According to Motor Trend magazine, March 2005, SVT will not be involved in building a 2007 SVT Mustang Cobra. Ford, in conjunction with Shelby will build the 2007 Shelby Mustang Cobra. Power plant will be a 5.4 L supercharged V8 producing 550 HP. Unlike previous Cobras, this Shelby model will not have IRS but a stiffened and toughened version of the present Mustang GT's solid axle. Estimates have the car racketing to 60mph in under 4 seconds with high 11's for the quarter mile, taking aim at the Corvette and Viper.
One SVT insider hinted that they're eyeing the turbo all wheel drive Mazda Speed6 to yield it's power train and suspension upgrades to create an SVT Fusion. As the 6 and Fusion share platform architecture, it wouldn't be a stretch. The 2.3L 4 banger could produce as much as 300 HP in SVT form said the insider.
I just saw that article. You forgot to mention SVT is dropping EVERYTHING after '04. Only to resume for '06.
yeah, but it's tough for an organization to drop everything go into hiatus for 2 years, and restart. Personnel won't wait that long, and the science changes.
SVT may be dead . . .
Maybe the Fusion will keep the organization together for 2 years, but as an evaluator, I doubt it'll happen.
__________________
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
To an experienced observer of corporate maneuvering (and I have 20 years of successfully navigating a similar corporate shark tank), the recent changes at Ford/SVT tell me the following:
Colleti and Theodore are the dates that brought Ford to the prom (SVT Cobra, Lightning, Focus, and ultimately the GT), but now its time to reorganize the dance card and they are O-U-T out. Modern corporations have zero loyalty to their people, and it behooves anyone in Coletti or Theodore's positions to remember this. I remember first hearing that the new '05 line contained zero SVT products, with the Mustang Cobra penciled in for mid-year 2006, the Lightning program shelved completely, and the Focus nowhere to be seen. Next came the news of the younger engineers getting transferred/promoted out of SVT. This was writing on the wall - I predicted that a major restructuring of this part of Ford would follow, and it has.
Perhaps Coletti smelled a rat when he was tapped to generate the new GT even when it became clear that he would not have the resources needed to continue the product cycle for the Mustang/Lightning/Focus SVT products. He strikes me as at least that smart, so I can only suspect that he placed his future in his faith in the good will of the company.
Pay heed, those of you in similar situations. Do not be fooled by mealey-mouthed compliments from the new VP at Ford as he pushes Colleti and Theodore out the door.
(You know its time to update the old resume when your new boss calls you "A legend".)
Prediction: Ford will continue to cannibalize its hoard or corporate expertise while simultaneously contemplating its navel. Words will flow from the new organization(s) created to surplant SVT and Ford Performance, but not new products. The competition will capitalize on this market vacuum, and Ford will belatedly (about 3 years from now) awaken from its stupor.
In the mean time, look for the new super cars to arrive from GM and Chrysler/DB, and especially the new super truck from Dodge.
Corporate cultures are like hot-house orchids - they need lots of care and feeding, and in the end they can die anyway. Time will tell if Ford has, indeed, killed the golden goose.
To an experienced observer of corporate maneuvering (and I have 20 years of successfully navigating a similar corporate shark tank), the recent changes at Ford/SVT tell me the following:
Colleti and Theodore are the dates that brought Ford to the prom (SVT Cobra, Lightning, Focus, and ultimately the GT), but now its time to reorganize the dance card and they are O-U-T out. Modern corporations have zero loyalty to their people, and it behooves anyone in Coletti or Theodore's positions to remember this. I remember first hearing that the new '05 line contained zero SVT products, with the Mustang Cobra penciled in for mid-year 2006, the Lightning program shelved completely, and the Focus nowhere to be seen. Next came the news of the younger engineers getting transferred/promoted out of SVT. This was writing on the wall - I predicted that a major restructuring of this part of Ford would follow, and it has.
Perhaps Coletti smelled a rat when he was tapped to generate the new GT even when it became clear that he would not have the resources needed to continue the product cycle for the Mustang/Lightning/Focus SVT products. He strikes me as at least that smart, so I can only suspect that he placed his future in his faith in the good will of the company.
Pay heed, those of you in similar situations. Do not be fooled by mealey-mouthed compliments from the new VP at Ford as he pushes Colleti and Theodore out the door.
(You know its time to update the old resume when your new boss calls you "A legend".)
Prediction: Ford will continue to cannibalize its hoard or corporate expertise while simultaneously contemplating its navel. Words will flow from the new organization(s) created to surplant SVT and Ford Performance, but not new products. The competition will capitalize on this market vacuum, and Ford will belatedly (about 3 years from now) awaken from its stupor.
In the mean time, look for the new super cars to arrive from GM and Chrysler/DB, and especially the new super truck from Dodge.
Corporate cultures are like hot-house orchids - they need lots of care and feeding, and in the end they can die anyway. Time will tell if Ford has, indeed, killed the golden goose.
tripleblack
Totally agree. I was part of a similar feeding frenzy for 3 years, you can't put a division on the shelf for 2 or three years, and expect it to run with any efficiency afterwards.
I think the continuing decline of the dollar against other foreign currencies is pushing Ford Performance overseas.
You're seeing all kinds of phenomenal vehicles from Land Rover, Jag, Aston Martin, Volvo, and even MazdaSpeed. Ford gets bread and butter cars with little power or significant weaknesses to meet a price point of approximately 25-30,000 dollars.
I STILL can't believe the Ford Mustang's torque boxes are not seam welded, and I can't believe there is no IRS on the new Mustang.
Surely expected volume would have taken care of these items over the course of the product cycle . ..
__________________
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
"Totally agree. I was part of a similar feeding frenzy for 3 years, you can't put a division on the shelf for 2 or three years, and expect it to run with any efficiency afterwards.
I think the continuing decline of the dollar against other foreign currencies is pushing Ford Performance overseas.
You're seeing all kinds of phenomenal vehicles from Land Rover, Jag, Aston Martin, Volvo, and even MazdaSpeed. Ford gets bread and butter cars with little power or significant weaknesses to meet a price point of approximately 25-30,000 dollars.
I STILL can't believe the Ford Mustang's torque boxes are not seam welded, and I can't believe there is no IRS on the new Mustang.
Surely expected volume would have taken care of these items over the course of the product cycle . .."
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Black 2003 3.8L Mustang Auto; Bullitt interior trim; Bullitt Gas Cover; Mach1 Pedals; Bronze painted instrument Clusher and HVAC/Radio bezel; Infinity 6.5CS rear; Polk Momo 5X7 front; MMATS 4070; Sirius; GT Rear Sway Bar; Black 17X8 Bullitt wheels; Ford Racing Limited Slip; DeMolet Full Length CAI; MotoBlue H.O. underdriver pulley; Kuhmo Ecsta ASX 245/45WR17s; next up: custom chip!
Missing my 68GTA
The new Ford 500 is a restyled/badged Volvo, as is much of the Freestyle (both of which I've driven, and they do, indeed, resemble current products from Volvo - particularly in ride and response). This is not really a bad thing (remember the sohc Taurus and the Contour?), but it bodes ill for the long-term health of the creative staff of Ford. One wonders whether it was the fact that the F150 was just beginning a brand new product cycle, and not considered by upper management to be in particular need of additional attention-getting prowess such as a new Lightning would have yielded, that created the opportunity for some upper-office operators to slay the Coletti dragon...
As for no IRS for the new Mustang, there are, indeed, legions of drag racer-types who wished any such move ill. And yes, adding another couple thou to the purchase price might have made them miss the magic $29995 price point.
But the production scales achieved by the extremely healthy 05 sales would have supported any number of additional Mustang categories. I believe that the lack of an IRS 05 model was more the case of throwing the IRS/Cobra/etc. baby out with the SVT bath water. There may, indeed, be some pre-emptive catering going on to Shelby (whom I have met and highly respect) and his organization. I find the idea that Shelby would have desired the demise of Colleti and SVT to be remote, but I do not find unthinkable the idea that schemers in Ford's ranks might have maneuvered this state of affairs to suit themselves.
Er, the new Mustang's torque boxes aren't seam welded? With a solid rear axle and 300+hp, this could be a problem...
Mays (Ford's newly created "Chief Creative Officer") has gotten his way and pulled up stakes for London, the "creative center" of the universe (near quote). 2 years ago Ford closed its design center in the "creative center", and relocated the designers back to their respective companies because all their projects were beginning to look alike. Now Mays is relocating back there to be closer to whatever his muse needs to run the design show at jag/aston/range/volvo and ford euro. Given that his more mature projects like the new F150 is already looking old; the Ford 500 is a major disappointment (and more importantly, not selling worth a dam); and there won't be anything but trouble forthcoming from some major design/marketing/croporate structure decisions now set in mindless concrete in Detroit, well, hell, its time to beat feet outa here and go home to his designer buddies in soho.
Look for some poor Mays flunky to be "promoted" into a slot destined for failure in Detroit, where much fallout will arrive when the newly designed product lines (less the DNR SVT products, of course) continue to fall flat in the marketplace. Look for contrasting good news from euro brands like volvo and a renascent jaguar, as well as a healthy growth pattern for range rover. Mays has unerringly fled the s-storm which is coming in Detroit.
Other smart operators at Ford are likely to flee the fire soon - keep a lookout. If you need specialty parts or the like, nows a good time to lay in that supply.
Martens (vp product creation) is now doing damage control re. SVT. Word is that his email has gotten pretty heavy. Oddly, mags still have Colleti on staff at SVT (lead times on 5.0 etc must be longer than I thought). Tang is vp over Colleti slot (which appears to have vanished), so he will be getting some face time with the media. No mention of Lighting trucks, and veiled reference to Focus (probably has to do with the new Ford commitment to racing in euro autocross). With organizational lines at an all time high blur, could mean anything or nothing.
2007 Cobra (spy shots show ugliest fake hood scoop ever made - hope it won't be on car)
will feature updated motor (400-450 hp bandied about - given that 03 motor made about 400 hp, this is probably correct and shows the small effort expended to create "new" motor for 2007). Minimal changes from the GT will be made, to the extent that the new Cobra will probably have same live axle/rear suspension as the GT. Look for front brakes and etc. much the same as 03. Looks like they might even build the cars on same line as GT.
More hints that Shelby name may be linked to new car. Sadly, this reminds me of Gm's plan for using the hallowed GTO name to fog over the fact that their new pontiac was no replacement from the missing muscle cars and fooled no-one. Marketing famous names instead of quality hardware is an old Detroit sales gimmick.
Given that they are about 14,000 cars back-ordered on 05 mustangs right now, this is not good. The new line is not pumping out cars as quickly as they had hoped (looks like they may have shut down Dearborn a bit prematurely - the production levels at the old plant were much higher than the new). Since they also plan to produce a lot of other models at the same plant (mazdas, etc), this could be interesting. Ford dealers smell a Mustang shortage coming and are already jacking up prices and setting up "allocation" waiting lists for GT's.
My prediction about a coming shortage of performance parts may be coming true. Latest FRPP catalog has highlights next to slew of 5.0 parts noting the fact that they will soon be exhausted and not resupplied.
SVT gets more funding. 
