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eccerr0r All-Star Author Fort Collins Posts:989 Points:591,725 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: May 16, 2012 9:19:27 AM Ignore eccerr0r Report Abuse Granted Ford was responsible, but are there any? I'm in a mind blank, and can't think of a cheap, fast, RWD coupe/convertable from abroad... Probably not their target audience... Selling to the masses is more important where cheap, reliable, roomy is apparently more important.

eccerr0r

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Fort Collins

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Message Posted: May 16, 2012 9:19:27 AM

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Granted Ford was responsible, but are there any? I'm in a mind blank, and can't think of a cheap, fast, RWD coupe/convertable from abroad...

Probably not their target audience... Selling to the masses is more important where cheap, reliable, roomy is apparently more important.

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GBHUGVA Champion Author Virginia Beach Posts:4,697 Points:789,160 Joined:Mar 2009	Message Posted: May 18, 2012 12:31:41 PM Ignore GBHUGVA Report Abuse 9 Things You Didn't Know About the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Today, I drove Ford's 200-mph miracle Mustang. I can't say much, but here's a peek. By Sam Smith 1 hour agoEver heard the word "embargo" as it relates to a new car? Until I entered this business, I hadn't. As you may know, many carmakers invite journalists to drive and review their new models before those cars officially go on sale to the public. These drives usually take place at organized launch events -- a race track, a country road, an auto show, and so on. In an attempt to regulate the flow of information about a given model, a lot of manufacturers enter into an embargo agreement with the journalists who drive their cars. In exchange for getting early access to a given vehicle, journalists will agree to hold publication of their review or driving impressions until a certain date. I mention this for a reason. Today, I drove the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 -- Dearborn's 662-hp, 200-mph supercharged Mustang -- at a press event at Road Atlanta. Like everyone else at the event, I agreed to not publish my thoughts on the car's performance until Monday morning. That said, I also sat through an engineering presentation on the car and had a chance to discuss its capabilities with the engineers who designed it. I can't talk about what the GT500 is like to drive, but I can share a few cool facts about it. Some of what I learned is below the jump. 1. It shares at least one part with the Ford GT supercar. The GT500's camshafts are the exact same profile -- same intake and exhaust lift, same duration -- as the ones used on the Ford GT. Yes, the supercar. This one. How cool is that? The goal was linear, approachable grunt and a torque curve flatter than Ayers Rock. I can't say if Ford's engineers achieved this -- at least, not yet -- but I will say one thing: The GT was a hell of a thing. Its camshafts are welcome. 2. Its driveshaft is made of carbon fiber. You have probably heard this. If you are the thinking type, you probably assumed that Ford engineers made this choice for a reason -- carbon fiber is light and strong, and performance cars are usually made of light, strong stuff. But here's a cool bit of trivia: The 2013 GT500's shaft is 14.4 pounds lighter than the metal shaft used in the last GT500, and it offers a 36 percent greater torque capacity. But chiefly, it's rated for high-speed duty and sports a critical speed well above the rpm it would be turning at the GT500's 200-mph top speed. According to Ford engineers, the old car's metal shaft went into resonance between 150 and 200 mph. 3. If you activate the GT500's standard launch control, a traditional drag-racing "Christmas tree" appears in the instrument cluster's LCD screen. It looks like a stoplight and gives you a trigger for when to let the car loose during a launch. 4. Ford estimates that the GT500 will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in about 3.7 seconds. For reference, the 444-hp Mustang Boss 302 will do the same in around four seconds flat. 5. It uses two fuel pumps. Sound boring? It's not. Here's how much juice this thing is sucking: Those fuel pumps are identical to the unit found in the current 5.0-liter, 420-hp Mustang GT. Only the 5.0-liter just needs one pump, not two. 6. Its speedometer goes to 220 mph. This is not a huge thing -- it's just a graphic on a gauge. But if Ford is to be believed, the GT500's top speed is an honest 200 mph. It is achieved in fifth gear, not sixth. Sixth is tall enough that it's really only for highway fuel economy -- 80 mph is roughly 1600 rpm. 7. If you do the math, third gear should be good for around 140 mph. That is all. I can't give specifics, because that would amount to a driving impression. But do the math. Seriously. 140 mph? Math is awesome. 8. A Torsen limited-slip and Bilstein electronically adjustable shocks are optional. Brands are fun. These are brands everyone knows, and they are available in the GT500's Performance Package. I like this. 9. In person, away from the harsh light of an auto-show stand, the GT500 looks amazing. Cartoonish, but in a good way. Also, the gaping hole in the car's nose -- it serves as a grille and air intake -- looks like the maw of a jet engine. You walk by it, you feel like you'll fall in.
bluenvoy Champion Author Nashville Posts:14,941 Points:1,873,415 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: May 18, 2012 9:04:07 AM Ignore bluenvoy Report Abuse Well, to each his or her own.
bluenvoy Champion Author Nashville Posts:14,941 Points:1,873,415 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: May 18, 2012 9:04:06 AM Ignore bluenvoy Report Abuse Well, to each his or her own.
WEPSMAN Champion Author South Dakota Posts:10,503 Points:2,021,750 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: May 17, 2012 7:21:38 PM Ignore WEPSMAN Report Abuse I do not really pay attention to what they are selling overseas.
eccerr0r All-Star Author Fort Collins Posts:989 Points:591,725 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: May 17, 2012 6:02:07 PM Ignore eccerr0r Report Abuse There have been quite a few "cheap" cars like the Eclipse/GSX that are/were relatively cheap/fast but these are AWD vehicles. Then there's the Lancer/EVO and Impreza/WRX/STi that are relatively cheap, but are AWD and even sedans. I guess it is true for Japan where there are very long workweeks. And in general, gasoline prices may take out of the fun factor... I suppose there's a reason for the nonexistance of this class of cars...
probedude2 Champion Author Akron Posts:12,533 Points:2,376,205 Joined:Jun 2003	Message Posted: May 17, 2012 12:13:50 AM Ignore probedude2 Report Abuse That new Subaru/Scion sports car may be an option
BartandLisa Champion Author Newfoundland Posts:2,125 Points:415,400 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: May 16, 2012 7:16:27 PM Ignore BartandLisa Report Abuse Don't forget the "European Mustang", built by Ford in Germany and the UK, many of which were shipped to North America - the original Capri, an affordable, RWD, V6 coupe that compared favourably to others at the time.
14smoke Champion Author Birmingham Posts:13,188 Points:1,921,140 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: May 16, 2012 5:37:35 PM Ignore 14smoke Report Abuse It wasn't terribly cheap, but, Honda had the S2000. Then again, the pony cars on sale now, here, in America, aren't that cheap anymore either. Priced a Mustang, Camaro or Challenger recently? I know Toyota and Subaru are working on a little 2+2 which should be out soon, if not already, but, that's not really in the "pony car" ranks.
GBHUGVA Champion Author Virginia Beach Posts:4,697 Points:789,160 Joined:Mar 2009	Message Posted: May 16, 2012 9:23:54 AM Ignore GBHUGVA Report Abuse yeh 50-60 hour work weeks over there, no time for fun I'd remove reliable from the list lately lots of recalls.