DeluxeStang

I'd argue a gt 500 that's 100k is unobtainable for most enthusiasts. At least a GTD is an exciting poster car.

This is what I was concerned about with getting the GTD first. It kinda makes everything that comes after feel tame and hard to get excited about.

Hopefully this isn't all we get. It's ok, I'm sure it'll grow on me. There's just something going on with Ford design at the moment. The ideas are there, but the execution seems to be struggling. Maybe their new head of design will right the ship, but it just feels like the design talent they have right now isn't what it was 5-10 years ago.

With a starting price of $19,900.

What's kinda pissing me off with Ford is how they play fast and loose with the term "all new". Like when they said an all new performance car was gonna be revealed in Detroit, and now seem to be hinting that it's an s650 derivative. I don't consider that all new, but apparently Ford does. Then again, with us getting more info about the off-road supercar thing again today from Ford authority, maybe they'll still end up revealing it, who knows. I personally view all new as a new generation or nameplate. Whereas Ford will take a maverick, give it a new trim and name and call it an all new product and nameplate. So I guess we'll see what they have in store.

I thought so as well, maybe the guy I talked to didn't realize that. But for the bronco reveal, a rtr version makes sense. Not related to this but he attended some dealer meetings and confirmed other product info like the mustang sedan is a stretched s650 instead of being its own design, and that ev truck patent image is really close to the CE1 truck design. Apparently it will have a lot of accessories. Again, not related to this, but just some other interesting product tidbits while we're discussing future product.

So I saw one conversation on another site that said the bronco and mustang being revealed are RTR partnerships.

It seems like the one to get if you want a raptor vehicle that's smaller than an f-150. The bronco raptor seems insanely overpriced for what it offers by comparison.

Agreed, I hope the next redesign follows the trend we usually get with mustang, where you have two pretty similar generations, followed by a big leap forward. The mustang needs a new platform imo, the current platform apparently dates back all the way to the early 2000s, it's time for something new. It makes a lot of sense as well because the current platform doesn't seem very flexible, it can't accommodate a sedan, it wasn't really engineered with hybrid or ev tech in mind. Personally, I would create a mustang platform that sets the mustang up for success for the next 20 years. A platform flexible enough to accommodate a sedan, or hybrid/EV powertrains for when the time is right so the platform is future proofed. Ideally lighter weight, and with more evocative proportions than the current chassis, shorter overhangs, longer wheelbase, a bit wider, etc. That would be pretty expensive, but the mustang deserves it. Maybe they could do some sort of halo model using this same chassis, like a cobra or something to be build in flat rock alongside the mustang. A high end sports car that could generate enough revenue by itself to pay for the new platform several times over so they don't have to massively increase the price of the mustang to afford a new platform.

I'm seeing a lot of the same mentality driving this team as we saw with things like the original mustang, Tarus, or gt40. That spirit of "We're gonna win, and we're gonna do whatever it takes" which is a solid hell yeah moment for me.

My guess is maybe 3-5k.

Yeah hopefully the next redesign is able to recapture some of that passion. The base s650 isn't a bad car, bad performing, bad looking, it's just not bold or forward thinking enough to be a real home run in either of those areas.

That would be pretty sweet.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/ford-plans-to-build-the-worlds-cheapest-ev-motors-for-its-30k-electric-truck I hope they find to ensure the quality is also world class. If it is, this info along with the article on the new computing hardware this thing is gonna have paints an incredibly impressive picture. Ford could genuinely become the leader in the affordable EV world if they're able to pull all of this off.

It would be neat if they revealed that, or something else alongside the next cobra/boss. I think a lot of us just want to see something new that isn't a new trim or variant of an existing model. Some sources claim Ford's gonna be revealing multiple vehicles, but who knows if that's accurate.

I think it's a combination of things, the long shelf life of the s550, and the fact that the s650 is basically s550 v2. I want to be excited, and I am excited about some variants, the GTD is cool, and the mustang raptor renderings I've seen look sick, but the design overall is starting to feel a bit tired. I'd love if Ford did like a mustang concept or something like Chevy did with the c9 concepts, just some fresh to get excited about.

I personally believe this is the best looking mid-sized truck coming out. A mid-sized truck with this sort of styling at a lower price would be a smashing success in theory. Scout and Bronco are pretty similar in terns of design,similar blocky shape and proportions, even the rectangular grille, and so on, so this could actually end up being close to the final design. It's more proportional and better looking than most of the bronco truck renderings I've seen.

I like that. You mentioned having more truck like styling which could help boost the appeal. The truck scout put out is one of the best looking mid-sized trucks imo, so something with styling in that direction could be nice. Would a unibody construction limit them when it came to off-roading though? They might have to get creative with the marketing as well to really push the idea that a unibody truck can be as rugged and capable as the most traditional BoF trucks.

You'll probably say "Well the maverick is unibody and it's been really successful" and you're right. But I believe a huge part of the mavericks success is it's not really trying to appeal to existing truck buyers. I came from a sedan into a maverick hybrid, it seems like that's the case with the majority of maverick owners. Everything traditional truck guys hate about the maverick, I love. The small size, the hybrid system, the unibody construction, I wanted something that was less like a truck, and more like a car with a bed, and the maverick is perfect for that. Would I like what you're describing? A ranger sized, affordable unibody truck? Yeah, because I feel like unibody is superior in 90% of scenarios, and I hate the mindset of rejecting something better for the sake of tradition. But a lot of truck loyalists feel differently than I, they feel like they need that body on frame, and that rugged stance on order to even consider buying one. So I think Ford would have to get creative if that was the route they were gonna go. I don't know how many people would be drawn to a Ford take on the ridgeline but more affordable.

Am I correct in assuming you're proposing something similar to the Ridgeline, but something that would undercut the Ridgeline on cost? Like a ranger/maverick sized unibody truck sold in the high 20s maybe? I think that would appeal to some people, the issue I see there is with perception. If we're being honest, truck buyers are kind of a conservative bunch in terms of what they'll accept. With everything from design to chassis and powertrain tech. A lot of truck loyalists are eager to reject something that "Isn't a real truck" in their eyes. The Ridgeline is one of the better midsized trucks imo, it seems pretty reliable/capable, I bet the unibody platform makes it much better to drive. But it doesn't seem to sell very well. Pricing plays a role in that, but I have wondered if the perception that "Its not a real truck" is something that's hurt it's potential. I wonder how Ford would create a mid-sized truck that appeals to traditional truck buyers.

I think replacing the ranger with whatever this affordable truck ends up being is a solid idea. I'm not trying to bicker, sorry if it's coming across that way. The hold up for me is with them calling it affordable, but then insiders saying it's a ranger sized bronco truck. That strategy would tie into Ford's desire to offer more icons, but I don't see it being a particularly affordable vehicle, maybe I'll be surprised. I like what JP is proposing, a bronco sport type truck, but even if it was a bit bigger than a maverick, I worry about that having multiple mid-sized affordable unibody trucks might be a case of too much overlap.

So like a next gen maverick that applies learnings about cost efficiency from CE1 to a ICE truck to make the manufacturing process more affordable, and leads to a lower price? I like that idea, but I'd just make that the next gen maverick so it can stay true to its affordable, small roots. I don't believe it needs to be an additional model.

When it comes to trucks, what I would do is keep investing in, and strengthening the f-series to keep it class leading, but replace the ranger with a bronco pickup, something that looked virtually identical to the scout pickup with its boxy, rugged design. Keep the ranger name but the same truck for overseas markets where the ranger name is stronger. This effectively turns the ranger into a more aspirational model that gives it additional selling points over the Tacoma and frontier. Keep the next gen maverick pretty similar to the current maverick, but give it things like a full width pass through so you have the best of both worlds with a longer bed when you need it, and a four door cab when you want it. Then do a sporty ute ranchero lifestyle truck at the very bottom. Kinda alternate between lifestyle and fleet trucks that are differentiated from one another.

But wouldn't a BS pickup basically just be a next gen maverick?

I get that, but at what point does it become a case of diminishing returns? Like the example you've given of Ford offering a lower cost smaller truck than a maverick, likely as a 2 door, extended bed variant. As a maverick owner, I just don't see the point in spending hundreds of millions on a vehicle with low sales volume, and low profit potential. Ford has a really good fleet truck with the maverick, for people who want a larger, more capable truck, you have things like ranger and f-series. Then for the segment of buyers who wants something really practical with a small footprint, you have this CE1 truck that's gonna have a shorter hood and a cab pass through most likely to maximize utility. Like walk me through the business case for what you're proposing, because I personally believe Ford has most of the fleet practical truck market locked down with CE1/ maverick, and f-series.