I seriously that the days of sub-$20K base Mustangs is over after seeing the concept. To me that car looks to be in a totally different price a luxury class than the current car. Who agrees?

 

What in the pictures make you think that way?

I would be willing to bet the base Mustang will be right where the last one left off, maybe slightly higher, but no more than the usually annual bump up plus maybe $500 - $1000 more...

 

Is it DEW-based or is it another evolution of Fox? The article I read stated the show cars were built on 'a significantly
modified Ford Thunderbird rear-wheel-drive architecture,' which I believe is DEW-based. If so, I'd agree with Branden.

 

Even if it is DEW based (which I thought was the plan, but then abandoned) I don't believe Ford can afford to over-price the base Mustang.

Also, sheer volume of the Mustang vs the Thunderbird can justify keeping the Mustang base price consistant. If the Thunderbird can use the same platform and make money at "X" units times "X" price, then Mustang should be able to do it a "Y" units times "Y" price with the Y price being lower and the Y volume being higher...

Or so you'd think.

 

I seriously doubt that the base unit is going to go up in price much, if at all. Ford has put A LOT of effort into tapping the market and studying what it wants. There are a couple questions on their survey card about pricing, options, and perceived value that hit this kind of area solidly. I honestly think they have designed the base car to maintain (or better the current) $/pound and assembly-man-hour targets. You will see less detail and glamour in the production car than you see in these concepts for sure, and the base cars will likely have even fewer frills than the GTs.

Expect to see the base unit with normal trim package go for @ $17-18K, GT's averaging in the mid-$20K range (depending on options like auto/manual, rear gears, trim levels, etc.)

Another thing is that Ford realizes the importance of this car to their lineup right now - I certainly don't think they want to risk losing market share or alienate any potential buyers by ramping up prices. MY biggest and ONLY concern is them pulling off a successful launch with NO RECALLS!

 

First off the Fox platform was paid for while I was in elementry school. They have had to invest very little in the current car over the last 10 years. the 4.6L (perhaps the greatest technical achievement the mustang has has in the last 10 years) was paid for by Ford overall because teh engine was initially ment for Lincoln..thus funding did not directly come from the Mustang development budget. All improvements that the Mustang has seen have been in special models such as the cobra...and those cars were priced to reflect and absorb the cost. All this has kept Mustang prices artificially low.

Fast forward to 05'...

Mustang is all new. Somewhere the development costs of the new chassis and retooling costs for the factory have to be absorbed. The Mustang uses some hybrid DEW platorm with some Focus parts (I may be wrong on the Focus thing..but I swore i saw it somewhere). regardless if it is parts bin raiding or not, putting togethor a whole new platform is a huge expense when you havent spent anything on chasis development since 94. The interior is all new and looks to use much better materials...again..has to be paid for somewhere. The V6 is supposed to get a 4 cam Duratech...which again costs more than the current 3.8L. The overall fit, finnish, and materials look to be much greater than the current car which will come at a cost.

IMO the base 05 Mustang won't start at $23K is if they subsidize them by inflating GTO and Cobra prices. Meaning you have a $19K base Mustang, but $30K GT and $40K Cobra as opposed to a $23K base Mustang, $27K GT, and $35K Cobra.

Regardless, because the Fox platform has been paid for, the Mustang has been a good source of income for Ford. With this redesign they are gonna loose a good chunk of that profitability initially for sure, and for how long depends on how they price it.

Remember there is a thin line between profit and loss in pony cars. Scott said as 4th gen sales went down they lost money on the V6, and had to subsize the losses through V8 sales. If Ford has to sell the V6 at a loss or at zero profit, then this chassis will take a while to pay for it self.


On another note for teh quality freaks out there. Anyone notice that the new Mustang is supposed to be built at the Flat Rock plant that used to build the FWD Cougar and Probe? This plant is notorious for quality control issues, and may make the 05 Mustang yet another botched launch for Ford if tehy aren't careful.

 

Yeah, one would think so. However, did the concepts have IRS or a beam axle? I remember hearing something about the next gen Mustangs using an IRS similar to the one used on Ford of Australia's new Falcons. If it's IRS, that will make piece prices higher due solely to an increase in component count, possibly pushing it very close to the $20K threshold. If they stay with current technology, I could see the annual bump plus $500-$1000.

 

It has to be affordable. If its not affordable, it won't be a Mustang.

 

The new Mustang has a control-blade IRS, whatever the hell taht is...

Plus as I mentioned before a 3.0L quad cam Duratech costs alot more to make than the OHV 3.8.

 

BINGO! Affordability is a key ingredient in Mustang's corporate recipe.

This is even stated by the execs at the debut. Again, I'm sure Ford has backed into this financially with targets and limitations just like it did with the very first Mustang.

As for the tooling costs... Who knows how many years Ford plans on using this platform, giving them X-number of years to amortize the investment. Also, a lot of DEW tooling is already in place, so sharing the platform with other cars will actually reduce the cost on other models - making them MORE profitable. I don't see Ford needing to subsidize a low-cost unit with higher prices on the others at all. Throwing another 200K units of production on that platform can't HURT the OE of that line! Ideally, it needs to be run at capacity to maximize the ROI, so the more the merrier.

And yes, you are correct Branden... The cougar did not suffer as bad in that facility as some other models, probably due to Mercury's tighter QC system, but I have concerns with Ford putting the Mustang in a 50% Mazda facility. I hope that with all the recent fiascoes, Bill Ford is cracking the whip for a clean launch.

 

I would agree with the concept of an affordable base coupe and slighty infalted GT & Cobra prices for the 2005s. But by then I'd be suprised if the base coupe was still under $20K.
All this new stuff has gotta be paid for somehow.

Speaking of Mustang pricing... has anyone noticed that the '03 Cobra price has mysteriously gone up by $3500? Didn't it used to have a starting price of $34,750? Now according to ford's website it starts at $38,265.

http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/mus..._Mustang_Cobra

 

Not much price change in the Mustang. If you believe the Mustang won't be affordable, you also have to believe a Sigma based Camaro won't be affordable as well. Yes, Mustang's chassis has been mostly paid off since Regan's 1st term, but Mustan has been operating with a pretty good margin since then, and Ford didn't make the production mistakes as far as manufacturing arrangements as Chevy did with the 4th gen (whose basic chassis is only 4 years newer than the Fox Mustang).

Look at the new F150's interior & 3 valve heads. There isn't going to be a big markup there. If Ford can manage something like that, then the Musatng as a low priced car would seem to be easy

 

They will probaly just cut costs other places so much that the thing gets recalled.

 

The pricing was said on tv the other day with the channel 7 sneek peek.It said the Mustang will start in the teens,And no it didnt say just under 20 thousand.

 

Speaking of Mustang pricing... has anyone noticed that the '03 Cobra price has mysteriously gone up by $3500? Didn't it used to have a starting price of $34,750? Now according to ford's website it starts at $38,265.


38K?
For a Cobra?
now they will cost here over 49k with the taxes where I live