Mustang likely to get 32v 5.4 engine & Falcon may be imported here!
02-25-2003, 11:13 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: The Golden State
Posts: 13,711
Mustang likely to get 32v 5.4 engine & Falcon may be imported here??
I posted this on the Falcon & Mustang thread, but I think it's worthy of it's own thread.
"The Yanks are considering Falcon's four-valve V8 engine
By BRUCE NEWTON 6 February 2003
THE Ford Australia-developed Boss family of four-valve 5.4-litre V8 engines could be the company's first export opportunity to the US, ahead of any interest in Falcon or the forthcoming E265 cross-over.
Ford Motor Company heavyweights in Detroit are impressed by the local development of the modular V8 and there could be opportunities for an export program back to home base.
While there are no concrete plans in place, preliminary discussions over the possibilities for the Boss in North America have been conducted.
A study into the possibility of Falcon exports to the US was given the green light in November. Raptor and the Falcon platform are also believed to be included in the study.
US interest in the Boss family was confirmed to GoAuto by Philip Martens, Ford Motor Company vice-president, vehicle programs and processes, and North American product development.
His enthusiasm is particularly significant for Ford Australia because his responsibilities include improving the Ford North America product creation process, including program management, commonality, quality, cost, speed, vehicle evaluation and verification.
He confirmed a pre-Christmas meeting in Dearborn with Ford Australia product development vice-president Trevor Worthington at which the Boss engine was discussed.
"Trevor came to see me to see if we could close-couple the working relationship between the two (Ford Motor Company and Ford Australia) - and the best way to do that is to have a common product program to share what you're working on," Mr Marten said.
"Given all the things that they have done with the Falcon, the easiest way forward is for us to share an engine, and that's what they could do. But we don't have any plans written down specifically yet."
Mr Martens praised the work done in Australia developing Boss, arguing that remoteness from headquarters in North America had actually aided the process.
"They (Ford Australia) are best being left alone to find creative solutions driven by market need. They're going to get more out of that than throwing it (5.4-litre four-valve engine development) into the big Ford system here," he said.
"That's why the reverse cycle - bringing it back up here - is what I prefer."
The Boss engine has been developed locally in two configurations - a 260kW/500Nm version for the XR8 and a 290kW/520Nm version for the Ford Performance Vehicles range.
The Boss four-valve head configuration is unique to Australia and largely because of that the engine is also locally assembled at FPV's headquarters in Melbourne.
The engine's performance is well beyond anything achieved out of that family in normally-aspirated form in the US.
Mr Martens suggested the Boss could be applicable to Ford's North American rear-wheel drive line-up, including the next generation Mustang launched in 2005.
But he also believes the XR8 Falcon might be worthy for investigation for US sale.
"I could see us doing that, we'd have to go through a federalisation study and you'd have to fit it in," Mr Martens said.
"But to me it's there and how we take advantage of these global assets is an opportunity ... I just think we are sitting still if we don't take advantage of it. We've got to work on that."
http://www.editorial.discountnewcars...ry2/NT01961C5A
"The Yanks are considering Falcon's four-valve V8 engine
By BRUCE NEWTON 6 February 2003
THE Ford Australia-developed Boss family of four-valve 5.4-litre V8 engines could be the company's first export opportunity to the US, ahead of any interest in Falcon or the forthcoming E265 cross-over.
Ford Motor Company heavyweights in Detroit are impressed by the local development of the modular V8 and there could be opportunities for an export program back to home base.
While there are no concrete plans in place, preliminary discussions over the possibilities for the Boss in North America have been conducted.
A study into the possibility of Falcon exports to the US was given the green light in November. Raptor and the Falcon platform are also believed to be included in the study.
US interest in the Boss family was confirmed to GoAuto by Philip Martens, Ford Motor Company vice-president, vehicle programs and processes, and North American product development.
His enthusiasm is particularly significant for Ford Australia because his responsibilities include improving the Ford North America product creation process, including program management, commonality, quality, cost, speed, vehicle evaluation and verification.
He confirmed a pre-Christmas meeting in Dearborn with Ford Australia product development vice-president Trevor Worthington at which the Boss engine was discussed.
"Trevor came to see me to see if we could close-couple the working relationship between the two (Ford Motor Company and Ford Australia) - and the best way to do that is to have a common product program to share what you're working on," Mr Marten said.
"Given all the things that they have done with the Falcon, the easiest way forward is for us to share an engine, and that's what they could do. But we don't have any plans written down specifically yet."
Mr Martens praised the work done in Australia developing Boss, arguing that remoteness from headquarters in North America had actually aided the process.
"They (Ford Australia) are best being left alone to find creative solutions driven by market need. They're going to get more out of that than throwing it (5.4-litre four-valve engine development) into the big Ford system here," he said.
"That's why the reverse cycle - bringing it back up here - is what I prefer."
The Boss engine has been developed locally in two configurations - a 260kW/500Nm version for the XR8 and a 290kW/520Nm version for the Ford Performance Vehicles range.
The Boss four-valve head configuration is unique to Australia and largely because of that the engine is also locally assembled at FPV's headquarters in Melbourne.
The engine's performance is well beyond anything achieved out of that family in normally-aspirated form in the US.
Mr Martens suggested the Boss could be applicable to Ford's North American rear-wheel drive line-up, including the next generation Mustang launched in 2005.
But he also believes the XR8 Falcon might be worthy for investigation for US sale.
"I could see us doing that, we'd have to go through a federalisation study and you'd have to fit it in," Mr Martens said.
"But to me it's there and how we take advantage of these global assets is an opportunity ... I just think we are sitting still if we don't take advantage of it. We've got to work on that."
Last edited by guionM; 02-25-2003 at 11:27 AM.
02-25-2003, 11:24 AM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Yadkinville, NC USA
Posts: 3,180
I'm back...
I copied this post from another thread.
It is better placed in this one anyhow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in early January, I wrote...
Let's just rehash that NOW, in late February...
The Oz version is indeed the 5.4 instead of a 5.0, but to take .040" lift off the crank is no barn-buster IMO. Or they could just reduce the bore by .010" diameter and leave the crank alone to decrease the displacement - which would also yield thicker cylinder walls.
Either way, I can see a 5.0 easily.
The development work is done.
Ford-Oz and Ford-Dearborn have had meetings to discuss bringing the BOSS motor over here (done in December actually) and the prospects look good.
And then I just found these...
pic 1
pic 2 (yes, that's a Vette.)
pic 3
pic 4
pic 5
pic 6 (It's still a Vette.)
(PS - to guionM, these were taken at California Speedway... you haven't seen these cars on a trailer out there somewhere have you? Seems that ALL the new Mustang development is happening out there dude!)
OK - am I still hung over from last Friday night, or does anybody see something in that bodywork, grill, profile, fender lettering, and bumper lettering? Hmmm?
I copied this post from another thread.
It is better placed in this one anyhow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in early January, I wrote...
Originally posted by ProudPony
...If the shift to the 3V-5.0 motor goes through, all things get crazy. That would facilitate the BOSS 302 in name AND engine size, the Duratec V6 can then grow a tad in displacement and not scare the base V8 in HP, and a whole new can of worms gets opened-up for the high-performers like Mach 1 (IF they do it again), and Cobra...
...If the shift to the 3V-5.0 motor goes through, all things get crazy. That would facilitate the BOSS 302 in name AND engine size, the Duratec V6 can then grow a tad in displacement and not scare the base V8 in HP, and a whole new can of worms gets opened-up for the high-performers like Mach 1 (IF they do it again), and Cobra...
The Oz version is indeed the 5.4 instead of a 5.0, but to take .040" lift off the crank is no barn-buster IMO. Or they could just reduce the bore by .010" diameter and leave the crank alone to decrease the displacement - which would also yield thicker cylinder walls.
Either way, I can see a 5.0 easily.The development work is done.
Ford-Oz and Ford-Dearborn have had meetings to discuss bringing the BOSS motor over here (done in December actually) and the prospects look good.
And then I just found these...
pic 1
pic 2 (yes, that's a Vette.)
pic 3
pic 4
pic 5
pic 6 (It's still a Vette.)
(PS - to guionM, these were taken at California Speedway... you haven't seen these cars on a trailer out there somewhere have you? Seems that ALL the new Mustang development is happening out there dude!)
OK - am I still hung over from last Friday night, or does anybody see something in that bodywork, grill, profile, fender lettering, and bumper lettering? Hmmm?
02-25-2003, 11:26 AM
#4
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: The Golden State
Posts: 13,711
More Falcon to USA news:
"Ford heavyweights are driving the Falcon in Detroit this week
By MARTON PETTENDY 26 February 2003
FORD Australia will take another step towards becoming a global player this week, when a fleet of four BA Falcons is sampled in the US by FoMoCo's top management.
The Falcons, believed to comprise entry level XT, high series Fairmont Ghia, XR6 and XR6 Turbo models, will be chaperoned by Ford Australia vice president product development Trevor Worthington.
"There's a whole host of guys, from Bill Ford down, lined up to drive them," confirmed Ford Australia president Geoff Polites at last week's Falcon GT launch.
The test drive is the latest is a series of significant steps taken by Ford's Dearborn headquarters to become more familiar with Australia's Falcon - including a "paper study" into the viability of the model revealed exclusively by GoAuto in January - but Mr Polites was quick to play down the immediate significance of the exercise.
"I don't think anything will come from it," he said. "There are lots of things that theoretically make sense but there are lots of reasons why that theory doesn't happen."
For the first time, however, Mr Polites revealed the longer-term possibility of Ford Australia becoming integral to the design of a low-cost rear-wheel drive Blue Oval platform globally, in much the same way Holden will be employed by General Motors to design and engineer GM's low-cost rear-drive underpinnings beyond the next all-new model due in 2005. ( )
Like Holden, Ford Australia would potentially gain valuable design and engineering funds from such an arrangement, which would reduce the cost of local development work considerably or fund the engineering for more derivative products, such as more Falcon-based recreational cross-over vehicles.
"Long term outcomes will not be us exporting Falcons into the US. Long term outcomes will be about platform sharing," said Mr Polites.
"If you were sitting here with a Ford hat on, the best outcome we could get would be for us to produce the low-cost platform and for our platform to be picked up in the US. Then you can do derivatives, you could do the (E265 crossover) wagon here and send it over there and it's relatively low volume.
"With our skill levels, our labour rates, with the dollar where it is, with ACIS, we are a very low cost of quality engineering. If you can do a platform (sharing) type arrangement then it lowers your engineering costs. Basically, it makes sense," he said.
Mr Polites, who has long maintained Ford Australia is viable as a domestic market-only business, continued to express pessimism for the possibility of any future exports apart from platform and/or engine technology.
While he was quick to dismiss suggestions the Falcon brand could be exported globally in a similar way to Holden - which has ambitions of selling its own Holden-badged products internationally - Mr Polites did not rule out Falcon exports long term.
Ford Australia's export hopes could be bolstered by the recent announcement of a wide- ranging review of FoMoCo's international operations.
Led by new global operations boss David Thursfield and his deputy, Ford family member Elena Ford, the sweeping review aims to make the company more profitable and efficient by taking "a very broad look at what exists in each place and the best way to drive business".
http://www.editorial.discountnewcars...256CD8003944CB
"Ford heavyweights are driving the Falcon in Detroit this week
By MARTON PETTENDY 26 February 2003
FORD Australia will take another step towards becoming a global player this week, when a fleet of four BA Falcons is sampled in the US by FoMoCo's top management.
The Falcons, believed to comprise entry level XT, high series Fairmont Ghia, XR6 and XR6 Turbo models, will be chaperoned by Ford Australia vice president product development Trevor Worthington.
"There's a whole host of guys, from Bill Ford down, lined up to drive them," confirmed Ford Australia president Geoff Polites at last week's Falcon GT launch.
The test drive is the latest is a series of significant steps taken by Ford's Dearborn headquarters to become more familiar with Australia's Falcon - including a "paper study" into the viability of the model revealed exclusively by GoAuto in January - but Mr Polites was quick to play down the immediate significance of the exercise.
"I don't think anything will come from it," he said. "There are lots of things that theoretically make sense but there are lots of reasons why that theory doesn't happen."
For the first time, however, Mr Polites revealed the longer-term possibility of Ford Australia becoming integral to the design of a low-cost rear-wheel drive Blue Oval platform globally, in much the same way Holden will be employed by General Motors to design and engineer GM's low-cost rear-drive underpinnings beyond the next all-new model due in 2005. (
)Like Holden, Ford Australia would potentially gain valuable design and engineering funds from such an arrangement, which would reduce the cost of local development work considerably or fund the engineering for more derivative products, such as more Falcon-based recreational cross-over vehicles.
"Long term outcomes will not be us exporting Falcons into the US. Long term outcomes will be about platform sharing," said Mr Polites.
"If you were sitting here with a Ford hat on, the best outcome we could get would be for us to produce the low-cost platform and for our platform to be picked up in the US. Then you can do derivatives, you could do the (E265 crossover) wagon here and send it over there and it's relatively low volume.
"With our skill levels, our labour rates, with the dollar where it is, with ACIS, we are a very low cost of quality engineering. If you can do a platform (sharing) type arrangement then it lowers your engineering costs. Basically, it makes sense," he said.
Mr Polites, who has long maintained Ford Australia is viable as a domestic market-only business, continued to express pessimism for the possibility of any future exports apart from platform and/or engine technology.
While he was quick to dismiss suggestions the Falcon brand could be exported globally in a similar way to Holden - which has ambitions of selling its own Holden-badged products internationally - Mr Polites did not rule out Falcon exports long term.
Ford Australia's export hopes could be bolstered by the recent announcement of a wide- ranging review of FoMoCo's international operations.
Led by new global operations boss David Thursfield and his deputy, Ford family member Elena Ford, the sweeping review aims to make the company more profitable and efficient by taking "a very broad look at what exists in each place and the best way to drive business".
Last edited by guionM; 02-25-2003 at 11:29 AM.
02-25-2003, 12:43 PM
#7
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: The Golden State
Posts: 13,711
Originally posted by ProudPony
And then I just found these...
pic 1
pic 2 (yes, that's a Vette.)
pic 3
pic 4
pic 5
pic 6 (It's still a Vette.)
(PS - to guionM, these were taken at California Speedway... you haven't seen these cars on a trailer out there somewhere have you? Seems that ALL the new Mustang development is happening out there dude!)
OK - am I still hung over from last Friday night, or does anybody see something in that bodywork, grill, profile, fender lettering, and bumper lettering? Hmmm?
And then I just found these...
pic 1
pic 2 (yes, that's a Vette.)
pic 3
pic 4
pic 5
pic 6 (It's still a Vette.)
(PS - to guionM, these were taken at California Speedway... you haven't seen these cars on a trailer out there somewhere have you? Seems that ALL the new Mustang development is happening out there dude!)
OK - am I still hung over from last Friday night, or does anybody see something in that bodywork, grill, profile, fender lettering, and bumper lettering? Hmmm?
02-25-2003, 01:02 PM
#8
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Yadkinville, NC USA
Posts: 3,180
Originally posted by guionM
Just got a chance to look at the pics. They don't look much like the actual car, but still very interesting (especially being they had 5.0 stickers).
Just got a chance to look at the pics. They don't look much like the actual car, but still very interesting (especially being they had 5.0 stickers).
They were taken JUNE 21, 2002!!!
That means the car was DONE over 8 months ago!
And who knows how much earlier than that the group started on it?
I don't think the looks are "coincidental".
I think the entire front end strongly resembles the new concept cars. The roofline is off a bit, especially on the coupe, but the 'vert model is pretty true to the concept overall. Look at the round, sunken headlights. Look at the above/below the bumper grill, and valence panels closely...
I DO NOT think this is a factory project, but it would appear to me that somebody is in on some pretty close ties with Team Mustang and got some peeks before we did. I also expect that this project is geared towards aftermarket goodies for the upcoming '05 models. And if that is the case, the BOSS name is certainly a curiosity, at least to me anyhow.
Last edited by ProudPony; 02-25-2003 at 01:05 PM.
02-25-2003, 02:09 PM
#9
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: The Golden State
Posts: 13,711
The basic Mustang design was completed over a year and a half ago, and J. Mays said that the production version was revised in the front end not too long ago, due to better acceptance of the front that's on the concept car, so it may not bee too far fetched that it's factory.
02-25-2003, 02:29 PM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,308
odd....us Canadians export the new 24V 5.4L to Austraila.....and now they want to export to USA.
I'd die to know all the specs and differences between that 32V 5.4L and the Cobra R's 32 valve.
My understanding is the 5.4L is a taller engine then the 4.6L.
(dumb Ford----all SBC are virtually identical dimensions)
I'd die to know all the specs and differences between that 32V 5.4L and the Cobra R's 32 valve.
My understanding is the 5.4L is a taller engine then the 4.6L.
(dumb Ford----all SBC are virtually identical dimensions)
02-25-2003, 02:40 PM
#11
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: OR
Posts: 2,368
I could have sworn i saw those yellow Mustangs before - as conversion kits for the current Mustang. I remember thinking, "oh thats interesting, considering the future mustang is going to look a bit like that too"
I'll go swing by Barns and NObels to see if they still have that magazine, but I doubt it..
I'll go swing by Barns and NObels to see if they still have that magazine, but I doubt it..
02-25-2003, 04:46 PM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,313
Originally posted by Ken S
I could have sworn i saw those yellow Mustangs before - as conversion kits for the current Mustang. I remember thinking, "oh thats interesting, considering the future mustang is going to look a bit like that too"
I'll go swing by Barns and NObels to see if they still have that magazine, but I doubt it..
I could have sworn i saw those yellow Mustangs before - as conversion kits for the current Mustang. I remember thinking, "oh thats interesting, considering the future mustang is going to look a bit like that too"
I'll go swing by Barns and NObels to see if they still have that magazine, but I doubt it..
02-26-2003, 08:09 AM
#14
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: The Golden State
Posts: 13,711
Originally posted by bulldoguav
What have I been saying for the past few months? He he
See ya later guionM...I'm headed for basic...
Shoot me an email around May 1st...would love to hear if my predections are following schedule.
What have I been saying for the past few months? He he
See ya later guionM...I'm headed for basic...
Shoot me an email around May 1st...would love to hear if my predections are following schedule.
