Should Ford make a true sports car , say modern T-Bird??

[Fly2High]

Should Ford make a true sports car for the masses?

I do not want this to be a discussion about whether the Mustang is or is not a sports car. I want this to be about the creation of a sports car that might even be a track car (classical definition of a sports car).

Should Ford be like Toyota and remake the Thunderbird?

What should it be like?
Pricepoint?
What cars would be in its class?

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[Vicr]

Ford makes a true sports car, it's called the Ford GT.

 

[lacanteen]

I doubt there would be a large enough market for it. Perhaps the T-Bird would have been a better lane for the Mach E. Ha, the E-Bird.

 

[2017GBGTPP]

I doubt there would be a large enough market for it. Perhaps the T-Bird would have been a better lane for the Mach E. Ha, the E-Bird.

The Thunderbird would have been perfect for electric. It's in the name.

Ford's marketing department is clueless.

 

[tom_sprecher]

Ford re-made the T-Bird less than 20 years ago. It didn't sell well at all. 4 years of production, 68k cars. Search 11th gen T-Bird.

 

[Torched10]

I think the only true American sports car is the corvette.and its reasonable priced,you can get one for mid 50s,same as my gtpremium pp1 vert.vette is branded so well,just don't see Ford making a low end sports car.2 seater.just no room in market.ponriaca tried it with solstice,and it just didn't sell.

 

[Balr14]

Ford re-made the T-Bird less than 20 years ago. It didn't sell well at all. 4 years of production, 68k cars. Search 11th gen T-Bird.

My sister had one and it was nearly as big a disappointment as the Prowler. It was a slow, heavy boulevard cruiser. It was about as close to being a sports car as my wife's SUV.

 

[Sigma6]

Ford mulled this about 2 years ago. With a launch under the Lincoln nameplate. Then it died with the announcement that were going away from sedans. I not 100% if they’re been any secret talks but as far as going forth... anything sports related with fall under the mustang nameplate.

 

[Monopoly]

I loved the 90s TBird back in the day. Though it’s style did not hold up against Father Time. There is no market right now for heavy, slow 2door Coupes/2seater cars that get bad mpg. Even if it was electric nobody would buy it.

 

[Fly2High]

First, the GT is not a sports car, it is a hyper car.

What I am asking is not to do what they did with the remake but do what Toyota did to the Supra. In the very beginning, the T-Bird was a small car in the same class as the Corvette. Do a complete redesign. If not us the T-Bird name, Call it the Falcon or Capri. Whatever name you want.

Right now, Ford has nothing in this segment. Clearly there is interest since Toyota makes both the 86 and Supra and Subaru joined in with the FR-S. BMW makes the Z-4. Mazda has the Miata. I thought I heard that the MR2 or other small car was on Toyota's radar and there is always talk of an S2000. I am sure there are others that fall into the subcompact sports car/ grand tourer class.

How about making a modern lightweight fun car? Enough engine to be dangerous but built for road fun?

 

[Copperhead73]

I loved the Fox Body and MN12 T-Birds. I had a couple of Supercoupes back in the early 90's. I really liked the cars. I would LOVE to build an 88 Fox Body T-Bird as a track or drag car. But no time, space or money.

The T-Bird of that era was marketed as a Personal Sports Luxury Coupe, or something along those lines. The closest American car to that now is the Challenger, I would say.

I wouldn't say they will never be back. Who knows? I thought bell bottoms were gone for good (was hoping anyway), then they came screaming back there for a while. There is nothing new under the sun.

 

[NoVaGT]

This conversation would have to start with defining what a Sports Car is.

AFAIK, the true definition would be the Miata. 2 seater, convertible, small, light.

Others will have different definitions.

 

[Copperhead73]

First, the GT is not a sports car, it is a hyper car.

What I am asking is not to do what they did with the remake but do what Toyota did to the Supra. In the very beginning, the T-Bird was a small car in the same class as the Corvette. Do a complete redesign. If not us the T-Bird name, Call it the Falcon or Capri. Whatever name you want.

Right now, Ford has nothing in this segment. Clearly there is interest since Toyota makes both the 86 and Supra and Subaru joined in with the FR-S. BMW makes the Z-4. Mazda has the Miata. I thought I heard that the MR2 or other small car was on Toyota's radar and there is always talk of an S2000. I am sure there are others that fall into the subcompact sports car/ grand tourer class.

How about making a modern lightweight fun car? Enough engine to be dangerous but built for road fun?

Isn't that sort of what the SVT Focus was? Maybe a similar performance package in something other than a euro-egg.
Ford (Mercury) had the Capri briefly in that package you mention to try and go after the Miata market. It didn't go so well.

 

[saleen367]

They should have decades ago, but that ship has sailed. They have always been a family oriented company to begin with and a small 2 seater car was never going to sell enough units to make it profitable.

Ford presently is a struggling(Wall Street) auto maker, who is far more concerned about the quantity of cars sold than the quality.

The GT was only brought about because of the return to Le Man.

Their only real hope (its actually our hope not theirs), is that they turn a dedicated Mustang model into a track animal. But I would assume that is what they think of the GT350.

Ford's issue has always been a numbers game. Units sold vs quality of product. They had the chance many years ago to compete with the Miata by marketing the Australian based GEN3 Mercury Capri. The problem was the Capri was nothing like the Miata except a convertible. It had FWD and absolutely no charisma at all. And that is where Ford always fails ... they take an existing product and tweak it to compete with a dedicated competitor instead of building something amazing from the ground up. Always half assed and too little too late.

 

[saleen367]

Isn't that sort of what the SVT Focus was? Maybe a similar performance package in something other than a euro-egg.
Ford (Mercury) had the Capri briefly in that package you mention to try and go after the Miata market. It didn't go so well.

^^^ beat me to it

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