Ford News: Ford is Hoping To Use Mustang DNA To Influence Future Models

[William Maley]

The Ford Mustang will being playing a vital role in the company's future. Compared to its other products, the Mustang has "bold, emotional designs that elicit passion among its customers." According to Automotive News, Ford is hoping to expand this idea to their upcoming lineup that will be mostly comprised of trucks and utility vehicles.

"Mustang has a soul. It's a balance of performance and design. If you can capitalize on the cachet and let that rub off on the rest of the portfolio, it's a good thing," said Darrell Behmer, chief designer for the Mustang.

A prime example is the upcoming Mach 1 EV crossover announced back in January. The model is expected to borrow a number of cues from the Mustang in the exterior design, and will possibly use the C2 platform - what underpins the next-generation Focus. What will not be appearing is the Mach 1 name for this new model.

"We put that out there to evaluate it. There are pros and cons. I don't want to handicap it at this point, but we got a very strong reaction from people," Jim Farley, Ford's president of global markets.

'Strong' is a nice way to describe the overall reaction as most people hated the possible name.

Next-Generation Mustang Plans

Automotive News also reports that the next-generation Mustang has been pushed back by a year - reportedly done by CEO Jim Hackett. The new model is expected to arrive in 2021 and move to one of the five new modular platforms announced by Ford. Automotive News expects it to be the RWD/AWD unibody that is expected to underpin the next-generation Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator. Members of the Mustang team were mum on details for the next-generation model (not surprising), but did reveal that moving to a modular architecture wouldn't "hurt their design creativity."

"Mustang is still going to be a strong, well proportioned vehicle. The modular architectures will still give us flexibility; it's not going to bastardize Mustang," said Behmer.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[David]

Good that they decided against using the Mach 1 name on an EV CUV. Interesting on the move to a unibody for the next gen Mustang. Be interesting to see how it handles in Unibody format for racing / drag strip. 

How well has the current mustang done in regards to racing. I know they have specific models built for it, but have they racked up the wins to be impressive or just there?

We do live in a very changing world right now. I think the new modular platforms is so that they are global and a single highest standard so that like all OEMs, they continue to reduce costs of building.

[Robert Hall]

2 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Good that they decided against using the Mach 1 name on an EV CUV. Interesting on the move to a unibody for the next gen Mustang. Be interesting to see how it handles in Unibody format for racing / drag strip.  

The Mustang has always been of unibody construction.  It would be interesting to see if by using this new platform they will do an AWD version.  

Edited August 27, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[David]

10 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

The Mustang has always been of unibody construction.  It would be interesting to see if by using this new platform they will do an AWD version.  

Agree will be interesting to see if they do an AWD version to handle HP / Torque. 

I thought the current mustang was kind of a Hybrid platform, Unibody but still has remnants of the older body on frame engineering? But thinking on this I guess once they dropped the solid axles they pretty much dropped anything of that era in regards to the body on frame mustangs.

[Robert Hall]

5 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Agree will be interesting to see if they do an AWD version to handle HP / Torque. 

I thought the current mustang was kind of a Hybrid platform, Unibody but still has remnants of the older body on frame engineering? But thinking on this I guess once they dropped the solid axles they pretty much dropped anything of that era in regards to the body on frame mustangs.

Nah, there was never a body on frame Mustang..the '72-79 midsize Fords and the full sizers up through the Crown Vic were BOF.  

 

Edited August 27, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[David]

25 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Nah, there was never a body on frame Mustang..the '72-79 midsize Fords and the full sizers up through the Crown Vic were BOF.  

 

Really, I thought the first mustangs up to the late 70's were BOF and then they started the change over. 🤔

[Robert Hall]

4 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Really, I thought the first mustangs up to the late 70's were BOF and then they started the change over. 🤔

Nah, the '65-73 were on a unibody platform derived from the original Falcon, the '74-78 Mustang II was on a unibody derived from the Pinto, the '79-93 'Fox' platform started w/ the '78 Fairmont, the '94-04 was a modified version of the Fox platform, '05-14 was a new unibody plaform, '15+ is a new unibody platform... 

All Ford mid sizers were unibody from '62-71 (basically a larger version of the Falcon platform), then in '72 they switched to BOF (very similar to the GM A-body, I believe) then in '80 they downsized to the Fox unibody platform. 

Edited August 27, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[smk4565]

They had the Mustang for 52 years and the year they decide to kill off all their cars except the Mustang is the year they decide to use Mustang styling on other products?   Are they going to put a Mustang face on the Escape and F150? 

Also, they want to platform share between the Mustang and a 3-row SUV?  Yeah that sounds like a good plan, every good sports car starts as a 3-row SUV, said no car company ever. 

[Robert Hall]

35 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Also, they want to platform share between the Mustang and a 3-row SUV?  Yeah that sounds like a good plan, every good sports car starts as a 3-row SUV, said no car company ever. 

The good thing is we might end up with a 4500 lb Mustang!

[balthazar]

39 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Are they going to put a Mustang face on the Escape and F150? 

Maybe... mercedes puts the s-class face on everything from the a-class to the x-class.

[Robert Hall]

Well, the current Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, Escape, Edge, Taurus and Mustang have variations on the same face already... sounds like the next gen Explorer will as well. 

Edited August 27, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[balthazar]

I think that's called "a brand".

[Robert Hall]

1 minute ago, balthazar said:

I think that's called "a brand".

Ya, brand DNA...like how the new Camaro is trying to look like the Silverado, etc. 

[balthazar]

Sometimes it works, other times it don't.

[Suaviloquent]

Another grand master plan. Next they might cancel the Mustang because every SUV that looks like it will be confused with the Mustang itself.

[smk4565]

I think next they will kill Lincoln and then buy back Volvo for 5 times what they sold it for to have a luxury brand.

[frogger]

Nothing to add except that one off Kona blue Bullitt is damn beautiful.

 

[ykX]

I was hoping next generation will be slightly smaller and more importantly lighter.  However, doesn't look like this will happen

[Suaviloquent]

To car folks all of Ford’s recent decisions with passenger cars have been baffling and sales are cratering and they’re cancelling while losing profits.

 

Mustang styling on an SUV...gee that’s like Chevy’s new Blazer. 

 

Disgusting. As well the Blazer isn’t even practical it’s total volume is a widget bigger than the Nox’s. Can’t wait to be turned off by the Edge

[ocnblu]

And so you're saying the Equinox isn't even practical in a worse way?  If the Blazer is only a widget bigger, and the Blazer isn't even practical...

[Suaviloquent]

Lemme rephrase, the Blazer is supposed to be mid sized but it’s got no volume benefit for being that one class size bigger.

 

it’s like they went out of their way to make it less spacious, all for the same failed design trends as say a Nissan Murano. 

[ocnblu]

Blazer benefits are style and sport WITH utility.  It's for the man or wawman who have little baggage to haul.  Sort of like the Monte Carlo of the here and now.  It's cool.

Edited August 30, 2018 by ocnblu