650hp 2013 Shelby GT priced to be $55k

[Dave07997S]

Originally Posted by Tobbep

What a surprise, a French guy talking bad about American cars. I would have been surprised if you would have said anything else. Especially when you have such high quality cars like Renault over there. The performance you get from the new American muscle cars is usually far beyond what you get from the BMW's and Audis unless you pay 2 to 3 times as much. I used to have a Shelby GT500 with 712 RWHP and 622 RWTQ. That car was a beast on the track and was outperforming BMWs and Audis on a daily basis. I ended up selling the Shelby while I lived in Germany. The German that bought the Shelby said he had more positive comments about the Shelby than any other German cars on the road. He was very impressed with the performance. He actually took the time to understand the car instead of doing the normal European act of disapproving anything American. Last time I looked the Shelby comes with Leather interior and Recaro seats with upgraded Bilstein suspension. The Shelby even comes with Brembo brakes while the M3 comes with cheesy half a** calipers. Comparing the M3 to the Shelby I can say that the comfort is better in the M3 but the fun factor most definitely goes to the Shelby.

Excellent response..

"Want to buy a French rifle, never fired but only dropped once."

[Giggs]

Originally Posted by Tobbep

What a surprise, a French guy talking bad about American cars. I would have been surprised if you would have said anything else. Especially when you have such high quality cars like Renault over there. The performance you get from the new American muscle cars is usually far beyond what you get from the BMW's and Audis unless you pay 2 to 3 times as much. I used to have a Shelby GT500 with 712 RWHP and 622 RWTQ. That car was a beast on the track and was outperforming BMWs and Audis on a daily basis. I ended up selling the Shelby while I lived in Germany. The German that bought the Shelby said he had more positive comments about the Shelby than any other German cars on the road. He was very impressed with the performance. He actually took the time to understand the car instead of doing the normal European act of disapproving anything American. Last time I looked the Shelby comes with Leather interior and Recaro seats with upgraded Bilstein suspension. The Shelby even comes with Brembo brakes while the M3 comes with cheesy half a** calipers. Comparing the M3 to the Shelby I can say that the comfort is better in the M3 but the fun factor most definitely goes to the Shelby.

Your Shelby sounded like a badass performance wise. Of course the Shelby got more attention in Europe than a European car. American cars in Europe are rare and German cars are common there.

Bottom line, owning an M3 is something we all have in common. We all have different opinions about other cars but we all share the fact that M3s are beautiful and amazing cars and BMW definitely set the bar. Its great to see other manufacturers competing.

I've never driven a Shelby so I have no clue about its fun factor, but I sure have to say my M3 puts a smile on my face everytime I sit in it (and look at it). I work hard and having an M3 to go out to at the end of the work day makes its all worth it If a Shelby has the same affect on others as the M3 has on me, Im happy for them!

[Alex07M3]

Originally Posted by Tobbep

What a surprise, a French guy talking bad about American cars. I would have been surprised if you would have said anything else. Especially when you have such high quality cars like Renault over there. The performance you get from the new American muscle cars is usually far beyond what you get from the BMW's and Audis unless you pay 2 to 3 times as much. I used to have a Shelby GT500 with 712 RWHP and 622 RWTQ. That car was a beast on the track and was outperforming BMWs and Audis on a daily basis. I ended up selling the Shelby while I lived in Germany. The German that bought the Shelby said he had more positive comments about the Shelby than any other German cars on the road. He was very impressed with the performance. He actually took the time to understand the car instead of doing the normal European act of disapproving anything American. Last time I looked the Shelby comes with Leather interior and Recaro seats with upgraded Bilstein suspension. The Shelby even comes with Brembo brakes while the M3 comes with cheesy half a** calipers. Comparing the M3 to the Shelby I can say that the comfort is better in the M3 but the fun factor most definitely goes to the Shelby.

BTW I'm french Canadien , which means I see enough american sports cars in the streets to say that I found them cheesy looking IMO! Yes the Shelby is a monster on track but it also looks like a monster, still IMO ! To each his own taste , I like more mature and less flashy sport cars for daly driving ! If I wanted a track monster , I'd buy a used GT-R !

[Optherion]

Originally Posted by boostedM

It's a small block. But I digress...

I stand corrected. For some reason I thought it was larger than 5.8

I am more impressed now. More power, less displacement.

[understeer]

Originally Posted by Alex07M3

BTW I'm french Canadien , which means I see enough american sports cars in the streets to say that I found them cheesy looking IMO! Yes the Shelby is a monster on track but it also looks like a monster, still IMO ! To each his own taste , I like more mature and less flashy sport cars for daly driving ! If I wanted a track monster , I'd buy a used GT-R !

We send you ugly, poorly built sports cars and you send us Celine Dionne.
I call it a wash.

[Singletrack]

This car is awesome and with very minor mods will look incredibly aggressive. It isn't an "elegant" car like the m3 and it is not supposed to be. If I were buying my m3 today, I would 100% cross shop this car.

Even if you don't like it, hate the design, blah blah, you should still be thanking Ford for pushing the envelope. The Germans are incredibly competitive and this will have an effect on their roadmap.

[Alex07M3]

Originally Posted by understeer

We send you ugly, poorly built sports cars and you send us Celine Dionne.
I call it a wash.

lol , still better then Britney Spears !

[acevo8]

"To each his own taste , I like more mature and less flashy sport cars for daly driving !"

Wait - didn't you mention in a previous post that you consider the styling of an Evo and STI to be better than the "American" styling? An EVO and an STI is not considered "flashy" with their large wings, hood scoops, and air vents?

FYI - I own an Evo and have an e92 on it's way this summer through ED. I was on the fence on picking up a Mustang GT because of the value that it provides. I agree styling is to each their own, but at the same time, it's hard to deny the amount of car you get for its price point. As a car enthusiast, we should be able to accept that not every car is perfect. It's a simple equation, a car manufacturer is out to make money, the materials that it uses is directly related to the price point.

With the arguments that was given earlier, which car would you prefer, an Audi R8 or a Ford GT? I've taken the prize car of your favorite moniker and also the prize car of Ford.

[Alex07M3]

Originally Posted by Singletrack

Even if you don't like it, hate the design, blah blah, you should still be thanking Ford for pushing the envelope. The Germans are incredibly competitive and this will have an effect on their roadmap.

Agreed ! In fact , it's not ford or Dodge or chevy that I dislike , it's only their way of making their sports car , I've tryed a couple of SUVs , my father has a 2011 Ram , very nice ride and finish , my friend just bought the new Jepp SRT-8 , incredible truck in every way , my friend rented the new Explorer this winter when we did a trip to florida , very impressive quality and design ! But their sports cars , to me

[Alex07M3]

Originally Posted by acevo8

"To each his own taste , I like more mature and less flashy sport cars for daly driving !"

Wait - didn't you mention in a previous post that you consider the styling of an Evo and STI to be better than the "American" styling? An EVO and an STI is not considered "flashy" with their large wings, hood scoops, and air vents?

FYI - I own an Evo and have an e92 on it's way this summer through ED. I was on the fence on picking up a Mustang GT because of the value that it provides. I agree styling is to each their own, but at the same time, it's hard to deny the amount of car you get for its price point. As a car enthusiast, we should be able to accept that not every car is perfect. It's a simple equation, a car manufacturer is out to make money, the materials that it uses is directly related to the price point.

With the arguments that was given earlier, which car would you prefer, an Audi R8 or a Ford GT? I've taken the prize car of your favorite moniker and also the prize car of Ford.

Yes I prefer an EVO and a STI to a Mustang , but I never liked the EVOs and STIs until 08 , when the car became more mature ,confortable , less flashy and more equip . Until 08 I always told my friends who were big subaru fans that I prefered for my budget to have less performance in exchange to a more well rounded car ! These are the cars I had for the past 10 years in order , I think it shows well what kind of car I prefer !











The B5 S4 always been my favorite car but I never had the budget until the car was to old to be a good buy and now that I could afford an S4 or a used RS4 , the M3 seemed to be a better buy !

To answer your question about the R8 vs GT , there must be a catch in your question that i don't understand , lol , I would'nt hesitate 1 sec , it would be the R8 hands down , even a V8 before the Ford GT !

[Alex07M3]

I think one of these cars screems ''please look at me !!'' and the other not !

[acevo8]

Nice history of cars, minus the TT

I think if you shared the pics above earlier in your posts, the folks here would understand your taste in cars and why you think the mustang is not your preference in design. It's very clear (not taking a jab at you in any way) that your choice is the roundish and muted look. Like it was mentioned earlier, cosmetics is very subjective. I don't disagree that the grabber blue mustang you showed screams "look at me" hence why they even named the color "grabber" blue. Although, it may appear in your eyes that the mustang's body lines don't look like quality, it's hard to deny that it's a shape that has a classic look in a new age time. That's also why it's so popular even though it resembles something a good 20 years ago... Your post above on giving credit to the American car company on their vehicles outside of their sports car line is respectable, I'm glad you appreciate that part of it. As for their sports car line, it's always had a DNA component that leans more towards it being a muscle car as opposed to sports car. You have to acknowledge though that they are changing their position as of late, to be more "sporty" in all aspects, handling, braking, and not just acceleration (ie Zl1, ZR-1, Boss 302, GT). The fact that the GT500 has 650 hp in their new iteration is breaking new ground for an "economic" sports car.

As for the question on the R8 vs Ford GT, it wasn't a trick question, both cars are great, was just curious which you would choose. I love the R8 and think it's a great car, but think it's overpriced for what you get.

[WRXXX]

Originally Posted by Alex07M3

I think one of these cars screems ''please look at me !!'' and the other not !
Attachment 660982

Attachment 660983

Still babbling? Why don't you just surrender this thread like a true Frenchmen!

[Alex07M3]

Originally Posted by acevo8

Nice history of cars, minus the TT

I think if you shared the pics above earlier in your posts, the folks here would understand your taste in cars and why you think the mustang is not your preference in design. It's very clear (not taking a jab at you in any way) that your choice is the roundish and muted look. Like it was mentioned earlier, cosmetics is very subjective. I don't disagree that the grabber blue mustang you showed screams "look at me" hence why they even named the color "grabber" blue. Although, it may appear in your eyes that the mustang's body lines don't look like quality, it's hard to deny that it's a shape that has a classic look in a new age time. That's also why it's so popular even though it resembles something a good 20 years ago... Your post above on giving credit to the American car company on their vehicles outside of their sports car line is respectable, I'm glad you appreciate that part of it. As for their sports car line, it's always had a DNA component that leans more towards it being a muscle car as opposed to sports car. You have to acknowledge though that they are changing their position as of late, to be more "sporty" in all aspects, handling, braking, and not just acceleration (ie Zl1, ZR-1, Boss 302, GT). The fact that the GT500 has 650 hp in their new iteration is breaking new ground for an "economic" sports car.

As for the question on the R8 vs Ford GT, it wasn't a trick question, both cars are great, was just curious which you would choose. I love the R8 and think it's a great car, but think it's overpriced for what you get.

At first look a TT could probably looked boring , but in fact , It was pretty fun to drive after a tune/exhaust/CAI ,suspension and wider wheels . It was more fun to drift in the winter time then both my GT28RS A4 and my stage2 STI . In summer time it was like a go kart but it had some understeer . I only had it for 1year and a1/2 but enjoyed every day with it , it was just missing some power and I did'nt wanted to go too deep in mods so I went with a brand new STI that I was supposed to keep stock , that was a boring car , until I putted the stage2 !

In regard to the american sports cars , there's no doubt that the americans are going in the right direction , but still , to me these cars look more like giant kids toys then toys for adults . I really dislike the idea of retro futuristic cars , it just look cheesy to me , I'm only 29 , maybe if i was older and had tripped on muscle cars all my youth it would've been different !

[Raptor251]

Originally Posted by Mookster

Reading this thread puts even a bigger smile on my face that i picked a Z06 over negative horsepower E92 M3

Reading this post makes me wonder why the hell you even bother to come on the M3 forum. Do you live under a bridge?

[Alex07M3]

Originally Posted by WRXXX

Still babbling? Why don't you just surrender this thread like a true Frenchmen!

Maybe frenchmens are'nt all the same !

[acevo8]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I wasn't really dogging your TT, but I wouldn't spend the money on it. My friend also has a TT with the APR stage 3 and Kw v3 setup, which far feels like it handles as a go kart. It's a nice roadster as a cruiser though, but not something I would bring with me to the track on the weekends and write home about.

I'm a generation X person too, but I still appreciate all the classics. Designs evolve over time, all manufacturers have their good and bad, Ford definitely has its act together by trying to push the envelope.

Also, careful on your reference to quality, that phrase can be used in many context, just because Ford's interior materials isn't the same as the quality of an m3, doesn't mean the way it hasn't done its diligence on build quality in that the car is built like a rock.

Oh, and that pic of the STI you posted is not fair to the Ford pic you chose. You picked a muted version of a car from Subaru, and put it against a pic of something that Ford intentionally wanted people's attention on. This one is more suited to the comparison, and I would say the STI screams more "please look at me"

[Mookster]

Originally Posted by Raptor251

Reading this post makes me wonder why the hell you even bother to come on the M3 forum. Do you live under a bridge?

Did i hit the spot?

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by Raptor251

Reading this post makes me wonder why the hell you even bother to come on the M3 forum. Do you live under a bridge?

Dude. He is SO happy you replied. He has nothing else to do except be ugly in his corvette.

[gallian93]

Originally Posted by boostedM

-WARNING- Long winded reply ahead And maybe a little


I think Ford has legitimately stepped their game up. Even without IRS, they are matching and beating lap times of the M3 with the GT and the 302 Boss, and will blister it with the GT500. I hate to admit with the amount of money I have in my car, I will still be getting walked by stock GT500s lol. But honestly, I think a lot of this "American cars are built like crap" mentality is coming from hearsay. I genuinely like the feel of the new GT, 302, Z06, and ZR1. I'm comfortable in the Challenger, but I find the interior very plain and boring. The only one I genuinely do not like is the Camaro. It has greatly improved in the ZL1, but still not up to par. The steering wheels feels better, but I still think the shift knob feels awkward, visibility is terrible, the center console is bizzare (and yes, cheap) and WHY WHY WHY is there still no nav option?? Those are all cars I feel confident commenting on because I've been lucky enough to have a chance to drive them all and really get a feel for them. Reviews seem good on the CTS-V as well (although I can't stand the look of the coupe, I think the sedan is gorgeous). Times are changing guys. American cars are back in the game. Take the chance to drive one and you'll see.

+1

i think for years Ford and chevy punished its customers that would only "buy american" ... they made crap cars that noone wanted ....

i think they have snapped out off it because eventually that "american car only" consumer gave them the finger....

credit where credit is due... this car (and other american sports cars) are DEMANDING legit attention...
this is good news for all of us

[Alex07M3]

Originally Posted by acevo8

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I wasn't really dogging your TT, but I wouldn't spend the money on it. My friend also has a TT with the APR stage 3 and Kw v3 setup, which far feels like it handles as a go kart. It's a nice roadster as a cruiser though, but not something I would bring with me to the track on the weekends and write home about.

I'm a generation X person too, but I still appreciate all the classics. Designs evolve over time, all manufacturers have their good and bad, Ford definitely has its act together by trying to push the envelope.

Also, careful on your reference to quality, that phrase can be used in many context, just because Ford's interior materials isn't the same as the quality of an m3, doesn't mean the way it hasn't done its diligence on build quality in that the car is built like a rock.

Oh, and that pic of the STI you posted is not fair to the Ford pic you chose. You picked a muted version of a car from Subaru, and put it against a pic of something that Ford intentionally wanted people's attention on. This one is more suited to the comparison, and I would say the STI screams more "please look at me"

As for the TT , sorry if a wrongly expressed my self, I said It was like a go kart in the sens that you sit really low to the ground and it's a short and wide car so it's really nimble on the road , really plaisant to drive , not a fast car , but felt fast at low RPM with 275tq around 2000rpm ! Handling was nothing like M3 or STI but was good anyway !

Also , you probably right about the fact that the way I've spoked about quality could've been confusion ,so just to make sure everyone understand , I never meant that the build quality was bad , only that the grade of materiels was not enough quality to my taste , and that the design made it looked even worst !

And for the STI picture now , IMO even the sedan with the big wing is not even close to the Shelby in the ¨I need attention¨ department but I guess that is also something subjective !

[Jeskali]

Most Imptly, Would You Want To Go 200 In One Of Those?