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2018 Mustang Spy Shots


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As a prior owner of a '68 Firebird and have the Mustang on my next car purchase short list, I never understood why spend the money on seat material and design for something not useable.

 

Taking the back seat out would save money and weight. Something that the Mustang could use.

Insurance costs. Much cheaper to insure a 4 seat "family" car than a 2 seat sports car.

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Hope to see a good refresh of the Mustang! I don’t care much for the front end, but the rest of the car is almost perfectly executed from a design standpoint. Funny how the blowhards at GM bragged about how the Alpha Camaro would “easily” outsell the inferior Mustang. In fact, GM was so fixated on beating the Mustang on the track that they developed a direct competitor to the Corvette. Idiots! I’ve sat in and driven a friend’s new SS. Great drivetrain and dynamics but awful interior packaging. AWFUL! I couldn’t wait to get out of that thing. The Mustang is a MUCH more livable and better looking IMO.

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Traditionally the Mustang has always been an easier everyday work-horse, probably coming as the "Secretary" special. The Camaro has always had that sinking bathtub feeling. I know a few that have gravitated towards the Mustang because it was a better interior. I think the ones that do buy the Camaro must be very much in love with the styling to overlook the interior, or just really hate Ford and prefer a GM.

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Definitely true that the Mustang is more livable and a better daily driver. They are surprisingly refined and comfortable, too. However, it is embarrassing to go to the local drag strips and see Coyote Mustangs get their windshields sucked out by Camaros. The guys on the dedicated Mustang boards seem to be getting pretty annoyed with that, too. I actually considered a Mustang GT, myself, until I realized that I would have to spend a LOT of money in modifications to make it as quick as my tuned MKS.

 

The upcoming refresh better add some power. Ford has made kits available for 2015-2017 models to up the performance so they know there is a deficit to their primary competitor. The 10 speed automatic should help, too, and that should be part of the refresh. The Coyote is a great engine but it needs to be wound up to develop its torque. I would love to see the displacement bumped to 5.2 and DI added but that is not so likely.

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Yet the mustang guys still buy mustangs. Track performance is great for bragging rights but doesn't add anything to the bottom line.

 

I know that is always your stock answer and I know you think Ford is crazy to support NASCAR, too. :) If track performance wasn't important to Ford, there would be no flat plane crank engine or GT350s. I suspect they add a few bucks to the bottom line selling performance parts to the Mustang faithful, too. The recently available Coyote power packs have been very popular.

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I know that is always your stock answer and I know you think Ford is crazy to support NASCAR, too. :) If track performance wasn't important to Ford, there would be no flat plane crank engine or GT350s. I suspect they add a few bucks to the bottom line selling performance parts to the Mustang faithful, too. The recently available Coyote power packs have been very popular.

 

Perhaps I wasn't clear. Whether a mustang is slightly faster or slightly slower on the track relative to a Camaro has no impact on sales and profits. Ford leans more towards overall performance and everyday driveability whereas GM just puts bigger engines and stiffer shocks for better track and strip performance.

 

I'm not saying that Ford wouldn't like to be faster but it's not the #1 goal and at this point there isn't a big incentive for Ford to spend a lot of money just to be a few tenths faster on a strip or track.

 

That said I'm sure Ford will be adding something above the GT and probably making the GT350 faster, too.

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The December issue of C&D had a Mustang GT with performance package at 13.0 in the quarter vs. 12.3 for the Camaro. On the tracks where I run, both usually run a tenth or two slower than that if stock. I run between 12.68 - 12.81 depending upon the weather.

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Edited by brucelinc
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The December issue of C&D had a Mustang GT with performance package at 13.0 in the quarter vs. 12.3 for the Camaro. On the tracks where I run, both usually run a tenth or two slower than that if stock. I run between 12.68 - 12.81 depending upon the weather.

 

 

But isn't your car tuned? Apples to bananas if that's the case. A tune really wakes up the EcoBoost.

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I'm old school. I wish Ford would bring back the Mustang coupe, last built back in 93. Our first Mustang was our 65. It was my mother's car, thus, the family car. It was fairly loaded with the 289, factory air (rare), power steering and power brakes. At 6'0", I could comfortably sit in the back seat. Admittedly, my parents were a bit shorter than I was. Also, the coupe was also about 60 pounds lighter than the fastback.

 

If you check this classic Mustang commercial (

), the housewife at 2:17 could have easily been my Mom. We were the first family on the block with a Mustang. You wouldn't believe the number of people who wanted to see it. Edited by StevenCaylor
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But isn't your car tuned? Apples to bananas if that's the case. A tune really wakes up the EcoBoost.

Yes, it is tuned. My point was that it is quicker than a stock Mustang GT but to bring the Mustang to the same level takes more than a simple tune. Lacking the benefit of turbos, about all the tuners can do with the Coyote is maximize timing and optimize air/fuel ratio. That only gains them a tenth or two. The really quick Mustangs have aftermarket exhaust, upgraded throttle bodies, CAIs and even suspension mods. It is much more expensive than tuning the ecoboost.

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Yes, it is tuned. My point was that it is quicker than a stock Mustang GT but to bring the Mustang to the same level takes more than a simple tune. Lacking the benefit of turbos, about all the tuners can do with the Coyote is maximize timing and optimize air/fuel ratio. That only gains them a tenth or two. The really quick Mustangs have aftermarket exhaust, upgraded throttle bodies, CAIs and even suspension mods. It is much more expensive than tuning the ecoboost.

 

Your ONLY running a tune? I had a buddy of mine with an SHO with all the bolt-ons and tunes and he was putting down the same numbers as you (at a different track)

 

http://www.dragtimes.com/Ford-Taurus-Timeslip-26320.html

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WOW, on the drag times link, I see that the DA was MINUS 629! I would absolutely kill for air like that! When I ran 12.68, it was around 1000 and that is about as good as it gets in a Midwest summer. I just run a Livernois 93 octane tune and no other mods.

 

It was April and it was down into the 50-40s in evening..at least the one time I was there with him. The Track is almost at sea level too.It was at Cecil Co Dragway...I used to live 5-10 minutes from it...now I'm 15-20 minutes from Englishtown Raceway Park in Jersey LOL

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They used to hold a pro motocross national race at Englishtown. Any idea why they stopped having the race there?

 

I was out of the area for the past 5 years or so and just moved back...I know there's been complaints about noise from the area from residents...that could be part of it

 

In other Mustang news...some more spy shots with less cover on them and a Mystery box on the hood. The grill looks slightly different....

 

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/10/07/2018-ford-mustang-details/#slide-4225384

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