'15 Mustang Prototype Spotted

[ANTAUS]

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/10/2015-ford-mustang-prototype-spotted-on-the-street/

[silvrsvt]

Looks like the upcoming Mustang has lost alot of its heftyness that people where complaining about...how big it look vs say the SN95 or Fox cars...

 

Even though you can't see much besides a small glimpse of the headlights...it looks like it will still look like a Mustang with a long hood and short deck on it

[jasonj80]

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/10/2015-ford-mustang-prototype-spotted-on-the-street/

 

Is it bad I know where all of these spy shots are taken - lol.

 

Hopefully the Std HID's on the current model are upgraded to LED's, I hope they don't go back to halogens.

[mustang let back]

the king of all muscle cars all new and coming to destroy the CRAPMARO. :happy feet:

[Taurusguy]

To me, the proportions don't look all that different than my 2005, which makes me happy because, at 6'4" tall, I wouldn't fit comfortably in something much smaller on the inside.

 

Now for an observation that probably nobody would even think of.... As I was driving home from work today in my '05 in the pouring rain I was thinking how I wished the right side wiper arm was angled differently so that the wiper wouldn't be right in my line of sight while in the fully upright position....angled exactly like the one on this prototype! However, I hope they make the driver's side wiper sweep closer to the A-pillar. It looks like the wiper leaves way too much of the window uncleared.

[BORG]

Definitely appears to be more svelte, less blocky.

[Moosetang]

Big plus to me so far is they appear to have toned down the hood's arc. I like power domes as much as the next guy, but when stacked on top of an already tall domed hood the effect was never my favorite.

[ANTAUS]

Is this the starting vehicle, of the promise that newly redesigned vehicles would be shedding hundreds and hundreds of pounds?

[jpd80]

Definitely appears to be more svelte, less blocky.

 

Yes, "Svelte" captures the initial impression perfectly.

[timmm55]

Is this the starting vehicle, of the promise that newly redesigned vehicles would be shedding hundreds and hundreds of pounds?

It was never quoted "hundreds of pounds" from Ford, maybe 200 or so.

[Hydro]

I'm sensing a Fusion like front end. You can see the curved headlights flow into a large open mouth grille.

[mettech]

[silvrsvt]

To me, the proportions don't look all that different than my 2005, which makes me happy because, at 6'4" tall, I wouldn't fit comfortably in something much smaller on the inside.

 

I doubt the interior room will change much at all, unless new seats improve the pathetic rear leg room thats only good for someone under 4'11 or the age of 12.

[CurtisH]

I doubt the interior room will change much at all, unless new seats improve the pathetic rear leg room thats only good for someone under 4'11 or the age of 12.

Actually, the leg room will accommodate someone a little taller than that. I'm 5'5". With the front seat positioned so that I am comfortable, someone my height could comfortably sit in the back seat. That scenario will probably hold true if both people are up to 5'8" in height. Beyond that, someone is going to be very uncomfortable. And the person sitting in the back seat will also run out of headroom.

[SoonerLS]

Actually, the leg room will accommodate someone a little taller than that. I'm 5'5". With the front seat positioned so that I am comfortable, someone my height could comfortably sit in the back seat. That scenario will probably hold true if both people are up to 5'8" in height. Beyond that, someone is going to be very uncomfortable. And the person sitting in the back seat will also run out of headroom.

Last I heard, 5'10" was average height for an American adult male, and it has been going up. Not that it matters; if you're buying a Mustang (or any pony car), rear seat room is probably not high on your list of priorities.

Edited June 11, 2013 by SoonerLS

[ForgotMyUsrname]

Hopefully it won't be too much of a letdown--I don't know if the shared platform is a good thing or not.

[silvrsvt]

Hopefully it won't be too much of a letdown--I don't know if the shared platform is a good thing or not.

 

 

its on a modified S197 platform...its not "shared" with anything....yet...

[630land]

It's like the early 90's when the SN95 was on the way. I am sure some will be upset since it is not a reproduction of A. 65-66 B. 87-93 C. 67-68. D. 69-70 E. 71-73

 

Most likely A or B.

[ANTAUS]

I sat in the back seat of my friends new Mustang GT, you know, the one that drives 5MPH under the speed limit. Just to convince the wife that her, and her midget children did fit. I'm 6'02 with a 36" inseam and if the front seat is positioned "decently", I have no problem sitting back there actually. The wife (my bestfriend) was trying to use it as an excuse for her husband not to purchase the vehicle, but I told them to go on a diet if they didn't fit, it's really not that bad. I can tell you I tried sitting on a Lexus SC430 rear seat, and I just end up sitting indian style because there was no way feet would fit in the footwell back there.

[97svtgoin05gt]

I sat in the back seat of my friends new Mustang GT, you know, the one that drives 5MPH under the speed limit. Just to convince the wife that her, and her midget children did fit. I'm 6'02 with a 36" inseam and if the front seat is positioned "decently", I have no problem sitting back there actually. The wife (my bestfriend) was trying to use it as an excuse for her husband not to purchase the vehicle, but I told them to go on a diet if they didn't fit, it's really not that bad. I can tell you I tried sitting on a Lexus SC430 rear seat, and I just end up sitting indian style because there was no way feet would fit in the footwell back there.

SC430 is meant to have back seat passengers as much as the Mustang. Its really not. So considering its not really meant to have people back there for lengthy periods, it sounds like the Mustang does better than some of the others out there.

[timmm55]

Last I heard, 5'10" was average height for an American adult male, and it has been going up. Not that it matters; if you're buying a Mustang (or any pony car), rear seat room is probably not high on your list of priorities.

I had an 05 Mustang GT and I'm 5'10"+. I can sit in the back seat just fine with the front seat set for me in a normal/comfortable position.

Getting in/out is another matter!

[Havelock]

its on a modified S197 platform...its not "shared" with anything....yet...

I've heard the modified s197 part before, but the pictures of the engine bay, rear suspension, and door windows appear to make that unlikely.

 

1. The engine bay pics show strut towers that are angled rearward significantly in contrast to those of the s197 as well as the front of the frame tapering towards the grill. This results in changes in load paths of both impact loads and road loads. This necessitates a change in all structural members in front of the fire wall. If Ford keeps the US and Euro spec mustangs as common as possible, the hood and cowl must change to meet pedestrian impact regulations. Some cars use cowls that are integral with the firewall. If this is the case with the s197, the firewall would need to be replaced.

 

2. The change to irs obviously leads to many changes in the rear of the vehicle. It looks like the stamped floor from the differential on back may be different. I don't know if the s197 uses a two-piece front/rear floor pan like some vehicles do so this may or may require an entire change to the floor pan.

 

3. With the move of the side mirrors from the window sill to the side of the door results in a new door window to close the area that was previously occupied by the mirror. This means the structural parts of the door have to be changed to accommodate a window that extends all the way to the base of the A-pillar. Further, the roof rail of the prototype appears to have a greater slope than the s197.

 

While it is possible to keep some structures of the s197 while making the changes, it seems unlikely because so many of the expensive pieces are being changed.

[silvrsvt]

1. The engine bay pics show strut towers that are angled rearward significantly in contrast to those of the s197 as well as the front of the frame tapering towards the grill. This results in changes in load paths of both impact loads and road loads. This necessitates a change in all structural members in front of the fire wall. If Ford keeps the US and Euro spec mustangs as common as possible, the hood and cowl must change to meet pedestrian impact regulations. Some cars use cowls that are integral with the firewall. If this is the case with the s197, the firewall would need to be replaced.

 

The change to the frame tapering to the front isn't a big deal....thats where the crush zone is when you get into an accident. I had a pretty decent accident with my 2006 Mustang and you can see how it was made to be replaceable/easy fix. The angle of the shock towers could be from angle of the photo, nor is it a huge change from the current car.

 

2. The change to irs obviously leads to many changes in the rear of the vehicle. It looks like the stamped floor from the differential on back may be different. I don't know if the s197 uses a two-piece front/rear floor pan like some vehicles do so this may or may require an entire change to the floor pan.

 

The original S197 was designed with IRS till a last minute design change happened...Yes its going to be different, but its not going to be completely different

 

3. With the move of the side mirrors from the window sill to the side of the door results in a new door window to close the area that was previously occupied by the mirror. This means the structural parts of the door have to be changed to accommodate a window that extends all the way to the base of the A-pillar. Further, the roof rail of the prototype appears to have a greater slope than the s197.

 

While it is possible to keep some structures of the s197 while making the changes, it seems unlikely because so many of the expensive pieces are being changed.

 

Once again, most of these changes are in the tophat...look at the Flex and MKT...both look different, but have the same platform. The changes to the 2015 vs the 2005-2014 are much like what happened with Fox to the SN95...same car but more or less look completely different from one another. Ford isn't going sink billions of dollars into redesigning the Mustang again after 10 years on the market, unless they where going to expand it into a Sedan...which doesn't have the best business case IMO.

 

Even the Fusion and Focus with their "new" platforms still have their roots in the C1 program which was based on the C170 platform from the late 1990s...you don't need to a clean sheet design every 10 years..maybe every 20 years.

[Havelock]

The change to the frame tapering to the front isn't a big deal....thats where the crush zone is when you get into an accident. I had a pretty decent accident with my 2006 Mustang and you can see how it was made to be replaceable/easy fix. The angle of the shock towers could be from angle of the photo, nor is it a huge change from the current car.

 

 

The original S197 was designed with IRS till a last minute design change happened...Yes its going to be different, but its not going to be completely different

 

 

Once again, most of these changes are in the tophat...look at the Flex and MKT...both look different, but have the same platform. The changes to the 2015 vs the 2005-2014 are much like what happened with Fox to the SN95...same car but more or less look completely different from one another. Ford isn't going sink billions of dollars into redesigning the Mustang again after 10 years on the market, unless they where going to expand it into a Sedan...which doesn't have the best business case IMO.

 

Even the Fusion and Focus with their "new" platforms still have their roots in the C1 program which was based on the C170 platform from the late 1990s...you don't need to a clean sheet design every 10 years..maybe every 20 years.

The change to a tapering front end is a big deal. It produces a significant moment in the member during impact that must be countered. This is usually accomplished by either forming the member arcing inwardly at the strut tower or adding diagonal members that extend from the midpoint of the member toward an inner portion of the firewall. The change in the strut tower angle is a big difference from the s197 and not a trick of comparing photos from different angles.

 

While the s197 was originally intended to have an IRS, those parts did not make it into production which means the portion of the rear will be significantly different. Some money could be saved by using the old design, but the tooling is the big cost driver. Plus, the old design may not meet current goals so that might not even be practical.

 

I know of the changes from the fox to the sn95. The changes I'm talking about are more extensive than the changes that took place in 1994.

 

The talk of changes to the "top hat" is ignoring the obvious. A change to the roof rail and the door is expensive. When you make all of the changes stated above, there isn't a business case to "modify" the s197. The expensive parts, and the tooling to make them, must be changed. How would a modified s197 sell well enough in 5-10 years when the current model has sold poorly for the last 6 years? I don't think Ford had a choice but to go all new if they wanted to keep the mustang for the long haul due to improved competition, changes in regulations, and changes in buyer preferences. That is my opinion after working on chassis development for the last 15 years for someone other than Ford.

[silvrsvt]

How would a modified s197 sell well enough in 5-10 years when the current model has sold poorly for the last 6 years?

 

Poorly? I guess economic meltdown in 2008 and increased competition didn't have anything to do with that?

 

As for the changes...Ford would be stupid not to improve the current platform, but at the same time to call it completely different like your insinuating isn't the truth either...there is still LOTS of the old car in there and what could be changed or needed to be changed was.

 

If you say is true, which I'm not doubting you, I think Ford has more plans for the platform then just a Mustang, even if its just a Lincoln Coupe. But then again they spent a couple billion on the current car and it sold better than their expectations till 2008 or so.