The reason we never got to see the great SVT he had in mind is because Ford thought that they could take one frame and sell it as eveything to everyone. If they had a crappy V-6, cheaper materials, and cheap suspension, it would have been a bigger hit as an economy car, but wouldn't have had "great internals". A sporty sedan needs good handling at its core, and the Contour has a good suspension design. It needs an eager, powerful engine, and it has one. It needs a driveline to handle that power and it (almost) has one. These things all cost money, and drove the cost up (and reliablility down?) on the base models. The base models were where Ford planned to make money on the Contour. Without that base, it's not a money-making car. Now, in Europe, it's a hit! BMW and Audi sell 4-cyl A4s and 3 series cars with great success, because most people there want nimble cars. The Mondeo competes there! If Ford wanted to sell Contours, they should have sold them like 3 series in America: V-6 base engine, SVT engine in the SE, turbo in the SVT. Dual exhaust on the regular models, along with Sport suspension, but more along the lines of the BAT kit on the SE/SVT. LSD option on the base, standard on the SVT. Slightly more agressive styling all-around. The real kicker: just like every other sports sedan these days, they would all have AWD optional. 180hp base, 200 hp with sportier suspension and premium gas SE, and a rip-snorting 300hp turbo AWD only SVT that would kill a 330i. Oh well, they aimed at a broad market, when they really had a product for a narrower, more profitable one. Too bad, Ford.
