I had a very bad feeling about it a well.

 

http://forums.bradbarnett.net/index.php?showtopic=46041

this is a link on a mustang site about the subject, the admin/site owner is on pretty good terms with team mustang

 

Am I the only one who thinks Fords "Way Forward" campaign sounds too much like Mao Zedong's "Great Leap Forward"???

It just sounds like the wrong plan at the wrong time. Zedong basically ran China's agriculture based economy into the ground trying to chase the industrial powers in the 60s. With news like this SVT thing, it sounds like Ford too is trying to sacrifice too much too quickly in order to satisfy some misguided idea of what "should be."

I agree. Bad idea.

 

My last 3 new cars have all been SVT Mustang Cobras. That said, it wouldn't have mattered to me (personally) if they had just been Mustang Cobras. Ford did ok with the Mach 1 without having to put an SVT marketing badge on it - I'm not too worried about all of this.

 

Yeah, But the MACH wasnt much more then a 01 snake with a stick axle.

 

You're right. It only had different heads, different cams, different intake, different rear, different axle ratio, different interior, different hood, different wheels, etc.

Pretty similar.
Bob

 

I had a feeling someone would bring this up. The car did have alot of differences, but they proved pretty minor in the overall attitude of the car. The Mach1 does feel like a Cobra with a stick axle from the driver's seat.

 

It also feels like a V6 from the driver's seat. They're all mustangs.

 

OK, it drives alot like a Cobra.

 

So you're saying the regular ford team made a car that felt just like an SVT?

 

Stuff developed by SVT tended to end up in Ford's Performance catalogue or cars developed by Ford Performance Division.

Mercury Marauder has a older Cobra engine.

Mach 1's was based on non SC Cobra engine, but had changes which made it idea for drag racing over track racing.

The Cobra's supercharged engine was at one time on the books for a future Marauder.

 

Ok. By the same token, a Cobra does feel like a Mustang GT with slightly upgraded motor and minor trim pieces (93-95), with a 4V motor and minor trim pieces (96-98), with an IRS, a 4V motor, and minor trim pieces (99 & 01), or with an IRS, blown 4V motor, and minor trim pieces (03/04)....from the driver's seat. Thus by the same logic as that above, there isn't much difference in any of them.

Which is actually pretty accurate - they are different, but they are all still Mustangs and very similar to one another.

Guy.....the Marauder's engine was much closer to the 03 Mach 1 than the 03 Cobra's (heads, cams, pistons - but an intake unique to the Mercury).

The only thing the Mach 1 motor has in common with an 01 Cobra engine is the general layout of the motor (they are both 4.6 4Vs, coil on plug, etc). The stuff that matters - heads and cams especially - are unique to the 03 and up DOHC 4.6s. All 03+ DOHC 4.6s (including SVT) had heads upgraded from earlier years, and used different cams from earlier years. The Automatic Mach 1 had a different crank than the old Cobra motor too.

Also, the Marauder concept had a blown, iron-block 2V SOHC engine - not a blown 4V.

Bob

 

I was just trying to figure out what he and other were getting at. It seems like people lamenting SVTs death were themselves making the argument that probably killed it (that being, the mach 1 felt like the NA SVT cobra with a live axle). Perhaps they think they can make more money doing 'watered down performance' like chevy's SS since it still gets you 9/10 of the same product. Or in the case of the shelby, 11/10, and potential for more sales through more delaers.

I think it's a shame it's going away only because competition is good for everyone.

I think the point you're trying to make is that it was easy for the mach 1 to feel like an SVT since all the main parts and testing/engineering were developed by SVT already and available.

That's probably valid, and only time will tell if ford is making a mistake.

 

Intresting about Marauder's engine components.

I recall someone at Ford I spoke to (Coletti??.... I can say it now that he's retired) mentioning something about a S/C Cobra engine working it's way to another product, which at the time I read as Marauder, since the LS couldn't fit it & it would be a little pricey for a Mustang GT.

 

I dont think ford should do this. Ive always liked the idea behind SVT, and Chryslers SRT. I also always thought that GM needed its on SVT that could be branded on all brands.