I am wondering this after I heard off all the impriovements that the car is going to have. The mustang's bread and butter seems to be fleet sales and V6 sales where it always enjoyed a great price advantage over the Camaro. I have have seen stripper V6 Mustangs advertised as around $16K which you never saw with the F-body. I seriously doubt the new V6 Mustaang will be proffitable at under $20K, so one has to wonder what happens if they make the V6 too expensive?

 

I am wondering this as well. We heard about the all new platform, and now rumors of a 5 valve V8 motor...complexity and features add cost. I just can't see Ford getting carried away with the price tag. Consider that you can find a new GT for as little as 22 or 23 grand, what would happen if all of the sudden that price jumps 5-7 thousand bucks? Then IMO the days of truly affordable performance will be history.

 

Hmm... I do not think they will go above $20K for V6 base model Mustang. They have to keep up sales in order to make things profitable. If it gets too expensive, it will head the way of fbody.

If you look at some Japanese automakers and what they are able to pack into $16K car (03 Accord, for example), Ford could do it with the Mustang.

 

Stripper? The v6 mustangs come with more standard equipment (try finding power W/L, power seats, cruise, defroster, etc...standard on the base camaro) then the v6 f-bods for allot less. It's the base v6 f-bods that are stripped. From a pricing a did a year or so ago, i found out that the v6 stang still comes in $2,000 cheaper then a similarly equipped v6 f-bod.

I still think that the v6's will still stay affordable as well as the GT. Both shouldn't deviate from their current prices too much since they are what keep the mustang name alive. The limited edition models will be pricey though.

 

You forgot about the V6 Mustang base, that has no fog lights, spoiler, and those gross wheels and crappy tires.

 

Actually the 2003 Pony version is probably going to kill in sales. GT styling with a V6 drivetrain? That's all today's youth wants anyway... style over performance.

 

I don't think price is going to be too bad. even if Mustangs start at $20k, with IRS, good styling & more standard goodies than it even has now (the base V6 Mustang is no stripper!) Ford should have no problem selling every one they make from a price standpoint even with that $4,000 markup (hopefully it subidizes the GTand the quicker Mustangs).

The area I'm curious about is weight! IRS, unless it's expensive alumunum, is not light. DEW Lincoln LSs weigh 3600 lbs, and the current Cobra w/IRS isn't much lighter. Since the Fox bodies were relative featherweights to begin with, I suspect the next Mustang is going to be a bit porky in the weight department, even if it were to come out the same size as it is now (which it won't, it's supposed to be "marginally" bigger).

 

I was just talking about the "base" v6 mustang. It comes better equipped with more standard features then the v6 f-bods for allot less so i don't see how it can be classified as a "stripper".

It makes sense for ford to sell more base mustangs at $16k then chevy does base v6 f-bods, cause they come better standard equipped. The items you mentioned are all "optional". They too aren't standard on the base f-bod 6's.

You'd have to go with the "preffered equipment group" an $1,170 option over the base MSRP on the v6 f-bods to match/exceed the BASE v6 stangs standard features. Now you're talking a $20,000 v6 f-bod. You can pick up the top of the line "Premium" v6 mustang coupe for less then that.

 

Its all about volume. If they sell a ton of em, they can keep the price low. Look for a low price the first year, and if it doesn't sell as well as predicted, the price will go up and they will build fewer.

 

Actually it works the other way around (supply & demand).

 

You all forget that the Mustang is riding on a 23 year old platform, it has long paid for it self. Now when you consider that not only is it riding on a modified Lincoln Platform, but they had to pay to strip down the platform, initial cost goes way up over the current model. Then consider that they want all of those high tech engines for the top model. There are two ways to pay for that.. Make the V8 models absorb all the cost, or spread the cost across the whole lineup. Also I am wondering what engine the V6 will have, if it's a Duratech or other DOHC engine price will also jump. What I am getting at is that Ford sells alot of V6 Mustangs at around $16K to kids that otherwise would have $16K Civics or such. You jump the price to $20-$21K, IRS, and other features (which most people buying a V6 stang don't care about), you will see alot of them buyers disappear. I mean when you look at the $21K segment, then you can get an Accord, Camry, Status...all kinds of cars. Most people who buy $16K cars buy them because thats all they can afford.

 

And we all know how well $20K F Bodies sold.

 

I was thinking the saaaammmme thing.

Then again, that may of well helped out a little in the F-body death. Look at my car in my sig. To the untrained eye, can they tell the difference between that and a Formula? Only with my winter Flower Power wheels could someone notice. The Camaro was worse!! Many V6 Camaros have the optional salad shooters like the Z28s (93-97). The only thing the Z28s got on the exterior (yes, I know they had a V8! ) were 3 Z28 badges, a dual exhaust, and rear disc brakes (if you were **** enough to notice those things). In the Firebird, at least you could get a completly different looking Trans Am model.

The 98-02 years were a little better, though the Z28s and Formulas still looked like V6es. GM concentrated on making the SS and WS6 packaged cars look different.

If Ford wants more V8 sales, they definetly need something different on the GTs. Mach 1 style hood, anyone?

 

Whats are the folks at BON saying? I am surprised they don't know something. Yes, I think the next Mustang will be expensive. I have thought that for awhile. But, we will have to wait and see.

 

Just a powertrain note:

I've heard rumblings that the 3-valve 5.4 is less expensive to manufacture than the current 4-valve 4.6.

Maybe that's another reason why the 4-valve 5.0 was cancelled.