The Ford Mustang Is Not A Muscle Car.
Let’s clear this up once and for all. The Ford Mustang is not a muscle car and it’s about time people stopped referring to it as such.
It was a pony car. It was indeed… the original pony car. If you don’t already know this, the first hit on a Google search will tell you:
Let’s clear this up once and for all. The Ford Mustang is not a muscle car and it’s about time people stopped referring to it as such.
It was a pony car. It was indeed… the original pony car. If you don’t already know this, the first hit on a Google search will tell you:
Pony car is an American class of automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964. The term describes an affordable, compact, highly styled car with a sporty or performance-oriented image.
It wasn’t a muscle car.
The muscle car was uncompromisingly designed for power and straight line speed.
It did not have a sophisticated chassis or clever engineering in anything but the engine - let alone have the sleek styling of European performance cars.
The muscle car was the blue collar car guys car. Inexpensive. Any cost or money spent went to straight line power. It was a light-to-light racer. It could also be a cruiser, a road tripper eating up the miles… or a frantic cross country racer chased by the cops driven by the lone driver, the last American hero, the electric centaur, the demi-god, the super driver of the golden west!
Over the years, you could get away with calling the Mustang a muscle car as the lines blurred out of the seventies and into the eighties and nineties. Then even when it was remodelled and brought back to life most recently though, it still had a live rear axle which made the handling suck.
If it made the handling suck, “Why would they keep it?” I hear you ask.
Well, firstly crap rear suspension helps the Mustang lose control and fly into crowds of onlookers if you believe the memes… but most importantly it’s cheaper - which fits with the pony or muscle car ethos.
However in 2015 Ford switched the Mustang over to independent rear suspension.
“What’s a live rear axle?” “What’s independent suspension mean?” I hear some of you ask?
Well, let’s allow Jason from Engineering Explained tell you because he is better at it and I can’t be bothered to type an explanation…
So, where were we?
Right.
Ford switched to independent rear suspension. Awesome. Welcome to the 21st century and going round corners and stuff!
To the point it’s as much fun to drive a canyon as it is to nail it in a straight line.
Yes. The new Mustang is a full bloodied sports car - and a very good one. I had the pleasure of driving one up and down a long canyon road for a day and it was great. Fast, sure footed… fun. I’m originally from Europe and if you had de-badged it completely and sat me inside having not been in one before; I would have sworn it was a European sports car.
It cares as much now about it’s handling as it does it’s power.
The Ford Mustang is not a muscle car. It never really was, and from 2015 onwards it certainly isn’t.
Oh, and neither is the new Camaro.
The only genuine muscle car in production right now is arguably the Dodge Challenger.
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Comments
Here comes all the upset ‘Muricans
Hehehe
Literally the first thing that comes up on your recommended google search “Some argue that pony cars, such as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, aren’t muscle cars at all, but for this list, Bankrate chose not to make that distinction.” so there is an argument for, and an argument against. Meaning it is opinion, not fact. As ive been saying.
It’s on the internet so it must be right.
It’s on the internet and supports your point of view.
Next you should Google:
Confirmation bias.
And so I decided to be a temporary keyboard warrior. But the definition of a muscle car is an American, 2 door sports car with a powerful engine. 😁😂😆😄 you’re entire article is invalid
Definition according to… who?
Because… they are wrong. That would make the Cadillac ATS-V a muscle car… which it clearly isn’t.
Just saying by your definition the ford gt, corvette, saleen S7, SSC ultimate aero and the hennessey venom are all muscle cars, you confirmed it, america cant make a supercar.
Don’t forget! Oz made some wicked muscles too!
It has to be front engined and mid size too, with room for at least four.
So anything that’s mid engined, huge, or a two seater is NOT a muscle car. So no Saleen, Ford GT Henessy, Viper, Corvette or even the AMC AMX.
By your logic evwn most single cab pickup trucks would be classified as muscle cars.
Gray, what do you call the Ford falcon Phase lll GTHO? or the Ford falcon GT XB?
Sorry sir, but even NFS classifies the Mustang as a muscle car, NFS is never wrong and at least 140% accurate. mmkay?
Oh. yes. Of course.
I retract the entire article.
I agree, Challenger is a muscle car and the Camaro and Mustang are pony/sports cars.
and if I were to only call one version of the mustang a muscle car it would be the GT500
The Challenger was originally also a pony car to rival the Mustang.
If you wanted muscle from Dodge you’d buy a Charger.
Yes, the mustang isn’t a muscle car. Because it’s a fast car produced for proper track who can rev more than a diesel.
here’s the general description of what makes a muscle car - a muscle car: #1 It MUST be from America, and as they say, the bigger the better, anything otherwise should be listed as a sports-sedan/coupe; It absolutely MUST have a massive and powerful V8 up front with power only going to the back, not to mention that deep V8 rumble should be present. If it doesn’t have any of this, then it cannot be classified as a ‘’muscle car’’. the Mustang falls under this category, thus it is a Muscle Car as well as a Pony Car.
Please explain to me what category the vauxhall Monaro/vxr8 falls under then?
It does not have to be American. Several Australian and even South African cars also fit the description.
To those who say that the live rear axle on the S197 “made the handling suck,” I give you this: https://youtu.be/uOwSPccbzl4
Chadkake - I’m going for your 2017 unofficial award apparently.
keep up the good work and you just might get one lol
Mustang never was Muscle, and it”ll never be muscle. Butthurt fanboys having a bad time accepting that their Car God isn’t what they thought him to be. It did evolve into a great sports though. But still, Butthurt mustang fanboys are fun!!!
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