Observations from an outsider.

[ThunderStik]

Hi guys im new to the forum. Just recently sold my first mustang (04 Mach1) because my wife and I are trying to buy a bigger house and some land. Anyway I said I was leaving some "wiggle room" for the new stangs.

Thus far I have seen people bitchin about weight, no svt badges, the name and few other things.

First I think some folks really dont understand that this is going to be THE baddest factory mustang ever built. I have read quite a few posts here and I think some of the dislike is just jealousy or stang envy. You are now going to be able to go to a dealer and order a factory 450 hp stang .... and get it. Just think, how many of you guys would be bitchin if they gave you the 180 hp 302. It was not to long ago that the 180 hp 302 was the standard. I say get while the gettin is good.

While the GT500 may be a bit portly it is also a stronger chassis (which should translate into a stiffer car and less squeaks and rattles), roomier car, more comfortable, better handling, IMO better looking, and safer. Seems like a fair trade to me.

They could call this thing the Shelby pintostang wagon 2 and I would buy it. There is no mistaking this car for anything but a mustang.

Elitists, A few guys have squaked about not wanting everybody to have one or that they made too many of the 03/04's. This attitude is just wrong. If you want a rare car build one from scratch or buy a Maclaren (sp?). I understand you wanting to differentiate yourself a bit but if was not for the v6 and gt crowd the cobra would not exist. The cobra is mustang like it or not. But it is the flagship mustang.

I love the gt500 and to me they are doing a great thing. Some folks dont like the retro but imagine this, if you dont go retro and move forward the cars become even more rounded and shaped like everthing else on the road (GTO ..BLAK). They went with a shape that was undeniably mustang. There is no pleasing everyone but as they say in the movies " that'll do pig .....that'll do".

 

[PowerWheels]

I agree with the production numbers, the more the better. It's the closest thing most will ever get to a supercar. Start limiting the production and the price will increase to the point where we will only see them in magazines. If you can't buy one, what damn good is it?

 

[Captain Beyond]

Hi guys im new to the forum. Just recently sold my first mustang (04 Mach1) because my wife and I are trying to buy a bigger house and some land. Anyway I said I was leaving some "wiggle room" for the new stangs.

Thus far I have seen people bitchin about weight, no svt badges, the name and few other things.

First I think some folks really dont understand that this is going to be THE baddest factory mustang ever built. I have read quite a few posts here and I think some of the dislike is just jealousy or stang envy. You are now going to be able to go to a dealer and order a factory 450 hp stang .... and get it. Just think, how many of you guys would be bitchin if they gave you the 180 hp 302. It was not to long ago that the 180 hp 302 was the standard. I say get while the gettin is good.

While the GT500 may be a bit portly it is also a stronger chassis (which should translate into a stiffer car and less squeaks and rattles), roomier car, more comfortable, better handling, IMO better looking, and safer. Seems like a fair trade to me.

They could call this thing the Shelby pintostang wagon 2 and I would buy it. There is no mistaking this car for anything but a mustang.

Elitists, A few guys have squaked about not wanting everybody to have one or that they made too many of the 03/04's. This attitude is just wrong. If you want a rare car build one from scratch or buy a Maclaren (sp?). I understand you wanting to differentiate yourself a bit but if was not for the v6 and gt crowd the cobra would not exist. The cobra is mustang like it or not. But it is the flagship mustang.

I love the gt500 and to me they are doing a great thing. Some folks dont like the retro but imagine this, if you dont go retro and move forward the cars become even more rounded and shaped like everthing else on the road (GTO ..BLAK). They went with a shape that was undeniably mustang. There is no pleasing everyone but as they say in the movies " that'll do pig .....that'll do".

Well said :beer:

 

[crazyhorse06]

:beer:
the bottom line is you can't please everyone.

Ford/SVT sure did a hell of a job pleasing me. I've already put my name on the list.

 

[torchred03]

Could not have said it better myself.

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

 

[SGL]

Elitists, A few guys have squaked about not wanting everybody to have one or that they made too many of the 03/04's. This attitude is just wrong. If you want a rare car build one from scratch or buy a Maclaren (sp?). I understand you wanting to differentiate yourself a bit but if was not for the v6 and gt crowd the cobra would not exist. The cobra is mustang like it or not. But it is the flagship mustang.

Those folks shoudn't worry. I'm sure Ford will find a way to slap an extra 20k to the price tag and sell 300 cars as "Cobra R" and GM will surely come up with a 600hp Z07 or what not to compete against it. The elitists can always go buy either one and punch a large hole in their wallets.

 

[KevinB120]

Im not sure why people think the new car is heavy :shrug: Its less then 300lbs more then a vette, does anyone even bother to look at other cars weights in the class/size? Im not talking about tin shitboxes from japan, real cars like BMW and Mercedes.

 

[Captain Beyond]

Im not sure why people think the new car is heavy :shrug: Its less then 300lbs more then a vette, does anyone even bother to look at other cars weights in the class/size? Im not talking about tin shitboxes from japan, real cars like BMW and Mercedes.

and don't forget gtos :-D

 

[grandestang]

Im not sure why people think the new car is heavy :shrug: Its less then 300lbs more then a vette, does anyone even bother to look at other cars weights in the class/size? Im not talking about tin shitboxes from japan, real cars like BMW and Mercedes.

Excellent point. My family has owned multiple BMWs and Mercedes over the years and they are extremely heavy cars. But I don't think anyone can argue that they do poorly in the handling department. People are making much too big of a deal on the weight thing, this car is going to flat out haul... everyone will soon be very impressed in my opinion.

Paul

 

[Cobra03]

BMWs and Mercedes are luxury cars, not sports cars. The exceptions are the sporty BMWs which are pretty light - an M3 weighs in at 3,400 lbs. and that is with nearly perfect 50 - 50 weight distribution and includes an IRS which substantially reduces unsprung weight on the rear wheels. It also includes a lot of heavy luxury appointments the Mustang does not have. A Corvette only tips in at 3,179 - this is Ferrari territory. It is also much lower, with better weight distribution, a marvelous full IRS, etc.

The Mustang GT weighs 3,450 pounds. Comparable to a BMW M3 but without the suspension. The Cobra has bigger wheels, brakes and engine, plus a supercharger, intercooler, etc. It should weigh in around 200 - 250 lbs. more, or 300 lbs. more than an M3 and 500 + lbs. more than a Corvette. This is beggining to be real weight that can be overcome on the drag strip with more power, but not on a road course without completely sacrificing ride to NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness).

Of course the Mustang is designed to be an affordable car and weight saving is expensive. The BMW makes liberal use of aluminum and the Corvette has a sandwiched balsa wood platform and all aluminum undercarriage. This can only be done when designing an expensive performance oriented car from the beggining. The Mustang is not that.

So given the price and design constrictions on the Mustang, it is not unreasonable for it to be so heavy. One cannot design a car intended to be sold for under $20,000 and also design it to be a performer on par with a Corvette, whose platform is designed form the ground up to sell for no less than $40,000. If Ford desinged a brand new car from scratch that would sell for $40,000, things would be different, but there would not be sufficient volume to support this.

So we take what we get because it is impractical to expect more, and if the car is pushed into the price range of a Corvette, the Corvette sratrs to look attractive, and Ford needs to come in uder that

So we must understand why it is the way it is, and cannot be any other way, but we can't help but wish it were otherwise.

 

[Cobra03]

BTW - talk about a fat pig - the Mercedes 500 SL - the little two seater - weighs over 4,000 lbs. - 200 lbs. more than a Ford Five Hundred. Talk about heavy - this is a luxury sports coupe - not a sports car. It weighs close to 900 lbs. more than the Vette, and this is the 300 hp version. And it costs over $90,000 - it is a status, not a performance vehicle.

 

[Slow01Cobra]

Why don't they go even more retro and delete the whole backseat? I don't think anyone buying this car is very worried about three-four passengers.

 

[fordification]

Great post ThunderStik. I totally agree.

 

[fordification]

Why don't they go even more retro and delete the whole backseat? I don't think anyone buying this car is very worried about three-four passengers.

How is that retro? There was no point in the history of the Mustang where there was no backseat.

 

[SVTCobra1]

Why don't they go even more retro and delete the whole backseat? I don't think anyone buying this car is very worried about three-four passengers.

Deleting the back seat & seat belt harnesses might save you 70 - 100lbs. But that only makes the weight distribution that much more bias towards the front. I think most people are concerned with the weight distribution being uneven & the high center of gravity due to the tall 5.4L. I think people are also worried about the brakes not being up to the task of hauling the car repeatedly down from speed in a road racing environment. However much heavier, SVT now has a new & greatly improve platform to build off of. I think the challenge for them was to exceed the 03-04 in the handling department & equal or surpass the 00 Cobra R as well. Both of these feats are entirely feasible with this new Cobra.

Would everyone still bitch & moan about the weight if the Shelby GT-500 delivered track performance that was equal or greater than the Cobra R? You can bet that this is the bench mark to which the GT-500 will be measured.

 

[1999-COBRA-6661]

Maclaren (sp?)

McLaren


You are correct for the most part. I don't see the bitching as a bad thing at all. The SVT Cobra has a huge fan base and they are only giving ideas on what could make the car better. They are the same guys that will put down the cash for the car, thay are the people Ford should make happy.

 

[Torque]

I agree. When I get my gt500, I already have big plans to put my personal touch on it. My gt500 Will be cooler than EVERYBODY elses. epper: :-D

 

[ThunderStik]

I may put down the cash for the car also, but it is what it is.... a mustang. If I wanted razer sharp handling and 50/50 weight distribution, 11 second quarters, 3200 pounds, 450 hp well theres only a few ways to get there. 1) buy an 88 or so lx 5.0 for 2 grand and drop in a 450 hp engine, gut it and change the brakes all done for probably under 10k. 2) spend 2-5 times (the 40k) as much on anything else and probably still not get all of the above.

I dont know, it just seems like quite a few folks are looking a gifthorse (pardon the pun) in the mouth. Some people are acting like the cobra has had all of these things and they (ford) are taking them away. This is the modern day equivalent of the Boss 429. Whats even more bothersome is 90-95 percent of the cars will never see a track and if they do most (notice I say most) will be in a straight line. And some folks are acting like they trans-am their cars every weekend. I think there is only so much that can be done when constrained to this price range and I dare anybody to come up with 3 or 4 alternatives that are comparably equipped in the same price range. Much like Cobra 03 stated.

I would like to see some delete options...rear seat,ac, radio etc... I would like to see a pure muscle car. Thats the great thing about mustangs, there are so many aftermarket mods that the car can be all things to all kinds of people, its all just a few mods away.

 

[1999-COBRA-6661]

Thats my only complant, it needs more options... stripes, convert, IRS, scoops, rear seats, sterio, sound deadener, wheels, traction controll... The more options the better, and it shouldnt effect the base price that much.

 

[1995COBRA-R]

There was no point in the history of the Mustang where there was no backseat.

1965 Shelby Mustangs
93/95/00 Mustang Cobra R's
some Saleen Mustangs