Me....I will wait till Jan before I pass judgement. Then I will make my decision...
Yes, I have ranted & raved.....if Ford read our posts, they know what we want. Now, let's see if they deliver.

 

Well, actually, my criteria as a discerning consumer is whether any car - GT500, American or foreign made -- deserves to sit in my driveway for my hard earned money. When American car companies produce superior products, I'm more than happy to part with a few frogskins for such a deserving car to grace my driveway. But failing that, I will just as readily purchase a foreign produced car should it prove superior.

But simply wagging a flag in my face in order to get me to blind me into purchasing an inferior product simply out of some sense of worker pity or overwraught nationalism strikes me as little more than corporate welfare propping up our underperforming manufacturing institutions.

That domestic manufacturers seem to have to resort to xenophobia, nationalism and outright bribery (their ruinous rebate programs) rather than design, engineering, manufacturing and sales and service excellence does little to mollify my opinions.

Perhaps if they invested half of what they spend for these rebate/bribes on engineering and development, then perhaps these rebates would not ever be necessary in the first place as the cars would sell on their own innate excellence rather than browbeating consumers to buy American regardless.

While I have great sympathies for the workers negatively impacted, forstalling the inevitable by propping up the very disfuctional companies is little different than unquestioningly doling out welfare checks to crackheads. The real crackheads in this analogy are primarily the fatted executives who snarf up lavish pay and benefits packages regardless of how poorly the companies under their control fare. The workers for the most part play the role of the victimized children in this wefare analogy, suffering for the incompetence, greed, hubris, etc. of this disfunctional executive class.

I am all too happy to buy American as long as the American producers live up to their end of the producer/buyer compact by offering superior, quality products of excellent value. They can, have and should and I will except no less.

It is entirely up to them to prove that they have a product that is deserving to be purchased and sit in my driveway. My assumption is that they are and should be fully capable of delivering on this and will hold them to that high expectation.

 

2 thoughts. First, you sure like to say hubris.

Second, do you have any idea how overcompensated union line workers at US big three manufacturers have it for the work that they perform?

victimized children, not a chance.

 

Dont forget overpaid execs along with over compensated union workers as well as a government gone nuts.

 

Well all this consternation about GT-500 coupes going for $45K MSRP seems to be for naught. Road & Track article http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?se...article_id=3010 lists the convertible at "around $44K". So the Coupe would obviously be a few thousand less.

A small exceprt from the article But fear not. Markups on these cars will be well over $45K for the foreseeable future. For those that are patient , just wait a couple of years for all the hoopla and prices to die down. 2004 Mach 1 is a great example of the value of waiting. Markups in Fall 02 were in the lower $30'sK. 18 mos later you could get one (with rebates) for $22-23K.

 

Bring on the GT350, NA 5.4 @ 375hp/400tq

all for 34k, to fill in the niche

 

I'd prefer a DOHC Aluminum block 4.6 with maybe 375hp/330tq, with the still to be born IRS, 6 cogs in the box, and pizza pan brakes. Figure this would be more in character with the smaller motored, hi-rev GT350, what with equal parts emphasis on motor and chassis dynamics, the latter helped by a smaller, lighter motor.

The bigger, long-stroke 5.4 would make a more ideal GT390 / Bullitt type motor IMHO.

 

An aluminum DOHC 5.4 wouldn't be much heavier than a 4.6, though the stroke probably is a little long if youre looking to replicate the revvy nature of GT350s of yore. I think I would sacrifice some revs and historical accuracy for 60-70 lb/ft. I'm with you as far as the IRS, 6 speed, and stopping power are concerned though.


SRA

 

I still can't believe that Ford is releasing the GT500 with a SRA and a low-tech iron block engine for the price they are asking. Shelby must be making some good dough off of the use of his name because the engineering doesn't justify the cost.

 

Sorry..Double Post

 

The 5.4, with its ultra long stroke is more suited to a Mach 1.

At 3.98", the old 428 that was used in the original Mach 1s was the longest stroke V8 passenger car engine that Ford produced until the 4.17" mega-stroke 5.4 came out

On the other hand, an aluminum block, upgraded, high reving, 4V -DOHC with VVT, 4.6L engine would more suit the character of the original GT-350. What Ford should do for a GT-350 is to open up the bore to 91.5mm to get 289 CID just like the original GT-350.

 

No it doesn't justify the cost...considering all the obvious "cost cutting" in the car.

They're selling us an image, an idea, a fantasy...not a great car.

With that pre-Civil War suspension, the Shelby will have all the road agility of a mastodon in a tar pit...unless you drive on perfect pavement all the time. Sadly, most of us will be driving it in the REAL world.

After Ford got my hopes up with the concept early this year, after seeing what we're ACTUALLY gonna get, I find I'm really souring on this car.

 

Have some faith. I am sure Ford is considering the Deliverance soundtrack as a standard feature.

 

Agreed, Rhumb and I are definitely on the same page regarding the GT350 or Boss version. Ford definitely needs to produce a car with these features regardless of what they call it.

The 5.4L N/A engine is definitely better suited to the characteristics of a Mach I edition.

 

As performed by Bubba Mullet.

 

Me three. I never used to like OHV engines- until I bought a 5.0 Mustang. I also became aware of what GM was doing with the SBC. I now have a healthy respect for them. Since it doesn't look like Ford will ever put another pushrod engine in a production Mustang or produce a separate, dedicated Corvette fighter (at a similar price), they better use the latest technology available to compensate for the relative lack of displacement ( :worship: 427 SOHC!) and suspension sophistication.

Not that IRS is the "latest" in technology. It just seems that way to Ford. Front struts, I could live with - BMW gets great results with theirs. If anything, Ford should make a 9" SRA an option for the straight line fans. No, I'm not an IRS snob - I just don't recall cars like the Shelby 427 Cobra SC or original GT 40 having SRA...