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TopCat501

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Everything posted by TopCat501

  1. Talk of a Ford response has been around for a year or so https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a26912015/ford-f-150-raptor-v-8-supercharged/
  2. That's no intake manifold; for a lack of better words think upside down s/c. something along these lines http://www.fordnxt.com/features/sema-coverage/sema-2017-3-0-liter-whipple-gen-5-2018-coyote-blower/
  3. So what are the chances that part of FCA's decision to announce US expansion plans was to some degree motivated to curry favor with the incoming administration to "assist" in a more favorable resolution to this matter??? I mean FCA has known about this EPA issue for months and seemingly has delayed until the EPA finally lost patience. Delayed for 1 of 3 reasons 1) they don't have a reasonable response or 2) waiting for a new EPA chief & administration less environment oriented or 3) both 1 & 2
  4. Off road truck leader? Not only that but also this >> class leading 900 ft lb of torque I thought Ford announced 925 torque recently? Is the Ford 925 SAE certified? If not, maybe that's why Dodge still feels they are still top-dog for that metric.
  5. Great info; thanks for posting this each month. So is more Mustang production heading overseas? August USA sales of Mustang declined m-o-m but inventory declined significantly from 26600 to 22800. Hopefully lots of August production was sent overseas to ease the unbelievable delay time from order-to-delivery being experienced in some countries. As USA peak seasonal demand for Mustang winds down Ford now has the enviable option to maintain relatively stable production and retain less for USA while shipping more units overseas. . . . . meanwhile you have Camaro . . . . inventory level from oldest to most recent -- 22200 > 26000 > 27400 > 29900; at what point does GM cry uncle and either cut production or bust out massive incentives??? (perhaps GM thinks the tepid cut of $1000 recently for select models will do the trick)
  6. Thanks for the post JPD80; always interesting information What a disaster the FCA car segment is; and it is only going to get worse going forward until I suppose they disappear altogether. No wonder FCA has been purchasing and accumulating carbon credits as they'll eventually just be a producer of trucks, SUVs & vans
  7. More proof that the GT program will span more than 2 years. Per Raj Nair "We created a distribution strategy in an effort to be as fair as possible and are working on a plan that will allow us to make even more deserving applicants happy. Stay tuned" https://www.at.ford.com/en/homepage/news-and-clipsheet/news/2016/8/rajinterview.html There was a reason, besides late back-outs, that Ford sent out 3 types of response letters to applicants. Only thing possibly derailing a >2 year production is unforeseen assembly problems that arise which, I suspect, is the reason Ford will not commit beyond 500 units at this point. Once assembly is up and running, Ford will be able to determine if quantity & quality benchmarks are acceptable. Only then will Ford make the call to shut it down @ 500 units or continue on for an additional 2 to 4 years.
  8. Makes sense. But Ford has recently extended their racing commitment from 2 years to 4 years. Multimatic is the current builder of the track version of the GT so I am assuming Ford will not switch builders at the 2 year mark
  9. ^^ exactly Ford is being cautious as usual. Why would Ford go to the trouble to build a "priority wait" list? Applicants received 1 of 3 letters: 1) Accepted 2) Chance to place yourself on a wait list 3) Not accepted. Once cars are being produced and the reaction from the public can be evaluated, I'm guessing Ford will evaluate going beyond the definite 2 year run based on production problems / cost over runs and goodwill/hype/buzz the car creates in the market place. I can't see the program not being extended unless build problems or cost overruns are encountered. Smart move by Ford, under promise and over deliver if they are so inclined as opposed to tucking tail and running by announcing later that a 4 year run is cut short to 2 years. Or hhhmmmm . . . . . . . .does the possible mid-engine Corvette (rumored arriving in 2 to 3 years) have something to do with Ford's limited 2 year plan???
  10. Thanks JPD80, great information. What is the avg days supply based on? Prior moth sales? Last 3 month avg sales? Or something else? Looks like Camaro inventory is sufficient enough to eliminate the limited inventory excuse for poor sales
  11. I called GM; they said it was a STEEL toolbox not an aluminum one. But seriously, the article said GM discovered this many months ago in their internal testing of competitors vehicles. And while not realistic in the real world, it is a dramatic visual sight to see and stirring an emotional reaction in a potential customer is the holy grail of advertising/marketing. In this case, the attempt is to stir a negative emotion towards a competitor vehicle. Ford's marketing tact seems to always aim to stir a positive emotion about their own product. GM not so much, they've used the negative approach in the past and they are doing it again
  12. The YouTube video is just 1 part of the whole campaign. Chevy’s ballsy comparison advertising also assailed Ford executives by materializing in front of Ford suppliers and customers all over the Motor City this week in a multi-media comparison-marketing blitz perhaps without precedent in the U.S. automotive industry, including big-bucks wraparound newspaper ads and, reportedly, Jumbotron stadium videos. They were giddy at Chevy, perturbed at Ford. “It’s a cheap shot,” groused one Ford executive. “But we’re the industry leader, so naturally they’re going to come after us.” Added another Ford executive: “GM is stuck with what they have for another few years, without a new truck version coming, so they have to do what they can.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/dalebuss/2016/06/10/chevrolets-motor-city-hit-job-on-ford-f-150-is-one-of-most-aggressive-comparison-campaigns/#f5ca7f519250 Seems quite the effort on the part of GM to plant doubt in the public's mind regarding the durability & toughness of aluminum. Whether the situation is realistic or not I think GM must be pleased with the amount of attention the campaign is getting. Whether it works or not remains to be seen.
  13. Yes, more than a 2 year run. Intended run is said to be for 6 years subject to change based on market condition and demand. This from a very very well connected friend of Ford Performance who post on the Ford GT forum. Hopefully if the program does last the intended duration, Ford will update components and/or drivetrain over the program's life cycle as improvements become obtainable. Why 2 years for the initial application only process?? My guess is that Ford wants to initially get this car into the hands of people they deem will provide a high profile for the car. It would be a shame to have the vast majority of the initial owners just garage queen the cars. I think Ford wants to do the most they can to assure this car is driven and talked about by the initial owners. Perhaps there will be no application process after the initial 2 year production run as Ford may feel that 2 years should be enough to accomplish their goals in the eyes of the general public and the motoring community at large.
  14. I think light weighting has as much or more to do with the gorilla glass development for the GT. Ford appears to be looking everywhere for weight savings in regards the GT (why not? in relation to a $350k-$400k MSRP what's an additional $1k to $2k for a lightweight extra strong windshield). Besides I'm sure Ford wants to put the upcoming Zora (midengine) corvette a rung below the GT in every way possible.
  15. Also interesting (to me at least) is that while the 5.2 is designed to run on 93 octane it'll run perfectly fine on 87 with a loss of only 15 peak HP. Nice feature.
  16. The Detroit News reported that the GT350 R is lapping Laguna in the low 1:30s. For comparison the Z/28 apparently was around 1:37-1:38 (I have no idea of the respective weather for the quoted runs). Also interesting, the article states that the 5.2 FPC engine weighs less than the Ferrari 4.5 FPC used in the $240,000 model 458. Ford has a winner with the 5.2 for corner carving purposes if it proves to be durable
  17. Why doesn't FORD produce some more aggressive commercials along the lines of what AKIRBY suggested above??? No misrepresentations just common sense facts that show the "features" the competition tout in their ads as just marketing hype and not a unique capability to their make/model. Ford always seems to take the high road (I can only remember Ford once being accused of a low blow in an ad touting them as the only domestic brand not taking government assistance) If I remember correctly Ford pulled the ad pretty quickly because of some internet media grumblings. Frankly it was the truth and was fair game to state in my mind. On the other hand I can recall several GM ads over the years that blatantly went after Ford (the Howie Long man-step ..... the Super Bowl ad Mayan end of the world wherein a Ford is crushed under debris while the GM truck survives .... and now the steel cage vs aluminum cage) I wish Ford would roll up their sleeves every now and then and counter punch some of the BS from the competition
  18. I've been hearing and seeing a lot of radio and TV ads for the 2015 F-150 over the last 10 days. More than I can remember in a while. Seems Ford is at a point to push back against losing market share in the full size pick-up arena. As an aside, I saw a couple of nights ago for the 1st time the GM ad with the bear and the aluminum cage vs steel cage. My take away was wondering if the Ad agency/GM execs truly feel that the intelligence level of the American public is such that the commercial would be effective.
  19. This news was the 2nd lead story on the national NBC Nightly news tonight right behind the Fla boys lost at sea. And yes they proclaimed FCA may have to buy up to 500k trucks, right or wrong.
  20. The end of the GT and the end of the GT500 are 2 vastly different situations. Everyone knew that there would not soon be another GT offered . . . . . . . meanwhile everyone and their mother knew that another Mustang (supposedly vastly improved with IRS, lighter weight and possibly the most gorgeous styling ever seen by man -- at least 1 of those items came true) would be available next model year. Common sense tells me, shoot I better get my GT cuz who knows how long before they make another one, if ever. Common sense also tells me, with the sales success of the 2007-2013 halo Mustang heck Ford will be making another halo Mustang really soon and it will be based on the improved Mustang platform. It's easy to wait knowing a replacement version is right around the corner with possibly some very nice intrinsic improvements If you want to categorize that as having lost its luster then so be it. If Ford had said at the end of the model run of 2014 GT500s that there would be no super high performance Mustang produced for years to come then you'd better believe that those 2014 GT500s would all be gone long ago. What about the Raptor? How does the end of the last Raptor compare? To me, expectations for reading the tea leaves after the end of the all-steel Raptor was somewhere in-between the GT & the GT500. Sales success of the Raptors told you, much like the halo Mustang, that Ford would be crazy not to produce another one but the switch to aluminum placed enough doubt about the future to make some treat it like the end of the Raptor line (i.e. the mindset that either an aluminum Raptor would not perform like a rugged steel bodied one or simply that aluminum would not allow Ford to build a Raptor class vehicle to their satisfaction and Ford would certainly not run a special line to build all steel based Raptors). In reality it turns out that: 1) the halo Mustang will not even skip a year, yes the 137 GT350/Rs will have a 2015 VIN code but realistically the common man has no chance to get a hold of one so let's say there will be 1 model year skipped 2) the Raptor will skip 2 model years 3) the GT skipped about 10 model years
  21. Did Ford plan this? Hmmmmm . . . . . .. from an article covering the various reveals that day . . . . "Unfortunately for Acura, moments before its big reveal, Ford decided with the roar of the throttle to move the GT onto an adjacent exhibit from a nearby arena; sucking attention away from the Acura stand"
  22. more than 1 article has been published along the lines of how Honda got owned in their handling of the NSX reveal. For some reason I can't paste the link but here is the concluding paragraph. "Sure the NSX may wind up being a fine car. But today Ford showed that it is the more agile company. The fresher company. The more ready to compete and win company. And Honda flat out got punked, looking a corporate dinosaur." Ouch!
  23. ^^^ Ding, ding, ding . . . . you are correct It was originally developed by Delphi right about the time GM spun them off . . . . but don't bring it up on GMI that it was a Delphi developed product and not a GM proper product.
  24. You know, I've been to summer car shows for many years now and I can tell you when a Ford GT is there it doesn't matter what is parked next to it, ZR1 corvette, Viper, AMG, the Ford GT is the center of attention. I can only count on 1 hand the number of times a Ford GT has shown up but the reaction is same every time as described above. Ford has got its financial house in order currently and for the foreseeable future. I mean geez I wish I had the problem of just making 4 billion instead of 5 billion. Yes I understand Ford is a public company and management's job is to maximize profits. The pressure for profit is relentlessly never ending for a public company. And Ford has done a good job in this regard since the great recession. But really, all work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Granted Ford is not quite Toyota dull. But maybe its time Ford made a statement car even if they lose money on the danged thing. Anybody care to name me Ford's halo vehicle??? The GT500? Perhaps you could make a case for it in straight line happy N America. The Raptor? nah. The ST Focus & ST Fiesta are great examples of one of Ford's best strengths, taking very pedestrian vehicles and injecting some mild excitement into them. But they are no halo cars Ford can afford a loss on developing a car again that stands with the best performing autos from competitors in terms of looks, acceleration, handling.. Something that 10 years from now will have people acting the same way toward it as people act today toward the now 10yr old Ford GT. What's a couple hundred million when your making billions.
  25. I just feel expectations were perhaps a little too high for this car. People were jacked about this car given the combination of 1) 50th anniversary 2) new/heavily revised chassis including IRS 3) new exterior styling direction. This Mustang model was akin to your favorite pin-up girl. Your imagination filled in all the blanks to your exact specifications as to what lay underneath. Perfection awaited us or so we lead ourselves to believe. So for this car. the sky seemed to be the limit but reality reared its ugly head and we find Ford is constrained by both the law of physics & sound economics just as all other auto manufacturers are subject to. The Mustang is not one of the prime money makers for Ford so in actuality the sky was never in the picture. So development costs must be appropriately aligned and the manufacturing cost targeted to a competitive retail price. My logical side tells me that certainly the car is an improvement over the prior model in many ways but my irrational side says this car is somehow initially disappointing (what? no weight loss, no 450HP base V8, not clearly faster than the old model, exterior styling that doesn't make Camaro fanbois curse their cars looks) Its been said many times that among all Ford models the Mustang evokes the most passion and I think those emotions got carried away a bit in the form of unrealistic expectations. But by god, I expect the next major Mustang update to be able to sprout Pegasus wings at my command and soar off into the wide blue yonder while shatting on every earth bound Camaros below me.
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