Another road test, another result.

[JCE]

With the Z06 and Viper you are paying for exclusivity. The GT500 has the same body and interior as a $20,000 V6 Mustang. So it had better be fast, right?

No, the fact still stands that the GT500 is no faster and probably less fun than a $35,000 Mustang Ford built 3 years ago.

Same basic body panels yes, but there are DISTINCT differences that any normal person can see. A V6 Mustang looks nothing like a GT or a GT500, if you say it does you can't be serious. Hell, a GT and a GT500 don't look the same. And if you add inflation that $35k 3 years ago might just equal $40-42k now which isn't that much less that what the current MSRP is now. But that's neither here nor there, because it is not a current model so can't really compare it to the price of this generation. It seems I'm 1 vs everyone else here, anyone else care to back me up?

 

[YSSMAN]

yenkos were a dealership special, not a production model. You cant really use that as comparison.

Actually they were "production models" that were approved by the GM/Chevrolet COPO program, however as you noted the selected dealers did them differently. Here in Grand Rapids, we had Berger Chevrolet building COPOs, and they continued that tradition up until the end in 2002.

...You could quite easily compare the COPO 427 to the Cobra Jet, but as for the old GT500 KR and the like, the Camaro SS 327 or 396 would have been more than enough...

 

[super cirrus]

Actually they were "production models" that were approved by the GM/Chevrolet COPO program, however as you noted the selected dealers did them differently. Here in Grand Rapids, we had Berger Chevrolet building COPOs, and they continued that tradition up until the end in 2002.

...You could quite easily compare the COPO 427 to the Cobra Jet, but as for the old GT500 KR and the like, the Camaro SS 327 or 396 would have been more than enough...

Eventually they were very limited production models, but at first Yenko was just stuffing the 427's into the camaro's. It was only after that proved popular that he convinced GM to put it on the assembly line. We're both right.

 

[skip0110]

Same basic body panels yes, but there are DISTINCT differences that any normal person can see. A V6 Mustang looks nothing like a GT or a GT500, if you say it does you can't be serious. Hell, a GT and a GT500 don't look the same.

I beg to differ. The styling changes are minimal.
V6 interior

GT500 interior


And side by side, they are 95% the same shape (easier this way than finding a V6 picture, but you can imagine it without the driving lights).

And if you add inflation that $35k 3 years ago might just equal $40-42k now which isn't that much less that what the current MSRP is now. But that's neither here nor there, because it is not a current model so can't really compare it to the price of this generation. It seems I'm 1 vs everyone else here, anyone else care to back me up?

$35,000 in 2003 would only be $38,500 today with inflation. I'd be willing to understand Ford's price hike due to the new platform if it offered tangible improvements in performance and handling. But if anything, the most high performance is S197 is no better then the best they could do with SN95. (The GT is better than the old GT, but who knows what a 3v Modular would do in SN95?)

 

[TopHat]

^Kinda like the way it was 40 years ago.^

 

[super cirrus]

I beg to differ. The styling changes are minimal.
V6 interior

GT500 interior

styling changes are minimal between a chysler 300, 300c, and srt8 too. Ditto vette/z06, wrx/sti, lancer/evo, civic/si etc. Whats your point, its based on the same car so their gonna have some similarities.

 

[Tornado]

styling changes are minimal between a chysler 300, 300c, and srt8 too. Ditto vette/z06, wrx/sti, lancer/evo, civic/si etc. Whats your point, its based on the same car so their gonna have some similarities.

Did not JCE very clearly say that they look almost nothing like each other? The fact that those cars look similar (and a couple of them do not) is irrelavent.

 

[ND4SPD]

Hmm if only the Stock Mustang had the same headlight configuration as the GT500, looks so much better than a stock GT.

 

[super cirrus]

Did not JCE very clearly say that they look almost nothing like each other? The fact that those cars look similar (and a couple of them do not) is irrelavent.

With the Z06 and Viper you are paying for exclusivity. The GT500 has the same body and interior as a $20,000 V6 Mustang. So it had better be fast, right?

No, the fact still stands that the GT500 is no faster and probably less fun than a $35,000 Mustang Ford built 3 years ago.

Skip brought up the interior/exterior argument, which is really irrelevant because they're basically the same car. The argument he used of base mustangs/gt500s having similar interiors also applies to the corvette/z06. Hell, the viper's only marginally quicker than the old one.

 

[skip0110]

Skip brought up the interior/exterior argument, which is really irrelevant because its the same car. The argument he use with base mustang/gt500 also applies to the corvette/z06.

Except the priciest Corvette possible is 65% more expensive than the cheapest ($44,170-$72,660).

While the priciest Mustang is 140% more expensive than the cheapest one ($19,115-$45,755).

The Corvette is an exclusive shape and that justifies the price in either trim. The Mustang shape is far from exclusive.

 

[Deathclown66]

Go drive a previous generation Viper and then the new one and tell me the transmission isn't much better. And the noise from the SRT-10 is good, I can't think of any V10 that sounds bad...can you?

I have no probem with them, but I've seen many videos, some at dragstrips, and read some reviews, where drivers had problems finding third gear.
I kind of like the sound, But I'd rather it sound like a V8. (with exhaust the sound can resemble Honda Civics on steroids.)

The base V6 2005-2007 Mustang feels like 500bhp when you just get out of a Focus. So what's the point?

It was kind of a joke, if you haven't seen your avatar lately.

Ok so let's get this straight on the MSRP. How much are ZO6's selling for in real life versus GT500's? I still work at a Ford dealer part time so I can tell you that GT500's are selling for $50k-65k. Just try and get a brand new C6 ZO6 for less than $72k...I dare you. And the STARTING price of the Viper aleady puts it out of the arguement doesn't it? I don't see anyone complaining about how the Viper IS A BIG WASTE OF MONEY. If you people wants to complain about how you think the GT500 is a waste of money where's your arguement about the Viper? Hypocrites.

So worst case scenario, as you mention, there is a 7k price difference between an world-class supercar, and a simple, overrated pony car.
And a Viper gives you far more prestige, and "wow" factor than a Mustang, or Corvette. I certainly saw a hell of a lot more looks riding in a Viper than driving a '99 & '03 Mustang GT, the latter of which had some very tasteful exterior modifications.
And I DO expect to hear this from you when a Ford GT is compared to the Vette, and Viper, Again.

Oh oh, let's throw in a non relevant car that isn't even on the same planet as the afromentioned cars! And let's make it as far away from an American sports car as possible!

Same planet? You do realize they're sold in America now, don't you?
An American sports car is the same as any other sports car. they just generally have more power, and weight. How else do you explain the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice?.

MotorTrend mentioned on the test page the certification with an *, and the GT500 didn't have one. Their mistake.

 

[super cirrus]

Except the priciest Corvette possible is 65% more expensive than the cheapest ($44,170-$72,660).

While the priciest Mustang is 140% more expensive than the cheapest one ($19,115-$45,755).

The Corvette is an exclusive shape and that justifies the price in either trim. The Mustang shape is far from exclusive.

If your gonna compare the difference of price in trim levels, don't neglect that corvette has 2 trim levels (base and z06) while the mustang has 3 (base,gt, gt500). A loaded GT is 68% than a base mustang, and Shelby to base gt is only a 60% difference.

I agree that the mustang is a common sight (thank the v6 for that), but the corvette isn't that exclusive. And as far as top of the line performance versions of each are concerned, there are fewer cobras than z06's (last gen).

 

[Tornado]

If your gonna compare the difference of price in trim levels, don't neglect that corvette has 2 trim levels (base and z06) while the mustang has 3 (base,gt, gt500). A loaded GT is 68% than a base mustang, and Shelby to base gt is only a 60% difference.

Yes, and from base C6 to Z06 is roughly 30% in difference, so that percentage is meaningless.

I agree that the mustang is a common sight (thank the v6 for that), but the corvette isn't that exclusive. And as far as top of the line performance versions of each are concerned, there are fewer cobras than z06's (last gen).

I very highly doubt that a limited production version of an already limited production car sold more than the limited edition of a comparatively high volume car.
Cobra production numbers:
34,886 made between 1999 and 2004. Source (which, as you can see, was over the same number of years as the Z06 because there were no 200 or 2002 Cobras).
Corvette Z06 production numbers:
28,388 between 2001 and 2004. Source.
So, no, there aren't fewer Cobras than Z06s, despite the Z06 being on the market for the same amount of time.

 

[YSSMAN]

...Either way, they sell out of the Corvettes every year usually without a problem. I know in 2003 they built just over 35K models, and I don't think the numbers have changed much for the past few years. Production of the car certainly is limited by capacity down in Bowling Green, Kentucky. And when you combine that with rather low capacity for the specialized bodies, engines, etc for the Z06, you are going to see even fewer models as compared to its C5 predecessor.

At the same time, the Mustang sold out quite easily in its debut year in 2005, and Ford actually had to stop taking orders by the spring of that year. Of course they have increased production since then, and now are sitting on a wide variety of V6 models that nobody wants. Why? Because people only care about GT, Shelby GT, and GT500 models. Sure, Ford isn't going to build a ton of GT500s per year. I want to say the numbers are lower than 8K per year, which are about the same as the target ranges for the Z06.

...So comparing which car is more rare is a bit one-sided. Regular models, the Mustang will probably outsell the Corvette 3:1. But for performance models, it should be nearly the same... Assuming that Ford has kept their word about making the GT500 a low-production model.

(As the number count goes here in Grand Rapids, I've seen more Saleen S281s than GT500s. That would pretty much be about 5:3 there. As for the Z06, I've seen about 6 on the road to date, most of them at the auto shows last summer. Funny thing to point out, I've seen nearly as many Porsche Carrera GTs in Grand Rapids as I have seen GT500s. Odd, as I believe 90% of all models sold in Michigan come from a Big Three automaker...)

 

[super cirrus]

Yes, and from base C6 to Z06 is roughly 30% in difference, so that percentage is meaningless.

Skip said the difference between the was 65%, i was just showing the difference between mustang models was similar. I don't know why he started using percentages anyway

I very highly doubt that a limited production version of an already limited production car sold more than the limited edition of a comparatively high volume car.
Cobra production numbers:
34,886 made between 1999 and 2004. Source (which, as you can see, was over the same number of years as the Z06 because there were no 200 or 2002 Cobras).
Corvette Z06 production numbers:
28,388 between 2001 and 2004. Source.
So, no, there aren't fewer Cobras than Z06s, despite the Z06 being on the market for the same amount of time.[/QUOTE]
Your right. Ford cranked out helluva lot of cobras in 2003. I just assumed (based on bad info) they generally made about 4000-5000 a year

 

[Deathclown66]

Skip said the difference between the was 65%, i was just showing the difference between mustang models was similar. I don't know why he started using percentages anyway

Skip was wrong, Tornado was wrong.
65k - 43k = 22k.
22 is what % of 43? That's right, round it to an exact 50.

The Z06 costs approx 50% more then the base model.
Why does this matter? I don't know, because the base Corvette is at least as good, if not better than the GT500.

 

[skip0110]

Skip was wrong, Tornado was wrong.
65k - 43k = 22k.
22 is what % of 43? That's right, round it to an exact 50.

The Z06 costs approx 50% more then the base model.
Why does this matter? I don't know, because the base Corvette is at least as good, if not better than the GT500.

I use the Corvette with the maximum load of options, as reported by Yahoo autos. So $72,660 is the highest possible MSRP for a Vette.

The low prices were for a completely stripped Vette.

And identical logic was used for the Mustang.