Hey Stangnet. First post.
I took advantage of the long Labor Day weekend and picked up a 2017 manual GT Fastback from a local Ford dealer.
As a former BMW (3 series, Z4, M5) and Honda S2000 driver, this is my first time behind the wheel of an American muscle car, much less owning one. I always thought American cars were sloppy, outdated, cheap, and only built for going in a straight line.
But I got bitten by the bug about a year or two ago as I noticed that American manufacturers were really stepping their game up - particularly when you look at the Hellcat, Camaro SS, and the Corvette C7 (I drove a Z06 up the British Columbia coast last week - what a machine!).
I don't commute to work, so this is truly a therapy device and weekend toy. So after I got the keys, I left the city in favor of the rural Washington State countryside so we could get to know each other better.
The tires and motor need to be broken in a more, but I worked the car pretty hard through the twists and turns of the serene country. Windows down, speeding by tractors and cows, climbing hills, and loud straightaway pulls through fourth gear. I'm of the school of thought that you shouldn't baby your car. The kinds of cars we drive are meant to be driven and driven hard.
My first impression? I'm impressed.
It's fast, it's predictable, the manual transmission is great, and the brakes are better than expected. It is an absolute pleasure to drive. Instantly converted myself, I'm convinced that even the snobbiest of European car snobs who consider themselves a true "car person" could not drive this car and deny that it is very properly engineered.
My GT is bare bones. No options. I'm not buying a Mustang for the cooled seats or colored stitching. I don't want an infotainment center. That's what a BMW 4 series is for. Apples and oranges. I'm buying a Mustang so I can row through the gears and feel the rumble of a big V8 motor. I want a classic driving experience.
This car does what it says on the tin. Your average modern car is clinical. Over-engineered. Amazing on paper, but it all starts to feel a little dishonest and disconnected when you're actually on the road.
But not this car. This car is honest. Unpretentious. It has a sort of sense of humor. You get the feeling that the engineers over at Ford really put a lot of thought into designing the experiences that they wanted the driver to have, not just the actual parts and how they all fit together.
The bottom line: this car has a lot of soul.
I took advantage of the long Labor Day weekend and picked up a 2017 manual GT Fastback from a local Ford dealer.
As a former BMW (3 series, Z4, M5) and Honda S2000 driver, this is my first time behind the wheel of an American muscle car, much less owning one. I always thought American cars were sloppy, outdated, cheap, and only built for going in a straight line.
But I got bitten by the bug about a year or two ago as I noticed that American manufacturers were really stepping their game up - particularly when you look at the Hellcat, Camaro SS, and the Corvette C7 (I drove a Z06 up the British Columbia coast last week - what a machine!).
I don't commute to work, so this is truly a therapy device and weekend toy. So after I got the keys, I left the city in favor of the rural Washington State countryside so we could get to know each other better.
The tires and motor need to be broken in a more, but I worked the car pretty hard through the twists and turns of the serene country. Windows down, speeding by tractors and cows, climbing hills, and loud straightaway pulls through fourth gear. I'm of the school of thought that you shouldn't baby your car. The kinds of cars we drive are meant to be driven and driven hard.
My first impression? I'm impressed.
It's fast, it's predictable, the manual transmission is great, and the brakes are better than expected. It is an absolute pleasure to drive. Instantly converted myself, I'm convinced that even the snobbiest of European car snobs who consider themselves a true "car person" could not drive this car and deny that it is very properly engineered.
My GT is bare bones. No options. I'm not buying a Mustang for the cooled seats or colored stitching. I don't want an infotainment center. That's what a BMW 4 series is for. Apples and oranges. I'm buying a Mustang so I can row through the gears and feel the rumble of a big V8 motor. I want a classic driving experience.
This car does what it says on the tin. Your average modern car is clinical. Over-engineered. Amazing on paper, but it all starts to feel a little dishonest and disconnected when you're actually on the road.
But not this car. This car is honest. Unpretentious. It has a sort of sense of humor. You get the feeling that the engineers over at Ford really put a lot of thought into designing the experiences that they wanted the driver to have, not just the actual parts and how they all fit together.
The bottom line: this car has a lot of soul.