The first decent shot of the 2015 front fascia. I like it. The side mirrors have been moved from the A pillar.
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2015 Mustang spy shot
- Thread starter Sinovac
- Start date
Side valance looks cool.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/future-cars/spy-shots-2015-ford-mustang-front-end#slide-1
http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/future-cars/spy-shots-2015-ford-mustang-front-end#slide-1
If the rumors are to be believed (over a foot shorter, lighter by several hundred pounds, Ecoboost power and the flat plane crank GT350), this car will be epic. Can't wait to see one in the flesh. If it has a telescoping steering wheel I might just pass out.
Alot of the late rumors don't even pass the laugh test. The dimensions being quoted by some "automotive news" rags are amusing in that they are pretty much identical in length to a current 4 door Fiesta, while also managing to be narrower than said Fiesta. :lol
Indy GT
Yea, I got one...too
Ron, I wondered the same thing. Does Mark have a blue driving suit?
Looks like Boss front rims with Shelby rear rims.
From Wikipedia (on V8s):
The flat-plane or single-plane crankshaft has crank pins at 180°. They are imperfectly balanced and thus produce vibrations unless balance shafts are used, with a counter rotating pair flanking the crankshaft to counter second order vibration transverse to the crankshaft centerline. As it does not require counterweights, the crankshaft has less mass and thus inertia, allowing higher rpm and quicker acceleration, in addition to the firing being LRLRLRLR or RLRLRLRL with regular overall and per-bank pulse spacings. The design was popularized in modern racing by the Coventry Climax FWMV 1.5 L (92 cu in) V8 that evolved from a cross-plane to a flat-plane configuration. Flat-plane V8s on road cars come from Ferrari (every V8 model they have ever made, from the 1973 308 GT4, to the new 458), Lotus (the Esprit V8), TVR (the Speed Eight), Porsche 918 Spyder and McLaren (the MP4-12C). This design is popular in racing engines, the most famous example being the Cosworth DFV.[17]
The flat-plane or single-plane crankshaft has crank pins at 180°. They are imperfectly balanced and thus produce vibrations unless balance shafts are used, with a counter rotating pair flanking the crankshaft to counter second order vibration transverse to the crankshaft centerline. As it does not require counterweights, the crankshaft has less mass and thus inertia, allowing higher rpm and quicker acceleration, in addition to the firing being LRLRLRLR or RLRLRLRL with regular overall and per-bank pulse spacings. The design was popularized in modern racing by the Coventry Climax FWMV 1.5 L (92 cu in) V8 that evolved from a cross-plane to a flat-plane configuration. Flat-plane V8s on road cars come from Ferrari (every V8 model they have ever made, from the 1973 308 GT4, to the new 458), Lotus (the Esprit V8), TVR (the Speed Eight), Porsche 918 Spyder and McLaren (the MP4-12C). This design is popular in racing engines, the most famous example being the Cosworth DFV.[17]
Cobrar
GT Owner
And that technology can present some interesting challenges (both engineering and cost) in controlling NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) and sound management to achieve acceptable levels for regulators and/or 'average' consumer.
Indy GT
Yea, I got one...too
So djs, want to take a shot at "explaining" what this means as it relates to jcthrone's question as to what a flat-plane crankshaft does for the engine and why this type of design is important? I did not read any further than the copied wikipedia entry. Perhaps there is a further explanation in the full web version.
Evidently this concept has been around for over 40 years and yet only a few special category racing engines have been designed to use this design attribute. Most mass produced engines internally balance the crank with crank cheeks to balance the centrifugal and inertial rod forces. The Ford designers are sharp so if they offer a flat-plane crankshaft there must be some inherent advantage.
From my limited vantage, engine acceleration due to reduced crankshaft mass and higher rotational speed are not big drivers for today's engines. My 5.0 and 5.4 Ford engines accelerate just fine and does one really need an engine capable of turning higher than the Roadrunner's redline speed of 7,500 rpm? Unlikely. Then too there is added complexity to externally driven (from the crankshaft) and phased counterbalance shafts (which some recent 4 cyl engines have used) which might make the cited weight advantage moot.
As I stated the engine designer's at Ford are very good, so there must be some other advantage to trying this type of design....
Evidently this concept has been around for over 40 years and yet only a few special category racing engines have been designed to use this design attribute. Most mass produced engines internally balance the crank with crank cheeks to balance the centrifugal and inertial rod forces. The Ford designers are sharp so if they offer a flat-plane crankshaft there must be some inherent advantage.
From my limited vantage, engine acceleration due to reduced crankshaft mass and higher rotational speed are not big drivers for today's engines. My 5.0 and 5.4 Ford engines accelerate just fine and does one really need an engine capable of turning higher than the Roadrunner's redline speed of 7,500 rpm? Unlikely. Then too there is added complexity to externally driven (from the crankshaft) and phased counterbalance shafts (which some recent 4 cyl engines have used) which might make the cited weight advantage moot.
As I stated the engine designer's at Ford are very good, so there must be some other advantage to trying this type of design....
BlackICE
GT Owner
One of the major advantages of the flat plane crank is that it is easier to design a well flowing exhaust system without the bundle of snakes design, due to the LRLRLR... bank firing of the cylinders. This is most advantageous in normally aspirated cars running high RPMs.
Indy GT
Yea, I got one...too
Clinton, I would agree, and exhaust scavenging can offer volumetric efficiency inprovements in a normally asperated IC engine. But I still remain unconvinced how this application might have merit in a production based daily driver with a catalic converter, muffler and long tailpipe all of which provides exhaust backpressure and inhibits scavenging.
I will do some more research on this after I get my car ready for transport out to our Rally!
I will do some more research on this after I get my car ready for transport out to our Rally!
BlackICE
GT Owner
It's for those Fcar owners that add cat delete and Tubi exhaust systems. That's about the only mods Fcar owners do. :lol
It could be purely for marketing reasons. Engines with flat plane cranks have a unique sound.
Are you saying I shouldn't get too excited about a Mustang ForTwo? lol
I think you are right. The sound and NA HP potential would give the car much more credibility in Europe. How better to shatter Europe's preconceived ideas about the Mustang than to offer a screaming flat plane crank V8 in a special edition Mustang?
fjpikul
GT Owner
Frank,
The term "flat plane crank" only refers to the crank configuration, not the cylinder arrangement. When you look at a flat plane crank from the axial view, the rod journals are 180 degrees from each other. But yes, horizontally opposed piston engines use a flat plane crank.
The term "flat plane crank" only refers to the crank configuration, not the cylinder arrangement. When you look at a flat plane crank from the axial view, the rod journals are 180 degrees from each other. But yes, horizontally opposed piston engines use a flat plane crank.
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