shorty911

Whats better about the new stang then rx8 and whats worse whats overall better

so far

stang 300lp torque more hp faster

rx8 looks better smooth better interior if its leather

NickG

Not sure about the new Mustang, but unless Ford USA has lifted its game substantially I can't imagine how this car could ever appeal to an RX-8 devotee. We've had the US Mustang here in Australia for a few years now. Away from the parochial US press, competing on even terms with imported product from around the world and our domestically engineered Fords and GM Holdens, the Mustang is a sick joke. Decent engine and lovely exhaust note aside, it's crudely engineered, appallingly badly finished from low rent junk materials ( especially the interior), and looks like a plastic kit car designed by some pubescent boy while he was off wagging school.

Seriously it's a mystery to all of us outside the States why the US car industry, with the incredible resources at its disposal, is so consistently and utterly incapable of manufacturing internationally competitive product. Fortunately several of their offshore subsidiaries do much better in this regard, otherwise GM, Ford and Chrysler would be nowheresville on the global scene.

MTLbroker

I had the previous generation Mustang GT convertible. True, the power was great. But, laying down patches of rubber loses its thrill after awhile. And drag races at the stoplights are not only dangerous, but childish as well. I bought the car just after the design change, so at first, the design seemed new and fresh - that lasted about 2 years. Towards the end, I just didn't feel like the car was me. It was too boy-racer. Plus, in just 3 short years, there were so many cars like mine that it didn't seem exclusive anymore. I suspect that the new Mustang will suffer the same fate. When the local Avis starts advertising summer weekend rentals of Mustang convertibles, you'll know it's time for a change.

Red Devil

In my opinion, America hasn't produced "internationally competitive product" because they have a large population base that will purchase their cars no matter what. Why put money into R&D when you know there is no competition? This all has been slowly changing, however, as they are now getting leveled by companies like Toyota.

To me, the best example of this is the Corvette. It was like a truck until the C5 came out. Then all the sudden they had a legitimate sports car that was comparable to a 911 in performance and driving sophisitcation. The only reason this happened is because the Good Old Boy network is literally aging/dying off so they had no choice. Most my age, 24, I think could care less who builds the car, just as long as it delivers what we want. The Vette has gone from being nothing special, to the C6 which has near the same power to weight ratio as a 911 Turbo. Competition is a great thing.

murix

I see the difference in power.

Mustang is a cheap fix for power. Definite step up from previous generations, but they still built for the lowest possible cost for the most possible power. It is the market they are targeting. If you want everything else, go for the 8.

Let the flames begin.

Shamblerock

There is no comparison. The mustang is a cheap excuse for a sports car with toms of cheap plastic everywhere and a shifter, dash and seats similar to that of an Escort. What is it, 5 scoops all bolted on and not one is functional? Check under the rear bumper and you will see they use actual styrofoam painted black. The car is absolutley junk except for their power train which seems to be decent. That car could come with 500 hp and $10K less than the RX 8 and I wouldn't touch it. My freind bought the convertable GT kept it for 2 months and sold it because it was so cheaply built and the parts used were weak, especially in the interior. Also the handling in the rain is about as deadly as it gets, meaning your death if you push it a little too hard, you lose control easily and can not recover.

My freind eventually bought the last Camaro SS and tell me its leaps and bounds better than the Mustang. Furthermore, he thinks and feels that the RX-8 is substantially a better car than the Camaro in every regard except stright line power. He's likely going to trade that in now that he has driven my RX-8 a few times. The design of the 8 is timeless. Mark my works; the 8 has set a new standard in engineering and design for cars at this level for the next several years. It will always look hot. Guaranteed. Sort of like a porsche design is timeless.

grapes

shorty911- i'm sure the Mustang is a nice car and as for all the other American cars mentioned in this thread, i sure they are equally nice vehicles. The point is that this an RX-8 forum and comparing an RX-8 to a Mustang is like comparing a Porsche 911 to a HEMI truck, there is no comparison, completely diffferent animals.

rev-2-9k

they both have 4 wheels, a steering wheel, a battery

AbusiveWombat

Mustang pros:
- faster
- better gas mileage
- will have a better aftermarket (hell, they already have super charger kits for the new 4.6)

RX8 pros:
- nicer fit and finish
- rotary (if you like being different)
- handling

IMO, I think the Mustang has meaner look and I really like some of the new tuner concepts: Rouch, Steeda, GTR. I can't wait to see the real mustang...the Cobra. If there will be any Mustang that captures my interest, it will be the Cobra. There's a little "boy racer" in me that loves the idea of 400 ft-lbs of tire shreading power...and if the Cobra handles as good as the last then it could be pretty tempting.

SHOWOFF

Mustangs are like ********, everyone has one.

AbusiveWombat

The RX8 is on a similar path with over 27k sold in the US

RX8_FAN

(
And they all stink)

SHOWOFF

Not hardly.

The Mustang will reach final production #'s on average of 150,000 per year. So that is one RX-8 for every 6 mustangs.

Mustangs are also used as rental cars, RX-8's are not.

I work at a Ford dealer, I see how much of a POS the Mustang is on a daily basis. I can't stand the car. Everything about it looks sad or depressed. There is nothing athletic about it. The rear tires are too narrow, they wen't from a low profile 245/45/17 to a god aweful 235/55/17 on their performance car the Mustang GT. The inside of the car makes me want to puke, if I wanted a 70 Mustang I'd buy a '70 Mustang. Cheap plastics and phony aluminum trim all over with visible glue in between the seams of aluminum. Rattles galore over bumps. The suspension has a loud thumping sound over any uneven surface. Crazy amounts of wheel gap, the rear tires still appear to be sunk inward toward the center of the car like it did on the '94-'97 models.

One good pont is the V-6 is a great powerplant with plenty of power on tap, mated with a smooth shifting 5 speed auto. And that is where the good part stops.

I was involved in several focus groups last year involving improvement that Ford could make to the products to help them sell more. My response to the engineer was this.

"Every time you introduce some retro-styled car such as the T-Bird or the Mustang, or you have to call on a name from the past such as Montego, 500, Futura etc. it just tells me along with everyone else that everyone in your overpaid design department is out of new ideas"

Shamblerock

ShOWOFF: I never worked at a car dealership and am hardly mechanically inclined, and I am really pleased to see your summary ("A Ford Insider") of the mustang is exactly like mine a few posts below.

You know what your talking about. For sure.

Of all car that I have ever known over the past 40 years, the Mustang consistently has proven to be the biggest sucker attracting car there is for what you pay>think you are getting>actually get. This is one of Ford's most profitable cars because they screw you over and skimp on everything outside of the powerplant. Just go back in history and see the law suits they faced when mustangs would literally blow up when hit from behind. WHY: the gas tank was covered simply by a cheap removable carpet so in essence the gas tank was inside the car = small tap in the back> explosion in the cabin. SMART REAL SMART.

Do I need to remind everyone of the the rust buckets ford made for years? Buy the car on Sept 1 and it is rusting on feb 1. !!!!!!

Do you think that all of a sudden they will change their ways? THINK AGAIN. 40 YEARS OF HISTORY CAN'T BE WRONG.

Another example: the Ford Escape and its faulty engines.

Another example: The Windstar had so many problems they fired the entire design team. The reputation is so bad that on the replacement van the "Freestar"
they have knock CAN$7,000 off a CAN$28,000 basic version and they still don't sell.

But no, the mustang is different! RIGHT!!!!!!!!!

Honest to God, if I knew that Ford even had the slightest say on how the RX-8 was to be designed or what parts/technolgies should be used or shared parts with other Ford products, I wouldn't have bought it. Luckily for me (and Mazda) the RX-8 and the Miata are exclusively in Mazda's hands and control. The rest of the lineup is not.

Ford just don't give a ****. They only want your money. DON'T BUY A FORD. YOU WILL REGRET IT.!!!!

kevinus99

to add something that has been overlooked, the price. the cheapest RX8 is about 5-6 grand more than the cheapest 05 stang, this is a pro for the 8, simply because this will help keep it out of the hands of ricers