2018 Mustang Refresh (Prototype) First Look!

[SpeedLu]

Yep...the lines just all flow on the GT350 and yes it fees like they didn't have enough time to finish the GT and then when they worked on the GT350 they worked out the rest of the design of the front. Excited for the reveal coming.

What about this looks unfinished?

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[Bullitt]

"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 "...

I suspect that the vast majority of Challengers being sold are SXT V-6's. That's about all I see on the dealer lots and all I see on the roads. I bet 10-1 V-6 to V-8. I think Mustangs sell a higher percentage of V-8's.

I think this type of thing varies by area. Around here, I see more V8 Challengers (mostly Scat Packs and 392s) than V6s. I think I see about as many Hellcats as V6s honestly. Mustang on the other hand I see more V6s and EcoBoosts than I do GTs.

 

[JWS]

There are two lines on the GT door panel. The upper line continues to the top of the headlight brow. The bottom line, if extended forward would go right through the middle of the fog light.

The lower bumper cover looks like it is a two-piece design under the radiator, but goes to a one piece outboard of the fog lights.

On the 350, the upper and lower door lines are tied together by the brake/cooling vent on the fender. They then both project rearward and around the backside of the car. The front bumper cover lower grill is one continuous (except for the fangs) opening, which I find a little more pleasing. The bumper cover itself is lower and rounded, without the sharp cutoff in the upper grill opening.

The third line on the door of the 350, above the rocker panels, is one continuous line forward, around the front of the car.

 

[15wile]

I think this type of thing varies by area. Around here, I see more V8 Challengers (mostly Scat Packs and 392s) than V6s. I think I see about as many Hellcats as V6s honestly. Mustang on the other hand I see more V6s and EcoBoosts than I do GTs.

It must because the ones I see are usually 5.7 R/T cars. Dime a dozen. Nice sounding motor, but slow.

 

[JWS]

FRONT OF '18

What about this looks unfinished?

I just like the rounded, smooth flow of the 350 front bumper cover. Hard to tell from the spy photos of the '18 what the lower grill is really like.

 

[Petroleum Jesus]

Really? Based off what data? Your opinion? Ford has always been underpowered and still outsells competition. Nor does the Mustang really drive a large portion of Ford's stock. Just like now, people will still choose the slightly slower car assuming it looks good and has good drivability and ergonomics.

The 2010-2011 sales numbers. It was the last time the mustang had this big of a power deficiency. The Camaro outsold the mustang by a margin north of 60%. It barely caught up in 2012, almost a year after the power gap closed.

 

[Macfarland]

This statement by csneed623 was at the comment section of Motor Trend's article about the 2018 Mustang.


"Saw the actual redesign in Vegas last month in a secret ford dealer meeting and it looks sweet. Horse power bump on all motors, quad pipes standard on GT with V8, LED headlights now instead of HID to match LED fog light, whole new wheel line up and more. Going to be sweet. Comes out next summer. Front and rear will be new. Mid cycle refresh with new transmissions also. They did not confirm which transmissions though"

Interesting for sure if it's true.

 

[Petroleum Jesus]

I wouldn't expect a significant change in power on the GT350. There's little market driver to push that. I would expect a non-manual option in 18 or 19, though.

Your power figures for the EB and GT are optimistic and pessimistic, respectively. Expect 325-330 for the EB and at least 460 for the GT. The RS hardware will likely be migrated to the Mustang, but with a more conservative calibration for daily use, fuel economy and emissions. The GT gets upgraded fuel systems and the brave new world that opens up. It won't crest 470, though, and meet emissions.

I think, it could crest 470, but not by much. It seems like not a lot of people here know a whole lot about how direct injection affects performance. 10% gains (HP and torque) are not uncommon, and many engines put out closer to 15% more power with DI. It's a serious performance upgrade, not some bump.

 

[JWS]

The 2010-2011 sales numbers. It was the last time the mustang had this big of a power deficiency. The Camaro outsold the mustang by a margin north of 60%. It barely caught up in 2012, almost a year after the power gap closed.

Wouldn't the sales pace of the Camaro in that time period be because of the '09 refresh? The design was new and looked pretty good. It was just starting to make an impact in the showrooms with wider distribution.

 

[Stroked84]

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).

Seeing some ex-Mustang owners on the Challenger forum isn't indicative of anything. If anything that is an obvious outcome when you consider the Challenger was on hiatus for the better part of 3 decades and the sheer number of possible "ex-Mustang" owners (50 years worth) versus "ex-Challenger" owners.

The Challenger and the Mustang are gaining ground because the Camaro is losing it. [Link] Going back five years, the Camaro had a 44% market share to the Challenger's 19% and the Mustang's 37%. During that time all three cars had dips in sales, but the Mustang and the Challenger rebounded stronger each time where the Camaro didn't. Today the Camaro is down to 37% of the market. The Challenger (now @23%) ate up 4% and the Mustang (now @40%) ate up 3% of the Camaro's share.

Considering the less muscular (I guess?) Mustang is still outselling the big V8 Challenger almost 2:1 that must say something about modernized sports/muscle cars too, no? What's more impressive, IMO, is the overall sales of these big three in total. In 2010, ~5300 of these three cars were sold per month on average. That number has increased to ~5500 in 2011, ~5800 in 2012, ~5800 in 2013, ~6100 in 2014, ~7400 in 2015, ~8300 thus far in 2016.

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.

I would love it if Ford offered even half as much of the customization that you're talking about. I really don't see it happening with the S550, considering it's going to be such a short lived platform... but maybe the S650 will have a wider variety of trims/special models. I just hate the current mentality where they, seemingly, don't want one car to step on the other car's toes.

 

[Petroleum Jesus]

Wouldn't the sales pace of the Camaro in that time period be because of the '09 refresh? The design was new and looked pretty good. It was just starting to make an impact in the showrooms with wider distribution.

Both the 2010 Camaro and mustang were new, the camaro an entirely new platform and the mustang a refresh.

 

[Carfanatic]

This statement by csneed623 was at the comment section of Motor Trend's article about the 2018 Mustang.


"Saw the actual redesign in Vegas last month in a secret ford dealer meeting and it looks sweet. Horse power bump on all motors, quad pipes standard on GT with V8, LED headlights now instead of HID to match LED fog light, whole new wheel line up and more. Going to be sweet. Comes out next summer. Front and rear will be new. Mid cycle refresh with new transmissions also. They did not confirm which transmissions though"

Interesting for sure if it's true.

Is this a legit source?? If so man I wondering if I should wait for the 2018 over 17 I ordered

 

[Macfarland]

Is this a legit source?? If so man I wondering if I should wait for the 2018 over 17 I ordered

I just read it in the comment section at MT's website. Is it legit? I don't think so, but let's hope he's right.

 

[Carfanatic]

Ahh ok

 

[Czs550]

Looks like it has gt350 style front bumper

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