Honestly, Options/Packages Seem Stupidly Aimed At Women

[aspensilver]

Thread makes no sense.

Sponsored

 

[Pablo GT350]

"Back in the day", manuals were considered to be faster than the same exact car with an auto. Autos have gotten so much better in the last 10 - 15 years, that this is no longer the case. A lot of people still love to row through the gears, though. I know that I love to do it when I'm not stuck in rush hour traffic.

Most of my cars through the years have been manuals, but my current is an auto because of rush hour traffic. I drove an '04 Mach 1 manual for 6 years to and from work (~30 mile commute) and it got real tiring in that car. The clutch feel in that beast didn't help matters at all.

Nowadays though, an auto is generally going to be faster and certainly more consistent. For this reason alone, I feel like an auto, with paddles and rev-matching, should certainly be available with the PP. I WILL be getting a PP, and I'm not sure I could go back to anything less than the 5.0 from a power perspective, so it looks like I'm getting a manual again.

Agreed. No doubt modern auto's out perform manuals. Whether Ford's latest offering does remains to be seen (but I doubt it).
But if and when they do offer a competitive auto in their top performance model I'll probably get it.

 

[c3po]

That is some strange logic you have there. Women don't drive stick, the PP only comes with stick, therefore they're trying to appeal to women?

I'm thinking that you aren't quite understanding what kind of stick he's talking about...

 

[5.0 Coyote]

And do they all of those use the 6R80 Transmission? I think Dirdle65 was trying to illustrate that the 6R80 *may* not be able to handle the GT when combined with the PP, whereas it safely could with the 3.7 and 2.3 motors.

The 6R80 A/T will handle a hell of a lot more HP and TQ than the M22,made in china transmission, and the 6R80 is made in the USA.

 

[Terlingua]

"Back in the day", manuals were considered to be faster than the same exact car with an auto. Autos have gotten so much better in the last 10 - 15 years, that this is no longer the case. A lot of people still love to row through the gears, though. I know that I love to do it when I'm not stuck in rush hour traffic.

Most of my cars through the years have been manuals, but my current is an auto because of rush hour traffic. I drove an '04 Mach 1 manual for 6 years to and from work (~30 mile commute) and it got real tiring in that car. The clutch feel in that beast didn't help matters at all.

Nowadays though, an auto is generally going to be faster and certainly more consistent. For this reason alone, I feel like an auto, with paddles and rev-matching, should certainly be available with the PP. I WILL be getting a PP, and I'm not sure I could go back to anything less than the 5.0 from a power perspective, so it looks like I'm getting a manual again.

That frames the problem pretty well. You shouldn't have to buy a stick to get the PP. But Ford hasn't kept it much of a secret that they wanted to boost the female appeal of this new Mustang (I've heard it first-hand from people who worked with Ford). So with those kinds of priorities, how is it that the PP was left out of the option mix for automatics? Not by accident.

If Ford really has any 'game' and wants to prove that wrong, showing up with an automatic paddle-shift version of the next GT350 might do it...

 

[Trackaholic]

I don't understand the logic. You are saying that if the PP was offered with the automatic, less women would want the car. To accept your premise, you must believe that women don't even want the option of the PP. I don't believe that is the case, and I don't think Ford believes that offering the option of a PP with an automatic would somehow drive away women customers.

I think the reason is to make the 50th Anniversary edition more desirable. I wouldn't be surprised if sometime over the next couple of years Ford makes the PP available with an automatic on the standard GT as well.

-T

 

[Chambo007]

Auto GTs should at least get a Brembo brake option with the wheels from the PP or the 20" Machined as options as well. Maybe even a /gasp 3.73 gear option too instead of just 3.55.

The logic I dont understand is to give the auto paddle shifters, rev matching and give everyone line lock standard but limit the auto's performance options by much more than last years. Doesnt make sense and I hope it changes.

 

[Terlingua]

I don't understand the logic. You are saying that if the PP was offered with the automatic, less women would want the car.

I think the reason is to make the 50th Anniversary edition more desirable. I wouldn't be surprised if sometime over the next couple of years Ford makes the PP available with an automatic on the standard GT as well.
-T

Not exactly. The first premise is the fact that the auto manufacturers try to offer the least amount of choices which add cost (except for halo/image cars). Choices add complexity on the assembly line and that = cost.

So if they they they can sell nearly as many automatics without a PP as they would with PP, they won't offer a PP on an automatic. They figure anybody who wants a PP bad enough, will settle for a manual trans. Since Ford has a new found emphasis on women for the Mustang, my suspicion is that had something to do with thinking the automatics don't need a PP option in order to meet sales goals.

And I do think the PP would hurt sales of GT automatics to women. Dealers would order them that way on lots, and there they would sit with higher MSRPs, and look that much less attractive to women, who would otherwise just prefer a lower price rather than the PP option.

A regular GT automatic with skinny tires and without any PP isn't going to cut it for me. I already have enough cars with manual trans in the garage (so it has to be an automatic), and I'm in the market for another car this year - not going to wait till 2016. Headed to the auto show today, in fact. Probably not a new Mustang now.

 

[ShoNuff]

The fact that PP isn't a forced package has no bearing on whether or not PP is geared towards male or female. What about the people that buy manual and DONT get PP? Are they transgender? Or the males that get automatic - what shall we call them?

This is the stupidest logic ever.

 

[chopsui]

My head hurts.

 

[Husker]

Sadly (or not) most vehicles, even corvettes, are sold with automatics.

I've wondered about sport cars ratio of manual vs auto sold...Do you have a link to the statists?

 

[TampaBear67]

What about the people that buy manual and DONT get PP? Are they transgender? Or the males that get automatic - what shall we call them?

This is the stupidest logic ever.

:lol:
I Agree 100%
This Whole Macho "You're Not a Real Man Unless You Drive a Manual" attitude is ridiculous.

 

[Fox9350]

I don't understand the logic. You are saying that if the PP was offered with the automatic, less women would want the car. To accept your premise, you must believe that women don't even want the option of the PP. I don't believe that is the case, and I don't think Ford believes that offering the option of a PP with an automatic would somehow drive away women customers.

I think the reason is to make the 50th Anniversary edition more desirable. I wouldn't be surprised if sometime over the next couple of years Ford makes the PP available with an automatic on the standard GT as well.

-T

I agree with this, except, they are only making 1,964 50th LEs, they will have no trouble selling them and I don't think they need any reason beyond what they've offered to do that. Is a miniscule number of cars.

 

[Fox9350]

The fact that PP isn't a forced package has no bearing on whether or not PP is geared towards male or female. What about the people that buy manual and DONT get PP? Are they transgender? Or the males that get automatic - what shall we call them?

This is the stupidest logic ever.

Now that's just silly. While I don't agree with the OPs logic, I'd bet the house that Ford or dealers could show you the demographics that female buyers overwhelming buy autos and don't care about the PP and male buyers while split between auto and manual probably lean manual and make up most of their PP buyers. There are of course always exceptions.

 

[Fox9350]

And I do think the PP would hurt sales of GT automatics to women. Dealers would order them that way on lots, and there they would sit with higher MSRPs, and look that much less attractive to women, who would otherwise just prefer a lower price rather than the PP option.

.

I can buy this a little bit, but I bet Ford also had other things in mind when they made this admittedly strange decision. That said, while I hope and expect some Ford execs, marketing people etc read this forum, is anyone writing in to complain? Maybe if enough people do they'll reconsider.

Sponsored