http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/18/c...-ford-mustang/

"For Mustang fans, you're welcome. Clearly the Camaro has encouraged Ford to throw everything they can at us."

 

For Camaro guys - you're welcome. Clearly the Mustang has encouraged Chevy to build Camaro in the first place!!!

 

I'm just wondering how well the ZL1 will do against the current Boss. I'm not so sure it will do much better.

 

I suspect the Boss and the ZL1 may make for a better race track comparison than the GT500 and ZL1 do. Unless the new Shelby is all but undrivable at speed I can't imagine the ZL1 faring well here.

 

Whiner!

Besides, I'm sure Ford always has more in the works...

 

 

it looks batter that way. The lines seem to flow better.

 

http://i.autoblog.com/2011/11/18/cam...-ford-mustang/

He sounds a tad defensive to me. Can't wait to see what happens when the ZL1 goes head-to-head with the new Shelby.

 

I love that the guy is so transparent. It basically proves that the 2013 GT500 struck a nerve. The Camaro has always been a "me-too" car and continues to be so today more than ever.

 

And arnt the top of the line muscle cars supposed to look meaner than anything on the road? The camaros including the zl1 look childish and kiddy. The zl1 when you look at it doesn't make you pee yourself. The first time I got up close to a 2010/2011 gt500 I got goosebumps.
The zl1 looks like bumblebees boyfriend.

 

Not necessarily.

The original Camaro ZL1 looked nothing like a 427cid 425 hp beast, it looked like a base Camaro I6.

 

Indeed, the orginal ZL1 was nothing but business under the bonnet. The flashy stuff was reserved for the SS (well at least from 67-68).

 

Well, Chevy is trying. The Mustang will only get better when competition is strong. We all benefit because American engineering, design, and manufacturing is coming back in this country and that is something we all should be proud of. I give kudos to Ford, Chevy, and Dodge for keeping the muscle car legend alive.

 

And more expensive.

 

But of course.

 

I remember when I was 16, I was able to buy a brand new 2000 Mustang V6 5-speed by working weekends at McDonalds ... I miss those days ...
Fords got really expensive lately.

 

I get your point but Mustang has been getting better for years and years - without Camaro and Chally.

 

Agreed, it seems like Ford is becoming envious of the Corvette's exclusive sales numbers (what did they sell? 15k this year).

 

Absolutely, a textbook example of competition improving the breed.

While the Mustang had been improving at a nice gentlemanly pace prior to the rebirth of the Camaro, and Challenger, and even the short-lived neo GTO, and even the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, that arc of improvement has soared skyward since this pack of new pony/muscle/sport coupes have arrived on the scene. So instead of the usual paint and stripe packages, perhaps with a most modest smattering of additional real performance, now we're getting mile-deep improvements machine gunning off the assembly line at a pace almost hard to keep up with.

In three years we've had three all-new or mostly new motors, each of which have piled 100+ horsepower on their predecessors. Even more importantly, Ford is seriously fleshing out the Mustangs qualities and capabilities, not being content with purveying one-trick ponies. Just as notable with the Boss as its straight line prowess is its chassis dynamics and overall performance envelope.

Of course, this is very much a two-way street and the Mustang's competitors are under just as much do-or-die pressure to continuously and significantly up their own games to stay in the game. Just as the 2013 GT500 is a response to the ZL1, so it the SL1 to earlier GT500s. Now one wonders what the 2014 ZL1 will bring?

 

Yes, steel sharpens steel. But so many of you make it sound like Ford was simply resting on its laurels before Chally & Camaro. That's nuts.

The 4.6 was vastly improved with the introduction of the S197 in 2005. There was no competition forcing Ford to get better - not with the introduction of the S197 that broke it all open - and is the reason for the Chally & Camaro reintroduction. Ford's DNA is to improve for its customers and to attract new customers.

The S197 was an incredible leap in design - both asthetically as well as handling, and Ford has proven just how great a SRA can handle.

The 4.6 improvements from 2005-2008 included the innovative 3V SOHC design (take off of the 427 Cammer?), CMCV, VCT, CAI & Adaptive Spark ignition in Bullitt, all of which brought a 21% jump in HP & torque out of the same 281 engine over the SN95 version. Yet this was accomplished without a Camaro on the streets and the 08 Challenger was barely making it out of the factory.

And what about the GT500?? No one forced Ford to build an S197 version.

What do you all mean Ford wouldn't improve without competition forcing it to??