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Ford Mustang

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Manufacturer:Ford
Model:Mustang
Vehicle Type:Car
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2015 Ford Mustang: What to Expect


As Mustang's 50th anniversary rapidly approaches, its maker is under enormous pressure to deliver a worthy update that will satisfy legions of loyal fans and appeal to masses around the globe. Ford finally is taking its iconic Mustang overseas.

Think of it as the flip side of One Ford, the program that brought the European Focus and Fiesta to the U.S. Ford will deploy America's original ponycar in new markets including such right-hand-drive countries as England, Japan, and Australia. For the first time, studios in Australia and Europe are contributing to the design of the new model. And the Mustang will finally get an independent rear suspension.

A decade after then-Ford veep Phil Martens' infamous attempt to save $100 a car by scrapping IRS in favor of retaining the live axle, the Mustang will finally enter the 21st century. There will no doubt be feelings of anger, grief, and betrayal from Mustang loyalists. Aging drag racers who argued for the live axle's stoplight launch advantages gave Ford a handy excuse for the cost-cutting. Ford has done amazing things with the live rear axle, but that technology's days are past. We expect Ford will revive the independent suspension design intended for the current-generation Mustang to keep costs down, even though the cost of putting it back in is far higher than that $100 per car saved six years ago.

Believed to be based on the inexpensive and lightweight Control Blade suspension Ford developed for the hind ends of its modern front-drive cars, the suspension will be similar to that of the Australian Ford Falcon. Computer-controlled torque vectoring may be in the cards for further handling improvements. There's a small chance the live rear axle could live on in a low-volume special edition aimed at drag racers, but this would force packaging compromises in the area over the differential.

Reviving an existing suspension design will allow Ford to evolve the Mustang platform rather than start from scratch. While our sources say the new version will be smaller and lighter, many current parts will carry over to help keep costs down. Ford knows the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro will be lighter and more agile than the current model, and it needs to build that car without breaking the bank.

Carryover begins under the hood. Since they're nearly new, the 3.7-liter V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8s should stay right where they are, though we're hearing whispers of direct injection for the 5.0. Word has it a revival of the SVO model is in the works, this time using Ford's brand-new EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder.

That engine is slated to produce 247 horsepower from 2.0 liters, and would serve the base Mustang well, though we're told Ford will increase its displacement to anywhere from 2.3 liters (like the original SVO) to 2.5 liters, with a power boost, of course.

Despite rumors, we expect Ford to skip the EcoBoost 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, at least for the '15 Mustang's launch. In its present form, it doesn't make enough power to take on the Chevrolet Camaro SS. Boosting the twin-turbo's power to Camaro SS levels would mean the EcoBoost V-6 would bump right into the 5.0-liter Coyote V-8, which means the 5.0 also would need a costly power boost to make it viable.

Ultimately, it will come down to performance Mustang sales volumes and whether or not the EcoBoost V-6 makes a big difference in Ford's Corporate Average Fuel Economy numbers.

2009 and 2010 Ford Mustang... 
   
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The "retro" 2005 Mustang did a great job of freshening the car's look. The 2010-'11 major face-lift worked. If you're Ford's design team, how do you follow this up? It's time to throw out the retro, and that's why a radical redesign is underway. Though Ford is soliciting input from its designers around the globe, you needn't worry about another Mustang II showing up. There will be plenty of classic Mustang cues even as designers throw out the retro. A long hood/short deck and crisp, creased upper and lower quarter-panels seem a given. Will the notchback Mustang return? We doubt it. Sales volumes no longer warrant three body styles. Shown here is our artist's rendering of what the new coupe may look like.

We'll find out for certain in April 2014 at the New York auto show, where the 2015 Mustang is expected to debut 50 years to the month after the original premiered at the same show. It could be the same day, April 17, which would be on the second day of press conferences. Depending on how far Ford takes the 50th Anniversary tie-in, cars could go on sale soon after, unofficially as 2014 cars sold as 2015s, just as the original "1964" Mustangs were always marketed as 1965 models. If Ford really wants to go overboard, the original base price, times 10, would be just $1570 more than the current base price, bringing it to $23,680. Meanwhile, a light refresh is expected for the 2013 model year.

WHAT ABOUT THE GT500?

2011 Ford Shelby GT500
Longer in the tooth than the standard Mustang, the Shelby GT500 is expected to get a big update before 2015 Mustang debuts. More power is on tap, and the latest rumor is that Ford will replace the existing Eaton 112 supercharger with the newer Eaton TVS supercharger on the Corvette ZR1, CTS-V, and Camaro ZL1.The ZL1 is the primary target, of course. Reports indicate that the supercharged ZL1 will produce about 570 horsepower, the same amount rumored for the new GT500. With the gauntlet thrown, Ford may try to increase performance to more than 600 horsepower. We're hearing Ford will bore out the 5.4-liter V-8 to 5.8 liters (351 cubic inches).

As we've said many times, the GT500's problem isn't making power; it's putting it down. Ford knows it, which is why spy photographers have caught the new GT500 testing on the Nuerburgring. Bigger, stickier tires are on the list, and test mules have been spotted with aerodynamic modifications. The GT500 will need all the help it can get, because for now, it's sticking with the live rear axle.

Once the 2015 Mustang debuts, it's a question of time and money before the GT500 migrates to the new platform, but don't expect it before 2016. The GT500 and the ZL1 are designed to be low-volume cars with short production runs, so they'll both disappear for a while after the new Mustang and Camaro debut. The updated GT500 is expected to land in 2013 as a 2014 model and will likely see its price rise to around $60,000 to reflect its increased performance.

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What should the next Mustang be?
Todd Lassa asked three legends in the auto industry how they would redesign Ford's ponycar.

"I would hold on to some of the strong identifying Mustang cues: the strong mouth grille, the pony [badge] in the mouth, the scoop forward of the rear wheel, the triple taillights, and overall proportions. I'd definitely have a lower cowl and a faster windshield, moving the cowl forward with a shorter hood. I'd keep the fastback and freshen the C-pillar, and have an even better tire-to-sheetmetal relationship with the biggest wheels and tires possible. AWD should be an option. Inside, I'd just go for much-improved detailing and richer materials. I'd probably go for a little more crown in the body sections of the car."
- Jack Telnack, career Ford Motor Company designer and global design vice president, 1980-'97. He drew the first proposal for the 1965 Mustang fastback.

"They should start with a four-cylinder; they should work in the V-6s and save the V-8s for specialty models. It's time to put the independent rear suspension in it. They should keep the car as lean as possible. They made the last two generations with lean doors and tires that stick out. That needs to be accentuated further."
- Chris Theodore, chief of Ford Motor Company's North American product development until he clashed with Phil Martens over the 2005 Mustang's rear suspension.
"You need to surprise and delight, and you have an even greater challenge to make it fresh, but recognizable. They're doing a great job, but they really haven't made a lot of reach. The Camaro is a more contemporary take on the '69 than the Mustang is. You can have a breakthrough in the surface language, but you can also have a breakthrough in the packaging. You need to look at Europe (and make the car smaller)."
- Tom Gale, Chrysler design chief (retired)

Test-Driving Ford's New (1965) Mustang

1965 Ford Mustang
"There's no doubt in our minds that this latest personal sporty car from Ford will sell like proverbial hotcakes."

When we're right, we're right. That line opened our first-ever review of the new 1965 Mustang in the May 1964 edition of Motor Trend. Here's what else we had to say about the original ponycar:

"While the Mustang definitely isn't a sports car in its production form, there's a pronounced strain of GT in it. Its ride and handling characteristics are completely different from the Falcon's. Suspension is firmer, and the geometry used gives the car a good feel. We thought cars handled very well in stock trim. They lean a bit but stick well and have completely predictable behavior. Six-cylinder version is a little slow (estimated 0-60-mph time: 15-17 seconds), but either of the V-8s offers pleasing performance throughout the entire rpm range."



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