Sunday, May 08, 2005

Is Ford afraid of Horsepower?

It's sad but true, or at least it's my opinion as a consumer. Ford is afraid of horsepower. They trail behind everyone in horsepower ratings in almost every segment.

Mustang GT 300 hp, Dodge Charger R/T 340 hp, Corvette 400 hp, GTO 400 hp

Ranger 210 hp, Toyota 240 hp, Nissan 265 hp, Chevy 220 hp

FiveHundred 203 hp, Accord 250 hp Altima 265 hp

Focus ST 150 hp, Chevy Cobalt SS 205 hp, Dodge Neon SRT 4 230 hp Honda Civic SI 170 hp

Ford since the mid 70's has been satisfied with supplying cars that are almost there and then letting the aftermarket finish the job. Especially with the Mustang this time around, Ford handed out preproduciton Mustangs to many tuners and aftermarktet companies. While this is great news for the consumer that wants to modify their Mustang, it can be difficult for someone who is on a budget (like yours truly.) Don't get me wrong 300 hp will be enough to get my hard earned cash. But what about the FiveHundred, Freestyle, Fusion and even the Focus?

If you look at Ford of Australia, they are not afraid to duke it out inthe horsepower wars. They compete head to head with anyone for horsepower in their Falcon range.

I suspect that Ford is in this situation because of the American penchant for litigation. With questionable drivers on the road and insurance rates alwasys going up, maybe Ford is doing the right thing?

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