The Mustang Becomes an Obamamobile

American Spectator ^ | 4/20/12 | Daniel J. Flynn

[Revolting cat!]

Mustang's dead, just like the Twist, And American Bandstand, seniors!

Ford's thinking (from the WSJ):

The Mustang, which has had a strong retro look since 2005, is losing steam, too. Last year Ford sold 70,438, down 4.4% from 2010 and less than half the 166,530 it sold in 2006.

The average Mustang buyer today is 51 years old.

The change is part of a bid to make the Mustang appeal to Generation Y, the roughly 80 million people who were born between 1980 and 1999. This demographic group is entering its peak car-buying years. Cars that their parents drive—and hark back to the days of Woodstock, 20 years before they were born—don't really interest them.

[central_va]

As long as it is rear wheel drive there is hope....

[tanknetter]

Not bad but it's not a Mustang. Looks closer to a modern version of the derided "Mustang II" that was posted in #7.

Yeah, that car is pretty cool, but rather than "Mustang" it's lineage looks more "Probe". On steroids.

As far as I'm concerned Ford hit a home run with the current Mustang. I see no reason to change it, except to change it. Which is exactly what Ford is doing.

[the invisib1e hand]

I found this leaked photo:

[Army Air Corps]

The average buyer of a new Mustang may be older, but that is matter of economics. I see a lot of young drivers in used Mustangs.

[Dr. Sivana]

Sheesh, they should call it something else.

How about ... Edsel II?

[Revolting cat!]

DA RULES! Mustang Sally!

[xp38]

600? Piker they have one for you at 950 hp for the street version and 1100 for the track version. Behold the Shelby Super Snake 1000! only 200 grand or so :) This is not your ancestors mustang

[headstamp 2]

My God, it’s my sister’s ‘76 Mustang that I taught her how to shift when I was 14 years old. She bought it new and couldn’t drive a standard shift.

[HighWheeler]

"...The change is part of a bid to make the Mustang appeal to Generation Y, the roughly 80 million people who were born between 1980 and 1999. This demographic group is entering its peak car-buying years. "

-- -- --

Gen Y will never have a peak of buying cars, because these dumb asses keep their faces shoved in an I-pod or I-pad for the rest of their lives, lest someone 'dis them electronically.

[the invisib1e hand]

I've seen some incredibly hairy factory mustangs. There seems to be a long tradition of making a run of blowout, barely street-legal balls-out machines at the Mustang wing.

Can't believe they've kept it alive so long.

And then, of course, there are the Shelby's...

[al_c]

All I’ve read so far on this is that the future Mustang will take styling cues from the Evos ... it won’t be exactly like it. Yes, it will lose the real axle and go independent, and will probably have a shorter wheel base, but it will not be a re-badged Evos.

I guess only time will tell.

[doc1019]

Back in the day when I was a yut (late 50’s early 60’s) my group of teenage friends and I prided ourselves on our ability to name the make, model and year of every car that we saw on the streets. Now they all look the same. ;-(

[SVTCobra03]

I’m going to get one of those 600hp ones as an investment then.

The 2013 Shelby GT500 has 650hp.

[Figment]

True. This article is FOS

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

That reminds me of an old drawing I saw years ago drawn by some engineer. It was a cowboy on horseback, AFTER OSHA.

I wish I the picture now.

[visualops]

wow! and convertible too!!1

[al_c]

Probably something more like this ...

[doc1019]

“prided”, yea, I know.

[Clay Moore]

I’d like to see that 429 with dual overhead cams, 32 valves and the electronics to make it work. The 4.6 (281 cu/in)DOHC is over 300 real hp in stock NA form. Add another ~150 cu/in... The new 5.0 Coyote is something like 630 hp.

Biggest problem with the BBF or FE in a car was the weight of the engine made handling less than optimal.