Bingo. Any fit, finish, and finesse issues should all be gone from the body and interior, if they get the drive-train right (here's a hint, they will) there will be no need to wait.

 

One reason I plan on buying a 2011 Mustang GT instead of waiting is because I'm worried that the Obama administration might make it difficult for future high horsepower cars to exist. In May 2009, the administration restructured the CAFE standards, so that by 2016 car makers must average 35.5 mpg for their fleets (39 mpg for cars and 30 mpg for trucks). That's a 10 mpg increase from the current 25 mpg average of cars and trucks.

Starting in 2012 each manufacturer must increase the fuel efficiency of their cars by 5% every year, so 2011 may well be the last year that 17-25 mpg cars can exist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpora...e_Fuel_Economy

 

I find it hard to believe that high horsepower cars with 39 mpg can't be made (in fact they are already starting with cars like the Tesla). CAFE standards for cars haven't been changed since 1990, I think that 20 years of technological advances should allow an increase. Cheap gas prices of the late 90s and early 2000s just didn't give the manufacturers any reason to invest in new technologies.

Also remember that the first change to CAFE standard in 30 years took place under President Bush, an increase to 35 mpg fleetwide by 2020:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_...ty_Act_of_2007

 

Bush changed it not Obama

 

I agree with you, jedikd. I have no doubt the technology exists to make a high horsepower car that gets 39 mpg. But I'm not sure that the 5.0 can ever be made to get 39 mpg and produce 400+ hp, so it will likely be some turbocharged smaller engine. Whatever. I just want to get the 2011 when I KNOW the 5.0 is still in it.

And I definitely didn't want to get political here - Bush did change the standards before Obama, and then Obama aggresively accelerated the Bush change by 4 years, to happen by 2016 rather than 2020.

No, they both changed it. Since you didn't read the link, I'll post the part you didn't know:

"On May 19, 2009 President Barack Obama proposed a new national fuel economy program which adopts uniform federal standards to regulate both fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions while preserving the legal authorities of DOT, EPA and California. The program covers model year 2012 to model year 2016 and ultimately requires an average fuel economy standard of 35.5 miles per US gallon (6.63 L/100 km; 42.6 mpg-imp) in 2016 (of 39 miles per gallon for cars and 30 mpg for trucks), a jump from the current average for all vehicles of 25 miles per gallon."

 

that 5.0 is very tempting...

 

do you think the price will drop a lot on the leftover 2010s this summer? i mean the 5.0 is awesome but if i can have a 2010 premium vert for what the 2011 coupes are going for. i might just do that instead.

 

Yep, there's no doubt you will get a better deal on a 2010 leftover when the 2011 cars hit the lot. Should be able to get them at invoice or better, possibly with additional rebates.

 

The Tesla is an electric car. Compare apples to apples. You can't compare high mpg cars with an all electric car company.

That being said, I drove a Fiesta at the San Diego auto show yesterday, and it drove really nice. Feels a lot faster than 120hp should!

 

I qualify for D-plan pricing, so as long as the dealer honors that on the 2011's I'll be looking at picking one up in June.

 

I think I'll wait for 2014 Mustang. I'm planing to keep driving my '08 Mustang for few more years until it's paid off and then to buy a used Taurus SHO. And then I might get 2014 Mustang, depending what they're offering.

 

Not me,Guess I will have to just keep modding this old thing till I get where I want to be , nice thought though but not enough to buy.

 

And how much does the Tesla cost? Compare that to the Lotus Elise which it uses as a base.

Don't forget, it's a FLEET average, which is why Aston Martin are going to sell that awful Cygnet thing (the Toyota IQ based abomination). Still, if that means they can still sell supercars like the One-77, so be it.

I think there'll always be room for an "old school" V8 Mustang, or at least I hope there will. Those wanting performance with better fuel economy may be offered an Ecoboost 3.7. The numbers of V8 Mustangs produced my drop, but I hope the option to buy one will always be there.

 

I am seriously considering it. My 07 should be paid off right about the time the '11s come out. I may hold off a bit just too see if there are any teething prblems with the mill, and to just wait out any ADMs that might happen. Plus that would give me time without a payment to stock up on some down payment cash.

 

A fleet average of 35 mpg may have been possible by 2020. There is no way mainstream car companies are going to get an average of 39 mpg by 2016. On the bright side, the fines won't be severe enough to kill off high-performance cars. It's just going to make them more expensive. The companies will have to balance out the cost/benefit of better technology verses simply paying the fines. I don't think the auto companies are going to make cars so underpowered that nobody wants to buy them. They'll improve efficiency where it's cost effective to do it, pay the fines when the technology is not cost effective, and pass on the costs to the buyer.

By the way, I don't think Aston-Martin is making the despicably ugly Cygnet because of CAFE. Someone buying a $100-200K car is not going to care about a couple thousand dollars to cover the CAFE fines.

 

IM still saving my money for a 69`style boss 302 SE

 

I REALLY hope Boomer has some info.

 

The more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to keep my '05 and get an original Boss or Mach1.

 

You want above a GT? You'll DEFINATELY want to wait on the SE....

I don't know what price point it will come in at though unfortunately, and what any stupid markups will be....

 

I don't see why this isn't possible. Ford's CAFE rating for domestic passenger cars is 31.1 MPG as of the report from December from the NHTSA. [1] I wouldn't be surprised if the final number increases by another few tenths of a gallon based on looking at the trend of 2008 numbers between the 03/08, 03/09, and 12/09 summaries. (Couldn't find a copy of the 12/08 summary from the NHTSA to better confirm the trend though. :-/ ) Additionally, since 2006 Ford has been gaining about 1 MPG on domestic passenger cars. We're talking an additional 8 MPG over 7 years. I think that's more than doable for Ford.

On a personal note, I've seen repeatedly that people don't buy muscle cars for their gas mileage. That may be true but for me fuel economy is a big factor. My car's main job is to get me to and from work each day and make that hour plus each day comfortable and enjoyable. I was looking at Accord and Altima coupes initially this fall to replace my 10 year old Accord which gets about 24 MPG still. When the 2011 V6 was announced I realized, "Hey, for the same money I can get a car which gets similar fuel economy to these other two... And is WAY more fun to drive. I'm sold." I'm patiently waiting for my new car to come out. I like the idea of people scoffing at my "gas guzzler" and knowing my car is both powerful and efficient.

[1] http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/nhts...009_Report.pdf