Ford nearing decision on next “forward looking” Mustang design
Ford has a lot riding in the next-generation Mustang, as Chevrolet’s Camaro continues to erode into Mustang sales and the Blue Oval celebrates the car’s 50th birthday. So both properly commemorate the occasion and return the Mustang to the king of sales in the Ponycar segment, Ford must bring a knock-out car with an emphasis on good looks.
As it stands now, Ford’s Mustang and Mustang GT take their competition to task when it comes to nearly every performance metric applied to such comparisons, but the Chevy Camaro and its toy-like styling continue to drive sales beyond that of the arguably superior Mustang.
That could soon change, however, as Ford’s chief designer, J Mays via Automotive News, says that the styling for the next-gen 2014 ‘Stang is currently “being locked down.” The new car will not follow in the same tracks as the 2005 or 2010 Mustangs, according to Mays, but rather look to forge ahead with a new design that can bring the brand forward, whilst not forgetting where it came from.
“It has to look like a Mustang. But you go down a list of things that might or might not be necessary to make the car look like a Mustang,” said Mays.
It is already known that the next Mustang will lose its tried and true solid rear axle in favor of an independent rear suspension, as well as likely lose a bit of overall size and weight as fuel economy and global appeal take a higher priority.
Given Ford’s struggling sales of the current Mustang, look for the 2014 all-new Mustang to debut much closer to the start of 2013 than 2014.[via : leftlane]
