Am I the only one?

[Mr_White]

They're not beautiful, no matter how you look at it, they can never be a beautiful car.

But they can't half look good.

 

[DanTheMan]

They don't scream sexyness, they scream manlyness .

A woman driving a Mustang would be like a man driving a Ford Ka. Although I'd most probably want to marry and woman I saw driving a 'stang.

 

[[TW]Fox]

You know, it's rather funny when I hear about people saying American cars san't handle worth a crap. When the Ford Mondeo is a rebadged American car

It's not really that simple though - there are more differences between the Mondeo and the Contour than just the badge and the styling. They have utterly different suspension setups for a start, which is why the Contour sucks but the Mondeo was regarded as one of the best handling cars of its type. Many regard the Contour as a missed opportunity - had they simply introduced it as the Mondeo without changing everything for 'Domestic Tastes' it might have been a lot better.

As for Mustangs - not my thing but surely you can see the appeal. They make a great noise and as for the looks - doesn't do it for me but surely you can see how it does it for others? The current Mustang looks like nothing else, it's imposing, has presence...

 

[Akira]

I've never really 'got' the styling of the current Mustang, I felt it was too bland for its heritage, relying mainly on size and proportion for effect. Guigiaro's recent interpretation though, now THAT's a modern Mustang.

 

[volospian]

Mustang doesn't do it for me. Personally I'd prefer the challenger/'cude look although what I'd really, really, really like is a Ford Falcon XB Coupe, but they are pretty damn rare nowadays

 

[MNuTz]

im not as keen on Gibbos shape but the old skool look is great, both cars however look very aggressive with plenty of power and handle very well.

Id have either if i could afford the running costs

The pic in Andr3ws post is awsome, thats going on my desktop.

 

[Gibbo]

Am I the only one who thinks the Ford Mustang is an ugly car?

Why the hell does everyone worship it? Of course I respect people for having different tastes in cars, but I can't understand why so many people like them. I'd rather drive a Fiesta tbh.

Hi there

Maybe to some people they are a bit like marmite, you either love or hate them.

From commuting in mine and driving around people generally seem to really like it, I get stopped at traffic lights and in traffic asking what it is and making compliments. Everytime I fill up somebody has something positive to say, even women who don't know a thing about cars but wanna know more ask about the car.

I've driven pretty much every Fiesta and the only two I like is the old Fiesta RS Turbo and the new ST150, however in comparison to the Mustang they are crap to drive, but thats my oppinion.

I bought mine with my heart, always loved the 60's and early 70's Mustangs, hated the 80's and 90's version, but love the modern day Mustang since it was released, so I got one!

All I can say is hitch a ride one day, mashing the loud pedal in a supercharged Mustang is a lot more fun than doing it in a 911 Turbo for reasons hard to explain, you have to experience it to understand it.

 

[MNuTz]

is there any plans of them remaking the older style mustang? The one in the second post looks either brand new or a concept for a new car.

 

[Gibbo]

is there any plans of them remaking the older style mustang? The one in the second post looks either brand new or a concept for a new car.

Hi there

They are re-designing it for 2009 plus there is rumours of them doing special editions like the Bullit car and more track focused Mustangs, but only time will tell.

 

[Wayn0r]

just change its arse, then id be happy with everyone looking at it at the minute its shocking imo.

 

[roboffer]

**Newsflash** OcUK member in car dislike shocker

Thats why there are different cars on the market, as everyone has different tastes. Perosnally I love them, and Gibbos is a beast but everyone has their own preferences - certianly would think a very large majorioty would like rather than dislike it though.

 

[6thElement]

just change its arse, then id be happy with everyone looking at it at the minute its shocking imo.

^^

I don't like the rear quarter of the car on the new models either.

/feels dirty for agreeing with wern

 

[rayb74]

Man they are ugly and the handling is suited to the American market not this market. But while not my thing they appeal to others, and I respect people who like to be different.

 

[JRS]

long rant

Oh, where to start.....

Granted, but i think people refer to "american cars" as the models made exclusively for the US market, the massive barges, Buicks, Cadillacs etc, that are just basically a massive (but really crap) engine, a sofa in the front and back, and some metal, with the level of design of an anvil.

Really crap huh? Let me guess, you think they're really crap because they have a lower power output per litre than European cars with similar sized engines? See, that would be on account of them being in a much lower state of tune for reliability purposes. The thing about North America is that it's big. Really big. Mind bogglingly big. If you want to travel anywhere by car, you have to drive a very long distance for a very long time before you even make it to the next state. So their cars were generally designed so that the mechanicals would last for 500k miles before needing any attention.

One thing i dont get is why Americans as a rule, think EU cars are really slow because they dont have a 5+ litre engine

I can't honestly say I've ever heard an American say anythig like that? In fact, if you talk to them about performance cars the only American cars mentioned will be the 'stang, the 'vette and the Viper. Everything else, it's BMW M cars, Jap stuff, high powered Mercs etc.

1 - Our cars weigh less than a planet

And the point you were trying to make was? My Oldsmobile weighs just a little more than St Paul's cathedral yet it copes with UK country roads without destroying anything.

2 - Our engines actually have to be developed, because our petrol prices are higher, so we dont rely on the same tech used to produce the model T

Ah yes, that old argument. I'm fairly certain that every car on this planet owes something to the Model T to some extent. Though let us compare the engine and gearbox of the Model T with my Oldsmobile:

Ford: 2.9L inline-4, side valve configuration. Pedal operated manual gearbox with 2 forward gears.

Olds: 5.0L V8, overhead valve configuration. Automatic gearbos with 3 forward gears plus overdrive.

Yes, I'm seeing the similarities there.....

3 - Our roads have corners, so having 99% of the cars weight at the front isnt great

Think you'll find it's on the order of 60-65% in the worst cases, but I'll just assume you were exaggerating. And again, my Olds doesn't mind corners as long as I don't try and take them at Formula 1 speeds.

4 - We dont feel the need to haul room sized seating around in our cars

Not sure of your point there. I'll say this much - it's damned useful having that much room in a car sometimes. I've been glad of the width when hauling a lot of stuff around.

5 - We dont need to be able to stretch our arms fully to reach for our 6 gallon coke drink or half cow burger we got at the drive through, hence our cup holders accept a small coffee cup, or small soft drinks can, rather than a dustbin

I'm with you on that one. I don't like this cupholder frenzy in new American cars. I don't like this cupholder frenzy in new European cars or Japanse cars for that matter - maybe it's because I've never had the need for one. I tend to drink my coffee rather quickly, so I never really need to put it down.

Sorry to stereotype, but its what seems to happen to us with our "puny" 1L engines, which actually have a use, if you are in a city centre or drive on tiny trips (5 miles or something commute).

Yep, which is why in addition to an Oldsmobile I have a Fiat Seicento. With a 0.9l engine in fact, rather than a whole litre displacement.

Anyone tried to raise a discussion on XS.org ? George W is god, 1mpg is the target fuel efficiency, patriotism to the extreme, massive pick up trucks are king and i go hunting native americans on a weekend

Oh I see! You've been confusing retards on an internet forum with what actually goes on in the real world! Oh well, it makes sense now.

Most pictures i've seen of american streets, everyone seems to drive Toyotas, Hondas, Fords etc.

The Camry is pretty much the best selling car over there. Ford and General Motors aren't doing very well at all. The Mopar boys seem to be doing alright though - god bless the Hemi. And before you witter on about that being unsophisticated - show me a large European engine that shuts down a bank of cylinders when loafing around to save fuel.

Im sure there are a lot of disastrous american cars, but a lot more good ones, but why do the bad ones seem to be so popular.

Simple answer - the bad ones aren't popular. Never have been.

I mean how popular are Ford F150 (?) or Cadillac Escalade subs / pickup trucks ? They feature reasonably frequently in american TV programmes at least

In Seattle, the only Escalade I saw was at a dealership.....and it wasn't selling. The place was crawling with BMWs though.

America changes vastly when you go from state to state. What's popular in one area won't be in another.

... but one of the funniest things i ever saw was a review of the Harley Davidson F150 on Top Gear, in which the dash dropped to bits, a major component (gearbox?) broke, the ride was the worst Clarkson had ever had, and the suspension etc etc were basically the same as the 195x model, the most major change was the body

And you don't think that possibly some of it was done for the comedic effect?

Yes, the ride is appalling. It was designed to go off-road. Land Rover Defenders aren't exactly like Rolls-Royces on-road. Yes, the interior quality can be a bit poor. It's cheap. It's just supposed to be there to hold the gauges roughly in place. As for the suspension - sorry, but the front suspension is of an entirely different design to the 1950s models. As for the 'cart spring' rear - it needs leaf springs and a solid axle, as it's an off-roader. It needs to be tough, and a leaf-sprung solid axle is tough.

Rant over

Thank God for that.

If anyone visits the motors section of xtremesystems occasionally, they'll know the bias i speak of...

*braces self for flame and bombardment*

No thanks. I get enough idiocy on the forums I currently visit without adding another one to the mix!

 

[Vimanis]

The new mustang looks alright, the designers obviously wanted something closer to the initial designs with it. It is massive though, and looks as powerful as it can perform which is why i guess it looks the way it does. However for me, it's a bit too massive and overstated, which for me took the subtlety out of the car?

It looks very menacing with that law enforcement paintjob + kit for the new Barricade in the new Transformers movie, haha "To punish and Enslave". I love what they've done to it, wonder if there really are police cars like that, because that would be hot.

http://lh4.google.com/_bXaGzvnfat8/RXOy5Ss36vI/AAAAAAAAACM/MbNkc2w8xg0/s1600/barricade.jpg

Oh hell yes!

Call me silly, but i still think the best looking mustang ever is the GT500e which was the custom made "Eleanor" (sounds like a fabric softener i know) for gone in 60 seconds, which isn't the greatest film in the world i know, but that car, omg now i really would have to stop the driver to have a chat if i saw one of those. It's just really perfect, the way it's got the slight curvy yet really masculine lines to it, the front grill and lights and overlapping bonnet match so well, plus the rear lights make it slightly retro but modern. It's so sexy.

Yes i'm aware it's a 66/67 conversion.

http://www.customfastbackca.com/sidee.jpg

http://www.ritzsite.net/Shelby-Must...helby_Mustang_GT-500_Eleanor_clone_b_fl3q.jpg

bad picture quality, but come on that is hot no?

 

[JRS]

bad picture quality, but come on that is hot no?

Sorry Vimanis, but I'm of the opinion that every time someone builds one of those they are ruining a perfectly good Mustang

A dark green '68 GT390 on the other hand....or a Pro Touring modified notchback....

 

[Vimanis]

Ha ha, you love your classics, i guess there's something about that custom curvy feel that appeals to me. To explain a little of what's in my head, i think the old style chasis it's made from gives it that musculer strength look, yet the new panels give it a more slender shape.

But yes like you say there are things that shouldn't be messed with, that kind of ruin classics. Usually this is done by 3rd parties, almost like a bad remix of a song. However when the people that make them buy them back to make them better, it's usually not a bad thing, take the Z-Tune for instance. But then again take Iris by Ronin Keating...... why am i even comparing this?

A dark green '68 GT390 on the other hand....or a Pro Touring modified notchback....

It just remembered though, the link you've just given of that green monster is the same mustang in that nobody-ever-remembers-cartoon called 'Pole Position' (not a porno/hentai), except it was orange/red in that. That thing came with the whole knight rider fad i think. There was a blue supercar in it too, both represented one of each gender. Personally i think they should have reversed the genders but hey.

Not intended to offend anyone, it's just one of those things i remember watching as a kid, plus i liked that show.