Bill Ford on preserving the Mustang into future generations

[Zig]

I'm convinced a lot of people on car vids are either braindead, or trolls. You'll literally see a vid for the reveal of an ICE performance car, hear the sound, see the exhausts, and people will be like, is it electric?

Saw this on the reveal for the Genesis supercar, but I've seen it with GTD and other Ford products vids.

Those are the one’s we say yes, it’s electric start, how many do you want.

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[DeluxeStang]

If Mustangs are going to be around, they need to work on their quality. People paying what they cost now expect better paint jobs, fit and finish, etc.

Making the quality and design world class is where the money should be going imo. Improve the performance a bit, but let's be real, pretty much every variant of the mustang is good on power staying where it is. The suspension and brakes are also pretty excellent.

I'd mostly just see them funnel engineering and design funds for the next gen mustang into things like trying to improve materials slightly, dropping the weight a bit, and visually stretching the wheelbase and shrinking the overhangs, maybe make the roof 1-2 inches lower, enough to make a noticable difference without making it significantly harder to live with.

 

[DeluxeStang]

Hopefully we can hang in there awhile longer, the writing is on the wall

Google’s autonomous cars drove 1 million trips a month in 2025, plans are 1 million per week in 2026 and expansion globally. Between them, TSLA and I’m sure Ford/GM are working solutions, driving isn’t gonna be around forever

A 10 fold reduction in accidents is what google has found so far.

Would you buy a mustang without a steering wheel?

I believe autonomous driving will be like full EVs, something that takes longer to take hold than we thought, and even at max adoption, there will be a segment of the population who's not interested. I see a future 50 years from now when most people are being shuttled around in electric driverless pods, but sports cars with a V8 can still be purchased new. A world where our roads are safer, and cleaner, but where our sports cars feel even more special as a result.

People will just buy what they want, pod or sports car. The majority of people who don't care about cars and driving, and who aren't good at it, will be able to just be a passenger everywhere. Whereas the experience of driving will feel even more special and engaging for those who want to do it.

 

[Frogdog1]

Making the quality and design world class is where the money should be going imo. Improve the performance a bit, but let's be real, pretty much every variant of the mustang is good on power staying where it is. The suspension and brakes are also pretty excellent.

I'd mostly just see them funnel engineering and design funds for the next gen mustang into things like trying to improve materials slightly, dropping the weight a bit, and visually stretching the wheelbase and shrinking the overhangs, maybe make the roof 1-2 inches lower, enough to make a noticable difference without making it significantly harder to live with.

Agree 100%. I've been over a Tier 1 supplier to Ford and they didn't accept anything less than perfect quality from us. Their quality problems happen in their own assembly plants. They don't follow their own systems which are the same ones that their Tier 1 suppliers must follow or there is hell to answer for. I think they do a pretty good job of engineering engines, power trains, etc. It's the execution that is sometimes lacking. I've seen why in their plants.

 

[shubox56]

Agree 100%. I've been over a Tier 1 supplier to Ford and they didn't accept anything less than perfect quality from us. Their quality problems happen in their own assembly plants. They don't follow their own systems which are the same ones that their Tier 1 suppliers must follow or there is hell to answer for. I think they do a pretty good job of engineering engines, power trains, etc. It's the execution that is sometimes lacking. I've seen why in their plants.

Do as I say, not as I do?

 

[LouG]

I'm convinced a lot of people on car vids are either braindead, or trolls. You'll literally see a vid for the reveal of an ICE performance car, hear the sound, see the exhausts, and people will be like, is it electric?

Saw this on the reveal for the Genesis supercar, but I've seen it with GTD and other Ford products vids.

I'm sure a lot of people know SFA about cars anymore.

 

[Frogdog1]

Do as I say, not as I do?

Exactly.

Help bail them out of one of their serious problems....like a paint line gone haywire.....and they begin to treat you like humans again. They're a rough bunch to work with.

 

[Westphal]

I'm sure a lot of people know SFA about cars anymore.

SFA = solid front axle?

 

[BoostRabbitGT]

SFA = solid front axle?

S*** F*** All
...I think?

 

[LouG]

SFA = solid front axle?

Sweet F**k All.
I believe it came from the Kiwis fighting in Italy when they heard Dolce Fa Niente (Doing sweet nothing)

 

[Zig]

Making the quality and design world class is where the money should be going imo. Improve the performance a bit, but let's be real, pretty much every variant of the mustang is good on power staying where it is. The suspension and brakes are also pretty excellent.

I'd mostly just see them funnel engineering and design funds for the next gen mustang into things like trying to improve materials slightly, dropping the weight a bit, and visually stretching the wheelbase and shrinking the overhangs, maybe make the roof 1-2 inches lower, enough to make a noticable difference without making it significantly harder to live with.

Lincolnify (lincoln if eye - as in plush it up) the interior and tighten up the lines and feel just a tad?

 

[Alex381]

What's the point of that?

It's supposed to be a driver's car... The AT is already a stretch but if they take the steering away I don't see the purpose of mustangs or sports cars anymore. I couldn't care less how my cab/taxi looks like...

The take rate on the Manual is already south of 25% and thats only on the GT. The actual market for a manual Mustang is tiny. It would seem the vast majority of people just don’t care about having that level of control over their cars. :-/

 

[Dave2013M3]

If Mustangs are going to be around, they need to work on their quality. People paying what they cost now expect better paint jobs, fit and finish, etc.

Agreed

 

[shubox56]

Yep!

Look at us, we have a V8 -- that alone doesn't cut it.

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