PlatinumDevil said:
If the mustang isn't to compete with the Corvette... then what? Maybe it can compete with the 95 trans ams and camaros??? The Mustang IS a performance car, it is THE muscle car, since when are muscle cars supposed to be cheap. The whole point in having a muscle car is "ooo look at me, im fast and im bad, im rich but i spend my money on gas, not on that heated leather interior and automatic climate control"
The reason i bring up the 95 trans am thing? Well my cousin took his near-stock 95 trans am to the track, and raced pretty much the whole day. An acura put up a better race then a 95 Mustang cobra (was that not the camaros competition??) The cobra got beaten by 2 car lengths, the acura beaten by one. A slightly modified 1986 IROC was beaten by about a door. I want to know why Fords top of the line "performance" car is getting beaten by chevy's near the top semi-performance cars that are 5 years or more older. My Lumina Z34 FWD, made in 1991 is completely stock, and it KILLS 79-93 5.0's, and im not talking about stock 5.0's. It weighs 300lbs more, is front wheel drive, and has a lil 3.4 dohc engine. Is it not sad when a LUMINA is eating up MUSTANGS 4-5 years newer then it at the track??? Look at the Mustang name, that name should carry some pride. Rename the cheaper/slower cars to pinto or capris or something.
I say make the mustang compete with the corvettes, it needs some reasonable competition. I dont think ford can put out a commercial saying "Eats up the competition like no other, those Neons and Tercels dont' stand a chance!, but watch out for those caravans..." I think a nice "Neck to neck with the corvette in performance and styling" would be alot better way to sell the car, although it would be bending the truth, it would still work better.
Im sorry but if you want a cheaper car, buy a cheaper car. The mustang isn't exactly a very economical vehicle, go buy a Honda Civic (yes i brought those bastards into this).
PS: By the looks of the Mustangs specs, my 1991 V6 Lumina will still be eating 2005 Mustang V6's at the track.
hmmm, last time i checked, mustangs had no problem selling...
the mustang is based on the fact that its performance for the average joe, putting too much emphasis on expense kills the spirit of the mustang.
that being said, i think it would be interesting for the cobra to compete with the vette, put it in the vettes price range and go after them, im sure if they are produced on a limited run they will have no problem selling every one of them.
but honestly, what person in the market for a vette would even consider going over to the ol' ford dealership and looking at the mustangs? my guess would be none. i mean, if you are interested in a GT do you go down to the dodge dealership and look at the neons just because they now run neck and neck with the GTs? no, why? cuz its "just" a neon and to vette owners a cobra is still "just" a mustang.
all a $40k + cobra is going to do is alienate upper 20 and 30 something buyers, which is the cobras demographic, they are screwing with their target audience. and you know what? another company will come along and scoop them up be it with a new camaro, firebird, charger or whatever and the cobras, if overproduced, like the 03, will sit on lots with their 40k price tags collecting dust.
if ford insists on this route then they need to give us a GT with some balls, 350-390 horses n/a should suffice i would say. or offer more options, engine, rear, tranny etc. blower option? n/a option? why not? keep the V6 were it is, thats the mustangs bread and butter, affordable power and styling.
point is, if you are gonna put a cobra out of my reach, which it will be, give me a GT i can be proud of, and not something thatll run with defunct competition(camaro/firebird) otherwise, see the demise of the mustang. at least in the V8 RWD model, ford must really be out of touch if they are choosing this route. i want to see the return of some competition, firebird, camaro, charger, whatever give us something to make ford wake up. a 300 hp GT just aint gonna cut it.