussions. But I bet Ford is glad we’re at least discussing it. If Ford developed another Prius type car I doubt we’d even care enough to discuss it.

I wish there had been an RS version when I bought my C-Max Energi, turbo, roof wing, fat tires.

 

[VoodooBoss]

I wish there had been an RS version when I bought my C-Max Energi, turbo, roof wing, fat tires.

That would be cool. Someday, maybe sooner than you think.

 

[Racerpilotalan]

That would be cool. Someday, maybe sooner than you think.

After I bought it l looked on line for turbo kits without success.

 

[ChrisM]

This is a polarizing topic as are many EV discussions. But I bet Ford is glad we’re at least discussing it. If Ford developed another Prius type car I doubt we’d even care enough to discuss it.

It is another Prius-type car that they've stuck the Mustang badge on in the hopes it drives up demand, which is exactly why it's so polarizing. If Toyota had stuck the Supra moniker on the now-Prius, there'd be just as much (probably more) howling from the masses.