1. In building a car with these power levels (600 and beyond) that will get driven on the road, you find all manner of fun limitations of the driveline... It requires special attention to the suspension, transmission, clutch, driveshaft, rear-end (internal and external), cooling and perhaps most of all TIRES!
I am sure it can be done, or I would not be doing it, but for either the camaro or the mustang can it be done at a price point that the cars still sell like they do?
BTW - last I heard, the 05/06 sales were just approaching or barely eclipsing the sales of the original "pony car" in its first 2 years and that was 50 years ago - so as exciting as it is, it hasn't been as "exciting" as it was when you consider population growth and ease of access to cash to buy cars...
Tires alone can be a silent killer on car ownership - if people have to spend 2-3K to replace a set of rubber (and do so every 12-15K miles), you are limiting the size of the crowd that can own it and thus driving up the price of the car...
2. They are currently selling these cars into a consumer awash with cash and absolutely suicidal with their finances... much like the first muscle car era got killed by oil, this one might get killed by a number of "things" in the pipe for us all...
I'd love to see 600HP production vehicles for an inflation adjusted $30-40K, but I guess I am in the "believe it when I see it camp"...
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'06 GT Vert - Saleen S/C
'05 GT Coupe - Under Construction - currently etching an "11" on the dial
'85 GT T-Top 351W N/A
But we all know that chey has a bunch of mustangs and their testing their car just to beat it in everything. Atleast thats what they should be doing if they are smart. If they were extremely smart they would make it beat the pants off our stangs. The only problem for that is cost.
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2006 Mustang GT 5 spd Black/Red
H.O. Polished Vortech, GT500 Fuel Pumps, 20' Foose Nitrous, KDW2's, H&R , Coil Over's Out Back, CHE K Brace w/Limiters, Steeda UCA, CHE LCA's, CHE Anti Squats, SOS, Cobalt A/F & Fuel Pressure, Silverstar's , Black Signals, Tints, JBA LT's, O/R H, Magnaflow AB, Hurst, SCT, 410's, Aluminium Shaft, BBR Motor Mounts, Raptor Light, 432/382 on a MD
And since the first days of the mustang, the Camaro has cost a little more and had a little more power, but was heavier and driven by idiots...
They could change that this time around, but doing so won't require 600HP, it will require 450HP and a lighter car...
I guess I didn't say it out loud, but the issue here is that 600HP isn't just 200HP more than 400 (though it may seem like it is). This process is not linear and things get real fun, real quick when you start up that direction...
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'06 GT Vert - Saleen S/C
'05 GT Coupe - Under Construction - currently etching an "11" on the dial
'85 GT T-Top 351W N/A
To me, seeing Shelby, Boss, Challenger, Camaro, Charger (dumb 4 doors), and GTO (Although hideously overpriced and bland) is a breath of fresh air when the market is saturated with names like QX545, X5, 3, 5, and 6, etc. There is no memorability or nostalgia about these names. But when household names are mentioned, it rekindles the days past and create new dreams. The fact that the pony wars are jumping back into the spotlight is encouraging. I agree that it totally sucks that the costs will be exceedingly overpriced for what any average person could own. But when you think about it, back in the day, the Bosses and Shelbys were an elite market as well. Not too many were made respectively, and not too many have survived when compared the standard 289's. It's just nice to see that Ford is taking pride in the Mustang nameplate again and understanding that Mustang is not just a name or car, it's a culture of which many enthusiasts, regardless of their ability to afford these "super" cars, still feel good that they are still apart of the family and have another car to dream about. I say bring on the Bosses, Machs, Shelbys, California Specials, the KRs, and King Cobras because it shows the public that they are taking their beloved Pony car seriously.
Sorry for the dictation, just thought I bring it all out at once rather than multiple posts.
I am sure they can get that kind of power. That may not be the point. The beauty of the Mustang has always been a bang for the buck kind of thing. The fact that the average guy could afford one.
Enter Carrol Shelby. Building a car that most of us here would give a limb to own. Then build such a miniscule number of them that the price will be 2X sticker in many cases. Thus taking a car that is approaching the price of a Vette anyway, and pushing it north of a Viper and most Porsches. Also effectively ending any dream that most of us will ever have of owning such a machine.
Doing this year after year will simply irritate me. Greatly.
Of course I would love a machine like the one described, but I have a wife a mortgage and 2 (soon to be 3) children. The low 40s I can swing. The 70s plus I refuse to swing. If I am going to do that, I will get a used Viper, or look into a Jag.
I guess what I am trying to say, although I think the upcomming stangs will probably be VERY exciting machines, if they are handled like the new GT 500, this is nothing to crow about. They are taking what was the everyman car, and been very succesful with as the everyman car, and turning it into an exotic most of us will never see, much less have the chance to own. And if the past is any indication, the new stock Camaro will humiliate the run of the mill stock GT mustangs that most of us are able to get our hands on.
I hope I am wrong...
I agree with you that mustang has always been bang for the buck. But I disagree that they aren't building a lot of Shelby's. Aren't they slated for a minimum of 8k per year for 3 years? That's almost if not more than the '03/'04 Terminators.
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2005 Black GT Whipple HO | Oil Seperator | Steeda Tensioner | 93 dyno tune | Autometer Cobalt | GTAs
HAs anyone seen the 2007 Henessey Shelby GT500...650 HP. Now there is an effective use of a Shelby GT500. I just saw an advertisment for it today. Of course it was in one of those magazines dedicated to those with more money than brains.
to the guy above who thinks the vette will outrun the new ford GT. I want to know where u got your info? From all ive seen, the ford GT smokes the new vette.
For what I paid for my mustang I couled have gotten a 2 or 3 year old vette. Mustang is Americana it always has been and no matter what chevy does or doge or whatever, you CAN NOT change the fact that Mustang is a middle class american tradition.........
FORD has made some very strange marketing turns as have several of the American Automobile Companies. In just a few short years America has gone from buying every loose automobile company lying around to selling off everything but accounts receivable.
Why? Because in My little opinion - American car companies have lost their way in serving the public along with the fact that factory workers cost have gone nuts. How is it worth 15.00 and hour and up to put together a car - CLEAN and in the best setting possible? The wages are crazy if you ask me. If someone can tell me more about this - please do because it is a shame the ricers - Toyota - Nissan-Mazda- Hyundai - are all out pacing American based cars in the market. This is just sad. Americans like us need to make it happen over the next few years or there will be no real American car to stand proud with - whether we own it or just admire it from a distance. Let's write our big 3 and tell them to wake up and make a car that is substantial and comes close to the exotic cars we see on 'fashion day' at the car shows. They can do it.
). This process is not linear and things get real fun, real quick when you start up that direction...
