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s550 Mustang sharing platform with?

Felix

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So I just found out about this 's550' platform that the 2015 model will ride on... will it share this platform with any other ford or lincoln models, or maybe there's already a car on this chassis?

Wondering how good of a platform it will be. like what I see so far with the IRS!
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groundnpounder

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Felix said:
So I just found out about this 's550' platform that the 2015 model will ride on... will it share this platform with any other ford or lincoln models, or maybe there's already a car on this chassis?

Wondering how good of a platform it will be. like what I see so far with the IRS!
Click to expand...

I believe the S550 is a platform for the 2015+ Mustang only, just as the S197 was Mutang only.

Speaking of platforms and how they come to be. I didn't know this history of the S197 until recently, when I saw it in a motortrend article. The S197 get a live rear axle just over just $100 extra cost per car! Check this out:

The S197 was in fact originally planned to share a lighter, simpler, less expensive independent rear suspension with the Australian-designed BA-series Falcon sedan, which launched in 2002. In fact, the rear half of the S197 platform was to be common between the two cars, with the Falcon eventually picking up the Mustang’s front structure when Ford Australia could afford to replace the Falcon’s ancient 4.0-liter straight six with the 3.5-liter Duratec V-6.

The programs diverged because of the Falcon’s need for three passenger rear seating, and the Mustang team’s insistence on a subframe-mounted rear suspension, which improved isolation but compromised the rear passenger package. With the Falcon due to hit the market two years ahead of the Mustang, the Ford Australia engineers cut to the chase and developed their own independent rear end without a subframe. The Mustang team eventually gave up on a subframe, mainly for cost reasons, and developed a similar, light and low cost independent rear end of their own.

Late in the S197 program, however, product development executive Phil Martens reportedly managed to convince Bill Ford Jr. he could save Ford $100 a car if the Mustang was switched to a live rear axle. The S197 platform was hurriedly torn up and reworked to accommodate the old-tech suspension. Martens was named Ford’s group vice-president, product creation, North America, in October, 2003.
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TradeStepan

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groundnpound: very interesting info on the S197's early history. Let's hope that they don't cost cut on the S550 at the last moment like that again. :rolleyes:
 
Falc'man

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Three other cars, maybe four, will share the platform that S550 rides on.
 

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Harrison

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So what do we know about this new platform already? Lighter, smaller, nimbler at all?
 

KZStang

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Harrison said:
So what do we know about this new platform already? Lighter, smaller, nimbler at all?
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Technically, we don't know crap yet :p

The closest thing we have to fact is that it'll have IRS from the spy pics. Which also calls into question exactly how much lighter Ford can make it even if it comes with a slimmer redesign.
 

groundnpounder

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KZStang said:
Technically, we don't know crap yet :p

The closest thing we have to fact is that it'll have IRS from the spy pics. Which also calls into question exactly how much lighter Ford can make it even if it comes with a slimmer redesign.
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Any new news or info on this platform yet? Dying to know more.
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