1 COBRA

$100?

In your expert opinion, how many Rust-Oleum spray cans would be needed for that professional stripe job?

StangsUK

That colour has to be the best grey Ford have come up with yet. Can we get it on regular GTs or is it a "shelby only" colour?

TMSBrad

It's available on all 2007 Mustangs except GT/California Special.

05Rob

I love that color!

jarradasay

Love the color, love the engine, love the car, but if I'm gonna shell out $45K it is not going to be on a car with this much wheel gap! Why does ford insist on designing mustangs that have enough wheel gap for an SUV.

I mean here is it's competition:


And didn't ford say something about taking on BMW M series a few years back?


I'm not trying to be rude, but come on.

I love the mustang and in GT form at $26K this ride height is fine, but for a $45K+ sports car it doesn't thrill me.

burningman

I agree with this..it is the single thing that annoys me on mustangs the most. Simply no excuse.

crazyhorse

Because it sells more "Handling Packs."

Also makes it easier to comply with safety standards, makes the ride more compliant for non-racers and allows racers to set up the suspension the way they want it rather than putting the expensive parts on the car to begin with that don't match the individuals needs. Corvettes and BMWs are not customized anywhere nearly as much as Mustangs. Their stock setups meet the needs of their buyers more easily.

1 COBRA

The GT500 is not a sports car, Mustangs are designed for the masses and mainly daily driving. Having a car low to the ground is great for race tracks but it is not practical, not if one cares to take care of it. Anyone who has had a Corvette, a Mustang which has been lowered or added a body kit soon finds out that it comes with a price and frequent visits to the body shop.

Hollywood_North GT

OK, guys, gonna have to part ways with you on this one.
I think what you're trying to say here is that it's cheaper, and Ford stands to make money from their own aftermarket because the Mustang is so widely customized by its enthusiast base.

Well, unfortunately, that doesn't explain the significant number of cars on the market - not track cars, mind you...but streetable daily drivers - with proper ride height, such as the BMW 330i and Infiniti G35 coupe, to cite just two examples.

I suspect setting the car up properly to provide the right balance of ride comfort and handling with such little wheel well gap takes extra engineering effort and time...hence, $$$. And we all know that Ford will cut corners everywhere it can to save a few extra beans.

It's Ford's M.O. There's really nothing new here.

1 COBRA

I think you're partially correct. It's been just about every other muscle car's M.O.

crazyhorse

I am saying cheaper and padding their aftermarket sales. I'm also saying what George is saying. Most people drive this car on the street. Lowering hinders its street manners. If people want to sacrifice the street manners for looks or performance, they can do so. Not too many people raise their cars to make them more street friendly.

crazyhorse

Off topic:

Hey, how did I become member #70? I used to be #69 (a particular favorite of mine). What VIP bumped me?

burningman

I think for a car that is this expensive and is touted as being the superperformance car from ford..we can deal with slightly rough street manors in favor of an inch or so less ride hight. The only reason Ford does this is because they car Cheap in all the wrong places. Your argument works for the stock GT and V-6 but not for the gt500.

Tony Alonso

I either read or heard that the famous live axle needs extra "room" for suspension travel, which partly accounts for the gap. The other factor, as mentioned here, was ride comfort standards that Ford has for this as a street vehicle.

jarradasay

I have to disagree. The mustang is not a sports car, yes. The mustang is designed for the masses, yes. The GT500 is not a sports car, No. The GT500 is designed for the masses, No.

With production limited to 5-8000 per year the GT500 is hardly a car for the masses. More corvettes are produced then that which would make it more for the masses. The Masses cannot afford a $45K+ car. If engineered properly like the vette and the BMW ride can still be very confortable. I have had a 2000 Roush Stage 2. I never once went to the body shop for damage. You do not find many Mustangs lower then those. The fact is that ford fails to engineer the car properly to achieve this. And at that price tag they ought to.

Also, I would like to clear up a thing that has bothered me for a few years now. Lower ground clearance (ride height) and Wheel gap are not the same thing. Ford much improved the look of ride height (measured from the ground to the bottom of the car) with the 2005, but Wheel Gap is measured from the top of the tire to the bottom of the fender. You can have a car with zero ground clearance and a ton of wheel gap, or the opposite, like this escalade, with a ton of ground clearance and negative wheel gap.

Both of these are bad ideas and extremes.
The mustang has suffered with wheel gap problems for too long. But it has always been forgivable since the price was great for the performance. The GT500 price is going on double that of a GT. For that price the wheel gap is unacceptable. The problem is that the GT500 is underpinned by the standard mustang, so the only options to correct wheel gap are to either increase the diameter of the tire/wheel combo, lower the car, or a combination of the two. An ideal reference... the present Saleen

jarradasay

A $45K+ car ought to come with the "Handling Pack"

Donna

Alloy is just B E A U T I F U L !!!

1 COBRA

Perhaps someone thinks you are not the stud you used to be.

jarradasay

Hollywood_North GT

Again, I would refer you to cars like the BMW 330i or Infiniti G35 coupe; both cars are "properly" suspended. I've driven both cars, and their street manners are just fine - probably superior to the Shelby, in fact.

Ride height isn't the only measurement of street manners.