Ford gifts prized performance division ‘badge’ to Mustang GT Down Under. Yet, confusingly, only hi-po versions get it Stateside
Aussie Mustang GT owners can now boast one-up on their counterparts in the USA; the imprimatur of the Blue Oval’s premium performance offshoot, Ford Performance. Unlike its corresponding model in the USA, the Australian-delivered Mustang GT is now a Ford Performance product – at least according to Ford Australia.
Ford Performance is Ford Motor Company’s specialist performance division. Think AMG to Mercedes or M to BMW. It builds a limited number of specialist models sold under the Ford Performance banner.
In the USA, Ford Performance defines such models as: Ford GT, Mustang GT350 and GT350R, F150 Raptor, Focus RS and ST, and Fiesta ST. Mustang GT, and special models like the Mustang Bullitt are conspicuous by their absence.
The performance division has claimed the just-released Ranger Raptor as one of its own and will likely add it to its US-based ‘brag book’. Indeed, Ford Performance boss Jamal Hameedi is said to have played an active role in the development of the high-stepping off-roader.
“The Ford Performance team is excited to extend the Raptor name from our flagship off-road performance F-150 to Ranger. Just like the F-150 Raptor, the Ranger Raptor builds on the core capability of the range of vehicles it comes from and carries the unmistakable Ford Performance DNA appearance,” Hameedi stated at the unveiling of the Ranger Raptor.
But there remains a separation between church and state when it comes to Mustangs and their high-performance GT350 and GT350R derivatives in the pony car’s home market. And, it seems a difference of opinion within the Blue Oval’s engineering and marketing cadres.
Earlier this year at the Detroit auto show, Mustang Vehicle Engineering Manager, Tom Barnes, indicated to motoring.com.au that the base Mustang vehicle project remained very much stand-alone.
“I don’t know the answer because I don’t work on GT 350,” Barnes sated when asked about a possible future for GT350 Down Under.
“The GT 350 is part of Ford Performance. Ford Performance has a separate team. They take the base car [Ed: Mustang GT] and then they operate on it.
“A lot of the people who work in Ford Performance have worked on the base Mustang. We talk with them, there is a lot of cross-communication, but some of those things… We have other things we have to do,” Barnes stated.
Ford Australia’s stance doesn’t exactly align…
The company used the recent announcement of its 2019 return to Supercars competition with a Mustang to also debut Ford Performance as a sub-brand Down Under.
At that time, Ford Australia featured the Mustang GT as a lynch pin, alongside the new Ranger Raptor and other global Ford Performance models such as Focus RS.
In response to questioning from motoring.com.au as to whether Mustang GT was a Ford Performance product, Ford Australia boss Graeme Whickman conceded the GT was not.
“We don’t want to be disingenuous. They [Mustang] are a performance vehicle. We’re talking about racing, we’re talking about Ford Performance – they’re merging together… But it’s not through design that we’re trying to pull the wool over everyone eyes. At the end of the day if you asked a customer, or you asked my wife for example, she’d call it [Mustang] a performance vehicle. We’re not trying to sell it as Ford Performance
“As it [Mustang] stands right there that is not a Ford Performance vehicle. If you’re talking about the Shelby [GT350] then you’re in a different space,” Whickman stated.
Since the announcement, however, it seems things have changed.
In response to a request for a formal statement re Mustang GT, Ford Australia spokesperson Martin Gunsberg said: “The Mustang program sits under the same engineering reporting structure as Ford Performance and whilst the Mustang GT isn’t separated into its own program like the GT350, it is considered part of the Ford Performance global portfolio.”
Confused? Well, we are – and we wouldn’t blame you if you followed suit…
Does it matter? We’d argue yes – especially if the Ford Performance brand is to count for anything in the long run.
Ford may have taken up the performance cudgels on the racetrack again but it appears set to continue its on-again off-again stance when it comes to fast road cars.
Since Mustang arrived Down Under, Ford Australia has vacillated re officially offering Ford Performance parts including supercharger kits for the Mustang. It officially gave the greenlight to a Ford Performance 500kW kit in May 2015 and then last year killed off the plan.
The company, via boss Whickman, last week re-iterated there are no plans to import the GT350 or GT350R Ford Performance models.
Back in October 2015, Hameedi, Down Under for a flying visit, told motoring.com.au that the future of the Ford Performance Mustang GT350 variants Down Under was linked to pedestrian protection legislation.
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