Next Gen Mustang Mega Thread

[AZCamaroFan]

It's going to weigh 3,300 lbs? with today's safety standards?!

i'll believe that when i see it.

[fielderLS3]

Originally Posted by iHasCamaro

Well they are already up to making the Boss 302, which is based in the early 70's. To keep the retro going, they would need to make a new Mustang II which, to hold true to its roots, would need to be based on the Ford Focus, just as the Mustang II was based on the Pinto. So yeah it might be time to quit while they are still ahead.

Are you suggesting that future Camaros will come with an Iron Duke?

Scratch that, it'll be an Ecotec, just like the ATS.

History does have a tendency to repeat itself.

[09'Z28]

Originally Posted by fielderLS3

Are you suggesting that future Camaros will come with an Iron Duke?

You never know, that wouldn't be until the 7th gen though

[derklug]

I wouldn't mind a smaller Mustang at all. Mustangs have gotten too big, they need to get smaller and lighter. Going global is all in line with the "One Ford" concept that Mullaly has set forth. Eventually all Ford lines will share common platforms, reducing the cost across the board.

[LimaCharlie]

This doesn't sound promising to me. I see a small V8 option, V6 option, and a 4 cylinder option. Add the word "hybrid" to the mix and the next Mustang sounds even worse.
I can understand the less interest in retro styling but the global theme makes me think the next Mustang will look like a 2-door Fusion/Taurus.
The sad thing is I see all this happening to the 6th gen Camaro too.

[2010SLVRBULIT]

it's not just about weight, but aesthetics too. Fugly won't sell.

[drummer5679]

if anyone hasn't noticed, new camaros, mustangs, challengers etc.. are absolutely HUGE. like they're monstrous compared to their predecessors. Cutting down on size (and therefore, weight) will improve handling, fuel economy, speed, and so much more.

This is an incredibly good trend.

[fielderLS3]

Originally Posted by drummer5679

if anyone hasn't noticed, new camaros, mustangs, challengers etc.. are absolutely HUGE. like they're monstrous compared to their predecessors. Cutting down on size (and therefore, weight) will improve handling, fuel economy, speed, and so much more.

This is an incredibly good trend.

I'd like to see each one of them lose at least 300-400 pounds. 500 in the Challenger's case.

[Black5thgen]

3,300 lbs. sounds about right. I would guess the 6th gen will be slightly heavier in the 3,400 lbs. range. The Camaro has always been a but heavier but not as much as the current cars. The gap is ridiculous now. Isn't the Camaro considered a global car right now?

[DaBears]

3300lbs isnt that hard of a goal despite safety regulations. Todays new materials are very light and high tech.

I can almost guarantee it will not look like a Taurus/New Gen Fusion. Mustang will keep its own "platform identity" just as it has for most of its life.

Im telling you, its gonna look very futuristic. It will probably not look like any past mustang what so ever. Or any past Ford car for that matter.

[DaBears]

What did i say about Materials?

Here is your proof guys.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/13/f...tes-hope-to-s/

[PQ]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Retro is dead. And buried. Notice how the HHR, PT Cruiser, all those cars are dead.

I don't think it would be such a bad thing to build off of what we have and just morph it like they have always done. Something radical at first but definitely in it's own direction.

[kbui]

Originally Posted by DaBears

What did i say about Materials?

Here is your proof guys.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/13/f...tes-hope-to-s/

Composite has been looked at since the '90s. There was even an consortium of automakers (ACC) worldwide formed to study composite structures for automotive applications. The biggest problems with composites are 1) high costs and 2) do not have the ductility for energy absorption in a crash. Composite's failure modes are tricky. It's still a big battle to use composites for crashworthiness and it's not going to be easy. Combining composite with aluminum to reduce weight would be great, but keeping the costs down will be difficult. Especially for the hi performance sport/muscle cars in the ~$30K range.

[Mr_Draco]

Originally Posted by drummer5679

if anyone hasn't noticed, new camaros, mustangs, challengers etc.. are absolutely HUGE. like they're monstrous compared to their predecessors. Cutting down on size (and therefore, weight) will improve handling, fuel economy, speed, and so much more.

This is an incredibly good trend.

Actually if you look up the dimensions of the previous gen Camaro's and compare them to the 5th gen, you'll see the 5th gen is about the same size wise as the others and only about 100 lb difference. The 5th gen actually isn't the heaviest Camaro either.

Back on track of the Mustang though, the only way I see them reaching the mystical 3,300 lb mark is if they make the body out of carbon fiber. The cost of carbon fiber will easily put such a car out of the price range of most buyers.