[Jeb]

I seem to be gnawing on this like a dog with a bone, but this just galls the nawls out of me...trumped up hopes and results doled out to the ever-hopeful faithful that Ford will once again actually produce a sensible performance alternative to GM's. By sensible, I mean a combination engine/platform/styling exercise that will actually be affordable, and desireable, and REAL. Claiming 590HP in some gross-gross configuration (I'm not seeing any A/C compressor in that picture either) is bad enough, but to wrap it in some 4-door people hauler aimed at the mommy-set is just rubbing salt in the wound. The really sad thing is, that V10 is in a big 'ol Galaxie would-be that if memory serves me right, needed a ton 'o torque, low down, to work right. Here we get, maybe, 590 HP, but at 6500 RPM!!. Anyone else having difficulty seeing a 4 door SUV with automatic with a 6500RPM screamer under the hood? I know the Taurus SHO was a tremendous sales success, they're trying to duplicate that?

Maybe a T-Bird, with a manual trans. But that'll never happen because Ford has ceded the '2-seat performance for less than $50K' to GM for some reason; anyone who can tell me why would be greatly appreciated.

Instead, Ford's better idea is a 7K RPM screamer engine in a family sedan with an automatic, a $150K+ (probably) limited edition GT with a supercharged truck engine, and a bunch of gelded pony cars, that even when in R configuration, only match a 'vette's performance (for more money though), but come nowhere near its cachet, and come nowhere near the performance or machisimo of the Viper. Which I guess is why so much interest in the original Cobra.

This new 427 would possibly be a better choice for the new GT, GT427? Think of the memories that combo would evoke. And a screamer engine in front of a manual trans in a car like the GT makes way more sense than putting such an engine in a short-hop grocery getter. Heck, just switch engines, put the new 427 in the GT and put that torquey truck engine from the GT into the Galaxie. Problem? The new 427 is at max displacement, nowhere to go, and once everything is hooked up and actual HP numbers are calculated, it'll maybe stay above 500 HP-wise but fall below 500 lb-ft in torque. And the 500/500 combo is needed nowadays with the Viper out there at half the price. And they can't make it a V12 because then why would anyone buy the Aston Martin V12? Putting a supercharger on an engine already at 500 HP just to get the torque numbers up would be too much, they'd be over 700 HP which would be like dropping a hydrogen bomb into the HP race pond. Actually too much (can you believe it).

Did I mention I am really disheartened by Ford management and strategy and direction and current offerings and I have yet to see any hint that things are changing. Bring back Jac!