Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

[Mitchi]

I'd take the MX-5 or GT86 on a tight and twisty mountain course, the Mustang, not so. Not that it's a bad car, it's a great car for the price. Without trying to insult anyone or anything, it's not a car which I'd do this touge-style driving in it. I personally wouldn't buy a Mustang if I were to buy a sports car for the cornes, that's what I'm trying to say. Though I've recently seen a video from a current Mustang GT on the Bilster Berg Driving Resort, which Walter Rh?rl himself called a Mini-Nordschleife, and it did fairly well to my surprise.

(and yes, I've driven all of them)

 

[Lastsoul]

Mustang GT is a good car, but it's also very different animal to the MX-5 and GT86. Driving experience is totally unlike, so I'm wondering how clueless are those customers how are choosing between the Ford and the Japanese?

 

[prizrak]

I'd take the MX-5 or GT86 on a tight and twisty mountain course, the Mustang, not so. Not that it's a bad car, it's a great car for the price. Without trying to insult anyone or anything, it's not a car which I'd do this touge-style driving in it. I personally wouldn't buy a Mustang if I were to buy a sports car for the cornes, that's what I'm trying to say. Though I've recently seen a video from a current Mustang GT on the Bilster Berg Driving Resort, which Walter Rh?rl himself called a Mini-Nordschleife, and it did fairly well to my surprise.

(and yes, I've driven all of them)

Sure if all you ever going to do is canyon carving then by all means. However most people drive the car a lot more than just that. Though an S550 track pack GT will carve those corners pretty damn well.

 

[Redliner]

Mustang GT is a good car, but it's also very different animal to the MX-5 and GT86. Driving experience is totally unlike, so I'm wondering how clueless are those customers how are choosing between the Ford and the Japanese?

Because everything has to have a pushrod V8, otherwise it is an underpowered hairdressers car/soul-less Japanese computer/Italian dumpster fire/Plastic toy from Korea/etc./' MURICA!

 

[prizrak]

Because everything has to have a pushrod V8, otherwise it is an underpowered hairdressers car/soul-less Japanese computer/Italian dumpster fire/Plastic toy from Korea/etc./' MURICA!

They are all sports cars so people do actually cross shop them. I mean I went from a 350z to a Mustang so not exactly unheard of.

 

[NecroJoe]

I think y'all are waaaaaazy overestimating the reaction of enthusiasts who are buying any of these cars. For years the #1 cross-shopped car to the mustang was the Honda Accord Coupe.

 

[CraigB]

I agree, most of the time when I see a Mustang in the wild it's either a V6 from 2011-2014 or a 2015+ Ecoboost. People just want a cheap, roomy, sporty car.

 

[prizrak]

Doesn't surprise me, most of the ones I see around here are ecoboost or v6 autos driven by people who are clearly not enthusiasts.

 

[ScarFace88]

Because everything has to have a pushrod V8, otherwise it is an underpowered hairdressers car/soul-less Japanese computer/Italian dumpster fire/Plastic toy from Korea/etc./' MURICA!

Sorry to interrupt, but Mustangs have had an OHC V8 since 1996.

 

[Redliner]

I think y'all are waaaaaazy overestimating the reaction of enthusiasts who are buying any of these cars. For years the #1 cross-shopped car to the mustang was the Honda Accord Coupe.

Sadly, you're right.

Sorry to interrupt, but Mustangs have had an OHC V8 since 1996.

I was thinking of LS engines, but OK.

 

[public]

Oh shit, I realized this thread is now the Mustang thread that got locked for a while.

 

[Lastsoul]

We lost control of the thread? How fitting. :lol:

 

[Labcoatguy]

I think y'all are waaaaaazy overestimating the reaction of enthusiasts who are buying any of these new cars.

FTFY. Enthusiasts are more likely to just buy some used car rather than anything new and with a warranty.

 

[public]

It's anything but small.. but it is in the same market and price segment.

That's why they should re-introduce the Mustang II, as a smaller and cheaper alternative, preferably only with the 2.3 I4 and a rental-spec V6

 

[93Flareside]

No.

 

[Spectre]

That's why they should re-introduce the Mustang II, as a smaller and cheaper alternative, preferably only with the 2.3 I4 and a rental-spec V6

They basically already did that.

It was called the Probe.

- - - Updated - - -

The last version of it was called the 99-02 Mercury Cougar aka Ford Cougar in Europe.

Smaller and cheaper than the Mustang with a 2L class I4 and a rental car V6. Yeah, how did that go again?

 

[public]

IIRC the Probe sold great in Europe despite the name, since it didn't have the "Let's replace a revered nameplate with a FWD vacuum cleaner with Mazda internals" stigma. They degraded quite quickly over here, and surviving examples have been Fast and Furioused by douchebros. Poor US assembly quality did both the Probe and the Cougar in, and the plastics look horrible on both these days.

What I was hinting at with my jape was supplementing the Grande-sized current Mustang with a similarly lightweight companion as the Mustang II was size-wise. The original wasn't humongous, either.

- - - Updated - - -

As per the second generation Probe: Clarkson's words were "The first Ford that I can remember that looks good enough to snap knicker elastic at 50 paces"

They have aged about as well as DSM cars, mainly because they both started catering to the same distinguished clientele in about 2001.

 

[laxmax613]

As per the second generation Probe: Clarkson's words were "The first Ford that I can remember that looks good enough to snap knicker elastic at 50 paces"

They have aged about as well as DSM cars, mainly because they both started catering to the same distinguished clientele in about 2001.

The greenhouse of that care is gorgeous. Those thin pillars man...

 

[prizrak]

That's why they should re-introduce the Mustang II, as a smaller and cheaper alternative, preferably only with the 2.3 I4 and a rental-spec V6

- - - Updated - - -

They basically already did that.

It was called the Probe.

- - - Updated - - -

The last version of it was called the 99-02 Mercury Cougar aka Ford Cougar in Europe.

Smaller and cheaper than the Mustang with a 2L class I4 and a rental car V6. Yeah, how did that go again?

To be fair both were FWD and nothing at all like Mustang.

- - - Updated - - -

IIRC the Probe sold great in Europe despite the name, since it didn't have the "Let's replace a revered nameplate with a FWD vacuum cleaner with Mazda internals" stigma. They degraded quite quickly over here, and surviving examples have been Fast and Furioused by douchebros. Poor US assembly quality did both the Probe and the Cougar in, and the plastics look horrible on both these days.

What I was hinting at with my jape was supplementing the Grande-sized current Mustang with a similarly lightweight companion as the Mustang II was size-wise. The original wasn't humongous, either.

Original wasn't all that small, smaller than current but not all that tiny, especially the fastback. It makes no sense to make a smaller and lighter Mustang, for one the "full size" sells pretty well. For two you are basically talking about a car that would be in the 370z territory and even that barely sells.

 

[Mitchi]

To be fair both were FWD and nothing at all like Mustang.

Probably the biggest factor here