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Dave Pericak speaks a bit about the Mustang's future

zackmd1

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Is $50 a month a big deal? That's only like 7 craft beers.
For my case no... But when you factor in a car that is $10k+ more then what I had, that is almost a student loan payment in difference. :like:

Plus, my $16.4k Mustang had NO WHERE near the feature set of the Tesla in terms of infotainment, navigation, sound system, interior quality, etc....
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shogun32

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I work with a bunch of millenials - granted 2/3 are foreigners. they make decent enough money for NoVA and drive beaters or cheap sedans. There's a hundred Teslas in the parking lot but that's because it's the Tyson's Corner dealer's unsold inventory overflow lot. heh.

Those of my age group (48) drive practical family vehicles like CUV or mister might have a Miata or sporty hatch on the side. My GTI was the office hit by a mile but being stick, nobody wanted to drive it. The Mustang/Camaro were looked on with awe but none of them wanted to own one because they were just too powerful and reek of high gas and insurance costs (for them). The other younger guy who had money was wed to BMW 3 series. The guys my age and older and who make rather more money than me were also BMW 5-series, Merc or Audi "luxury sedan" drivers. There were 4 other Mustangs (pre '14) and a G6 Camaro in frequent attendance belonging to a different company.

The other office has a bunch of guys around my age and out of say 50 cars there are consistently 5 GTIs and 2 Jettas, like 3 pickups, a slew of non-descript 4-door sedans and mid-size SUV and aside from my rotating stable, one of the senior execs brings his 911, M5, or C7 to work as the mood strikes. I think he has a fancy Merc SUV too.

There's not a single BEV anywhere but I've seen a Prius from time to time. NoVA is one of the richest counties in the country but the "regular joes" aren't buying Tesla or BEV in any great numbers. Back when the HOV lanes had free tolls for Hybrids they were thicker than African locusts. When that bribe went away their numbers crashed. If you work downtown (DC/Arlington/Crystal City) the occurrence of Tesla/hybrid goes way up though.
 
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GrabberBlue

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This thread is quite comical, you got a bunch of people who fail to recognize that "performance experience" is literally just a dressed up version of "driving experience" which has been around forever.

I believe the car in the Ford Performance lineup that best exemplifies "performance experience" is the Focus RS. The car was literally designed to appeal to a generation of young people who grew up watching Ken Block (myself included). The car is absolute riot and I consider it on the same field as my GT350 in terms of experience. The only thing it lacks is the GT350's exhaust note and universal sex appeal. It isn't track ready but that's not what it is designed for. It is designed to be an all around great, enjoyable performance machine with tons of thrills.

In terms of Mustang, the GT350 is hands down the best driving/performance experience of them all. The GT350 reeks of performance excellence and translates the feeling well to the driver. While this opinion will surely be unpopular, I don't think the GT500 comes close to delivering the same experience as the GT350. The GT500 on the road is boring or quickly becomes a jail sentencing machine. Whereas the GT350 is thrilling at every speed. The problem with both is the price, and a bunch of stuff most people don't want/need.

After reading what Dave had to say, I think the next direction of Mustang is less track focused cars with more focus on performance. Think a GT350 without all the track goodies to bring down the cost. You can see this starting to emerge with the introduction of the High Performance Package EcoBoost. It's got a special engine, a chassis plate on the dash and unique badges. Perfect for those who want the exclusivity of a special edition and performance without the price.

Something I would not be surprised about is if a DCT with a faux shifter emerged. You can appeal to people who can't drive a manual but provide the illusion they can. Yet still provide the hardcore manual enthusiasts with a manual box experience.
 

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As a millenial I would have to agree - dump cars like the GT500 which are a only set up for quater mile times, if that was my primary objective I'd buy a Tesla. Invest more in cars like the GT350 where driving experince is at the forefront with a stick shift, great sounding engine and more useabe power. Who cares about being teneth of a second quicker to 60.
 

Hi-PO Stang

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I would like to see Dave focus on bringing out innovative performance parts for the Mustang like 4.09, 4.56 , and 4.88 gears sets that would come as a replaceable unit ( pumkin ) for the IRS. Also , offer a complete kit to allow the 7.3 liter V8 to be installed in the current Mustang.
 

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A touchy feely experience for future buyers? Perhaps, that includes seat massagers???

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zackmd1

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I work with a bunch of millenials - granted 2/3 are foreigners. they make decent enough money for NoVA and drive beaters or cheap sedans. There's a hundred Teslas in the parking lot but that's because it's the Tyson's Corner dealer's unsold inventory overflow lot. heh.

Those of my age group (48) drive practical family vehicles like CUV or mister might have a Miata or sporty hatch on the side. My GTI was the office hit by a mile but being stick, nobody wanted to drive it. The Mustang/Camaro were looked on with awe but none of them wanted to own one because they were just too powerful and reek of high gas and insurance costs (for them). The other younger guy who had money was wed to BMW 3 series. The guys my age and older and who make rather more money than me were also BMW 5-series, Merc or Audi "luxury sedan" drivers. There were 4 other Mustangs (pre '14) and a G6 Camaro in frequent attendance belonging to a different company.

The other office has a bunch of guys around my age and out of say 50 cars there are consistently 5 GTIs and 2 Jettas, like 3 pickups, a slew of non-descript 4-door sedans and mid-size SUV and aside from my rotating stable, one of the senior execs brings his 911, M5, or C7 to work as the mood strikes. I think he has a fancy Merc SUV too.

There's not a single BEV anywhere but I've seen a Prius from time to time. NoVA is one of the richest counties in the country but the "regular joes" aren't buying Tesla or BEV in any great numbers. Back when the HOV lanes had free tolls for Hybrids they were thicker than African locusts. When that bribe went away their numbers crashed. If you work downtown (DC/Arlington/Crystal City) the occurrence of Tesla/hybrid goes way up though.
I work on a military base with a significant civilian workforce and I am consistently one of 2-3 Teslas going through the security gate in the morning at the same time. You can't drive on the base without seeing a Tesla. Most are Model 3s with a few Model Xs sprinkled in.

So I'm my corner of the world, average people with decent salaries are most certainly buying Teslas/BEVs.
 

zackmd1

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offer a complete kit to allow the 7.3 liter V8 to be installed in the current Mustang.
Easy with that talk on this thread or you will end up having half the site blast you because they are in love with the coyote and nothing can be better than the coyote...

The best you might get would be a Ford Performance crate 7.3 and an accompanying control pack.

I think a few people have it right here.... The mustang won't focus on 0-60 times and quarter mile times going forward. It will focus more on being a sports car instead of a muscle car/pony car with varying forms of electrification from BEV variants to hybrids with smaller variants of the coyote (4.7-4.5 variants maybe?) And turbo 4s. (Maybe even turbo 3s for hybrids).
 

Hack

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Maybe more prone to see something new and give it a chance before writing it off as not good because of your preconcieved and outdated ideas of what good is? It does go both ways, absolutely. No one is perfect, and if they are I want to meet them :crackup:
You have every right to do that, but remember that you aren't the only market. People like buying cars like the Subaru WRX, Focus RS, decidedly "un-mustang like" cars. Even the S550 that we all love is a very different car compared to the mustangs of the 60's, and it has sold better than ever.
My main work focus is product development and working on new concepts. I like to think I'm not close minded. And if you take the time to read my signature you will see that I own a Fiesta ST. It's not very much like a Mustang. I think it also is evidence that I think for myself.

You say that the Mustang is selling better than ever, which is untrue. I believe you are guilty of the exact thing you are accusing others of. You have preconceived notions of what is happening and how the world works and you aren't open to other thoughts.

I make a living trying to keep an open mind and reserving judgement until all the evidence is in. I would challenge you to try to open your mind as well. Realize that just because I'm older than you and have more experience than you doesn't mean I'm closed minded. Just because I think the Mustang should keep a V8 for the time being doesn't mean I'm against change and improvement. I love change and improvement, but change is not always an improvement.

Why does every thread about the future of the mustang somehow devolve into Millenials/Gen-Z are killing cars hysteria?

I'm sure that some of you may not care about the side effects of keeping these cars on the road long term because you'll be dead before the worst of it shows but there have been millions of dollars and hours of research gone into how ICE vehicles are affecting the climate so forgive those who are actually concerned about that future and for supporting initiatives to combat it. I love the V8 as much as anyone else but to deny the inefficiency of the engine in it's current state is ridiculous. That's part of the reason that crowd is flocking to Tesla and that's the reason the Mach-E exists. Ford clearly knows how iconic the Mustang is to their brand and instead of axing it in its current state for not meeting standards, you guys are upset because they'd rather re-engineer it to keep it alive? If they listened to this mind-state, we wouldn't have an actual good automatic transmission or a 4 cylinder engine that outperforms the v8 in the same car from only a few years back.

And sure "younger" people are buying cars less. Inflation is a bitch and the same jobs you could get right out of HS/college that could support a somewhat comfortable lifestyle will only get you the bare minimum. Depending on where you live, having a car payment, insurance, gas, maintenance and sometimes parking is not really worth it in an area where alternatives like ridesharing or even walking/biking is an option. As much as I love my car, I moved to CA for work for 4 years and left it right there in our garage in ATL with only comprehensive coverage as it just didn't make sense to have the area I lived in. With the cost of living in those densely populated metropolitan areas, I could easily see why owning a car, let alone a gas guzzling, v8 coupe with a "backseat," would be pretty low on my priority list so if you're trying to tap into your future car buying market, you need to include the things that would make that investment worth it.
I agree that it would be nice if Mustang owners got along, but differing opinions are what makes a forum like this interesting. I didn't buy my first new car until I was in my mid 40s. It's a waste of money and I had higher priorities - even though I'm crazy about cars. And cars aren't getting any cheaper. So I'm with you in understanding why younger people are less likely to buy.

Heck, the media and popular culture are constantly saying that burning gas is evil. Not just a waste of money, but that using energy is actually immoral. Crazy, but some people aren't strong enough mentally to think for themselves and they get programmed into believing this stuff.

Most people on this site are drawing from their experiences as 20-30 year olds.... from 30-40 YEARS ago and do quite understand that the world has changed.... They do not understand that their generation is no longer the target generation for many/ if not all companies and markets now and that the younger generations have different wants and needs. These needs or wants are not wrong, just different, and anything different from what the status quo was is dangerous and needs to be stopped at all costs!!! :crazy:
Completely ridiculous statement that "MOST" people think the world hasn't changed in the last 20-30 years or that they don't understand that it has changed. Take a second and think about what you are saying. And saying that people who are in their peak earning years are not a marketing target for expensive luxury items like new Mustangs seems misguided to me as well.
 

1958cyclist

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I feel confident that as long as influencers like Dave Pericak continue to move up the Ford hierarchy, that performance will always be front and center...it just may not be delivered in a way many of us have become accustomed.
 

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zackmd1

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And saying that people who are in their peak earning years are not a marketing target for expensive luxury items like new Mustangs seems misguided to me as well.
The youngest Boomer is around 56 years old.... Retirement age or close to it. I wouldn't call retirement "peak earning years". The reason I am referencing boomers here is because that is the generation the mustang was originally designed for.

Peak earning years are usually 30-50. That demographic happens to be driving the damn SUV craze right now....
 

Fly2High

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This thread is quite comical, you got a bunch of people who fail to recognize that "performance experience" is literally just a dressed up version of "driving experience" which has been around forever.

I believe the car in the Ford Performance lineup that best exemplifies "performance experience" is the Focus RS. The car was literally designed to appeal to a generation of young people who grew up watching Ken Block (myself included). The car is absolute riot and I consider it on the same field as my GT350 in terms of experience. The only thing it lacks is the GT350's exhaust note and universal sex appeal. It isn't track ready but that's not what it is designed for. It is designed to be an all around great, enjoyable performance machine with tons of thrills.

In terms of Mustang, the GT350 is hands down the best driving/performance experience of them all. The GT350 reeks of performance excellence and translates the feeling well to the driver. While this opinion will surely be unpopular, I don't think the GT500 comes close to delivering the same experience as the GT350. The GT500 on the road is boring or quickly becomes a jail sentencing machine. Whereas the GT350 is thrilling at every speed. The problem with both is the price, and a bunch of stuff most people don't want/need.

After reading what Dave had to say, I think the next direction of Mustang is less track focused cars with more focus on performance. Think a GT350 without all the track goodies to bring down the cost. You can see this starting to emerge with the introduction of the High Performance Package EcoBoost. It's got a special engine, a chassis plate on the dash and unique badges. Perfect for those who want the exclusivity of a special edition and performance without the price.

Something I would not be surprised about is if a DCT with a faux shifter emerged. You can appeal to people who can't drive a manual but provide the illusion they can. Yet still provide the hardcore manual enthusiasts with a manual box experience.
If there isn't a clutch, it isn't a manual :) I hate to say I agree with you but I do. I hate it though. Driving a stick shift is like why people are drawn to playing the drums. It is all about timing and lots of things to do to make music. The only thing that sits still is .. your butt. Everything is in motion at some time or another. This is why many feel the MT-82 gearing is no good. It allows you to stay in gear longer and requires less involvement.

Even with traffic, a manual driver wants to be involved with driving. A car does not take you to places. You drive a car places. Also, I wouldn't be surprised that most manual drivers also feel that the more nannies on board the worse the driver is. Why be aware when you drive if the car is doing it for you. If the car is looking out for collisions, you could talk on your phone, play games, read the paper, eat , text, etc. NONE of those things should be done while driving.

I think city planners and government gave us the promise of a certain driving experience and then quickly took it away after we got a taste of it. They had no choice. Population grew and they did the best they could with what they got. Those that still remember what it was like to drive with little to no traffic want those days back but there are simply too many cars and people to do that any more. I do not like nor want the driving future that is to come but it is what it is. It use to be that driving = freedom. Every white and blue collar guy could earn different salaries but they both were able to enjoy driving. I wonder how many still find driving pleasurable. I think the Mustang is a car meant for those that enjoy driving, not just going fast. I think people are only doing other things or at least desire to do other things because the driving experience tends to be bad. Too much traffic, over population, rude driving, electronic police at every corner and on and on. It is becoming harder to enjoy driving and this pertains to all forms of transmission.
 

Hack

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The youngest Boomer is around 56 years old.... Retirement age or close to it. I wouldn't call retirement "peak earning years". The reason I am referencing boomers here is because that is the generation the mustang was originally designed for.

Peak earning years are usually 30-50. That demographic happens to be driving the damn SUV craze right now....
Retirement age is more like 70, not mid-50s. Some people make peak money at 30, like NFL or NBA athletes. They are few and far between.

It's not correct to say the Mustang was designed for boomers. Some of them were born in 1964, and Ford hardly would build a car for a baby to buy. The oldest boomers were only 18 in 1964, and 18 year olds typically aren't buying new cars either. The original market for the Mustang is mostly people that are gone now. Very few of those people are still buying Mustangs.

It's ok to admit you said something incorrect, you know. I know it happens to me all the time. I agree most people of all ages who buy cars are buying SUVs. Most of the male boomers are buying pickups from what I see. Anyway, people at Ford know this stuff a lot better than you and I.
 
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Bikeman315

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32 here, never owned an SUV, never will. Bought the Charger for if/when we need more room. Like when we do wheel swaps at the tire shop :cwl:.
I'm 67 now, wife is 66. Bought our first SUV back in 98'. My wife has a bad back and it was just so much easier for here to get in and out of an Explorer. Same goes for groceries, etc. She had four Explorers and is now on her third Escape. She enjoys them and I find it useful to have.
 

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Well Im 25, bought my mustang when I was 23. Its been my dream car since I was 8 or so. It somewhat pains me to know that I won't be able to buy a new GT350 when I am financially prepared to. I understand with time things change. I also understand why my peers wouldn't be financially interested in buying a mustang. May not be because they dont have the money but if we are being honest, we all know how cars depreciate yet we still buy them out of the love we have for them and how it makes feel. From what I've seen, there are many on here that have personal connections and history with the brand. I am the first in my family to be into cars to this extent so I cant say the same for me.

My friends rather spend their earnings elsewhere. Travel has become very inexpensive that a trip from JFK to Barcelona is $250. Why would someone pay a car note on a car that is constantly losing value than a life experience that you can share with friends and family?

We also live in the time of social media leading to entrepreneurs. Money spent on camera equipment for YouTube or buying your resources for your product to advertise are seen more valuable than owning a car.

I believe it is true that the younger generation would rather drive a Tesla than a mustang or a muscle car within means. From conversations with many of my friends, like i dream of driving a GT350, they cant wait until they have the keys to model S or Model X. Its like the iPhone in a way to me. the new tech is appealing and you may not know how exactly the newest camera works, but you know that its the newest iPhone and is better than the previous years. Now you can say you have the new iPhone (or Tesla).

I dont think I was able to articulate proper examples so sorry if its confusing. I do hope Ford can keep the brand alive for some time.
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