What do we know about the 2018?

[Bob99b5]

All I know is there were a ton of ecoboost convertible rentals in Florida.

And I just rented and ecoboost automatice convertible in Baltimore last week. It had all of 280 miles on it and did 0-60 in 6.4 per track aps. That's the best I could get out of it. And it returned only 19mpg which is almost what I can get in my '07 GT stick. I just don't see the appeal of the ecoboost - if you want low price, buy the V6; if you want performance value, buy a GT. But the ecoboost in between - more money, not great performance, and only fair mpg - doesn't seem like a smart buy to me, especially after renting it.

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[EcoSwag1990]

And I just rented and ecoboost automatice convertible in Baltimore last week. It had all of 280 miles on it and did 0-60 in 6.4 per track aps. That's the best I could get out of it. And it returned only 19mpg which is almost what I can get in my '07 GT stick. I just don't see the appeal of the ecoboost - if you want low price, buy the V6; if you want performance value, buy a GT. But the ecoboost in between - more money, not great performance, and only fair mpg - doesn't seem like a smart buy to me, especially after renting it.

Where do I even begin. So u drive a CONVERTIBLE non performance package Ecoboost that hadn't been broken in and was likely filled with 87 octane IN THE CITY and you're assessing the performance and gas mileage of the line based on that??

 

[Bob99b5]

Definitely true but I don't think adding 93 octane and boosting the price another $2K+ for the performance pack would appreciably sway my opinion. I'd take a base V6 on the low end or upgrade to a GT for the best performance bang for the buck. Just my opinion of course. Dealers do stock and sell a lot of ecoboosts so it's obvious that some people like them, but that's not where I'd spend my money personally. It was a nice car, just not the way I'd buy it.

 

[minjitta]

For 2018, the turbo 4 gets dropped, the two non-GT options are the current NA V6 tweaked to 315HP and an Ecoboost version of the 3.7, derived from the Explorer Sport TT making 385.

The GT gets a boost (tuning/IM) to 465HP, while a limited edition Mach I gets 485 (and several GT350 components).

I have this from extremely reliable sources.


The voices in my head ...

In bold If it true that Ford dropped turbo 4, then Ford just make GM look foolish. That is what happen when following the leader.

GM will continued to follow Ford by dropping turbo 4 and add turbo v6 as mid level camaro.

 

[Twin Turbo]

That's very different from the Mustang GT, which has always, always been defined as a V8 car (with the minor exception of the Fox-body Turbo GT, but that was short-lived and still concurrent with a V8 GT). I still say that even out through the S650 run, there with be fairly low-cost V8s available to the Mustang team by way the truck models. There will be no real good reason not to keep the GT a V8 car. If they had to tool an engine specifically for Mustang, it'd be different, but that isn't the case.

Again, the Mustang buyer & fan base is too heavily invested in the GT being a V8 car as part of its core character for Ford to ever seriously consider deleting it, and they know it. It's just going to evolve in output. My guess is around 450HP for '18MY update, then around 475-480HP for S650. At least that's my thinking.

I really hope you're right

 

[EXP Jawa]

I really hope you're right

Me too! Circumstances stopped me from buying an S550 in '16MY, and I won't be in a position to do so till mid-late next year. So I'm hoping that the '18MY update Mach1/Bullitt/whatever is worth the wait!

 

[Double]

Again, the Mustang buyer & fan base is too heavily invested in the GT being a V8 car as part of its core character for Ford to ever seriously consider deleting it, and they know it. It's just going to evolve in output. My guess is around 450HP for '18MY update, then around 475-480HP for S650. At least that's my thinking.

I doubt Ford really thinks that way. If they replace the V8 with a TTV6 people aren't going to stop buying the Mustang.

And Ford decides when this will happen so people have no choice but to accept it.

 

[UMDrummer]

I doubt Ford really thinks that way. If they replace the V8 with a TTV6 people aren't going to stop buying the Mustang.

And Ford decides when this will happen so people have no choice but to accept it.

If Ford replaces a V8 with any kind of V6 for 2018... I will be buying a V8 Camaro, and I have been a Ford person and Ford family my whole life.

 

[Double]

If Ford replaces a V8 with any kind of V6 for 2018... I will be buying a V8 Camaro, and I have been a Ford person and Ford family my whole life.

Doesn't that make you a V8 person instead of a Ford person ?

Likely Ford and Chevrolet will jump to TTV6 at the same time, or at least close together anyway.

 

[Bullitt]

I doubt Ford really thinks that way. If they replace the V8 with a TTV6 people aren't going to stop buying the Mustang.

And Ford decides when this will happen so people have no choice but to accept it.

Yeah, really doubt that. I think Ford knows getting rid of the V8 would take away a lot of sales. My guess for the S650 is that they'll downsize and use something even as small as a 4.0 V8TT like what Mercedes is doing. Mercedes has gotten 500hp+ out of that motor already, so Ford doing something like that and still upping whatever the current horsepower number is in 2020 wouldn't be too far-fetched at all.

 

[UMDrummer]

Doesn't that make you a V8 person instead of a Ford person ?

Likely Ford and Chevrolet will jump to TTV6 at the same time, or at least close together anyway.

V8 and Ford and Mustang combined are all synonymous with AMERICA to me. I'd almost feel betrayed if they ditched the V8 so soon. I know it's coming at some point down the road, but I'm not ready to give it up yet. I am a Ford person, but more than that, I stand up for what I believe in... and I don't believe they should be getting rid of a V8 so soon. I would thus stand up for my belief by switching to a Camaro (something I never thought I'd say), which may still at least have the V8 and America aspects to it.

Even if a TTV6 has more torque or HP... I don't see myself doing it. After test driving a new F150 V8 and the ecoboost, sure, the V6 felt a little peppier, but it sounded like a sewing machine to me. Just can't beat that V8 sound.

 

[EXP Jawa]

Let me just reiterate - as long as the 5.0L V8 is around in volume for the F-150, it'll be readily available for Mustang. Now if they replace it with something else for the truck line, then Mustang could adopt whatever that is, but another, smaller, V8 with turbos would be an expensive investment and is less likely to be accepted by hard-core truck buyers. Ecoboost has been great for casual pickup buyers, but (performance and durability aside) traditional truck buyers don't like to deviate from accepted norms any more than Mustang buyers do. FWIW, if you don't think that the Ford Mustang team doesn't know what they're target customers want, then you're not giving them enough credit. There's no need for fear mongering. They aren't going to drop the V8 in the GT. Like I said, Ford understands what the core character of a Mustang is and they know what would happen if they went off-script. This is a car with 50 years of brand equity and generations of loyal fans. How many products can claim that? They'd be foolish to throw away a large part of what appeals to those fans and buyers.

 

[Double]

Like I said, Ford understands what the core character of a Mustang is and they know what would happen if they went off-script.

That's an odd thing to say when none of us know anything about what Ford understands. One thing they do understand is money. And one thing they have little control over is emission regulations. The regulations that will force them to change.

And the 4cil ecoboost has proven that it can be a success to deviate from the "heritage". And in the end the die hard enthusiasts are only a very small portion of the sales. The money is at the people that never owned a Mustang.

We only have our opinions here, and the fact is we do not know what Ford understands or what they will do. They will be dropping the V8 at some point, the question is when.

 

[EXP Jawa]

No, it really isn't odd when you look at how much Ford and the Mustang team does to interact with the customers, potential buyers and fans. One has to but look at their involvement with aftermarket, with events like Woodward Dream Cruise, the Ford Nationals at Carlisle and other similar events, with the Mustang Club of America, their participation and interaction with SEMA and companies building cars for SEMA to see how much value that they place on Mustang and the equity it has. Its absurd to say otherwise. While regulations will make things more difficult, cars like this can have a little leeway because of the higher MPG models in Ford's lineup. Mustang volume is just a fraction of the fleet that the regulations apply to as a whole.

And - they've been down the road of experiencing customer backlash when the car was (or was potentially becoming) turned into something that breaks the mold. You may not be aware of what Ford thinks about the Mustang, but to say that "none of us know anything about what Ford understands" is a bit off the mark. The people involved with the team that bring us the Mustang certain know what its worth, are passionate about it, and care about the product. And that enthusiasm filters down through the designers, the engineers, the suppliers, etc. Maybe you don't see that in the Netherlands, but its certainly the case here in Mustang's home market. I see it first hand.

Regarding the EcoBoost model, it doesn't really deviate from tradition in the grand scheme of things - Mustang has always had smaller, lesser motor options for base model and volume buyers, so what's the difference, what does that prove? That half to 2/3's of buyers (roughly speaking) don't "pony up" for the V8? That's not news, that's par for the course. But the model line was and is still defined as a V8 ponycar. It is still a model that's steeped in tradition and enthusiasm. I'd sooner believe that the day they pull the V8 from the Mustang is the day they pull the plug on the model as a whole. Its not likely to disappear anytime soon.

 

[Blue Horse]

No, it really isn't odd when you look at how much Ford and the Mustang team does to interact with the customers, potential buyers and fans. One has to but look at their involvement with aftermarket, with events like Woodward Dream Cruise, the Ford Nationals at Carlisle and other similar events, with the Mustang Club of America, their participation and interaction with SEMA and companies building cars for SEMA to see how much value that they place on Mustang and the equity it has. Its absurd to say otherwise. While regulations will make things more difficult, cars like this can have a little leeway because of the higher MPG models in Ford's lineup. Mustang volume is just a fraction of the fleet that the regulations apply to as a whole.

And - they've been down the road of experiencing customer backlash when the car was (or was potentially becoming) turned into something that breaks the mold. You may not be aware of what Ford thinks about the Mustang, but to say that "none of us know anything about what Ford understands" is a bit off the mark. The people involved with the team that bring us the Mustang certain know what its worth, are passionate about it, and care about the product. And that enthusiasm filters down through the designers, the engineers, the suppliers, etc. Maybe you don't see that in the Netherlands, but its certainly the case here in Mustang's home market. I see it first hand.

Regarding the EcoBoost model, it doesn't really deviate from tradition in the grand scheme of things - Mustang has always had smaller, lesser motor options for base model and volume buyers, so what's the difference, what does that prove? That half to 2/3's of buyers (roughly speaking) don't "pony up" for the V8? That's not news, that's par for the course. But the model line was and is still defined as a V8 ponycar. It is still a model that's steeped in tradition and enthusiasm. I'd sooner believe that the day they pull the V8 from the Mustang is the day they pull the plug on the model as a whole. Its not likely to disappear anytime soon.

Well Rick,I don"t know your age, but being an old goat and have owned MANY Mustangs,I will just bring up the years 1973 & 1974 the DEATH of ALL American muscle cars, and in 1974 NO V8 Mustang was produced,the beloved HP race came to an end, that NOBODY believed would ever happen,you guys better wake up to the fact the V8 Mustang GT, and your hopes for 465 HP engines and above aren"t going to happen,and all that loyalty thing from Ford,well look back at GTO,Charger,Cuda,Roadrunner,Corvette,442,FireBird,and many more all that LOYAL BS from the big 3 went right out the window in 1973 and they didn't care one bit.The muscle car sold for pennies on the dollar, history is going to repeat it"s self again real soon,and from what I have read on hear most of you are NOT ready for the reality of Ford or the US Gov"t actions.

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