"Joshua "Dr. Science" Gilbert" (joshuagilbert)
12/20/2014 at 11:45 • Filed to: Ford
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"Joshua "Dr. Science" Gilbert" (joshuagilbert)
12/20/2014 at 11:45 • Filed to: Ford | 2
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The Blue Oval is in hot waters.
Below is a roundup of newsclippings about the coming months of Ford operations. Enjoy and comment!
"Ford is launching a completely-redesigned version of its F-150 ; production began on November 11th in Dearborn, and Ford's other F-150 plant, in Kansas City, will be switched over to the new model early next year. While replacing a vehicle that has been the number one-selling vehicle in America for 37 years running would always be disruptive, Ford has multiplied the risk by switching to an aluminum body for the new pickup.
The ramp-up of the new 2015 F-150 could be very difficult, given the new production processes involved in producing the vehicle's body. Fabricating the aluminum body requires a combination of rivets and industrial adhesives as opposed to the tried-and-true method of spot-welding a steel frame.
Industry analysts have taken note with Automotive News quoting Dave Sullivan of consultant AutoPacific as saying "Nobody's riveted and glued at this speed yet. That's the big unknown" and Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas thusly "The new truck entails a delicate balance of procurement, handling, metal forming, bonding and testing unlike any other product Ford (or any auto manufacturer) has ever produced at this scale."
Ford is also in the midst of replacing 16 other models in North America (23 globally) making 2014-2015 the most aggressive launch period in the company's history. Profitability in auto manufacturing is driven most by linespeed…making as many cars as possible per hour. Any launch involves production disruptions, and Ford's recent product launch execution has been, frankly, poor. There will be hiccups, especially with the F-150, and hiccups equate to lower analyst earnings estimates."
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" The Focus RS will slot above the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which will continue, a spokesman said. The ST runs a turbocharged, 252-horsepower four-cylinder that's paired with a six-speed manual transmission. It also has chassis and design upgrades to reinforce its athletic dynamics. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! suggests that the new RS could use Ford's 2.3-liter turbo-four, tuned to anywhere from 325 to 350 hp. All-wheel drive is also rumored to be part of the new RS formula."
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"To earn the RS badge, the vehicle has to be a no-compromise driver's car that can deliver exceptional performance on the track when required while providing excellent everyday driving," says Ford global product development boss Raj Nair... RS test cars have already been spotted in Europe, running five-door Focus ST bodywork to disguise the hard-edge mechanical package that will make the car a rival to everything from the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ."
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There will be a regular production run when it joins more than a dozen other global models planned by 2020.
A dozen global models, you say?
Seeing that the s-197 platform ran from 2005-2014 (9 years) so a good guess is that the current Mustang platform will run until 2024.5...so we will probably see another refresh.
What about the Ranger ? Supposedly, it will !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Also, it was !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in August.
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"...the target was a true compact pickup that would achieve fuel-efficiency ratings fully 6 to 8 miles per gallon higher than the F-150, presumably using four-cylinderonly.
And the base price would have to be $5,000 to $6,000 lower than the F-150, to avoid cannibalization.
With its aluminum cab and pickup bed, the 2015 F-150 is thought to be considerably more expensive for Ford to manufacture than its steel predecessors—even at volumes of half a million or so a year.
A future Ranger-size compact pickup from Ford would likely have unibody construction, rather than the separate frame and body of all full-size pickups."
And finally, one of the GT?
"There is one major roadblock to that powerplant scenario: The 5.8-liter supercharged V-8 went out of production in November 2013 and it's never coming back. What engine could possibly power a new GT, then — especially since the second-generation car simply has to make more power than the previous one? Look to the east, and then straight south. Ford recently started supplying engines to Daytona Prototype cars in the Tudor racing series. In March, a Chip Ganassi Racing/Felix Sabates Riley car powered by a Roush Yates-prepped 3.5-liter, twin-turbo EcoBoost engine making 600 hp won the 12 Hours of Sebring. That's the first time a Ford-powered product has been on the podium in 45 years, with 1969 being the year Ford left endurance racing. I remember years ago at the launch of the Taurus SHO — one of the first vehicles to receive the 3.5-liter EcoBoost mill — an engineer explained that while the SHO only makes 365 hp, the engine can easily produce 600 hp and still be reliable. If and when Ford returns to Le Mans, expect this engine to power its entry."
Read more:
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We'll have to wait till !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to find out what Ford's got planned.
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My question is, in terms of the global market and the ascension of the RS brand...will Ford make a Porsche fighter ? A rear engined, two door, two-seater coupé, with top notch tuning and steering? Would it be sold under the RS Marque? What would it be called? Would it be a sister model to the Mustang, even with a modified S550 platform and parts, but a mini-GT ?
PatBateman
> Joshua "Dr. Science" Gilbert
12/20/2014 at 11:51 |
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"... the engine can easily produce 600 hp and still be reliable."
DO IT.
Thunderface
> PatBateman
12/20/2014 at 12:30 |
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600hp SHO ALL THE THINGS
GeorgeyBoy
> Joshua "Dr. Science" Gilbert
12/20/2014 at 13:02 |
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So glad I got out of Ford early September at 17.74. GM is the better buy right now.