lmunz22

Anybody who saw the new Thunderbirds knows exactly why they were discontinued... [:@]

mlcrycc

LOL That speaks volumes as to why they were DQ'ed......If I recall correctly, Ford stopped production on T Birds in 1998. Then, they brought it back as the two seater, in an attempt to flash back to the 50's version....That was in 2002, and you can see how long it lasted.......

Probably should have kept my 1997 instead of trading it for the Mustang....[&:]

05gtdriver

Nope, both(GM & Ford) were competing with all the foreign imports 2 seaters. Chevy nearly axed the 'Vette due to lack of sales, then the T-Bird came along and appealed to a broader audience, Chevy rethought the Corvette(along with Arkus Duntov coming aboard and new for '55 V-8 power) and Ford wanted better sales, so the T-Bird became a 4 seater (hence the Square Birds of '58).
Yes the retro T-Bird of 2002-2004 were just very, excuse my choice of reference, GAY! Saleen sold a version of the new 'Bird, but even that couldn't help it's plight[&o]. I would love to see a PERMANENT Cobra roadster built by Ford become what the Viper is to DC and the 'Vette to GM. We(Ford owners)) need a flagship sportscar.

RED121572

[quote]ORIGINAL: gothikka

Why doesnt Ford make a car in the same class as the Corvette? I was talking to a guy at work today (hes loaded $$$) and he wants to get a new car. I said..."why not pick up a vette?" He doesnt want one because there are to many of them on the road. I hear that from a lot of people....I think that if Forde made a car in the same class as the vette that they would sell a ton of them. Keep the price of it around the same as the corvette. I know they make the saleen but to a lot of people its just a mustang with a body kit on it. Don't get me wrong...I love the mustang but I think they need something in between the Stang and the GT. What do you guys think???


[/quote

Cost. How many Mustang GT's would ford sell if the base price started a 40 grand? Not many.

timothyrw

First, Ford does, and it is the Shelby GT500. (See the latest Motor Trend where they compare the Z06, GT500, and Viper).

That is the simple answer...

The more in-depth answer is this:

These are general percentages but of all the people looking to buy a NEW, 2-seat, high performance AMERICAN car: 85% are not looking for anything other than a Corvette, 10% or so are looking for nothing but a Viper, and your friend is in the 5% or so who is shopping around.

My point?

The Corvette is a FANTASTIC car. Not only that but it has decades of heritage and cult status. For Ford to come out and directly compete with that? You just aren't going to steal enough buyers of Corvettes to make it profitable. 90+% of Corvette owners would NEVER drive their Corvettes to a Ford dealership to trade-in their cars for a Ford. Just wouldn't happen. A very small minority might, but Ford can not cannibalize enough Corvette sales. Not gonna happen.

Ford was smart (for once) with the ShelbyGT. It competes indirectly with the Corvette. Both front engine/RWD with 6spd sticks. But that's where the similarities end. They aren't next door neighbors competing for the best house in the neighborhood. But they are definitely on the same street watching each other. It gives Ford guys who wanted more the ability to say, "Hey, we got 500 hp, too!"

BTW, Chevy is taking a HUGE gamble by bringing back the Camaro and competing directly against the Mustang. They lost before (with an arguably mechanically superior car), why do they think they can do it again?

8cd03gro

personally, if i had the money to buy a z06, i wouldn't.

yes the z06 is the best performance for the money, but that's all. the car isn't very nice at all. it is pretty comfortable, but not 70k worth. i would be buying the new 911 turbo if i had that money. sure you have to save up a bit, but you get a car that is far better in rain and such (awd) feels even faster than the z06 (although it is about the same, maybe a very small amount faster) because you can launch it so hard, and it has a nicer interior. plus it is a very rare car and it sounds AMAZING. i could see myself getting very bored of a z06 because how often can your REALLY open up a car that powerful? not often enough to pay 70k imo, you need more than just ***** out performance for that much money, or i would just get something like an aerial atom, and buy another, nice little car for everyday driving, because thats what you are going to end up doing with the z06 anyway. just my 2 cents...

Ford_Dude

comfortable ye right I sat in one at the houston autoshow the past two years and it felt like I was sitting on the floor with a back that hurt my legs

05gtdriver

Well said! I would like the Camaro to stick around this time. Why? We Mustang fans need the new Camaro to be a success. You have to look at the demographics. By the year 2010(I'll be 45 at that time) we're gonna have all the baby boomers in their early 50's to late 60's......lots of disposable cash, lot of people retiring(my oldest sister will be in her late 50's by then, she wants a 'vert 'Stang). There has to be choices and hopefully Chevy doesn't make the Camaro too 'Vette like(meaning swoopy body, poor interior space for given vehicle size), the car has to be people friendly. That's why the Mustang has succeeded, it appeals to a wide range of people. It's not too intimidating to operate, have you driven a late model F-body? Fast car, but it very hard to see out of, you practically sit on the floor and it' so tiny inside. Camaros have always benefited from being able to have an engine selection derived from the Corvette's(to ease cost as well, both ways). This makes the Camaro a very tough adversary. I too hope GM doesn't
go too extreme on the next Camaro. Although it's pretty much confirmed the '09 Camaro will be IRS equipped. Sounds like GM is already gonna make it a limited appeal car. I realize IRS is sophisticated and gives good ride qualities, but shouldn't a car that is expected to go fast in a straight line and be affordable have what most of us with a weekend warrior mentality desire? Being able to hook up at the track! Is GM gonna make the Camaro with a transaxle, like the 'Vette, for better weight distribution? What helps the 'Vette plant is it's great weight distribution, I think it's like 48/52 F to R. That aids traction a lot. Although that would make the Camaro very expensive(relative to the regular GT Mustang), sounds like a rebodied GTO, which I've heard is gonna reappear as well.
You've heard the horror stories about how the GTO was a handful at the track to launch. Maybe this is good news, we'll hook up better and hopefully Ford will give us more HP and we'll be able to dust the new Camaro with ease.

sa3geabx

A friend and I were talking about this at work not too long ago. It's a good idea. I think Ford would do well if they followed the same lines of Dodge (Viper) and Chevy (Corvette). Look how well those two have done. People love to have that kind of performance for less than $100k.



Speaking of Vettes, has anyone heard anything about the newest Corvette Z07/Stingray/SS/Whatever? Nearly 650hp and weighs less than 3,000lbs. DAMN!

Ford_Dude

can you say myth or rumor