Ford Performance: The New Ford Global Performance Organization
- Thread starter dbk
- Start date
Mullet
FORD GT OWNER
It's not replacing them per se, it's the new umbrella organization.
Now SVT is essentially Ford Performance Vehicles and FR is Racing. It's all Ford Performance, one side is production vehicle, the other is racing vehicles. How that will show up in actually naming conventions remains to be seen, but both Jamal and Jaime now report to Dave Pericak. Personally, I would have preferred the SVT name stick around, but the offices and employees are the same, so que sera sera.
I always thought it was weird that the director of SVT was also the director of Advanced Product Creation. Sort of incongruous jobs, despite the fact Hermann is awesome. This new structure makes more sense.
http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2014/12/11/ford-performance-vehicles-division/20261041/
Ford has 12 performance cars coming by 2020
Ford will introduce 12 new performance vehicles through 2020 under the umbrella of a single global Ford Performance unit announced today designed to improve profits from this sector.
Raj Nair, the automaker's head of global product development, said Ford Performance pulls together the SVT performance team from the U.S., Team RS in Europe and Ford Racing.
Ford Performance will help profit margins, much like luxury vehicles -- including trucks -- do, Ford CEO Mark Fields told reporters. "The folks who are looking for performance vehicles want the best and they are willing to pay for the best as long as they see the value."
Ford Performance will allow for a quicker rollout of these performance products, Fields said.
Among the anticipated vehicles: the next-generation of the European Ford Focus RS will be a global vehicle, meaning it will be sold in North America as well. Timing was not disclosed. The RS dates back to 1968 and was last introduced in 2009 and enthusiasts have sought its return since.
The Focus RS expands a portfolio that includes the Focus ST, Fiesta ST, Shelby GT350 Mustang and F-150 Raptor. Nameplates will continue to use time-worn ST and RS badges.
More performance vehicle news and unveils could come during next month's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. With the new F-150 on sale, Raptor fans await the next generation of the off-road performance pickup. And since the unveil of the GT350 in Los Angeles last month, there has been talk of a stripped down GT350R in the works. Ford officials have also been mum on a new GT.
Ford Performance will be headquartered in Dearborn under former Mustang chief program engineer Dave Pericak and will act as a test bed to develop vehicles, parts and accessories.
It will have an "agile, skunkworks-type spirit," Nair said.
It is a smart move to leverage Ford's global breadth to go after wealthy customers with high-profit vehicles, said analyst Dave Sullivan of AutoPacific.
Ford wants to take advantage of a 70% increase in performance vehicle sales in the U.S. and a 14% increase in Europe.
Nair said half the Fiesta ST buyers, for example, are 35 and younger, they have money to spend and tend to buy another Ford.
Ford's SVT team has had its ups and downs over the years and was all but defunct at one point while competitor Chrysler made SRT a standalone brand for a number of years but recently folded it into the Dodge brand.
Most European brands have a performance line.
Contact Alisa Priddle: 313-222-5394 or apriddle@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @AlisaPriddle
Ford has 12 performance cars coming by 2020
Ford will introduce 12 new performance vehicles through 2020 under the umbrella of a single global Ford Performance unit announced today designed to improve profits from this sector.
Raj Nair, the automaker's head of global product development, said Ford Performance pulls together the SVT performance team from the U.S., Team RS in Europe and Ford Racing.
Ford Performance will help profit margins, much like luxury vehicles -- including trucks -- do, Ford CEO Mark Fields told reporters. "The folks who are looking for performance vehicles want the best and they are willing to pay for the best as long as they see the value."
Ford Performance will allow for a quicker rollout of these performance products, Fields said.
Among the anticipated vehicles: the next-generation of the European Ford Focus RS will be a global vehicle, meaning it will be sold in North America as well. Timing was not disclosed. The RS dates back to 1968 and was last introduced in 2009 and enthusiasts have sought its return since.
The Focus RS expands a portfolio that includes the Focus ST, Fiesta ST, Shelby GT350 Mustang and F-150 Raptor. Nameplates will continue to use time-worn ST and RS badges.
More performance vehicle news and unveils could come during next month's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. With the new F-150 on sale, Raptor fans await the next generation of the off-road performance pickup. And since the unveil of the GT350 in Los Angeles last month, there has been talk of a stripped down GT350R in the works. Ford officials have also been mum on a new GT.
Ford Performance will be headquartered in Dearborn under former Mustang chief program engineer Dave Pericak and will act as a test bed to develop vehicles, parts and accessories.
It will have an "agile, skunkworks-type spirit," Nair said.
It is a smart move to leverage Ford's global breadth to go after wealthy customers with high-profit vehicles, said analyst Dave Sullivan of AutoPacific.
Ford wants to take advantage of a 70% increase in performance vehicle sales in the U.S. and a 14% increase in Europe.
Nair said half the Fiesta ST buyers, for example, are 35 and younger, they have money to spend and tend to buy another Ford.
Ford's SVT team has had its ups and downs over the years and was all but defunct at one point while competitor Chrysler made SRT a standalone brand for a number of years but recently folded it into the Dodge brand.
Most European brands have a performance line.
Contact Alisa Priddle: 313-222-5394 or apriddle@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @AlisaPriddle
For all intents and purposes. I was talking to a buddy a couple weeks ago that was on GT350 and he told me there wasn't a single badge on the car, which is pretty much what I expected, but I did notice that the engine brace had an SVT logo on it. We'll see if that stands.
2112
Blue/white 06'
Organizationally, it seems to make good sense.
I liked SVT, SVO even more.
I hope it doesn't morph into FPV, conjures up something like Feline Papilloma Virus.
I liked SVT, SVO even more.
I hope it doesn't morph into FPV, conjures up something like Feline Papilloma Virus.
That is exactly what I told them. You're one letter away from being something contagious.
Cobrar
GT Owner
- or - could have been 999 or 666, flipped.
- or - could have gone the 'international' route like - Nova..... :rofl:facepalm:
Ford Performance is descriptive, translates; seems reasonably safe to me.
2112
Blue/white 06'
If Ford doesn't choose their acronym, the customers, or worse, the press will.
I agree, acronyms roll off the tongue so easily.
I agree, acronyms roll off the tongue so easily.
GT35065
GT Owner
Almost anything is better than what Toyota uses...TRD. It may be short for Toyota Racing Division, but all I can think of is turd when I read it.
2112
Blue/white 06'
I guess I like SVT, just because it has been used for 20 years, and points to some good cars, starting with the 93 Fox cobras. It almost seems like the branding got even heavier recently, especially the Raptor, SVT is everywhere. Maybe the branding will continue. Organizationally seems to make a lot of sense though.