250 bhp is totally unacceptable to me... 300+ is like the minimum for import sport cars nowadays.

 

Power to weight ratio makes more sense to me...

 

I'm sure it's fine for a pony car. People keep lumping in Mustangs and Camaros with sports cars, when they've always been pony cars. Plenty of power, but only acceptable handling, even compared with American brethren like the Corvette, which until recently was the only true American sports car.

Pony cars used to be more a budget option and always more hot-rod than sports car. Great for your American-grafitti style challenges, but not so much for the true driving enthusiast looking for the whole package.

Today there's the Viper, and I guess you can count the solstice and it's Saturn counterpart. Haven't driven one, but on paper they've got the total package of plenty of power and great handling. Will cost you a pretty penny for a top-of-the line model though. The upcoming Solstice "coupe" looks interesting, but fundamentally flawed (can't even stow the top in the trunk). Even with the best parts, the American cars tend to lack the refinement of European and Japanese cars, but at least they're trying.

With all the cars I see coming out with 6 liter engines and 300-400 hp power claims, I think we're falling into that 70s "bigger is better" trap all over again. The bodies are getting bigger too, possibly to balance the cars with those houge engines. Even the Mustangs are too large for my taste and when I looked at the Camaro specs it'll be the same way. The RX-8 is the upper limit of size as far as I'm concerned.

I think it would take very little for the RX-8 (or whatever the next gen will be called) to best everyone out there. These cars keep getting heavier along with their power gains. The RX-8 should just need a modest boost in power and perhaps a little fat trimming to be a truly insurmountable sports car, in its class at least. Keep it light and nimble and whatever power you can add is gravy.

 

Welll..... If you're looking to lighten your 8 for race day, you could remove the rear seats (Tee hee)

What do they weigh anyway?

 

^ rear seats are made out of foam....

 

But when you get home from the ride, you still have enough hearing left to enjoy an expensive music system, and you aren't tired from dragging your car around with your arms....

I'll stick with the 8 - for lux, and decreased driver wear, as well as handling...

 

Uh really?

Range is more important? I suspect miles per dollar is vastly more important.

Anyways Formula 1 and hybrid technology? Unless i'm highly mistaken.. that is only in "talks".

 

Lightness is the future of going faster. Bugatti Veyron is a dead model of how to go fastest.

2500lb + 250hp = 10lb to 1hp = ******* fast.

 

250 bhp, with 210+ making it to the rear wheels, would be very nice in an 8.

I am not ragging on the Mustang, because I actually think it has a wonderful V8 that makes beautiful music (even if a different kind), and gobs of lusty torque, but it can just not be considered in the same league as the 8 in terms of handling.

And yes, the live rear axle on the Stang is there to cut costs. They had to keep the thing affordable for the masses, though Ford would have been wiser to eat the costs and go with something a little more sophisticated in back, IMHO.

I do believe there is a point of diminishing returns in upping horsepower especially in a car like the 8 (blasphemy), and an honest to goodness 250 would be beautiful zen.

 

new mustang feels bukly =/

 

new mustang is bulky...

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/02/2...ppear-smaller/
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/c...-look-smaller/

Lol, at redesigning the 2010 Mustang to look smaller... I guess most designers try to achieve this with large cars anyways but why does the Mustang have to be so big? Wasn't the original fairly small? At lunch I'm often behind a current Mustang at a drive-through and I don't think the driver could even see my face over the rear of the car. The car totally dwarfs mine. I don't mind the look (I think the 2010 will look even modern) but where does all that extra acreage go to, it's certainly not the interior.