Like a kid on Christmas morning, I got the call and made my way to the dealership as quickly as I could. The first thing I noticed was the paint. I had been back and forth on this...Grabber blue to race red, maybe Deep Impact Blue, back to race red....finally, lets try Red Candy. Even dirty from transport, the three stage paint looked deep and incredible. The matte black stripes were perfect....very glad I was able to get them this way before they go to gloss black next year.
I ordered this car with every available option except the cover (I've had the exact cover with other Shelby's and was not impressed), so I will share a few thoughts on each option in the order they appear on the sticker. I know the big question for each option is "Is it worth it?" I think this depends on each person based on what you want from the car and what you can / want to spend, so I will just keep to my impressions for each.
Performance Pkg (821A): the adjustable suspension and steering are very cool and there is a noticeable difference between the settings. I like to be able to dial up the appropriate combo based on the driving situation. The torsion diff will certainly be a plus for any track events or heavy cornering and the wheels...while I don't know how much they contribute to the $3495 price tag, I don't think they are worth a big premium. I do like them reasonably well.
Red Candy paint: as mentioned before, I am very pleased with this choice....well worth the $395 adder
Track Pkg: I know this has been widely debated, so I will just say this: even if I never track the car (and you never know), living in a hot climate like Texas and knowing how much heat these cars can generate, I have to think this is a great investment in longevity for this car. Keeping all the fluids cooler just for the spirited driving in the hot Texas summers gives me some piece of mind. And if I do decide to go to the track, I am set up.
Electronics Pkg: this is one of those creature comforts that just makes me happy. I doubt I will use the Nav much but sometimes for those hill country "cruises" it comes in handy. I like the touch screen and the dual climate controls because my wife and I have a very different opinion of ideal temperature.
Glass Roof: I am so glad I got this. I really debated this one, even left it off the order initially then officially changed my order to add it. The wide open experience that this provides makes it feel like a completely different car inside than my 2012. I absolutely love it.
Recaros: these are must haves in my opinion. Unless there is a fit issue, they are so much more comfortable. I did have these on my 2012 and the alcantera that was added for 2013 made them hold me in place even better. Getting in and out requires a tiny bit more effort, but it is well worth it once you are tucked in. Even though they aren't power adjustable, height adjustment is the most important thing I want out of power seats anyway. A couple of pulls of the handle on the side of the seat and you can position yourself at the perfect height. Heated option would be nice, but again, I'm in Texas so I can live without it.
Shaker pro: I have said before, there was never any question that I could spend the same $1295 and get a better aftermarket sound system, but there is something comforting about it being a factory option and not having to rip apart my new car for wiring and such. I don't need a big boomy bass system, but I do appreciate a full range sound with tight mids and sharp highs. That said, I was disappointed in the performance of the system. I have shaker 1000 in my 08 KR and it sounds much better. I can barely hear the sub in the trunk and if I turn up the bass on the system, the door speakers start to sound muddy before I hear the sub. If there were some way to adjust the gains on the sub, it would be better but even then, it's not the clear sound overall I was hoping for. I have to think it sounds somewhat better than not having it, but I doubt it is worth $1295....so this is probably the first thing I would nix if I were working on a budget. I'd like to hear a non shaker pro car to compare.
Power: In terms of this, I have to say I've been trying to be good and respect the break in process. I've not really punched it hard and I don't think I've revved it over 4k. That said, having driven 3.73 cars for so long (my KR, my 2012 and even my 2007 GT500 vert had them), it feels like its not quite as strong from a dead stop. Again, this is probably more to do with me taking it easy, but we shall see. Once i am rolling, It is amazing how quick it can approach 100 and how smooth and effortless it feels getting there. I haven't taken it quite all the way to 100 or over, but I've been close and it is smooth. I can't wait to do a little more driving.
A few other points: the missing grill, initially a concern but it is really growing on me. Not sure if bugs / rocks are going to be a problem eventually but so far they aren't. I think it looks so mean this way. I love the tail lights, and I was one of the guys who hated the changes in 2010...still really don't like the '10-'12, but love these. The exhaust is surprisingly good for stock, sounds so good that it will make it hard to justify spending $500-$800 to change it. The glossy back panel between the tail lights...ugh, how long before that is all scratched and swirled up? It seems like it will be super sensitive to that, but my son's 2011 GT/CS has a matte black sticker there that looks great. I may order that or something like it to cover the glossy panel if it does start to look bad. The shifter feels pretty good too, not as good as the one in my KR, but not bad at all. I will probably upgrade to an MGW, but again, I don't feel like I need to order one immediately.
Please don't forget to check your master cylinder for the overfilled condition...Mine was leaking but I think I caught it before it did any paint damage.
All in all, I really love this car. I don't think I would change a thing if I were going to place my order again tomorrow. This makes the 22nd mustang I've owned (the 10th Shelby or Cobra) and it has to be the best all around by a long shot. Sorry I don't have any more pics snapped yet, but I will recycle the pic I used from the thread about it arriving at the dealership and then add some others later. Also sorry this is so long, but hopefully it helps someone even a little.
I ordered this car with every available option except the cover (I've had the exact cover with other Shelby's and was not impressed), so I will share a few thoughts on each option in the order they appear on the sticker. I know the big question for each option is "Is it worth it?" I think this depends on each person based on what you want from the car and what you can / want to spend, so I will just keep to my impressions for each.
Performance Pkg (821A): the adjustable suspension and steering are very cool and there is a noticeable difference between the settings. I like to be able to dial up the appropriate combo based on the driving situation. The torsion diff will certainly be a plus for any track events or heavy cornering and the wheels...while I don't know how much they contribute to the $3495 price tag, I don't think they are worth a big premium. I do like them reasonably well.
Red Candy paint: as mentioned before, I am very pleased with this choice....well worth the $395 adder
Track Pkg: I know this has been widely debated, so I will just say this: even if I never track the car (and you never know), living in a hot climate like Texas and knowing how much heat these cars can generate, I have to think this is a great investment in longevity for this car. Keeping all the fluids cooler just for the spirited driving in the hot Texas summers gives me some piece of mind. And if I do decide to go to the track, I am set up.
Electronics Pkg: this is one of those creature comforts that just makes me happy. I doubt I will use the Nav much but sometimes for those hill country "cruises" it comes in handy. I like the touch screen and the dual climate controls because my wife and I have a very different opinion of ideal temperature.
Glass Roof: I am so glad I got this. I really debated this one, even left it off the order initially then officially changed my order to add it. The wide open experience that this provides makes it feel like a completely different car inside than my 2012. I absolutely love it.
Recaros: these are must haves in my opinion. Unless there is a fit issue, they are so much more comfortable. I did have these on my 2012 and the alcantera that was added for 2013 made them hold me in place even better. Getting in and out requires a tiny bit more effort, but it is well worth it once you are tucked in. Even though they aren't power adjustable, height adjustment is the most important thing I want out of power seats anyway. A couple of pulls of the handle on the side of the seat and you can position yourself at the perfect height. Heated option would be nice, but again, I'm in Texas so I can live without it.
Shaker pro: I have said before, there was never any question that I could spend the same $1295 and get a better aftermarket sound system, but there is something comforting about it being a factory option and not having to rip apart my new car for wiring and such. I don't need a big boomy bass system, but I do appreciate a full range sound with tight mids and sharp highs. That said, I was disappointed in the performance of the system. I have shaker 1000 in my 08 KR and it sounds much better. I can barely hear the sub in the trunk and if I turn up the bass on the system, the door speakers start to sound muddy before I hear the sub. If there were some way to adjust the gains on the sub, it would be better but even then, it's not the clear sound overall I was hoping for. I have to think it sounds somewhat better than not having it, but I doubt it is worth $1295....so this is probably the first thing I would nix if I were working on a budget. I'd like to hear a non shaker pro car to compare.
Power: In terms of this, I have to say I've been trying to be good and respect the break in process. I've not really punched it hard and I don't think I've revved it over 4k. That said, having driven 3.73 cars for so long (my KR, my 2012 and even my 2007 GT500 vert had them), it feels like its not quite as strong from a dead stop. Again, this is probably more to do with me taking it easy, but we shall see. Once i am rolling, It is amazing how quick it can approach 100 and how smooth and effortless it feels getting there. I haven't taken it quite all the way to 100 or over, but I've been close and it is smooth. I can't wait to do a little more driving.
A few other points: the missing grill, initially a concern but it is really growing on me. Not sure if bugs / rocks are going to be a problem eventually but so far they aren't. I think it looks so mean this way. I love the tail lights, and I was one of the guys who hated the changes in 2010...still really don't like the '10-'12, but love these. The exhaust is surprisingly good for stock, sounds so good that it will make it hard to justify spending $500-$800 to change it. The glossy back panel between the tail lights...ugh, how long before that is all scratched and swirled up? It seems like it will be super sensitive to that, but my son's 2011 GT/CS has a matte black sticker there that looks great. I may order that or something like it to cover the glossy panel if it does start to look bad. The shifter feels pretty good too, not as good as the one in my KR, but not bad at all. I will probably upgrade to an MGW, but again, I don't feel like I need to order one immediately.
Please don't forget to check your master cylinder for the overfilled condition...Mine was leaking but I think I caught it before it did any paint damage.
All in all, I really love this car. I don't think I would change a thing if I were going to place my order again tomorrow. This makes the 22nd mustang I've owned (the 10th Shelby or Cobra) and it has to be the best all around by a long shot. Sorry I don't have any more pics snapped yet, but I will recycle the pic I used from the thread about it arriving at the dealership and then add some others later. Also sorry this is so long, but hopefully it helps someone even a little.
epper:
