amk91
Well-Known Member
This irritates me, as I have turned my focus to the 7th gen since January and may end up waiting 3-4 years to see it be revealed, versus just 2 years (prototype leaks, educated guesses on final design).
Are they trying to reduce the investment cost on the program, now that Fields has left?
Sadly, it is. At this rate, it will return back to 2022 launch as '23MY and GM will beat them to the punch.So, now it's March 2021........as a '22MY one assumes?
Mercedes-Benz ended doing that with previous generation S-Class (W221), building it from mid-2009 through mid-2013, with the pre-facelift running from late 2005/2006 to spring 2009. This was however related to delays with the current S-Class, so it's not surprising.
GM is only doing refresh for MY2019, so I'd expect a new Camaro first Q1 2022 at latest. In early 2013, the new Camaro design was locked-in only a few months after the S550 in early December 2012, yet it came out over 1 year afterward.
No wonder they were able to engineer more into it, with the extra lead time. Hopefully they make the necessary accommodations, to ensure that the S650 is the leader in both sales and its engineering marvels. I can imagine starting MSRP becoming about $30k+ for an Ecoboost I4 and $38k+ for a GT ($44k+ for Premium).
Like the 2018 MY Explorer, we could see a minor update to that degree right?I guess they could do a (very) mild refresh for the '20MY, as that would be it's 55th Anniversary. No new sheet metal, but perhaps a few tweaks to bumpers/lights. That's complete speculation on my part, and only going by the fact the S197 received a final (and similar) tweak for the '13/'14MY.
But it wouldn't surprise me if it soldiers on unchanged for 4 years.
U540 MY2011-15
MY2016-17
MY2018-2020
Having a secondary update for Q3 2019 arrival for MY 2020 would be the best choice, as I can see the S650 being pushed further back into Q4 2021 at this rate.
Annoying how this is going. This car had to have entered development by late 2015, for them to have originally been targeting a May 2020 SOP date. Is the plan for it to be 66 months or 5 1/2 years from program start to sales launch?
That really sucks, as a February 2021 launch date, would've given them much more wiggle room and allow us to see the car earlier. We had 8-9 months to know the S550, before we could drive or buy it and plan accordingly. At this point, they can easily make us wait until NAIAS 2021, like they did with past Ford spring launches back in the day.
Very well-written piece, as I myself feel this will be a true exercise in showmanship of Ford's engineering prowess. I can't imagine, but feeling that Ford Europe will have a greater hand in this car and the S650 having a much stronger global focus with recent successes.
The guy that did the S550 exterior design, hailed from the Cologne studios and did his initial design work for the car there back in 2009-10. In essence, the pre-facelift S550 was a European design, overseen and finessed by American managers until 2012, to ensure it fell within Mustang tradition.
I doubt they'll get what they're wishing for, at least in regards to the S650. They always say this, but end up requiring roughly 2 years anyway for design freeze before SOP. It's a fat chance that they can delay design freeze for the S650 past December 2018, if they want a real contender against the next Camaro and Challenger, plus more upmarket competitors in global markets.
One of Ford Europe's designers in Kemal Curic was responsible for the S550 ethos (exterior-wise), which forced him to move to the US in early 2011 after his design sketches had been chosen among other finalists.
I do agree with you, in saying that models designed during the late years of J Mays tenure, were some of the best. After he left, the results of anything frozen later in 2014/2015 have been hit (Raptor) or miss (P552 refresh,etc).
For a model due in March 2021, I highly doubt a final design has been chosen. At earliest, I'd expect them to do that 36 months ahead of SOP, so likely early 2018 at this point.
With the S550, it was about 29-31 months ahead of Job 1 in August 2014, right when the updated 2013MY cars went on sale in early 2012.
With the S197, it was roughly 33-35 months between final design approval in 2001 and Job 1 in September 2004.
With the SN-95, it was 36 months between final design selection in October 1990 and October 1993 SOP.
On the Fox, it was a mere 24 months (IIRC) between July 1976 and July 1978.
For the II it was about 16 months (Feb 1972 to mid-1973) and for the original at 18 months from September 1962 to March 1964.
I bet more than anything we will see the first AWD Mustang, with the S650. The S550 was a stepping stone with adding IRS, but the S650 will make the Mustang more of a well-rounded product and probably much less traditional. D6R is very much connected to the Lincoln brand, picking up where DEW98 left off.
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