Hybrid Mustang?

[lethaljay]

Our good buddy William Ford said today 1/2 of the Ford models would have a hybrid option in the next 5 years. I know many models would be an easy choice to hybrid such as the Focus or new Fusion. However, do you think it will trickle all the way down to the Mustang? Do you thing that one day Ford will bounce back to the 70's where they put a 4-Banger into a Mustang? Have the option of A) A semi-powerful full-efficient 4 cylinder B) An aggressive V6 model C) HANG ON TIGHT V8 or D) HOLY *****! Cobra?

I personally can't see Ford going the V4 route due to they are selling the V6 for a very decent price and a V4 would need to be ridiculously cheap to sell.

So what guys do you think?


Here's the link: http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/21/Autos/ford_hybrid/index.htm

 

[ctbaker]

Might do what Chrysler has done with the Hemi in some applications and make it variable cylinders (displacement). So basically it runs as a V4 until you step on the gas hard and then it runs as a V8. Supposed to improve gas mileage by a couple of miles per gallon.

 

[Blakthorn]

that just might be a good idea.....not

 

[hamidlmt]

I think a hybrid Mustang might just about kill the line.

 

[300bhp/ton]

Our good buddy William Ford said today 1/2 of the Ford models would have a hybrid option in the next 5 years. I know many models would be an easy choice to hybrid such as the Focus or new Fusion. However, do you think it will trickle all the way down to the Mustang? Do you thing that one day Ford will bounce back to the 70's where they put a 4-Banger into a Mustang? Have the option of A) A semi-powerful full-efficient 4 cylinder B) An aggressive V6 model C) HANG ON TIGHT V8 or D) HOLY *****! Cobra?

I personally can't see Ford going the V4 route due to they are selling the V6 for a very decent price and a V4 would need to be ridiculously cheap to sell.

So what guys do you think?


Here's the link: http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/21/Autos/ford_hybrid/index.htm

hybrids are pointless cars and only really exist to try and pasify the enviromentalists.

In all honesty a diesel would be more appropriate. Merc have recently released a 4.0 litre TT diesel with 300 or so bhp.

apart from sound it probably wouldn't be too bad.

This along with running on Biodiesel means cleaner emissions and no NET gain in atmosheric gases.

 

[Mickey21]

hybrids are pointless cars and only really exist to try and pasify the enviromentalists.

In all honesty a diesel would be more appropriate. Merc have recently released a 4.0 litre TT diesel with 300 or so bhp.

apart from sound it probably wouldn't be too bad.

This along with running on Biodiesel means cleaner emissions and no NET gain in atmosheric gases.

Very true, in reality Hybrid vehicles are only marginally more efficient when the car as a whole is considered. I am all for Biodiesel and such...

 

[D.Hearne]

I assume y'all haven't driven a hybrid, after hearing these responses. The wife has a Prius nad this thing's anything but slow. Top speed is somewhere near or above 100. Gas mileage is 45 mpg, even with all the crap she hauls around with her ( she's an RN that does Hospice visits) Handling on it is funny with the electric assist steering and it takes some getting used to with the CVT transmission, but overall it's been an excellant investment. Nothing at all wrong with the concept of storing wasted energy to be used when it's needed, that's really the primary benefit of the hybrid.

 

[300bhp/ton]

I assume y'all haven't driven a hybrid, after hearing these responses. The wife has a Prius nad this thing's anything but slow. Top speed is somewhere near or above 100. Gas mileage is 45 mpg, even with all the crap she hauls around with her ( she's an RN that does Hospice visits) Handling on it is funny with the electric assist steering and it takes some getting used to with the CVT transmission, but overall it's been an excellant investment. Nothing at all wrong with the concept of storing wasted energy to be used when it's needed, that's really the primary benefit of the hybrid.

I get the idea, but in practice I don't think it works. I have a diesel Peugeot and it does 70+mpg and will probably top 100mph. But really do you need to in such a car?

I like the idea of fuel cell cars, but I think bio diesel is the route to go. As it produces no NET gain in emissions and nearly ever diesel produced since 1990 can run on it straight off with no mods.

 

[Power4]

In all honesty a diesel would be more appropriate.

Haha, a diesel Mustang would be hilarious but probably just as bad for the Mustang's image as a hybrid. Both hybrids and diesels have reputations that aren't performance oriented, they're used in economy cars and big trucks that need to tow stuff. Gasoline engines are used in every sports car in the world so they have a reputation for being high performance compared to a diesel or hybrid. Maybe a few years down the road after hybrids are more common a hybrid Mustang would work, but putting a hybrid power train in it now will just ruin it's image the way the 4 cylinder Mustangs in the past have.

 

[D.Hearne]

Diesels can also perform like gas motors too. There's a couple of F350's runnign around here that do 14's in the 1/4. The 2005 Pete I drive can out accellerate many cars from 0-65, that's empty pulling a trailer, weighs 25,000lbs. Bob-tailed, you'd have a hard time keeping up with it. Take the governor setting out of the computer, and you'd play hell keeping up with it period. Motor is a twin turbo Cat 475. Don't underestimate or write off hybrids or diesels. As for bio-diesel? That stuff's been around since before WWII and hasn't caught on yet. Cost's more to grow it to be competitive outright ( new veg oil) But mixing in used cooking oil would be a good way to recycle it, same thing with used motor oil.

 

[stanmckinney]

Folks, simple fact is that one day there will be no gasoline. Granted we may not live that long, but it will happen. Gasoline also isn't going to get much cheaper, if any.
Some type of alternative fuel IS A MUST. So don't laugh, changes are going to happen.

 

[Mustang225]

Has anyone done a study to what's going to happen at around the 10 year period when the batteries die and end up in the landfill. What about the resale value of a hybrid after the 7th year, (knowing the batteries have a limited lifetime).

I think the enviormentalists are looking at NOW and not the long run on how hybrids will effect us all in regard to pollution and true cost.

 

[alfman9]

I personally can't see Ford going the V4 route due to they are selling the V6 for a very decent price and a V4 would need to be ridiculously cheap to sell.

V4? WTF?

 

[Ara]

A buddy of mine has a 1983 Mercedes 240D (2.4 liter 4 cyl diesel). It's got like 320K miles on it and is solid as a rock after he got the suspension rebuilt. What i was amazed at was the interior that wouldn't squeak or creak even after 20 some years and 300+K miles. What I was also amazed at was how he could merge onto the freeway in Los Angeles in a car that took 30 seconds to get to 60 mph (tops out at like 85) and not be run off the road!

THeir new diesels have come a long way though, that 4 liter diesel V8 makes like 540 foot-pounds of torque and 300 some hp.

 

[D.Hearne]

Has anyone done a study to what's going to happen at around the 10 year period when the batteries die and end up in the landfill. What about the resale value of a hybrid after the 7th year, (knowing the batteries have a limited lifetime).

I think the enviormentalists are looking at NOW and not the long run on how hybrids will effect us all in regard to pollution and true cost.

I guess you haven't noticed that now, when you go buy a battery, you have to bring in your old worn out one to exchange it. Otherwise you're charged a hefty fee. This is called recycling. They don't just dump the batteries you bring in anymore.

 

[Mustang225]

I guess you haven't noticed that now, when you go buy a battery, you have to bring in your old worn out one to exchange it. Otherwise you're charged a hefty fee. This is called recycling. They don't just dump the batteries you bring in anymore.

Do you know for a fact that the batteries in Hybrids can be recycled and if so, at what cost?

 

[D.Hearne]

They cost around $700-1000. Toyota has replaced the wife's one already in her 2001 Prius. ( free) Do you know for a fact they dump the old one's in landfills? Or are you just ASSuming they do? Batteries that size aren't cheap to produce, we're not talking about flashlight batteries here.

 

[Kevin Lowe]

I'm hoping for a hydrogen sports car, myself. Too bad it takes so much energy to produce the hydrogen that you'd have been better off driving the car with that fuel, instead. Maybe someday....

 

[Mustang225]

They cost around $700-1000. Toyota has replaced the wife's one already in her 2001 Prius. ( free) Do you know for a fact they dump the old one's in landfills? Or are you just ASSuming they do? Batteries that size aren't cheap to produce, we're not talking about flashlight batteries here.

D my friend, maybe someone else should have done some research before "ASSuming" I didn't know what I was talking about. They are not cheap and cannot be recycled.

http://carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/port...bID__6491/ArticleID__5487/DesktopDefault.aspx

 

[03 SVT VERT]

I wouldn't mind a diesel. Imagine a Mustang with 325hp @ only 3,300rpm and almost 600lb-ft tq @ ONLY 2,000rpm while still getting close to 30MPG and costing less then $2 a gallon to fill if you use homemade biodiesel. (And diesels are more responsive to computer tunes than gas cars, many bump up close to 100hp with just a tune) However, I would have to wait a long time on the hybrid. Battery technology really needs to catch up.