S650 cancelled?

[Norm Peterson]

It concerns me that according to that article Ford is aiming to be seen as a "mobility company" rather than a car maker. Maybe it's semantics, but it still sounds like "fun to drive" is getting thrown under the bus. "Mobility" may well be enough for SUVs, minivans, and crossovers, but that's about where that mindset needs to stop.

I wasn't happy with Hackett's appointment from the moment I read through the brief list of his credentials back when that announcement was made.


Norm

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[JohnD]

All this talk of hybrids and EVs. I had a Chevy Volt. It was the best car I've ever owned. Dead quiet inside, even most of the time when the gas engine running. Overbuilt. My gasoline costs went from $430 to $50 a month with a 60 mile (both ways) commute AND I got to take the carpool lane, which made getting to work sometimes 30-min. quicker. I drove to Dallas from Atlanta, Chicago from Atlanta, no issues. Was the only factory stereo (Bose) that I've ever had that was remotely any good. It handled well. Fit everywhere. The electrical costs were barely noticed. I was a fool to sell it. But I wanted the new Mustang and I knew I'd be moving to a place I wouldn't have a charger for it (but didn't realize I could charge it at work). It's a vastly underrated platform that eliminates a significant amount of fossil fuel consumption yet can go from Maine to California on gasoline alone at 30MPG. And, yes, much electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels, but that electricity does not need networks of Diesel burning trains and trucks to deliver it to brown field-creating gas stations throughout the country owned and operated and loitered at by skeezy people, you eliminate gas wasted from gas station pit stops, you reduce needless spending at gas stations grabbing an overpriced sugar water drink which also had to be shipped there on a diesel burning truck. The list goes on. I miss that car big time. If I was living at a house again where I could install a 240V charger, I'd get another one.

And I'd welcome a hybrid Mustang on a MUCH lighter chassis. The batteries can weight a bunch, okay, but this S550 is at least 200 lbs. too heavy. Especially for an engine not keen on low-end torque. Give me a little punch on the bottom end from a small electric motor, lighten the chassis significantly, save exceptional amounts of fuel, go faster. It doesn't matter, though - I won't buy another Ford for a long time, if ever.

My only concern - all these batteries... they call them "rare earth materials" for a reason.

The Volt is a hybrid though right? I have no issue with hybrids, I've always thought they'd be ideal for commuting and very practical for trips. I'm disappointed that there's not more of them being built.

I do have a lot of issues with pure electric plug in electric cars. In some parts of the world, like where I live, the grid cannot support what is going to be asked of it within 3 to 5 years and the cost of power is already so high it's doubtful there are going to be any real savings once the true cost of power is passed on to consumers, whether through their power bills or tax increases.

Our province is so far in debt now there's no way they can undertake major hydro development without a big hit to taxpayers to fund it. Plug in electrics might look cheaper, but it's a shell game in this neck of the woods without a doubt.

 

[Ericc B]

"Mobility" may well be enough for SUVs, minivans, and crossovers, but that's about where that mindset needs to stop.

Exactly. Or we eventually might end up with something like this :headbonk:

 

[Norm Peterson]

And I'd welcome a hybrid Mustang on a MUCH lighter chassis.

I'd take the much lighter chassis in a heartbeat. But build mine with a high-revving NA engine (which could be as small as 3.5L if the diet is successful enough and the chassis tuning good enough). If it could do NJMP/Thunderbolt in the 1:35's with maybe a change to RE-71R's on wider wheels, I wouldn't care if it took six seconds to hit 60.


30 mpg on a cross-country trip doesn't impress me anywhere near enough to make the sacrifices necessary to get it. Not when my 4.6L '08 gets 24, sometimes a bit over 25 mpg on a run between Philly and Boston here in the northeast.


Norm

 

[wireeater]

I highly doubt it. Just because we are progressing to greener technology and EV there will still always be a market for sports/performance cars, always. The Mustang brings in a lot of money for Ford even if it isn't their best seller. Now if they are spending WAY too much R&D and could never recover the cost from sales, then yes I'd say they need to scrap whatever they are doing and go back to the board.

 

[Timeless]

Not sure how you're going to get a lighter chassis while adding all the battery weight a hybrid would need.

Battery plants produce so much toxicity not sure how they are considered green anything.

Counties and states now adding on additional taxes for hybrids/EVs that any savings on gas will become non existent as well.

 

[16 GT MM/Auto]

Guess I better start growing out my Mullet as my next car will be a Camaro!

Nope.

wait ...

Nope.

 

[IPOGT]

If the business case isn't quite what it should be for a corporation such as Ford, It may make sense to broaden the role of Ford Performance as the niche car builder and bearer of the future of the Mustang and all other performance oriented vehicles.

 

[Twin Turbo]

OK, they're referencing the same source, but......

http://www.fordnxt.com/news/next-gen-s650-mustang-put-out-to-pasture/

Now, let me just reiterate again......just because an "all new" Mustang has been cancelled, doesn't mean we might not see a heavily revised S550 within those original timescales.

 

[wildcatgoal]

My interest in a "S550 descendant" is so incredibly small that I'm jumping for joy if the is never an S650. What this will mean is a much larger, and ideally less expensive, aftermarket for a longer-term S550 platform. And possibly someone like Steeda or Ford Performance will invest in, test, and sell at an affordable price a lighter IRS assembly specifically designed for coilovers (no spring purch set so far in you have to run 9-billion pound springs; strong, centered mounting location for the lower pickup point, etc.). I mean, this already exists for certain Ford S550 platform race cars, but nobody is selling it to me. This could also mean Steeda, BMR, and Watson might actually sell their tubular subframes for the front end of the car to help reduce even more weight.

AAAAAAND it could lead to an S550 platform racing series (a'la Spec Iron) more relatively accessible to poor schmucks like me. All you'd have to do to compete with an original S550 against newer engines is some relatively easy work to meet power maximums and boom! Baby got back!

 

[Vernichtung]

OK, they're referencing the same source, but......

http://www.fordnxt.com/news/next-gen-s650-mustang-put-out-to-pasture/

Now, let me just reiterate again......just because an "all new" Mustang has been cancelled, doesn't mean we might not see a heavily revised S550 within those original timescales.

I agree. Just because the “S550” nomenclature will remain doesn’t mean it’ll be identical to the pieces underpinning the current car. There are areas, I’m sure, where Ford could strategically implement Aluminum, composites, etc, to take the platform into “next-generation” territory. By the time the 2021 Mustang is unveiled and its performance numbers released, this will be a distant memory... unless they decide to ditch the IRS in favor of an SRA like they did with S197.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see GM follow suite given how poorly the Camaro has been selling relative to its Ford counterpart. Surely, GM is not in the business of throwing money at products that don’t sell...

 

[Blue Horse]

Do ANY of you remember the Trans AM ( Fire Bird ) Cuda, GTO, SS models with the 396,GTX Hemi,just to name a few.WHERE ARE THEY NOW,you dreamers better wake up to the fact the Mustang is going away,along with the HP,it's a sin now to have a 4 banger in what is now called a Mustang:doh:

 

[SergeyMelnik]

All this talk of hybrids and EVs. I had a Chevy Volt. It was the best car I've ever owned. Dead quiet inside, even most of the time when the gas engine running. Overbuilt. My gasoline costs went from $430 to $50 a month with a 60 mile (both ways) commute AND I got to take the carpool lane, which made getting to work sometimes 30-min. quicker. I drove to Dallas from Atlanta, Chicago from Atlanta, no issues. Was the only factory stereo (Bose) that I've ever had that was remotely any good. It handled well. Fit everywhere. The electrical costs were barely noticed. I was a fool to sell it. But I wanted the new Mustang and I knew I'd be moving to a place I wouldn't have a charger for it (but didn't realize I could charge it at work). It's a vastly underrated platform that eliminates a significant amount of fossil fuel consumption yet can go from Maine to California on gasoline alone at 30MPG. And, yes, much electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels, but that electricity does not need networks of Diesel burning trains and trucks to deliver it to brown field-creating gas stations throughout the country owned and operated and loitered at by skeezy people, you eliminate gas wasted from gas station pit stops, you reduce needless spending at gas stations grabbing an overpriced sugar water drink which also had to be shipped there on a diesel burning truck. The list goes on. I miss that car big time. If I was living at a house again where I could install a 240V charger, I'd get another one.

And I'd welcome a hybrid Mustang on a MUCH lighter chassis. The batteries can weight a bunch, okay, but this S550 is at least 200 lbs. too heavy. Especially for an engine not keen on low-end torque. Give me a little punch on the bottom end from a small electric motor, lighten the chassis significantly, save exceptional amounts of fuel, go faster. It doesn't matter, though - I won't buy another Ford for a long time, if ever.

My only concern - all these batteries... they call them "rare earth materials" for a reason.

My friend bought a volt and I have the opposite opinion of it. It was interesting driving it around in battery mode. Dead quiet but it was so weak. The interior was really cheap and ugly. There are 4 doors but it might as well be 2 because there is no room in the back. Also his windows opened twice sitting at my house and the car started itself. The car also has a lot of complex systems. No thanks, I would never buy this car and its extremely ugly as well.

Also, fossil fuels is a hoax. Its a fake term created by the major players in the oil business years ago to make people think there is short supply so they could charge more for it. Oil doesnt come from fossils or dinosaur bones or whatever.

 

[Endokendal]

Ha ha ha :headbonk::frusty::lol::doh:

 

[wildcatgoal]

The Camaro doesn’t sell because the interior, visibility, and usability as a daily is a joke.

Performance-wise, it’s a superior-performing car in most respects. But being able to put more than one grocery bag through the trunk door at once goes a long way.

Plus... mullets.

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