While GM STILL hasn't made up its mind whether or not to build a rear wheel-drive Impala (or anything else for that matter), Ford has declared its intention to reclaim the big ass rear wheel-drive (RWD) American sedan market, once dominated by the brand's Panther platform. Automotive News [sub] reports that FoMoCo CEO Alan Mulally broke the news while breaking bread with journalists in "suburban Detroit" (Grosse Point blank?). "It’s important going forward,” Big Al admitted, with enough understatement to shame a British peer. Did I say American sedan? "Executives acknowledge they can build the vehicles using a new global rwd platform being developed in Ford’s Australian operations." So, are we looking at a GM-like imported Aussie Pontiac G8-type deal? Not necessarily. “There are good reasons not to: currency, freight,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford group vice president of global manufacturing. Uh huh. No word yet what, when or where, but we sure as Hell get the why.
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Can anyone answer me this question please! If a new platform needs to be designed for any american car company, whether ford or Gm, why it could be designed anywhere in the world ( australia, Japan, germany, Cambodia) but never at home in the USA? Is it prohibited by a law?
or why the heck can’t they build them both here and in australia (or mexico, or china, or wherever), regardless of where they’re designed?
The law is “What is the cheapest way possible to do this?”
Not the best way longer term, only interested in the short term.
I read those Australian RWD Ford’s are well engineered fun to drive cars. Never driven one just what I have heard.
Is it prohibited by a law?
Loved that made me laugh. It probably has to do with cost, since they have been making them for years. And the NA Ford bureaucracy makes it easier to just grab it from a well managed organization rather than waste time and money turning out garbage. I keep thinking of the new NA designed Focus of why Australia makes sense. But I’m just guessing, could be some Ford law prohibiting it.
But will it come equipped with a factory doughnut holder?
I’m not sure if big American RWD cars will ever be on top again. The truth is, the Camry and Accord have done just fine thank you with FWD. (Both are built in the YOU ESS AY! )
I believe the hallmarks of an American cruiser don’t include RWD. What they really need is size, space, comfortable seats, decent fuel economy and a soft ride all at a value-minded price. Most people who buy these barges don’t drive them in such a manner as to even notice a difference in the propulsion.
That said, I love the feel of RWD cars whether big or small. With modern traction control systems, RWD isn’t a major penalty in inclement weather anymore either, for those who lack throttle control.
Great idea. Now I hope they give it car like styling, a la Ford 427 concept. The Interceptor is nice idea, except for the truckish front end and overall lack of car-like sleekness.
I’ve heard those Aussie Fords are very heavy and durable, made for rural roads in their homeland. It may not be a Panther, but it just might work.
“I believe the hallmarks of an American cruiser don’t include RWD. What they really need is size, space, comfortable seats, decent fuel economy and a soft ride all at a value-minded price. Most people who buy these barges don’t drive them in such a manner as to even notice a difference in the propulsion.”
Then you should love the new Lincoln MKS with Twin Force…err…”EcoBoost” technology. I mean what is better than shoving 340+ “green” horsepower and torques through a FWD biased drive train?
My theory on FWD…it exists because people don’t know how to drive. I have absolutely no problem with my open differential, RWD Crown Vic in my Minnesota Winters. I doubt I will ever drive a FWD car again.
Most people who buy these barges don’t drive them in such a manner as to even notice a difference in the propulsion.
Have you ever been to California or Nevada? The Highway Patrols, Sheriffs and Police Departments are the only ones who drive these cars. I’ll bet they notice the difference.
I’m starting to think that the “new” RWD full-sized American sedan is actually a crew-cab pickup with a short (5 foot long or so) box.
saying that Detroit cars are being engineered offshore because of costs is the same way like believing that Muslims attack us because we are free and rich.( how many terrorist have you seen bombing Switzerland? Norway? Japan? The Netherlands? Germany? Canada?….I could continue with 200 more countries.)Do you believe that salaries for engineers are substantially smaller in Australia than within U.S.? If it is cost driven, how the hell their cars get offshored from germany( the second highest engineering salaries!)?What the hell has Honda and toyota been thinking when engineering cars in USA? OMG, they didn`t know about the costs? I guess you have found an answer yourself…And the answer lies in those little industrious fingers, that are not afraid to create, and zealous minds not afraid of a challenge.
@ jurisb, the issue is the development of a new chassis vs the tweaking of one that is already there. Also, in most cases it takes Ford NA longer to go from design to production than their foreign counterparts, due mostly to overly bureaucratic management.
I think RWD sedan is a great idea for Ford. By the time it comes out the Chrysler 300 will still be rotting away the old design and GM could be waffling over its RWD platforms. The 300 showed Americans do want a big RWD sedan. And Lincoln could get a proper flagship instead of the FWD layout that has not proven successful in the luxury market.
Remember, cars built in other countries (or that eventually will be) are American cars.
Cars built in the US (Honda, Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Hyundai, Mazda, Subaru) are Foreign cars.
It’s easy!
RWD will require a lot of engineering/materials to get decent MPG; is it worth it?
Hay, I just noticed that their is a spiel-checker in the comments bocks; now that’s cool.
Jurisb I think your missing the point that all those companies that you named(Honda, Toyota, Germans) know how to properly run their companies in a effiecient manner. I am assuming the aussie Ford also does, Ford NA waste time energy and money to get out worthless product. That is where the cost savings are in the effienecies of the organization, has nothing to do with salaries, well except that there are a mountain of high paid people trying to make decissions in Ford NA that don’t need to be in the process. Too many cheifs.
The biggest reason for GM and Ford to reach to Australia is that their divisions over there never stopped designing and manufacturing RWD cars and platforms while here in the states they went primarily to FWD. No sense in reinventing the wheel if you don’t need too.
Add to it the poor management of both companies in the US and its no wonder they look over seas for a suitable RWD architecture.
The Panther platform has the black eye of the fire hazard in rear-end collisions now, so they need a new platform to go with. Ohio is spending close to $1 million to retro fit all of the state patrol Crown Vics with a fire supression system after having two rear ended last year catch fire.
Any new RWD big sedans will have to compete against the new Korean “Genesis” sedan which is all over the news, with serious HP & features and a sub-30k starting price.
Sure, cars built in USa mostly are foreign cars. But which are the ones built abroad you could name American?
Goddamned, the engineering pyramid goes from the simplest to the complex. Study some japanese engineering books! A company or entity that can`t build complex mechanisms, either buys them or outsources and is stuck forever building primitive parts. judging from, that Detroit3 outsources all the significant mechanisms that have more than 10 parts in them, allows me to conclude that their ability to construct mechanisms is pretty limited. if taking a ready platform , engine, tranny makes sense, how come it has never made sense for japanese or german companies? Toyota is rich, they could buy ferrari and slap their engines in their Supras, or buy VW shares and slap their DSG gearbox. Why the f…( I am really mad now!)they don`t do it? Why? Why? That`s why you will never understand or vote for the champion of the constitution!Sad.
The Japanese don’t do it out of a matter of pride, plain and simple. Their culture is drastically different than ours when it comes to taking pride and responsibility in everything they do.