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I owned a 05 Mustang GT and when they started making body changes I feel they were headed downward. This new model is even worse than the Camaro for looks.
 
That looks like a rat fink drawing of last uears mustang. Only thing missing is a set of slotted mags, side pipes and a big hairy arm sticking out of the window.
 
Detroit has screwed up great cars before, and they are perfectly capable of doing it again. :D

BTW, so is BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi and Jaguar.

History is full of famous flubs.
 
I dont think you can keep up with the common solid axle setup forever and continue to keep selling while the rest of your competition switches to more modern setups. I think its cool that Ford stuck to those principals for so long but I just dont think the market will continue to accept that type of setup anymore given the changes the competition have made. While I dont dislike Mustangs, I dont feel sorry that its starting to decline. I prefer the Camaro and Challenger anyways.
 
Properly designed, a solid axle is as good or better than many IRS setups, especially struts.

It's just not as marketable.
 
Yes...IRS at the Formula 1 level is NOT the IRS on your under 50k mass produced "sports" car...but most people buying that IRS equipped assembly line car conveniently forget that detail.

The marketing gurus know all about that little self deception, and capitalize on the convenient ignorance of the self deceived and barely informed.
 
Properly designed, a solid axle is as good or better than many IRS setups, especially struts.

It's just not as marketable.
But is the one on the Mustang? I agree, the solid rear axle can be made light and kept in check with a Watt's link, but it goes beyond just the rear axle with the Mustang. You know as well as I do how poorly they handle.

But the bottom line is, there is a reason high end sports cars use IRS, and it's not as a sales point.
 
I love when Ford "Redesigns" things. But like everything else, we as a coolective fear change. Yes, Coolective. We keep 40 year old dinosaurs from the crusher. And those that don't like the new as of '10 Camaro don't like them because they have never spent the weekend in one. All the BS of "Oh, it's too heavy, or " Oh my God, Harvey, look at that blindspot".

I own one. and it rocks. I have driven a dozen GT500s, ZR1 Vettes, ZL1 Camaros. Everyone can keep its owners inline with bramd loyatly and also be a crapton of fun at the same time?

And who is argueing IRS? Ever hear of a Corba? But Ford made interchange easy if you wanted to go drag racing. Solid and IRS bolted to the same holes.
 
But is the one on the Mustang? I agree, the solid rear axle can be made light and kept in check with a Watt's link, but it goes beyond just the rear axle with the Mustang. You know as well as I do how poorly they handle.

But the bottom line is, there is a reason high end sports cars use IRS, and it's not as a sales point.
Yeah, the mustang 3-link/PHB is pretty good.

Mustangs dominate SCCA F-Stock, and is quite competitive in one of the Street Prepared classes as well (I think it's BSP). I think they could do OK in STX as well, but I don't know of anyone who has prepped one for the class. Nobody seems to like building high-horsepower cars for street tire classes, except Jason Rhoades. :)
 
Yeah, the mustang 3-link/PHB is pretty good.

Mustangs dominate SCCA F-Stock, and is quite competitive in one of the Street Prepared classes as well (I think it's BSP). I think they could do OK in STX as well, but I don't know of anyone who has prepped one for the class. Nobody seems to like building high-horsepower cars for street tire classes, except Jason Rhoades. :)
ESP. And Mustangs dominate F-Stock because the cars they compete against aren't much better at handling :) .

Street Prepared allows quite a bit of latitude for modifications, including those allowed in IT road racing categories provided the car is prepared exclusively for IT (no mix and match of classification rules between club racing and solo). That's why the lack of an interior on my CRX does not throw it into Prepared. But again, the rest of the cars in ESP are similar. Heck, the Subaru Forester is in ESP fer crissake. :)
 
Good points in this discussion, and with civility!

What a win for the forum! Wow - with thee pages of posts on a potentially divisive topic, including Chevy vs. Ford stuff, racing issues, and with even some ricer talk in the mix...and NO ONE has resorted to stupid name calling "my dad is bigger than your dad" juvenile idiocy.

I salute the contributors!
 
When the latest Mustang came out it was competing with and if I recall correctly even beating out the BMW M3.

I wouldn't say they handle too poorly.

But considering the heavy 5th gen Camaros with the 1le suspension package are doing better, there should definitely be room for improvement.

Personally, I would take a solid axle any day of the week over the low budget wheel hopping heavy junk IRS with weak half shafts that typically find their way into American muscle cars.

The IRS from the Ford Cobra was an over 300lb hulk of pure ****.
 
When the latest Mustang came out it was competing with and if I recall correctly even beating out the BMW M3.

I wouldn't say they handle too poorly.

But considering the heavy 5th gen Camaros with the 1le suspension package are doing better, there should definitely be room for improvement.

Personally, I would take a solid axle any day of the week over the low budget wheel hopping heavy junk IRS with weak half shafts that typically find their way into American muscle cars.

The IRS from the Ford Cobra was an over 300lb hulk of pure ****.
yeah but how does the Mustang compare to the Forester l:) l:)
 
I am not into the looks of a Mustang. Don Fezell, Dubois, Pa. ( We grew up together) Just set the RECORD in the NHRA with his #47 Ford Built Mustang. ( Ford built 50 Race Prepared Mustangs)
8.50 and 151 MPH.
May not look pretty, But they run pretty well. :yes:
Bob
 
ESP. And Mustangs dominate F-Stock because the cars they compete against aren't much better at handling :).
Mostly because it's the lightest car in the class that also has the HP to take full advantage of Hoosier A6's... That will all shake up next year though, as stock classes are moving to street tires, and classing being restructured.

HP will be practically useless, and weight and tire size/availability will be most critical.

Street Prepared allows quite a bit of latitude for modifications, including those allowed in IT road racing categories provided the car is prepared exclusively for IT (no mix and match of classification rules between club racing and solo). That's why the lack of an interior on my CRX does not throw it into Prepared. But again, the rest of the cars in ESP are similar. Heck, the Subaru Forester is in ESP fer crissake. :)
The ESP allowances let the Camaro/Firebird shed enough weight to compete with the Mustang. :yes:

There's a bunch of other "also ran" cars in that class, but the majority is Mustang, Camaro, and Trans-Am. Quite a few Subaru WRX's as well, but they're pretty far down the list at Nationals last year.

http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/assets/results/2012 Solo Nationals Final Results.pdf

I'm not a Mustang guy, but there's no denying their SCCA class-winning abilities.

They're also quite capable in C-Prepared, but there's not much "Mustang" left of them on a full-prep CP car.
 
I'm not a Mustang guy, but there's no denying their SCCA class-winning abilities.
It's because they're the only game in town, really, for the class they are in. But there is a reason they are in THAT class and not with the M3s, Corvettes, etc.

http://www.moutons.org/sccasolo/Lists/2011/stprepc.html

But I don't care really, since next year it looks like the CRX Si is moving to FSP :cool:

Bring that Chevelle on down, we'll make it a party. Jeff can bring his Caddy, Bill can bring that Volvo, and you all can buy the steaks, or I can just steal them from a coworker l:)
 
Depends on what you consider as their "competition" for comparable market segments.

Camaro/Firebird & Dodge Challenger? yes

BMW? maybe

Corvette? no

The BMWs that are winning their classes are 15+ years old. The E36 M3 that is dominating STX is from the mid-90s. The Mustangs that are winning their classes are 2007+

Mustangs are getting faster while the BMWs are getting slower (heavier).

The newest BMW I could find registered for Nationals last year was a 2003.
 
With the gov't EPA requirements all of the muscle/retro cars will disappear. I don't like the looks of the new Mustang either but IMO Ford has better designed cars and trucks now than GM has.

The new Mustang is a repeat of the Mustang II mistake of the 70's, another EPA/OPEC inspired disaster.
That was my first thought too.
 
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