We've seen how flexible modern platforms can be, especially when engineered from the beginning to be flexible, just look at c2, or CE1. I've long been a proponent of Ford doing a proper c8 rival with a more affordable mid-engine vehicle, I just believe it's a profitable, brand building segment that makes a lot of sense to get into, especially for a brand like Ford that's making this very strong pivot to enthusiast vehicles.    But as some people have pointed out, engineering a stand-alone high performance platform would be super inefficient. But what if Ford developed a mid-engine platform designed from the begging to be super flexible, and accommodate different price points, use cases, and performance levels?   Like Ford wants to do this off-road supercar. Why not develop a new supercar platform, use it to make like a new RS 200 that could serve as Ford's affordable mid-engine offering, you go after the c8, but because the RS 200 is off-road oriented, it's highly differentiated, and not stepping on the toes of road centered performance cars like the mustang. Then you take that same mid-engine base, and evolve the areo, give it a new suspension centered around road going performance, and make a new gt inspired by prototype racing and F1.    One platform base for a more affordable mid-engine vehicle, and a super high end one.

Try living in a country where every export is considered evil and adding to climate change, Australia exports coal, iron ore and Aluminium to Japan, Korea, China and India. Without our exports, they would just turn to South America and Africa instead. Our Aussie government seems hell bent on self sabotage to appease European emission targets that China constantly seeks delays or evades.

Oh and thanks, now I get it now this is a real race car, I see that this news has been around since January so things must be progressing well if there’s been a recent update.    

To be fair, I find it VERY likely that this means Ford is planning some next gen Ford GT with the road legal variant of this V8 hybrid, as well as some potential design cues, and aero learnings. Kinda like how Ferrari's latest halo model uses the powertrain from their racing hypercar in IMSA and WEC.    Because they're pushing the motorsports to consumer car connection super hard. If this was just a case of them wanting to have a lineage between racing and something like a mustang, they're already getting that with GT3. If they're pushing it a lot further than GT3, it would be logical for that to manifest in something that goes beyond the mustang in terms of what consumers can buy for road use.    Like imagine a next gen Ford GT that was almost closer to an American take on a Valkyrie, super advanced areo, but with an American hybridized V8, and a direct connection to Ford going back to race in the top level of prototype racing, a repeat of Ford v. Ferrari all over again. Could you imagine? Ford could charge 2-3 million for these cars and still sell like 500 of them, especially if Ford won overall at le mans for the first time in over 60 years. 

Comparatively cheaper gasoline prices in USA make selling hybrids harder than Europe/ROW where costs can be more quickly amortised. PHEV and EREV show huge potential in mid sized and larger vehicles, so Ism hoping that Ford redoubles efforts on existing vehicles to show people how much fuel savings can be made by hybrids without changing driving style.   Also in ROW, people driving diesels relatively short distances without sufficient regen is becoming a big issue, gasoline hybrid costs less to produce and runs better in those situations.

It’s not a street car.  It’s for IMSA/WEC endurance racing including LeMans.

Originally developed with all other Ranger options, the PHEV did not proceed at launch because the business case didn’t hold up. It was brought back in as a diesel replacement for wider global markets but particularly Europe where anti-diesel legislation is strongest (Ford drought proofing Ranger sales?)

PHEV Ranger is produced in South Africa along with T6.2 version of VW Amorok

Silly me, I thought this was going to be like Corvette going after Supercars moment for Ford. In reality, they will probably build a thousand examples at $2 million each and rake in a tidy profit.