New Ford Interceptor Show Car

[Vortex]

Check out near the end of the article about a new Ford Interceptor with Mustang components.:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/12/15/ford_no_mustang_sedan/index.html

[dwasson]

Is it possible that FOMOCO is run by people bent on destroying the company?

[RR|Suki]

Check out near the end of the article about a new Ford Interceptor with Mustang components.:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/12/15/ford_no_mustang_sedan/index.html

new cougar!!!!!!! come on ford do it!!!!!!!

[MMaxVA]

Is it possible that FOMOCO is run by people bent on destroying the company?
entirely. i see that there are no more CV LX Sport in the 07 model year. it is now just an optional package on LX. looks like they just keep making it for fleet use. the new trend at ford is to make VW passat lookalikes it seems. CV was always the american car icon for me. we'll live to see the death of the american car.

[ncmm]

Check out near the end of the article about a new Ford Interceptor with Mustang components.:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/12/15/ford_no_mustang_sedan/index.html

ya know. . .they made the new Mustang look retro, would they do it for say a 1970 or 71 Cougar XR7?

[Power Surge]

Don't understand the negativity here, Ford is saying they WON'T do it.

As for the "interceptor" concept car based off the Mustang platform, what's the big deal??? Everyone is *****ing about Dodge wiping the market up with the Charger and 300, and Ford shows promise of a car that might compete with that and now you don't want it? Some people here make me laugh sometimes...

BTW, it should be no surprise to see a 4 door Mustang platform based vehicle considering the new Mustang came from an existing 4 door vehicle.

[RR|Suki]

Don't understand the negativity here, Ford is saying they WON'T do it.

As for the "interceptor" concept car based off the Mustang platform, what's the big deal??? Everyone is *****ing about Dodge wiping the market up with the Charger and 300, and Ford shows promise of a car that might compete with that and now you don't want it? Some people here make me laugh sometimes...

BTW, it should be no surprise to see a 4 door Mustang platform based vehicle considering the new Mustang came from an existing 4 door vehicle.

Like I said NEW COUGAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

[endless]

i would hope "interceptor" is a new big body sedan based on a not 30 year old platform with the hurricane/BOSS V8.

dont hate on concepts until you see em.

[Bruce Wayne]

Go Ford ! I guess the Ford camp has to raise the bar again! now that these stamped out hemi drivin' charger owners have caught up, finally! Too bad you see 6 at every stop light now. It's gonna be interesting to see what comes next. I'm looking forward to the North American Auto Show in Detroit this Jan. I got a feeling we're going to be pleasantly surprised.

[GreekGod]

[quote=endless;453062]i would hope "interceptor" is a new big body sedan based on a not 30 year old platform with the hurricane/BOSS V8.

I can argue the 1979 Panther platform, since it was updated in 2003, is now a 4 year old design.

Is the F-150 a 60 year old design? Why, it has a ladder frame, and leaf springs in back, just like most post WWII pick-up trucks.

You could say the Panther platform is a 1965 design, what with the perimeter torque-box frame, and coil spring front suspention. Why not say it is a 1957 design, since it is really a cow-belly frame, with torque-boxes added?

May I propose, the Panther platform is a timeless, classic design, not to be outdated in the foreseeable future? Add an independent rear suspention (not difficult, or very costly), the 3 valve Mod motor, 6 speed auto transmission, an up-graded design body, and perhaps the clueless critics, and Ford management, would get a clue.

Oh, and one more option, a 400 lb.ft. turbo Diesel.

[Blackened300a]

This is the end quote of the article

Ford will unveil a concept car called "The Interceptor" at the Detroit Auto Show in January. That car will be based on the Mustang's rear-wheel-drive architecture but it will not be a Mustang, the company emphasized in its announcement.

There are currently no production plans for that vehicle, the company said.


Thats the end of that noise

[mr.continental]

This is the end quote of the article

Ford will unveil a concept car called "The Interceptor" at the Detroit Auto Show in January. That car will be based on the Mustang's rear-wheel-drive architecture but it will not be a Mustang, the company emphasized in its announcement.

There are currently no production plans for that vehicle, the company said.


Thats the end of that noise

Yes, but plans can change.

[dwasson]

Go Ford ! I guess the Ford camp has to raise the bar again! now that these stamped out hemi drivin' charger owners have caught up, finally! Too bad you see 6 at every stop light now. It's gonna be interesting to see what comes next. I'm looking forward to the North American Auto Show in Detroit this Jan. I got a feeling we're going to be pleasantly surprised.


Ford does some of the hottest concept cars you will see at the shows. In Australia and Europe, Ford produces some cool cars in almost all market segments. But, Ford North America is far too conservative. They have been playing catch up for the last 40 years.

The panther platform IS old fashioned. That is a lot of it's appeal. It's a mature platform with most of bugs worked out. But it is not competitive with the Chysler 300, with 50 more HP and more precise handling. The CVPI is not competitive with the Charger, according to the latest police research.

Ford needs to decide if they are truly a global manufacturer, or a group of regional companies. Any executive, in the past 30 years, who approved a platform that wasn't saleable in every country in the world should be fired, if not shot. There is no excuse for any Ford platform not meeting crash test standards of any nation that Ford operates in. Engines can be tuned for different markets, but the basic structure should be built for the world.

Then Ford NA needs to get past the "not invented here" BS and examine every market niche and determine the best way to compete in that segment, whether that means selling the Australian Falcon platform, the Mazda 6 platform, the Euro Focus platform, or the Mustang platform.

As much as I enjoy the Marauder, the retro charm of the big body on frame, rear drive sedan, is not going to bring Ford into the 21st century. Modern unibody cars are stiffer, quieter, and better handling than any body on frame can ever be. The panther platform is not the wave of the future.

[Krytin]

Modern unibody cars are stiffer, quieter, and better handling than any body on frame can ever be. The panther platform is not the wave of the future.

I really don't want to start a heated debate here but I have heard this comment before in Road & Trash and other magazines of the same type. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I wonder about some of the full blown race cars that are body on chasis and RWD?

[dwasson]

I really don't want to start a heated debate here but I have heard this comment before in Road & Trash and other magazines of the same type. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I wonder about some of the full blown race cars that are body on chasis and RWD?

Most race cars are space frame. The frame under a panther
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/1/1/4/1/cvframe.bmp
is nothing like the frame under NASCAR racer
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/1/1/4/1/chassis.gif

[grzellmer]

I don't care if the car drives like a 1970 version. I want a Fullsize, rear-wheel drive car with a V8. (And a manual trans if ya got one handy.) The "rag" Car and Driver assumes everyone wants the latest Eurocrap vehicle. Not Me. In fact make mine a 1969 Olds Delta 88 with a 455 V8 (first car) and I'll buy one.

I also had a 1989 Mustang GT Hatchback (For the Ford purists here.) It had drum brakes in the back and took like 300 ft to stop. The hatch creaked from the body flex when you turned the corner. In short it was a car built for a 4 cyl with a V8 stuffed in it & burned a quart of oil every 800 miles (Brand New). And I loved it.

Now, Bow to your Sensei

[Krytin]

Most race cars are space frame. The frame under a panther
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/1/1/4/1/cvframe.bmp
is nothing like the frame under NASCAR racer
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/1/1/4/1/chassis.gif
Ok - And the unibody would be comparable to the monocoque chasis - more expensive but lighter and rigid.

[dwasson]

And if Ford builds cars for people who want to drive junk the Japanese will continue to sell cars to those who want something better.

[dwasson]

Ok - And the unibody would be comparable to the monocoque chasis - more expensive but lighter and rigid.

Unibody, monocoque, and structural skin are almost interchangable terms. Monocoque is used more in aviation and in Europe.

Lighter and more rigid are everything.

[RCSignals]

As much as we may want another Body-on-frame passenger car, There will be no more.
Other than Police vehicles/Taxis, and Corvette from GM maybe.

If Ford wants to build a new RWD car and announce it is using parts/technology from the Mustang, who cares? Other car makers do that and no one flinches. Chevrolet has for years, as far back as 1955 stated they use various 'Corvette' pieces on some of their models, it's basically just marketing. People eat it up.
When Ford says they'll use Mustang pieces on a non-mustang, they get attacked.

[RCSignals]

And if Ford builds cars for people who want to drive junk the Japanese will continue to sell cars to those who want something better.

Funny. I don't consider much of any Japanese car as actually "better"

[dwasson]

Funny. I don't consider much of any Japanese car as actually "better"

The market disagrees with you.

[RCSignals]

The market disagrees with you.

Perhaps, but "market" does not necessarily correspond to "better"

[dwasson]

Perhaps, but "market" does not necessarily correspond to "better"

"Better" is whatever serves the percieved best interest of the consumer. The market will determine that. You can disagree and then go out and rent a Beta video tape.

[RCSignals]

Yes, perception. Marketing will make or break any product.

[jgc61sr2002]

Yes, perception. Marketing will make or break any product.


I concur. Marketing is what it's all about.:D

[dwasson]

I concur. Marketing is what it's all about.:D

I disagree here. A car that doesn't rattle is better than a car that does rattle. A car that doesn't break down is better than a car that does break down. This belief that people who buy Toyotas and Hondas are mistaken, wrong, or deluded is the main reason why so many auto workers are out of work in this country. What company can survive in a competitive market by telling themselves that people who have lost faith in their product are wrong. If you believe that those people are wrong then build something that will convince them. Nostalgic talk about how happy you were with leaking, rattling, unreliable cars of the past means nothing to a dental hygenist who wants a good car to drive to work. Ford could build 69 Mustangs and they could sell a few to the hard core and give Honda even more of the transportation module market. In the end, it doesn't matter what enthusiasts think abut a Civic, Camry, or Focus. There aren't enough enthusiats to matter. The real money will be made selling reliable, affordable, cars that will get you to work every day.

[RCSignals]

Ford does build good, reliable cars that get people to work every day.
so does GM, and even DCX.

It has noting to do with attractive style either. The 'basic' reliable, affordable, cars from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Daewoo, Dihatsu, Kia, etc, have no style.

[dwasson]

Ford does build good, reliable cars that get people to work every day.
so does GM, and even DCX.

It has noting to do with attractive style either. The 'basic' reliable, affordable, cars from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Daewoo, Dihatsu, Kia, etc, have no style.

The buyers of those cars see them as a better value. Your denial does not change that.

[RCSignals]

I'm not in denial.
I do know those cars are not a better product, or any more reliable.

Most buyers of those cars only know their vehicle by colour! -'what kind of car did you buy?' - 'A silver one'

The problem is that NAmerican auto makers have lost the hearts and minds of the basic car buyer. It has more to do with perception and marketing than the product itself.

[dwasson]

I'm not in denial.
I do know those cars are not a better product, or any more reliable.

Most buyers of those cars only know their vehicle by colour! -'what kind of car did you buy?' - 'A silver one'

The problem is that NAmerican auto makers have lost the hearts and minds of the basic car buyer. It has more to do with perception and marketing than the product itself.

They lost the hearts and minds of the basic car buyer by treating them badly for so long. I will never buy another GM car because of how badly Chevrolet treated my wife and I in 1985. The Ford Focus can't compare to the Honda Civic for tactile feel, Total Cost of Ownership, and dealership experience. What the buyer of a car knows is irrelevant. What they think is all that matters. And what many of them think is that, if they buy a Focus, they will be upside down on the loan until month 45, it will start rattling at 10K miles, leave them stranded on the side of the road, and the dealership, staffed by giuys like you, will tell them that it is all in their heads. In short, it will be just like the experience their Aunt Rose had with that damned Ford Tempo in 1985. Meanwhile, Aunt Rose has been telling everyone for 18 years about how her Accords have never broke down, how the dealership went out of their way to be nice to her and how good the resale value was when it was time to buy another one. Why should she change? And yeah, the Tempo owners have a club too, and they probably claim that their cars are better than everyone thinks. Ford needs to address the cost of ownership. The crappy resale value of most small domestic cars is enough reason to buy a Honda. The Koreans know that their resale value sucks s they offer a 100K warranty. Honda used to do it by limiting the number of cars a dealer would receive, making the used cars more valueble. As a true believer, what you think about imports means as much as a Baptist ministers opinion of later Marilyn Manson CD. The people you want to convince don't care what you think.

[dwasson]

I do know those cars are not a better product, or any more reliable.

You don't KNOW anything of the sort. The numbers are against you. And if you can't prove it with numbers it's just opinion.

[dwasson]

Something that needs to be aid:

I live in the shadow of Ford World HQ. I desperately want the fortunes of FOMOCO to improve. But I believe, that like many of you on MM.NET, much of the management of Ford thinks that the customer is just too damned stupid to buy the right car. This attitude will guarantee that Ford will never take the actions that they need to take to be competitive. As long as you think that you are doing the right things and people don't understand, you will never change how you do things.

[RCSignals]

You don't KNOW anything of the sort. The numbers are against you. And if you can't prove it with numbers it's just opinion.

Actually I do know. It's called personal experience, and beyond that there is nothing at all I need to prove to anyone.

[Bigdogjim]

You don't KNOW anything of the sort. The numbers are against you. And if you can't prove it with numbers it's just opinion.

Mercury was # 2 in overhaul quality this time around. Only Lexus was rated higher. J.D.Powers.

[Mach1]

Take a look at www.ford.com/en/company/about/publicpolicy/manufacturing.htm (http://www.ford.com/en/company/about/publicpolicy/manufacturing.htm)
The foreign auto makers don't have the huge legacy costs that the big three have. The big three's cost disadvantage vs the imports is estimated to be 22.4%. In 2003 alone, Ford's pension obligation was $37 billion! Things like this make it very difficult for the big three to compete. I am afraid if we continue to abandon our domestic manufacturers, we will all suffer a decreasing standard of living. We need to start thinking long term on this.