New Mustang Badge: Reflecting What’s Coming?

Announcing that you have made a new badge for your best sport model may not seem like much news, but Ford has done that for the 2010 Mustang. In a bid to stoke interest in the next generation pony car, Ford is signaling to rivals Dodge (Challenger) and Chevy (Camaro) that its Mustang is still king. The pony wars are back and high gas prices aren't getting in the way!

Unlike Dodge and Chevrolet which touted what their respective pony cars would look like well before production time, Ford has kept a tight wrap on its next generation 2010 Mustang, a car slated for production next year. We’ve caught glimpses of test mules photographed around Ford’s Proving Grounds and have seen camouflaged cars tucked away at various other venues, but no complete look of what we can expect in the coupe.

Teasing Us With A Fresh Look

Well, if you are frustrated at guessing what the next group of Mustangs will look like, Ford is teasing us by updating the Mustang’s badge, just as they did when the car was last updated in 2005.

“We wanted to give the Mustang pony a more realistic feel,” said Douglas Gaffka, chief designer for the 2010 Mustang. “We lifted the head to make the pony more proud, tipped the neck into the wind to give it a feeling of greater speed and better balance.

“It’s more chiseled and more defined and looks more like a wild horse,” Gaffka added. “It’s more realistic in terms of proportion to an actual Mustang.”

Mustang, which was introduced at the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, NY ( I was there!) as a 19641/2 model, sported the Mustang badge on its hood until 1978 when it was replaced by F-O-R-D block letters. In 1983 through 1993, the Blue Oval badge was up placed up front before the Mustang badge returned for 1994 refinements included.

Now that you know that bit of history, don’t you want to see the actual car? I know that I do!

Big Reveal of Camaro to Critical Acclaim

Presenting the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

Although I found the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro’s official unveiling a bit anticlimatic on Monday, it was good to see that this vehicle is receiving a lot of positive press across autodom. After all, General Motors hasn’t had much good news to share lately, rocked by double-digit sales declines in its home market and a historic drop in stock value.

Sometimes all you need to do to regain momentum is to show the world what you got and consumer (and analyst) perspectives can change immediately.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro

One of the odd things about the online unveiling is that one of the GM officials called the car a 2009 model while GM has clearly said that the first cars rolling off the assembly line next year will be 2010 Camaros. On the Chevrolet Camaro website there was reference to the 2009 model in some places, but 2010 elsewhere. Though production will begin on February 16, 2009, my belief is that all models produced in 2009 will be designated as 2010 models.

As expected, the production version of the 2010 Camaro matches the photographs leaked on the internet last week, a marketing coup for GM that brought hundreds of thousands to its website on Monday to take in the global reveal.

“This 5th generation Camaro clearly leveraged GM’s recently integrated global engineering technical community,” said Doug Houlihan, Global Rear Wheel Drive Chief Engineer. “The result is a beautifully balanced chassis, solid body structure, and outstanding vehicle performance.”

Speaking of performance, two engine choices will be offered including the Cadillac CTS’ 3.6L V6 DI VVT engine will be offered on the LS and LT models while the top of the line SS gets the Corvette’s 6.2L V8. Both engines will offer drivers either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic with GM particularly pushing the 3.6L as they say it will get 26 mph on the highway. Even the big V8 should deliver about 23 mpg on the open road.

The all-new Camaro is built on the same rear wheel drive platform underpinning the Pontiac G8 and various Holden models.

As the company says, “front and rear independent suspensions are mounted to the rigid chassis (including a Multi-link strut arrangement in the front with a direct-acting stabilizer bar and a double ball joint configuration) and a unique, 4.5-link rear suspension that is double-isolated from the chassis for a smoother, quieter driving experience.”

“Camaro offers two suspensions. LS and LT models receive an FE2 sport suspension, while the SS receives the lower ride height FE3 performance suspension. Each is tuned to match the performance capabilities of their respective powertrains, as are their wheel-and-tire combinations.”

Safety features includes GM’s StabiliTrak, front and side impact airbags, and one year of the company’s OnStar road assistance/navigation system included. Lots of accessories will be available including colorful paint schemes, striping, custom wheels, larger tires, etc. Seating is 2+2, though I’m sure that the ride would best be enjoyed in the front seat, not the back.

Auto Trends will update our Camaro information as it gets closer to production. GM says that the base model will cost in the low 20s, about the same price as comparably equipped Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger models.

(Source: News & Photos Copyright GM Corp.)