Does Ford think we're Stupid? 315 horse? what the hell!

martyd said:

We are boy racers because we buy a performance car for the performance features? I think that is a unfair statement. I myself am 27 years old and if I wanted "all the bells and whistles" I'd buy a SUV or luxory car. I am not saying revamp the whole line but like 2500 to 5000 of these models would serve a huge pupose for the established race teams, aspiring race teams, weekend racers, and guys that want the car to be uncomfortable enough that their wife dont want to drive it lol.

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Again...the majority of the people out there want the bells and whistles. The ones that don't are less than one percent of the buyers.....so why in gods name would Ford cater to the minority, when soccer moms, retirees and parents buying their kits 6ers to get them through school would be offended that a semi high end car of this day and age didn't have power windows or locks as standard features….especially when the competition is offering them?

Not to mention race teams strip everything out of the car anyway....so why would having a manual window crank or pull up locks as standard features make a difference when they're already ripping the door panels off, pulling out seats, mirrors and sound deadening material off of the floor to shave the weight anyway? Not to mention that serious race cars have fixed Lexan windows anyway so whether it came with a power, or manual window mechanism doesn’t make a difference since rolling them up and down isn’t an option...and the power lock motors can be taken out by drilling out a few rivets? Besides….how do you think a lot of these race teams finance their season? All that stuff that’s been taken out to drop weight is resold to cover incidentals.

As far as making it uncomfortable enough that their wife won't drive it....I see what you’re saying and in some small way I sympathize, but I doubt Ford is going to start stripping creature comforts that could possibly take sales away from potential female buyers just because a select few don’t have the balls to hide the keys on their wife.

Remember, Fords goal is to cater to the majority.....and from what I've seen.....females are quite a ways up on that list. And if they won’t, someone else will.

martyd said:

I guess I am more of a "car has a certain pupose" kind of guy. I like the idea of a well rounded car and all but I also see the need for companies to lend support to the raceing culture in this country. Look how well Dodge did with the SRT4. Them cars sold off the lot faster than they could restock them. If I recall, maybe wrong but the older Cobra R's were like that to. There is a market for it, I know it's not as big as the one for the V6 cars or even the top teir GT based cars but it is there. And why would they need to retool anything in the factory to do this?

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Look how well Dodge did with the SRT4?!?! You mean took a bunch of left over neons, gave them a couple of exterior enhancements, a turbocharged 4-banger and a fancy name plate? What exactly did they do well, or that hasn't already been done before? And really.....what alternative did Dodge lovers have if they wanted a sports car? You either bought the SRT4, or ponied up 4-times as much for a Viper. Hardly a wide selection IMO?

As far as the Cobra R's was concerned, it never even made it to the showroom floor. They were specialty models that were all sold months in advance. If you think it was the lack of power doors, windows and a radio that sold this car......well, I really don't know what to tell you?!?

You ask how changes would need to be made from the factory to encompass this desire by few…..well, since the mechanical components for a manual window mechanism for the S197 don't exist, they would need to be designed and built from scratch. Also, an entire new door panel would need to be considered and moulded to accept the placement of an exterior handle (remember…the S197 door panels aren’t just a flat piece of fiberboard covered in vinyl with an arm rest glued to them like the Fox bodies were). And let’s not forget the needed changes to the assembly line that would be required in order to drill and install the mechanisms themselves. All just to "dumb it down" so to speak?

The base production price of the entire line as a whole would need to increase in order to encompass the cost, just so a select few could save 15lbs by having manual windows and doors in their car, only to reestablish that weight 10-fold in most cases with brushed aluminum interior pieces, gaudy body enhancements and an additional 100lbs worth of aftermarket stereo equipment.

Again, it would not be a very smart decision by Ford from a business standpoint.

Don't get me wrong Marty.....I can see what you're saying and the reasons behind your logic, but I think if you want a "stripper" Mustang, you're going to have to create it yourself.