GT40 2 Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Right now im going to have to say dead. :rip: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Nothing at L.A. Nothing at Detroit. D-E-A-D dead, Ford is out of the performance car business.. I knew HTT was a fake, Coletti was the real deal. :rip: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Well, let's not completely forget that the GT500 was an SVT-led project, despite the Shelby name being slapped all over it for "old time's sake". Hopefully the Hurricane/Boss engine program will kickstart something interesting in the future. The potential of the 3.5 TT seems to show some promise as well. While it doesn't appear that Ford will be badging things as "SVT" products (what a shame, the name had real street cred), the SVT organization will still be in charge of fitting these engines into more plebian rides in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Well, let's not completely forget that the GT500 was an SVT-led project, despite the Shelby name being slapped all over it for "old time's sake". Hopefully the Hurricane/Boss engine program will kickstart something interesting in the future. The potential of the 3.5 TT seems to show some promise as well. While it doesn't appear that Ford will be badging things as "SVT" products (what a shame, the name had real street cred), the SVT organization will still be in charge of fitting these engines into more plebian rides in the future. The work on the GT 500 had to be done years ago as slow as Ford is. I don't think there's an ounce of performance left in them, there's no rumors of anything coming down the road at all, no indication Ford or SVT is active on any future performance products. I was at SEMA and you'd have thought SVT never existed, it was quite sad. Besides a few Shelby Mustangs, there is nothing to be excited about at Ford until the Hurricanes come, even then I expect the Mustang to be the only Ford that will get it other than the trucks, and if we're lucky we'll see slight improvements to the GT500. No performance Focus, Fusion, Lightning, etc... Unless Ford is working on them in an underground bunker in Langley, I just don't see it. And it really sucks.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 The work on the GT 500 had to be done years ago as slow as Ford is. I don't think there's an ounce of performance left in them, there's no rumors of anything coming down the road at all, no indication Ford or SVT is active on any future performance products. I was at SEMA and you'd have thought SVT never existed, it was quite sad. Besides a few Shelby Mustangs, there is nothing to be excited about at Ford until the Hurricanes come, even then I expect the Mustang to be the only Ford that will get it other than the trucks, and if we're lucky we'll see slight improvements to the GT500. No performance Focus, Fusion, Lightning, etc... Unless Ford is working on them in an underground bunker in Langley, I just don't see it. And it really sucks.. Well, there have been a couple hints perhaps. Remember the spy pic of the current-gen F-150 that appeared lowered with the Lightning wheels on it? Some said it was a test bed for a TT 3.5 for the next F-150, but who really knows what was under that hood. There haven't been much of any spy pics or other info of newer Ford products lately, so who knows what's being developed that we haven't seen yet. Let's consider what we KNOW is coming and we still haven't see spy pics or heard any real news about: B-cars, P415 F-150, "Fairlane". There's been a little leaked info here and there, but considering how close they are to being launched (less than 24 months) there hasn't been squat of them as far as spy pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Well, there have been a couple hints perhaps. Remember the spy pic of the current-gen F-150 that appeared lowered with the Lightning wheels on it? Some said it was a test bed for a TT 3.5 for the next F-150, but who really knows what was under that hood. There haven't been much of any spy pics or other info of newer Ford products lately, so who knows what's being developed that we haven't seen yet. I know what that was, it was just a F-150 with that ugly appearance package that comes with the GT500 look a like wheels. They had one at SEMA. Let's consider what we KNOW is coming and we still haven't see spy pics or heard any real news about: B-cars, P415 F-150, "Fairlane". There's been a little leaked info here and there, but considering how close they are to being launched (less than 24 months) there hasn't been squat of them as far as spy pictures. Not one person out of tens of thousands that went to the showroom of the future has said anything about any SVT vehicles.. I'm very pessimistic about any future of SVT, and HTT doesn't seem to have any balls whatsoever.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 (edited) Not one person out of tens of thousands that went to the showroom of the future has said anything about any SVT vehicles.. I'm very pessimistic about any future of SVT, and HTT doesn't seem to have any balls whatsoever.. Eh, I wouldn't give that much weight either. I doubt Ford told anyone much of anything regarding powerplants, trim levels, etc at the Showroom of Tomorrow event. HTT was in charge of the SVT program during development of the Ford GT. I'd say that demonstrates at least a LITTLE bit of balls. I think the problem is that he's current hog-tied by higher level management concerning the budget he has to work with. Everything at Ford is so broken right now I think they've probably just put the entire Advanced Design program staff on hold until they fix the things that are so obviously broken elsewhere in the system. When it comes down to it, having performance vehicles isn't going to make or break Ford. Toyota doesn't have them. Honda doesn't either. Neither does Nissan or Hyundai. Having cheap pieces of crap like the Ranger and C170 Focus still in the lineup in 2010 are much more significant and more worthy of the Advanced Design R&D dollars if it's going to help remedy those problems sooner. Edited January 17, 2007 by NickF1011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLPRacing Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Eh, I wouldn't give that much weight either. I doubt Ford told anyone much of anything regarding powerplants, trim levels, etc at the Showroom of Tomorrow event. HTT was in charge of the SVT program during development of the Ford GT. I'd say that demonstrates at least a LITTLE bit of balls. I think the problem is that he's current hog-tied by higher level management concerning the budget he has to work with. Everything at Ford is so broken right now I think they've probably just put the entire Advanced Design program staff on hold until they fix the things that are so obviously broken elsewhere in the system. When it comes down to it, having performance vehicles isn't going to make or break Ford. Toyota doesn't have them. Honda doesn't either. Neither does Nissan or Hyundai. Having cheap pieces of crap like the Ranger and C170 Focus still in the lineup in 2010 are much more significant and more worthy of the Advanced Design R&D dollars if it's going to help remedy those problems sooner. Toyota has TuRD versions, Honda has Si versions, and Nissan has SE-R versions. Plus you have the Mopar SRT's, Chevy's SS, and so on. What sporty version does Ford have (other than the Mustang)? A V6 automatic-only equipped Fusion SE, a Focus ST (with a body kit & no balls) and the Edge SEL Plus. Not too much to be excited about. First, Ford should standardize the trim levels on the Focus, Fusion, FiveHundred, Edge & Freestyle. For example, make SE the base model, SEL the mid level, Limited the "luxury" and an ST for a sportier version (with a mild body kit, exclusive bigger wheels, bigger brakes, little firmer suspension, available manual tranny, available AWD & an "H.O." 93 octane engine tune). Nothing too crazy for the ST, just something that can be assembled on the regular production lines. Save SVT for Cobra's, Lightning's and other either big engined or forced induction powered vehicles (like a "TwinForce" powered AWD "Fusion Tornado" or a "BOSS" powered "Explorer Storm"). Maybe even expand SVT to Mercury & Lincoln. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Toyota has TuRD versions, Honda has Si versions, and Nissan has SE-R versions. Plus you have the Mopar SRT's, Chevy's SS, and so on. What sporty version does Ford have (other than the Mustang)? A V6 automatic-only equipped Fusion SE, a Focus ST (with a body kit & no balls) and the Edge SEL Plus. Not too much to be excited about. I specifically omitted some brands from my list on purpose. Some brands have them. Others don't. I'm just pointing out that several large automakers DON'T have performance vehicles and seem to get along just fine. Now, for details.... I would hardly call Toyota's TRD line a "performance brand". There's no TRD Corolla, Matrix, Camry, etc. As far as I know they are currently limited to the trucks, upon which they are more of an offroad package than a performance package. And beyond the Civic, Honda doesn't offer an Si anything. And I wouldn't exactly call a 191 HP Si a performance vehicle either. Sure, it's more than Ford offers in the Focus, but nothing compared to things like the Evo, WRX, or Cobalt SS S/C. Pretty much ditto Nissan about the SE-"R"s. You can slap an R on anything and say it's a performance version. That doesn't make it one. I would rather Ford actually wait to revive its performance lineup until it can do it RIGHT instead of coming out with more vehicles like the SVT Focus which underwhelmed pretty much everyone who ever drove one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcall Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 It should be dead. Look less than 1% will buy and a big waste of money, and Ford should not waste any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 It should be dead. Look less than 1% will buy and a big waste of money, and Ford should not waste any more. So much for that "product-led recovery". I'm not going to buy any Ford product with ho-hum run-of-the-mill looks and performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inteller Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 yeah, if I wanted to do that I would buy a toyota. as much as I hate dodge, they got one thing right with SRT, in your face, ballsy, testosterone laden vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comp50 Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 (edited) I love ford and SVT Products but show some cahones!!! :missing: : you have to give the ford guys something to fight with. GMs new Pontiac G8 to sum it up in one word DAMN!!! :bowdown: If ford doesn't build the interceptor/MKR or something like it ,We ford guys are going to get our asses handed to us at every stoplight :banmolest: :kissass: The mustang cant fill all these roles, its a sweet car but it needs some help in the line-up and I dont see anything in Fords pipeline to change this (someone needs to talk again to the guys from down under again) Edited February 9, 2007 by comp50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 I love ford and SVT Products but show some cahones!!! you have to give the ford guys something to fight with. GMs new Pontiac G8 to sum it up in one word DAMN!!! If ford doesn't build the interceptor/MKR or something like it ,We ford guys are going to get our asses handed to us at every stoplight The mustang cant fill all these roles, its a sweet car but it needs some help in the line-up and I dont see anything in Fords pipeline to change this (someone needs to talk again to the guys from down under again) Well, it's very unclear what's in the pipeline in this regard right now. If Ford kickstarted SVT again, it really wouldn't take them too long to tweak a couple of existing vehicles for more performance. The real question is how long we'll have to wait to find out if they are going to approve a platform that is more suited for performance vehicles like the Inteceptor/MKR or if we're going to be stuck with SVT Contour/Focus-type vehicles instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbob1 Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 At least in the US,Ford seems to be out of the performance game. Look at this Australia Ford site though. http://www.fpv.com.au/index.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLPRacing Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 I would like to see Ford stick with SVT products for the Mustang, F150, upcoming Interceptor inspired sedan, etc. and give us true performance "ST" or "GT" versions of the Focus, Fusion & Taurus. Similar to what Chevy is starting to do with their "SS" & "S" models. I would also like to see SVT versions of Lincoln & Mercury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 There isn't even an SVT concept right now, nor any talk of anything coming from Ford. Ten years from now I can see people still talking about SVT coming out with new cars.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 There isn't even an SVT concept right now, nor any talk of anything coming from Ford. Ten years from now I can see people still talking about SVT coming out with new cars.. Let us not forget that there is still an SVT IN PRODUCTION: The GT500. You're right though, it sure doesn't look good down the road for any other vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT40 2 Posted April 25, 2008 Author Share Posted April 25, 2008 Another year, no SVT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Another year, no SVT. Quite the contrary to what is being indicated. Supposedly the F-150 Raptor will be sporting SVT badges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inteller Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 (edited) SVT is dead to me. an SVT raptor is not going to appeal to the everyday guy who wants performance and exclusivity. Those were core tenants of SVT back in the day. The Raptor is nothing more than a 150 with a little bit of lift and some fender flares. It is a shame shame that SVT is becoming more of a badge than a halo brand at Ford. Ford should just put the name to rest and spread the ST badging across all lines around the world. No one has hefty expectations on the ST badging like they do with SVT. I want a factory tuner in limited numbers. The ST seems to get that done in Europe. IMO the Raptor should just be the new STX. Edited April 25, 2008 by inteller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suv_guy_19 Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 SVT is dead to me. an SVT raptor is not going to appeal to the everyday guy who wants performance and exclusivity. So, the supercharged V8 is no good then? SVT was always a badge, never a brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 SVT is dead to me. an SVT raptor is not going to appeal to the everyday guy who wants performance and exclusivity. Those were core tenants of SVT back in the day. The Raptor is nothing more than a 150 with a little bit of lift and some fender flares. It is a shame shame that SVT is becoming more of a badge than a halo brand at Ford. Ford should just put the name to rest and spread the ST badging across all lines around the world. No one has hefty expectations on the ST badging like they do with SVT. I want a factory tuner in limited numbers. The ST seems to get that done in Europe. IMO the Raptor should just be the new STX. I don't know. I think the Raptor holds true to the core tenants of what SVT stood for, just for a different audience. Instead of acceleration and handling performance, it's off-road performance. And the Raptor appears to be far more than "a bit of a lift and some fender flares". It will sport long-travel shocks and several other off-road goodies which should in fact make it a pretty beefy off-roader. It's not like all of SVT's previous models were successes or stuck to the original recipe, the SVT Focus probably being the worst of the bunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHV 16V Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 (edited) While it's good to see SVT is still alive, I too think the Raptor is a mistake being the first new vehicle outta their stable. Don't get me wrong, I agree with Nick, the Raptor is definitely a "specialty project" in its own right, so it fits in with SVT's core values, but again a different audience. I just wish the Raptor would have been maybe the 2nd project behind a proper Lightning. Even though the body-style isn't correct anymore, the 2004 Lightning Concept was a damn near perfect interpretation of what is the iconic SVT truck. I would even go as far as to say that I bet, sold side by side, a new Lightning would outsell the Raptor 2-to-1. Especially given the Raptor's expected price point! :eek5: Edited May 10, 2008 by OHV 16V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rscalzo Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 I don't think the market is that great right now for those vehicles. My dealer has a new 07 and two 08 Shelby's sitting in the showroom for months. My salesman told me that there is no interest in them in spite of a huge discount off of the sticker price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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