2015 Ford Mustang / Shelby GT350 Official - 5.2L FPC with 500+hp/400+ lb-ft

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

I guess magazines feel obligated to mention the Twins because they feel those are the most compelling coupes under $30k right now..... .

Originally Posted by BobDigi5060

...The truth is Top Gear makes a quick comparison which is unfavorable to the twins, but nobody was crying foul when the twins were coming in 1st and 2nd in this review...

Actually, I think Top Gear uses the 86 as a benchmark because they were one of its biggest fans in the initial release. I'm not surprised by the comparison, or the results against the new Mustang. I wouldn't classify anything that has been said as unfair.

I'm holding off final judgement until I can drive one, but there's a good chance I'll end up with a '15 Mustang parked next to the FR-S in my garage to replace MomHawk's Mustang '05 convertible.

I'm not really crazy about the look though, the initial "looks nice" impression I had has worn off for me. I think I was just happy initially it still looked like a Mustang and not the Aston wannabe in some of the first renderings. Then again, it won't be my car so my opinion matters only as far as my willingness to write my 49% of the check.

[thill]

I think Ford missed a golden opportunity with the new Mustang. The new car is nearly as long as a Camry but still does not offer much in the way of a useable backseat. They made a bigger, heavier car and could have slightly reduced some of the bulk, lost weight. In the end it won't matter much because the target demographic for a Mustang is a 50+ year old male and they will care more about interior refinement and the car driving better on the street. Which Ford accomplished.

[BobDigi5060]

Originally Posted by thill

I think Ford missed a golden opportunity with the new Mustang. The new car is nearly as long as a Camry but still does not offer much in the way of a useable backseat. They made a bigger, heavier car and could have slightly reduced some of the bulk, lost weight. In the end it won't matter much because the target demographic for a Mustang is a 50+ year old male and they will care more about interior refinement and the car driving better on the street. Which Ford accomplished.

The target is literally everyone and the rest of the World (turbo, 30+ mpg, IRS, modern styling, roomier, etc). The styling is meant to attract more female buyers too. 50-100 pounds and an inch in length is really nothing to write home about.... Every last editor is saying that this is a proper Mustang and the best one yet. As far as a roomy backseat? Child please, it's a pony car at the end of the day and this ain't the 1960's so get with it... If you want a roomy backseat in an American Classic buy the Challenger.

Tuners are going to have a field day with the Ecoboost... At this point I'd rather have that model now and buy the V8 GT later when they update it with direct injection and other amenities.

[radroach]

Just going to insert my opinion. Was really looking forward to seeing what this car was going to be like when they first announced it and showed pictures. Like This Article (Autoblog 2013), the car looked smaller and lighter. After some real photos came out, my excitement waned:





And it was easier to judge that the car was the same size and weight as the older mustangs with just a few aero improvements. Ford has made plenty of glamour shots and spread rumors that it would be a lighter car to try and make the car look smaller than it is. But it's really about the same size, shape, and weight as the 2014.



It looks good, and the interior is cool, and the engine choices are nice, but it doesn't pull me away from my BRZ.

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by LSxJunkie

SN95/New Edge Mustangs aren't exactly small either.

Pic is misleading, the S95 Mustang is tiny compared to the '05+. Posting it well in front of a 3rd gen Camaro makes it look bigger than it is. It's taller than the 3rd gen F-body, but smaller in every other dimension. Before the OHC and DOHC V8s replaced the smaller/lighter-weight OHV 302, it was also only ~3250 lb. for the V8 models, while the 3rd gen was ~3450 and the C4 and C5 were ~3350 lb.

What has happened, honestly, is the car has come into line with the Camaro, with it's big weight, content, and IRS. At this point, they are not modern day 60s Mustangs and Camaros, they're modern day 60s Torinos and Chevelles. But I, and most buyers, understand what we're getting into because that's what we're looking for.

And buyers like myself are left with nothing

They should have made the new Mustang a legitimate *alternative* to the absurdly oversized and overweight '10+ Camaro, not a Ford version of the same car

[Poodles]

My problem with the car is this view:





Headlights are pushed out to the very edge making it look "derpy." Overall the front end is very bland and lacks the menacing look they used to have.

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by ZDan

And buyers like myself are left with nothing

They should have made the new Mustang a legitimate *alternative* to the absurdly oversized and overweight '10+ Camaro, not a Ford version of the same car

That is what makes the 86 a special car. Lightweight fixed-top coupes are usually 40k+ if you can even find them.

[Lonewolf]

I think the new Mustang is pretty mean-looking. Yeah, it doesn't have the driving dynamics of the newer BOSS 302 (the only Mustang I would ever buy), but the IRS is a positive move.

The weight penalty sucks but there was practically no way to keep the car affordable and do all of the things that they needed to make this into a world car.

Me thinks the modded Ecoboost and V8 guys are going to have quite the rivalry over the years...

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

That is what makes the 86 a special car. Lightweight fixed-top coupes are usually 40k+ if you can even find them.

i dont know. none of that is particularly special. i dont think the eclipse is a special car. or the tc. the frs is special because of a commitment to a singular purpose. it doesnt really pander to people looking at a spec sheet or measuring parts of a car. to me, macpherson struts, that torque dip, and its performance/price ratio are all very poor choices. the car was built to be fun while driving and they accomplished that, so i bought one.

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by fatoni

i dont know. none of that is particularly special. i dont think the eclipse is a special car. or the tc. the frs is special because of a commitment to a singular purpose. it doesnt really pander to people looking at a spec sheet or measuring parts of a car. to me, macpherson struts, that torque dip, and its performance/price ratio are all very poor choices. the car was built to be fun while driving and they accomplished that, so i bought one.

I should have included RWD. Anything that is cheap, rwd, and light will sell like hotcakes.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

I should have included RWD. Anything that is cheap, rwd, and light will sell like hotcakes.

tacoma? there is a lot of stuff that goes into making a car awesome. my crx and my miatas are at least as fun as my brz despite meeting less of your criteria. i think its safe to say that the people on this forum will like it very much but i think heavier more powerful cars will sell like hotcakes because thats what most of the "enthusiast" world wants.

[thill]

Originally Posted by fatoni

tacoma? there is a lot of stuff that goes into making a car awesome. my crx and my miatas are at least as fun as my brz despite meeting less of your criteria. i think its safe to say that the people on this forum will like it very much but i think heavier more powerful cars will sell like hotcakes because thats what most of the "enthusiast" world wants.

No, 50+ year old male American drivers eat up these Camaros and Mustangs. Because they make up the largest percentage of new car buyers. Honestly, if the Mustang lost some weight and size it will still sell just as well.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by thill

No, 50+ year old male American drivers eat up these Camaros and Mustangs. Because they make up the largest percentage of new car buyers. Honestly, if the Mustang lost some weight and size it will still sell just as well.

well those 50+ guys are the only people enthused enough to actually buy a car. the guys buying cars are the ones that actually value the cars seeing as money is the universal standard of value.

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by fatoni

tacoma? there is a lot of stuff that goes into making a car awesome. my crx and my miatas are at least as fun as my brz despite meeting less of your criteria. i think its safe to say that the people on this forum will like it very much but i think heavier more powerful cars will sell like hotcakes because thats what most of the "enthusiast" world wants.

A tacoma is not light.

Originally Posted by fatoni

well those 50+ guys are the only people enthused enough to actually buy a car. the guys buying cars are the ones that actually value the cars seeing as money is the universal standard of value.

Money =! Enthusiasm

The majority of younger drivers can't even consider buying a brand new car, not in this economy.