2018 Mustang Refresh (Prototype) First Look!

[Five Oh Brian]

I think he means he likes the back end because it has a more muscle car look now. It's nearly identical to a 1969 back end.

Spot on!

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[15wile]

Just wish the S550 had more rake (rear end up a bit higher instead of sitting so low).

Add a fat spoiler and that rake issue is solved. Love this now:

 

[AZ_Ryan]

I'm the with others here who really like the current hood. It gives character and definition that work well with the overall lines on the car.

I think flatting out the hood is really going to make the front end look plain and draw more annoying comparisons to the fusion.

...and also leave the rear lights alone please. I'm having flash backs of the horrid rear end change from 09 to 10.

 

[15wile]

I test drove a Charger scat pack last week and all I gotta say is I was very impressed. Sounded good, rode good, shifted ridiculously fast. The dodge 392's are definitely my second choice if the refreshed mustang doesnt do it for me.

Hate the look of the Charger. But like the look of the Challenger. A Challenger scat pack was a second choice for me.

 

[bigfoot21075]

Hate the look of the Charger. But like the look of the Challenger. A Challenger scat pack was a second choice for me.

IF They made the Challenger in Convertible I would have a HARD time deciding for sure.

 

[Five Oh Brian]

Ford lost you as a customer with the S550 but gained me and several thousand more, so I think they'll be alright. ;) They can't please everybody, but they made the right design decision with the S550.

You are absolutely 100% correct. Ford won over and conquested a lot of new customers at the expense of long-time loyal customers. Ford is making more money, so kudos to them.

I'm seeing more and more ex-Mustang owners showing up on the Dodge Challenger forums lately (including me). If you look at the monthly sales thread that compares Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger sales, please note the long term trend line that shows that Challenger has been steadily & consistently increasing its sales average since its modern introduction. Mustang slipped for a bit as the S197 aged, but the S550 is resurging. And Camaro is flailing. That Challenger is consistently gaining ground on such an old platform speaks volumes about the big muscular V8 coupe niche that everyone is ignoring except Dodge (and some of the Germans, but at a much higher price point).

However, there is no reason that Ford couldn't offer a Mustang trim or specialty model that appeals to its new worldly clients and the hardcore faithful. Consider that once upon a time, the Mustang could be spec'd to appeal to most anyone. For example, in 1969 you could opt for a simple 6 cylinder coupe that was sporty looking, but economical. Love that V8 burble, but still on a budget? Get the 302 or Windsor 351 V8's. Or, get an aspiring luxury Mustang Grande with engines ranging from small 6 cylinders to big block V8's. Convertible? Plenty to choose from in 1969 with many engines to choose from. Road racer? Get the Boss 302 with its high-winding engine. NASCAR? How about the mega-motor Boss 429! Want a drag racer? The 428 Cobra Jet and/or Mach 1 models had you covered in 1969. And, the options list was very long so you could personalize your Mustang infinitely more than Ford's current strategy of packaging options together.

 

[Conedodger]

Nice speculation, but the GT isn't going to be getting the GT350 intake. The GT350 intake isn't good for midrange power, and only really shines past 5,500 or so, so it's not ideal for a average street car. The PP won't get more power, since it would require a whole new SAE certification process and engine warranty process for an option package.

Any PP will have the same power as the base GT. It might have different exhaust that could maybe add 3-4 HP, but that would be within the % range for SAE certification.

I disagree. First it has been shown that the GT350 intake actually adds 5 ft lbs of torque over the stock manifold.

Second, the GT350 intake is already being offered as a smog legal power pack on the current mustang by Ford so they already have the certification to run the 350 manifold on the 5.0

Third, PP means performance package so the bump in HP would actually help justify the added cost of the package.

 

[JB1]

That's a shame. The rear is the best part of the car. I adore the 3D taillights and it's one of the most unique parts of the car.

I agree

 

[Spartan]

The S550 interior is very nice. Better than my '14 GT and my '16 Scat Pack.

The rear end and rear 3/4 angle look a lot like the '69 Mustang, IMO, and the '69 Mustang has long been my Holy Grail of Mustang design. Very muscular looking. Just wish the S550 had more rake (rear end up a bit higher instead of sitting so low).

The front end of the S550 is just horrible, IMO. Hood looks bad, front grille looks similar to my wife's '14 Fusion, but worse as it does not flow well with the fog/marker light areas.

The S550 is a world car - I understand that - but I want tribar emblems (red, white, and blue with the running horse) to remind people that this car is American! Seems like Ford pulled the red, white, and blue off the S550's to be politically correct when selling it in other markets. The irony is that most other markets that desperately waited for Mustang to be sold outside the USA appreciate that it's an American icon so why take the tribar emblems off, Ford!?!?!?

Ford did a great job adding IRS, refining the ride, and making the car appealing to a broader audience and that has netted Ford much better sales. However, in the process they forgot about us blue collar, musclecar buying, drag racer types who have owned many Mustangs over the years.

Where is a street legal Mustang model for the dragstrip that doesn't require replacing half-shafts just to survive launching on sticky tires? Mach 1, anyone? Cobra Jet for the street, perhaps? I love the solid axle in my '14 GT as it is super robust. 100% stock suspension and I've made about 300 passes down our local tracks on drag radials. Some of those passes result in the front left tire lifting off the ground on launch, and once in a great while both front tires get air under them. That's some hard launching and so far I haven't broken a single part.

And, yes, my '16 Challenger has IRS, but it's very robust, no issues from drag racing them that I'm aware, and I bought this car to be a daily driver (my '14 GT is the race car now after spending the last 3 years as daily driver and weekend warrior at the track).

I guess what I'm asking Ford for, is a tough/muscular looking Mustang that is designed to withstand the rigors of repeated drag racing on sticky tires. Fix the front end styling (I refused to buy 1994-1998 Mustangs for this reason, as well as 2015-2017 Mustangs) and make sure to keep an affordable V8 model that can rip low to mid 12 second 1/4 miles. I don't care how much hp/tq it's rated for or how much it weighs, just get it into the low to mid 12's and keep it affordable.

Ford Motor Company employees are certainly reading these forums, so I hope they can accommodate my wishes and sell me another new Mustang in the near future.

Gotcha...thanks for explanation.

The front end of the S550 is just horrible, IMO. Hood looks bad, front grille looks similar to my wife's '14 Fusion, but worse as it does not flow well with the fog/marker light areas.

Agreed 110% which is why I'm so psyched about the refresh...if it even remotely looks like the GT350 but maybe made more aggressive and that hood scoop is more like it also, I'll be a happy camper. March cannot get here soon enough.

That's a shame. The rear is the best part of the car. I adore the 3D taillights and it's one of the most unique parts of the car.

I don't think they will be changing the back up much...prob lights are still there and 3D but maybe a tad less pronounced and maybe some outer outlining of them around the back black part.

 

[DrEverettScott]

Does anyone have an idea of what the actual timeline will/could be for the new design release?

 

[5.Oh Crush]

Hate the look of the Charger. But like the look of the Challenger. A Challenger scat pack was a second choice for me.

Oh god! I agree. That charger is hideous. something about the indention in the front doors. Challenger scat pack was my second choice. I with they would hook up the looks of Hellcat.

:cheers:

 

[offroadkarter]

The front end of the S550 is just horrible, IMO. Hood looks bad, front grille looks similar to my wife's '14 Fusion, but worse as it does not flow well with the fog/marker light areas.

Seeing your prior owned cars I'd expect someone like you to understand what a "company wide design language" is. Considering you had a fox body which looked like an escort, and a thunderbird that looked like a taurus.


It sounds to me like you're more pissed that Ford ditched the retro look, which is why you bought a Challenger. Congrats on your new 2008 MY car with recycled suspension from early 2000's Mercedes Benz's? :shrug:


Also, if we're going to speak on terms of robustness. Yes, the stock half shafts breaking on manual trans cars with drag radials is annoying. On the other side of the coin, Coyote engines seem to hold up great to boost. I've read plenty of stories of 6.4 Hemi's blowing up with low boost because the rings can't take the pressure.




ITT: No car is perfect, buy what you want. Clearly the sales numbers are working in Ford's favor so they did something right. The Challenger slipping past the Camaro just says GM overpriced the car.

 

[Twin Turbo]

Does anyone have an idea of what the actual timeline will/could be for the new design release?

It'll likely debut at the LA Show in November, or Detroit in January. I think it was indicated earlier in the thread that order banks will open in May 2017.

 

[Macfarland]

I agree

Same here. I'm not a big fan of the fusionesque front-end but I love the rear. The stance, the fastback look, the width and taillights. It looks pretty awesome!!

 

[15wile]

You are absolutely 100% correct. Ford won over and conquested a lot of new customers at the expense of long-time loyal customers. Ford is making more money, so kudos to them.

Not sure how many long-time loyal customers they really lost. Yes, there were some... there was a guy in the local Mustang group who said "I only buy if it has a solid rear axle." IRS meant he bailed. Others didn't care for the modernization of the look, as opposed to the retro style of the S197 generation.

But at the same time, Ford regained some former customers. Better handling and new tech features appealed to some who had strayed for a time. And I know lots of loyal Ford guys who love it. So the net-net of the "loyal customers" group may be pretty much the same. And most people agree it has also brought in entirely new folks, too. Either way, it has sold exceptionally well, and both old-school gearheads and new blood are buying it in droves. The proof is in the pudding.

I will agree that the front end is the weakest part of the look. I don't dislike it, as some do, but I did prefer the front end of the '13 and '14 cars. But the side profile and rear end of the S550 easily make up for that, IMHO. Stunning from those angles.

For the front, maybe I'll put the Roush fascia on at some point. Nice aggressive look.

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