EXCLUSIVE: Dan and Galaxie Drive an 05 GT
10/11/04, 07:56 AM
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********* VIDEO ***************
HERE IT IS!!! ENJOY:
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Test Drive Video: AVI Format, DivX, MP3, 5:30min
Comments about the vid...
Dan is driving, Mr. Jansen from Ford is shotgun, and I am in the back filming on my digital camera.
The only rough patch of sound was we were on the highway with the windows up.
The exhaust is great, not as loud as on the vid, but has the same quality.
******************************</span>
[Steve's writing with a few sections by myself]
Everybody,
Here is another exclusive to themustangsource.com
Special thanks to Peter Jansen, Mustang Brand Manager and Ford of Canada
When me and Dan were at Ford of Canada and met Hau Thai Tang, we made a really good impression on Peter Jansen, the Brand Manager for the Mustang in Canada. He emailed boomer, Dan and myself on Thursday about meeting up this weekend to look at the car. I asked if there was any chance if us mods could drive the car and give our impressions. He said he would see what he could do.
I got a call from him on Sunday the 10th, Dan and I met him at a local shopping mall and he let us each take a spin in it. (Boomer was MIA, again :bang
He brought out a Torch Red GT with IUP, red leather seats, Shaker 500, concept wheels and a 5-speed.
INTERIOR
The car is really comfortable. When Dan was driving, Peter Jansen was shotgun, so I sat behind him. I am 6’1”, 210lbs, Peter is about 6’4”. He adjusted the seat so he was comfortable, I had plenty of legroom. The headroom was a bit tight, I to bend over just a bit, but considering my height, it is nothing compared to some of the sports coupes I have sat in the back seat of.
After I took my spin, I got Dan to sit behind me, he is also a tall guy (about 6’2”). I moved the seat back so he was relatively comfortable. I would be able to drive the car no problem in that position. You can fit 4 6’ tall people in this car, but I would definitely make a point of putting the shortest person behind the driver.
EXTERIOR
We all know what the car looks like. As we chatted in the parking lot for a few minutes before our drive, you would not believe how much attention this car got. Within minutes there were people driving by and staring at the car. People walked up to us and one guy called his buddies on his cell to tell him what he is looking at.
[Dan] He said “You’ll never guess where I am and what’s in front of me. There’s an 05 Mustang GT in the middle of the parking lot and these guys are taking pictures and about to drive it”. Also, a car with 5 girls in it pulls up to look at the car then drives off. In total, 8-10 people passed buy to admire it. This car will get a lot of attention for a while. [/Dan]
My Driving Impressions
[steve]
First off, I am a novice when it comes to stick-shift driving. But compared to the beaters I have driven, the clutch is so light, the travel is amazingly short. The shifter had a great feel, the throws are short and precise. I actually did stall it a few times because the manuals I have driven always had such heavy clutches with long travel.
Dan and I took the same route, about 3-4 miles, there was some city driving and some highway as well. I had a clear shot on the onramp and left it in 3rd and matted it. This car pulls, sounds amazing and left me with a smile on my face.
The exhaust is the best sounding factory Mustang exhaust I have ever heard, in the car it sounded amazing. Loud enough to make a presence, but not too loud to be annoying for people. I will probably upgrade, but there is no rush, this car sounds great.
The steering is great as well. It has a nice, tight feel, much better than the ’02 Mustang GT I drove once way back when. (Dan can comment more on this, he has driven just about everything).
[Dan] Okay, here the deal. Anyone worried about handling shouldn’t be. This car handles better than the Mach 1 and equal to/better than the Cobra IMO. It stays pretty darn flat through the curves. My Probe GT has IRS and it still didn’t compare to the 05. They did an awesome job boys and girls.
The exhaust note was amazing. That’s the one thing that stands out the most for me. Throttle response was extremely quick. One of the biggest improvements over the old car was the shifter and clutch. The clutch had a VERY short travel. You could rock on your heal to operate it. It is quite a bit lighter than the current generation, but not too light. The “manual is a pain in traffic argument” won’t hold in this car.
Since we drove on residential streets, I couldn’t do a hard launch but I could tell this car was quick from my couple hard accelerations from a roll. I believe it is as fast as a Mach 1 but feels a bit slower just because its so well controlled. Plus, it hauled even with Myself, Steve and Peter in the car (that’s quite a bit of extra weight…no offense guys Most will be very, very happy with the power. The car was very torquey and the wheels easily broke loose if you got the revs high or let the clutch out quickly. I was easily able to chirp second without pushing it too hard.
The car felt extremely “tight”. As many have said, it is very neutral and inputs were easy, precise and the car’s reaction was very predictable.
I’ve driven the Cobra and Mach 1 and although I’m partially biased, I did have the most fun in the 05. The Mach 1 was just as fun powerwise, but it didn’t have that slick tranny and the handling wasn’t quite what it is in the new car.
I felt that the pedals were spaced far enough apart and I have size 14 shoes (yah, I know). So again, don’t worry about it.
Ride was great as well. We went over bumps but the suspension did a great job of responding. You could feel the road (like you would want in a sports car) but it will not give you a sore back. Though the drive wasn’t too long, I never experience any axle hop.
Ford nailed the interior. Our car had the IUP and the red seats. The fit and finish were phenomenal and the seats were the most comfortable I’ve ever sat in. That being said, side bolstering could have been a bit better for those hard corners. The shifter is in easy reach and the throws are very short and precise. It is so smooth.
Both sun visors had vanity mirrors in them by the way.
The interior felt roomy and bright compared to the current car. As you stare out the windshield there is no shaker, but the large raised hood almost makes up for it. It is always in your sight saying there’s a big monster in here.
Mirrors were excellent. There is so much glass and visibility is not a problem out of any windows/mirrors.
Driving position was excellent. Steering wheel was the right distance for me and all turn signal stocks etc. were in the right spots. Gauges were very cool and easy to read.
I’m sure more will come to me. If you have any questions, ask! [Dan]
When Dan was driving, we went over a few small bumps (the area we were in actually has perfect roads). The car was not jarring at all.
Some other things to note:
-The color palette for 2006 has not been finalized, but it will be soon.
-The V6 manuals were delayed on purpose. There are no mechanical problems with the transmissions. Basically to do the launch on schedule, some things had to be pushed back. This is the same reason we don’t have the convertible right at launch.
I have to thank Peter Jansen again for letting us get this news for you guys.
[Dan] Thanks to Peter for going to the trouble to set up this test drive. We really appreciate it. Its guys like him that present Ford Motor Company in the very best light and make me glad I’m buying a Ford.
Below are pictures from the parking lot. Enjoy.
Now the best part and surprise was supposed to be the video we took. It is 4min xx sec long and its basically steve recording my entire test drive. You can hear the roar of the engine and the quality is amazing. Its the best video i've seen of the 05 and we took it. Problem is, its 75MB and Brad can't host for fear the site will explode into a burst of flames.
Basically, we took it for a test drive on residential streets and then onto the highway for a short run.
I really want you guys to see this.....a lot. So if someone has the bandwidth, let me know so we can set it up.
But for now, the pics will have to do:
HERE IT IS!!! ENJOY:
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Test Drive Video: AVI Format, DivX, MP3, 5:30min
Comments about the vid...
Dan is driving, Mr. Jansen from Ford is shotgun, and I am in the back filming on my digital camera.
The only rough patch of sound was we were on the highway with the windows up.
The exhaust is great, not as loud as on the vid, but has the same quality.
******************************</span>
[Steve's writing with a few sections by myself]
Everybody,
Here is another exclusive to themustangsource.com
Special thanks to Peter Jansen, Mustang Brand Manager and Ford of Canada
When me and Dan were at Ford of Canada and met Hau Thai Tang, we made a really good impression on Peter Jansen, the Brand Manager for the Mustang in Canada. He emailed boomer, Dan and myself on Thursday about meeting up this weekend to look at the car. I asked if there was any chance if us mods could drive the car and give our impressions. He said he would see what he could do.
I got a call from him on Sunday the 10th, Dan and I met him at a local shopping mall and he let us each take a spin in it. (Boomer was MIA, again :bang
He brought out a Torch Red GT with IUP, red leather seats, Shaker 500, concept wheels and a 5-speed.
INTERIOR
The car is really comfortable. When Dan was driving, Peter Jansen was shotgun, so I sat behind him. I am 6’1”, 210lbs, Peter is about 6’4”. He adjusted the seat so he was comfortable, I had plenty of legroom. The headroom was a bit tight, I to bend over just a bit, but considering my height, it is nothing compared to some of the sports coupes I have sat in the back seat of.
After I took my spin, I got Dan to sit behind me, he is also a tall guy (about 6’2”). I moved the seat back so he was relatively comfortable. I would be able to drive the car no problem in that position. You can fit 4 6’ tall people in this car, but I would definitely make a point of putting the shortest person behind the driver.
EXTERIOR
We all know what the car looks like. As we chatted in the parking lot for a few minutes before our drive, you would not believe how much attention this car got. Within minutes there were people driving by and staring at the car. People walked up to us and one guy called his buddies on his cell to tell him what he is looking at.
[Dan] He said “You’ll never guess where I am and what’s in front of me. There’s an 05 Mustang GT in the middle of the parking lot and these guys are taking pictures and about to drive it”. Also, a car with 5 girls in it pulls up to look at the car then drives off. In total, 8-10 people passed buy to admire it. This car will get a lot of attention for a while. [/Dan]
My Driving Impressions
[steve]
First off, I am a novice when it comes to stick-shift driving. But compared to the beaters I have driven, the clutch is so light, the travel is amazingly short. The shifter had a great feel, the throws are short and precise. I actually did stall it a few times because the manuals I have driven always had such heavy clutches with long travel.
Dan and I took the same route, about 3-4 miles, there was some city driving and some highway as well. I had a clear shot on the onramp and left it in 3rd and matted it. This car pulls, sounds amazing and left me with a smile on my face.
The exhaust is the best sounding factory Mustang exhaust I have ever heard, in the car it sounded amazing. Loud enough to make a presence, but not too loud to be annoying for people. I will probably upgrade, but there is no rush, this car sounds great.
The steering is great as well. It has a nice, tight feel, much better than the ’02 Mustang GT I drove once way back when. (Dan can comment more on this, he has driven just about everything).
[Dan] Okay, here the deal. Anyone worried about handling shouldn’t be. This car handles better than the Mach 1 and equal to/better than the Cobra IMO. It stays pretty darn flat through the curves. My Probe GT has IRS and it still didn’t compare to the 05. They did an awesome job boys and girls.
The exhaust note was amazing. That’s the one thing that stands out the most for me. Throttle response was extremely quick. One of the biggest improvements over the old car was the shifter and clutch. The clutch had a VERY short travel. You could rock on your heal to operate it. It is quite a bit lighter than the current generation, but not too light. The “manual is a pain in traffic argument” won’t hold in this car.
Since we drove on residential streets, I couldn’t do a hard launch but I could tell this car was quick from my couple hard accelerations from a roll. I believe it is as fast as a Mach 1 but feels a bit slower just because its so well controlled. Plus, it hauled even with Myself, Steve and Peter in the car (that’s quite a bit of extra weight…no offense guys Most will be very, very happy with the power. The car was very torquey and the wheels easily broke loose if you got the revs high or let the clutch out quickly. I was easily able to chirp second without pushing it too hard.
The car felt extremely “tight”. As many have said, it is very neutral and inputs were easy, precise and the car’s reaction was very predictable.
I’ve driven the Cobra and Mach 1 and although I’m partially biased, I did have the most fun in the 05. The Mach 1 was just as fun powerwise, but it didn’t have that slick tranny and the handling wasn’t quite what it is in the new car.
I felt that the pedals were spaced far enough apart and I have size 14 shoes (yah, I know). So again, don’t worry about it.
Ride was great as well. We went over bumps but the suspension did a great job of responding. You could feel the road (like you would want in a sports car) but it will not give you a sore back. Though the drive wasn’t too long, I never experience any axle hop.
Ford nailed the interior. Our car had the IUP and the red seats. The fit and finish were phenomenal and the seats were the most comfortable I’ve ever sat in. That being said, side bolstering could have been a bit better for those hard corners. The shifter is in easy reach and the throws are very short and precise. It is so smooth.
Both sun visors had vanity mirrors in them by the way.
The interior felt roomy and bright compared to the current car. As you stare out the windshield there is no shaker, but the large raised hood almost makes up for it. It is always in your sight saying there’s a big monster in here.
Mirrors were excellent. There is so much glass and visibility is not a problem out of any windows/mirrors.
Driving position was excellent. Steering wheel was the right distance for me and all turn signal stocks etc. were in the right spots. Gauges were very cool and easy to read.
I’m sure more will come to me. If you have any questions, ask! [Dan]
When Dan was driving, we went over a few small bumps (the area we were in actually has perfect roads). The car was not jarring at all.
Some other things to note:
-The color palette for 2006 has not been finalized, but it will be soon.
-The V6 manuals were delayed on purpose. There are no mechanical problems with the transmissions. Basically to do the launch on schedule, some things had to be pushed back. This is the same reason we don’t have the convertible right at launch.
I have to thank Peter Jansen again for letting us get this news for you guys.
[Dan] Thanks to Peter for going to the trouble to set up this test drive. We really appreciate it. Its guys like him that present Ford Motor Company in the very best light and make me glad I’m buying a Ford.
Below are pictures from the parking lot. Enjoy.
Now the best part and surprise was supposed to be the video we took. It is 4min xx sec long and its basically steve recording my entire test drive. You can hear the roar of the engine and the quality is amazing. Its the best video i've seen of the 05 and we took it. Problem is, its 75MB and Brad can't host for fear the site will explode into a burst of flames.
Basically, we took it for a test drive on residential streets and then onto the highway for a short run.
I really want you guys to see this.....a lot. So if someone has the bandwidth, let me know so we can set it up.
But for now, the pics will have to do:
10/11/04, 08:07 AM
#5
Legacy TMS Member
Congratualtions! It's great you guys in Canada finally got a chance to get a close look and experience the car. If you had an experiences driving over bumpy surfaces while turning, I'd love to hear about them.
10/11/04, 08:12 AM
#9
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Excellent job guys!! Can't wait to see the video...that was my favorite part of the videos Amy and others posted from the Innovation Drive...hearing that exhaust note and watching the scenery fly by FAST!!! Here's hoping the bandwidth gods deliver a solution to hosting it!!! 
10/11/04, 08:12 AM
#10
Legacy TMS Member
Hey guys, what format do you have the video compressed? 4 minutes could be as small as 30MB, maybe even smaller if you get aggressive with the compression settings.
10/11/04, 08:23 AM
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Originally posted by Wombert@October 11, 2004, 10:18 AM
awesome
Dan, I can host the video again, check your message inbox
Jon: you're right, I'll recompress it before uploading it
awesome
Dan, I can host the video again, check your message inbox
Jon: you're right, I'll recompress it before uploading it
10/11/04, 08:24 AM
#19
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Originally posted by Purple Hayz@October 11, 2004, 10:18 AM
congrats Dan
....but don't think this changes anything. you may have danced with the torch, buy you are still coming home with the redfire!
congrats Dan
....but don't think this changes anything. you may have danced with the torch, buy you are still coming home with the redfire!
