Chief Engineer of S650 Mustang talks Coyote, EcoBoost, Dark Horse Upgrades

[FreePenguin]

I wont own another ecoboost, but it does sadden me that they got rid of manual. thats just another chopping block to the future of no manuals.

I really hope we get a manual option when the electric coupes come out one day, the SEMA one 1000hp/1000tq was paired to a 6 speed manual, no idea how the hell that works but its still an interesting/fun idea.

Meanwhile, some motorcycle companies (Kawasaki) stated they are trying to make a electric motorcycle paired to a manual gearbox. and then other news, Honda is now announcing they are removing manual gearbox's on some future models and tossing DCT on them.

I dont care much for Kawasaki's but atleast someone is trying to provide manuals in the ways of all automatics. who knows, one day I may get injured or lose a leg or something and need an auto, but id prefer a manual til then if im capable.

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[Mustang406]

Would you rather Ford dropped the V8 and went the EV route. The S650 looks fantastic at a time the auto industry is being pushed toward EV vehicles. I don't see any reason to be skeptical regarding Ford continuing to offer the Coyote powered S650 Mustang to those interested in owning one. Dodge fans wish they still had the option regarding the SRT Hemi vehicles.

No of course I want Mustang to stay ICE. But I'm skeptical about upgrading from my 21 Mach1 for a Dark Horse until I see updated numbers. That's all I'm saying.

 

[TheCur]

Well he is an engineer....not a professional public speaker

Super valid point!!

I'm an engineer (RF / uWave) and I *hate* giving presentations / dog and pony shows to customers.

 

[Mustang406]

Regarding weight. From information I've reviewed. The weight of the S550 and S650 is basically identical.

I saw where Ford released a spec sheet that was identical to the S550 cars and I don't expect that to be accurate. Just comparing GT/Mach1 to GT/DH the S650 has larger brakes and a lot more tech. Tech is never light. Also I believe the S650 has steel front fenders where the S550 has aluminum. I expect a modest weight gain across the lineup.

 

[Schwerin]

Not a comment on the car, but chief engineer is a terrible presenter. He legit looked like he didn't have anything to say at the launch event, the speaker had to continuously prompt him

ALL of them were really bad.

 

[Schwerin]

boss and mach 1 are in the same vein, bro
i'm kinda surprised it took em this long.

the name is kinda cheesy but so was boss and mach when it came out.

1) Never heard ANYONE ever say "gee so many people hated the mach1 (or boss) name when it came out, guess they were wrong".
They also made more sense. BOSS was also a term for something pretty cool, and Mach1, well is the speed of sound. THey are marketing terms but they also give you something "kinda cool" to think of when you say the term. DH just makes me think of some weird shadowy horse.

2) In 40yrs I bet you'll still have people saying "Dork Horse"

 

[9secondko]

ALL of them were really bad.

especially the host. Serious cringe

 

[Banjoeyes76]

Not crazy about the Dark Horse name either, but I get where they were going. If you've never heard the saying, "They were a dark horse", the name may not make sense to you.

 

[FreePenguin]

I saw where Ford released a spec sheet that was identical to the S550 cars and I don't expect that to be accurate. Just comparing GT/Mach1 to GT/DH the S650 has larger brakes and a lot more tech. Tech is never light. Also I believe the S650 has steel front fenders where the S550 has aluminum. I expect a modest weight gain across the lineup.

why would they backtrack to steel instead aluminum? dont they need weight savings for mpg requirements? every pound matters

 

[because_murica]

Not crazy about the Dark Horse name either, but I get where they were going. If you've never heard the saying, "They were a dark horse", the name may not make sense to you.

Or, they're just big fans of Katy Perry

 

[Mustang406]

why would they backtrack to steel instead aluminum? dont they need weight savings for mpg requirements? every pound matters

I'm guessing supply issues. Aluminum is getting a lot more expensive.

 

[AvalancheSVT]

1) Never heard ANYONE ever say "gee so many people hated the mach1 (or boss) name when it came out, guess they were wrong".
They also made more sense. BOSS was also a term for something pretty cool, and Mach1, well is the speed of sound. THey are marketing terms but they also give you something "kinda cool" to think of when you say the term. DH just makes me think of some weird shadowy horse.

2) In 40yrs I bet you'll still have people saying "Dork Horse"

1. its a well known phrase

2. “Here’s how the nomenclature came to be. Carrol Shelby told Lee Iococa: a car makes a name, a name doesn’t make a car,” Mustang brand manager, Jim Owens, told Ford Authority executive editor, Alex Luft, in a recent interview. “So he had his shop foreman walk from the corner of the Shelby building to the LAX property line and count out the steps. That was 347 steps. So that’s when they decided that they’d call it a GT350.”


“So when it came back as a bigger, more powerful vehicle, they wanted to give it a higher number -GT500,” Owens continued. “It wasn’t horsepower, it wasn’t displacement, it wasn’t cubic feet per second or per minute, it was really just something above the GT350 because Caroll thought that the car would make the name, not the name that would make the car.”


source: https://fordauthority.com/2020/11/heres-how-the-shelby-gt350-gt500-model-names-came-to-be/

 

[Schwerin]

1, Lulz as if google search results means anything. How many of those results are the Katy Perry song Dark Horse? Maybe that's it, really they don't wanna admit they just REALLY love Katy Perry.

2, literally don't care about that old ass story, heard it 5000000 times. If anything its still more creative than the dumb ass thing behind why "dark horse" was picked. "an unexpected model that nobody saw coming" So what? Is this the Spanish Inquisition of Mustangs? again its NOT that no one saw it coming its that people thought the leaks were about the GT. The fact you hid the NAME is not impressive when everyone already read that 500 HP and the tremec was coming and expected it for the GT. If anything all they did was disappoint people that wanted those specs for a GT.. wooo. I'm impressed.....no not really.

3, Darkhorse is a shit name. period. end. Shit could run 10's show room stock and wont make the NAME any better.

 

[Hack]

Circa 1970 Oldsmobile. 442.

Or the carbureted early 80s Mustang HO motors.

 

[Schwerin]

Not crazy about the Dark Horse name either, but I get where they were going. If you've never heard the saying, "They were a dark horse", the name may not make sense to you.

NO, to anyone they are targeting (apparently millennials) all they will think of is the Katy Perry song.

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