My experience with the '10-'11 rear vs '05-'09 was that certain angles look more flattering than others, regardless of the black plastic. The look of the new one grew on me over time.

 

How much money are you losing selling a three year old car?

 

They gave me 22K. I payed 28,000 new.

 

funny, the Camaro guys are equally opinionated in the other direction . . .

I like them both (mustang and camaro) and it is going to be a tough but fun choice! gotta love these 21st century pony car wars . . .

I always thought the "diaper" referrered to the upturned corners looking like the tied corners of a diaper; am I learning something new here that it refers to the black plastic on the bottom?

 

I think the new rear end looks nice and modern. I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me. Time marches on............I wonder what we will be saying about the 2014.

 

The rear is a small gripe when most likely this will be the best production Base and GT Mustang ever built. This may be the last pony/muscle car Mustang we may see as it may evolve into a smaller sports car in the near future. Overall this is the best quality car of the 3 american muscle cars available. Power to weight ratio/ interior comfort and quality.

 

IMO, I think the 2010-11's look the best in bold, solid colors (grabber blue, red and white).
The black trim seems to contrast the best with these colors.

 

My thoughts and feelings exactly. I still love the looks of my '08 but am now getting pretty excited about picking up a new 5.0 when the time comes!

 

That's the ticket! My next one will be in such a high contrast color. Bring back Zinc Yellow or an equivalent...the original Boss 302 looked GREAT with all the black accents in that shade.

 

LMFAO! After all the arguments we had over the 10's rear end RedCandy 5.0??? I WIN!!!! LOL

Sincerely though, Congratulations on your 2011 5.0.

I know I was one of the biggest proponents of the 2010's redesign, especially the rear end, however I will say they did improve the rear end for 2011 GT. The new diffuser panel is much slicker in my opinion.



But the 5.0 is Even Slicker, and I'm Sorry, I think this is the Best Looking Engine Compartment Ford Has EVER Done! No tangled Mess of Wires running everywhere, well thought out and designed!

 

You do get the win. Everything else over shadows the rear of the car. I do not love it but there were things about my 08 i did not like either. But when you put everything together how can anyone not want this car just because you happen not to like some of the exterior design. Drive train WIN, Interior WIN, Suspension WIN and yes the new diffuser does look much better and the engine department is fabulous!

 

I think some/most, if not all, use the "diaper" reference more in terms of the sagging, bloated lower valence area, especially the bulging black part -- the infamous "black diaper" to be most specific -- that to many eyes evokes more a drooping full diaper than any sort of toned muscularity. The upturned tail light lenses, while a bit over styled, are a bit more bearable even if some of the details are a bit clumsy.

The Camaro's butt is a bit tighter, trimmer and tauter in form and volume in the lower bumper part though I find the upper part and the tail light lenses in particular a bit awkward, they were just trying a bit too hard and the panel cut lines are kind of weird too, like the design team dumped the design on the manufacturing engineers rather than worked with them from the get go.

The Challenger's posterior is by far the best rendered of the three pony cars with excellent, tight, clean forms and trim, well-balanced visual masses -- just an well conceived and executed design. Now if they could only shrink the whole car 10-15% or so....

That all said, to my eyes at least, the Mustang's rear end has not grown on my as I harbor most of the same reservations as when I first saw it. Sometimes seeing something in the flesh rather than pictures reveals design aspects that "make it work," but not in this case. It still looks a bit swollen, heavy and less defined or coherent as compared to the previous iteration -- kind of the over-focus-grouped, design-committee effort than a singular artistic design vision that I'd expect more from Toyota than Ford.

 

I think you nailed it - "designed by committee".

In addition to not liking the unexplained black load full, I can't understand why they would approve of so many contrasting lines... there is no flow. You have the trunk lid slightly curving down, then taillights that come up at an angle, then the hard down turn of the lower facia. And the added sculpting only makes it worse.

Lines should flow and compliment each other - not contradict.

 

 

remember... excess is a sign of impending

 

It will be a double wammy on its victims. First you have to get your *** handed to you and then you have to look at the rear as it rapes you.

 

You bastard Charlie!

 

 

It does look like the designers of the upper half of the back end sat a few too many cubicles away from the designer of both the bumper and the lower valance too, and not enough e-mails were swapped during the formative years. All three elements were eventually squeezed together, more or less, for a whole lotta design, if somewhat inelegant. Depending on how you count them, there are at least a dozen breaks in angles, cut-lines and/or materials going as you work your way down the back end, just way too busy.

Fortunately, the rest of the '10 is a lot better integrated even if not quite to the same level of artistry as the '05. Anyways, a few runs of the 5.0, or even the 3.7, through the six gears should go far in distracting one from these couple of stylistic weak spots.

 

Well I guess from a purist point of view, they could have just made it square with no lines, no contours, no personality. Or maybe just a big round bubble on the back like the old Studebakers had in front. That would be attention getting.