The 2005 Ford Mustang: Continuation or Disappointment of a Legend?

  • Thread starter Thread starter JohnBM01
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All I'm going to say is that; The new Mustang is straight from heaven. 👍

0410mm_captain_01_z.jpg


Of course I'd bang that ride. Of course!

0410mm_captain_08_z.jpg


That's an amazing way to make a person just wanna ride in that. I mean on. :dopey: :dopey:
 
super cirrus
sweet. The stock wheels and tires definitly make the car look less sporty. Also they coulda modernized the suspension a bit more. But other than that, looks good.
I've heard this argument before (not necessarily from you) on this site. I don't know many cars that don't compromise some performance for one reason or another when mass produced. If they didn't, having an aftermarket would be kind of useless.

I do, however, believe the handling will be much better than you seem to think. Having a kickass suspension is one thing on a track, but entirely another on the street. I'm not talking ride quality, I'm talking about usefulness and opportunity to push a car to it's handling limits on the street.

Although many cars techincally have "superior handling", I find this does not translate into a significant difference on the street. Why? Simply because most roads will not allow the proper surface/room/situation to push a car to it's full potential. Sure, you might know "that one place down by the river" that has a turn you love to take fast, but that's hardly enough to warrent a complaint about a product's capabilities. I also believe that many performance cars are capable of much better handling than the average driver will ever be able to achieve.

For example, everyone knows the 2002 Corvette Z06 has superior handling and design to my 2003 Cobra. Weight, suspension, (and price:) ) etc ...is all above and beyond the Cobra. Yet, my friend cannot lose me in his Z06 when we drive through the mountains, we were within less than a second of each other (swapping top time back and forth) at a 2 day road course event, and I've beaten him at several autocross events. This has also been true with other C5's, so it's not just driver ability.

Do these facts mean the Cobra handles just as good as the Vette? Nope, not at all. It simply means that in MOST situations, the superior handling characteristics of a car cannot be used, because it can't be pushed to it's limits (or that most people can't drive the car to the limits it's capable of) in most environments.

I think my current cobra handles very well, and I expect the new version of the mustang and Cobra to be even better. If you had the 05 in your driveway right now, I think you could take it out on your roads (whatever roads they may be) and you will find it performs just fine. 👍
 
Klostrophobic
OK, make it the '04 version.

I shouldn't have assumed they would be making an '05 version.

Yeah, I was just being nit-picky. :lol:

They arn't producing a SVT Lightning or SVT Cobra for '05 because they pooled all their resources to get the Ford GT completed in such a short amount of time. I'd say the trade-off is worth it. :)
 
Lethalchem
Do these facts mean the Cobra handles just as good as the Vette? Nope, not at all. It simply means that in MOST situations, the superior handling characteristics of a car cannot be used, because it can't be pushed to it's limits (or that most people can't drive the car to the limits it's capable of) in most environments.

Nicely said. 👍 If you are getting 10/10ths out of Cobra or a Z06 on the street, you are going way too fast. At the track or at Solo II it usually just comes down to driver skill.

Where does the SCCA class the Cobra? A-Stock?


M
 
///M-Spec
Nicely said. 👍 If you are getting 10/10ths out of Cobra or a Z06 on the street, you are going way too fast. At the track or at Solo II it usually just comes down to driver skill.

Where does the SCCA class the Cobra? A-Stock?


M
I'm not sure exactly. I'm in SM2 (with a 4 seater..go figure) because my displacement is too high with forced induction AND upped boost. My mods bumped me out of stock class from the very beginning. I think it may be F stock if I were still in stock form.
 
Lethalchem
I've heard this argument before (not necessarily from you) on this site. I don't know many cars that don't compromise some performance for one reason or another when mass produced. If they didn't, having an aftermarket would be kind of useless.

I do, however, believe the handling will be much better than you seem to think. Having a kickass suspension is one thing on a track, but entirely another on the street. I'm not talking ride quality, I'm talking about usefulness and opportunity to push a car to it's handling limits on the street.

Although many cars techincally have "superior handling", I find this does not translate into a significant difference on the street. Why? Simply because most roads will not allow the proper surface/room/situation to push a car to it's full potential. Sure, you might know "that one place down by the river" that has a turn you love to take fast, but that's hardly enough to warrent a complaint about a product's capabilities. I also believe that many performance cars are capable of much better handling than the average driver will ever be able to achieve.

For example, everyone knows the 2002 Corvette Z06 has superior handling and design to my 2003 Cobra. Weight, suspension, (and price:) ) etc ...is all above and beyond the Cobra. Yet, my friend cannot lose me in his Z06 when we drive through the mountains, we were within less than a second of each other (swapping top time back and forth) at a 2 day road course event, and I've beaten him at several autocross events. This has also been true with other C5's, so it's not just driver ability.

Do these facts mean the Cobra handles just as good as the Vette? Nope, not at all. It simply means that in MOST situations, the superior handling characteristics of a car cannot be used, because it can't be pushed to it's limits (or that most people can't drive the car to the limits it's capable of) in most environments.

I think my current cobra handles very well, and I expect the new version of the mustang and Cobra to be even better. If you had the 05 in your driveway right now, I think you could take it out on your roads (whatever roads they may be) and you will find it performs just fine. 👍

I think the people who are arguing about 'handling', me included, are talking about how it would stack-up against the competition if sold abroad. I'm sure it handles fine for american tastes and roads. But if they tried to sell it in say Europe, its live-axle rear suspension would be a joke on our badly surfaced, badly cambered, narrow, twisty 'B' roads. Its the same with the Viper and Corvette or Camero (which have been sold in limited numbers here) - their straight line performance or value-for-money were never questioned, however, their ability to stay with their Euro competition when driven on our roads totally ruined their chances of selling well. Most of it comes down to set-up, when the nissan 350Z first came out, it was sold in America before it came to Britain and Europe. Road testers desperate to try it out before it was relased over here badgered nissan Europe to import some US spec versions so they could do early reviews of it in the magazines. The subsequent reviews of the car were very disapointing, giving the car '3 star' results. However once the Euro spec cars started to arrive, those same magazines gave it a 5 star review!
 
Lethalchem
I've heard this argument before (not necessarily from you) on this site. I don't know many cars that don't compromise some performance for one reason or another when mass produced. If they didn't, having an aftermarket would be kind of useless.

I do, however, believe the handling will be much better than you seem to think. Having a kickass suspension is one thing on a track, but entirely another on the street. I'm not talking ride quality, I'm talking about usefulness and opportunity to push a car to it's handling limits on the street.

Although many cars techincally have "superior handling", I find this does not translate into a significant difference on the street. Why? Simply because most roads will not allow the proper surface/room/situation to push a car to it's full potential. Sure, you might know "that one place down by the river" that has a turn you love to take fast, but that's hardly enough to warrent a complaint about a product's capabilities. I also believe that many performance cars are capable of much better handling than the average driver will ever be able to achieve.

For example, everyone knows the 2002 Corvette Z06 has superior handling and design to my 2003 Cobra. Weight, suspension, (and price:) ) etc ...is all above and beyond the Cobra. Yet, my friend cannot lose me in his Z06 when we drive through the mountains, we were within less than a second of each other (swapping top time back and forth) at a 2 day road course event, and I've beaten him at several autocross events. This has also been true with other C5's, so it's not just driver ability.

Do these facts mean the Cobra handles just as good as the Vette? Nope, not at all. It simply means that in MOST situations, the superior handling characteristics of a car cannot be used, because it can't be pushed to it's limits (or that most people can't drive the car to the limits it's capable of) in most environments.

I think my current cobra handles very well, and I expect the new version of the mustang and Cobra to be even better. If you had the 05 in your driveway right now, I think you could take it out on your roads (whatever roads they may be) and you will find it performs just fine. 👍




Very true and i agree. My comment wasnt really about the performance aspect of handling, more the daily street driving compared to the prevoius generation. But since I havent actually driven an '05 mustang, I'm just talking outta my bum.

And I know all about chasing down better handling cars. Fun!
 
This is extremely off-topic but honestly in the new Car&Driver magazine on the second page there is a two page poster of a blue 2005 Mustang GT with these wheels that absolutely fantastic on the car. Does anyone know what brand of wheels are on that mustang?
 
This is extremely off-topic but honestly in the new Car&Driver magazine on the second page there is a two page poster of a blue 2005 Mustang GT with these wheels that absolutely fantastic on the car. Does anyone know what brand of wheels are on that mustang?

Which ones? Are you talking

1.

gfgstangs1.jpg

2.

0410mm_captain_01_z.jpg


3.


05mustang27.jpg


1. I don't know.
2. Chromed Cobra R rims.
3. Mustang GT stock rims.
 
This is extremely off-topic but honestly in the new Car&Driver magazine on the second page there is a two page poster of a blue 2005 Mustang GT with these wheels that absolutely fantastic on the car. Does anyone know what brand of wheels are on that mustang?


the bf goodrich ad?
 
Yes, super cirrus, that is the one I am talking about. It's the brand new issue of C&D. The one with the blue 05 mustang with the rims i'm dying to know about and the drag mustang on the top.
 
Yes, super cirrus, that is the one I am talking about. It's the brand new issue of C&D. The one with the blue 05 mustang with the rims i'm dying to know about and the drag mustang on the top.
I've got that ad in one of my Mustang magazines, but I don't know what kind of rims those are.
 
I found some pics of the Mustang converible. I have to say, it looks a little bland without the charcteristic triangular rear window. Seems a little bloated too, not enough shoulders on it perhaps?

(I am supposed to credit blueovalnews because I am posting these....)
05mustconvert1.jpg

05mustconvert2.jpg

05mustconvert3.jpg

05mustconvert4.jpg


Post your opinions.....
 
Here's an actual picture of the 2005 Steeda Mustang. I think we're going to start seeing some very slick looking mustangs in the next few years. The current stuff we're seeing are just the base platforms people are going to be building upon.
SteedaQ.jpg

2005SteedaQ-1.jpg
 
98cobra
The Steeda Q400 is lookin' good, but I'm waiting to see what the new Saleen will look like.
There is a picture of it in the November Car and Driver. Has a reverse hood scoop and big front bumper.
 
Innotech

Actually, I think the back end of the Saleen looks retarded. It looks like they chopped off the ass of a C5 vette and stuck it on (minus the ugly wing). The exhaust pipes are the worst I've seen on a Ford.

If it were me, I think I'd purchase a base GT, and slap on a Saleen front, and a Roush rear. Best of both worlds. 👍
 
To come back to this old thread, the March 2005 version of Motor Trend magazine shown off the Mustang convertible and even shown Shelby's 400hp 2005 Mustang. I'm telling you something. This machine is kicking. The 400hp Mustang from Shelby has a nice paintscheme with a white body and deep blue racing stripes. I have no pictures, but you can surely look at the Motor Trend website for pictures and more info.

I think nostalgia is really being modernized very well in America nowadays. If it's not only in some fashion , it's surely there in most American cars today. Some serious throwback is really coming into play, even with the 2005 Mustang. I look back at the Barrett-Jackson auction this past weekend, and I actually examined the GT350 to see how many similarities came about. On GTPlanet, I'd sure like to have a GT350 and a 2005 Mustang side-by-side. The nose is longer on the GT350, of course. It also looks a lot meaner than the modern variant. The modern variant does look... well, "modestly aggressive." It is still a nice machine. I wished I would have been to the Houston Auto Show this past weekend, but couldn't. The show goes on until the Super Bowl (Feb. 6, 2005). Of course, if you're an American football fan who loves cars, you have to choose. Car show? Or Super Bowl? Just a thought, player! (^_^)
 
I like the '05 mustang, that's not weird becouse my dad gets one in Mai. My dad gets the first '05 Ford Mustang GT Convertible in the netherlands. Í must wait till i can get my driving lisence but till then i will sit in the passenger seat. back to the point: were can you get an American 300hp sportscar for under €60000 (yeah i know the price in europe is bigger than in the usa, there it costs $27000, here in holland you have to pay 19% tax and over that you have to pay a big price for import and stuff like that) that looks great and can go from 0 - 100 in about 5.1 secs.
 
Looks WAAY better than the last body shape- rear looks much worse than the front however...
Overall I like the styling, the wheels on the base car don't work though- too sharp and unfinished looking for the comparatively retro-rounded body. The other pics with different wheels all look FAR better...

Suspension garauntees any non-US motoring journo won't be able to stop laughing long enough to treat the rest of the car fairly, which is a pity.

PS. The black version above really looks like an iconic lawless American bad-arse beast! (evokes Knightrider/Mad Max!) The wheels are too shiny however (like a rice burner's fav wheels) and subtract from the mean stance a little. You don't get chrome on an assault rifle, adding it would detract from the cold 'intent' of the weapon. I feel its the same kinda thing here... Just my opinion however.
 
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