GTO or Stang

[ProudPony]

Or if dealers just sell them at a reasonable price they will sell great, Now a days people HATE paying MSRP for a cars let alone $5,000 over MSRP. Even the twice as limited Cobra could be had for $1000 under MSRP. Ford seams to have done a better job of keeping dealers inline.

Many GTO dealers in SoCal are selling them like hot cakes. Read about the GTO supply issues here: http://www.gminsidenews.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=5570

I couldn't agree with you more re dealer rape... er, um I mean "dealer markup".
You gotta admit though, the styling ISN'T HELPING it either.

I can't tell you how many folks I have talked with say, "I haven't seen one yet.", but they have seen 300 or 300C's. My bet is that they in fact HAVE seen a GTO, but just didn't KNOW IT!!! They thought it was a "new" GP or something. Heck, I saw thousands of pics and mpegs of the GTO on the net for 18 months before it hit our streets, but even I just about missed the first one I saw on the road (it was pulled by an NC Highway Patrol unit on I-85 South near Lexington - if I hadn't been glaring at the blue lights, I'd have missed the fact that it was a Goat no doubt) Now I am consciously looking for them, and I've seen maybe 6 or so that I know were goats.

Car should be called Pontiac Monaro, and sold for MSRP or your best deal with the salesman, and everything would have been peachy-keen IMO. The only reason the dealer rape is happening is due to the name-pimping that is going on, which Monaro would have avoided. The picture would be SOOOO different then...

 

[ProudPony]

One other thing...
The 05 GT is going to have MANDATORY 3.55:1 gears in the manual version.
The Mach currently comes with 3.55's also.

The 05 GT is rated (conservatively) at 300hp.
The Mach is rated (also conservatively) at 305hp.

The weights are less than a passenger's weight apart.

The 05 has improved 5-link rear with panhard link which should help hard launches.
The 05 also has better F/R weight distribution than the Mach did.
The 05 benefits from design changes to shifting locations, shifting feel, technique, and driveline.

I'd say the technological advances of the 05 GT will knullify any weight advantage the Mach 1 has - given both are bone-stock. IMO, the 05 GT will likely be just a tad quicker than the current Mach 1's are due to the tech advantages - especially the auto versions. I'm hearing the auto trannys are going to give the mannys a run for the money at the track - Ford has spent considerable money developing the shift and efficiency for the GT. May end up like the last F-cars with A5's having better top ends and consistency in shifts than the M5's.

 

[1995cobraR]

On the downside, nobody likes idrive and repairs are expensve, not to mention the cars themselves.

Mustang fanatics are going to scream when the 2005 Stang gets dissed for not having IRS, but folks, this is the 21st century and a great car should have a great suspension, at least as an option. Styling and 300 hp at a price point is great, but I think Ford should have gone a little farther to expand their market appeal.

Having said that, I think I'll climb into my bomb shelter to escape the frags from the younger fanatics here who will accuse me of being a commie for 1) reading, let alone liking liking, Car and Driver, and 2) suggesting that the Mustang is anything but perfect.

You forgot about the incredible depreciation on a BMW. I bought my wife a 540 for her b'day. You decided she didn't like it. The BMW was a costly mistake for me.

IRS? Some like it, some don't (mostly drag racers), and some don't know what it is. Ford has sold almost 9 million Mustangs in 40 years. They may know what they are doing. Ford has lately been selling 140K per year. I bet they sell 200K+ of the '05's. I'll have a S197 in my driveway (my 14th Mustang).

C&D? I thought they just liked Japanese cars?

I'm an old guy also. That old GTO 389 3X2 is not as fast as a new GT, much less a stock 03/04 Cobra. It handled like my truck and the truck can stop quicker with a 24' trailer attached. I bet you wish you had never sold the '70 SS. Except for the split window era Stingrays, the '70 SS/Z28's were the best.

 

[scottie1113]

You're right about the GTO and its handling. While it's not as fast as today's rocket ships, it was pretty good in its day--in a straight line.

The fact is that most of the muscle cars of the 60's weren't very good cars, but they were faster than anything else and had a certain visceral attraction to them.

Yeah, I wish I still had that old Camaro, but a growing family forced me to trade it in. Road & Track called it one the ten best looking cars in the world at the time. Oh well.

I know that Ford has sold millions of Mustangs, and I agree, they're doing something right and will no doubt sell all the 2005's they build. That's good for all of us. Maybe the GT won't have IRS as an option but I'll bet that a non Cobra Special Edition will have it soon. I hope. In the meantime, I'll keep driving my 95 GT vert, smiling as I go down the road.