:love: :love: It even looks like the 67/68 GT....sigh...looks like i know where my pennies are going ....time to start saving...
Behind the Wheel: 2005 Ford Mustang: The Pony Express Rides Again
December 26, 2004
By PETER PASSELL
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.
THE last time Ford introduced a truly new Mustang, Gloria
Gaynor's "I Will Survive" topped the pop charts, Don Baylor
was the American League's most valuable player and
fundamentalist Muslims were denouncing America - under
President Jimmy Carter - as the Great Satan.
Well, some things never change.
Though the Mustang has
continued to sell well, almost everybody agreed that the
marketing phenomenon that transformed Lee A. Iacocca into a
capitalist hero was long overdue for a bumper-to-bumper
makeover. After all, it had spent 26 years on a limp
chassis derived from the long-forgotten Ford Fairmont, and
had gone a full decade wearing the same basic wardrobe.
What few expected, though, was a new design that looked
terrific, delivered great value and drove like a
state-of-the-art sports coupe - yet could never be mistaken
for anything else.
The 2005 version, which adheres to the pony car tradition
of rear-wheel drive, comes in two flavors: a base model
with a 12-valve iron-block V-6 engine delivering 210
horsepower with 240 pounds-feet of torque, and the GT, with
a 24-valve aluminum block V-8 rated at 300 horsepower and
320 pounds-feet. A convertible will make its debut on Jan.
5 at the Los Angeles auto show, and a high-performance
version with a more powerful engine and an independent rear
suspension, like the SVT Cobra version of the previous
generation Mustang, is expected sometime after 2006.
Both of the current models come with four-wheel disc
brakes, air-conditioning and five-speed manual
transmissions (a five-speed automatic is an option). Both
are built on a simplified version of the platform
architecture Ford uses for the Lincoln LS and the Jaguar
S-Type.
The GT does, however, get bigger wheels (17-inchers instead
of 16's), lower-profile tires (Pirelli P Zero Neros) and
the brakes (with larger front discs) get a standard
antilock function. The GT's other attractions include
electronic traction control, a stiffer suspension, dual
exhausts and a rear spoiler.
The base Mustang starts at just $19,410, including the
delivery charge, making it one of the most stylish $20,000
investments available. Add a 500-watt stereo with a CD
changer, and a six-way power driver's seat, and the car
barely tops $20,000. The GT, starting at $24,995, is also
priced to sell. Adding leather, seat-mounted side air bags
and that monster sound system results in a nicely equipped
coupe that is still less than $27,000. A 1,000-watt audio
system is $1,295.
You can find a number of well-built cars with plenty of
zing in this price range - think of the Acura RSX, the
Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS, the Subaru Impreza WRX and the
Volkswagen GTI for starters. But those do not offer a V-8
option.
Moreover, no imported pocket rocket has a gorgeous body
like this. The new Mustang has exceptionally clean lines
that echo the the original model yet look quite modern, in
much the way Volkswagen's playful New Beetle captured the
essence of the old one.
The new Mustang is substantially longer than the previous
model and, for the first time, offers truly roomy front
seats. (The rear remains barely adequate for grown-ups.)
Few other carmakers, it is safe to say, would dare to
create an interior with so much chrome or so many
contrasting colors and surface textures.
With the My Color option, it is even possible to vary the
color of the lighting on the instrument cluster; Ford brags
that 125 shades are possible. But I am betting the sheer
garishness of the concept will work well on two levels. The
young will take the 1960's exuberance at face value, while
the merely young at heart will enjoy the interior as a trip
down memory lane, at least until the novelty wears off.
All the attention to style would be wasted if Ford had
scrimped on performance. Happily, this is not the case:
both models are light-years better than their predecessors.
The V-6 with the five-speed automatic, which Ford expects
to capture half or more of Mustang sales, is an efficient
modern vehicle that is peppy, smooth and relatively quiet.
The power is adequate and the handling is crisp, an
unexpected treat given the visual cues that suggest one is
behind the wheel of a big, old-fashioned American car.
There's no denying, though, that the model of choice for
serious drivers is the 300-horsepower GT with the
five-speed manual. I spent 150 miles behind the wheel of a
GT in the mountains of Southern California one sunny
afternoon and had to be coaxed from the driver's seat with
promises of espresso and white-chocolate macadamia nut
cookies.
As expected, the GT is fast: zero to 60 miles an hour in
5.3 seconds, according to Road & Track magazine, and it has
plenty of torque at low engine speeds. And the throaty
rumble of the dual exhausts make it seem even faster.
But the more dramatic improvement over the old model is in
the handling: in spite of Ford's decision to save some
money by sticking with a solid rear axle (rather than using
an independent suspension) the car manages irregular
pavement and hard cornering like an expensive sports sedan.
Once, the Mustang captured the sense of fun and freedom
that represented the best of American cars. Once again,
Mustang - now over 40 and having outlived its original
competitors - demonstrates Ford's determination to keep
that spirit alive.
INSIDE TRACK: A blast, even on a budget.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/26/automobiles/26AUTO.html?ex=1105332367&ei=1&en=
5c9ba44446a91b9e
Behind the Wheel: 2005 Ford Mustang: The Pony Express Rides Again
December 26, 2004
By PETER PASSELL
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.
THE last time Ford introduced a truly new Mustang, Gloria
Gaynor's "I Will Survive" topped the pop charts, Don Baylor
was the American League's most valuable player and
fundamentalist Muslims were denouncing America - under
President Jimmy Carter - as the Great Satan.
Well, some things never change.
Though the Mustang has
continued to sell well, almost everybody agreed that the
marketing phenomenon that transformed Lee A. Iacocca into a
capitalist hero was long overdue for a bumper-to-bumper
makeover. After all, it had spent 26 years on a limp
chassis derived from the long-forgotten Ford Fairmont, and
had gone a full decade wearing the same basic wardrobe.
What few expected, though, was a new design that looked
terrific, delivered great value and drove like a
state-of-the-art sports coupe - yet could never be mistaken
for anything else.
The 2005 version, which adheres to the pony car tradition
of rear-wheel drive, comes in two flavors: a base model
with a 12-valve iron-block V-6 engine delivering 210
horsepower with 240 pounds-feet of torque, and the GT, with
a 24-valve aluminum block V-8 rated at 300 horsepower and
320 pounds-feet. A convertible will make its debut on Jan.
5 at the Los Angeles auto show, and a high-performance
version with a more powerful engine and an independent rear
suspension, like the SVT Cobra version of the previous
generation Mustang, is expected sometime after 2006.
Both of the current models come with four-wheel disc
brakes, air-conditioning and five-speed manual
transmissions (a five-speed automatic is an option). Both
are built on a simplified version of the platform
architecture Ford uses for the Lincoln LS and the Jaguar
S-Type.
The GT does, however, get bigger wheels (17-inchers instead
of 16's), lower-profile tires (Pirelli P Zero Neros) and
the brakes (with larger front discs) get a standard
antilock function. The GT's other attractions include
electronic traction control, a stiffer suspension, dual
exhausts and a rear spoiler.
The base Mustang starts at just $19,410, including the
delivery charge, making it one of the most stylish $20,000
investments available. Add a 500-watt stereo with a CD
changer, and a six-way power driver's seat, and the car
barely tops $20,000. The GT, starting at $24,995, is also
priced to sell. Adding leather, seat-mounted side air bags
and that monster sound system results in a nicely equipped
coupe that is still less than $27,000. A 1,000-watt audio
system is $1,295.
You can find a number of well-built cars with plenty of
zing in this price range - think of the Acura RSX, the
Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS, the Subaru Impreza WRX and the
Volkswagen GTI for starters. But those do not offer a V-8
option.
Moreover, no imported pocket rocket has a gorgeous body
like this. The new Mustang has exceptionally clean lines
that echo the the original model yet look quite modern, in
much the way Volkswagen's playful New Beetle captured the
essence of the old one.
The new Mustang is substantially longer than the previous
model and, for the first time, offers truly roomy front
seats. (The rear remains barely adequate for grown-ups.)
Few other carmakers, it is safe to say, would dare to
create an interior with so much chrome or so many
contrasting colors and surface textures.
With the My Color option, it is even possible to vary the
color of the lighting on the instrument cluster; Ford brags
that 125 shades are possible. But I am betting the sheer
garishness of the concept will work well on two levels. The
young will take the 1960's exuberance at face value, while
the merely young at heart will enjoy the interior as a trip
down memory lane, at least until the novelty wears off.
All the attention to style would be wasted if Ford had
scrimped on performance. Happily, this is not the case:
both models are light-years better than their predecessors.
The V-6 with the five-speed automatic, which Ford expects
to capture half or more of Mustang sales, is an efficient
modern vehicle that is peppy, smooth and relatively quiet.
The power is adequate and the handling is crisp, an
unexpected treat given the visual cues that suggest one is
behind the wheel of a big, old-fashioned American car.
There's no denying, though, that the model of choice for
serious drivers is the 300-horsepower GT with the
five-speed manual. I spent 150 miles behind the wheel of a
GT in the mountains of Southern California one sunny
afternoon and had to be coaxed from the driver's seat with
promises of espresso and white-chocolate macadamia nut
cookies.
As expected, the GT is fast: zero to 60 miles an hour in
5.3 seconds, according to Road & Track magazine, and it has
plenty of torque at low engine speeds. And the throaty
rumble of the dual exhausts make it seem even faster.
But the more dramatic improvement over the old model is in
the handling: in spite of Ford's decision to save some
money by sticking with a solid rear axle (rather than using
an independent suspension) the car manages irregular
pavement and hard cornering like an expensive sports sedan.
Once, the Mustang captured the sense of fun and freedom
that represented the best of American cars. Once again,
Mustang - now over 40 and having outlived its original
competitors - demonstrates Ford's determination to keep
that spirit alive.
INSIDE TRACK: A blast, even on a budget.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/26/automobiles/26AUTO.html?ex=1105332367&ei=1&en=
5c9ba44446a91b9e
Sooooo sweet! I want one!
But a sweet butterfly on wheels 
