Decipher

No. That's a common myth though. Gasoline is more dangerous in an accident. Hydrogen is light than air, so any flame would just shoot straight up into the air, no explosion. It would be like a torch on the back of your car. Gasoline, on the otherhand, is dense and isn't in a hurry to get anywhere, it stays in the tank, and maybe pools beneath the car, so if a flame or spark ignites it, BOOM! Big fire.

Here's a quote I found from this site:

Myth #5. Hydrogen is too volatile and explosive to use as a fuel.
Wrong. Although all fuels are hazardous, hydrogen's hazards are different from and generally more easily managed than those of hydrocarbon fuels. It's 14.4 times lighter than air, four times more diffusive than natural gas, and 12 times more diffusive than gasoline, so leaking hydrogen rapidly rises away from its source. Also, it needs at least four times the concentration of gasoline fumes to ignite, it burns with a nonluminous flame that can't scorch you at a distance, and its burning emits no choking smoke or fumes, only water.

DrunkenDragon713

It's more flamable that gasoline. That's why it's not as highly manufactured. That, and the gas companies have the world by the nuts and refuse to let go.

There are hydrogen cars already. Germany has some, but it's just not sold here. I'd buy one, but it'd be a female dog to the fuel i'd need...

Decipher

Read the post above. And follow the link. It's very informative.

DrunkenDragon713

I was typing when you posted that...

Decipher

lol. Meh. 'Sall good.

adrenalin

Please stay on topic.

Trying to find out how many prefer standard and what benefits the "new" 5 speed automatic would have. I have had both standard and automatic Mustangs but have not heard much on the 5 speed automatic. Currently I am thinking about getting another standard but if the performance of the automatic is very close I might go with it instead.

scottie1113

It's more than just a great marketing idea. It's perfect for every day driving. In traffic, just leave it in D. Otherwise put it in the gear you want, just like a manual, and it'll stay there. Shift when you want.

No clutch to deal with, gears at your fingertips, what a concept!

If you've ever driven one, you'll know what I'm talking avout.

No guys, I'm not advocating this for the track, where I don't go, but for normal daily driving.

Decipher

Gutsy for a new guy. Yessir Mr. Bossman sir.

rayainsw

I currently drive a V8 with this same basic 5R55S automatic – and a Man-u-matic mode. (And I had a ’00 version of the same vehicle – with essentially the same trans. – 5R55N version)

Of course, my V8 is 3.9L – and it is in a Lincoln 4-door (LS Sport), but still . . . Perhaps my experience may be of interest.

I had owned exclusively manual trans. vehicles for a long, long time. Until arthritis demanded a switch to automatics. Over the past 4 or 5 years, I have driven most of the automatics with manual control currently offered in the US market. The 5R55 series is the best I have encountered.

In full automatic mode, at WOT and max. rpm, it can snap off shifts very quickly but smoothly – a challenge, of course. At part throttle, again in full auto. mode, it does a good job of dealing with typical metro-Atlanta area traffic.

The SST mode in my current Lincoln (I am hoping that the Mustang version is in under development as we speak / write) is very close to my personal ideal for such a device.

[FWIW, here are my criteria for such a device:

Required:

Ability to hold any selected gear (specifically including top / 5th not possible in the new 300C, for instance) within as wide a range of rpm / mph as practical. I typically run my cars (current and last 2 have has Man-u-matic functionality) at highway speeds ‘locked’ in 5th gear. This allows only TCC unlock, regardless of throttle opening, unless I manually downshift. Even in a very good automatic, I find the pause (“Are you serious about this, Mr. Driver?�) before downshifts at highway speed to be rather annoying. This works well for me when in typical 50 – 80 mph traffic. And I can actually hold 5th gear (in my current vehicle) down to about 10 mph – assuming I don’t mind rather leisurely acceleration.

Ability to upshift at any (reasonable) rpm when at WOT. Oddly, BMW’s automanual (as recently as the 2002 model year) does NOT allow this.

Forward move of shift lever when in manual mode = upshift and back = downshift. (Again, to pick on BMW - they had this – and then reversed it, for some reason????? Autostick left / right might be OK – have not driven one yet.)

Do NOT execute an unrequested upshift except at redline and WOT. (Once again, BMW has some rather odd behavior here. And I really do like a lot about BMWs . . .)

Further, my preferences (not ‘deal breakers’) are:

Ability to start in either 1st, 2nd or 3rd gear. And hold any of those gears from idle to redline - or until manually changed. (Ford / LM execution currently offers this.)

Automatic upshift at redline only if at WOT. (Like VW / Audi Tiptronics – current SST mode as implemented does not do this – it will hold the chosen gear and bounce off the rev limiter. Some prefer this behavior.)

RPM match on downshifts. Sadly, only the DSG = Direct Shift Gearbox – a.k.a.: Double Clutch Automatic on VW / Audi’s 3.2L V6s and some VERY expensive European cars (AFAIK) seem to offer this feature right now.]

If / when the new Mustang is offered with the SST version of this trans. (I believe that it used to be a $150 option on the T-Bird) I will likely look seriously at the Mustang GT. Or - If it is offered on the SVT, whenever that is released - and that is the only way to buy a Mustang with both an automatic and the IRS - I will even look at that.

Of course, I have no idea exactly how this automatic will interact with the Mustang V8, but I expect good things. Certainly, with less weight and more HP / TQ than my LS, I expect that it will be a ‘lively’ combination, and a superior alternative (to the outgoing 4 speed automatic) for those that either prefer or must have an automatic. . .

Just my $0.021251291 worth (precisely adjusted for inflation)

- Ray
Hoping SST and IRS both arrive for options on the ’06 . . .

GhostTX

Manual = Fun ... and that's why I want a sports car.

acadian

The manual tranny is more fun, sure. But think about it... if you get a manual transmission, it's gonna go out in a couple years, and you are gonna end up paying a couple grand to get it fixed. I am getting the automatic... spend $900 now, much less later.

GhostTX

A "couple" of years? Do you ride the clutch all day??

crazyhorse

a manual is more likely to last longer than an auto. fewer parts to break.

dustindu4

I like hydrogen since I'd rather blow up then burn to death.

200mphcobra

Transmissions have come a long way since the early days. I've ridden in a Explorer Sport trac with the 5 speed and I was impressed. The rpm drop between gears is much more to a performance nuts liking.

But when the adrenaline flows and you want to wail on that puppy nothing satisfies like a stick.

ManEHawke

Manual transmissions are tougher than auto transmissions.
A 20 year old car is more likely to survive with a manual rather than an auto.

edit-I see crazyhorse beat me to it

justgreat

for stop light to stop light, it's pretty hard to beat an automatic...it's so easy to launch versus slipping the clutch or smoking the tires. definitely get the auto if you're doing alot of city driving or commuting a bunch in traffic. having said all that, one of the big attractions for me with the mustang is the option of rwd platform, a 200hp v6, a manual and all for under 20k...talk about a winner. jackg 90seville 94k

Decipher

You didn't read the website I linked to, did you? Hydrogen will not explode in an accident. The dangers of hydrogen are different than gasoline and easier to manage. If your tank gets hit, ruptured, and ignited in an accident, it won't explode, it will go up like torch, with a big flame shooting up into the air, since hydrogen is lighter than air. The rest of the car would hardly be damaged, and the passengers wouldn't be nearly as burnt as they would be in a gasoline fire.

dustindu4

You didn't read the website I linked to, did you? Hydrogen will not explode in an accident. The dangers of hydrogen are different than gasoline and easier to manage. If your tank gets hit, ruptured, and ignited in an accident, it won't explode, it will go up like torch, with a big flame shooting up into the air, since hydrogen is lighter than air. The rest of the car would hardly be damaged, and the passengers wouldn't be nearly as burnt as they would be in a gasoline fire. [/b][/quote]
I read before how safe hydrogen is, I was just pulling your chain. The Hindenburg caught fire from its skin, not the hydrogen.

montreal ponies

That's good news for me, my back is killing me sometimes with that Cobra clutch on my Five-OH....