If your paying over msrp for this car, you will get your 10 minutes of fame.. followed by immediate huge depreciation. This is no classic car.. it will be completly over produced and over sold very shortly.

 

C4= closed minded clod,

Nuff said!

Or do you forget the absolute dominace of the 65 Shelby Mustang, or the performance numbers of the new GT. You can keep saying crap like that, but I find it funny, as your handle is the name of a Ford transmision And for about 25 grand you can get an overhead valve 300 WHP V-8! Not too shabby!

And if your talking modded cars, take any modded Mini, and a modern modded Mustang, and get them on a real road corse track, and see who comes out first at the end. Autocross, the Mini will probaby win, as it more about turning than power, but on straight aways our little cars better get out of the way.

I don't say this because I think ford is king, but because I've acutally driven both, and live in a motoring world that in concerned with both marques.

No one argues that a Mini (in general) has better build quality. But by percentages, I'd guess Ford does much better on windshields!

Anyway, back to the thread. there are tons of dealers that sell at or below MSRP. I don't know if they still do, but a ford dealer in CA and one in Long Island would sell any ford to a memeber of the Shelby Club for $100 over invoce. Since club dues are about $50 a year, this would be a steal.....

Edit: If you''re interested in the Shelby club discount, call Steve Swanson at Swanson Ford in Los Gatos, CA. I have no clue if it's still in effect, but he would have honored it if I'd got an Exploder, uh Explorer in 2001.

Matt

 

Well I got my 2005 Mustang GT convertible. Bought it on 5/10/05 in Georgia. Had it shipped. Didn't arrive until last week and it was delivered to my house on 6/6/05. i couldn't be happier. I own my TWO favorite cars. I'll do a write up on the Mustang soon. Still breaking him in. I'll just say this. I thought driving the MINI put a smile on my face. Holy ----, this thing is unbelievable!

 

Right now its the only thing they have going for them. Get while the gettin is good.

Its a cool car but still has that cheap Ford interior.

 

Welcome to the club... Ours are from very different times. I'm totally curious what a Mini owner thinks of the car. I'm sure power will be a plus, and handling a minus, but I'm curious about the rear with the panhard bar. I think that this is the first year for that. Crappy 4-link before that..

Anyway, what color did you get? And have you seen the Vortech etc adds? 450 HP with about 9-12 lbs boost and an IC. 400 with a 6-8 lb boost and NO IC!!!!! Anyway, I wonder if the power will bald your tires faster than the minis handling goes through them.

Matt

 

Do you have any picts of your new ride?

 

Here's one for now...



Ok one more...

 

I couldn't disagree more. Nothing like previous Mustangs. With the aluminum faced-dash, MY Color dash gauges that can be one of 100-something colors (wish MINIs had that - very cool!), a much nicer leather wrapped steering wheel AND shift **** than MINI's PLUS beautiful leather seats (that you never want to get out of) that make MINI leather feel like plastic, nothing is farther from the truth.

 

oh! I see one jealous neighorhood.

 

Gorgeous car, Greatgro - Ford hit this one out of the ballpark. Congrats and enjoy in good health......

I spent this morning driving the new Mustang GT and the Dodge Charger R/T Road and Track (similar to the Daytona Package without the cheesy colors and graphics). Only the Dodge dealership would let us take the car out in the twisties - the "road and track" 10 hp intake and exhaust package/stiffer suspension was impressive.

The Mustang is a quality piece inside and out. I get a kick out of anyone saying that the new Mustang has a cheap interior. The fit and finish on the 05 GT we drove today made our MCS look cheap and flimsy.

I also get a kick out of people who think that BMW products have this amazing build quality. If you'll all let me count the Mini as a BMW, this is fourth Bimmer we've owned. The first E36 M3 was sold the minute the warranty was up, the second an M Roadster was successfully lemon lawed and the third, an X5, was probably the biggest piece of crap I've ever owned. Luckily, we've only put 5K miles on the MCS in two years and in that time we've had our share of niggling quality related issues. After the MCS, I'm done with BMW.

I work for a very large construction company who has a large fleet of Ford, Chevy and Dodge work trucks and you'd be amazed by the abuse these vehicles take and the relatively small amount time they spend in the shop.

BTW: their was no markup on the 'stang car I drove - Fully loaded red Leather/black interior with Mineral Gray Exterior (coupe). Price before taxes was $27,815.00.

 

That's about $3k more than the S I bought in 02. I think for what you get, the price is a steal! The next car may be the new Shelby Mustang Cobra in 07. 450 HP for about $40k. Maybe a bit less.....

Hay, any comments on the handling power tradeoffs?

Matt

 

First off, the Mustang GT is an amazing value. A 5.0 to 5.3 second car with 300 hp for less than 30 large. The interior and exterior styling on the Ford is great - the red leather is stunning. Wait until the tuner markets catch up with both the Mustang and the Charger.

Mustang GT: A little punchier off the line. Feels quite a bit lighter than the Charger. Give more illusion of speed. Excellent exhaust tone. Did not get to wring it out in the twisties like the Charger. However, punching it on a cloverleaf on-ramp with some shoddy pavement upset the rear end quite a bit.

Charger R/T Road and Track Package (minor step above Hemi R/T package in terms of handling and HP): More midrange oomph. With traction control off, spun tires in second gear at about 35 mph. Steering and handling quite a bit better than the Ford. Dealer let us rip it through Alhambra Road between Martinez and Orinda. Car feels heavy, but is less upset by uneven pavement. Easy to drive fast in the bends.

After seeing the initial photos of the Dodge, I wasn't impressed. However, the car looks much better in person........mean and tough.

Both cars feel substantial and solid after being in a Mini. Both have excellent exhaust notes. Improved 2005 MCS gearbox ratios be damned - these cars are seriously quick. I could drive the Charger much more aggressively. As opposed to the Ford, the Dodge gives the illusion of no speed. I caught myself going about 95 on the test drive on Highway 24 and it shocked the heck out of me - it felt like I was only going 60 or so.

I have a meeting scheduled with the Dealer Manager tomorrow to discuss whether or not I can put a deposit down on a 425 horsepower 0-60 in 4.7 seconds SRT8 Charger and have it by the end of the year. If I don't have to pay a huge mark-up, this will be our last summer with our beloved MCS.

I saw the recent Automobile Magazine Article on the 2007 Cobra. Looks abso-freaking-lutely amazing. Wish it was coming out about a year sooner.........

 

I agree. It's an absolute steal. Which is why I didn't mind paying a bit over sticker. Plus I found one EXACTLY the way I wanted it.
This is typical behavior with Mustangs HOWEVER I find the 05 Mustangs are 50X better than the previous generations on shoddy pavement. If you ever drove the 79-94 Mustangs, the first thing you would notice when you accelerated around corners or made a turn from a stop sign the back end would bounce around crazily. You couldn't drive the thing for even 5 minutes without experiencing that. Well I've had my Mustang for 2 weeks now and have yet to have it happen. The weight distribution is much better, there's a longer wheelbase, a better rear axle and the engine is lighter - all keeping that backend planted.
I haven't driven the Charger, but funny, I feel that the Mustang is so solid that you have zero sense of speed - WHEN CRUISING. Under hard acceleration you are completely pinned back into your seat and the front end lifts up like a high-speed motorboat. When cruising at 80-85 you really feel like you're crawling; like you're going 55. The car drives perfectly straight - you don't even need to hold the wheel. Nothing throws it off course. Thank god mine's a convertible b/c it's not all about speed. It's fun cruising also.

And yeah the stock GT exhaust is absolutely amazing. You can download mp3s of it off Ford Mustang's website. It sound EXACTLY like the mp3s. It's perfect for a convertible actually. It's quiet when cruising so you can hear your music and enjoy the ride. But give it ANY kind of gas or god forbid - downshift and WOW! What a musical feast for your ears!

 

Skiploder, be sure to take the Charger on a twisty test-drive, too, before you give up your beloved MCS! It's not all about straight-ahead power, is it?

I drove our Corvette last week for a few days and was so surprised at how ponderous and heavy it felt compared to my MINI. Sure it has power, but it doesn't give me the feedback of road conditions like the MINI, nor is it as much fun in everyday driving. And FORGET about getting in and out of the thing....it needs an ejector seat!


Clover

 

Very nice. Congrats on the Mustang. We're planning on trading the RX-8 for a Mustang GT convertible when they hype dies down a bit (will it though?) . It's just too nice a car not to. The Charger looks great too but my wife would never go for it and we have to consider I'm very lucky that she wants the ragtop GT.
Looking forward to hearing updates on your ownership experience.

 

Greatgro:

I think a better way to explain it is that the exhaust note on the Mustang always makes it feel like you're going fast!

I would gladly take either car. I am trying like mad to find out when the new GT500 Cobra is being released and what rear suspension it will have.


Clo:

The Charger is a much heavier car (two tons). However, it was deceptively agile in the twisties - albeit no Mini. I grew up with cars that you could steer with your right foot some I feel at home in either car.

 

I have only seen one dealer that marked them up, and that was in LA. There is one in the San Clemente area that had a 05 yellow GT, no spoiler, it's the exact car I would want, for 26k, no markup, just options.


But now that there are a lot of them on the streets, it's kinda turned me off the 05s...the style was great to me at first but now I'm not so hot on it...

 

Funny, I guess it really depends on where you live. The Mustang has been out for over 10 months and where I am, I see a couple a week. I rarely see a GT and never see another GT convertible. I spent last week down the shore and saw ZERO new Mustangs. I was pretty surprised myself. In fact from the time I purchased my Mustang (5/10/05) to the time it showed up at my house (6/6/05), I only saw ONE Mustang in that entire month! By the time the MINI was out that long, I was already seeing 5-8 MINIs a day!

 

I looked at that Z/28 page and noticed an error. The first gen Z/28 was only available with a 4 speed manual transmission, no automatic.

I am beginning to see a lot of the new Mustangs around town. Mostly the base model but they are a very good looking car. The only drawback that I have noticed is that the GT has the same hood as the base car. It needs some type of scoop.

 

No no! No hood scoops. A hood scoop would ruin this car. I don't like hood scoops UNLESS there is a supercharger or turbo underneath the hood. That's where hood scoops belong.

The hoods may be the same, but the grill is significantly different. You can tell the difference between a Base and GT from a mile away head-on.

 

Here on base, they're all the rage. I have the only MINI that I know of on base (other than retirees that come to shop at the PX) but there are 4 or 5 05 Mustangs in my area alone. And we are a small part of the huge base. Dont get me wrong, I love the performance of the 05 GT. And the convertible looks amazing...but there are enough V6 coupes to transport an infantry company around here...