Media Cars

[Trackaholic]

My guess, based on the similar timeline of the C7 launch, is that the "first drive" reviews will be sometime in July.

-T

Sponsored

 

[Grimace427]

My guess, based on the similar timeline of the C7 launch, is that the "first drive" reviews will be sometime in July.

-T

Agree. It probably won't be July 4th in case anyone is wondering. The date of the media release is likely to fall on a random day like the December 5th reveal.

 

[Phattyhales]

The way these things usually go, is that in advance of actual instrumented road tests of actual production versions, we will see articles touting "driving impressions" of pre-production examples of the car.

FoMoCo will probably have a media event and invite the automotive press to sample the prototypes at the same time. This way, no one media outlet gets an "exclusive" lest all the other outlets feel scorned.

The reporting will be highly subjective, but still useful in the sense that the writers who sample the new model will opine on how the handling with the new IRS compares with previous solid axle Mustangs and offer seat-of-the-pants assessments of whether the new car "feels" faster than the old one, etc.

If the new Mustang is as good as Ford's engineers have been telling us it is, I expect some rave reviews.

You are bang on. As someone in the industry the manufacturer will invite all the big media outlets to a preview test, likely at a track, and they will all spend a couple days with press cars. They will all get roughly 20-30 min of track time between all of them and then get some local canyon carving type road. From there expect to see reviews in magazines and YouTube. The media will be told they cannot publish their impressions until a specific date. If they break it before that date they will be sued and future press days will be in jeopardy. Expect to see the impressions a month before the car actually hits showrooms and then the full blown tests after the first batch gets to customers.

 

[Josh Painter]

You are bang on. As someone in the industry the manufacturer will invite all the big media outlets to a preview test, likely at a track, and they will all spend a couple days with press cars. They will all get roughly 20-30 min of track time between all of them and then get some local canyon carving type road. From there expect to see reviews in magazines and YouTube. The media will be told they cannot publish their impressions until a specific date. If they break it before that date they will be sued and future press days will be in jeopardy. Expect to see the impressions a month before the car actually hits showrooms and then the full blown tests after the first batch gets to customers.

Agreed. I forgot to mention, sometimes a manufacturer will also have examples of the primary competitors to the model they are showing off to the press for the writers to sample. For example, I wouldn't put it past Ford to have at least a Camaro and Challenger at the event for the press guys to compare to the S550. Who know, they may even have some fine German cars there for comparisons as well. And perhaps a Japanese coupe or two for comparisons with the EB 2.3 Mustang.

 

[Phattyhales]

Agreed. I forgot to mention, sometimes a manufacturer will also have examples of the primary competitors to the model they are showing off to the press for the writers to sample. For example, I wouldn't put it past Ford to have at least a Camaro and Challenger at the event for the press guys to compare to the S550. Who know, they may even have some fine German cars there for comparisons as well. And perhaps a Japanese coupe or two for comparisons with the EB 2.3 Mustang.

I've never heard of them doing that at press days. Magazines will usually do that in their own full blown tests. A good example of this is MotorTrend recently compared the Camaro Z28 to the GT-R. On their own accord.

 

[The Sarge]

You are bang on. As someone in the industry the manufacturer will invite all the big media outlets to a preview test, likely at a track, and they will all spend a couple days with press cars. They will all get roughly 20-30 min of track time between all of them and then get some local canyon carving type road. From there expect to see reviews in magazines and YouTube. The media will be told they cannot publish their impressions until a specific date. If they break it before that date they will be sued and future press days will be in jeopardy. Expect to see the impressions a month before the car actually hits showrooms and then the full blown tests after the first batch gets to customers.

Out of curiosity, are you on the media side?

I can see Ford sending a message and leave out the Camaro and Chally completely and run it only against the German cars just to say we're going after a different class now. You know the foreign media would love that.

 

[Phattyhales]

Out of curiosity, are you on the media side?

I can see Ford sending a message and leave out the Camaro and Chally completely and run it only against the German cars just to say we're going after a different class now. You know the foreign media would love that.

Yes. I'm not with anyone big and we don't get invited to these but that is how it works. I'm with a small, regionally based website. We cover local racing more than anything but once in a while get our hands on new cars and we do cover industry news. I'm still a student for now who is trying to break into the big time. Ive been published a few times though by big outlets like GTSpirit, Jalopnik, and Kit Car Magazine to name a few. I'm more a photographer than anything. Google "Chance Hales" and I'll come up. Or google it under the images tab.

 

[SSLByron]

I've never heard of them doing that at press days. Magazines will usually do that in their own full blown tests. A good example of this is MotorTrend recently compared the Camaro Z28 to the GT-R. On their own accord.

It depends on the manufacturer and the car. Chrysler seems to bring out competitive vehicles more than most. They had a few for their 200 refresh short-leads back in 2011, and I believe they're doing the same with their current round for the new car.

Media vehicles for first-drive events are usually very early production or very late pre-production (off the final line, but not intended for retail sale). Ford tends to lean toward the former. Most of their media cars are eventually sold in the used market.

 

[JoeySD]

Wouldn't you think in either August or September the media peeps will finally get their hands on these new cars? hmmmmmm

 

[Phattyhales]

Wouldn't you think in either August or September the media peeps will finally get their hands on these new cars? hmmmmmm

Some have already driven them actually. Have you not seen the videos of the Ecoboost being driven by Car and Driver? I would expect to see first impression drives in print around October and a full test in the spring.

 

[Grimace427]

Some have already driven them actually. Have you not seen the videos of the Ecoboost being driven by Car and Driver? I would expect to see first impression drives in print around October and a full test in the spring.

You sure they drove it and weren't just riding along with Ford drivers?

 

[Seabee1973]

Some have already driven them actually. Have you not seen the videos of the Ecoboost being driven by Car and Driver? I would expect to see first impression drives in print around October and a full test in the spring.

I think those were only ridealongs from the initial impressions stated... they did not actually drive the cars

 

[Phattyhales]

Yeah I think you guys are right come to think of it.

 

[Old 5 Oh]

Motor Trend currently does not have anything scheduled as far as the Mustang goes.

If "first drive" tests of the Mustang are not in the October issues of C/S, R&T and MT, I will be amazed. That would be a huge MISS on Ford's part.

 

[Phattyhales]

If full tests of the Mustang are not in the October issues of C/S, R&T and MT, I will be amazed. That would be a huge MISS on Ford's part.

Generally speaking there is a First Drive or First Impression test first which I imagine will come out around then but I highly doubt we'll see a full test done until early spring.

Sponsored