With Americans being as horsepower crazy as we are, and have been over the last 8-10 years- have you ever wondered why Ford hasn't built a fire-breathing car for the masses?


Have you ever wondered what wild hair up GM's @$$ made them Kill off the Caprice Classic and the wildly popular Impala SS? Have you ever wondered why Ford (Mercury) would put the loveable, but asthmatic 4.6L V-8 in the Mercury Marauder when the 5.4L was sitting right there, in normally aspirated version, with 40 less horses, bu 60 more lb.feet of torque. Have you ever wondered why it seems that Daimler Chrysler seems to have the biggest b@lls of any American (If we can still call it that) manufacturer? I have- and unfortunately- I have no answers...

But, focusing on Ford for a minute- Have you ever wondered why Ford never brought that quick & powerful European version of the Ford Escort to the US? Why is it that we- the most power-hungry drivers on the planet, driving the watered down cars? Even BMW & Mercedes give us watered down versions of their cars- limited to 155 MPH (AS if that's not fast enough to kill you.)

Then I read this months Motor Trend and was even more disappointed. Looking at Ford's car offering, the only "desireable" cars- to me- are the Mustang GT, and the Focus ZX3 & ZX5. I like the Crown Victoria; but my wife says it's an "Old Folks" car.... What does she know?

Anyhoo, when I read (And saw) that Ford builds a sweetly designed, 4-door sedan, that's not gawdy at all, and then has the audacity to shoe-horn innot a 4.6, but a 5.4L 390HP V-8 under the hood and sell it- literally gave me goose bumps... But guess what- they don't sell it here..

Even if they watered it down by making a base model with the duratec V-6, the Crown Vic's 4.6 and then had the 5.4L as the top option- I believe that car would be a hit... But, giving Ford's predalection for not givign up the goods, I'm sure we won't get it because it's Right land drive- and it would be expensive to re-engineer. I doubt it'll be as expensive as designing a whole new car.

Anway- the car that I speak of... The car that gave me goose bumps is- none other than, the parent of the Ford Mustang that we all love.....


The Ford Falcon GT.

Sold in Europe and Australia.....

Why do they get to have all the fun???



http://www.ford.com.au/falcon/devilenforcer/index.html

http://www.ford.com.au/showroom/pass...r_Vehicles.asp

For some reason, they don't show the Falcon GT on the sites above, but it's in the July Motor Trend- if you want to see it.

 

Gas prices probably would not help a car like the ones that you described. If I wanted a performance based sedan I would probably look at a BMW.

 

i'd be all over audi or the cts

 

Maybe it wouldn't be a run-away success with the 5.4L model- but, a 3.0L V-6 would sell if it looked like that- and a few people would get the V-8..

It's widely believed that America has the lowest gas prices on the planet (outside the middle east)- so if such a car could sell in Australia & Europe- I don't understand how Ford's forecasters would believe it wouldn't do well here...

Plus, it'd be only 33,000 - 35,000 US...

Consideraly cheaper than a comparable BMW, Audi, or Mercedes...
The CTS-V & STS-V are way more expensive as well.. which would only leave the 300C HEMI as it's only true competition..

 

Ahhhh the sweet sweet smell of reposts is in the air...

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=128200
https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=148698

 

I have three reasons that the US doesn't see the majority of high performance cars that exist in the world. First, getting by all the DOT red tape can be expensive and time consuming. Second, many of these cars are designed to be right-hand drive and it is extremely expensive to redesign them for left-hand drive. Third, most of the engines will have to be de-tuned to run on the poor quality fuel we have in the US. I feel that car manufacturers don't see it as being very cost effective to bring these cars to the states as the market for them is quite small.

-Craig

 

Two words, CAFE and Insurance.

 

Even with all of the things to deter Ford, if they thought there was a market, they would sell those things here. Muscle for the masses is a very low profit product here, maybe most Americans that are into speed prefer to do it themselves.

 

They don't all have to be chest thumping 390 HP cars...

The shell of the car is nicer than anything Ford sells today.
I don't know if this is the same body that will be the new Fusion- but nothign on the ground today comes close- from Ford.

My research indicates that the Fusion will be on the Mazda6 chasis (small).

I don't know if that underpins the Falcon too....

 

more along that topic. The 1997 body change for the f150 had alredy been in Chile for 2 years.

why?

Russell
2004 lightning

 

Perhaps to work some of the bugs out.

MR

 

I seem to remember back in the late 80's early 90's that ford built a Taurus SHO that would out run the top of the line mustang. They felt it was bad for the mustang sales so they detuned the SHO to make it tamer. Just what I heard, and I was in HS when I heard it, but maybe that's what's going on with cars like this. Ford might not want their own 4 door sedan to smoke their muscle car.

 

Hey CIA, just to **** you off even further...

In 2007, the european Focus will be getting 320 HP, turbocharged, 5 cly 3.0 L.

The test muel Focus is quick enough to kill current generation M3s (the ones before they get the V8)

 

Are you thinking about the Probe GT? That car was supposed to replace the Mustang, but decided to keep the stang and kill the GT.

 

The probe was a mazda mx6. Mustang, f-150 Crownvic-GrandMarquis, only three ford products I like..