No more GT500 :(

[Chris11764]

http://mustangsdaily...urning-as-well/

[IngotSilverSnake]

Glad I got my GT500 when I did!!

[Cobramach1]

I've known about the Mach's return for a few years but at this point just more curious what the '15 stang is going to look like. As it stands my next Mustang will be a '13 Boss 302 unless the '15 body style is to my liking then maybe I'll go with the Mach 1 instead. Time will tell. The Mach would be nice since all my classics are Mach 1 cars. I miss my '04 Mach 1 at times and would consider getting another one of them sometime as a summer daily driver.

 

As far as the dropping of the GT500, it makes sense since they are dropping the larger engine. The GT350 with the 302 is a perfect combination. It is interesting that Shelby is allowing the production of this since they have been making their own GT350. I'm guessing they'll be dropping their GT350 and with no GT500 there will be no super snake either. It will be interesting to see what Shelby will produce post production now. What will also be interesting is what the new GT350's will do to the value of the Shelby Factory GT350's.

Edited June 19, 2013 by Cobramach1

[glroy]

It is interesting that Shelby is allowing the production of this since they have been making their own GT350. I'm guessing they'll be dropping their GT350 and with now GT500 there will be no super snake either. It will be interesting to see what Shelby will produce post production now. What will also be interesting is what the new GT350's will do to the value of the Shelby Factory GT350's.

 

Don't think SA had much to do with the GT350 deal with Ford. From what I understand the GT500 and The GT350 deals were done by Carroll before he passed. Carroll always said the money is in parts not post title conversions.

[DubbsFaris]

I had heard that it would come out for 2015, but honestly 2016 is a better idea for Ford. They need a year to iron out any design issues with the new body. I hope the first big change they announce is to scrap my touch and fire Microsoft.

 

On the flip side of that, if Ford quits making the GT500 and starts making the GT350, its going to be a tough go for SA. I hope for the sake of everyone, serious thought and planning is underway to prepare for a major transition if this is all true.

[glroy]

I had heard that it would come out for 2015, but honestly 2016 is a better idea for Ford. They need a year to iron out any design issues with the new body. I hope the first big change they announce is to scrap my touch and fire Microsoft.

 

On the flip side of that, if Ford quits making the GT500 and starts making the GT350, its going to be a tough go for SA. I hope for the sake of everyone, serious thought and planning is underway to prepare for a major transition if this is all true.

 

Dam there goes my retirement date. New GT350 about 45K + 12K mods; Guess I have to work at least a year or two longer.

[Gibraltar]

I hope the first big change they announce is to scrap my touch and fire Microsoft.

 

+1

[MOUNT-N-SLOT]

I am SO happy I bought my '14 GT500! I usually trade my fun cars every couple of years, but not this one. It's a keeper!

Edited June 22, 2013 by MOUNT-N-SLOT

[mullens]

Same here. So glad I got the last of this body style.

[shelbymotorsports]

Although I can't get into any details please keep in mind that Carroll was well aware of the direction both Ford and Shelby American are headed towards with the 2015+ Mustang & Shelby vehicles.Change is inevitable but let me reassure you that performance is still at the top of the list and will be for the foreseeable future. The rules may be changing but the game certainly isn't.

 

Steve

[dufus]

Although I can't get into any details please keep in mind that Carroll was well aware of the direction both Ford and Shelby American are headed towards with the 2015+ Mustang & Shelby vehicles.Change is inevitable but let me reassure you that performance is still at the top of the list and will be for the foreseeable future. The rules may be changing but the game certainly isn't.

 

Steve

Nice to hear that.

[1 Alibi 2]

The more I read about the 2015 MY line-up, the happier I am that I ordered a 2014 Shelby..

[DubbsFaris]

+1

 

Whatever the new model has or doesn't have, Im 100% sure Im happier having this GT500.

[Larry T]

Loved the GT500 and will miss it ..... but I am excited for the GT350.

[Gabed1972]

To me this feels like the end of the 60s and is going to like the last of the real big blocks. I don't think we'll see anymore classic American sports cars like this one being built anytime in the near future

[dufus]

To me this feels like the end of the 60s and is going to like the last of the real big blocks. I don't think we'll see anymore classic American sports cars like this one being built anytime in the near future

Forget about the 60s as what happened then has no bearing on what is transpiring today. Todays technologies weren't even dreamed of in the 60s and are capable of producing reciprocating engines with astounding power levels, great gas mileage and low emissions. The 5.4/5.8L motors are being dumped in favor of the technologically superior 5.0L Coyote motor. The current performance era is yielding muscle/sports cars like we have never seen before and that is a good thing for enthusiasts.

 

This 2nd muscle car era will end if and when there is a lack of sales of these beasts at some point in the future and not due to the manufacturers inability to engineer performance within the constraints of government mandates.

[speedrx]

There is no way we have seen the last of the GT500, period. All the models are evolving, new models being introduced, old monikers being revived - don't think the GT500 has gone the way of the dinosaurs, it is part of the future plans for Ford/SVT.

[dufus]

There is no way we have seen the last of the GT500, period. All the models are evolving, new models being introduced, old monikers being revived - don't think the GT500 has gone the way of the dinosaurs, it is part of the future plans for Ford/SVT.

The best is on the way. SVT will have the next generation tricked out for the enthusiasts with a 5.0L. SVT Mustangs always outperform and overshadow the previous model. I doubt if they will be offering anything in the next generation that isn't outstanding.

[kawwy600]

I've seen the prototype 2015 mustang about a year ago at a consumer evaluation of the vehicle. Trust me when I say this, it looks amazing in person! Its a modern version of the original fastbacks

[DubbsFaris]

There is still something to be said for having a live axle under your control, and we won't be seeing that again.

[dufus]

I've seen the prototype 2015 mustang about a year ago at a consumer evaluation of the vehicle. Trust me when I say this, it looks amazing in person! Its a modern version of the original fastbacks

Sounds good and would kinda be expected. Ford has been hitting home runs now for the last 10 years with redisigns and new engines. I seriously doubt that they will be bringing a Mustang II from the 70s looking turd to market as many seem to be expecting for some odd reason. I bet the 2015 will be a knockout. I really hope it is not another retro package. The 2005 thru the present has been nice but the retro thing is pretty much old hat and yesterdays news at this point. It is time for a change and big one would have a broad based appeal if it is aggressive and has curb appeal. As far as the SRA goes, good bye and good riddins, welcome to the 21st century. Solid axles belong under jack ass carts not state of the art performance offerings. The independent rear on the new generation of Mustang will likely be wildly more capable than the abortion that was shoehorned into the Cobras.

[DubbsFaris]

Maybe it will have paddle shifters and not allow tc to be disabled, then it will be the perfect car for dufus!

[dufus]

Maybe it will have paddle shifters and not allow tc to be disabled, then it will be the perfect car for dufus!

 

I'm not a big fan of automatic sports/performance cars but do understand that the days of manual transmissions are numbered. Expect the automatic 2015s to have the paddle shift arrangement. It is expected at this point and not a "maybe".

[Obiefox]

Forget about the 60s as what happened then has no bearing on what is transpiring today. Todays technologies weren't even dreamed of in the 60s and are capable of producing reciprocating engines with astounding power levels, great gas mileage and low emissions. The 5.4/5.8L motors are being dumped in favor of the technologically superior 5.0L Coyote motor. The current performance era is yielding muscle/sports cars like we have never seen before and that is a good thing for enthusiasts.

 

This 2nd muscle car era will end if and when there is a lack of sales of these beasts at some point in the future and not due to the manufacturers inability to engineer performance within the constraints of government mandates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I disagree completely and I think this line of thinking is flat wrong. In my opinion, we are clearly seeing history repeat itself as it often does. The current political climate / CAFE etc... has already irreversibly damaged the 5-10 year engineering pipeline for the US auto manufacturers. In the mustang universe, old world muscle will die with the 2014 GT500.

Don't get me wrong, I expect new world muscle to emerge from Ford. I am confident they will deliver a much lighter weight, high performance platform with paddle shifters and IRS etc... BUT so will all the other manufacturers who do it much better. The sledgehammer Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger's are a uniquely American experience, and the US manufacturers are giving up their "unfair" advantage by moving away from their heritage. Making the mustang a "world" car, based on a global platform is a huge mistake IMO.

I can purchase most any car I want, so if I wanted a lightweight, high winding, NA, IRS, paddle shifted, rocket, I would have bought the Audi S5 that I test drove prior to buying yet another SVT Mustang....

Edited July 1, 2013 by Obiefox

[dufus]

Ford knows their business better than we do. The Mustang has to evolve with the times. They can't sell a Mustang that looks, acts, and sounds like something from 45 years ago forever. I am confident that the next generation of Ford Mustang will be superior to the current model and will satisfy performance junkies with high performance models. The new Mustang will be a gamechager for Ford as the C7 will be for GM.

[Obiefox]

Ford knows their business better than we do. The Mustang has to evolve with the times. They can't sell a Mustang that looks, acts, and sounds like something from 45 years ago forever. I am confident that the next generation of Ford Mustang will be superior to the current model and will satisfy performance junkies with high performance models. The new Mustang will be a gamechager for Ford as the C7 will be for GM.

 

Again, history has shown us that Ford does not always "know their business better than we do". Mustang owners have proven themselves over time to be the most rabid and loyal customers in the auto industry. I get the sense from your posts that you are on the younger side of our hobby and I mean absolutely no offense by that. These cars are loved by all ages which is great. I am 45 and I think I live in the middle of the mustang demographic, with many of the owners much older in the 50's and 60's.

 

It was the customer who rose up in 1993 to stop Ford from making the biggest mistake in their history, when they almost went through with replacing the Mustang with the Ford Probe. The Probe was supposed to be their new World car platform. What a disaster that turned out to be. I was a young mustang owner at that time and I could not believe what I was seeing.

 

I will give you that the last decade has been arguably the best time ever to be a Mustang customer (second only to 65-69). With release of the 2003 terminator, Ford never looked back and we have been witness to some of the greatest mustangs ever created. But it was not always like this.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the reason the mustang is such an iconic brand is that it offers something unique. IMO, by definition, there is nothing unique about a world car.

 

But to say that Ford always knows best is naive. I am excited like everyone else to see the 2015 and I hope they nail it. I have been driving a mustang as my DD since I graduated college in the late '80's and I hope they keep bringing models to market that I just have to have....

 

take care,

Kevin

[dufus]

 

Again, history has shown us that Ford does not always "know their business better than we do". Mustang owners have proven themselves over time to be the most rabid and loyal customers in the auto industry. I get the sense from your posts that you are on the younger side of our hobby and I mean absolutely no offense by that. These cars are loved by all ages which is great. I am 45 and I think I live in the middle of the mustang demographic, with many of the owners much older in the 50's and 60's.

 

It was the customer who rose up in 1993 to stop Ford from making the biggest mistake in their history, when they almost went through with replacing the Mustang with the Ford Probe. The Probe was supposed to be their new World car platform. What a disaster that turned out to be. I was a young mustang owner at that time and I could not believe what I was seeing.

 

I will give you that the last decade has been arguably the best time ever to be a Mustang customer (second only to 65-69). With release of the 2003 terminator, Ford never looked back and we have been witness to some of the greatest mustangs ever created. But it was not always like this.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the reason the mustang is such an iconic brand is that it offers something unique. IMO, by definition, there is nothing unique about a world car.

 

But to say that Ford always knows best is naive. I am excited like everyone else to see the 2015 and I hope they nail it. I have been driving a mustang as my DD since I graduated college in the late '80's and I hope they keep bringing models to market that I just have to have....

 

take care,

Kevin

I graduated college in the late 70s and have seen quite an evolution in the car industry over the decades. I've been into this hobby long enough to know that no car manufacturer has made the perfect call on every make and model every year. We all realize that the Mustang nearly went of production at a certain point. Those were pretty sorry days for performance enthusiasts of any flavor.

 

The new Mustang needs to appeal to more than one generation to be viable and Ford understands this concept far better than middle aged muscle car junkies.They do not want to paint themselves into a corner with the Mustang as GM has with the Corvette. No offense but I can reasonably assume that very few if any of us here are automotive marketing experts. The positive is that there will in fact be yet another generation of the Mustang for all of us to enjoy in our own ways. The '15 Mustang should be a good one, they have had years to perfect this offering.

[Obiefox]

College in the '70's... jeesh you ARE old then... B) So much for my powers of perception!

 

Good chatting with you,

Kevin

[Gabed1972]

Forget about the 60s as what happened then has no bearing on what is transpiring today. Todays technologies weren't even dreamed of in the 60s and are capable of producing reciprocating engines with astounding power levels, great gas mileage and low emissions. The 5.4/5.8L motors are being dumped in favor of the technologically superior 5.0L Coyote motor. The current performance era is yielding muscle/sports cars like we have never seen before and that is a good thing for enthusiasts.

 

This 2nd muscle car era will end if and when there is a lack of sales of these beasts at some point in the future and not due to the manufacturers inability to engineer performance within the constraints of government mandates.

I disagree with you partially. The success of the mustang and Shelbys from 2005 to 2014 has been because ford hit it right on the head by getting the look in the style Of the 60s, Making it slightly modern looking, And delivering the best of today's current technologies and quality.

 

Today's Shelby GT 500 customer that's looking to buy a 2013 or 2014 with a 662 HP V8 Is not buying it for fuel economy. These cars represent the last great muscle cars of our era. If I wanted to six Cylinder turbo or a four banger I go buy a Nissan GTR or the new Toyota supra, Or turbo up the 350 Z Nissan or one of the many rice burners that are far ahead in that type of technology.

 

These car scream American-style, American v8 horsepower and American muscle sound....

 

It remains to Be seen if ford gets it right with the new version of the mustang But if it turns out anything like the fox bodies the 07-14's version will end up being the the classics before the, around for a long time to come and a style that will stand the test of time!

[Cobra78]

Hey Dufus,I had my 78 Cobra turd Mustang II out last wk and you know what??? ALOT OF PEOPLE LIKE THAT TURD as you would call it!!! and get this, it gets far more attention & postive good words then my 2007 SGT and its also won more awards then my Shelby!!!so what gives ?? everyone likes to look @ turds???and give out awards and trophys for turds??? Here is what I would like you to do.Go to the Sugarloafford.com every yr they have a Mustang Run they been doing it for 14yrs now!!! anyway go to that web site and you will see pictures of past Mustang Runs, now they have about 130+ Mustangs every yr.I have taken my turd Mustang II there 4 times maybe even 5 and my Shelby twice, anyway you will see that every yr I had my Cobra there they took a picture of it !!! no and I repeat no other car is in there past photos of there Mustang Runs as much as my Turd!!!why is that ??? is it because everyone likes to look at shit!!! please you and some of the other Mustang II bashers check it out before you knock the II around.And also your the one who said in one of your post that "Mustang has to evole with the times" didn't you say that?? Well WTF do you think the Mustang II did ??it was the right car @ that time. What a Dufus!!!