quack_p

Wow, is that your car? Sweet.

valpac

iTrader: (2)

Yep, thats my RX-8. No 69 FB for me. But Im tempted to make an OBO.

quack_p

I was talking about the Ford, but the 8 is sweet, too. That's a given.

valpac

iTrader: (2)

TY, quack_p

quack_p

That is so true. I spent a few hours looking through the Mazda website and this forum, and I knew more about the RX-8 than any of the salesmen I met. No passion for their product, just another commission.

truemagellen

you know why the salesman was so quick to switch camps too? (in addition to the fact the 8 is awesome) is that he gets the same discount on the car a Mazda salesman does...my friend works at a ford plant and can get me any mazda at invoice to bad I didn't know that till after I bought the car

yup if you read the post it says he pointed out what was stock and what wasn't

Xyntax

That's so true! I would rather get the 69 fastback than the new one. The 69 looks meaner and sporty. The new one isn't bad, much better than previous ones too. I love it when those restored 69 fastbacks rally around Monterrey in the Summer.

shigginsrx8

whats the warranty like on a 69? Are they offering low lease rates, if so maybe I will look into it.

MTLbroker

The prior mustangs' frame was based on the old Ford Fairmont frame. I guess it's poetic justice that they now have a car that actually looks like a Fairmont. I'm not bashing the car, just the designers. I used to have a mustang. But the car designers are going too retro. Too bad for mustang, the Ford designers could have done something really cool, but they went for the old retro, derivative styling route.

RX8_Buckeye

It'll be interesting to see how the car sells over the next couple of years. As of right now, it's hard to fault Ford for the design in terms of the interest it has generated. It has created a buzz greater than even the most optimistic of the Ford designers expected. I actually think the design has plenty of modern styling cues--it doesn't look like a 60's or 70's car to me at all. To each his own.

On a related note, the new Camero is going the retro route as well. I can't help but think that the marketing research shows that the retro styling will sell.

MTLbroker

It's funny that despite all the buzz that preceeded the new T-Bird, that car was a sales disaster. I think that there was talk of discontinuing that model soon.

The retro buzz is generated from the aging boomers who always wanted a mustang when they were in high school, but could never afford one. Now that the biggest demographic group has an empty nest, it's their chance to relive their youth. But I think the car makers are foregoing the future buyers of their marque by appealing to the retro buyers.

I can't help but think that the Chevvy guys should keep a close eye on the mustang to see how sales go before deciding on the Camaro. After the inititial early adopters buy, there may be a very steep dropoff in sales. The only saving grace for the retro 'stang is its performance envelope. It may still be the best "bang for the buck" in terms of HP out there.

IMHO, all this retro-ization is just steering more and more people towards the truly innovative products.

kevinus99

I agree with all this retro steering people elsewhere. believe or not i actually heard about the stang before the 8. dont ask how that happened. as time went on i started to slowly loose interest in it, eventually i saw it at the NYC auto show early this year, i still loved it, but that was also the first time I saw an 8 in person, which was completely unlike anything i have ever seen. by the time the summer rolled around i decided to go with the 8. its been one great love affair ever since

picosrx8

IMO The Tbird failed because it is WAY too expensive. Many aging boomers will not part with 40-50k on principal. My parents (67 years old)love the new Tbird but my as my dad says "Ill be damned if I pay that much for a car"

On the other hand, the new Mustang GT loaded will top out around 29K. That will get alot of people pulling out their checkbooks! The two car shows I have been to in the last year have had more people buzzing about the stang than anything else there. No lie. I only hope that the interior isnt as cheesy as the last gens. God knows Ford needs some serious help in that dept. I think my RX8 has ruined me forever with what I expect in a sports car interior. :D

mikeb

I liike the new mustang a lot
especailly in blue

I had a similar experience when i brought my rx8 to look at the mustang
I got a bunch of what is that , I like your car

quack_p

Now the team that designed the GT cockpit had good taste. Too bad they didn't do the Mustang. I guess $150,000 is the price of good taste at Ford. Although those seats are a little funky.

TyrellCorpNexus8

The new Mustang's exterior is one of the ugliest of any car out there right now. Nothing is quite right about it. From the hammerhead shark/alchohol baby eyes to the tail that goes on forever to the "Frank Columbo can't even do that with his eyes" taillights to the strangely plain Jane glass area between the B-pillar and C-pillar.


All these horrible elements really have nothing to do with the retro theme. The older Mustangs from which they borrowed a bunch of exterior elements sure looked pretty damn good with those elements.


The culprit is simply a terrible design team. This is AS BAD AS what Chris Bangle did to the BMW 5-series.

RX8_Buckeye

Thanks for sharing your opinion! I completely disagree, and so do 90% of the automotive journalists out there.

TyrellCorpNexus8

Yeah, I've noticed. Try about 100% of the magazines. Even the British mags. We all know WHY the American mags are raving about it. This is too important a car for America for them to strike it down. Remember the Thunderbird won one mag's car of the year? But the fact the British mags rave about the exterior is something of a surprise.....until you read closely. I can't remember if it's Top Gear or another UK mag, but they are very careful with the words they use to describe the exterior. One phrase I remember said something like the exterior was "the way American muscle was meant to be." They were being euphemistic.


Even the 350z met with almost unanimously fabulous write-ups. It wasn't until about 6 months into its release that criticisms started creeping up, especially by the British mags.


I'm curious to see if the British mags start criticizing the exterior a little later on.

Japan8

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

I wonder what this bad boy can do.... I'm betting on awesome skidpad figures as well as a nice 0-60 time for the SC models.
http://www.saleen.com/2005_s281.htm

Yep... this car is sure adding up to a total POS... I can't wait to take one for a test drive the next time I am stateside.

Japan8

Another one.... http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....ber=1&preview=

TyrellCorpNexus8

My comments are directed only at the exterior styling. Have you actually seen one in person? If you haven't, don't worry, you'll make yourself love the exterior.

c2k4-8

Guys, remember one thing - you can get a new GT for 25 grand!

Spin9k

Just my 2c's worth:

The car mags don't actually RAVE about the 'O5 tang' so much as give it a qualified 'so much better than before' comments when you read the remarks made carefully. Sure it's a nice car for a nice price. The question is whether it is a GREAT car for a GREAT price. Clearly, I can't see it reaching that bar with it's sad interior, econo suspension, and well, it's LOOKs, and LACK of style. But before you flame me....

I can understand if your 20 or 30 or so and see WoW a new fancy Mustang, how neat!! And get all excitied.....but...

As an old guy I remember the introduction of the original Mustang, plus the Cobra version with a 289 I test drove as a kid. Now THAT was something... :D considering it was available at your local FORD dealer with STOCK stripped out interior (metal w/rubber mats), I think (?) it had a full racing harness, amazing engine/exhaust sound, I believe it also had a fire extingisher strapped inside it too. Basically a race car for sale to the public.

Looking at the current car it appears to be a rehash of styling themes done by the old guys at Ford in their quest to have yet another RETRO car, along with some current engineering design to bring it up to today's car standards BUT with low $$ always in mind to make it a capable money maker...period. Ford surely needs a hit, and this car might be it... but that's a BIG might and far from a GREAT car IMHO.

TyrellCorpNexus8

I'll agree with that. Much of the American audience is reacting on long-kept, latent emotion; they've been waiting a long time for this damn car. Like people waited for the Z car. Like we waited for the return of the rotary. I don't think much of the hoopla is a stand-alone, fresh "I simply love the way it looks." It could have looked like a two-ball bitch and still received applause.

Japan8

After the travesty that started in '74 (oh my God that POS!)... the '79 Fox body car was an actual improvement! However we all have to admit that '79- '93 and even '93- '04 not only had the problems of handling, ridigity and (lack of) quality interior, but... considering past Mustangs they didn't even look like one!

Think about that and look at the '05 Mustang. I think this is how the car mags are viewing it. They aren't directly comparing it to the 8, 350Z or whatever. Essentially with the death of the Camaro, TransAm/Firebird, Charger, etc. there is no direct competition for this car. This car isn't pretending or trying to be a M3 killer or even the G35c. The original Mustang wasn't revolutionary from a pure performance perspective. It wasn't THAT fast, nor did it handle well (even for its time). Cheaper than a T-bird or a Vette, but it wasn't as fast or handle nearly as well. It was an affordable, comfortable V8 powered, RWD car... perhaps the original "sporty" car (not sports).

People will make whatever comparisions they will... it's only an opinion. Buyers and the market? Well the Mustang is still in production (although it was close sometimes) and Ford actually sells a decent number of them still today. Apparantly they are doing SOMETHING right.

Ike loves his STi, and many people here have complained about it econobox roots and styling. That doesn't make it a POS. That just makes it the right car for Ike and not the right car for you. Come on people... you claim to be "real" auto enthusiasts. If you are then you should be able to appreciate what strengths the maker is trying to offer in said package. Whether or not it is something you want to own has nothing to do with being able to appreciate what Nissan has tried to revive in the 350Z or Ford in the '05 Mustang GT.