Ford Kills Hurricane Engine Program
#1
Ford Kills Hurricane Engine Program
From the Blue Oval News.
http://www.blueovalnews.com/2005/pro...ane04feb05.htm
I'm not liking the direction Ford is heading in the performance department. First they drop the Lightning, then the Cobra, and now a chance to give the F-150 the muscle that it should've had from the get go. Ok, so maybe it is expensive to develop a new engine, but isn't it less cost affective to start so many projects and kill them halfway through. Remember though, just because it's on the BON doesn't mean it's true.
http://www.blueovalnews.com/2005/pro...ane04feb05.htm
I'm not liking the direction Ford is heading in the performance department. First they drop the Lightning, then the Cobra, and now a chance to give the F-150 the muscle that it should've had from the get go. Ok, so maybe it is expensive to develop a new engine, but isn't it less cost affective to start so many projects and kill them halfway through. Remember though, just because it's on the BON doesn't mean it's true.
#2
I believe it is true. They have already killed the Cobra, and Lightning. Ford seems to be in some finacial trouble, or is just giving up on performance completely. This isn't good news for Ford, especially with the 6.1 Hemi coming this spring. They really needed this engine to boost the performance in their lineup. This is a dissapointment to me. Just as the performance battle was heating up too.
#4
I agree
YEA, What the heck is up with all of that??? No more Lightning and then no more cobra? What, did they drop all of this money into developing this super car that like only 5 people on earth can afford to buy, to make some sort of point to mfgrs. like ferrarri or somthing stupid like that? I mean lets be real here for a second, the people that make ford the number one sold trucks in the U.S.A. are people like us, last time I checked my garage, there wasent any super car parked there.....
P.S.
One last thing, seeing how the new thunderbird did so poorley that they stopped making them, they dicided to make the 05 mustangs look like the old Mustangs. I see a trend in decisions that are being made inside the Ford Coorp. do not appear to me to be favroible to their base consumers.
P.S.
One last thing, seeing how the new thunderbird did so poorley that they stopped making them, they dicided to make the 05 mustangs look like the old Mustangs. I see a trend in decisions that are being made inside the Ford Coorp. do not appear to me to be favroible to their base consumers.
#5
I just don't get it. The Lightning concept last year was a huge hit. Especially with the introduction of the Ram SRT-10. The hemi has also been good for Dodge. People still want power. As good as F-series sales were in 04, imagine what they would have been if there was a motor like what the Hurricane is supposed to be. It could have been dang near the 1 million mark. If this rumor is true, I feel like Ford is just conceding in the peformance area. It seems weird though that just a few days ago there was an article at BON about how Ford gave the go ahead on the Hurricane.
#6
In many ways I don't find this surprising if true. Ford has a goal to show a 7 billion dollar profit by 2007. While it would be great to to have a new engine I don't think the 5.4 is max'd out. Also looking at Ram sales last year it doesn't seem the the Hemi helped at all as Ram sales where down by 5%.
I also agree if Ford gets it base act together the result will be a stronger and better performance department in the future.
I also agree if Ford gets it base act together the result will be a stronger and better performance department in the future.
#7
points
Originally Posted by tmyers
In many ways I don't find this surprising if true. Ford has a goal to show a 7 billion dollar profit by 2007. While it would be great to to have a new engine I don't think the 5.4 is max'd out. Also looking at Ram sales last year it doesn't seem the the Hemi helped at all as Ram sales where down by 5%.
I also agree if Ford gets it base act together the result will be a stronger and better performance department in the future.
I also agree if Ford gets it base act together the result will be a stronger and better performance department in the future.
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#8
That is there goal, do they need it, I really have no idea. But its not GM or Dodge that Ford as to worry about, its the Japanese. If one thing I learned about them is that they field a product then perfect it. That is the also the knock the get every year in the magazines, there design tends to get long in the tooth. In a way I hope Ford can learn from that, make small incremental changes. This would do wonder for quality and IMO the bottom line.
Ford has really never competed in the HP wars. They tend to concetrate on the whole truck. At this time there appears to be nothing fundimentally wrong with the truck division but alot wrong with the car division. It makes alot more sense to strengthing that part of the company rather than compete in somthing that is low volume like the Lightning or Cobra. On top of that if you really want something on the performance side you have Rousch and Saleen and they both come with full warrentys.
Ford has really never competed in the HP wars. They tend to concetrate on the whole truck. At this time there appears to be nothing fundimentally wrong with the truck division but alot wrong with the car division. It makes alot more sense to strengthing that part of the company rather than compete in somthing that is low volume like the Lightning or Cobra. On top of that if you really want something on the performance side you have Rousch and Saleen and they both come with full warrentys.
#10
#11
Sad. This shows just how troubled Ford is right now, and they are trying to maintain profits by cutting costs. The modular V8's are near thier power limits for truck use, and Ford really needs to invest in thier replacement, even though they just redesigned to 3V heads. I'm very dissapointed, but not surprised.
#12
Originally Posted by wnorman1192
Sad. This shows just how troubled Ford is right now, and they are trying to maintain profits by cutting costs. The modular V8's are near thier power limits for truck use, and Ford really needs to invest in thier replacement, even though they just redesigned to 3V heads. I'm very dissapointed, but not surprised.
#13
No, the 5.4 certainly isn't maxed out, but to keep of with the competition it either needs to be supercharged or fitted with expensive 4V heads, and neither are ideal for mass produced trucks. I'm not saying that the 5.4 is a bad engine, as it is in fact a fine engine, just too small for their top offering in the F150. The 6.2 is exactly what they needed to top off an otherwise great truck, and Ford knows that it needed it or they wouldn't have spent millions in development. That makes me wonder why they cancelled it. The power levels that had been rumored really weren't that great for the size, so perhaps they decided to scrap it and start over when they are financially able to invest the needed funds for a class leading engine.
#14
Well first off they don't need a SC of the 4V head. Just recam it a bit would make a big differnece.
But there is more going on here than just the cost would be my guess. Remember that the goverment has mandated milage figures that manufactures must meet. Now the 5.4 goes in alot of F150's and these truck are subject to the mandate. It could be that the new engine would not put out the figures they need to stay within the mandate.
A company is just like an individual. When times are tough you cut the fun stuff out. Other than the Lightning Ford has never competed in the performance wars(taking trucks here). Ford trucks have a reputation of being reliable and durable and this is what sells them, not the engine. Overall no sales where lost because of the Hemi. In fact Ford sales went up and Dodge sales went down.(2004)
But there is more going on here than just the cost would be my guess. Remember that the goverment has mandated milage figures that manufactures must meet. Now the 5.4 goes in alot of F150's and these truck are subject to the mandate. It could be that the new engine would not put out the figures they need to stay within the mandate.
A company is just like an individual. When times are tough you cut the fun stuff out. Other than the Lightning Ford has never competed in the performance wars(taking trucks here). Ford trucks have a reputation of being reliable and durable and this is what sells them, not the engine. Overall no sales where lost because of the Hemi. In fact Ford sales went up and Dodge sales went down.(2004)
#15