T-bird returns as a sedan?

[Hoser768]

What an upbeat view of marriage and family you have...

 

I guess I'll plead guilty as charged. It's just the way I see too many of my family and friends have ended up. When I was growing up it seemed that you had the family truckster that you rode in as kids, and the 2 door driver that went to work and back. The working parent could drive a coupe and never worry about the back seat, and the passenger door rarely ever opened. Today's modern family needs require more passenger carrying ability. Even if there's a van/CUV solution available, the second car needs to carry as well. Due to both parents having to work, or the situation I mentioned earlier. People can't give up the functionality of 4 doors like they used to.

 

 

As to the previous poster, I'd have to agree. If a personal luxury coupe comes out of Ford, I think they would have easier time selling a Mark IX than a Thunderbird.

 

I don't know where they would try to insert a Thunderbird sedan in the line-up.

[atvman]

Purists do nothing more than hold back innovation. This argument is just as bad as the mid-engine Corvette argument. The deal here is that the Mustang and Falcon will share a lot mechanically in the next generation, which leaves the door open for a RWD sedan for the U.S. market. Whether or not the Thunderbird name is used, the car itself is more likely at this point than a FWD coupe based on the Fusion or Taurus.

[NickF1011]

Purists do nothing more than hold back innovation.

 

If not for the demands of purists, the Ford Probe would have been the Mustang.

[Ford Jellymoulds]

Why on earth some of you guy want a FWD Bird? what's the point?. It might as well be a just called Taurus coupe. Its not like turning a RWD car FWD will save it from being killed again (Monte Carlo, Cougar...).

 

 

Unless Blue II is try to tell us somthing...........but i would love to see the Cougar also.

 

Mazda's super fun MX-5 the worlds best selling convertible ever since time began is Rear-Wheel-Drive, so Ford are bound to want to follow FOE example and want to emulate the Focus CC convertible sales success that sold just 100 Ford convertibles to the whole of Europe in February 2010 so FWD must be the way to go

Edited March 18, 2010 by Ford Jellymoulds

[NickF1011]

Mazda's super fun MX-5 the worlds best selling convertible ever since time began is Rear-Wheel-Drive, so Ford are bound to want to follow FOE example and want to emulate the Focus CC convertible sales that sold just 100 Ford convertibles to the whole of Europe in February 2010 so FWD must be right thing to do

 

Someone really needs to buy you a globe.

 

For the umpteen thousandth time: North America is not Europe. Need proof? How well does the Camry sell in Europe?

[Ford Jellymoulds]

Someone really needs to buy you a globe.

 

For the umpteen thousandth time: North America is not Europe. Need proof? How well does the Camry sell in Europe?

 

Runaway dodgy Camry "is not" a Convertible Nick topic FAIL (how many time do you rewrite change this quote above in this post?), Rear-Wheel-Drive F-Series is the best selling vehicle in the USA so maybe Ford should base the drive system on a proven F-Series " USA No1 sales winner" for change in the USA and give folk what they really want for a change.

 

Mazda's super fun MX-5 the worlds best selling convertible ever since time began is Rear-Wheel-Drive, so Ford are bound to want to follow FOE example and want to emulate the Focus CC convertible sales success that sold just 100 Ford convertibles to the whole of Europe in February 2010 so FWD must be the way to go

 

"As Britain's favourite sports car brand, Mazda is proud to top the sales charts with the Mazda MX-5 and Mazda RX-8 capturing a 20 per cent market share. Our designers and engineers aim to embody the heart of a sports car in all our products giving them responsive dynamics for a rewarding drive.

LINK

 

Ford used to bash out over 210,000 Rear-Wheel-Drive Mk1 Capri's in the UK/Germany every year in the the early 70's for for the entire length of its 6 year Mk1 production cycle helping FOE to wipe BL of the car making map in the process, today FOE bosses are overjoyed and happy to sell 100 Focus Front-Wheel-Drive CC Convertibles to the European Consumer in February 2010

Edited March 18, 2010 by Ford Jellymoulds

[NickF1011]

Runaway dodgy Camry "is not" a Convertible Nick, Rear-Wheel-Drive F-Series is the best selling vehicle in the USA so maybe Ford should base the drive system on a proven F-Series "No1 sales winner" for change in the USA and give folk what they really want for a change.

 

You are hopeless. You really are.

[FordManBrad]

As a lifelong Ford owner and the current owner of '96 and '97 V-8 equipped T-Birds, I say without doubt, don't disgrace the nameplate by slapping it on a FWD chassis. Let it rest in peace! The market for 2 door coupes, paticularly large ones, has all but disappeared and will probably never return.

 

My dad bought one of the last FWD Monte Carlos built before production ended, and we both agree that it can't even compare to the T-Birds which are nearly a decade older. It feels like an old Celebrity Eurosport!

[Ford Jellymoulds]

You are hopeless. You really are.

 

Hopeless is 100 piss poor Focus CC sales in February 2010 in Europe.

 

Just the pure magic of Thunderbird based on Mazda MX-5 the Worlds Best Selling Convertible which is REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE would turn Fords sales around in Europe overnight l would buy one and so would tens of thousands of other Europeans if only they were give anything other than Hobsons Choice from Ford in Europe.

 

100 Focus CC FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE sales last month is HOPELESS Nick.

 

Bring on a RWD T-Bird, yes please.

Edited March 18, 2010 by Ford Jellymoulds

[NickF1011]

Hopeless is 100 piss poor Focus CC sales in February 2010 in Europe.

 

Just the pure magic of Thunderbird based on Mazda MX-5 the Worlds Best Selling Convertible which is REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE would turn Fords sales around in Europe overnight l would buy one and so would tens of thousands of other Europeans if only they were give anything other than Hobsons Choice from Ford in Europe.

 

100 Focus CC FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE sales a month is HOPELESS Nick.

 

Bring on a RWD T-Bird, yes please.

 

Staying on topic FAIL.

 

But since you insist on bringing up the MX-5, certainly you must know just how pathetic its sales are now in North America, right? Historically good sales do not guarantee future sales of anything.

Edited March 18, 2010 by NickF1011

[atvman]

If not for the demands of purists, the Ford Probe would have been the Mustang.

It probably didn't hurt that the Mustang kicked the Probe's rear in sales.

[ibinubu12]

If not for the demands of purists, the Ford Probe would have been the Mustang.

 

And the 1989 Ford Probe was hands down the best car I've ever owned. What I wouldn't give to have Ford bring back that car! Loved ever minute of the 13 years I kept it!

[NickF1011]

It probably didn't hurt that the Mustang kicked the Probe's rear in sales.

 

That was after the fact though. What eventually was launched as the 1988 Probe was originally supposed to be the 1987 Mustang. There's a reason the fox body ran all the way through 1993: Ford was caught completely off guard designing a proper RWD replacement.

[ibinubu12]

As a lifelong Ford owner and the current owner of '96 and '97 V-8 equipped T-Birds, I say without doubt, don't disgrace the nameplate by slapping it on a FWD chassis. Let it rest in peace! The market for 2 door coupes, paticularly large ones, has all but disappeared and will probably never return.

 

My dad bought one of the last FWD Monte Carlos built before production ended, and we both agree that it can't even compare to the T-Birds which are nearly a decade older. It feels like an old Celebrity Eurosport!

 

Names are just that - names. Thunderbird is a 2-door personal luxury coupe. Drive wheels are completely secondary, and I wouldn't be surprised if the vast majority of other Thunderbird owners are unaware of which wheels are being driven, and those that are complain of how it gets stuck in the snow at every stop.

[NickF1011]

And the 1989 Ford Probe was hands down the best car I've ever owned. What I wouldn't give to have Ford bring back that car! Loved ever minute of the 13 years I kept it!

 

My bro had a 96 Probe GT. Ran pretty well for 140,000 miles or so. I think there's still room in the Ford lineup for a similar type of vehicle. The Reflex concept still does it for me.

[ibinubu12]

Man did you read any of the first post?, Where in the world i said rwd Taurus?. The T-bird is not coming off the current Stang's platform anways, it's a combo platform for a next gen-Falcon and Mustang that allows Ford to make rwd sedans in the U.S. . You need to stop deaming about what D3's you want, Ford is doing a 4-door, rwd Bird, go bitch to them about it.

 

Um... where did I say RWD Taurus? And really? Ford is doing a 4-door RWD Thunderbird in the US? Ford might be surprised to hear that.

[atvman]

Other than compacts, the coupe market is utterly dominated by RWD offerings. People who buy coupes buy them for style and dynamics. Large RWD cars almost always have better proportions than FWD cars and RWD cars almost always have better dynamics than FWD cars. A FWD Thunderbird coupe will be a failure, end of story. If Ford wants to bring back the name, the only logical car to attach it to is a Mustang/Falcon based sedan.

Edited March 18, 2010 by atvman

[Edstock]

A FWD Thunderbird coupe will be a failure, end of story.

And an AWD Thunderbird will be a success, end of story.

 

Stop obsessing on FWD.

 

As a luxury vehicle with performance, AWD is a requisite.

[NickF1011]

As a luxury vehicle with performance, AWD is a requisite.

 

Aren't all of BMW's M-cars and most Mercedes AMG's RWD-only?

[stpatrick90]

Aren't all of BMW's M-cars and most Mercedes AMG's RWD-only?

 

And those are the volume leaders in MBenz and BMW lineups? I get what you are saying but I think high performance cars are not a place that an automaker should focus when they are trying to recreate themselves. They should focus on building mainstream cars first and foremost and in that regard AWD is the best compromise.

Edited March 18, 2010 by stpatrick90

[Blue II]

And those are the volume leaders in MBenz and BMW lineups? I get what you are saying but I think high performance cars are not a place that an automaker should focus when they are trying to recreate themselves. They should focus on building mainstream cars first and foremost and in that regard AWD is the best compromise.

 

The focus at Ford is on building mainstream cars, CUV's, SUV's and trucks. That's pretty obvious.

 

RWD cars, performance or personal luxury are secondary. However they will still exist and new models will come.

 

These are the facts.

[atvman]

And an AWD Thunderbird will be a success, end of story.

 

Stop obsessing on FWD.

 

As a luxury vehicle with performance, AWD is a requisite.

I will never stop obsessing over which wheels power my vehicle. Your last statement is flat out wrong too. BMW, maker of the best sport/luxury sedans in the world, would love to hear why you think AWD is a requisite for a luxury car with performance.

[OHV 16V]

...and those that are complain of how it gets stuck in the snow at every stop.

 

Nothing personal, but judging by how much you complain about that I'm going to guess you're not that good of a driver in the snow. I live in northeast Ohio, trust me, we get our snow. I prefer RWD because I have better control. I don't get stuck. And yes, traction control has helped RWD come A LONG way.

 

Driven wheels most certainly do matter on certain nameplates. By your reasoning, the Mustang, Corvette, hell, every Ferrari could be FWD and it wouldn't matter.

 

Where are the Probe, Celica, FWD Cougar, Stratus Coupe, RSX now? Extinct. Not enough market.

 

Accord Coupe, Altima Coupe, Eclipse? Check out their sales numbers.

[Ron W.]

The focus at Ford is on building mainstream cars, CUV's, SUV's and trucks. That's pretty obvious.

 

RWD cars, performance or personal luxury are secondary. However they will still exist and new models will come.

 

These are the facts.

 

 

You have the audacity to post facts instead of speculation, how dare you :shades:

Edited March 18, 2010 by Ron W.

[OHV 16V]

And those are the volume leaders in MBenz and BMW lineups? I get what you are saying but I think high performance cars are not a place that an automaker should focus when they are trying to recreate themselves. They should focus on building mainstream cars first and foremost and in that regard AWD is the best compromise.

 

The volume leaders are the "regular-grade" 3/5-Series BMWs and C/E-Class Benzes. What are they all? RWD. Yes, there are AWD models available, but look at what percentage they make up of the sales and you get the idea.