S550 Body Style Opinions

I am a Mopar guy, until the S550 arrived I never considered a Mustang but the styling of the S550 knocked my socks off. When it came time for a new daily driver in 15 the S550 Ecoboost fit the bill perfectly. I was happy enough that I bought another Ecoboost in 17.

Bald Menace said:

I own a 2018 GT, this is my 4th Mustang and 4th Ford I've ever owned. My first three were 2011-2013 Mustang GT's and i really liked the styling and the cars in general. frankly i couldn't stand the S550 2015 refresh and ended up buying a 2016 Scat Pack Challenger instead of a Mustang. the only thing that reeled me back in and caused me to buy the 2018 GT was the performance and the 10 speed transmission. fast is fun but it just isn't enough. I much prefer the 2013-2014 S1977's and am seriously looking for just the right one and then i will probably dump my 2018 after 1 year.

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Huge fan of the Challenger, they did that well.

Let me put it this way: after three years of ownership, I still find myself just walking around my S550 while having a beer, taking in the shape under my shop lighting.

That never happened anywhere near as much with the other Mustangs that have been in the same building.

The 2011 body was the first Mustang style I really liked since the Fox. I didn't really like the 2015+ body for quite a while, but bought it for features such as IRS, HID, etc. I always thought the rear was good, but the front has a catfish look IMO. The body style is growing on me over time, however.

As Millhouse pointed out, the Mustang was originally modeled after European styling, and that's the way I always expected it to be.

This is all personal taste, of course, but to me, the Fox bodies weren't very muscle-car-like, and were more European, and it wasn't until the S197s that they started looking more like the early '70s Mustangs again.

I liked the SN95 styling, and I think with a slight rear fender flare or something, they could still look pretty current. I also liked the S550 styling when it first came out, but the nose just looked a little too blunt to me, largely because of the long, flat hood. That's what I really like about the '18 styling - the nose is much sleeker looking to me. Also, the tail is a little low, so for me, the '18 PP1 wing elevates that visually, and I think it balances out the car a little better.

I've had an 88, 91, 94, 95, 00 and now the 17. I remember when the S550 was first unveiled I was a little skeptical. Definitely thought that they just gave up and quit designing it when they got to the rear of the car. After I started seeing them in person though, I fell in love. Don't like any of the factory spoiler options, so I'm correcting that with a MMD series V on Monday. Aside from that, I really hope they don't do anything too radical to it for the time being. Not even a big fan of the 18 refresh. Prior to this the SN95's were my favorite, as they were way ahead of their time compared to what else was on the street back in 94.

the S550 is a nice balance of retro and modern styling. I have owned a S197, 2 actually and did love that body style. I do think the current is superior, modern and had great lines.

Challenger is way too fat for my tastes. An 85-90% size & weight one would be a good thing. I fell in love with the S550 styling when I first saw the car in July of '13. I knew then that'd I'd own one, and less than two years later, I did.

My phone's home screen is a pic of my car. Strangers tell me at random that it's a great looking car. When my brother in law first saw it he said, "Wow, looks like a muscle car." Yeah, best looking car I've ever owned.

Even standing still, they look fast, I think Ford really nailed it on this body style.

I love my 2017. I'll admit that when I first saw the front end when it was unveiled I hated it. I thought the headlights were far too small and didn't line up properly with the grill, and I though the whole front end seemed too chunky.

Then I started seeing them in person, and that's when I started to really appreciate it. While the whole car is basically a love letter to 1960s Mustangs, it does feel very modern at the same time. It makes me appreciate just how hard it is to keep reinventing a car that's been in continuous production for over 50 years now and find that balance between honoring its roots, reflecting current tastes, and making sure it doesn't look dated in the future. It seems almost impossible when I think about it, yet here in my driveway is proof that it not only can be done, but almost perfected. I think the S550 will occupy a similar spot in everyone's hearts as the first generation given time.

People tend to forget that the original Mustangs, and muscle cars in general, weren't exactly high water marks in terms of how they were screwed together. We may lament some of the plastic pieces in our S550s, or weird panel gaps, or chintzy paint, but if you walk around an original example from the 60s you'll find many of the same issues, if not worse. My Mustang is put together better than most of the cars we idolize.

My 2016 is my 7th Mustang. I have had and 85 notch, 88 hatch, 99 coupe, 02 Vert, 06 coupe and 12 coupe. While yes the fox bodies do not carry much in the way of classic mustang DNA the 85-86 4 eyed foxes will layaways hold a special place in my heart, as it was my first Mustang. I would have had a SN95, but I believed as salesman when he told me there would not be a convertible. so from 93 -99 I strayed from Ford and the Mustang. When I first saw the new edge design I almost instantly fell in love with he design. It took a while for the tail lights to grow on me. Next to the current tail lights I think the 13-14 and 96 taillight are some of the best designs around. Truth be told I like the 13-14 one the best. To prove it IO have a aftermarket taillights that are styled after them on My 02. When I say the S550 I fell in love with the design especially the fast back. I had intended to get a fast back when I bought my 16. I though the verts reminder me too much of a Beemer from the side, but fate intervened and I got a vet and have been enjoying it. The redesign is growing on me I still have an issue with the lower half of the bumper.

I love the retro styling of the Challengers, Camaros, and S197 Mustangs. LOVE IT!!!

But on the flip side, I'm kinda getting sick of it. I was ready for something new.

I think it's great that Ford made the move 1st to start moving away from the retro styling.

To me, the S550 has always had a similar feel as the 1969 mustangs. both look, low, and mean. Add a few modern touches and there you have it.

After owning a '78 Mustang, I never really considered owning another Mustang. I only bought the '78 in 1986 because it was cheap, and I needed a car. But when I saw the S550 for the first time, my eyes nearly popped out of my head! It just looked so different from anything else and I immediately loved it (which is very rare for me). I can see the cues taken from the early Mustangs, but to me, it's such a departure from most of the models that it could've been named something different and not labeled a Mustang. To me, not only did they hit it out of the park with the S550, they hit it out of the state the park is in.