The first gen probe was supposed to be a new mustang, yes, but definitely not the second generation. After the success of the first generation probe, the developed a new chasis for the next generation that had no relation what-so-ever to the mustang. They actually had to make the car less powerful than they wanted in fear that the sporty looks matched with too much performance would decrease mustang sales. The last generation cougar was supposed to be the third generation probe.

That car is a solid chasis based off the mx-6 and 626. It's a common mistake to think that car is a Ford. Everything underneath the shell is mazda. If you want to argue that mazda is still a Ford, you're also going to have to argue that Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Volvo are also Fords.

I've been a fan of imported cars for a long time. With the struggles of the domestics though, just wait, I believe Ford will come out quite well. They are doing a lot of really smart things. They are ahead in the domestic hybrid market, much farther than GM especially, and are also starting to offer a lot of awd platforms. They're attacking the camry and accord head on with some very decent cars. The Fusion is a pretty big success. The new 500 and Focus are looking to follow in nicely behind it. I think the new Edge will also do quite well.