Dear Ford :

[Arkaign]

Bingo. If Charger, G8, BMW, G35 (eg higher performance RWD 4 door sport sedans) etc popularity in the US is any indication, Ford is retarded for not bringing the Falcon to the states.

I would totally rock one of these as a stock daily driver.

Yes =D

Another cool thing is that the Mustang V6 is already capable of 30+mpg highway on the tough current EPA fuel economy standards, so as long as it's pretty sleek (like that Falcon), and it doesn't gain very much weight, it could be a real game-changer in the segment. BMW 530/535, Charger, G35, etc, all get lower fuel economy at the ~300hp level.

 

[IcePickFreak]

lol, G8. Yeah those sold SO WELL here 🙄

With very little advertising and the Pontiac brand being killed off in April of 09, not too surprising.

 

[Arkaign]

With very little advertising and the Pontiac brand being killed off in April of 09, not too surprising.

Not to mention the credit crunch from the economic recession and bank loan freezes. I think the G8 would have sold much better (like all similar cars) in a better economy. Just look at the Charger, it is much the same thing, and sells fine, even getting lots of gov't sales to boot.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Solid rear axle or IRS? What would passenger car buyers want?

The press or the actual buyers? Because I can guarantee you that the vast majority of buyers wouldn't be able to tell one iota of difference if the live axle is as well sorted as the Mustang's. The press, however, would have a field day pointing out the lack of IRS, even if the live axle outperformed competitors' IRS setups (as the Mustang's currently outperforms the IRS in the Camaro and the Challenger).

ZV

 

[Arkaign]

The press or the actual buyers? Because I can guarantee you that the vast majority of buyers wouldn't be able to tell one iota of difference if the live axle is as well sorted as the Mustang's. The press, however, would have a field day pointing out the lack of IRS, even if the live axle outperformed competitors' IRS setups (as the Mustang's currently outperforms the IRS in the Camaro and the Challenger).

ZV

So much truth. The current Mustang's rear suspension setup is miles ahead of older designs, and the overall ethic of not making the car an over-heavy porker makes this whole thing moot. A heavy car with IRS and not particularly great driving dynamics is going to get the floor wiped with it by a lighter more sorted car even with a live axle.

The $25k Mustang V6 Premium is better around a track than an SRT8 Challenger, and not far behind in a straight line at all. Throw the 5.0 in there, and it's game over.

 

[Throckmorton]

Please build a 4-door FR sedan vehicle based on the Mustang drivetrain. Stretch it a little, give it it's own unique styling that's a little more muscular looking than the Fusion, but not a knock off of the Mustang either. Make sure the weight stays in the near range of the Mustang so that the fuel economy doesn't suffer much. Make sure to offer proper manual transmission models. A 'GT500' variant isn't necessary, but the V6 and 5.0 are critical. If Shelby can be bothered to make a hot version, let him.

Thanks for your consideration 🙂

They had a vehicle like that-- the Lincoln LS. They took the platform from that car, spent a lot of money reengineering it for a solid axle, and turned it into the Mustang. Then they discontinued the LS without a new RWD replacement.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

I'll take clean air over noisy pollution spewing cars any day.

Besides, Pontiac brought the Monaro here, your argument is weak old man.

They brought the Monaro here 7 years ago and it was a flop, They never sold in any appreciative numbers. Something like 40,000 where sold over 3 years.

If that isn't going to sell, then a Ford Falcon isn't going to sell here either.

 

[Arkaign]

They brought the Monaro here 7 years ago and it was a flop, They never sold in any appreciative numbers. Something like 40,000 where sold over 3 years.

If that isn't going to sell, then a Ford Falcon isn't going to sell here either.

Well, the charger sells well, and it's just a dodge.

The Pontiac 'GTO''s chief problem was the styling. It was bland to the point of death, and so closely resembled 90's-era grand ams that it just looked like an obsolete economy car right from the start. The Aussie version looked better, just like their variant of the G8 looked much better.

I think with the styling correct (and with affordable but not useless 305hp V6 variants), it could sell well.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

Well, the charger sells well, and it's just a dodge.

The Pontiac 'GTO''s chief problem was the styling. It was bland to the point of death, and so closely resembled 90's-era grand ams that it just looked like an obsolete economy car right from the start. The Aussie version looked better, just like their variant of the G8 looked much better.

I think with the styling correct (and with affordable but not useless 305hp V6 variants), it could sell well.

The original Aussie versions had a different grill and foglamps -- big whoop. They both shared the same jellybean, non-descript shape. The unchanged Monaro wouldn't have sold any better.

The folks gawking over the Ford Falcon are the same ones begging GM to bring over the Monaro and Commodore. And nobody bought those either. The Falcon is about as bland as it gets. I mean those scalloped headlights didn't work on the Acura RSX 10 years ago and don't work now.

I love the idea of a small to mid-sized RWD sedan. Use whatever platform you want. Just give it a fresh body to turn heads. Otherwise you're wasting your time.

 

[ElFenix]

the G8 was a not a particularly interesting car to look at either. if it had been a chevy with a bit of attitude it would have sold really well. from a dying car brand with terrible advertising and fairly bland styling it was destined to not sell well. should have called it impala, put a bow tie on it, and rename the current impala to bland-o-matic or something. if pontiac hadn't been dying they could have called it the tempest and had a blown V8 GTO.

 

[IcePickFreak]

The original Aussie versions had a different grill and foglamps -- big whoop. They both shared the same jellybean, non-descript shape. The unchanged Monaro wouldn't have sold any better.

The folks gawking over the Ford Falcon are the same ones begging GM to bring over the Monaro and Commodore. And nobody bought those either. The Falcon is about as bland as it gets. I mean those scalloped headlights didn't work on the Acura RSX 10 years ago and don't work now.

I love the idea of a small to mid-sized RWD sedan. Use whatever platform you want. Just give it a fresh body to turn heads. Otherwise you're wasting your time.

The GTO/Monaro was a coupe, quite a bit different customer base than a sedan. But nobody bought the G8/Commodore? I like being a nobody. 😀

I agree though that they're both love it or hate it style cars, but what car isn't? Again though, how much were they advertised? I run into people all the time that have no idea what my car is and a lot don't believe it's a Pontiac. I personally think the GTO's with the SAP look pretty mean.

Still though, the masses want small, high mpg cars. With gas prices always on the rise (you know they're never going to go down), that's not likely to change.