March24
Ford has given the green light to a new vehicle platform that will underpin several new cars, insiders familiar with Ford's plans have reported. The architecture will be used for the next Mustang, plus a number of Ford brand and Lincoln sedans. Also significantly, Ford has apparently moved development from Australia back to the United States.
Rumors about the new platform have been circulating for the past couple of years, and the longstanding story has been the architecture would be developed in Australia, where such vehicles are particularly popular. Due to the weak U.S. currency, however, R&D has been shifted to the United States, according to the Detroit News. That said, the next Australian Ford Falcon is still expected to use the new platform.
The move would explain why RWD Ford prototypes have been spotted recently in America.
Exact details of the new architecture remain unclear, but it is widely expected to offer independent rear suspension and significantly improved handling over the Mustang's chassis. Its target, of course, will be GM's Zeta platform, which is used on the Pontiac G8 range, plus the forthcoming 2010 Camaro and possibly other new vehicles.
Aside from the Mustang, a Ford-brand rear-drive sedan is very likely, taking inspiration from the Ford Interceptor concept. Lincoln will undoubtedly also get a variant, and there have even been rumors of a RWD coupe from the luxury brand.
The first cars are expected to arrive for the 2012 model year.
I really hope RWD becomes mainstream again, that would really make my day.
Finally Lincoln will be relevant int the luxury market again.
P.S. another sign that mercury is dead
The car above is the one they need to build!!! Build that continental concept!!
Good. Ford can finally retire the Panther chassis with something much more up to date. For all of GM's bluster about CAFE and RWD, Ford is moving ahead. I'm looking forward to the new Lincoln Continental and Ford Thunderbird on this chassis.
Moving forward? FORD has been dragging it's feet for almost a decade at least.
While I am pleased to see some progress from FORD. GM is still well ahead of FORD. That's a trend not likely to change for some time.
RSPINAJR: agreed. About damn time, Ford! I hope they put their 300C-like concept to production, I believe it can bring them enormous sales if they execute it just right.
These Lincoln Continental look like a ford 427 concept.
I agree this is an excellent move for Ford, but let's hope they can get the fart smell off their hands from sitting on them so long. They had fairly good rear drive chassis with the '90s TBird/Cougar and let it fade into oblivion.
An insider's view of just how Ford got into their current financial mess would make for interesting reading. At least Chrysler has Daimler as a scapegoat. Ford just seems to have spent the last decade or so in a funk of their own doing.
I especially want to see the Lincoln variants on this new platform. Cadillac really has no domestic competition right now, so this could be a good opportunity for both marques to up their game.
now we're talking…but ill believe it when i see it, especially since were talking about ford.
Funny, Ford doesn't see any CAFE road blocks with rear wheel drive like GM.
way to go Ford, stick it to GM
Good!
There is a god! Please bring out something close to the Interceptor for the love of all that is holy! That could definitely be the next T-Bird. I would definitely like to see Lincoln regain its form. I love the brand a lot more than Caddy.
bet you US$1 that they will start updating crown vics.
not much of a bet. Then again, you wouldn't lose much either.
The Panther platform is working on 30 years old. If FORD has any since at all, they will kill it off within two years of launching this new platform.
Good move on Ford's part, nothing worse than a FWD POS! And bring back the Interceptor to battle the new CTS-V while they are at it!
The Interceptor would be aimed more at the CHRYSLER's 300 and Charger and the PONTIAC G8.
Unless FORD announces the LINCOLN MKR for production, FORD has nothing to go head-on with the CADILLAC CTS, forget the CTS-V. A revival of the RS500/XR4Ti would be more the stuff for that.
So where's Need More Asslube For GM's take on this?
Don't know if you Yanks got the FPV (Ford Performace Vehicles) division of Ford (owned by Prodrive) but they make some friken hot Falcons look up http://www.fpv.com.au and you'll see what a decent 4Litre Turbo 300Kw ford is meant to look like rather than your crap ass yank tanks.
I like Ford, but as usual they are WAY fucking late to the party. A sweet new RWD from the Blue Obval bunch should have been introduced as a 2004 model when the 300C came out.
That is exactly what dying company needs when they cant sell cars. New RWD not fuel efficient car when gas is $4/gallon.
Why move it from Australia, for the past 20 years at least Ford Australia has had the best Large rear wheel drive car for ford the falcon. but as usual ford usa tries to destroy a good product because they think they can do it themselves but will fail. eg ford USA go at the focus. Or how they want a global desgin theme but wont go with the theme that everyone wants the kinetic theme from europe but no they want a 3 bar crome grill because the americans came up with it. THEY JUST KILLED THERE BEST RWD OPTION THE AUSTRALIAN FALCON because of there arrogance
Woot! Aussie#1
They did it becasue it would be cheaper to do the work in AMERICA. I'm not to sure about the move myself, but if things were better in the US then I would say WTF.
But I don't think the Falcon will suffer for the move. It is a car not rocket science (Okay I just jinxed it). But it wouldn't hurt to ship the Falcon now. The current car is not an outdated heap the Manaro coupe was when GM brought it over as the PONTIAC GTO.
Just because Ford isn't publicly announcing their concerns about CAFE standards like GM did doesn't mean that they are still worried about it. Trust me they are. I looked at their entire line up and their MPG on their vehicles isn't any better then GM, although they seemed to be slightly higher then anything from Chrlysler. (comparing vehicles in their respective classes). They've made enough of a statement by announcing that they are coming out with their new EcoBoost engine line up.
But the possibility of more RWD Ford vehicles that aren't Crown Vics or Gran Marquis sounds good to me. I was pretty disappointed when I heard that the new Lincoln MKS wasn't RWD, That would have been nice if it was. Also If Lincoln came back with a RWD Coupe, I think would be awesome. A revival of the Lincoln Mark VIII would be pretty sweet.
go ford fight gm and kill toyota