05 Mustang GT versus....350Z, Evo, WRX, etc.

Well, Motor Trend got a hold of an auto equipped 05 Mustang GT and it looks like the news is good for the power hungry. 0-60mph in 5.1 sec. and the 1/4 mile in 13.6 sec. @ 99.9mph. Torque appears to be back with a vengeance as the car ripped of 0-30mph in 2 seconds flat. For an automatic equipped car on all season tires that is haulin'. A manual GT on summer tires should run in some really fast company with low 13's being an absolute no-brainer. And, even 13 flats are not out of the question!

These numbers are not as accurate as I would like since they are from a "new car" rag. (ie: Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Automobile) However, the problem with those new car rags is that the cars are usually faster than they find, not slower. IMHO a good indication of just how fast this really is comes from a comparison to other M/T test numbers for comparable cars from recent tests.


0-60mph 1/4 mile

04 350Z : 5.3 sec. : 13.77 sec. @ 100.94 mph

04 S2000 : 5.8 sec. : 14.19 sec. @ 99.90 mph

04 RX8 : 6.0 sec. : 14.49 sec. @ 95.47 mph

05 WRX STi : 4.7 sec. : 13.3 sec. @ 100.1 mph

05 Evo MR : 4.7 sec. : 13.3 sec. @ 100.1 mph

05 C6 Vette : 4.1 sec. : 12.5 sec. @ 115 mph

04 Mach-1 : ------ : 13.2 sec. @ 106.7 mph

04 Mach-1(auto) : 5.3 sec. : 13.88 sec. @ 101.91mph

04 GTO : ------ : 13.62 sec. @ 104.78 mph

05 Must. GT(auto) : 5.2 sec. : 13.6 sec. @ 99.9 mph



The only other auto equipped car on this list is the auto Mach-1 I listed for reference. It looks like Ford's promise that the new Mustang GT would be Mach-1/LS-1 f-body fast has likely been delivered on. Really surprising is how close M/T got the 05 GT to WRX STi/Evo MR times even with the auto tranny. M/T seemed to get a surprisingly good run out of the little Subie (for M/T that is) because they cite a 1.2 second 0-30mph time.

To be fair, M/T did say that the computer re-map done for 05 in an atempt to cure the STi's detonation problems appears to have made the car slightly slower up top. The trap speed on the Mustang is kinda low for the mph listed, just as it is on the WRX and Evo. But, that just means good things regarding torque and a good, solid launch.

Another interesting comparison is the 05 Vette's 1.8 second 0-30 mph time. The 05 Mustang, as mentioned above, did it in 2 flat with the auto tranny. With a manual tranny and the summer tires it looks like the 05 Mustang GT is absolutely for real in terms of acceleration. In truth, it would appear to be for real even with the auto and all season rubber!

It is also worth mentioning that the Mustang GT is the least expensive of the cars listed above. You can get a 5-sp. manual, Mustang GT with leather seats, 500watt 6-disc in-dash cd, and power everything for just slightly over 26k. (Sadly, no sunroof is available) That is a raging bargain, and would appear to make the Mustang GT the fastest car available under 30k.

I realize that acceleration is not everything. However, if the new Mustang GT gets better seats and a ride no better than the outgoing car(M/T says both are vastly improved) it will be rivaled only by the 350Z and RX8 as genuine, daily drivers. The Evo, S2000, and STi all handle extremely well, but ride like an iron canoe down a log pile.

IMHO it looks like Ford likely has a runaway success waiting to debut. It will become more clear exactly where the pony stands once owners start posting times. But, it is already clear that the new pony is damn fast for the money.

Yeah, it's lookin' good. Finally, a Mustang for under 25K that will give the LS1s a run for their money...a damn good run. :)

thatll more than give the ls1 a run for its money, with those times it should be the victor...anyways i knew the 4.6 dohc would eventually pay off... prolly wont handle as well as the 350z but theyll offer irs in a year or 2, i cant wait for the next cobra.

I thought the new GT was still using the SOHC 4.6. Does it have an IRS or is it still solid rear axle?

yes its an sohc, it just a bad habbit of mine where i say dohc rather than ohc... and its still solid rear axle

Wow, it's making 300 hp with SOHC...I wonder what the Mach 1 (presuming it remains DOHC) will make :)

while it is a sohc you gotta remember its a 3 valve sohc, not a 2 valve.

Yeah, that's the design Benz used for over a decade, so it's definitely not a bad design. But the DOHC is inevitably gonna make more power.

Wow, it's making 300 hp with SOHC...I wonder what the Mach 1 (presuming it remains DOHC) will make :)

I'm pretty sure they have dropped the Mach 1 label since it was just a limited run thing. I have a feeling that the next non-Cobra specialty car will be a GT-350/GT-500 remake due to Shelby being back with Ford and all. I could be wrong though.

As for the Automatic numbers, I have to say I am really impressed. When they were guessing 13.9-14.1 for the manual GT times, I was pretty sure it would be around that due to increased weight. I can't wait to see what the real manual GT times will be.

heres the article i found on another board...

Don't ask us how, but we had our way with a 2005 Mustang GT five-speed automatic just long enough to gather real test numbers and send this pony back to the barn wet. To say we're please with the results would be like saying it'd be cool to have Jay Leno's garage keys for a day.

Here's the deal from our man behind the wheel: From a stop, the 2005 GT launches with unexpected ferocity at under two seconds to 30 mph. Normaly, this king of urgent getaway is reserved for cars with clutch pedals and DIY gear boxes. Using a brake-torquing technique at over 2000rpm, the new Pirelli tires favor a liberal amount of wheelspin, easily modulated with the throttle. The P Zero Neros hook up more readily than the Goodyear Eagles on previous Mustangs, which tend to alternately spin in vain or bog-'n'-go depending on launch rpm. The new engine revs quickly pas the indicated 6000 rpm readline and shifts just shy of the "real" 6200 limit. First, second, and third gearsl are tightly spaced and snap off upshifts nearly as rapidly as a Mercedes AMG SpeedShift automtaic. Forth and fifth gears, however, are performance-stinking black holes slowing hte otherwise energetic acceleration curve.

The 2005 GT is quicker than all but the current supercharged SVT Cobra, and, even so, only by a 0.2 to 0.3 second margin. With a 5.1 second run to 60 mph, the new Mustang outruns a compareable 1999-2004 GT four-speed automatic by nearly a full second. A same-gen five-speed manual GT managed only a 5.4 0-60 , and an automatic Mach 1 mustered a 5.6 second best. Similar story in the quter mile: THe new car's 13.6 second time is about half to a full second better. It's 99.9 mph trap speed is just shjy where most current-gen Mustangs run. We suspect the new car's deep, high-fuel-milage fourth and fifth gears are to blame.

What would a manual trans GT be good for? Estimates on automatic-to-stick-shift conversion factors vary, but this auto's close 1-2-3 gearing keeps the engien boiling, so the difference may not be as much as you think. It's safe tos ay a self-shifting GT is a sub five second runner, likely in the 4.8-4.9 second range.

In the salom, the new Mustang feels altogether more precise, predictable, and stable than the car it replaces. The firmer platform is better suited to allowing hte suspensions and tires to do thier jobs more effectively. Where the old car slides as a whole past each cone (unpredictably at that), the 2005 bites hard on intial turn-in, transfers weight in the blink of an eye, and manages rear roll-steer better. Just a hint of opposite-direction wheel input brings the rear end back in line with an authoritative snap ready for the next cone. The best run was over 66 mph, better than any previous Mustang except the race-ready Cobra R of 2000. In typical Mustang fashion, the new car lapses into terminal understeer in the slower-speed skidpad test, but still managed a Cobra like 0.84g orbit.

In case you're wondering how the new Mustang stacks up agaisnt the GTO: The American pony is faster and nimbler than the Australian-bred goat-automatic or manual-but a retest will be in order as soon as we can get our hands on the upcoming 400-horse Pontiac-Chris Walton

and also the last mach 1 ran of a cobra engine so im guessin there wont be any new mustnags until after the new cobra comes out... and im hopin for a boss :)

and also the last mach 1 ran of a cobra engine so im guessin there wont be any new mustnags until after the new cobra comes out... and im hopin for a boss :)

You and me both.

Odd that they ran such a slow time with the Mach 1. Motor Trend ran 13.2xx with it just recently. Well with in the last 6 months or so. Should be interesting if the manual GT can come close to that.

I really want to see some slalom,skipad,track times cause the DEW chassis should be a large improvement especially over the well aged fox-chassis.

Hehe, I can't believe the Mustang really used that chassis for 25 years straight. I'm gonna miss it...time for Mustangs to move on up, mainly in price :)

Wow, I'm really impressed on the performance of the auto GT!

When the new mustang was first unveiled I really liked it but was worried ford would go cheap and underpower it...but after looking at those numbers I am even more impressed with it

As for the comparison I think any of us would gladly have any of the cars listed, and its too hard choosing one over the others objectively...

Hehe, I can't believe the Mustang really used that chassis for 25 years straight. I'm gonna miss it...time for Mustangs to move on up, mainly in price :)

Actually, as an fyi, the 05 Mustang seems to be stickering for slightly less than comparably equipped 04 models. "Base price" looks bigger, and is, because more items are standard on the 05 than on the 04. But, once you start adding things like leather seats, and 6 disc CD this one seems to be less expensive feature to feature!

However, even with a slightly lower msrp I serously doubt the new car will ever offer the rebates seen on the outgoing model. And also, just as in the new Vette, a lower msrp means good p.r. but could simply be a sign of a less significant markup on a car that costs the dealer as much or more to buy. So, in the end you will almost certainly be dropping a bit more out of pocket. But, not much.

I'm pretty sure they have dropped the Mach 1 label since it was just a limited run thing. I have a feeling that the next non-Cobra specialty car will be a GT-350/GT-500 remake due to Shelby being back with Ford and all. I could be wrong though.

As for the Automatic numbers, I have to say I am really impressed. When they were guessing 13.9-14.1 for the manual GT times, I was pretty sure it would be around that due to increased weight. I can't wait to see what the real manual GT times will be.


Ford has insinuated on more than one occasion that there would be a Mach-1 done on the new for 05 platform. Ford has also said, once or twice, that the new Cobra would debut before any other major special edition cars. Finally, SVT is saying that the Cobra will be an early 07 model year offering and not an 06 model year car as was rumoured. So, it looks like there will be a Mach-1, but if Ford is to be believed, do not look for it before calender year 2,006 at the earliest.

Of course, everything any auto maker says is to be taken with a grain of salt.

Ford has insinuated on more than one occasion that there would be a Mach-1 done on the new for 05 platform. Ford has also said, once or twice, that the new Cobra would debut before any other major special edition cars. Finally, SVT is saying that the Cobra will be an early 07 model year offering and not an 06 model year car as was rumoured. So, it looks like there will be a Mach-1, but if Ford is to be believed, do not look for it before calender year 2,006 at the earliest.

Of course, everything any auto maker says is to be taken with a grain of salt.

Ah good enough. I hadn't read that. Behind on things I guess. Have they said what the Mach 1 would be? Engine-wise mostly is what I am asking. (4v as opposed to 3v?)

Sucks about the 07 Cobra. That's a bit of a gap. Hopefully they will fill it with a Mach 1.

Not really, more has leaked on the next Cobra than on the Mach-1 or other potential special editions. . It is a known fact that there will be a Shelby Mustang done on the new car, but nobody really knows anything about what this will be either.

Some rumours say the next "Cobra" will be the Shelby-badged car. If so, it may not even be called the Cobra, but GT350 or GT500....who knows? Ford is tight-lipped as hell and that is the only really sure thing for now.

Rumours also say a 5.4L naturally aspirated Mustang has been seen being tested around Ford, and that would seem to be a logical Mach-1 replacement. However, there is not a lot to back them up and they are very vague at best. Do not get me wrong, I do not doubt for a second a n/a 5.4L is being tested in an 05 pony and this part is pretty solid. But, nobody seems to have a clue as to what it is so that part is very sletchy.....your guess is as good as anyone elses.

Other rumours speculate that the Mach-1 will get a heavily revised version of the 03/04 Cobra's blown 4.6L, which would fit the 04 Mach-1's "SVT hand me down" approach to engine and suspension. However, IMHO it is very unlikely that Ford could make this motor avoid the gas-guzzler tax the 03/04 Cobra got stuck with so I am skeptical. This one also died a long time ago which tells me if it was a possibility then costs or gas mileage killed it.

We do pretty much know that the Cobra's replacement is getting a blown 5.4L, wether that be SOHC/3 valve (as in the Lightning) or DOHC/4 valve nobody is certain. "Light weight" will also be a focal point of the new "Cobra" as well since SVT boss Coletti has said 500hp is about all you can get away with in these cars and lighter wieght is the key to getting more.

Lastly, with the new Mustang GT's 300hp rating, and the next Cobra pretty much known to be getting 500hp, a lot of folks think Ford is "stepping" these cars out evenly and that the next Mach-1 will be around 400hp. This seems logical and fits perfectly with a revised version of the blown 4.6L or a naturally aspirated 5.4L that sucks 92 octane wether it be 3-valve or 4-valve.

Either way, expect the new Cobra to be beyond bad-ass from what we can see of the 05 Mustang GT so far.

Hopefullythe rumors all hold themselves true, in 07 there'll be a nice big ol' american muscle showdown

Hopefullythe rumors all hold themselves true, in 07 there'll be a nice big ol' american muscle showdown

I am hoping that the Cobra will be more of a track oriented car then a muscle minded one. I mean, it's nice to have the old Ford vs Chevy power thing, but idealistically it would be good for Ford to have something that can at least keep up with the Evolution, Sti, and C6. I don't think it will be z06 territory, but a Ford guy can dream.

Well, we've already got the GTO, the Magnum, and the 300C, with the Charger on the way and the Chevelle probably coming back too. So even without the Camaro and/or Firebird, there's gonna be one hell of a showdown. :)

Anyways, I'm glad that they finally got a 3-valve SOHC setup on the GT. the 2-valve design seemed kind of anemic, but it's hard to criticize the 3-valve design, since Mercedes-Benz has been using it religiously for over a decade.

I am hoping that the Cobra will be more of a track oriented car then a muscle minded one. I mean, it's nice to have the old Ford vs Chevy power thing, but idealistically it would be good for Ford to have something that can at least keep up with the Evolution, Sti, and C6. I don't think it will be z06 territory, but a Ford guy can dream.


I do not think I would say that. According to SVT the next Cobra will have a blown 5.4L and 500hp. Also it will, dynamically speaking, be on a mission to "out M3" the BMW M3. Finally, Ford has said publically the next Cobra is the car they intend to go after the Viper and any "super Vette". This is all according to Ford and SVT...not just rumour. Ford wants to give us a Cobra with the every day utility and brilliant handling of an M3, more hp/tq than a Viper, and classic Mustang looks, style, and character. I'll take it.

And, we already know that SVT can handily deliver the motor to accomplish this from the soon to debut Lightning and GT supercar. (both are over 500hp, the GT is actually over 600hp despite it's 550hp rating) We also know the new Mustang platform is rigid as a rock, and that Ford's control blade IRS design is absolutely world class. (this is the IRS design most likely to find a home in the new Cobra) I find no reason to believe that Ford cannot easily field a Cobra that is a real world beater.

If Ford gets anyhere near their goal the standard C6, STi, and Evolution might as well keep it on the porch. When the new snake really does debut my prediction is that a lot of mouths will be hanging wide open in amazement .

sorry to get off topic, but just check out the sti and evo mr times! damn dead even!

rhumour had it that the evo mr was supposed to be high 12's, but i guess not!