That is pretty stupid. I've been torn about whether to get a current S197 or waiting for the 2010 refresh. With more power, even if the refresh looked worse than what we've got, I could wait until next spring. However, 1.5-2 years (or more considering ADMs) is pushing it.

In other words, I've yet to be convinced the refresh will look good (or at least any better than the current design) but a 5.0 engine would've enticed me to wait a little longer. In short, it looks like the 2010 is not going to have any major performance advantage over the existing car and may not even look as good.

 

I bet the 2010 will get an upgraded Bullitt motor.

 

Yeah, maybe. I think it'd be neat to see the Bullitt upgrades become standard on GTs so as to be more in the same vein of the GTs of the '60s...

 

I agree, I think the Bullitt motor will become standard. The news about the 5.0 being delayed sucks, but I still think that the current 3V 4.6 will be tweaked a little. I seriously doubt that it will be unchanged from the current 05-09 car.

 

Well, that is what I've been saying all along, and now one of your "insiders" has had to make an amendment to his original rock- solid info. Hmmm, well I guess I knew that would happen. Many, many things have to be approved before you'll see this take place. But the good news Boomer is that you will get the 5.0 4v engine, just not when you thought you would and bring extra bucks for the SE model.........

 

If, as you say, the GT500 isn't going anywhere, where does a 400hp Mustang slot in? If the GT500 is to remain top dog in the hp department, then a well-balanced 400hp Mustang will certainly give the portly GT500 a headache. How is Ford supposed to sell this difference? Most buyers would choose the cheaper, better handling 400hp model, unless they wanted the "presense" of the GT500. On the TV show "Top Gear" a Roush equipped 400hp Mustang GT ran circles around the GT500. Not hard to believe with the weight difference. High hp is not everything. Balance is.

 

Uh no,
If you've read what I posted for some time, it was 2011 for a long while.
Ford has been on the fence for some time with regards to what year the 5.0 will be ready for primetime. The motor was looking to be fast tracked for 2010MY, but it seems at this time that Ford is deciding (whether its ready or not) to hold that motor till the 2011MY

I still stand by the 5.0 numbers in the Mustang GT @ 400hp
And those numbers have not changed.

You, however, have stated that the Mustang GT will not see a 400hp 5.0 engine.
Re-read the question please.

 

Man that's diapointing. I can't believe Ford is letting us down again with their indecisions. It's rediculous. Whatever...looks like I'll just wait THAT much longer til I can finally own my own Stang. It'd be pointless to buy now if I really want a 5.0. I would still owe tons of money if I bought now only to trade in a few years. I wish they'd hurry up! Just venting.

 

Below the GT500 like it does now?


What if the GT500 had even more power, and 200 less pounds on the front end? Wouldn't it be even more balanced, and faster than the current GT500 which is no slouch despite it's weight? Why would anyone assume they aren't also updating the GT500? We've all seen how easy it is to get an extra 100 horsepower out of the blown 5.4, from what I've read the 2011 GT500 will have no problem with the top dog blown Camaro.


Sort of like they do now? Who cares, the 2011 GT500 sounds like a monster,there will be plenty of room between it and a N/A 400 horse GT. So I don't see why Ford shouldn't do it.



Well yea, if the GT500 had been lowered, and had stiff pure handling suspension parts from the factory it would wax the Roush, I don't see any virtue in comparisons like that. I've seen vids of GT500's on road course's passing everything from ZO6's to Porsche's with nothing but tires and coil-overs, the new chassis is incredible. And the next GT500 will be more balanced then the current car, so it's dominence will continue.

 

Yeah, had the GT500 had the same upgrades the Roush had, it would have been a completely different story. But that's not Top Gear.

 

I think the next gen GT500 could easily come with 600+HP! Like the 03-04 Cobras these cars have lots of potential. Just raise the boost a little, less restrictive exhaust, perhaps a stock cold air kit...... I think overall the biggest change Ford needs to make to the current car is lighten it up a bit and with the weight trimmed down maybe add an IRS unit to make it a true balanced sports car.

I love the GT500 but it kinda reminds me of the last gen Mach1, a drag racer and less balanced than we expected. The funny thing is that though the GT500 is the top model it also gives the most comfortable and borderline luxury ride compaired to the GT.

 

We'll see the GT-500 with an aluminum block, carbon fiber hood, and about 1 more pound of boost with about 540hp.

 

That'd be really cool and worth the wait.

Handle a lot better and more power. (i'd guess it will be more HP than on paper as before)

 

I would love a 400HP GT. I wouldn't be able to buy one, but hey, you can't have everything. As for Fords need to get it to that HP point to compete, I disagree. Do you all remember when the last time the big three were all out togeather? The Camaro and Firechicken had the GT beat by quite a bit, but that didn't slow sales or hurt the Mustang in anyway. There is no way a V8 Camaro is going for less than 30k. I walked out the door with a new 07 in 06 for 27. I don't see Ford looking at it like you all do, they are bean counter first and foremost, adjust your expectations accordingly.

 

GTJOHN: Thanks for the reply, GTJOHN--I've been too busy to peruse the threads lately or I would have replied sooner!

Could or would Ford sell a 400 HP Mustang for under $34,000?

Maybe.

This is a very price-conscious market we're talking here, and the aftermarket tuner Mustangs have skimmed off most of the customers who could afford payments on a $34,000 (and higher) vehicle. If the 400 HP engine can be bought as an engine option on a Mustang GT, I think they could offer a 400 HP Mustang for a little under $34,000 (remember that the Bullitt with 325 HP lists at just under $31,100). If the 400 HP is only available in a high-performance model (a Mach 1, a Boss, a Cobra or a Cobra R...or whatever), then I think the MSRP will be above $34,000 because there'll be come-ons like special stitching on leather seats, lower & stiffer shocks & springs, thicker swaybars, probably some upgrade of the disc brakes/calipers, fancy-schmancy doorsills, a model-specific under-bumper front fascia and maybe some sort of "air extractor" rear bumper fascia, and possibly a more macho rear wing. You know the drill. Most of it technically functional--but eighty-five percent profit and fifteen percent function. It may even offer a cough, hack, wheeze automatic as well--as Ford did just too damned often with big-engined vehicles back in the glory days.

I wonder if it would be possible to offer the '09 Bullitt with a 400 HP engine option that WOULD NOT require buying any other equipment--just a Bullitt with an optional 400 HP engine? That would be damned nice, and probably amazing.

Pricing should be monitored carefully to see that the Mustang offers either more genuine horsepower than a Challenger/Camaro for the same money or the same horsepower for substantially less money--a way to kill off both imitation Mustangs in two model years! This they could definitely do, since Dodge's new owners are quite skeptical about the Challenger as an enduring model in the marketplace (No duh!) and GM will abandon the Camaro quickly if it can't grab a huge hunk of the market for very little investment on their part.

Greg "Eights" Ates

 

My point about a 400hp GT was that it will steal sales away from the GT 500 because it would be a better balanced car (less weight). There would be no real reason to buy a GT500 except for the prestige of the Shelby name. I've always liked (and owned) Mustangs, but to say the GT500 could sweep a Z06 simply means the corvette needs a better driver. Now if the porky GT500 goes on a serious diet, that's another story.
I agree with SuperSugeKnight as to the direction of newer GT500's "borrowing" from the current GT500KR along with some new developments to enhance the future offerings. It just depends how far Ford wants to go with this car as it has so much potential to begin with.
There is currently a 200hp deficit between the GT and GT500 and I think Ford will keep the gap spread out, but not as large. They will tweak the 4.6 3v until 2011, when the 5.0 4v will get the nod. But a 400hp base GT is being very optimistic. In a SE ,yes (Boss, Mach 1).

 

You assume that the GT500 will not have the same benefits that the 2010GT will have.

Believe me, if the GT is going on a diet, you can bet your *** the GT500 is too.
A 400hp GT will not take anything away from the GT500 in 2011...bet on it.

 

Hell yeah it's going on a diet. I can already see it getting a version of the Ford GT shortblock to save weight. GT500 owners are willing to pay the big bucks, they will be able to shell out a couple more for it.

 

My ongoing saga with max2000jp over in another thread has yielded one potential bright spot. It seems likely that the GT500 is going to retain a version of the blown, 5.4L V8 it currently uses for some time after the 5.0L V8 debuts in the GT. (as Boomer has hinted before) Rumors have indicated that potential changes for the GT500 might include a switch to an aluminum block as SuperSugeKnight mentioned above.

However, insiders have also hinted at a power increase, an issue for which we have had no truly good info as yet. Since the most obvious answer, simply turning up the boost on the existing 2.3L Eaton, seems unlikely could this possibly mean a switch to the 6th gen Eaton TVS supercharger used in the Ford Racing kit? If so we could see a more refined, slightly more fuel efficient GT500 pumpin' out 600hp and 550lb-ft of torque or more in 2011-2012.

 

maybe switch to the 4 rotor style that the ZR1 uses. that one is supposed to be super efficent.