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BlueOvalNews.com |
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Cobra R delay is already costly |
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You can't put the cart before the horse. That's the message around Dearborn these days ever since the 1999 SVT Cobra fiasco story broke last week. But now we're starting to hear that the Cobra R and 2000 Cobra are in serious jeopardy of being delayed - a delay that the Cobra R in particular cannot afford to have happen.
How important is it for Ford to launch the 2000 R Mustang Cobra on time?
Very Critical in fact.
BlueOvalNews obtained some internal Ford letters concerning the Cobra R - One was FROM SVE's John Coletti and Tom Scarpello TO three Ford executive vice presidents.
The letter detailed the Cobra R's profitability and other follow up issues prior to the JOB1 launch.
One issue was how much a delay in the Cobra R project would cost.
The letter stated "De-tuning the engine would require design verification testing for warranty and would take about a year - this would run into 2001 emissions standards, which could not be met." De-tuning?
One might wonder and ask - is the Cobra R on schedule? Our recent report on 1999 Cobra Problems Exposed quotes a Ford official as stating "REP looking at changes to recover CR (compression ratio) without screwing up 5.4L 4Vs." What's the possability that the Cobra R might be seriously delayed due to engine problems, similar to the production Cobras?
It is in fact ALL IMPORTANT for Ford to solve the 1999 Cobra's problems BEFORE they can produce the 2000 model year Cobra or Cobra R. Is Ford SVE having to divert engineering resources from the Cobra R to solve the 1999's problems? That's a very real possability.
A different part of the same letter states "2001 emissions standards would require recalibration, with an estimated investment of $3.5 million". We certainly hope that's not in reference to the possability that the Cobra R will be delayed, or as mentioned above moved to 2001 where upon emissions standards could not be met.
It's still a little too early to fortell what will happen to the Cobra R, but I won't be happy with any R model if the actual1999 street Cobras EVEN fail to meet Ford's own advertised specifications.
Maybe only several dozen of the 300 Cobra R's will race on the track while the others sit in some stuffy rat ass collector's garage, but the simple fact is that the Cobra is getting its ass waxed on the streets every day. Talk is in fact cheap. . . .promises, promises.
By Ford's failure, the 1999 Cobras are image, not substance. The Cobra R's job is to promote the modular engine, Ford's performance efforts and the street Cobra, if any of those can even be done any more.... BlueOvalNews.com |
BlueOvalNews.com |
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