There was no shortage of opinions or ideas when it came to creating the 2015 Ford Mustang.
The sixth-generation Mustang marks the 50th
birthday for the iconic sport coupe, and nearly everyone within the
company—and even more outside of it—wanted to share their thoughts with
the 500 executives, designers, and engineers tasked with developing it.
Suggestions came from everywhere, insiders told Motor Trend.
All-wheel-drive models, wagon variants, diesel
powertrains, and even a notchback were pitched. Many ideas were scrapped
immediately with a polite “Thank you,” while others were considered and
sometimes explored by the group known as Team Mustang.
worthy of the pony perched on its trapezoidal grille. It connects the
past to the present and readies the Mustang for the next 50 years with
three powertrains, an all-new integral-link independent rear suspension,
and loads of driver-friendly features.
A Leaner Look The best way to view any car is from a distance. Stand too close, and you’ll miss its real impact. It’s why Ford uses a secure courtyard to look at different versions of a car. Last June, after working on it for three years, Pericak finally saw the Mustang in the courtyard as it appears now. It gave him goose bumps. From 50 feet, the 2015 Ford Mustang is stunning. It has the presence of a soldier at the ready—muscular, lean, and ready to attack. As you move closer, it remains just as impressive. Designers were inspired by the 1965, 1967, and 1969 Mustangs, but created a modern vehicle. Less evolution, more revolution. “We pulled out all the stops,” said Joel Piaskowski, director of exterior design. “And in the end we were able to lower it and rework the proportions that give it that right stance.” Carrying over such things as the front suspension and floor pan would've saved money on the vehicle design, but would've limited how the vehicle's proportions could look. Changing them gave designers more freedom, but added some cost. But the most common mantra within Team Mustang was “Get it right.” The team did. While the new Mustang keeps the same wheelbase of 107.1 inches, the hood was lowered 1.3, the rear decklid was lowered 2.8, and the roof was lowered 1.5. Designers also widened the car’s track by 1.6 inches. There was also some extremely impressive tooling done on this vehicle, with parts that even 10 years ago could not have been pressed in big numbers, if at all. “It’s a credit to the engineers that they could create the tools to build this car,” said Moray Callum, the head of Ford’s global design. The rear shoulder on the 2015 Ford Mustang harks back to the ’69 fastback and is wide enough to hold a Hungry Man TV dinner level. These broad shoulders provide a base for the best back end on any ponycar—wide, low, and powerful, accented by the signature three-piece sequential taillights. There are other features taken from the past, such as the blackout B-pillars and the angled taillamp closure panel that both dramatically change the car’s appearance. The front end features a deep grille opening that now follows a Fusion-esque trapezoidal shape. The headlamps have three diagonal light stripes that provide a menacing stare when on the road. Another trick designers used in creating the Mustang was to pull details off one at a time and see if they were really needed. “If it still looked like a Mustang, we kept it off,” Piaskowski said. This created a cleaner exterior with fewer wrinkles and creases along the body. But it still looks and feels like a Mustang, whether you’re 50 feet away or sitting in the driver’s seat.
- More Motor Trend Mustang coverage:
- How a Magic 8 Ball Affected Development
- Motor Trend Magazine Covers Featuring Mustangs, 1964-Present
- Lohdown Blog: Is the Mustang Finally a Real Sports Car?
worthy of the pony perched on its trapezoidal grille. It connects the
past to the present and readies the Mustang for the next 50 years with
three powertrains, an all-new integral-link independent rear suspension,
and loads of driver-friendly features.A Leaner Look The best way to view any car is from a distance. Stand too close, and you’ll miss its real impact. It’s why Ford uses a secure courtyard to look at different versions of a car. Last June, after working on it for three years, Pericak finally saw the Mustang in the courtyard as it appears now. It gave him goose bumps. From 50 feet, the 2015 Ford Mustang is stunning. It has the presence of a soldier at the ready—muscular, lean, and ready to attack. As you move closer, it remains just as impressive. Designers were inspired by the 1965, 1967, and 1969 Mustangs, but created a modern vehicle. Less evolution, more revolution. “We pulled out all the stops,” said Joel Piaskowski, director of exterior design. “And in the end we were able to lower it and rework the proportions that give it that right stance.” Carrying over such things as the front suspension and floor pan would've saved money on the vehicle design, but would've limited how the vehicle's proportions could look. Changing them gave designers more freedom, but added some cost. But the most common mantra within Team Mustang was “Get it right.” The team did. While the new Mustang keeps the same wheelbase of 107.1 inches, the hood was lowered 1.3, the rear decklid was lowered 2.8, and the roof was lowered 1.5. Designers also widened the car’s track by 1.6 inches. There was also some extremely impressive tooling done on this vehicle, with parts that even 10 years ago could not have been pressed in big numbers, if at all. “It’s a credit to the engineers that they could create the tools to build this car,” said Moray Callum, the head of Ford’s global design. The rear shoulder on the 2015 Ford Mustang harks back to the ’69 fastback and is wide enough to hold a Hungry Man TV dinner level. These broad shoulders provide a base for the best back end on any ponycar—wide, low, and powerful, accented by the signature three-piece sequential taillights. There are other features taken from the past, such as the blackout B-pillars and the angled taillamp closure panel that both dramatically change the car’s appearance. The front end features a deep grille opening that now follows a Fusion-esque trapezoidal shape. The headlamps have three diagonal light stripes that provide a menacing stare when on the road. Another trick designers used in creating the Mustang was to pull details off one at a time and see if they were really needed. “If it still looked like a Mustang, we kept it off,” Piaskowski said. This created a cleaner exterior with fewer wrinkles and creases along the body. But it still looks and feels like a Mustang, whether you’re 50 feet away or sitting in the driver’s seat.
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