And thus ends my Camaro journey...

[rez333]

.. but not my participation on Camaro5 forums.

I began my "fast car" journey here, so I have endearing feelings about this site. I fell in lust with the Camaro when I first saw it on Transformers - probably the best advertisement for the car ever.

Shortly after I found this site and I began to truly understand what it was like to own and live with this car, through the forum members.

Then I took it for a test drive. Overall a very positive experience.

However, then I took the Mustang GT and Shelby GT500 for a test drive, and liked them more.

Over time, as I saw more and more Camaros on the street, I did sort of get bored of looking at them. They still look good from certain angles by they are just too bloody big. It's kind of like looking at a midget truck or a Escalade sized sports car - both kinda look weird. The Camaro was like that (along with the Challenger) - just kinda too big for their "Pony Car" segment.

Anyway, long story short I just ordered a 2011 Shelby GT500. By wife's orders, I'm not actually allowed to have it in the garage until 2011 (because I have an infant), so I will be picking up the car in Jan 2011 and the dealer has kindly agreed to store my car in the basement for about 3 months (probably will be delivered Sep-Oct).

I feel the Shelby GT500 is the "perfect" car for my personality. I am a bit of a snob, so I'm not thrilled with owning a car just any tom dick and harry can buy; so the Shelby GT500 has that bit of rarity. Plus it doesn't have a Ford badge on it. Color me silly, but I just like the idea of having a badge that represents one of the great American icons of racing. It's a lot cooler to me than a blue oval, or a yellow bow-tie. You won't find a Shelby badge on a Focus or a Malibu.

Plus, when the performance on VIR numbers came out, it sealed the deal. Finally an American muscle car that can blast away foreign competitors on a race track (excluding the Corvette of course, which is really a sports car).

Anyway, that's not to put down the Camaro in any way. I think it's still just a terrific car, and the world is a better place because of it. It's wonderful that it can elicit so much passion and enjoyment for everyone. I pity the Europeans and Asians who don't have easy access to such affordable fun that we N.Americans are spoiled for.

Anyway, I thought that I'd write this because I've finally committed to something, and it might interest some why I started off with a Camaro love and ended up with a Mustang. I have no brand allegiance so I came to this decision unbiased and purely from an aesthetic, performance and reliability perspective. I relied on the opinions of experts, forummers and my own test drive.

The best way to come to a decision is to solicit the opinions of the "opposing side". If you love Camaro, one should solicit advice of Mustang fans, and if you love Mustangs you should solicit advice of Camaro fans. If the only voices you hear are voices from one point of view, you end up not being aware of the flaws of that point of view. I'm saying this because it's healthy to have "Mustang people" on Camaro forums; it's healthy exercise for the mind.

Drive on, and bring on the Z28!

[ComayroLouver]

Congrats on the beast of a car man. I like camaros more but i still have a soft spot for 95 mustangs and some other older ones

[Mindz]

Originally Posted by rez333

You won't find a Shelby badge on a Focus or a Malibu.

but you will find it on imports.





Seriously. Congrats on your purchase. The GT500's are great cars. I dislike the taillights immensely though =)

[helmincamaro]

Originally Posted by Mindz

Now there's some funny . Any idea how much that body kit cost? just wondering I might have to get me a smart car, just to do that to it and make it look even more ridiculous.

[rez333]

Originally Posted by Mindz

but you will find it on imports.

what car is that?? It's a great compliment though. No matter how much they try it won't be a real one, and anyone owning such a car will always want the real thing.

I believe they've done the same thing with the Camaro too right?

[Crowley]

Congrats and great choice !!

FYI .. I think the camaro just looks big, but it isn't that much larger than the Mustang:

LxWxH

Camaro / MustangGT (2011)
190.4 x 75.5 x 54.2 / 188.1 x 73.9 x 55.8

One thing Ford has seemed to do better than GM (at least for the mustangs / camaros I have owned) is that when you sit in the mustang, you don't feel the weight of the car and in driving the car, you feel like you are a part of the car .. I have never felt that same attatchment to any of the 2 camaros I have owned.

Crowley

[rez333]

Originally Posted by Crowley

One thing Ford has seemed to do better than GM (at least for the mustangs / camaros I have owned) is that when you sit in the mustang, you don't feel the weight of the car and in driving the car, you feel like you are a part of the car .. I have never felt that same attatchment to any of the 2 camaros I have owned.

Crowley

I agree. I felt that immediately on my test drive too. It was pure driving pleasure to feel part of the car.

Another thing too, is that I was gunning for the Z28 at first (not the regular SS), but to tell you the truth I didn't even know what a Z28 was before I found Camaro5 forums. When I see one of the older Z/28s I sort of shrug my shoulders.

My point being is that I think GM has marketed the Z/28 poorly. It's no big deal because you can find a regular ol truck with a "Z71" on it - everything has ZXX on it. The Shelby on the other hand has more cache to it, because it's got a big name attached to it, and it just gives me goosebumps saying it: "shelby shelby shelby" (rolls off the tongue like "Ferrari" or "Maserati"). The Z/28 sounds like "just" another Chevy Camaro - only a Camaro fan would really know the difference.

Put it this way: when you tell someone what car you have, what do you say? You say "Camaro SS" or "Camaro Z/28"; you don't say "Chevy Camaro" right? When you have a GT500, you say "Shelby GT500".

[Mr Twisty]

blahblahblah



grats

[Mindz]

Originally Posted by rez333

what car is that?? It's a great compliment though. No matter how much they try it won't be a real one, and anyone owning such a car will always want the real thing.

I believe they've done the same thing with the Camaro too right?

That's a supra that high school students built becuase of Fast and the Furious tokyo Drift...

[Revo1]

But really, congrats on the car- glad you landed on a musclecar that you love. Just don't know about all that midget-truck jazz

Make sure to POST PICS !

[SK360]

Sounds like your wife keeps your balls on the mantle.

Nice pickup tho!

[ffrcobra_65]

Congrats. I think the Shelby GT500 is an awesome car, no matter what year. But why did you order the car now but you can't have it home til Jan 2011 even though it could/will be produced in a few weeks? I am assuming the dealer is only willing to store it for months for you because you intend the pay it in full when it arrives, correct? I mean, there won't be any shortage of it (regardless of options/configuration) in Jan2011 when you are "alowed" to take it home.

[rez333]

Originally Posted by ffrcobra_65

Congrats. I think the Shelby GT500 is an awesome car, no matter what year. But why did you order the car now but you can't have it home til Jan 2011 even though it could/will be produced in a few weeks? I am assuming the dealer is only willing to store it for months for you because you intend the pay it in full when it arrives, correct? I mean, there won't be any shortage of it (regardless of options/configuration) in Jan2011 when you are "alowed" to take it home.

Ford will cease order-taking for the car in August 2010 (last deliveries are in October). My dealer, one of the very few dealers in my city authorized to order SVT products have 3 allotments left for the year, so I am ordering now to take one of the last 3.

However, they know my situation so they will delay actual production as late as possible with an estimated delivery time in late Sep. They don't mind me filling out the paperwork in October. They will allow me a 180 day no payment plan so I will only have to start paying in April 2011.

The other option is to buy a 2012 which I can order as early as Feb 2011. But that means I will only get the car late April or May at the earliest. I doubt it though. It will take some time to ramp up production, fulfill backorders etc. so I will likely only be able to receive a 2012 car in June at the earliest. So since I've already waited so long for the car, I'd rather get the 2011 and drive it as soon as the snow melts rather than wait for June.

I almost missed my opportunity, it was only by chance that I called them up with a few more questions. I had assumed I would still be able to order an SVT product in Jan 2011, which was my original plan. But then they told me that the window for ordering the 2011 closes in a month, so I had to make a quick decision about it.

And far from my wife having my balls in a vice, it's quite the opposite compared with other married folks. No other married guy I know has a wife who would allow them to own a car "just for fun". Most of my peers are in a "practical mode" and will only contemplate purchases that directly benefit the family.

[Michael_Js]

Congrats! I think it's a great car and the only Mustang I would ever consider!

Good luck!