Concept versus Production: will we be cheated by the 2015 Mustang?

Having been thru so many new car introductions in our thirty year history in the hobby, it’s always interesting – and definitely more than a bit sad – to watch the almost endless cycle of great looking concept cars, followed by a so-so or often ho-hum production model.

The latest model to hit the sad fan is the upcoming 2014 Subaru WRX. The concept car hit the show circuit recently and it was more than fabulous, although also obviously not tenable:

And then the final production model was spotted at the Nurburgring. It’s a Legacy, with model-specific flared front fenders, hood, front cap, rear fenders, rear bumper, and of course the expected wing. Some fans who believed that Subaru would build something like the blue Concept above were let down – even though it was clear that it never could have happened, especially given the budget Subaru operates under for the WRX and STI. It had to be based on a production car.

Fans get disappointed a lot in this hobby. Take the current Mustang, for example, which was introduced for the model year 2005.  Ford first released two concepts, however, styled as shown below, and on an entirely different chassis – the DEW-98 platform, used for the Lincoln LS, Thunderbird, and Jag S-Type – and originally developed for the Mustang  but dropped due to cost concerns. What we were shown was a great looking car, with the DEW-98 state-of-the-art chassis ( all aluminum double A-arms up front, and IRS out back), and featuring a supercharged 4.6 DOHC V-8:

The inexperienced observer would be excited and hopeful because it appeared the Mustang was about to get everything every (sophisticated) fan could have hoped for. However, reality is a cruel mistress. What Ford actually delivered is this:

Not only was the uber-chassis lost, the sharp styling was lost as well. Were we cheated? Yes. When will Ford learn? We’ll see.

Meanwhile, Camaro fanboys were shown a concept in 2006 which greatly excited them – not only because their car had been cancelled permanently and was now unexpectedly resurrected from the dead, but also because the concept was a knockout (if more than a bit retro):

The production model for the 2010 model year was all but identical, including the huge bulk, terrible sightlines, enormous width, and the full concept interior with its terrible ergonomics. All that was dropped was some over-the-top orange treatment of the instrument gauges (which themselves retained the concept’s styling). But it was popular and as acceptance grew it finally out-sold the Mustang.

Now we are approaching a new round of ponycars: the Mustang will be all-new in 2015 (well, sort of all-new, being simply an evolution of the existing S197 platform), and the Camaro in 2016 (based on the all-new Alpha chassis, also shared with the ATS and CTS).

We’ve seen several Mustang development mules thanks to spy photographers, showing the Fusion-like front end, but not yet the final rear shape:

The styling of the production car, like the Fusion and all new Fords going forward, is based on Ford’s 2011 Evos concept. As Alan Mulally says, when he steps off a plane in another country, he wants to be able to instantly recognize the local Fords.

From spy pictures, including an underhood picture, we know that the 2015 Mustang has the same grill and swept-back headlamps. We’ve also seen pictures of several small-scale clay models in Ford’s styling studios – and while none of those are production (hundreds of drawings would have been made, and many of the most promising converted to clay), they do all show the same shape and dimensions as the Evo.

So the question is: will Ford deliver a concept of the 2015 Mustang before production commences (presumably in the spring of 2015)? And will that concept accurately preview production… or will reality again be cruel to us?

If there will be a concept delivered, we may see it as early as the LA Auto Show this coming November, but traditionally it would be far more likely to appear in Detroit at the NAIAS in January.  And while most observers are assuming that the production model will be shown at the Mustang Club of America 50th anniversary celebration event in April 2014, it’s possible that only a concept could be shown there with the production car introduced later. No doubt this is all being decided now… and we’ll just have to be patient in the meantime. And that, folks, is the car hobby.

Analysis: 2015 Mustang engine compartment spy shots provide interesting details

As follow-up to our previous post about the 2015 Mustang Coyote engine and its lack of direct injection (so far), we’ll take a closer look under the hood of a 2015 mule that was fortuitously discovered (or purposely left exposed?). A mule is a hacked-together engineering car, a mash of current and future production parts engineered to a specific testing purpose or set of purposes. Each of these steps come in phases, and somewhere there is a project plan for each step that would be extremely interesting to see. Dozens of mules and perhaps even hundreds of hand-built pre-production prototypes have and will be built right up to the start of production. Even production will come in phases, with pilot cars built later in 2013 in a special pilot plant located close to the engineers that will mimic the actual production line, and then in limited-output pilot production in Flat Rock (likely on the same line as current Mustangs), and finally in regular production for the first lucky customers.

This particular mule has both the final independent rear suspension and the updated front suspension, as well as the new inner fender structure. Note that swept-back inner fender structure (for the Fusion-like swept headlamps):

Which without a doubt will support swept headlamps like these from the Fusion. That’s the new “Evos” design language at Ford, first seen on the Evos concept, and then in production for the Fusion:

But, back to the engine compartment:

Note the cover over the battery on the left, aka Nissan 370Z. And the offset brake fluid reservoir fill on the right. That suggests that there will be a cover on both sides in the final 2015 engine compartment, both to tidy up the appearance, and also to cover up plumbing differences in both right and left-hand drive models (if both are to be offered).

Speaking of the battery, it’s too bad that Ford didn’t take the time to engineer a trunk-mounted battery, like the Lincoln LS, to further improve weight distribution. The Lincoln LS was purposefully engineered with a favorable front/rear weight balance. In contrast, the current Boss 302 Mustang has 55% of the weight in the front, and the Shelby series have been even worse with up to 59.5% of the weight up front. That’s front-wheel drive territory, and the new Mustang has to do better. We believe that with careful attention to weight up front and overall, and the new IRS out back, that the new 4-cylinder Mustang could have as little as 51% up front. Here’s the Lincoln LS trunk mounted battery, under the spare tire cover:

And here’s the current 370Z engine compartment, with covered compartments left and right for the battery and master cylinder/reservoir. Which switch sides worldwide as the car is built to both right- and left-hand drive. We’d also suggest, like the Z, that a brace (if offered) should be triangulated to the firewall for even greater strength.

Back to the 2015 Mustang: note the anti-lock braking distribution block is now right next to the new master cylinder and reservoir - again making it easier for both right- and left-hand drive models.

Then there is the giant fuse box, which per our earlier post precludes a second air intake on the left. We suspect that it also now contains the engine computer, which in the current production car is left uncovered.

There is lots more to look at here. Note the sound inducer - it’s been moved to a new and more central position. Then look at the strut towers: they are now three-bolt instead of 4. That’s probably a minor change, perhaps of a ”gram strategy” where every ounce saved counts. It will be critical to take as much weight as possible out of the production car, and in our chart of the what we believe the specifications will be for the 2015 thru 2018 Mustangs, we’ve set the target as 200 pounds. That’s aggressive, because by and large this is still an S197 underneath, with updates for international crash standards and of course the IRS (which likely weighs a little more than the solid axle, and which will fortunately take an enormous amount of unsprung weight out of the suspension).

Then there is the vacuum tank in plain view on top of the intake manifold. Perhaps it holds a vacuum charge for the new grill shutters? And what are those two metal (valves?) on the firewall to the right of the tank? They may simply be part of the engineering instrumentation of the engine, or something else we don’t yet recognize. There are also a number of green and yellow wires – these are part of the engineering instrumentation, so ignore them for now.

Also of interest is the new air intake. It’s very similar to the existing one (although the throttle body is canted slightly upwards, not unlike the Coyote engine in the current F-150 – is it possible here that the engine is mounted a bit lower in the 2015 Mustang?). The airbox,  however, is necessarily different due to space constraints and suggests that the rectangular air filter is upright instead of flat. Ford has designed very efficient intakes in recent years (it is, after all, “free” horsepower), and we’d expect the same thing here.

One of the fun things in this hobby is looking at spy pictures, and especially so for a new enthusiast car. The extraordinary thing about the 2015 Mustang is that the all-new independent rear suspension has already been photographed in high-res detail, and now the engine compartment has been as well.  We’ve also seen the dashboard, although at this early point it’s still a hacked-together affair using Fusion gauges, radio, and HVAC (we suspect that the main wiring harness is purposely related). We have to wonder how and why Ford has allowed so many leaks to occur… unless it was on purpose. Finding at least two cars sitting around without their handlers is too much of a coincidence.

But a good “coincidence” for us because now we get a chance to see if Ford engineers will be allowed to create what they are capable of, or what budget or lack of imagination constrains them to. That unfortunately has too often been the situation and we hope it isn’t the case again with the 2015 Mustang. With a new and much smaller and lighter Camaro coming out just after the 2015 Mustang, the competition will be even tougher. And Ford has already lost the sales crown to the Camaro, despite the extreme weight and the constrictions imposed by the concept car interior with it’s terrible ergonomics . The new Camaro will be based on the GM’s new Alpha chassis, first seen in the ATS and soon to be seen under the next CTS. That automatically makes the Camaro lighter and better handling than the current Mustang, and with better dynamics all around. With a state of the art chassis, designed completely from scratch, and with a budget shared across at least three car lines, the advantage goes to GM. Unless Ford engineers get very very creative with the new Mustang.

2015 Mustang Exhaust Resonator Patent

When suspension spy pictures were first published of the 2015 Mustang Independent Rear Suspension over the summer of 2012, we took note of many interesting features and wrote about several of them in this post. For the updated S197 platform, there will doubtfully be dozens of patent and SAE Paper submissions by Ford engineers. Here’s an application of what appears to be one such patent, a special exhaust resonator located just before the differential, as shown in the photo below.

Here’s the patent award overview. We’re still not sure what is non-obvious about this patent, certainly the staggered baffles are a simple enough concept. The application was found to have merit, and a patent was awarded 2 years after the initial application in 2010.

Read the full patent document here. In summary, from the document:

“The systems and methods described herein enable a single resonator to be used to attenuated targeted frequencies within a dual-flow exhaust system while decreasing the amount of back-pressure generated by the resonator when compared to other resonation devices used in dual flow exhaust systems including two separate housings.  In this way, the acoustic characteristics of the exhaust system may be improved while reducing losses in the exhaust system, thereby increasing engine performance.”

The new resonator will save packaging space, both in width, length, and height, and fits particularly well with the “saddle” type gas tank which crosses over and above the resonator. It also saves cost, complexity, and weight over separate inline resonators.

For enthusiasts, there are two things to consider from an examination of this patent, and from the picture above. First, clearly some thorough work has been undertaken to provide an efficient exhaust and to tune to the desired sound characteristics. This means that while there will still be gains from an aftermarket exhausts, but they will be smaller. The second thing to consider is packaging. A fixed-position differential carrier, versus a solid axle where space has to be provided to swing the entire assembly (all of it unspring weight) up and down several inches, will provide room for a lower and flatter trunk area above the suspension. And it will also allow a much smaller transmission tunnel in the rear passenger compartment, since the driveshaft position is also fixed and won’t also have to move up and down several inches. The remaining question is whether or not the 2015 Mustang is designed solely for an independent rear suspension or if the floorpan will be left as is, with space wasted for a solid axle system that only the aftermarket would provide.

The current Mustang has very poor rear seat space, and continuing this type of poor space usage will be noted in reviews of the 2015 Mustang – especially in Europe. We’d like to see Ford get this new platform world-class right from the start, with a low trunk floor height, and the minimum transmission tunnel.