SVT No Longer; 2007 Shelby Cobra Mustang Will End the Run
Tags: Ford, Mustang
I remember hearing about this in the past, but now sources inside the company are starting confirm the rumors that the Special Vehicle Team (SVT) of Ford Motor Company will soon be meeting its end, possibly as soon as April 1, 2006. But don’t worry, the 2007 SVT Cobra Mustang2007 SVT Cobra Mustang will still be available and still adorn the SVT badges.
So what went wrong?
It appears that the balls-out effort to build the Ford GT by the company’s 100th anniversary took its toll on the SVT staff, slowing development of more mainstream future products, such as the next-generation Lightning, an updated SVT Focus and an SVT version of the Fusion. The Ford executives who oversaw SVT, group vice presidents Steve Lyons and Phil Martens, didn’t give SVT the resources it needed to rebuild.
I would suspect that the 2007 model will turn into some sort of collectors item, so start saving your money and get one in the upcoming year.
Spy Photos: Ford Focus C-Max
Tags: Ford, Spy Photos, Focus C-Max
Is this a mini-van or an economy car? I guess these are the kind of cars we are going to be seeing more often with the gaining popularity of small “people carriers.” The Ford C-Max also gets around 40mpg, so there is no doubt this will sell well with the rising gas prices.
Ford Jumps on the Hybrid Bandwagon
Tags: Ford
On the heels of Porsche, Volkswagen, and Audi announcing their plans for hybrid SUVs, Ford says they plan on producing hybrid versions of at least half of their vehicles. First up in this new initiative will be the Mazda Tribute, Ford Fusion, and the Mercury Milan.
“We will continue to cut our costs and improve our efficiency, but we cannot win the hearts and the minds of a new generation with efficiency alone,” Bill Ford told company employees at a research laboratory in Dearborn, Mich. “We will win them by delivering the next generation of vehicles for the American roadway.”
What will win us producing cars that don’t cost $60 to fill up at the gas station. Let’s hope that Ford can save us a little more than the 15% Porsche is planning on saving us.
2006 Ford Shelby GT500
Tags: Ford, Mustang
Carroll Shelby and the Ford Special Vehicle Team (SVT) have teamed up to produce the most powerful Ford Mustang in the history of its existence. The Ford Shelby GT500 will boast an impressive 450+ hp with a modded 5.4L V-8. The new Shelby GT500 draws inspiration from classic Shelby Mustangs, including the “Eleanor” Shelby GT500 made popular by the movie Gone in 60 Seconds.
“The all-new 2005 Ford Mustang is one of the hottest cars in many years,” says Phil Martens, Ford group vice president, Product Creation. “Its chassis was engineered from the beginning to be the basis of a high-performance, world-class sports car from SVT, and the Shelby Cobra GT500 is it.”
With a price at around $40,000, this sure seems like a good deal for 450 hp. For those of you that want that raw Amercian muscle performance but can’t afford the Chevy Z06, this should definitely be a satisfactory substitute.