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

[f0rge]

Originally Posted by campy

A Scion FRS weighs 2700 lbs and a '15 Mustang weighs 3700 lbs. Where is this extra 1000 lbs coming from? Is this thing built on a F450 chassis or something?

The truth is that more cars made today are closer to 4000lbs than to 3000lbs. The FRS is the odd car here not the mustang, and many sacrifices were made to get the FRS down to that weight like a complete lack of sound insulation.

[Miniata]

Originally Posted by campy

A Scion FRS weighs 2700 lbs and a '15 Mustang weighs 3700 lbs. Where is this extra 1000 lbs coming from? Is this thing built on a F450 chassis or something?

Bigger body, larger wheels and tires, heavier engine, bigger brakes, just to name a few things. There is also more sound deadening and more sturdy body panels than the twins. The Mustangs I've owned have all had much more substantial paint and body structure thank my BRZ. Seems like I can't hit a cone at an autocross in my BRZ without getting a dent or scraping up the paint, the Mustangs can take a hit without any damage. The twins are lightweight by design, but compromises were made to keep the weight down.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

... If wages increased to match productivity over that time period the economic story of today would be vastly different for most folks.

I think there is an argument to be had that productivity increases have always outpaced wages, back to the invention of the wheel but we are way off topic now!

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by thill

Good info, and there have been a number of articles out in recent years where we see the shift in demographics even more to baby boomers:



That is an old chart. In 2013 this was announced:

More good info. Also, one thing I meant to mention above is there is probably a HUGE increase over time in the number of multi-car families even as prices have risen. I don't have anything other than anecdotal evidence, but I can tell you from experience that when I was growing up (went to high school in the mid-70's) it was very unusual for a family in the
"average" middle class home to have more than one car. Sometimes when a kid (usually a son) turned 16, he might go out and buy a $300 used car (that's what I did).

Now nearly every "average" income family has at least two cars (Moms car and Dads car) and many others consider it normal to have one per driving member of the family. That was unheard of 30 years ago.

[DAEMANO]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

All of our core expenditures (housing/education/health/childcare) over the last 60 years have increased exponentially while wages have remained flat even as productivity has increased several fold. If wages increased to match productivity over that time period the economic story of today would be vastly different for most folks.

This is totally the crux of the issue.

During this same period corporate profits and executive salaries have absolutely soared. All the while, the average worker, their per capita debt load skyrocketed. We're also offered increasingly lower quality goods. Easy to see where all the money has gone and the debt it has been replaced with. Just so long as we all had the ability to buy (consume) even cheaply made stuff with debt (credit, mortgages, auto loans) nobody cared that all the wealth was being concentrated amongst a handful of people.

We were lulled to sleep as the term "citizen" was being replaced by the term "consumer". We allowed ourselves to be divided on cultural, dogmatic, and ethnic lines while the issue that mattered most (economics) were usurped & entangled. Corporations that think they have an iron grip now that they wield the hammer of Citizens United, media consolidation, mass surveillance, and "the new Jim Crow" are their tools. We still have the weight of the masses. We only must act. So many speak like "the government" is it's own entity comprised of tiny dictators. Truth is, the government is whatever we allow it to be. It is us, and if it gets to the point where it represents only a small percentage of us (say 1%), we have to step up, with the power of will, conviction and law and force it back into representing us. We can fix this mess.

[tahdizzle]

I like turtles.

[rice_classic]

The Mustang is a decent car and all but guys.




LOOK AT THIS STICK! OMG!

[P@ul]

... So the car is heavier and slower than people hoped? ...Wait, are we talking about the FR-S or the Mustang?

The Mustang won't lose any weight until they ditch the 5.0 and go with a new engine architecture, or go aluminum crazy like the F150. Since Ford sells a bajillion more F150s, it's probably not going to happen for a while.

Originally Posted by steelertown

I look forward to test driving one of these. The only thing left is to get over the fear of a first model year ford...

Wait ATLEAST 6 months to buy a Job 2 car. NEVER buy a new gen car from anyone; look how much crap happened on our cars!

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by P@ul

....Wait ATLEAST 6 months to buy a Job 2 car. NEVER buy a new gen car from anyone; look how much crap happened on our cars!

I'm a serious violator of this rule. I've owned the following new gen cars:

Gen3 Camaro Z28 (with a custom aftermarket targa top to go with it)
MK1 MR2 (first 100 in country)
2005 Mustang
FR-S

I had no more issues with these then I did any other new (or used) car. Maybe I've just been lucky.

[thill]

Originally Posted by P@ul

... So the car is heavier and slower than people hoped? ...Wait, are we talking about the FR-S or the Mustang?

The Mustang won't lose any weight until they ditch the 5.0 and go with a new engine architecture, or go aluminum crazy like the F150. Since Ford sells a bajillion more F150s, it's probably not going to happen for a while.



Wait ATLEAST 6 months to buy a Job 2 car. NEVER buy a new gen car from anyone; look how much crap happened on our cars!

It's not just that the car is heavier than people hoped, it's that the car is heavier than the last generation. I just don't think weight was a priority of the design team, and frankly, I think that was a mistake as there are some big advantages to losing some weight (MPG, performance, brakes, etc).

I am sure the new Mustang will be a big success for Ford but I a minority of us were hoping for something lighter than last generation.

[calmtigers]

Originally Posted by 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.

you know now that you mention it....
kinda looks like this


Also are there any well known car reviewers videos on this stang yet? I've been looking around on youtube and haven't found any.. (car&track, /drive, etc etc)

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by f0rge

The truth is that more cars made today are closer to 4000lbs than to 3000lbs. The FRS is the odd car here not the mustang, and many sacrifices were made to get the FRS down to that weight like a complete lack of sound insulation.

I'll argue that point.

The two most common cars I see on the road today are Prius and Camry, both of those cars clock in around 3,200 lbs.

Of the top 20 best selling cars last month I think the heaviest base model is the Subaru Outback clocking in at just over 3,400 lbs, the 3 series wagon with all wheel drive does clock in at 3,700 lbs. but it's a minority of sales compared to the base sedan which is again around 3,200 lbs. The V6 Accord Sedan does tip in at 3,600 lbs, but the more common I4 is under 3,300.

Number 3 on the list, the Honda Civic in sedan trim fully loaded weighs ~2,900 lbs, and there's a fair number of cheapo econoboxes clocking in at or under the 3,000 lb. mark that sell well: Fiesta, Cruze, Fit, Versa, Yaris

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2014/10...mber-2014.html

Fair point in that the Toyobaru is in the minority of cars in the under 3,000# club but to say most cars are close to 2 tons is just not true.

[Purdue FR-S]

This is also the first "global Mustang", so expect some changes in line to appeal to an even /broader/ market.

Most members of this community were never in the category of "Mustang consumer" last generation. Did you expect them to deliver an entirely different car that would suddenly make us want to buy one?

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Purdue FR-S

This is also the first "global Mustang", so expect some changes in line to appeal to an even /broader/ market.

Most members of this community were never in the category of "Mustang consumer" last generation. Did you expect them to deliver an entirely different car that would suddenly make us want to buy one?

Yes I did.

With talks of losing 500 lbs. and IRS bringing the 'best handling Mustang ever' I was initially prepared to be blown away, what they delivered could almost be considered a downgrade since this will be more expensive, more complicated and heavier than the outgoing model.