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Mustang tops global sports coupe sales again; Entering NASCAR Cup for 2019

Jarstang

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FORD MUSTANG IS WORLD’S BEST-SELLING SPORTS COUPE FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR; WILL ENTER NASCAR CUP FOR 2019

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  • Ford Mustang was the planet’s top-selling sports coupe in 2017 for the third straight year with more than one-third of its sales in global markets, according to IHS Markit
  • Ford sold 125,809 Mustang coupes and convertibles in 146 countries last year
  • Mustang to succeed Fusion in NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, marking the first time ever Mustang will compete in professional stock car racing’s top league
DEARBORN, Mich., April 17, 2018 – Global demand for the new 2018 model has driven Ford Mustang to its third straight year as the best-selling sports coupe in the world.

Global Mustang registrations in 2017 totaled 125,809 cars, according to Ford analysis of the most recent new light vehicle registration data from IHS Markit. This data – compiled from government and other sources and capturing 95 percent of global new vehicle volumes in more than 80 countries – puts Mustang ahead of all other sports coupe competitors worldwide.

Sports coupes, as defined by IHS Markit, include two-door and convertible models.

“The world loves Ford Mustang,” says Erich Merkle, Ford sales analyst. “For years, Mustang was unobtainable for customers on most parts of the planet. It could only be found on TV or the internet, and now it rolls down streets from Beijing to São Paulo.”

Of the nearly 126,000 vehicles registered worldwide, Ford reported 81,866 of those were registered in the United States, meaning just over one-third of all Mustang registrations are occurring in export markets. Demand remains particularly strong in China, where Mustang was the best-selling sports coupe last year based on 7,125 registrations.

The most popular configuration worldwide is the Mustang GT with the iconic 5.0-liter V8.

While sports cars have traditionally skewed toward male buyers in the United States, Mustang is increasingly finding favor with women. In an environment of relatively flat sports car sales to women, Ford research shows a 10 percent gain in women buying Mustang in the last five years.

Since global exports began in 2015, through December 2017, Ford has sold 418,000 Mustangs in 146 countries around the world.

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Mustang goes to NASCAR Cup

Building off its popularity, Ford also is announcing Mustang is coming to the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series – professional stock car racing’s top league – for the first time, beginning at Daytona in February.

“We’re combining America’s favorite sports car with America’s top stock car racing series,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Mustang always has been about affordable performance, which can be traced to innovations we’ve made competing in racing, like NASCAR. Mustang is a perfect fit for our racing heritage today and tomorrow.”

Mustang has competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2011, winning championships in all but one season. It has taken Team Penske to four owner’s championships in the last five years and carried Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to consecutive driver’s championships in 2011 and 2012.

This will be Ford’s fourth different Cup model in NASCAR’s modern era (1972-present), following Thunderbird, Taurus and Fusion.

“This announcement makes me very happy,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of Ford Motor Company’s board of directors. “Mustang is a car that is woven into the fabric of our country, and it’s only right that we put it on the track in NASCAR’s most visible series. I can’t wait.”

Ford has six organizations and 13 teams in its NASCAR lineup, including Wood Brothers Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Team Penske, Stewart-Haas Racing, Front Row Motorsports and Go Fas Racing.

Mustang is still going through initial testing and will be formally submitted to NASCAR for approval this summer. A public unveiling of the finished product will soon follow.

The first series points race for Mustang will be the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, 2019.

https://media.ford.com/content/ford...-worlds-best-selling-sports-coupe-nascar.html
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Zathras

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NASCAR is so far removed from "stock car" racing that they really should just drop all pretense of running "Camrys" and "Mustangs" or whatever name the sponsor paints on the body shell. Those are purpose-built, near-spec-racing cars.
 

tom_sprecher

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NASCAR is so far removed from "stock car" racing that they really should just drop all pretense of running "Camrys" and "Mustangs" or whatever name the sponsor paints on the body shell. Those are purpose-built, near-spec-racing cars.
It's been that way for decades. I sure the premise is they "look" like stock cars.

A couple of us took a tour of Hendrick's shop around the mid 90's and it was surprising how many "stock" components they used in one of their cars. They had all been reworked, but axles, diffs, steering boxes, blocks, etc. started out from OEM pieces from the late 60's to early 80's designs.

Today I would think not even the hoods or roofs are OEM skins.
 

STEVO 5.0

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NASCAR is so far removed from "stock car" racing that they really should just drop all pretense of running "Camrys" and "Mustangs" or whatever name the sponsor paints on the body shell. Those are purpose-built, near-spec-racing cars.
Whaddya say there boy? You ain't fixin to tell me that new Nascar Stang aint gonna be damn near a hundred percent like mines on the front lawn now is ya? Only diffrence is they aint got no headlights for weight savins and such, which the Stang ain't even gonna need cuz it aint gonna be nothin in front of us cept the checkered flag. We fixin to be blowing the stickers right off them toyoter cramries next season.

I watch with my dad every now and then. From the looks of the stands, attendance is probably down quite a bit year after year. Maybe this will bring some new or returning audiences to check it out. I am not big on NASCAR, but I'd much rather root for the Mustang than the Fusion if I am watching.
 

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NASCAR is so far removed from "stock car" racing that they really should just drop all pretense of running "Camrys" and "Mustangs" or whatever name the sponsor paints on the body shell. Those are purpose-built, near-spec-racing cars.
And if you think that back in 1966 you could go to a dealer, buy a Fairlane and go NASCAR racing with it, ur sadly mistaken.
 

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Loki-GT

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And if you think that back in 1966 you could go to a dealer, buy a Fairlane and go NASCAR racing with it, ur sadly mistaken.
This is very true, but back then they were mostly based off of the actual car not tube chassis and body panels fashioned to mimic the look of the actual car.

I personally don't care how much of the car is in there, but then I haven't been a NASCAR fan since Dale died so.....
 

xDUMPWEEDx

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If NASCAR actually used real production cars that were heavily modified, then 1 of my 2 requirements to watch would be fulfilled. The other being getting rid of half of the current oval tracks and replacing them with road courses. Having 30+ different oval tracks is fucking stupid.

As Jeff Dunham once said...
What kind of three-and-a-half hours is this? Look, they're making a left turn! Oh, they're making another left turn! Oh, they're making another left turn! I wonder what's gonna happen next? Let's go to commercial! Come back in ten minutes, you ain't gonna miss a fucking thing!
 

B4Sunrise

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First of all we all know the S550 Mustang is NOT doing to be in NASCAR! We all know there is not a single component that will be shared between the S550 Mustang and whatever vehicle is running at NASCAR. IMO putting the Mustang in NASCAR is a bad move and instead Ford should consider creating a GTD class Mustang from the GT500. NASCAR sucks ass, it's complete BS is there even a single component on the car comes from Ford? It's disingenuous to describe any vehicle running a NASCAR race as anything but a custom built race car. The Toyota NASCAR race car as much in common with a Mustang as whatever custom built vehicle as the Name "Ford" on it.

Ford has not had a production push rod V8 in any vehicle for a very long time, a Mustang hasn't had a OHV V8 in it since 1996, so whatever car is out there - unless it's got a DOHC engine in it; don't call it a Mustang.

And let's just let NASCAR die - IMSA GS and Sportscar racing is actually relevant.
 
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B4Sunrise

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Whaddya say there boy? You ain't fixin to tell me that new Nascar Stang aint gonna be damn near a hundred percent like mines on the front lawn now is ya? Only difference is they aint got no headlights for weight savins and such, which the Stang ain't even gonna need cuz it aint gonna be nothin in front of us cept the checkered flag. We fixin to be blowing the stickers right off them toyoter cramries next season.

I watch with my dad every now and then. From the looks of the stands, attendance is probably down quite a bit year after year. Maybe this will bring some new or returning audiences to check it out. I am not big on NASCAR, but I'd much rather root for the Mustang than the Fusion if I am watching.
Move on to IMSA www.imsa.com; the gs series is what NASCAR was back in the 80's, except it doesn't run ovals. The sports car series is a bit different, the only cars being run that exist as production vehicles are the GT and the BMW. However I believe that series drove GM's decision to make the C8 a mid-engine car and to convert to the DOHC V8, I bet the production C8 Corvette will be a lot closer to the R version than the C7 is today. Not only that GM's push rod engines run too hot to last the required length of time for GS, so I expect GM to put a DOHC V8 in the next Z28 - as their current GT4 offering doesn't have a single entrant in GS and again the reason I heard is - the 6.2L runs too hot. In fact you actually can go and buy the Mustang GT4 running in the races yourself - granted they cost $250k and are closed circuit only vehicles, still it can be done. As far as NASCAR - stick a fork in it. IMSA is driving production car development fairly directly. I have no insider information from Ford however; what I do know is IMSA rules prohibit internal engine changes, therefore about all they can do to them is bolt on stuff. In IMSA the GS class is limited to 500 HP and what do you know the 5.0 in the 2018 Mustang you and I can buy is bumping right up against 500HP....
 
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Loki-GT

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First of all we all know the S550 Mustang is NOT doing to be in NASCAR! We all know there is not a single component that will be shared between the S550 Mustang and whatever vehicle is running at NASCAR. IMO putting the Mustang in NASCAR is a bad move and instead Ford should consider creating a GTD class Mustang from the GT500. NASCAR sucks ass, it's complete BS is there even a single component on the car comes from Ford? It's disingenuous to describe any vehicle running a NASCAR race as anything but a custom built race car. The Toyota NASCAR race car as much in common with a Mustang as whatever custom built vehicle as the Name "Ford" on it.

Ford has not had a production push rod V8 in any vehicle for a very long time, a Mustang hasn't had a OHV V8 in it since 1996, so whatever car is out there - unless it's got a DOHC engine in it; don't call it a Mustang.

And let's just let NASCAR die - IMSA GS and Sportscar racing is actually relevant.
This is so much better than the douchebag crap that showed up in my email.
 

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x_man586

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If NASCAR actually used real production cars that were heavily modified, then 1 of my 2 requirements to watch would be fulfilled. The other being getting rid of half of the current oval tracks and replacing them with road courses. Having 30+ different oval tracks is fucking stupid.

As Jeff Dunham once said...
Road courses are so much more fun to watch. I love Formula 1 and Indy for the road courses.
 

coupe3w

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When is NASCAR going to mandate the chevy motor in the Mustang like they do in the truck series?
 

traxiii

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They should at least go back to the roof line templates they had in the 90s so the damn cars look like the cars they are supposed to represent. The "Mustang" they have been running in the lower Nascar class for a couple years doesn't look anything like a real Mustang.

GT4/GS is where it's at for real GT racing, and I agree with someone above that Ford needs a GT3/GTD car, maybe that Lincolnized Mustang they talked about for a while when the S550 came out.
 

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They should at least go back to the roof line templates they had in the 90s so the damn cars look like the cars they are supposed to represent. The "Mustang" they have been running in the lower Nascar class for a couple years doesn't look anything like a real Mustang.

GT4/GS is where it's at for real GT racing, and I agree with someone above that Ford needs a GT3/GTD car, maybe that Lincolnized Mustang they talked about for a while when the S550 came out.
The actual Mustang is a poor choice for NASCAR because they run ovals and the speeds are so high a longer car is more aerodynamically efficient. They ought to let the GTLM GT run NASCAR, it'd be the return of Bill Elliot and the Thunderbird!

I disagree that Ford should also promote a racing vehicle from the Lincoln brand - Cadillac as been beating their head up against a wall forever doing it, without much success translating to sales. IMO it's assinine, the Corvette is GM's top performance vehicle letting the self centered dips shits at Cadillac try to change that is f'n stupid. For all the hoop-la of performance vehicles in truth the lower-end cars with base engines make up the bulk of sales. There is nothing to gain for Lincoln by having a racing car, on the other hand Ford is established in racing; bring on the GTD class Mustang! If BMW can run a 4 door sedan in GTLM, Ford can surely figure out how to make GTD worthy variant of a Mustang, which tend to be significantly slower than the GTLM cars. I am not even sure GTD cars are quicker than the GS cars, if so only marginally.
 
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