2020 GT500 Awesome Video

[Tetge]

The 2018 and up Mustang pricing means that a Mustang is no longer a bang for the buck vehicle available to the somewhat common man, financially speaking. It also shows exactly what a great bargain the Terminators were. It turns out that I was inadvertently smart when I decided to trade my quick 2012 automatic car in for my current 2017, manual trans, base GT, with only the performance package and some fancy white paint, as options, as it turns out that was the last model year that I could afford. I have priced 2018, and up, base GT's, with only added performance options, and they price out significantly higher than the previous models. In part this is because there are now more performance options available, and, they add a lot to the price. It is easy to get to a $45K MSRP on a base model, and around $50K for a premium model, and, dealer inventories are not all that vast. Dealers also like to pack most cars with options that are not performance related, and, on some models, the GT350's come to mind, they add large markups.

Of course, at my age, I am not the target of Ford's marketing, and in this age of few coupes, and trucks and SUV's and imports, I no doubt have no idea of what is desirable in terms of a niche "sporty" car with no functional back seat or luggage capacity. Also, the turbo four has some serious oats with the 10 speed auto, and, Ford has options that sharpen up the braking and handling. But, that ends up at $35K+, at a minimum, and can run up into the low $40K's. The Mustang that I have some serious lust for, which is the GT350, still remains out of my reach, or I'd have one. Otherwise, the 2017 is disappointing to me, as it lacks character and soul, and it has no snarl, and, that means that any of the new ones, other than a GT350, would also disappoint me. The GT500 may indeed end up being a complete monster, but, it, as noted, will be very expensive to purchase, let alone insure and maintain.

At the end of the day, it seems that the Terminator was so visceral and alive as a machine, that it ruined any excitement or appreciation of any machines in the future for me. I always grinned each time I drove the Terminator, from day one until I decided that my hip was too bad to work a clutch anymore and traded it for the 2012 automatic. The 2012 had some snarl, so I sort of enjoyed it, but, I hated the auto trans. But, the 2017 has never made me grin as it lacks any soul. Sort of like a 400 HP Honda Civic. The Coyote V8 is not weak, but, it feels more like a big block truck engine than a high revving V8. And, civilized and boring as it is, the car still rattles like a cheap Mustang, and has wind noise around the windows, and a cheap cloth interior. The 2017 also has a nasty shifting MT82, POS, transmission, and mine blew the stock clutch to pieces at 6000 miles, and the local Ford dealership was unacceptably poor at finally replacing the clutch with one that worked, after 50 days and two tries. So, quality is not even there, and warranty work is a joke.

At least I have a very uncivilized KTM with a big 690cc single that barely can maintain a rough lumpy idle at 1700 RPM, and that can hit its 8000 RPM rev limiter in all gears. This machine feels and sounds like an NHRA door slammer on the street. It is fairly loud since I lost the muffler, and it certainly has all the characteristics of soul that I appreciate, even if it is totally unreliable and very high maintenance, and, not really very fast, in the world of high performance motorcycles. It definitely makes me grin just to hear it, and, it also makes me a hooligan to some degree. And, it cost less than $10K out the door. At this point, if a person of limited financial means wishes to indulge in high performance motoring, and sample some real thrills, motorcycles may be their best option. Modern 600 sports bikes are almost like F1 machines these days, and, most people can afford to purchase one. If they survive or not is another story, but, they can get a lot of use from a motorcycle in Southern California due to the excellent weather, and, running to a 16000 RPM red line on a highly tuned water cooed 600cc four, must be interesting, as pack lines of them, all in leathers, and some with duct tape patching their bikes, pass me all the time, as if I am parked, if I venture out to the ACH on the KTM.

But, I digress, as the real point of this rant was that Ford has priced me out of the Mustang market at this point. Too bad, sinceI am pretty sure that a GT350 would bring back that grin that the Terminator used to always invoke.

[jhwalker]

yes, you digress...

[Tetge]

yes, you digress...

And, your point is? Oh, wait, I get it. You are commenting on the fact that i have changed in my old age and now, rather than being my former terse and concise self when posting, I am more prone to long, somewhat aimless, rants.

[jhwalker]

yep, that's it.

[Tetge]

yep, that's it.

OK. I thought that I understood, but, these days, I had to check to make sure, as I seem to get befuddled at times, or, so they tell me.

[jhwalker]

you seem rational to me

[Tetge]

I am rational when I am not senile. But, it is hard to say when I am, and when I am not senile, as how does one know?

[xjrguy]

I am rational when I am not senile. But, it is hard to say when I am, and when I am not senile, as how does one know?

Nowadays there is probably an app for that.

[Tetge]

I am rational when I am not senile. But, it is hard to say when I am, and when I am not senile, as how does one know?

Nowadays there is probably an app for that.

What's an app? Is that like the post it notes that I keep finding all over my house? I have no idea how they get there, and, I never can understand what they were talking about. Pay the electric bill? What's that?

[jhwalker]

Speaking of electric bills, my bill has settled into the $1 (one buck) a month level. I am pleased... .