It's Time to Revive The SVO Mustang!

Consider this:

1) Gas is 4 bucks a gallon. International turmoil in any of the
World's oil rich regions could send oil prices surging again.

2) GM is rumored to be very seriously considering, and perhaps have
already made the decision, to offer the Sky's/Solstice's 260HP turbo-
four cylinder in a base Camaro.

3) Hyundai's new RWD Genesis coupe offers a 212 HP 2.0-liter
turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

4) There's a huge group of young 20-year/young 30-year olds who love
sporty 4-cylinder/turbocharged cars. Cars like the VW GTIs, Civics,
Eclipses/Talons, Miatas, etc.

5) Ford has now a long history of retro re-dos to keep stoking
interest in their ever-popular pony car.

I say it's time for Ford to build a new SVO Mustang.

Here's the formula I propose:


The Road Racing Element

Engine -- new EcoBoost four-cylinder. It's rumored to put out
250 HP and 300 lb-ft of torque, in pickup truck form. I suggest a
Ford "tuner package" to pump it up to about 270-275. Then offer an
over-the-counter Motorsport upgrade package for about 350.

Brakes -- steal the GT-500's calipers/rotors. Then add air-dam fed
cooling hoses for the front brakes / rear quarter panel scoops/cooling
hoses to feed the rear brakes.

Shocks/struts - Konis

----

Driveline

Driveshaft - Motorsport aluminum

Gears - use the Bullitt's 3.73s/Tremec 5-speed

---

Interior

Seats -- Fronts = Recaros / Rear - deleted, but optional.

Gauges -- Boost gauge mounted to window pillar. Tachometer located
dead center of the driver.

Shifter -- Hurst

Interior carpeting/insulation - deleted. Thin rubber matting is
standard flooring material.

Interior mission - create a "gutted" feeling and use a little carbon
fiber trim.

----

Exterior

Hood - Carbon-fiber w/"SVO" hood scoop

Rear spoiler -- SVO bi-plane

Paint -- matte finish (This car should be all business.)

----

The Numbers

Price -- the same, or just under, the standard GT Mustang.

Production - first year should be a "half year" and only build 1984 of
them to commemorate the first year of the SVO Mustang. Then
subsequent years build as many as will sell.

---

Thoughts...?

Patrick

wrote in news:1f3371fa-3bec-4964-801c-cd8f2cd01077
@d77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com:

> Consider this:
>
> 1) Gas is 4 bucks a gallon. International turmoil in any of the
> World's oil rich regions could send oil prices surging again.
>
> 2) GM is rumored to be very seriously considering, and perhaps have
> already made the decision, to offer the Sky's/Solstice's 260HP turbo-
> four cylinder in a base Camaro.
>
> 3) Hyundai's new RWD Genesis coupe offers a 212 HP 2.0-liter
> turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
>
> 4) There's a huge group of young 20-year/young 30-year olds who love
> sporty 4-cylinder/turbocharged cars. Cars like the VW GTIs, Civics,
> Eclipses/Talons, Miatas, etc.
>
> 5) Ford has now a long history of retro re-dos to keep stoking
> interest in their ever-popular pony car.
>
> I say it's time for Ford to build a new SVO Mustang.
>
> Here's the formula I propose:
>
>
> The Road Racing Element
>
> Engine -- new EcoBoost four-cylinder. It's rumored to put out
> 250 HP and 300 lb-ft of torque, in pickup truck form. I suggest a
> Ford "tuner package" to pump it up to about 270-275. Then offer an
> over-the-counter Motorsport upgrade package for about 350.
>
> Brakes -- steal the GT-500's calipers/rotors. Then add air-dam fed
> cooling hoses for the front brakes / rear quarter panel scoops/cooling
> hoses to feed the rear brakes.
>
> Shocks/struts - Konis
>
> ----
>
> Driveline
>
> Driveshaft - Motorsport aluminum
>
> Gears - use the Bullitt's 3.73s/Tremec 5-speed
>
> ---
>
> Interior
>
> Seats -- Fronts = Recaros / Rear - deleted, but optional.
>
> Gauges -- Boost gauge mounted to window pillar. Tachometer located
> dead center of the driver.
>
> Shifter -- Hurst
>
> Interior carpeting/insulation - deleted. Thin rubber matting is
> standard flooring material.
>
> Interior mission - create a "gutted" feeling and use a little carbon
> fiber trim.
>
> ----
>
> Exterior
>
> Hood - Carbon-fiber w/"SVO" hood scoop
>
> Rear spoiler -- SVO bi-plane
>
> Paint -- matte finish (This car should be all business.)
>
> ----
>
> The Numbers
>
> Price -- the same, or just under, the standard GT Mustang.
>
> Production - first year should be a "half year" and only build 1984 of
> them to commemorate the first year of the SVO Mustang. Then
> subsequent years build as many as will sell.
>
> ---
>
> Thoughts...?
>
> Patrick
>
>
>

Got this off of mustangblog.com:

----
Ford To Revive SVO Badge for 2010 Mustang
July 6th, 2008 by CobraMatt


According to a reliable source of Garage419, Ford is thinking really
hard about bringing back the SVO badge for a 2010 Mustang. The 2010 SVO
Mustang’s rumored powerplant would be a 4-cylinder twin-turbo Ecoboost
engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission producing 300 horsepower
and weighing 500 lbs less than the GT model. If your wondering why Ford
would bring back the SVO badge using a 4-cylinder its pretty simple,
fuel economy. Fuel economy would increase by as much as 25% over the
current GT model which gets in the neighborhood of 18 city 25 highway.
This could definately be the right play for Ford as there seems to be no
end in sight for high gas prices.

Ford did a similar thing back in early 80’s with the original SVO
Mustang as gas prices were high but after only 9,844 units Ford stop
selling SVO badge Mustangs because gas prices hit the floor. Lets hope
we can have the same result after Ford makes a few thousand of the newer
SVO models. Continue reading ‘Ford To Revive SVO Badge for 2010
Mustang’
----

Make it about 3000 lbs wet and provide a convertible option and I'm
there . Although the upcoming Boss might force me to make a hard
choice .

Dan
P49Y83+

wrote:
>
> Shocks/struts - Konis

I'd go with an IRS, Bilstein coil-overs and maybe a tubular K-member.


> Thoughts...?



--
Tropic Green Y2K Mustang GT
W/bits & pieces
http://tinyurl.com/2uqoat

"Gill" > wrote in message
...
> wrote:
>>
>> Shocks/struts - Konis
>
> I'd go with an IRS, Bilstein coil-overs and maybe a tubular K-member.

IRS in a Mustang? Are you nuts?

That would spoil the whole retro approach and go against generations of
Mustangs. Might as well add automatic parking and slap a Lexus label on it.

dwight

dwight wrote:
> "Gill" > wrote in message
> ...
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Shocks/struts - Konis
>>
>> I'd go with an IRS, Bilstein coil-overs and maybe a tubular K-member.
>
> IRS in a Mustang? Are you nuts?
Well, that's not really up for debate.
But you DO know that the 03,04 Cobra's were equipped with IRS?
You want a total retro, buy a kit car or something, otherwise paying
homage to the marque is just some visual cues on a MODERN chassis.

P.S. THEN slap an SVO label on it :]
>
> That would spoil the whole retro approach and go against generations of
> Mustangs. Might as well add automatic parking and slap a Lexus label on it.
>
> dwight
>
>


--
Tropic Green Y2K Mustang GT
W/bits & pieces
http://tinyurl.com/2uqoat

"Gill" > wrote in message
. ..
> dwight wrote:
>> "Gill" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Shocks/struts - Konis
>>>
>>> I'd go with an IRS, Bilstein coil-overs and maybe a tubular K-member.
>>
>> IRS in a Mustang? Are you nuts?
> Well, that's not really up for debate.
> But you DO know that the 03,04 Cobra's were equipped with IRS?
> You want a total retro, buy a kit car or something, otherwise paying
> homage to the marque is just some visual cues on a MODERN chassis.
>
> P.S. THEN slap an SVO label on it :]
>>
>> That would spoil the whole retro approach and go against generations of
>> Mustangs. Might as well add automatic parking and slap a Lexus label on
>> it.
>>
>> dwight

Sometimes I wonder whether satire is worth the effort...

Seems to me that Ford is still building the Mustang as cheaply as possible,
within reason. It's important, after all, to keep the selling price down -
not in the grocery-getter category, but certainly within reachable limits
for possible buyers. IRS at this point is a non-starter for the Mustang.
It's selling just fine without it, and adding it wouldn't increase sales
appreciably.

And I know that "retro" applies only to the body styling.

All that aside, I have no problem with a 4-cylinder SVO-style current model.
A 4-cylinder engine doesn't have to be boring, but I wonder whether the
Mustang is too hefty for this approach. The Focus, even the Fusion, would be
a great little car in SVO clothing, and probably more appealing to that
market segment.

If you're looking to maximize fuel mileage, the Mustang - SVO or otherwise -
would be a rather poor choice.

dwight

On Jul 19, 1:41 pm, "dwight" > wrote:

> All that aside, I have no problem with a 4-cylinder SVO-style current model.
> A 4-cylinder engine doesn't have to be boring, but I wonder whether the
> Mustang is too hefty for this approach. The Focus, even the Fusion, would be
> a great little car in SVO clothing, and probably more appealing to that
> market segment.

> If you're looking to maximize fuel mileage, the Mustang - SVO or otherwise -
> would be a rather poor choice.

Dwight,

But here's the thought. A modern SVO/4-cylinder Mustang could help
change the minds of a certain market segment who view the Mustang as
nothing more than a gas-guzzling muscle machine or a retro V8
dinosaur. I think an SVO model would change the imagine of the
Mustang as being "in step with the times" AND help get the young, road
racing, 4-cylinder tuner market to consider a Mustang.

Patrick

> wrote in message
...
> On Jul 19, 1:41 pm, "dwight" > wrote:
>
>> All that aside, I have no problem with a 4-cylinder SVO-style current
>> model.
>> A 4-cylinder engine doesn't have to be boring, but I wonder whether the
>> Mustang is too hefty for this approach. The Focus, even the Fusion, would
>> be
>> a great little car in SVO clothing, and probably more appealing to that
>> market segment.
>
>> If you're looking to maximize fuel mileage, the Mustang - SVO or
>> otherwise -
>> would be a rather poor choice.
>
> Dwight,
>
> But here's the thought. A modern SVO/4-cylinder Mustang could help
> change the minds of a certain market segment who view the Mustang as
> nothing more than a gas-guzzling muscle machine or a retro V8
> dinosaur. I think an SVO model would change the imagine of the
> Mustang as being "in step with the times" AND help get the young, road
> racing, 4-cylinder tuner market to consider a Mustang.
>
> Patrick

That may be true, but probably not in sufficient numbers to make it
worthwhile. I just don't think that the Mustang is the vehicle for this
approach, precisely because it was designed to be the polar opposite.

If the idea is to deliver high fuel efficiency together with high
performance, while at the same time attracting the tuner crowd... then it
seems that you want that silk purse from a sow's ear here. In that brave new
world, the Mustang really IS a dinosaur.

I think the SVT folks did a pretty nice job with the Contour (but they
should also have offered something other than a manual shifter). If they
could do a similar makeover with the Focus, while aiming for 35mpg,
eye-opening performance, and a retail price under $25,000, they'd have a
winner. A small-market-segment winner, but still a winner for today and
going forward.

Put your 4-cylinder in a Mustang, along with all of the other SVO goodies,
and how many copies would you realistically expect to sell?

dwight

dwight wrote:
> > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Jul 19, 1:41 pm, "dwight" > wrote:
>>
>>> All that aside, I have no problem with a 4-cylinder SVO-style current
>>> model.
>>> A 4-cylinder engine doesn't have to be boring, but I wonder whether the
>>> Mustang is too hefty for this approach. The Focus, even the Fusion,
>>> would be
>>> a great little car in SVO clothing, and probably more appealing to that
>>> market segment.
>>
>>> If you're looking to maximize fuel mileage, the Mustang - SVO or
>>> otherwise -
>>> would be a rather poor choice.
>>
>> Dwight,
>>
>> But here's the thought. A modern SVO/4-cylinder Mustang could help
>> change the minds of a certain market segment who view the Mustang as
>> nothing more than a gas-guzzling muscle machine or a retro V8
>> dinosaur. I think an SVO model would change the imagine of the
>> Mustang as being "in step with the times" AND help get the young, road
>> racing, 4-cylinder tuner market to consider a Mustang.
>>
>> Patrick
>
> That may be true, but probably not in sufficient numbers to make it
> worthwhile. I just don't think that the Mustang is the vehicle for this
> approach, precisely because it was designed to be the polar opposite.

I think you are right. The higher performance Mustangs are seldom
bought by the youth crowd. The insurance rates and car prices combined
prevent it for all but a very few people. They buy the rice rockets
because they can be insured reasonable and purchased for well under
$20k. IMO, the current Mustang is the ideal car for its intended market
and purpose. If Ford goes after the youth crowd they will have to do it
with the base model but even then I don't think they will find many
buyers there. Then doing so will likely lose them more middle aged and
over buyers thus resulting in a net loss in sales.

> If the idea is to deliver high fuel efficiency together with high
> performance, while at the same time attracting the tuner crowd... then
> it seems that you want that silk purse from a sow's ear here. In that
> brave new world, the Mustang really IS a dinosaur.
>
> I think the SVT folks did a pretty nice job with the Contour (but they
> should also have offered something other than a manual shifter). If they
> could do a similar makeover with the Focus, while aiming for 35mpg,
> eye-opening performance, and a retail price under $25,000, they'd have a
> winner. A small-market-segment winner, but still a winner for today and
> going forward.

Ford had a good moniker in the SVT name plate they tacked onto
performance variants of their mundane cars. It also actually meant
something regarding improved performance. Then like Ford typically
does, they flushed all their hard marketing work creating the SVT mystic
right down the toilet.

> Put your 4-cylinder in a Mustang, along with all of the other SVO
> goodies, and how many copies would you realistically expect to sell?

I think Ford needs to put the Mustang on a serious weight diet and
shrink its dimensions a little. Losing weight helps mileage and gives a
great handling, stopping and acceleration boost. It would turn the base
Mustang into a competitor with many imports, IMO.

dwight wrote:
> > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Jul 19, 1:41 pm, "dwight" > wrote:
>>
>>> All that aside, I have no problem with a 4-cylinder SVO-style
>>> current model.
>>> A 4-cylinder engine doesn't have to be boring, but I wonder
>>> whether the Mustang is too hefty for this approach. The Focus,
>>> even the Fusion, would be
>>> a great little car in SVO clothing, and probably more appealing
>>> to that market segment.
>>
>>> If you're looking to maximize fuel mileage, the Mustang - SVO or
>>> otherwise -
>>> would be a rather poor choice.
>>
>> Dwight,
>>
>> But here's the thought. A modern SVO/4-cylinder Mustang could help
>> change the minds of a certain market segment who view the Mustang
>> as nothing more than a gas-guzzling muscle machine or a retro V8
>> dinosaur. I think an SVO model would change the imagine of the
>> Mustang as being "in step with the times" AND help get the young,
>> road racing, 4-cylinder tuner market to consider a Mustang.
>>
>> Patrick
>
> That may be true, but probably not in sufficient numbers to make it
> worthwhile. I just don't think that the Mustang is the vehicle for
> this approach, precisely because it was designed to be the polar
> opposite.
> If the idea is to deliver high fuel efficiency together with high
> performance, while at the same time attracting the tuner crowd...
> then it seems that you want that silk purse from a sow's ear here.
> In that brave new world, the Mustang really IS a dinosaur.
>
> I think the SVT folks did a pretty nice job with the Contour (but
> they should also have offered something other than a manual
> shifter). If they could do a similar makeover with the Focus, while
> aiming for 35mpg, eye-opening performance, and a retail price under
> $25,000, they'd have a winner. A small-market-segment winner, but
> still a winner for today and going forward.
>
> Put your 4-cylinder in a Mustang, along with all of the other SVO
> goodies, and how many copies would you realistically expect to sell?
>
> dwight

Bring back the 2004-style Mustang as vehicle for the aero and engine
improvements and you'll have a better chance of making a compromise
product with decent economy/performance and sales prospects, my view.

Much as I like my S197, it's too much like me (overweight and the
wrong shape) to prosper in a reduced fossil-dependence world.

--
Frank ess

Forecasting is difficult.
Particularly about the Future.
-Deepak Gupta