Ok...so we've all seen the videos that show the S550 GT at a couple of tenths slower than the S197s despite extra rubber and stronger 5.0L. We've also seen that the new Ecoboost cannot best the V6 of the outgoing model...

Has this cooled anybody's enthusiasm? Did you change your plans?

I'm still on the fence with buying an S550 of my own. I like the styling, I love the interior but I'm thoroughly enjoying my current car and I really need some objective improvements that will make me want to take on a car payment again and so far, that hasn't showed up.

 

I don't know, it seems lap times are the important numbers now if you look at any mainstream magazine. That is yet to come for the s550.

 

Drive it...
Seriously.

If you are worried about a bit of numbers, well then you'll always be worried about the next vehicle to come along.

The new attributes and stylings of this car both inside and out trump a bit of acceleration.
And who keeps it stock anyway.

 

I think it all depends what you want the car for. The s550 might respond better to mods and actually be a stronger performer but we have to wait and see when we get some truthful #'s. I think as a DD it can not be beat by the s197. Its just so much more refined and comfortable. I have a Charger R/T Road and Track and rather drive that day to day than my Mustang as it such a better ride and more comfortable.

 

I've disliked the styling from the beginning, a seeing it in person only reaffirmed my perception. The loss of stock performance caused by the excess weight is another bummer.

But I agree that the S550 will respond better to mods. Particularly in the EB variant.

I may drive one soon just to compare to my 2014, but I won't even entertain the idea of trading in till at least Model Year '19 or until Ford makes it look better.

 

In my 35 years of driving to work everyday, I've never been concerned about the tenth of a second in the quarter mile. It never got me to work faster. I'm buying this car because of what it is, not how fast it is. I'm content with my manhood!

 

So EB or V6?

 

 

I hear you guys who don't worry about the .1s here or there...but isn't that the point of the Mustang? The most thrust for the buck...

I agree that it's not the end of the world and that the Mustang is still tremendously quick for the money but it's just movement in the wrong direction, especially with price hikes across the board.

Also, those of us who like to point out that a Mustang GT can beat a Challenger SRT392 suddenly don't have that claim anymore. That's kinda sad!

 

Agreed.

I am not ready to jump to the 15 yet, but I wouldn't let this drive me away from it. I haven't been to a track in years, and really don't have any plans to in the near future.

 

Nothing a couple a pounds of boost cant fix

 

Couldn't have said it better myself, nice work guys!

 

I have less than 30,000 miles on my 2011 and I plan on keeping it for several years to come. It still feels like a new car to me and I can't afford to buy a brand new car every few years anyway. But if I didn't already have my dream car and I were in a financial position to buy a brand new car right now, one or two tenths of a second in the quarter mile would make absolutely no difference to me.

People get hung up on numbers but I like cars that feel good to drive fast. There are plenty of hot rods that are super fast in the quarter mile but aren't going to feel good when driving on a winding mountain road. There are lots of people who will tell you that while a Mazda Miata is not a fast car, it's a heck of a lot of fun. You can't sum up the total feeling of a car in a few numbers.

 

+1 to this. Looked at a metallic grey GT Auto Premium this morning just to see how it differs from my 2011 GT Premium I used to have.

Car is much improved in every way as far as interior is concerned. Cannot comment on performance as I did not care about driving an auto.

Trunk opening is much better now also which helps us golfers.

Think I will see what they do with the 2016 or 2017 variants before jumping back into a Mustang. Hoping they increase the HP to compete with the new Camaro which will undoubtedly have a major bump.

 

, too!

I'm much less concerned about how fast a car goes -- I don't race -- than I am about how well a car goes fast. In that measure, the S550 (5.0) seems to be an immense improvement over the S197 even IF it eventually proves a slight bit slower by the numbers, at least in the sole measure of acceleration. Don't forget, both models with the 5.0 are seriously fast cars whether or not you're quibbling over a .1 second on the clock.

Would I prefer the S550 be clearly faster (acceleration) than the S197? Sure, all things being equal, but they aren't and the possible diminution in straight line acceleration is very small at worst. Let's see a few more tests before we pull the sheets over the S550's head.

While the EB2.3 is a fascinating motor and I think a good one for a base or bulk seller, it is more tuned as a broad appeal base motor than a real hot engine with excellent low to midrange punch over high end performance. I think the V6 is getting a bit short thrifted as I think that's an excellent motor with more potential than currently exhibited, even in n.a. form and certainly is a smoother and far more melodious motor than the EB four banger, electronic aural enhancements and all. Perhaps if there is a bit of an enthusiasts backlash against the EB, the V6 will be treated with a bit more respect by Ford (Performance Pack option, up the HP a bit more, etc.).

Or perhaps an EB3.5 with around 375-400hp?

What about the objective improvements in the other 359 degrees of the performance envelope beyond dead ahead? Sounds like turning, steering, handling, cornering, braking, etc. are much improved as is the ride and over a wider range of road conditions.

In aggregate, I would say the S550's performance has improved significantly, both objectively and especially, subjectively. This says nothing about the other immense improvements to the S550 over the S197.

 

I bet what we'll see is a genuinely lighter/smaller Camaro with the all new LT-1, pumping out 430ish....but below the Stingray's numbers....we already know that they're moving to the superb Caddy ATS platform which should save a few hundred lbs unless totally botched (like Ford somehow managed to do with their clean sheet design).

 

NICELY said.

People will be in for a shock if they think it's going to lose a tonne of weight.
Less than the current car? Yes. Loss as much weight as people think...no

 

Who cares about getting to work faster? It's getting home a tenth faster that counts!

 

Both GT's *****es!

 

More-door ATS with the 321hp 3.6L V6 weighs in at ~3,500 lb...or 300lbs lighter than the S550. Yes, it will possibly require a bit more weight to be suitable for 400 lb/ft of torque...but it's entirely possible that with some de-contenting, development and a Camaro might not weigh much more than that. The LT-1 may not even weigh much more than the 3.6L...