Ford Motor Co.'s performance group is bigger and better-funded than ever, says Ford product chief Phil Martens.
Despite a two-year drought that won't see an SVT-branded vehicle on the market until mid-2006, Ford has expanded its Special Vehicle Team to at least 200 people, Martens says. It previously employed around 120 people.
Today's SVT budget also is higher than it has been in the past, he says. Martens wouldn't disclose the investment in SVT or the percentage increase to the budget.
Ford has benchmarked competitors such as BMW's M-series performance group while rebuilding SVT.
"To a certain degree, we have to earn" that kind of a reputation, says Martens, Ford group vice president of product creation. "We can't come out of the block and say we're an M-division team."
Ford last sold SVT-branded products during the 2004 model year. The drought came as Ford redesigned two key SVT nameplates, the Mustang and F-150 pickup.
Ford also discontinued its SVT Focus last year, saying it wasn't upscale enough. Martens more recently has said Ford will take another look at an SVT Focus. Longtime SVT leader John Coletti retired in December and was replaced by Hau Thai-Tang, chief engineer of the 2005 Mustang.
Martens says Ford eventually will have up to five SVT-branded vehicles at any one time. The first, the 2007 Shelby Cobra GT500, will go on sale next summer. That 450-plus-hp coupe is the first special edition of the redesigned Mustang. Ford will follow with the Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin in 2007.
Ford displayed the GT500 and the 390-hp Adrenalin at the New York auto show last week.
Prices for SVT products will range from less than $20,000 to more than $40,000, Martens says. The GT500 will cost about $40,000.
In addition to natural candidates such as the redesigned Mustang, Ford intends to spread a performance element across the broader Ford brand, Martens says. SVT-badged products will be restricted to Ford Division, but SVT engineers are likely to help develop vehicles for other corporate brands.
Martens won't say what other nameplates are on the SVT list, but likely candidates are the Fusion sedan, debuting this fall, and the Focus. SVT was developing an F-150 Lightning until that project was put on hold last year.
Martens wouldn't say how soon SVT will reach the five-vehicle limit.
"If you get beyond that, it really gets too expensive," he says. "It's difficult to fund and manage the cycle."
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
they better be making an f150 lightning again
yay svt sport trac....all wheel drive.....4.6l sc'ed v8 bishes....it will be mine
Not unintentionally accelerating since 2009!!!!
probably to also compete w/ chrysler's srt models
i wonder what other svt vehicles will be
especially for less than 20k
^ ^ ^ The SVT Focus. the odl one was about 20K.
www.drluc.ca
thats what i figured but if the old one wasnt up scale enough i dont see it being less than it was b4
The SVT contour was my fav!!!!!! no I meant the lightining!
I don't want to start spreading rumors, (I don't do that) but I heard that. But that Mazdaspeed might colaborate with the basic SVT. Again it is NOT confirmed.
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
^ ^ ^ that wold make sense especially on the focus given the 2.3 Duratec is shared with the mazda 3. It would be ausome to see MazdaSpeed's 2.3T from the 6 in an SVT focus, 270HP focus would be a force.
www.drluc.ca
Luc Sipkema wrote:^ ^ ^ that wold make sense especially on the focus given the 2.3 Duratec is shared with the mazda 3. It would be ausome to see MazdaSpeed's 2.3T from the 6 in an SVT focus, 270HP focus would be a force.
as awesome as that would be, more than likely whatever is in the mazdaspeed 3 will be what is in the svt focus, if the collaborate, which makes the most sense
