Dead Battery Leads Me to a 2015 Mustang

[coboss]

:

I'd reserve judgement about the weight until after somebody gets one one the scales. As far as we know, the weight only comes from components like the upsized brakes and IRS. Big deal. I'd still prefer the new wider rear track width, and the aluminum fenders. And I'd still take the small weight penalty of the IRS if it actually works well stock.

The new styling on the '15 is polarizing, and might not inspire more sales in the US. And you're probably half right *IF* GM gets their butt in gear and makes a significantly lighter Camaro that looks good. I doubt it.

The weights of the 2015 Mustang are official. Some states license based on weight, so Ford can't lie about it. R&T says the 2015 GT weighs almost 100lb more than the 2014 one.

GM is going to use the Cadillac CTS platform for the new Camaro, and it will be about 200lb lighter than the current model, putting it right in the ballpark with the Mustang.

If GM gets the styling right, the Mustang will be in trouble in just its second year. The only improvement in the 2015 Mustang is the IRS. The styling, interior, and powertrains are simply nothing earthshaking. I can't imagine a 4 cylinder pulling that kind of weight, even with the supposed 310 (wink, wink) horsepower. There is a reason they lowered the HP rating of the V6, and it isn't becasue the horsepower isn't there. If actual RWH of the 2015 V6 is lower than 2014, it is because Ford changed the tune to make it lower, and the aftermarket will fix that immediately. Also, since turbo engines are subject to gas quality and heat issues, the real world performance of the V6 will probably exceed the Ecosnooze, even without a tune. Camaro is not going to have to detune their V6 to cover up a lack of power on their midline engine, becasue they won't have a 4 cylinder. If Camaro comes in 200lb lighter as rumored, the base engine Camaro will kill the base engine Mustang. The second engine in the Camaro is rumored to be a turbo V6 - 390HP or so, and the SS engine will be the 2014 Corvette LT1.

Of course there might be a killer GT350, but it will also probably cost $60K. In the meat and potatoes market, it is not looking good for the Mustang.

 

[Grant 302]

The weights of the 2015 Mustang are official. Some states license based on weight, so Ford can't lie about it. R&T says the 2015 GT weighs almost 100lb more than the 2014 one.

Mags have gotten pre production 'facts' wrong before. : And do you even know what options they are comparing?

Options are heavy, and can easily make up 50 to 100 lb differences even when comparing the same trim levels. For example, non track pack GTs are all getting the 14" brembos while the track packs are getting the old GT500 brakes. IIRC, it's a 4-5 lb gain per side just for the fronts. And the new track packs gain about 8 lb per side just for the bigger rotors. And while IRS is a weight penalty, at least it's on the side of the car to help balance the car's weight better.

GM is going to use the Cadillac CTS platform for the new Camaro, and it will be about 200lb lighter than the current model, putting it right in the ballpark with the Mustang.

How much do you want to bet? I'll take 199.9 lbs. diff and less. :

If GM gets the styling right, the Mustang will be in trouble in just its second year. The only improvement in the 2015 Mustang is the IRS. The styling, interior, and powertrains are simply nothing earthshaking. I can't imagine a 4 cylinder pulling that kind of weight, even with the supposed 310 (wink, wink) horsepower. There is a reason they lowered the HP rating of the V6, and it isn't becasue the horsepower isn't there. If actual RWH of the 2015 V6 is lower than 2014, it is because Ford changed the tune to make it lower, and the aftermarket will fix that immediately. Also, since turbo engines are subject to gas quality and heat issues, the real world performance of the V6 will probably exceed the Ecosnooze, even without a tune. Camaro is not going to have to detune their V6 to cover up a lack of power on their midline engine, becasue they won't have a 4 cylinder. If Camaro comes in 200lb lighter as rumored, the base engine Camaro will kill the base engine Mustang. The second engine in the Camaro is rumored to be a turbo V6 - 390HP or so, and the SS engine will be the 2014 Corvette LT1.

Gobbledygook. You're missing what actually moves the Ecoboost: Torque. I'd rather have the torque that the Ecoboost will make over the V6. I bet all the performance numbers for the Ecoboost will better the V6 in every way. More so with aftermarket tunes.

Of course there might be a killer GT350, but it will also probably cost $60K. In the meat and potatoes market, it is not looking good for the Mustang.

The only thing I can agree with you on...probably north of that and dripping with ADMs.

 

[Darth Boss]

The rep says the torque in the Ecoboost is amazing, and the potential with modifications is going to be fun to watch. I'm looking forward to what the aftermarket will do with this platform. Even the design of the automatic tranny is intriguing. If it's as good as he said, might be a viable option for the wifey. Even though she just had her first lesson driving our Nismo Juke and she did quite well ;D She just kept forgetting to push the clutch as we slowed down and came to a stop. Lol.

 

[Grant 302]

The only improvement in the 2015 Mustang is the IRS.

Forgot to comment on this...

That's what many people think and what the uninitiated will say. Lookup the changes to the front suspension double ball joint. That's what I'm most interested in suspension wise...a little thing called camber gain is at the top of the list.

 

[Fiddler49]

Early reports on the 2015 Mustang claimed weight reductions as well, but I thought I remember reading that new safety requirements ended up giving it its current "bulk." I'm bettin' the same will happen to any redesigned Camaro...

 

[cbj5259]

It's the same story over and over again since the inception of the pony car...Ford trailblazes the way with new ideas and Chevy plays catch up. Been that way since the beginning. It's no different now. The new Mustang will be a good performer, the Camaro that follows will try to one up the Mustang and may succeed...until Ford beats them back again. Wash and repeat...competition is good. I hope the new Camaro is every bit as good as the rumors suggest because that means the next Mustang will be better. Think of all the great cars that this competition has spawned...The terminator was meant to end the argument and in many ways it did for several years. The 662HP GT500 was a direct result of the ZL1. The Z28 was a direct result of the Boss 302 (modern) and vice versa in 1969. This kind of "tit for tat" has given us the consumer some great cars.