Ford to Launch something new - "corvette killer"

[ShadesOfBloo]

It'd have to perform better than the corvette.

Not to "kill" the Corvette in the market.
Remember a period from 1993 to 2002 where any Camaro with a V8 outperformed just about any Mustang?
1993 the Camaro's power jumped to 275+ (Actually, Chevy understated the power because they didn't want the Camaro to sound as powerful as the Corvette and cannibalize its sales.)
The fastest Mustang was rated at 240hp, the LX and GT were rated at 205, and Mustangs outsold Camaros.
It was about 1996 the Mustang Cobra got the 32v engine, rated at 305hp. 0-60 times were, at best, really close to the V8 Camaro. Even if the Cobra had as much hp as the Camaro, the Chevy had more torque and a broader powerband. Eventually Ford had a recall because owners were getting dyno results and 0-60 times that didn't back up the claim of 305hp at the flywheel.
Mustangs outsold Camaros, regardless.

In my one automotive engineering elective, the professor quoted some figure for how much GM spent on developing the 1993 Camaro, and it was about twice what Ford spent on the SN95 Mustang. He then went on to quote figures about how much the Mustang outsold the Camaro, and how much more money Ford was making.

After spending time in both cars, and looking under their hoods, it looked to me like the Mustang was more user-friendly, and a lot easier for DIY mechanics to maintain.
Chevy hid half their engine under the windshield for the sake of styling (it damn sure didn't help the aero) and made it harder to see out of their car.

Now that the C8 Corvette isn't so new and shiny, I'm hearing more and more Corvette fans lament that new Corvettes are so expensive, and they can no longer buy the kind of front engine car that got them excited about Corvettes in the first place.

Ford might have an opening to win over some of those fans, if they can deliver the throttle response and the view those Corvette fans expected, and stay the F way from the C8s price.

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[robvas]

Corvette killer implies it's beating it in a race. The Mustang has always beat the corvette in sales.

 

[robvas]

Now that the C8 Corvette isn't so new and shiny, I'm hearing more and more Corvette fans lament that new Corvettes are so expensive, and they can no longer buy the kind of front engine car that got them excited about Corvettes in the first place.

So the same complaints as Mustang owners.

 

[geep81]

If Ford can make something as stylish and next-level as a Corvette should be, but still give it a manual they will definitely take some sales from the Vette crowd, according to me.

 

[broncoboy22]

If Ford can make something as stylish and next-level as a Corvette should be, but still give it a manual they will definitely take some sales from the Vette crowd, according to me.

That’s the key. Keep a manual option even if only to offer something the Vette doesn’t

 

[robvas]

The problem with the manual option, is at that level the performance would fall off so hard compared to the auto....look at the difference in the 460hp GT. Gap really widens when you start adding power.

 

[broncoboy22]

The problem with the manual option, is at that level the performance would fall off so hard compared to the auto....look at the difference in the 460hp GT. Gap really widens when you start adding power.

That’s ok, marketing just has to spin it correctly. The DCT is for the track monster and roll race crowd, the manual is for the purist and canyon carver.

An option for those who want the most fast, and an option for those who want the most fun

 

[TreeFiddyAre]

AWD 1000hp hybrid Probe

Hoping it's something that incorporates awd and hybrid tech like the eRay/ZR1X

Center seat-3 seater Probe at that!!!!

 

[ShadesOfBloo]

That’s ok, marketing just has to spin it correctly. The DCT is for the track monster and roll race crowd, the manual is for the purist and canyon carver.

An option for those who want the most fast, and an option for those who want the most fun

It's working for Porsche.
To get a 911 with a manual transmission you have to get the right special edition.
They've decided that a customer who wants to shift their own gears is a connoisseur, and they've priced those gears accordingly.

 

[broncoboy22]

It's working for Porsche.
To get a 911 with a manual transmission you have to get the right special edition.
They've decided that a customer who wants to shift their own gears is a connoisseur, and they've priced those gears accordingly.

Yup! It sucks and would prob come big a bigger price tag like Porsche, but I’d still take that over nothing haha

 

[broncoboy22]

What do you guys think about the platform? If this is an all new architecture perhaps it could be on an all-new platform that is shared for the next gen Mustang? Imagine if we actually saw some weight reduction because of it

 

[Spart]

The problem with the manual option, is at that level the performance would fall off so hard compared to the auto....look at the difference in the 460hp GT. Gap really widens when you start adding power.

There's always somebody with a faster car than you.

If you have a manual, there's really nobody having more fun than you.

Two of the funnest cars I've ever driven: R53 JCW Mini 6MT and Hellcat 6MT.

They are both dogshit at putting up numbers on a spreadsheet for purposes of comparison and I wouldn't have them any other way.

I don't buy cars based on anything you can quantify on a spreadsheet.

I don't date women based on spreadsheet criteria either, but I understand there's a certain set of folks that needs to assign a number to everything for the purposes of comparison. It sounds like a living hell.

 

[robvas]

You guys would marry a 10/10 woman and still talk about how much more fun it is to beat yourself off

 

[broncoboy22]

…. Idk about all that, but choices are good.

Ford did a similar thing with the new Bronco trims when it first came out. The had the Badlands geared more toward the rock crawling crowd and the Wildtrak geared more toward the high speed off roading crowd.

So why not offer the faster DCT and the more fun/involved but slower manual tranny?

Because some dummies at Edmunds are going to compare the manual to a DCT Vette? Who cares, let them. Buyers with a brain will know what they’re getting and why

 

[robvas]

Ford could use ten less Bronco trims.

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