GTjoe49

Calling a '65 Mustang GT that weighed 2,445 lbs, had a 225 hp 289 cid motor a pony car is absolutley correct.

Calling a '11 Mustang GT that weighs 3,533 lbs, has a 412 hp 302 cid motor a pony car is a bit of a stretch.

I think the Mustang evolved into a modern interpretation of the muscle car

parchisi

You're looking at weight and only weight, I don't think that's accurate. Cars on the whole have significantly gained weight since 1964.

Norm Peterson

I agree with parchisi here - you have to compare the various Mustang generations against cars of the same eras. A better backward comparison among just Mustangs might put today's GT as having character similar to what an original Boss 302 might have been had Ford slipped an aluminum-headed 351C under the hood for the consumer versions.

Somewhat aside from 2445 lbs sounding suspiciously light, ponycars (i.e. Mustangs for this discussion) have come in at several hundred lbs lighter than musclecar versions of the bigger sedans. Mid to upper 2000's vs low to mid 3000's in 1968, 3500-ish today vs 4000 for Pontiac's (discontinued) G8 GT or 3950 & up for an '11 Charger.

By the late 60's, there wasn't much difference in power availability between ponycars and musclecars either.


Your argument would be stronger if we were discussing the current Camaro or Challenger. Maybe a lot stronger.


Norm

Coyote 5.0

Found sometihing funny. Went to get my Vin# from my window sticker and behold Ford calls it a 4 passenger sportscar!!!!!!!

JIM5.0

Funny, because Ford formally calls the S197 D2C, the "2C" meaning 2-door, coupe.
I dont know whee the term "S197" comes from; but I do know that the D2C (or S197 if you prefer) does not come in a sedan version ever.
Maybe Ford is using this description to describe the Mustang's Aussie-exclusive brother, the Falcon?

And to be a 4door, I think that would remove the Mustang from the Pony classification altogether. Could a 4door be a muscle car? I guess so, but to me, going into sedans removes car from the muscle car classification too.

Sleeper5.0

Then you have what dodge did.. Make the charger a 4 door family car...

Coyote 5.0

?????????????

Nuke

I tend to think of our 4.6L/5.0L as Muscle Cars and the 4.0L/3.7L as Sports Cars.

Quickshift_02GT

Muscle car, without a doubt.

Norm Peterson

You'd put a Mustang of any variety in the same class as a 4-door Charger???


N