The BAII is here

[shockwave]

Have they upgraded that damn jack? :lol:

I just had my boss wine about it today as he tried to replace his punctured tyre.

[Phido]

Yeah, but seriously is this what people buy a Calais for ... as opposed to an SS ... I can't imagine seeing many LS1 tweaked Calais at WSID ...

Holdens been heading down that road for a while, SS has become more than a tarted up executive with a V8 and a red racing stripe. Monaro, again, gets the full luxury spec treatment. Expensive Daewoo figures the people stumping up $50, $60+ grand for a car want something serious over lesser low cost models no just diffrent colours. Its a entire direction, HSV's now based of berlina spec atleast.

Ghia will have a 40Kw power shortage to the Calais. With the 15 kw power gap now, the Calais is a full 1.5 seconds quicker to a useable 100kmph. Its going to grow to a 2 + second gap to 100 kmph. This is say the diffrence between a Fairmont Ghia and say a Focus Ghia which is $20k cheaper. The six cylinder version should be a full second quicker, possibly more, that 190Kw is Expensive Daewoo special measuring kws, and it gets a 5 speed box as used by BMW, with 5 sensible ratios, Ghia gets a 4 speed with a extra long first gear which hampers times and makes it dowy down low. Calais gets 8 way seats to the Ghias 6, Calais has optional 18" wheels, Ghia its 17" or nothing, LSD is standard with V8 on Calais, on the Ghia its not even a option. Calais has a very distintive look, with many obvious external changes, unique rear lights, uniquie wheels, chrome inserts and strips front back and sides. Ghia, gets Ghia badges and XT head lights.

A few years old 540i you can purchase for less than half the new Ghia's price is quicker than the V8 Ghia, as is a ten year old LS400. They are certainly better featured, and built with better resale and its cheaper, with better economy.

Ghia is going to go the way of the Fairlane and LTD.. single digit monthly sales. While Expensive Daewoo sells thousands and exports even more. And Ford will be left to figure out what it should do to fix it. By the time that's happen the markets left and gone. The reason why? Ford made incomplete cars..

This will hurt Ford in the long run, Ghia market is cash cows, manufacturers make heaps more of Ghias and Calais than they do XT's and executives. With the baby boomer generation nearing retirement, this market should increase as old timers finally realise dreams go buying. Ford will waste its valuable production capacity making XT's for fleets with tiny margins and thining profitability, while Expensive Daewoo churns out Calais and greater spec cars with much higher margins for local and export.

Atleast with a Turbo Ghia, Ford has a chance of reclaiming some excitement into the market, catching some of the customers, combined with a few other changes it could really play catchup.

Edited 03/08/04 01:40 PM by Phido

[plonky]

Funnily enough back in the EF days, the Fairmont Ghia was equipped with the XR6 motor as opposed to the standard motor for the Fairmont.

I thought it was a great idea at the time.

Now, the Fairmont Ghia is supposed to have the XR suspension to make it more of a sport/lux with additional prestige. I was suprised that the Turbo motor or the BOSS motor wasn't offered as an option.

Same with the Fairlane G220. It is supposed to appeal to a younger market but it has the standard 3 valve Triton motor. No Turbo option available.

It is still quite apparent that Ford still don;t know how to package and market some of their models.

FPV? Well I have been quite critical of some of their strategies for a while. The stripe fiasco was a late addition because of the uproar from the 'true believers' and even then they stuffed that up. (HG Monaro stripe on a Ford ferchrissakes)

The GT-P ? absolute waste of time. The GT was/is supposed to be the performance peak on offer from FPV as a regular production product. The GTHO was/is only supposed to be an exclusive limited edition that comes along every now and then.

Every option on the GT-P should have been left on an option list and the one model, GT, should have only been available. That way the customer builds his own exclusive car and each one is an individual option.

GM have been closing the gap on HSV for a while and Ford needs to do the same to FPV. I think they need it !

[GlennAUII]

Same with the Fairlane G220. It is supposed to appeal to a younger market but it has the standard 3 valve Triton motor. No Turbo option available.

it should be a G260 in my opinion to get that barge moving... ugly cars.

They should re vamp the back end of them in the next model, is it any wonder they aren't selling! $10k more than a fairmont ghia, hardly any more options and an auglier body!

[BRENCH]

6 Speed aye!!! ABOUT TIME!

[Macktheknife]

All in all I reckon its the right strategy.

I believe that continuous improvement is the name of the game and the whole succes is based on keeping a good sales flow happening so that these improvments can be funded with minimum capital investment.

So, before a new model, we should see things like:

1. More use of alloy on strategic componants to reduce weight.

2. Brake upgrades.

3. Minor body improvements.

4. Slightly increased engine outputs.

5. Increased interior options.

6. Suspension and steering revisions.

7. And, maybe basic high performance models with minimum lux gear, track oriented suspension/brakes and higher output engines.

Though I've had as many niggling problems as anyone, I still rate the T as the best road car I've had and the most exciting, best value, all round performance 4 door saloon on the international market today.

Bring on each phase of improvement..........

[Venom XR6]

Don't worry too much fellas. This is only a short term upgrade to keep sales up until the real mechanical and style upgrades are ready, which isn't as far away as what some people think. This is more like the ED model with the EF not too far away. Nice to see Ford using the close ratio version of the T56 instead of the piece of crap overgeared Late model camira T56.

Why the hell isn't climate control available on the GT when it is an option on the XR6NA that's worth $20,000 less. Absolute madness. Get ya together FPV.

[Hazey]

Do you think the price will change by much? Mainly refering to XR6T and XR8

Not Much has changed in the new VZ SS so I would expect the price not to go up much on this.

So I would not think that Ford would up the pricing that much in order to compete with Expensive Daewoo VZ

What are your thoughts?

[YOOT]

The gear box will be dearer though. And I think its a great upgrade. It won't devalue Mk1 models.

[bdennis]

my bet is that we will se a Mk II.5 early 2005 with a 5 speed auto...