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Is the 2014 Mustang the Ford Evos?

2011-Ford-Evos-Concept-Doors-Open-Front-Motor-City

With the 50th Anniversary of the Mustang looming in 2014, Ford is hard at work redesigning the legendary pony car. But just because the Mustang is an American icon, don’t expect the new Mustang to incorporate the same retro styling we have become accustomed to over the 20 years.

The 2012 Mustang is  leaving its competitors in the dust and is tearing up the drag strip, but lags behind the Chevy Camaro when it comes to launching off the showroom floor. With fewer Mustang being sold than any other time in it’s history, Ford will depart from the retro styling cues that defined Mustang product launches in 1994, 1999, 2005 and 2010.  With Baby Boomers retiring Ford must alter the Mustang’s principal demographic if it hopes to sell its muscle car to up and coming Gen X and Gen Y buyers. Enter the Ford Evos.

With the demise of the Panther Platfrom (the Lincoln Continental and Mercury Grand Marquis) the Mustang is the last remaining rear wheel drive car in Ford’s stable. When it was refreshed in 1999 the Mustang shared its underpinnings with the Lincoln LS sedan. Production of the LS ended in 2006 leaving the Mustang with sole use of its platform. As Ford looks to redesign the aging pony for its 50th anniversay sales no longer justify the millions it would cost for the it to have its own unique chassis. Sales have fallen over 60% for the Mustang since 2006.

2011-Ford-Evos-Concept-Motor-City-2Ford design chief J. Mays’ meteoric raise to fame came from such retro-futuristic designs as VW’s Concept 1 Bettle Bug, Ford GT,  Thunderbird,  Fairlane, Shelby GR-1 and “427”, but now Mays says that retro styling is dead. Yes, dead. Strong words for a man who owes his lively hood to sketching out modern interpretations of classics designs. The Mustang will go back to its roots by paring down it’s weigh and size.  One insider revealed,  “The design studios in Europe and Australia are working on it, as well as those in America. It will be smaller and closer in spirit to the original 1964 Mustang.”

Ford touted the Evos as a “sexy GT fastback”  with a “muscular trapezoidal form”  in Berlin last August. Ford’s wording caused us to announce, ” that the Evos is the 2014 50th Anniversary Ford Mustang, without the running pony or tri-tail lights”. A Wall Street Journal insider that has seen the 2014 Mustang confirms that the new Pony is based off the Evos concept.

The Evos is leaner and ever so slightly smaller than the current Mustang, but still very mean, and packs the all important visually aggressive stance for which the legendary muscle car is famous for. The newly launched 2013 Mustang GT has a larger grille that hints that it will incorporate a larger Evos’ styling grille in future designs. They sexy Evos is 9in shorter than the current steed, but 3in wider and 2in taller on a nearly identical wheel base. The production Mustang will lose the fancy  touch screens and gullwing doors, but keep the sexy sculpted body lines and fastback shape to become Ford’s first global pony. Hopefully one that will connect well Gen X and Y buyers who prefer the sleek Asian and European styling.

 

 

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