Ford, like any other global automaker, needs to study up on its primary competitors if it wants to compete effectively in its most popular markets. For North America, that means it has to keep a steady eye on products from Fiat Chrysler, which is now part of Stellantis after Peugeot and FCA decided to tie the knot earlier this year. One of that company’s products is the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, which represents the apotheosis of the Charger lineup. While it may seem odd that Ford has an example on hand for evaluation, given it discontinued the Ford Taurus back in 2019, this latest development isn’t as absurd as one might think.
First off, this Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is definitely owned by Ford, as it was clearly spotted turning into a Ford facility, in addition to sporting the telltale yellow sticker on its rear window. But why would Ford want to evaluate such a vehicle, especially since it dropped all sedans from its lineup? At this point, it is only competing against the likes of the 2021 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, which is a somewhat indirect competitor. However, The Blue Oval is rumored to be seriously thinking about conjuring up a Ford Mustang sedan, as Ford Authority reported last year. The company could be getting a feel for how a muscle sedan behaves on the pavement, especially a model that features the 707 horsepower supercharged 6.2L V8 Hemi V8.
Ford is well acquainted with the guts of the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat at this point, as its stablemate, the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX, features the same powertrain. Still, there must be something the company finds intriguing about the sedan. In any event, it joins a long line of testing vehicles before it, as Ford has been caught benchmarking the likes of the Jeep Gladiator, Corvette C8 Stingray, Audi e-tron, and 2021 Cadillac Escalade, among others.
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Comments
Why couldn’t ford be looking to resurrect another cool badge and put it on the mustang based chassis? Gran Torino? Send it to Australia as a falcon again?
There’s been rumor that Ford is going to build a 4 door mustang so maybe this is part of it.
A torino cobra done right would be a hot seller.
How about a T Bird personal luxury sedan it doesn’t have to outrun any competitor just be comfortable good power and lots of technology. Please don’t destroy the mustang with a bigger plarform.
I wish. But automakers don’t really build coups anymore, and single young people don’t buy new cars is this market.
Especially since “back in the day” it was Ford’s Thunderbird that took on the Corvette, not the Mustang.
I wish they would bring back the T-Bird, that’s what we need to get a sharp high powered Thunderbird… Maybe they are thinking about this, I sure hope it not a bigger 4-door Mustang…
Trying to get tips on how a car doesn’t need fixed or repair daily
mopar dont go far. love saying that!
Neither does found on road dead….
The fact people who drive junk like Dodges, actually take the time to go to a Ford site to drop insults that a 5 year old would find lame, really sums you guys up. 😂
Wow I have both Ford and Mopar in my stable and my Mopar is definitely the better of the two vehicles without question.
This is the saying every one knows as real, the 80’s killed Fords reputation, some of the worse cars ever built, hence F-ound
O-n
R-oad
D-ead
The 80’s made this saying even more true.
The 70’s was great MOPAR took a quality hit in the 80’s as well. We all remember how the government intervention practally ruined the muscle car for all the American manufactures. MOPAR eventually took back the most powerful muscle car status they enjoyed in the 70’s. I hope all 3 American manufactures try harder to save the muscle cars, even if they need 4 doors too.
My mopars have been fantastic cars. I have had one 300c for 15 years and no problems or replacements except tires and brakes with 110k miles on it.
Cool story, but Chrysler products have a deserved and well earned place at the bottom of most people’s wish lists as they are not good cars. Ancient chassis that are mishmash of old Merc parts and Dodge bits, wired up by people who have never been trained and thrown together on a Friday afternoon. The 300c is a dog generally speaking. And as this is a Ford site you’re not going to find many people defending one here either.
“Bro”? People still say (or write) “Bro”?
And you’re sarcastically passing judgment on what someone else posts here?
What’s next for you, “Bro”?
Gonna drop a “Dude” in there, too?
I have a 1967 Dodge R/t that has only 120th. On it an it will still out rum any thing in its class! What a great car! But I also have a 53 Mercury w/ 35 th on it and it will also run very well 351c sometimes it will scare the h—ll out o& me! Just my toys !
110k miles for 15yrs? Is this a daily driver?
Ford needs a sedan !!!!
Agreed.
I said long ago that television has created a society of numbskulls, because it lost its opportunity to use the nascent medium to raise the bar for entertainment. Television could’ve created a better market by offering a better product. Instead, it appealed to the lowest common denominator of vapid morons.
I think Ford and GM could’ve created vehicles that would’ve created demand. Instead, they are more like Walmart: “Let’s just get stuff cheap to build, but profitable”. There’s no reason on this withering planet that a Subarau WRX can thrive, but a Taurus SHO—not the historical sedan, but one engineered for the driver—can’t.
The SUVs, COVs, whatever, aren’t built for the driver; they’re built for the shareholder.
Ford has, thus far, missed the opportunity to create sedans that could truly compete with the cars which have replaced them. Ford’s buying power, production efficiency and dealer and service network are incredible. It’s too bad for the consumers that we’re getting beige vehicles in a brighter market, just like we’re getting mind-vacating television when every household could be generating a stronger future for America with better programming for the little ones.
I guess we need to be content, even grudgingly content, with noisy and weak Escapes and Edges and their Lincoln clones, and “Shark Week” and re-runs of “Friends”.
2022 Crown Victoria SHO please…
Yes! A new Ford performance sedan that’s not a speed-boat like my SHO! I need this
I love it🔥🔥🔥
What don’t they benchmark.
Ford just doesn’t get it. They don’t understand ‘more car for more money’. They want want ‘more money for less car.’
Now you hit something on the head.
The new mustang is hideous looking, going to lose big on this, but worst than that, the new Ford Bronco
Okay, thanks.
Ford already had supercharged V8s and turbo 6s rear wheel drive muscle cars – in Australia! The Ford Falcon continued the muscle car tradition from the late 60s well into the new millennium. The good news is that the engineers and the know-how is still in Australia so it wouldn’t be too difficult to set up such a car in double quick time for minimum outlay. Wiki Ford Falcon if you want to know more. I’ll be happy to sell you a few examples of you want them in the US!
I own an F6 Typhoon that I bought new and an XR6T, yes a new Falcon would be a good solution to a sports sedan, I certainly wouldn’t be getting the Aussies to do a new one. The engineering finesse isn’t there, send the work to the German design team and see what they would come up with while letting the Japanese sort the electrics and tech.
You guys already have an engine that can be modified to compete with dodge! Come guys think outside the box a little. Scared money don’t make money.
Maybe Ford can get the power steering to stay on their cars and a decent transmission . They need to copy somebody ! As long as they made vehicles the should be number 1 .
Hello LSC we’ve been waiting for you
Another forgotten winner, the lsc or a torino would take half the challenger sales if done right. But what the he’ll is with the Lincoln nomenclature? I loved the mark editions now we have the McDonald’s editions mkz, mkc etc. Do they come with fries and a drink?
I like the big three I favor Dodge I have owned a Dodge Daytona a Dodge Intrepid and had zero maintenance problems with any of them but I have also owned 3 Ford Thunderbirds. And the Ford Explorer which just after leasing it had to take it to the garage to have it fixed also bought a new Ford Escort purple l x back in the day had to have the gas tank removed in the fuel replaced because the car was filled with gas fumes I like I said I had no issues whatsoever with the Dodgers but I would like to see Ford bring a car out that doesn’t cost the price of a house so the Common working man could afford it and have some kind of a sedan sport car he can afford I’ve also owned Chevrolets 98 Monte Carlo which ran great maintenance-free 2003 Monte Carlo SS which had transmission problems but I will always stick with the big 3 I will never buy imports but yes I hope Ford makes a sedan like the charger the dodges today are not made like the ones from the 80s and 90s they are made cheap and very overpriced
Maybe this new vehicle will make use of the skyline trade mark
Ford made a lot of great cars I never had any problem with any of them that I bought and I drove them hard I like the old Galaxy 500’s & LTDs the Gran Torino’s were great cars so why Ford doesn’t make something like one of them and bring back the T-Bird and make it a mean ass car that will turn people’s heads I don’t understand not everybody wants to drive a pickup truck or an SUV and who the hell can afford them to begin with come on Ford get your act together make some nice sedans your classy yet run like a bat out of hell. 🇺🇸
Maybe ford should “research” how european cars do launch control, since none of their performance cars can take off properly despute the big HP, i.e gt500.
Interceptor. Forty-Nine. 427. All concepts that Ford should go back and consider if they’re shooting for sedan with style and personality.. and give Lincoln a bigger version!
Ford should use names like Cyclone from the old Mercury Cyclone are even Eliminator from the old Cougar Eliminator. If they make a performance sedan.
Im not a big ford guy, but if ford made a 4 door family car with a big V8 in the high 20s low 30k price range ID buy it. I am thinking of buying a charger but dont want payments on a 40k car after years of no payments. I refuse to give up the old Deville for a smaller vehicle, Ford make something happen for us.
I think ford should bring back the Ford Talladega like its just a rare car to even see these days
As a Ford enthusiast, I have owed several and currently own 3 older mustangs, and a couple older Ford dent-side trucks and even a Lincoln SUV… With that said…
First off, you get to feel the excitement of the sounds, torque and pure power at your control.
Second, whether your are satisfying your inner child or adult, depending on you definition of fun, you are zipping through your own track- from a city obstacle course, country road, or highway.
Third, even spending time cruising with family members or friends, bonds get built over things as simple as a joy ride!
When you think of a Mustang, you think muscle car, you think of a coupe, convertible, or even a fastback. It is unbelievable the amount of power the new vehicle can make!
I have to say build a quality vehicle and not cut corners on trim and fasteners and make a durable and dependable vehicle like what used to be produced. The electric vehicle, and SUV need to be named as their own entity and let them build their own legacy.
But to name the new SUV a or even the next sedan after the iconic sports car is far from what the original vision and intent was of the “Mustang.” To me it’s a complete disgrace of the “Mustang” name.
P.S. This new “MACH 1” is missing the one true ingredient, the “Shaker”.
A taurus rwd or even better an awd rwd biased crown vic
Maybe for years Ford built police cruisers and still do considering the Explorer. I wonder if police departments are requesting 4 door, rear wheel drive, with highway chase speed. Ford was the go to guys in that department for decades. I do know that I see a lot of Chargers used police departments…
Ford needs to get the quality of their interiors out of the 90s before they do anything. I ended up buying a Mazda after test driving the ‘brand new” vehicles at Ford. My 87 Escort felt better put together inside.
I think they should be coming back with one of their 60s models like the Fairlane or Galaxies they will have plenty of engine choices and they know from the Charger that there’s still people who want a big rear wheel drive sedan especially if it has ridiculous amounts of power lol. Or bring the Fusion back and put a Mustang V8 engine in it lol.