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New
Glass Roof Option Available on 45th Anniversary Mustang
By
Robert Musial
DEARBORN, Dec. 12,
2007 (FCN) -- The 2009 Ford Mustang gallops into showrooms next
summer with a unique option for its 45th anniversary -- a glass
roof.
The special
feature, a factory-installed first in its segment, will join the
hardtop and the convertible models in the Mustang stable, beginning
next summer.
The striking new model, set to debut in January at the
North American International Auto Show in Detroit, continues Ford's
commitment to deliver "a steed for every need," said Derrick Kuzak,
group vice president for Global Product Development.
"As the automotive
landscape becomes increasingly competitive, features such as a
panoramic glass roof will help differentiate our products from the
competition. And this glass roof will allow owners to enjoy the
outdoors year-round from the comfort of their Mustang," said Kuzak.
To ensure a
comfortable driving experience, the panoramic roof is made of tinted
privacy glass which reduces both vehicle cool-down time and infrared
energy by 50 percent.
While allowing
occupants an unrestricted view of the world above and around them,
the special reflective glass reduces energy used by the vehicle's
air conditioner system by 20 percent while protecting the interior
fabric from fading and deteriorating. A manually-operated roller
blind allows owners to block the light on bright days.
A layer of sound
absorbent vinyl sandwiched within the special glass will also keep
the cabin quieter by reducing noise, vibration and harshness.
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The glass roof
Mustang will be as safe and as high quality as traditional models,
said Paul Randle, chief nameplate engineer for Mustang. "We want to
offer this feature to customers while maintaining the quality and
safety of the vehicle that we've been recognized externally for,"
said Randle.
Nearly one out of
two sports cars sold in America is a Mustang and it remains the
best-selling convertible.
Earlier this year,
the 2008 Mustang convertible became the first sports car and the
first convertible to earn the highest possible safety ratings in new
car tests performed by the U.S. government.
The Mustang coupe
also earned five stars in frontal crash tests for both driver and
passenger, in side impact for driver and in rollover tests. It
earned four stars for rear-seat passengers.
The glass roof
Mustang is built like the coupe and has been developed to maintain
the structural integrity of the car. In development, it was put
through rigorous water and air leakage tests plus durability and
squeak and rattle tests to make sure it would meet the quality
levels that earned Mustang first place ratings in the 2007 J.D.
Power and Associates' studies on Initial Quality, Vehicle
Dependability and Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL).
"Our owners have
high expectations and we always want to meet them -- with strong
features like this glass roof option, plus quality and performance,"
said Randle.
He said the Mustang
team was inspired by aftermarket glass roof applications for
Mustangs and by the Italdesign Giugiaro Mustang concept car shown at
the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
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The idea of
offering a glass roof was researched with Mustang customers
beginning in 2005 to determine interest and pricing. Of those
polled, 51 percent said the styling appealed to them and 42 percent
said it would help make their car more unique.
The glass roof
Mustang will be as safe and as high quality as traditional models,
said Paul Randle, chief nameplate engineer for Mustang. "We want to
offer this feature to customers while maintaining the quality and
safety of the vehicle that we've been recognized externally for,"
said Randle.
Nearly one out of
two sports cars sold in America is a Mustang and it remains the
best-selling convertible.
Earlier this year,
the 2008 Mustang convertible became the first sports car and the
first convertible to earn the highest possible safety ratings in new
car tests performed by the U.S. government.
The Mustang coupe
also earned five stars in frontal crash tests for both driver and
passenger, in side impact for driver and in rollover tests. It
earned four stars for rear-seat passengers.
The glass roof
Mustang is built like the coupe and has been developed to maintain
the structural integrity of the car. In development, it was put
through rigorous water and air leakage tests plus durability and
squeak and rattle tests to make sure it would meet the quality
levels that earned Mustang first place ratings in the 2007 J.D.
Power and Associates' studies on Initial Quality, Vehicle
Dependability and Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL).
"Our owners have
high expectations and we always want to meet them -- with strong
features like this glass roof option, plus quality and performance,"
said Randle.
He said the Mustang
team was inspired by aftermarket glass roof applications for
Mustangs and by the Italdesign Giugiaro Mustang concept car shown at
the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The idea of
offering a glass roof was researched with Mustang customers
beginning in 2005 to determine interest and pricing. Of those
polled, 51 percent said the styling appealed to them and 42 percent
said it would help make their car more unique.
Ford dealer and
marketing research indicate that about 20 percent of Mustang
shoppers are likely to order the glass roof version, said Allison
Revier, product marketing manager for Mustang.
The glass roof will
be available as an option on both the V-6 model and the Mustang GT
and will be priced at $1,995 -- less than half the cost of the
convertible option.
The 2009 glass roof
model will be built at Automotive Alliance International (AAI) in
Flat Rock, Mich., and finished at the plant's adjacent Modification
Center. Strong teamwork between AAI, Vehicle Personalization,
Vehicle Operations, Product Development, Marketing and the supplier
Webasto was instrumental in creating this car. | 