Mike1982

I had my 944 turbo for about 8 years, then I sold it and got a 2006 911 S. After having it for while (and affraid to take it anywhere because it will get keyed, scratched, f...ed with) I decided it was time to make another move. On Friday I went and bought a 2012 Ford Mustang GT with the 5.0 engine, 6 speed, brembo brakes, etc. It's white with a black interior. Sorry, but only have the one picture right now...

porshhhh951

I love the new 5.0's! Great color combo as well. They run very well with light mods. Did you get my pm?

Mike1982

Yes I did John. Thanks!

Scott H

Very nice! Ford has done a great job with the new Mustangs (both this current and previous gen), and the new 5.0 was just the icing on the cake. I was looking at one before getting my 2000 C5 but I'm only 5'7" and seeing out the rear was an issue.

That said, you're going to be even more paranoid about nicks/scratches/key marks with a new car than any used car (even if it is a $50k Porsche). Just one of those weird psychological things.

User 52121

Well that certainly speaks volumes about the new 5.0 Mustang if a 997S owner traded into it and is happy.

Didn't we have another RL'er here trade their P-Car in on a new 5.0?

Darwantae951

What are your driving impressions? I really like the new styling and the engine seems to be pretty damn well engineered from what I've read.

Mike1982

The engine is one of the best parts about the car. At any rpms in any gear you have power. The traction control has 4 different settings as well. Another thing I was amazed about was the brakes on the car, the Brembo brakes at the front will put you through the windshield. The materials they use on the inside of the vehicle is a huge improvement over past years. One thing that I had to get use to was the short throws between gears. Not only are the shifts short but the gates are short too. I would say the clutch is lighter on this car then my 997S I had and very easy to modulate. I wish the seats more lateral support, I think they were designed for someone bigger then myself.

Red1

I traded an e46 330 for an '11 GT 5.0 last summer.

I added the Barton short-shifter. Really like that. Otherwise I haven't messed with it.

It's been a decent car. Don't miss that POS e46 AT ALL.

67King

Well, I certainly approve!!!! FWIW, a friend of mine has a Boss 302 that shares garage space with a turbocharged 308QV and a 997. He LOVES it!

Scott H

Wow, I just looked up the new Boss 302, it sounds amazing. Though I must say, having to pay an extra $302 for a key to allow the engine to run slightly better is kind of lame.

67King

I actually like it. Cool marketing trick. All it does is reprioritize things so that drivability takes a lower priority to performance, so stuff like torque reduction to make shifts less harsh is gone. And they stress it is for track scenarios. Also keep in mind it is a dealer thing, not a factory one. Besides, how many people that buy high perforance cars actually drive them on the track? This way, only the people that are interested in the track tune will pay for it.

JonH

That's a sweet GT Mike, I got to ride in my friend's black 5.0 a month ago at an auto-x and it just made torque everywhere, real fun. I was totally floored by how much better the interior/build quality was than my '98 Mustang, Ford has come a long way.

Scott H

As a marketing tactic it is pretty cool, but when I buy a performance car I feel it should have all of the "performance" available out of the box. I much prefer BMW's approach where they give you the ability to choose at will how the car will respond rather than have to use a different key. I'd be mad if I bought a Veyron and had to put the second key in everytime I wanted to do 180mph+ speed runs (not that I would even have the opportunity, but it's the principle). I just don't see why complicating something that can easily be accomplished with a switch adds anything of value to the end product.

That said, you can bet your *** I'd pay that $302...

superloaf

yup, new car brakes are amazing. a girl i'm dating is thinking of getting a fiat 500 so we went and drove them. i consider myself a good driver with awareness to different cars and i could not get used to the brakes. each time i would apply them as soft as i could and yet they grab so strongly from the very first bite, it was tough to be smooth. i know i would get used to it and then love the strength of them but it is such a huge difference from any of my 70's and 80's cars. also, the clutch was so light that i could literally not feel any engagement at all in it. (BTW fun little car that just needs about 50 more HP and a stiffer suspension.)

and when i drove the AMG cars and new porsche at their respective driving events, the brakes are simply nuts! even in the AMG SL63 which is a big heavy car, the brakes had so much power. funny though, i don't remember any of these brakes being hard to get used to or tough to modulate.

Mike1982

Trying to put some miles on the car before the weather changes here for the worse.... Once winter is over, I will be putting on more miles so I can track it come May/June area. Need to get the engine broken in by then. Only looking at 380 miles right now on the car and still couldn't be happier.