Growing up, I always wanted a V8 Mustang and thought anything less was for wusses

"CB" (jrcb) 10/09/2019 at 22:22 • Filed to: Opinions are like Assholes

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As an adult, I keep thinking “an Ecoboost Mustang, BRZ, or V6 Camaro would be awesome!” So I think I’ve become old and lame. Or maybe just more mature.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > CB 10/09/2019 at 22:30

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I've been there, however....I feel if you bought a mustang and didn't opt for the V8, part of you would always want that little bit more

CB > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 10/09/2019 at 22:32

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That might’ve been the case when the V6 and inline-4 were not great. But the new four cylinder seems pretty swell. I don’t think I’d have that regret.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > CB 10/09/2019 at 22:34

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depending when you were a kid the ecoboost makes more hp and torque than a sn95 GT ever made

CB > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 10/09/2019 at 22:35

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The answer to that is “yes”. My Fiesta makes more power than my mum’s 2000 V6 Mustang.

subexpression > CB 10/09/2019 at 22:42

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I don’t know, I think 8 might be the correct number of cylinders for most engines in general .

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > CB 10/09/2019 at 22:43

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Thing is those smaller engine cars have as much power as a 29 year old Mustang GT.

Except the BRZ. 

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > subexpression 10/09/2019 at 22:47

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Can we just make smaller v8s for everything.

My wife’s Fit would be way cooler with a 1.5l V8 

Discerning > CB 10/09/2019 at 22:47

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You really don’t need that much power.

Handling and lightness are bigger priorities in my book.

What about the 2019 miata? It’s a smidge quicker than the brz and has huge aftermarket support.

gmctavish needs more space > CB 10/09/2019 at 22:52

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I’d want the V8, but I also know I shouldn’t have a V8 in town, because I will get speeding tickets.

I still want a V6 Camaro, just because of the sound. Ideally, a smaller, less flashy sedan, with the same engine, and a manual.

subexpression > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/09/2019 at 22:53

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Yeah, and imagine how fast you could cut down a tree with a V8 chainsaw.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > CB 10/09/2019 at 22:55

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Yeah, I longed (still do) after a mustang and agree. But....

CB > Discerning 10/09/2019 at 23:13

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I'm too pale for a drop top.

WRXforScience > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/09/2019 at 23:29

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The 5.0 has 20hp on the BRZ, and over 300lbs. The real difference is the torque, and a BRZ can brake and turn.

A BRZ is just as fast as an SN95 in a straight line and will keep up with just about any Mustang on a technical track (obviously a track with long straights isn’t a contest but you’d be surprised just how long they have to be to make up for the cornering and braking prowess of a BRZ).

I’ve got a friend with a 2014 Mustang GT and I’ve got a 2014 BRZ , we are both instructors at the same skill level and have the same level of modifications and often run the same tire (his are much bigger, but they’re proportional to the size of the cars). At the shorter tracks I’m with in a second of him and aside for places like Circuit of the Americas, he can’t shake me during most sessions.

My consumables costs are about half his and I can fit a full set of tires and tools in the back with the seats folded down while he needs a tire trailer.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > WRXforScience 10/09/2019 at 23:38

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It’s crazy crazy how much of an advantage a good Chassis has over a powerful car 

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > CB 10/10/2019 at 00:06

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If you are, I am too.

EcoBoost High Performance Package + Handling Package seems like a really good thing to consider to me.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 10/10/2019 at 00:07

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I didn’t. Three years on, and I still don’t.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 10/10/2019 at 00:11

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We’ve got a 2016 V-6 in the household. 300hp, 6 speed manual, an LSD out back, competent handling and brakes.... There are no complaints about it. It isn’t my daily driver, but I would take it over any V8 powered Mustang prior to the current   S550.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > CB 10/10/2019 at 00:16

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I’ve had my Ecoboost three years now, and still have no regrets not ordering a GT for a few reasons, but the most unusual of them all is this:

Of all the V8s I wanted, the Coyote wasn’t one of them. Would’ve loved an LT1 Camaro (But not the price of entry), or a Challenger RT (Nah, never in this life, too fat for me ). Mustang was right in the middle of the two in all aspects, but the Coyote wasn’t for me. Fuel economy may’ve played a factor but I can’t remember.

And that’s why I’ve a Boostang that makes as much power as a stock RT. But I WILL have an LT1 in my life within the next decade. I just have to own one V8 in my life, and that’s the one I want.

Mark78 > gmctavish needs more space 10/10/2019 at 01:18

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I’m Just finishing my third year with the eco boost premium convertible manual and am in the process of building a 2020, same car but the performance package. Never even considered the V8 after the things I’ve seen this car do in yer past three years. 

Nadz > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 10/10/2019 at 01:38

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I drove quite a few cars before my current purchase. Brz, SS 1LE, EB PP Mustang, and a PP1 GT. In the last 10 years ivI’ve owned an G35 Coupe, G37S Coupe, 2011 RTR Mustang, 2010 Corvette, 2012 Boss, 2012 Grand Sport, 1997 Viper GTS, and a few older muscle cars, which I absolutely hated. After driving the cars above, I felt like the GT with the Performance pack was the best fit for me. Brz had no power and felt anemic on the street. The 1LE I felt had the best driving dynamics by far, but i fit in the Mustangs much better. The EcoBoost, while not low on power, felt like it fell flat on its face after 5k rpm. The GT, especially with the active exhaust, had power everywhere. I fell in love with it on the first drive. And it was cheap, relatively speaking. Plus I got a left over 2018 for an amazing price.

Running Z06 > CB 10/10/2019 at 01:48

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Yeah and 4 inches is plenty!

SlideshowOhNO - Fixit Union, Chapter of Kinja > Discerning 10/10/2019 at 02:34

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I am a big fan of horsepower and g rumbly V8 noises, but the most fun/rewarding c ar I’ve owned as a whole (not just track time) was a 2016 Mazda Miata.

I love V8 Mustangs and irrationally p ine for a GT350, but the EcoBoost with a Performance Pack is a fun, and fast, car that makes a lot of sense on the street compared to the impressive V8 models. Stock 0-60 times between the EcoBoost and Coyote are within 1/2 a second of each other and the 200lbs saved off the nose of the 4cyl model makes a noticable difference in handling between them. A tuned EcoBoost Mustang can still manage 24- 28mpg, even mo dded to 375whp (up from 260 w hp stock), while a Coyote will never see better than 22mpg, in the best of conditions. In our last road trip we flogged a 2018 EcoBoost with the A10 trans, over 1,2 00 miles and averaged 25 - 30 mpg; there was never a day where I just left it in ‘comfort’ and p uttered along; it was in sport/track and putting the intercooler to work as much as traffic allowed.

T he world is a better place for having the option of a turbo 4cyl Mustang, and a few V8's. A choose your own adventure where no one loses.

Hello, I must be going. > Discerning 10/10/2019 at 03:08

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I have driven Miatas, they only feel fast because they are small and low to the ground. 

AIRpilot > CB 10/10/2019 at 03:22

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Is this really a story, I’m surprised how my 300 HP can be delivered by 4 or 6 cylinders rather than 8? The 21st century equivalent to the statement “growing up I always wanted a palomino but I really enjoy my appaloosa”.

Buy all yo ur ICE vehicles quickly, in 5 years no one will be making them, too expensive to make and own . Throw in a 6 speed manual transmission while you’re at it (oops too late , aready missed that one ).

Thunderwasp > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/10/2019 at 05:40

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You must be crazy then. The V8 is worth it for the sound alone. And you obviously haven't driven any previous V8 Mustangs either.

Thunderwasp > CB 10/10/2019 at 05:45

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Any of the Mustang offerings would be fun to drive, but for me if money isn't a factor I'll always get the V8. V8 cars just evoke an emotion that other engines can't, and that's due to mostly sound and torque. The S550 GT sounds soooo good with aftermarket headers and exhaust. Once I heard one, my mind was instantly made up. A 2016 Camaro SS might also be worth a look. They are excellent cars as well. But whatever it is, if it were me I'm going for the V8. It's just what gets my blood pumping.

Montalvo > CB 10/10/2019 at 07:10

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Is an ecoboost a more "sensible" choice? Maybe, but there is a reason why the V8 has the following it does. Who says you can't have a V8 and be mature with it? Keep the revs low and you can get some good mileage out of it.

Discerning > Hello, I must be going. 10/10/2019 at 07:26

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The 2019 miata is quicker and faster through the quarter than a brz. Check it out

Old Red Wagon > CB 10/10/2019 at 08:52

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I still couldn’t do it. While i respect the Ecoboost Mustang for what it is i personally couldn’t opt for it over the V8. If i buy a Mustang, which is actually on my list for my next car it will either be a GT with the Performance Pack 2 or a GT350. Leaning towards the 350. 

Thomas Donohue > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/10/2019 at 08:54

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Everything can have a V8. It’s easier than you think.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Thunderwasp 10/10/2019 at 09:14

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That I have driven more than a few previous V8 mustangs is exactly why I wouldn’t take any one of them ever over current V6 or Ecoboost car. One trick ponys that sound nice (but are slower than my Ecoboost F- 150) with a limp noodle for a chassis and a suspension so antiquated that my racecar driver self can  walk away muttering wtf after going around a corner.

Sure, the sound is nice. But, I’ve owned plenty of V8 powered cars and trucks over the years. It isn’t special.

Jayhawk Jake > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 10/10/2019 at 10:07

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Can confirm

SlideshowOhNO - Fixit Union, Chapter of Kinja > Hello, I must be going. 10/10/2019 at 11:48

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Miatas are not fast so much as they are quick. The low weight, low CG, and good balance all contribute to a responsiveness that larger cars, no matter their horsepower, cannot achieve. Even a n EcoBoost Mustang is significantly faster but not quire as connected — fair given the HP is up 55 % and weight is up 47 % from current Miata to the current base Mustang EcoBoost.

( Unpopular opinions ahead — NA/NB Miatas are dog- slow, the NC2 was the first Miata where the powertrain was well-matched to the platform as stock , and the ND only improved on that accomplishment. — T he NB Mazdaspeed was a great idea, but implementation was a mess from factory. W ith a better ECU and turbo, they could be a fun little menace. )

SlideshowOhNO - Fixit Union, Chapter of Kinja > CB 10/10/2019 at 11:55

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LOL! — No lack of melanin or hair has ever stopped people from convertibles before.

I used to care for a 2003 Mustang Cobra convertible for weeks at a time while the owner was away on travel, but needed to assure the car was ready and broken in thoroughly for racing upon his return. In all the time I spent with that car over the course of three years, most of that time was top-down. I loved having the top down, yet it didn’t feel significant to the experience, it was just cool to be driving top-down in a 575whp car that had amazing road manners. I wouldn’t have thought a second about it or felt I were missing anything if it had been a coupe.

It wasn’t until I bought an ND Miata that I truly appreciated the top-down experience as a significant part of the car itself. I believe a lot of that has to do with the small size of the Miata, giving an even airier feel that was closer to being on a motorcycle than the larger, more GT-like, and far more potent Cobra offered.

I don’t think I’d get a ‘vert Mustang, they are better performers as coupes and the convertible benefits feel compromised in a larger car, at least to me.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Nadz 10/10/2019 at 13:06

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Good to hear an opinion with such a wide scope.

I had heard that the EcoBoost 2.3 kind of ran out of breath at the top end, my old Legacy GT kind of did, too... It would pull to the redline, but above 5K RPMS it was struggling to keep pulling.

By all the reviews so far (press junket reviews) the HPP variant for 2020 is a different beast. It is being reviewed quite positively, and I am looking forward to some reviews that aren’t from a F ord-sponsored event.

It uses the Focus RS block converted to longitudinal-mount , that is manufactured in Spain, rather than the more generally used mainstream 2.3 EB block, revised cylinder head and gasket, a larger compressor on the twin-scroll turbo, and a revised intercooler for the engine placement and plumbing arrangement. It is up on horsepower to 332, but the big thing is the torque... 350 ft.lbs that reportedly is very healthy from 3000 to redline, and doesn’t fall on it’s face anymore.

Plus it gets GT Performance-Pack aero and brakes, and an optional handling package with larger swaybars, tightened steering, MagneRide, and better summer tires, not GT350-spec, but derived from it’s development program. It also gets the active exhaust system now, too.

That, with 200lbs off the nose of the car, compared to the V8... and supposedly the HPP+HP coupes actually handle remarkably well, (convertibles don’t get the handling package, but are eligible for the High-Performance 2.3 engine and performance upgrades) They are reportedly noticeably more nimble than the GT, with more torque under 4000RPM, and better fuel economy, although not the same ultimate horsepower and torque in the high RPM range as the V8s...

It is being called the Anti-Mustang Mustang, for being a compelling setup, but not like the V8 traditionalists.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > CB 10/10/2019 at 15:30

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Usually I’d agree. But all the roads you drive on are straight! So I’d say go for the V8 in your specific circumstance. But yeah, usually I’m a fan of I4T muscle cars. 

CB > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 10/10/2019 at 18:20

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The problem is that a V8 would probably encourage more hooliganism than appropriate. The V8 Mustang makes such a stupid amount of power that I know I'd lose my job because of it.