Interview with Robert Luft (New President at SA)

[VaporDude]

Here is an interview with the new president of Shelby Autos as conducted by Robert Lane.

http://www.teamshelby.com/forums/index.php?/topic/56859-shelby-president-john-luft-interview/page__pid__970204__st__0&#entry970204

Note: In there they begin to talkk about the F-150 Raptor. They need to leave that one alone IMHO.

[65SC]

possible new GT500 for 2012, Robert made a hint of it on the TS thread,

"Carroll just came back from a week in Detroit, where he sat for hours with the designers working on the new GT500"

[Alloy Dave]

possible new GT500 for 2012, Robert made a hint of it on the TS thread,

"Carroll just came back from a week in Detroit, where he sat for hours with the designers working on the new GT500"
Ok, now I'm confused. This thread is about SAI? If so, are you saying Ford won't produce the GT500 in 2012, but SAI will?

If so, I'm out. :yellowcard3: IMO quality will suffer and the pricing will be too high.

[VaporDude]

Ok, now I'm confused. This thread is about SAI? If so, are you saying Ford won't produce the GT500 in 2012, but SAI will?

If so, I'm out. :yellowcard3: IMO quality will suffer and the pricing will be too high.

Don't know for sure.......why would Ford produce an aluminum 5.4 for one year? I think they need to get at least 3-4 years out of that engine to recoup the research, developement and testing of that engine. I think the GT500 has at least 3-4 years of production left.

[68fastback]

Ford is already deep into the 2014s by now, so having a meeting with Carroll re a 2012 is pure promotional fluff, imo -- just like his input on the 2007 in 2006 (bigger rear tires, etc :doh:) Btw, I've heard the '12 (if they do a "GT500") is an essentially an '11 carry-over ...with a few tweaks. Move along Johnny -- nothing to see here -lol. However, maybe Ford wil be doing more? That King Cobra R-tm is still aging pending first-use :weg:

Interesing that Mr.Luft was annnounced as the head of Shelby Licencing and overseeing SA. Now, all of a sudden and in a round-about way, he's the President of SA!!! Nice slight of hand, eh? ...I must have missed the formal anouncement -lol ...pretty unprofessional way to sidestep dealing with announcing him replacing Amy, imo. (true agenda item#1 adressed?)

Then, they addressed damage control on demand for Shelby products since the GT350 response has been, well, underwhelming. Starwars: SC first , then NA. yeah, that's it!!! :rofl: ...because NA has daily-driver driveability ...so the SC doesn't? What? And no, it definately wasn't because of price on the SC GT350 -- ummm, ok, sure -lol. (true agenda item#2 addressed?).

And Ford and Shelby's love affair is clearly in a stage of full re-bloom! Didn't you notice? Ford giving Shelby all their new pre-retail specialty upfit work? No? Me neither! Ok, yeah, right, sure ...pass the pitcher of red juice (true agenda item#3 addressed?).

Oh, and more stuff is coming that we can't tell you about. But, if 10 people or more call about a Shelby Raptor-SS after this interview I'm sure we can swag a data-sheet and take deposits by pay-pal ...within 30-60 days, no? :giggle:

If I'm being totally honest, I read that whole 'interview' as one giant bucket of double-strength Kool-aid with a full dose of party-drug spin-control stirred in. Nothing wrong with that, just makes you wonder how things are *really* going at SA -- the BoD didn't show Amy the door because the financials were simply golden, did they?


Can't tell you how nice it is to be able to speak freely here :smile:

[twobjshelbys]

I expect there will be a 2012 GT500 and have no doubt that Shelby was there to foster that. I didn't see any mention of it in the press though. I recall that the meetings for the 2010 had a good amount of press, but the 2011 was pretty low key (even though it is a pretty significant model). The 2012 was even less so.

I'd also bet a 6-pack of Bud that he wasn't there to discuss the details of the car but more to discuss the franchising relationship. Time was "in the boardroom, not the lab". How much longer the branding will continue is anyone's guess, but I suspect that the contract was written years ago.

I thought the interview was content free. Remember, it was a "boss - employee" event. Had the real press done the interview it might have had different content. This sounded more like a "one-on-one" discussion notes. I often ask my bosses about the outlook for the business and the responses are similar in the stuff you can really wrap your hands around.

[68fastback]

For sure, Tony ...I think your 6-pack bet is right-on.

I recall in the back of my mind that the initial contract with Ford was re-upped for three years in '08 (ends in 2011??) or thereabouts, so makes sense they'd be discussing the relationship again at this point in time.

Content free interview smartly used to position three areas of 'rumor' being speculated on widely: SA presidency/Luft background; Shelby business health/GT350, Ford relationship/lovefest -- and, to their credit, it at least shows they've got their nose in the wind of opinion.

---

Any idea who they hired as Tuner-in-chief for the Shelby Dyno Shop or what his background might be? I would have liked to see them contract core tune development work to someone like Dennis/Tasca (something analygous to JL with Evo) ...at least the tuning would be done right. Of course that excludes the 5.0 for now, since no one has 'broken-in' to that yet (beyond possibly adding some timing) but I think Shelby's Dyno Shop is more about having mods done with Shelby fairy-dust provenance.

So, what I find especially interesting about the NA GT350 is its potential availability date. Shelby has no way to tune that car (no one has a clue how to get into the 5.0 ECU for TiVCT and that's key) and it's been widely rumored that FRP with Roush (essentially Ford engineering insight) did all the development on GT350SC tuning for that reason. It would seem that Ford would be nuts to then let the NA GT350 potentially impact the coming Street-BOSS sales so either it's at a totally different price point (likely?) or plays to a totally different audience (bling, price and/or KoolAid?).

This leads me back to revisit my prediction of 18+ months ago that an NA GT350 will essentially be a post-retail Ford Street Boss upfit. So, given the apparent overlap in availability of the two, there must be mutual conviction that the market space of the two (street Boss and NA GT350) do not overlap ...which makes me wonder if SA isn't spinning this in advance to get some leverage on Ford over a renewed licensing contract or Ford sees themselves as having little effective choice.

While that's total speculation on my part, I'm strugling to find good business judgement behind why Ford should not be slowly 'compartmentalizing' its relatioinship with SA and, quite possibly, that is precisely what Ford may be doing.

Initially it was a tight relationship ("marriage" in "stone" until CS "goes horizontal" was the language used widely) for the GT500 and SGT. Then, getting burnt by dramatic and repeated delays on the SGTs and KRs (not to mention SA quality and sub-con contract problems, disputes and SA 'restructure'), Ford and Shelby seemingly started characterizing the relationship as SA being Ford's "quick-response partner" in the compartmentalized context of "post-retail" upfits (essentially an aftermatrket dealer relationship aside from the Ford/SA brand-licensing umbrella). So if Ford were to re-up an agreement with SA, I have to beleive it would essentially be the next step in compartmentalization: essentially a renewed 'brand' license but with a [long] arms-length business relationship (via FRP, dealers) with no FoMoCo reatail whatsoever.

Conclusion: Ford values the Shelby brand (overall) more than the limited damage an NA GT350 might do to the Street Boss. Moreover, not renewing with SA at this point could have major backlash among the sweet-red-fluid imbibers since it could well put Shelby in jeopardy (as an example, how would Shelby ever do a meaingfull GT350 SC or NA without Ford engineering and proprietary ECU/TiCVT skills, among other things); besides, there'd be no reason Ford would want to harm Shelby.

Just from the tea leaves, I have to surmise SA has Ford in an interesting, if awkward, position (my read) such that it just makes more sense in the marketplace to be 'in bed' vs risking dropping the soap (lol). Coincidentally (or not?) Luft is now key to both aspects of any ongoing FoMoCo/SL/SA relationship -- licensing and any core SA business relationship -- in the unlikely event of a truly enhanced marriage.

In the past, the Shelby-FoMoCo agreements with Ford were discussed widely by both parties and with the press with lots of and multiple executive photo-ops; then, on the re-up ('08?), it was mentioned and discussed more in passing (mostly by SAI) after being casually released to the press. This time, what will it be? Possibly just a press release and a photo-op? Maybe just via a product announcement? Maybe we just saw it! -lol. Call me cynical (which I'm not, just purely strategic), but the bloom on this rose now seems air-brushed ...and done in water-color ...and no longer the marriage once chisseled in stone.

Shades of Meatloaf's "Love you 'till the end of time" in there? (lol). Only :waiting2: will tell if it's the line in the last stanza.

[Joe G]

When did they scrap the SC for the GT350??

I thought that was all said and done already. Didn't people put $ down with those specs in place?

Is the new price different with a NA engine then?


I'm confused.... :doh2:

[68fastback]

I don't think the GT/SC has been scrapped ...that's still being done on the 3V cars, I beleive, vs the GT350 NA and SC on the 5.0 TiVCT 4V.

[twobjshelbys]

I recall in the back of my mind that the initial contract with Ford was re-upped for three years in '08 (ends in 2011??) or thereabouts, so makes sense they'd be discussing the relationship again at this point in time.



I expect that Ford will keep the Shelby GT500 until (1) demand falls off and (2) Ford has a better replacement of their own.

That could be a very long time... The GT500 is an animal. It has brand name recognition. If Ford were to drop the GT500 name and replace it with an equivalent car (e.g., Boss 302 or Mach1) then the initial acceptance of that replacement WILL be less than a sustained GT500. Trust me. This has nothing to do with the technicals and everything about human perception.

Ford in this space is almost an OEM. Their mission is to sell cars. They could care less what names appear on sticky letters or in stripes. The iron sales is what they are after. My expectation (and hope as a shareholder if I were one) would be that they will maximize sales regardless of what brand name appears on the car. If the Shelby name adds one more care over a self branded (even popular) name, then the shareholders will want Shelby.

[68fastback]

I agree on the name/sticky letters ...volume is volume.

What about a 600+bHP 5-liter TiVCT King Cobra? Ford has been grooming that name in the R-tm DB for quite some time. That could be just a place-holder 'plan' in case the SA marriage goes south at some point, but it's use/lose timing is consistent with a '12 launch :weg:

[twobjshelbys]

I agree on the name/sticky letters ...volume is volume.

What about a 600+bHP 5-liter TiVCT King Cobra? Ford has been grooming that name in the R-tm DB for quite some time. That could be just a place-holder 'plan' in case the SA marriage goes south at some point, but it's use/lose timing is consistent with a '12 launch :weg:


That would be different (and compelling) enough to make the shift to a new moniker.

So would a revamped Mach1 with similar capabilities.

I think a Boss302 would be a tough sell against them. The 302 part has too many linkages to just engine size. It could get limited success against the regular and Shelby Mustangs much like the Bullitt car did, but it won't replace the high end.

[68fastback]

Agree. The Street Boss will be NA only, prolly 450-460bHP, I'd guess. I don't think it will be a tough sell tho ...many want an NA-screamer curve-carver with a factory price tag and warranty. It would be my first choice anyway (if I could afford it -lol).

I can't see Ford taking the CAFE/CO2 hit from the 5.4 much longer tho ...possibly not past '12MY ...maybe '13 if the new mustang is now '14. I think the 5.0 is the top-dog powerplant going forward unless they bite the bullet to provision the 5.4 with the 5.0 heads ...doable but unlikely, imo. The 5.0 architecture is gorgeous and plenty strong. With SC and different rods, etc, no reason it can't support 1000HP, imo.

[Joe G]

I don't think the GT/SC has been scrapped ...that's still being done on the 3V cars, I beleive, vs the GT350 NA and SC on the 5.0 TiVCT 4V.

Wasn't asking about the GT/SC w/ the 4.6 3V... wasn't the GT350 going to have the new 5.0 with a SC on it? I thought so... which is why I was asking why they switched it to just a NA motor (basically stock 5.0 GT, right?)




Or am I totally off??

[VaporDude]

Wasn't asking about the GT/SC w/ the 4.6 3V... wasn't the GT350 going to have the new 5.0 with a SC on it? I thought so... which is why I was asking why they switched it to just a NA motor (basically stock 5.0 GT, right?)




Or am I totally off??

I believe they are going to offer both models. It will help make it cheaper for those who want one and don't need all the HP the SC provides. They should call them GT350-SC and GT350-NA.

[68fastback]

^
||
||_ exactly ...what VD said.

But if a FMC Street Boss and SGT350NA are in the market simultaneously, wo would buy the GT350NA? I'd want the factory car ...from the folks who actually engineer them. :giggle:

[VaporDude]

^
||
||_ exactly ...what VD said.

But if a FMC Street Boss and SGT350NA are in the market simultaneously, wo would buy the GT350NA? I'd want the factory car ...from the folks who actually engineer them. :giggle:

Maybe that is the strategy of FMC. If SA can't deliver how ever many promised, that would more or less drive SA out of the market and out of business.

[Joe G]

:idea:


Ohhhh... I C


Doesn't make much sense to me... but nothing they do anymore does. :doh2:

[68fastback]

Maybe that is the strategy of FMC. If SA can't deliver how ever many promised, that would more or less drive SA out of the market and out of business.

lol - if that was Ford's intent they could have just let them try to figure out TiVCT for themselves :giggle: ...that'd do it -lol.

[65SC]

lol - if that was Ford's intent they could have just let them try to figure out TiVCT for themselves :giggle: ...that'd do it -lol.

:iagree:

[SLB8SNK]

OH please don't let SIA do ANYTHING with the Raptor... for gosh sakes that is all we need...

[VaporDude]

OH please don't let SIA do ANYTHING with the Raptor... for gosh sakes that is all we need...

+1000000000000000000000000000


there are not enough zeros.......

[SLB8SNK]

+1000000000000000000000000000


there are not enough zeros.......

If so, I will have been lucky to buy one without LOL... get them while their hot LOL

[Birdman]

Wasn't asking about the GT/SC w/ the 4.6 3V... wasn't the GT350 going to have the new 5.0 with a SC on it? I thought so... which is why I was asking why they switched it to just a NA motor (basically stock 5.0 GT, right?)




Or am I totally off??


I believe they are going to offer both models. It will help make it cheaper for those who want one and don't need all the HP the SC provides. They should call them GT350-SC and GT350-NA.


If so, I will have been lucky to buy one without LOL... get them while their hot LOL



Let's be realistic here there is only one reason SAI will be producing both teh SC GT350 and now the NA version of the GT350 and it's not exactly for the reason Robert Luft stated which was this:


"The base model was introduced a few months ago with the supercharger and styling and performance enhancements, and now we have announced the naturally aspirated version . The naturally aspirated car was the result of customer requests. I’d say five out of 10 calls for the GT350 were asking the question, ‘Is there a naturally aspirated version? Or an automatic?’

"When you have that type of feedback from consumers, you’ll give them what they want."

Since when did SAI give the people what they want based on "feedback"? :redcard:

Since when is a SC version considered to be a "Base model?" lol

The real reason is because they are not getting enough people to sign up for the supercharged version plain and simple......if they had enough orders in for the SC version , no way would they offer a NA version.

[68fastback]

+1 ...the customer spoke ...and apparently the customer perceived the GT350SC as an overpriced SGTSC ...only booked +/-200 orders vs 1000+ expected, so gotta find a way to drive more volume to amortize development costs if they want to have any hope of holding pricing or achieving revenue targets, imo.

I suspect we'd already be reading about a Raptor GT150SC (lol) if the GT350 front fascia could stretch to fit :mafiasmilie: