Mustang vs. The World

By Jonathon Klein - August 7, 2014

The new Mustang is getting ready for its global debut, and indeed this new ‘Stang will be a global car. For the first time ever, at least on the base cars, it will be offered with IRS, a turbo four-cylinder, and a whole host of gadgets that will void your warranty, but because of these upgrades, and the price jumping up a bit, it puts the new Mustang in a spot that it’s really never been seen in. It’s now a global sports car. Because of that, it needs to be stacked up against other global sports cars.

Here’s my thought for the comparison. We know the base price, and what the Shelby will probably cost. We take that price range and find everything else in the sports car market and see where the new car stacks up against the others, and what it really needs to be able to do to achieve global success. I specify global because the American market will eat the new car up, but that isn’t so sure with the rest of the world.

Let’s start with the lower-priced competitors.

Low – Hyundai Genesis Coupe

The 2015 Hyundai Genesis Coupe is about as close to the base Mustang that can be had. It has RWD, a proper manual, and is good for about 350 hp. Hyundai has also been growing like crazy lately due largely to its massive investment into the quality of the brand. This car is almost the exact same weight, power, and performance of the new Mustang, but Hyundai has had much more of a global presence and will likely sell more overseas. But due to the brand’s cache, and the fact that you can barely get one, I wouldn’t count the Mustang out just yet.

Mid – Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Some of you may now hate me, but because of all the upgrades, and the way Ford is marketing the new car, you have to consider it a Corvette rival. Honestly it’s not. The Corvette is lighter, more powerful, and has seriously good handling. I know, I’ve driven the new C7, but with a Shelby or two on their way, which looked to have carbon discs and a few other goodies, Ford is definitely aiming it squarely at the ‘Vette. If Ford can pull off some sort of coup with the GT350, then maybe it would really be a Corvette competitor, but for the regular Mustang, it’s just not as sophisticated as the ‘Vette. Maybe if Ford were to bring back the Cobra badge, or the GT40, then they would be seen on the same (or higher) level. But right now, with the Mustang they have, the two really won’t be rivals, no matter how much Mustang fans want it to be.

High – BMW M4

The pinnacle of sports car engineering has always been the M3. BMW has the longest-standing tradition on the sports car market with its iconic nameplate. This year, however, we’ve seen a name change for the M car with the M4 and M3 representing the coupe and the four-door respectively. The new M4 (which is still very weird to say) is among the best drivers cars on the planet at the moment. With a redesigned chassis, brand-new twin-turbo engine, and a whole host of new goodies, the M4 is amazing. What it also is: it’s just as new as the Mustang, and like the M4, you will be able to option to your heart’s content, although some comparable equipment will most likely only be seen on the GT350. From those who have been in the passenger seat of the new pony car, the M4 definitely has its work cut out to defend the title. With an improved chassis, all-new suspension and the glorious noise of the Coyote motor, the Mustang is looking for blood. Let’s just hope it can deliver.

Here are what the tech numbers look like.