- Joined
- Mar 31, 2013
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- 177
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- 4,257
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- Location
- Cincinnati, OH USA
- Vehicle(s)
- '01/'09/'19 Bullitt, '90 GT, '00 Corvette FRC
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- #1
No doubts JarStang and company have done a great job at keeping the community informed, along with the amazing renders and images that chazcron and other have produced. For all this, I am immensely thankful - what a fun ride it's been so far!
I am also immensely thankful for the opportunity to attend the Dearborn, MI, event that introduced the 2015 Ford Mustang. I went as the club representative for the Mach 1 Registry and International Mustang Bullitt Owners Club, being invited because of their affiliation with Ford Motor Company through the Ford Performance Group outreach. Our contact John Clor has graciously offered the clubs exclusive access to the Mustang and those who work on it (Design, Engineering, Marketing) over the past 5 years. FPG did not disappoint again with this momentous occasion today.
Hundreds of Ford employees, suppliers, dealer representatives and other enthusiast club members crowded into the Ford Conference and Event Center, which in the Greenfield Village complex. We were greeted with a display of Mustangs from each generation, many supplied by the local Mustang Owners Club of Southeast Michigan. The 2008 Mustang Bullitt on display was provided by Mike Laney, another of our club contacts at Ford Racing and fellow IMBOC member. After an hour to view this fantastic collection, the crown made its way into the main room, which was standing room only (me being among them).
Mark Fields, Ford COO, introduced the crowd to a Mustang owner who had her powder blue convertible for the entire 50 years the car has been in production. Indeed, as Mr. Fields noted, many people have a Mustang story, with over 9 million of them sold since 1964.
Shortly thereafter, the cover was whisked away to show a race red GT fastback. Camera whirred as J Mays, VP Design, walked around the vehicle and pointed out the design thinking built into the shape. I immediately noticed it was lower, wider, and had a more aggressive stance than the current generation. It also appeared smaller, so the stylists have done their homework. Frank Davis, North America Executive Director of Engineering, described the new content changes for powertrain, suspension, and driver assist technology. After these presentations, I was sold and confirmed found my next new vehicle!
The photo opportunity that followed was crowded. After waiting for 30 minutes just to get to the stage, I only had 2 minutes to snap photos at various angles, along with getting a picture taken with Mark Fields. I am proud to say that I left no drool anywhere!
After a break, a question and answer session lead by various Mustang design, engineering, and marketing staff was held for Ford retirees. I heard a number of factoids that caught my attention –
·
With a smaller crowd than during the initial reveal, I had a bit more time to get additional photos before concluding the morning. As much as I tried to capture various angles and details, I really only spent a total of 5 additional minutes. In the short time I saw this vehicle, I was impressed and believe that the new Mustang will most definitely appeal to current enthusiasts, but also importantly, new customers across the world to keep it in production for years to come.
Photos are located in my Facebook album. A YouTube video of J Mays design walkaround is [ame="[MEDIA=youtube]eI0WqAwQi0c[/MEDIA]"]here[/ame].
I am also immensely thankful for the opportunity to attend the Dearborn, MI, event that introduced the 2015 Ford Mustang. I went as the club representative for the Mach 1 Registry and International Mustang Bullitt Owners Club, being invited because of their affiliation with Ford Motor Company through the Ford Performance Group outreach. Our contact John Clor has graciously offered the clubs exclusive access to the Mustang and those who work on it (Design, Engineering, Marketing) over the past 5 years. FPG did not disappoint again with this momentous occasion today.
Hundreds of Ford employees, suppliers, dealer representatives and other enthusiast club members crowded into the Ford Conference and Event Center, which in the Greenfield Village complex. We were greeted with a display of Mustangs from each generation, many supplied by the local Mustang Owners Club of Southeast Michigan. The 2008 Mustang Bullitt on display was provided by Mike Laney, another of our club contacts at Ford Racing and fellow IMBOC member. After an hour to view this fantastic collection, the crown made its way into the main room, which was standing room only (me being among them).
Mark Fields, Ford COO, introduced the crowd to a Mustang owner who had her powder blue convertible for the entire 50 years the car has been in production. Indeed, as Mr. Fields noted, many people have a Mustang story, with over 9 million of them sold since 1964.
Shortly thereafter, the cover was whisked away to show a race red GT fastback. Camera whirred as J Mays, VP Design, walked around the vehicle and pointed out the design thinking built into the shape. I immediately noticed it was lower, wider, and had a more aggressive stance than the current generation. It also appeared smaller, so the stylists have done their homework. Frank Davis, North America Executive Director of Engineering, described the new content changes for powertrain, suspension, and driver assist technology. After these presentations, I was sold and confirmed found my next new vehicle!
The photo opportunity that followed was crowded. After waiting for 30 minutes just to get to the stage, I only had 2 minutes to snap photos at various angles, along with getting a picture taken with Mark Fields. I am proud to say that I left no drool anywhere!
After a break, a question and answer session lead by various Mustang design, engineering, and marketing staff was held for Ford retirees. I heard a number of factoids that caught my attention –
·
- the front suspension was redesigned to allow for the fitment of larger front brakes; indeed, 15” rotors and six-piston Brembo calipers will be available, along with 20” wheels
- careful attention was paid to actually increase usable passenger space even though the exterior dimensions were changing; there is actually more shoulder and leg room for the front passengers, along with more travel In the front seat and a telescoping steering wheel to make the driver position even more comfortable
- the interior design was “aircraft-inspired”, with chromed and aluminum trim items suggesting that look
- the “hockey stick” was purposely left out of the design because the side surfacing was thought to convey and link to the design language being employed
- there will be no panoramic roof option
- the style of the convertible top was designed to flow with the different rear quarter panel sheet metal it has vs. the fastback
- no mention was made of the weight reduction targets yet but we were assured that targets were being met
- there will be a noticeable difference among the different driver selectable modes that will be chosen by toggle switches in terms of steering feel, throttle response, and traction management
- the reveal of the 2015 Mustang was done much earlier ahead of product availability because of a marketing decision – this was to extend the “buzz” and leverage social media on the Internet to enroll more people, particularly new customers to Mustang, to tell their stories for a longer period of time
- the wheel package line-up was qualified as perhaps the most extensive in Mustang’s history
- the new car will not be raced during the 2014 calendar year but is expected to in 2015
With a smaller crowd than during the initial reveal, I had a bit more time to get additional photos before concluding the morning. As much as I tried to capture various angles and details, I really only spent a total of 5 additional minutes. In the short time I saw this vehicle, I was impressed and believe that the new Mustang will most definitely appeal to current enthusiasts, but also importantly, new customers across the world to keep it in production for years to come.
Photos are located in my Facebook album. A YouTube video of J Mays design walkaround is [ame="[MEDIA=youtube]eI0WqAwQi0c[/MEDIA]"]here[/ame].
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