Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

[cjforumadmin]

http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Ford-Announces-the-2010-Mustangs-of-the-SEMA-Show.html

[38P]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

At the moment, unless you're one of the privileged few with a hyper-priced Shelby GT500, Mustang really is a "look at me" car . . . as in look at me get whipped in the 1320 by my neighbor's new 426-horse Camaro.

It can't be fun being a Mustang brand manager when engineering and management have sent you in to battle with a nerf gun.

"Metallic gold is currently very much in fashion throughout the design world," said Mark Conforzi, chief designer, Ford Vehicle Personalization. "There is a wide variety of modern gold finishes that can be seen in fashion apparel designs from Stella McCartney, Dior, Prada and Alexander McQueen. I would like to encourage gold finishes on our future products, in subtle and technical applications presented in a modern way."

Who knew all those tacky gold-badged Toyotas and "Lexi" (Lexuses?) were the height of fashion . . . . Next up, the Prada Porsche . . . . ;D

INITIAL REACTIONS TO THE "PERSONALIZED MUSTANG" DRAWINGS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

1. 2010 Ford Mustang by 3dCarbon (Boy Racer) -- "Something bit my car and it's swollen up . . . ." (What's the point of a "wide body" car that just looks like a fattened stocker?)

2. 2010 Ford Mustang by Galpin Auto Sports (the "Bruise" . . . uh . . . "Bruiser") -- While all those 1960s and 1970s rally cars and sedan racers create a soft spot for blacked-out hoods, the black-n-blue GAStang "over-Fooses" it a tad. For some reason the two-tone front bumper invokes images of a tongue . . . .

3. 2010 Ford Mustang by H&R Special Springs (Blue-on-Blue) -- "Paging Peter Brock . . . someone took your BRE stripes for a SEMA Mustang" . . . Either that or the templates for the ubiquitous Cunningham stripes slid off the roof before painting. ;) This is a nice subtle reinterpretation of vintage themes. But the rear wing looks a bit pedestrian and tacked-on. And what's with the LEDs? The wheels are pure function over form.

4. 2010 Ford Mustang by Paul's High Performance (Record Breaker) -- The cowl hood, "star" wheels, and checkered stripes are ordinary, boring, almost cliched bracket racer stuff. But the four holes in the front bumper cover . . . interesting.

5. 2010 Ford Mustang by Steeda Autosports (Q350) -- Solid, subtle, conservative. "Now again, how is this better than a Roush or an SMS or a Saleen or a . . . ?"

6. 2010 Ford Mustang by Street Scene Equipment (the Butternut Express) -- Front bumper cover vents may overpower the grille. But the fender grilles are SWEET (and hopefully functional). All those Boss 302s have conditioned us to expect some stripes with that color . . . And somebody's "Donk" is missing its "rims" . . . .

7. 2010 Ford Mustang by Vaughn Gittin Jr. (RTR-C) -- The SR-71 Blackbird look . . . at least it will be harder for the cops to see you . . . . Probably looks better in person than in photographs.

8. 2010 Ford Mustang by Ford Vehicle Personalization (Goldfinger) -- Coming soon to a Pep Boys near you . . . .
;D

[CherryDaddy]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

After drving all 3 offerings from the big 3, Mustang GT, Camaro SS, Challenger SRT8. Floging them during our exhaust kit building and test stage. I will take the mustang over the other two by far. I wanted to love the camaro but i can't. I love the engine but not the rest. I am not a brand loyalist either. The new Mustang is just a better car top to bottom. Its the car I could live with daily. You can't see were your going in the Camaro and Challenger is a whale. Mustang is simple live axle burnout fun.

[38P]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

Although I am a brand loyalist, I would mostly agree with your assessment. I could probably live with an SRT8 Challenger, but Mustang is my first choice.

However, Ford simply cannot afford to coast along, giving up huge chunks of optional horsepower to its competitors (even if Mustang's lighter weight makes the power-to-weight ratio not as dreadful as it initially appears).

As to the SEMA SHOW specials . . . they've got a similar job as all of those slinky spokesmodels: attacting attention to the sponsor's products. In a veritable sea of 10,000 booths and hundreds of thousands of people, that's tough. While a brilliant concept build could spur additional interest in new 2010 Mustangs, just-average "customs" probably don't help or hurt much. Of course, you never know what objectively ordinary (or even awful) concept might capture someone's imagination (e.g. "goldfinger").

For an OEM, SEMA concept vehicles are also "pilot lights" that the factories hope will ignite additional aftermarket "heat" for their vehicles.

[mustang13]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

My favorites in order are- H & R Springs, Paul's and the Bad Ass yellow one.

IMO, Mustang will always out sell the other choices because it is more appealing to a larger group, it doesn't need to be the quickest or fastest, thats what the aftermarket and Shelby are for, plus its the only drop top, that has always helped sales too.

The new 10' is one of the few new cars I wouldn't mind making a payment every month on.

[38P]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

IMO, Mustang will always out sell the other choices because it is more appealing to a larger group, it doesn't need to be the quickest or fastest, thats what the aftermarket and Shelby are for, plus its the only drop top, that has always helped sales too.

The sales figures I'm seeing are not pretty. Americans are notorious for defecting to the "best value." Brand loyalty is dodgy at best.

Ford has fumbled the Mustang power issue. A few expensive Shelbys are not substitutes for a competitive, affordable V8 performance car. And with CAFE closing the "window" on traditional performance soon, Ford may soon end up again on the short-end of the nostalgia headlines during the coming blue-collar performance "ice age." Hopefully the rumored Coyote V8 will make up for wasted time.

I'd hoped that Ford would have used its now-evaporated Mustang sales lead and its period of exclusivity (during the on-again, off-again gestation of the OZ Camaro) to have scored a knock-out and begin to reestablish Ford's hegemony in hot rodding.

It didn't for a variety of reasons (almost all of which I've blogged about extensively at http://speedzzter.blogspot.com).

There have been times when Ford held over 90 percent of the grassroots performance market. Ford stupidly blew all of those leads. While it's unreasonable to expect that Ford would ever regain the total domination it had during the formative years of hot rodding, it's not unreasonable to expect Ford to "try harder" and build more advanced "hot roddable" vehicles than GM.

Finally, even if Ford were to rely on the aftermarket to compete with GM, it's done a poor job. The Mustang GT has a near-bulletproof block filled with glass-jawed hypereutectic pistons and questionable powdered-metal rods. It's way down on cubes to the competition. The bore centers were compromised for FWD cars that were mostly never built. Ford hasn't maximized its major advantage because Ford has been stingy with the good four-valve heads on affordable versions of the modular. And Ford has been too conservative with forced induction V8s (no turbos, less-than-optimal supercharger set-ups).

Ford has also failed aggressively adopt or maximize new variable valve, variable cam phasing, cylinder deactivation, and direct injection octane boosing technologies.

Sure, you can build a 1200-1600 h.p. competition modular with stock-based castings (it's been done). But the bolt-on market (which is most of Ford's potential customer base) has been held back by the cheapskates in accounting depriving Ford's bread-n-butter "working man" customers a boost-ready DOHC in sub-Shelby models. Even if Ford would have optioned Mustang GTs with as strong a rotating assembly as the pre-'92 5.0 H.0. but in the anvil-like modular block, and then topped it with four valve heads, things would be a lot different today.

And if Ford would have also corrected the bore center mistake when it first became apparent, things would be a LOT different. We possibly could have seen a shift as huge as the switch from flatheads to OHV.

A lost opportunity, I think . . . .

[mustang13]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

Wow, how do you sleep at night with all that rattling around in your mellon.

Sounds like you should just be happy you live in America and go buy a Camaro.

[38P]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

Nope, I gave up pushrods . . . and I keep hoping that Ford will finally build a KILLER wide-bore-center turbo DOHC V8 someday ;D

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

mod motors are pigged
GM throws a blower on an LS - breaks 600 beans
rebadged mazduhs - ugh

[38P]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

No, GM reengineered a relatively HUGE FREAKIN' V8 for supercharged use (6.2 liters), installed it in a $100,000+ limited production car and broke "600 beans." A supercharged DOHC of the same cubes would kill it. A turbocharged DOHC of the same cubes would . . . annihilate it . . . it would be so nuclear hot, you'd never get it past the lawyers . . . .

BTW, Shelby broke "700 beans" with a production 5.4 DOHC.

Mustangs are not rebadged Mazdas. Mazda offers no model similar to the Mustang. Flat Rock is a joint-venture Assembly plant. Mustang was designed, engineered and is built in America by Ford.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

BTW, Shelby broke "700 beans" with a production 5.4 DOHC.

Parish broke how many beans with a production 5.3L :

[realsteelfreak]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

Speed, While I can say youve got most of the facts straight I would have to say Ford will prevail in the battle. Fact being in 98 or 99 with the 4.6 down on power because of the head issue, they did what they needed to fix that, and then just a few short years later the only Pony car to buy was what? A Mustang. Even the almighty GTO with a mighty LS failed.
Sales may drop a bit ,but once eveyone tires of the new toy, all will return to the Mustang. Call it what you will but Ford has brand marketing, and they earned it over and over, point being hand assembled Mod motors(I know Cobra) that failed was simply exchanged and sent back to Ford to be evaluated. Job1.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

Speed, While I can say youve got most of the facts straight I would have to say Ford will prevail in the battle. Fact being in 98 or 99 with the 4.6 down on power because of the head issue, they did what they needed to fix that, and then just a few short years later the only Pony car to buy was what? A Mustang. Even the almighty GTO with a mighty LS failed.
Sales may drop a bit ,but once eveyone tires of the new toy, all will return to the Mustang. Call it what you will but Ford has brand marketing, and they earned it over and over, point being hand assembled Mod motors(I know Cobra) that failed was simply exchanged and sent back to Ford to be evaluated. Job1.

I'll agree with you on Ford Marketing of their vehicles. The Mustang is 100 times more marketable than the new GTO was. They got the car marketed right for sure and most are six cylinders showing that it's not the engine that driving sales (we're a bias crowd and it's not just government mandates). GM dropped the ball on the design/marketing of the F-bodies no doubt, but the z-28's and WS-6's were quicker than the GT's.

[38P]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

Lutz's OZ goat never had a fair chance.

The styling was rental-car bland.

Wangers said the Pontiac brand managers didn't want to use the "m-car" (muscle car) heritage to sell it.

The price point was too high (just like with the Mercury Marauder).

IRS turned off some of the drag racers.

Too many didn't like the "import" status.

[Falcon67]

Re: Ford Announces the 2010 Mustangs of the SEMA Show

>as in look at me get whipped in the 1320 by my neighbor's new 426-horse Camaro. Sad

I may be slow, but at least I'm not ugly. ;D

Yes, Ford is behind if you add up the HP figures. So what really. It's a big deal for us car types, but for the rest oof the buying public its not the thing. The mustang is a nice car - drives nice, fairly cheap and the GT has a nice V8 in it. Good 'nuff for most. Besides, if you are a hot rod type you can pay $26K for a Mustang GT and put a $4000 blower on it, kick every 2010 Camaro and all the Hemi Challengers to the curb and still have $10K plus in your pocket. For every Camaro that GM sells Ford will probably sell 10 Focus because people like the car and it's affordable. Very, very few give a rip about a $40,000 hot rod, GM, Ford, whatever. Same with the Shelby. If I had $50K, me Ford Guy would pass on that overpriced pile of Shel. Both race cars here would have 600HP and look real pretty and I'd have plenty of $$$$ left over. Our weekend beaters have as much or more already than the Camaro has and no $500+ a month payment. HP wars make good PR but don't do much for real sales IMHO.