New American Musclecars - Mustang v SRT-4

[15poundhead]

which one? Were talking 05 mustang GT and 05 SRT-4.

[youngvr4]

mustang, hands down!

[NISSANSPDR]

What about the GTO?

[M3FordBoy]

The Mustang. The Srt-4 isn't much of a muscle car. The GTO vs. Mustang would be a good race there 0-60 times are about the same. The GTO needs some tweeking though Pontiac was in such a hury to get it out it still has the same supension that it had in Australia were it came from, made for rough roads.

[mason_RsX]

Srt4? american muscle? thats not american muscle, thats Japanese inspired turbo...ummm yeah Stang all the way hands down no contest...and I would take it over the GTO, which if I remember correctly is being redesigned...wait till the charger comes out... Mustang vs GTO vs Charger....if I was old id get nostalgic

[Kurtdg19]

Originally Posted by mason_RsX

Srt4? american muscle? thats not american muscle, thats Japanese inspired turbo...

You fail to realize that Chrysler/Dodge have a past with their cars and turbos. But I do agree that it is not american muscle. People throw the term muscle around more loosely than it should be. Muscle is becoming less prevalent as the years go by, and when people try an tag an SRT-4 as a muscle car........ridiculous.

[DinanM3_S2]

When I think American Muscle I think of big V8s and the Mustang GT fits into that category, as does the GTO. The SRT4, while a very good car, is still a turbo 4, and when I think of turbo 4s, I think Japanese rally cars like the EVO and STi, especially since they are all modified versions of other cars.

Anyway, I'd take the Mustang.

[Vettribution]

I think the GTO would be the better fit for now.. and while the numbers are almost similar, I think the GTO outclasses the Mustang.. Not to mention, the cars compared were with 04' GTO.. Doesnt the 05' Come with the LS2 beefing it up? Mmmmm...

[Layla's Keeper]

Yes, the '05 GTO gets the new 6.0L LS2 V8 as well as new front and rear fascias, a new decklid spoiler, and hoodscoops.

[M3FordBoy]

Originally Posted by mason_RsX

Srt4? american muscle? thats not american muscle, thats Japanese inspired turbo...ummm yeah Stang all the way hands down no contest...and I would take it over the GTO, which if I remember correctly is being redesigned...wait till the charger comes out... Mustang vs GTO vs Charger....if I was old id get nostalgic

I thought I saw a picture of the Charger concept isn't it a four door?

[kman10587]

The Mustang is not a muscle car; it's a personal coupe. The GTO, however, is. The definition of a muscle car includes three parameters: midsize coupe, V8 power, and rear-wheel-drive. The Mustang definitely isn't midsize, and the SRT-4 doesn't meet any of the requirements.

[M3FordBoy]

Originally Posted by kman10587

The Mustang is not a muscle car; it's a personal coupe. The GTO, however, is. The definition of a muscle car includes three parameters: midsize coupe, V8 power, and rear-wheel-drive. The Mustang definitely isn't midsize, and the SRT-4 doesn't meet any of the requirements.

What thats one of the craziest things i've heard unless your refering to pony car. It's just barely 2" sorter than the GTO.

[DinanM3_S2]

Originally Posted by kman10587

The Mustang is not a muscle car; it's a personal coupe. The GTO, however, is. The definition of a muscle car includes three parameters: midsize coupe, V8 power, and rear-wheel-drive. The Mustang definitely isn't midsize, and the SRT-4 doesn't meet any of the requirements.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the Mustang considered to be the first muscle car, and therefore set the definition of a muscle car?

[syr74]

Originally Posted by M3FordBoy

What thats one of the craziest things i've heard unless your refering to pony car. It's just barely 2" sorter than the GTO.

Wether or not something is a muscle car or not is really becoming a "blurry grey area" kind of debate. Technically, and you allude to it in your post, the Mustang is a pony-car and not a muscle car. Technically speaking, a muscle car is a mid-sized 2-door with room for four. The pony car is a true 2+2 American GT.....basically an evolution of a sports car with a bit more size, a little more plushness, and a back seat.

Back, in the day (60's,70's) these ideas held more water than they do now, even though cars pushed the limits even way back when. The Hemi-Cuda is a good example of this as is the 71-73 Mustang. Technically these really were pony-cars as even in these "extra-large" versions they were still just big American GT's. However, they were both big enough that people commonly referred to them as muscle cars even back then, especially the Hemi-Cuda.

As for the new Mustang, it is about as pure a pony-car as can be done. The GTO and the Mustanbg are now strikingly close in size, but that has more to do with the new Goat being much, much smaller than it's ancestors than the Mustang being bigger. The new pony has a wheelbase about one inch shorter and an overall length about five inches longer (5mph bumpers cause better than half of this) than the 60's versions.

The Goat is just plain smaller than the old versions. And, in truth it is smaller than the 67-68 Cougar that was considered a popny-car back in the day!

Back to topic now. As for the debate I would pick the new Mustang wether or not this was about what really constitutes "muscle". The GTO is a bit overpriced msrp-wise and big rebates now offered to clear out unsold 04's do not instill confidence in me that the Goat will be worrth much years from now. Even with the dicount the Mustang GT is cheaper, faster, and according to every review I have seen much better handling! (I am driving both of these this weekend so I ge to choose for myself soon enough)

[syr74]

Originally Posted by Vettribution

I think the GTO would be the better fit for now.. and while the numbers are almost similar, I think the GTO outclasses the Mustang.. Not to mention, the cars compared were with 04' GTO.. Doesnt the 05' Come with the LS2 beefing it up? Mmmmm...

The 05 GTO does indeed come with the LS2 and some other tidbits. However, these tidbits come at a price (at least 1500 dollars) on a car that has been accused of being over-priced already. Do not get me wrong I would rather fork over 35 grand for a 400hp LS2 powered Goat than 33 large for a 350hp Goat. But, in truth it should be more like 400hp for 32-33 grand. GM is not really fixing the price issue, it just wont be as bad.

The other major complaint has been that the 04 GTO is suprisingly slow for 350hp. The main reason is likely that this is one porky puppy and GM is offering no fix for this other than a 400hp infusion. I am not certain that sticking a 400hp motor in an overweight/over-priced car and asking a decent bit more money for it is a good solution to their problem.

The 05 Mustang GT is a faster car than the 04 GTO from what we know now, and the Mustang just came out. No doubt people will get better times as the new Mustangs break in and folks learn to drive them. And, live axle or not, the Mustang turns in much better skidpad and slalom numbers than the Goat does as well.

The Goat offers a softer ride, and a bit more interior room for a whole lot more money (without GM rebates there is 7k dollars worth of difference, with them there is still 3k difference)

If the LS2 makes the Goat faster than the GT it will be just barely. As GTO's cannot get out of the mid 13's stock on a perfect day with a perfect driver. with 35-hp. At best 50hp gives you a half a second down the 1/4 mile, and the LS2 gives up some low-end torque to the LS1 to make that extra 50 ponies so to expect all of that half-second is a glass half-full viewpoint for sure.

A couple of private owners have already reported running lower than 13.5's in their new Mustang GT's, a number which will get at least a little lower with time. Even Motor Trend has reported a 13.6 second et from the auto shifted GT! I say look for the same very low 13's Mach-1 turns when the car is fully sorted out.

The GTO is a nice car, but it offers nowhere near the value per dollar the Mustang does.