Ford AU has said they want to make the next Falcon smaller and lighter, so that's good news for ever'one.
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Ford AU has said they want to make the next Falcon smaller and lighter, so that's good news for ever'one.
Won't any significant downsizing make it smaller than the Mondeo?
I don't know how significant it would be.. I think they want more lighterness than smallerness, it still has to be a fambly saloon/taxi. Still no reason not to make the platform flexible enough to suit a Mustang though.
[quote=ThisBlood147;946742]Yes, hopefully Ford's ushering in of the age of independent rear suspension for the entire Mustang production line in 2014/15 doesn't mean that they plan to build it on the Taurus platform or something. :rolleyes:[/quote]
Dont know where you pulled Taurus from...Thats scheduled to run on a larger Mondeo/Fusion platform last i heard.
[quote=pimento;946754]Hopefully they'll do what they should have done years ago and merge it with our Falcon platform.[/quote]
Probably only going to be similar to Falcon from the A pillar forward. The need for a lower rear set in Mustang and the implications of that on the floor and rear suspension geometry mean Falcon and Mustang wont share a full platform, and in comparison to what Ford has pencilled in for their RWD plans Mustang will still be on a unique platform.
[quote=ThisBlood147;946756]I'm just hoping the car doesn't get bigger or heavier the way the Camaro has.[/quote]
[quote=pimento;946757]Ford AU has said they want to make the next Falcon smaller and lighter, so that's good news for ever'one.[/quote]
Ford have commented they want to concentrate on getting weight down as the next step in chasing efficiency after they roll out their Ecoboost engines fully, but you'd be foolish to expect massive gains. So long as they both remain steel monocoque construction, they need metal in the structure to be strong enough which is the main reason theyve gained weight in the first place.
[quote=f6fhellcat13;946758]Won't any significant downsizing make it smaller than the Mondeo?[/quote]
I think that the Mondeo is already almost as big as the Falcon. So please, just Falcons for everyone...
Lengthwise, interior room and bootspace its about the same, even ahead in some areas. Falcon is noticeably wider though.
I've also heard it mentioned over and over again that the sixth generation is supposed to be more "Fox like". I hope it's not design wise.
[quote=Rasmus;946792]I've also heard it mentioned over and over again that the sixth generation is supposed to be more "Fox like". I hope it's not design wise.[/quote]
Well the Fox did last forever, but other than that what's the point? I'm not the most knowledgeable on Mustangs, what would be the advantage in going more "fox like"?
The Foxes have a strong following, and they're almost always found in large numbers at pretty much all the local drag strips. I'm guessing Ford is wanting to include them in the mustang modernization craze that started in 2005.
Personally I'm hoping Ford is referring to the lower weight of the average Fox body.
[quote=Rasmus;946796]The Foxes have a strong following, and they're almost always found in large numbers at pretty much all the local drag strips. I'm guessing Ford is wanting to include them in the mustang modernization craze that started in 2005.
Personally I'm hoping Ford is referring to the lower weight of the average Fox body.[/quote]
Well the styling... was not my thing. But I'm always for lighter weight.
[quote=Rasmus;946796]
Personally I'm hoping Ford is referring to the lower weight of the average Fox body.[/quote]
Thats what I'm hoping too. Lower weight and simplicity. I wonder if they will make it slightly smaller too? I dont know if i can back this up with numbers or anything, but i've always felt like the traditional fox body mustang was more of a compact car than the comparable camaros at the time.
The fox body has an extremely strong following all over america. Even when people are rebuilding, or building, old camaros, they use fox body front ends.
Well they are easy to work on, parts are ridiculously cheap, suspension can be dialed in well for the drag strip, and you can stuff a 67-71mm turbo on them and make good power.
I still don't like them, and I'm not really fond of their chassis either.
I think they want to go a touch smaller but on the same token i think they want to keep the car a proper 4 seater, so they wont be going that much smaller.
To get back on topic a bit, I think the whole M3 vs. 5.0 debate is a bit off. Horses for courses. Only very few people are in the market for both cars. Me, I'd get the 5.0 coupe with basic cloth interior for $28k out the door in a heartbeat. The interior is much better than that in my '06, and it's a fun car.
[quote=fpv_gtho;946821]I think they want to go a touch smaller but on the same token i think they want to keep the car a proper 4 seater, so they wont be going that much smaller.[/quote]
I think you are right, but I somehow see the 2014 being the same weight as the S197, and this still be considered a victory.
[quote=Rasmus;946824]
I think you are right, but I somehow see the 2014 being the same weight as the S197, and this still be considered a victory.[/quote]
Agreed. If the weight stays where it is now, and Ford can still dial in some great track character out of it (at least as good as it is now)....then it will be a win.