Mini Mustang GT review on "The Truth About Cars"

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/09/mustang-embargo-done/#more-913850

So. What do you want to know about the Mustang?

A collection of PCOTY Mustang impressions can be found on the R&T site as of an hour ago. To what I’ve written there, I’ll add the following: This Mustang is a step beyond its competition into the bigger world of RWD performance sedans like the 3-Series BMW and its competitors. No, it’s not as space-efficient as something like an Infiniti Q50, but it offers a significant power advantage over those cars at an equally significant price savings.

On a fast back road, the Mustang really comes alive. It works with you everywhere you need it to. Even the brakes are better than they used to be — although if you really want to track the thing you’ll want to invest some of that price differential into a set of real six-piston stoppers. It’s a winner in every sense of the term. The wait is over, and it’s justified.

Kool beans! :clap2:

JohnZiraldo said:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/09/mustang-embargo-done/#more-913850

On a fast back road, the Mustang really comes alive. It works with you everywhere you need it to. Even the brakes are better than they used to be — although if you really want to track the thing you’ll want to invest some of that price differential into a set of real six-piston stoppers. It’s a winner in every sense of the term. The wait is over, and it’s justified.

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Actually, the GT PP baruth was driving does have real six piston calipers from Brembo.

MustangSteve said:

Actually, the GT PP baruth was driving does have real six piston calipers from Brembo.

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I think he means "real" as in, actually good. Most BREMBOs (4 or 6 piston) fitted as OEM parts re not anywhere in the league of aftermarket BBK offerings.

They look the part though.

"This Mustang is a step beyond its competition into the bigger world of RWD performance sedans like the 3-Series BMW and its competitors."

Well now, I am relieved to hear that he thinks good things about the car. He seems to be a straight shooter when it comes to reviews.

Yeah, I like Baruth's reviews. He is a straight shooter and doesn't lose sight of the fact that we are not driving high value vehicles everyday like most reviewers. He can still relate and give us that tactile feel I appreciate in a review.

jeebuspwnz said:

I think he means "real" as in, actually good. Most BREMBOs (4 or 6 piston) fitted as OEM parts re not anywhere in the league of aftermarket BBK offerings.

They look the part though.

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So what you're saying is that OEM brembo brake package that come on Porsches and Ferrari and set braking records are not as good as the aftermarket once. I guess im gonna take the six pots off my car and replace them with some "real" brakes !

stangt911 said:

So what you're saying is that OEM brembo brake package that come on Porsches and Ferrari and set braking records are not as good as the aftermarket once. I guess im gonna take the six pots off my car and replace them with some "real" brakes !

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Do you mean the ones that are an $8,000+ option on top of the standard offerings? Or do you mean the standard brakes that are still probably worth a 1/3 the price of a mustang.

Hardly an apple to apples comparison.

Yea, I'm sure most mild track day guys would be fine with SS lines, pads, fluid swap, per the norm.

Brakes - they always seem to be weak link in sports coupes (see: BMW). On the track test drives they had to come into the pits after all of 1 hot lap - why? so that reviewers would not be whining about cooked brakes. Thanks Brembo and Ford for the total fail. Remind us - what are people paying you the additional $2k+ for the PP again? :thumbdown:

I would not call Baruth's comments that straightforward here. "This Mustang is a step beyond its competition into the bigger world of RWD performance sedans like the 3-Series BMW and its competitors." Whoopee, it's better than other pony cars - hardly a high bar since they are pretty crappy relative to the Euro competition. "Stepping into the bigger world" does not necessarily mean equivalence let alone superiority - this is the kind of ambiguous writing you expect in any run of the mill first-drive review. Baruth was a lot franker when he was working solely for TTAC.

Man Idk how you can extract such a negative review out of his positive review...

Devon said:

Brakes - they always seem to be weak link in sports coupes (see: BMW). On the track test drives they had to come into the pits after all of 1 hot lap - why? so that reviewers would not be whining about cooked brakes. Thanks Brembo and Ford for the total fail. Remind us - what are people paying you the additional $2k+ for the PP again? :thumbdown:

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It's been my impression that the issue w/ brake fade as it plagues production cars in track testing has more to do w/ cooling air flow around the brake rotors rather than some deficiency of the brakes themselves. I've found that rather than dither around w/ constantly trying to fit larger and more expensive brakes to my '01 Cobra for track use, a set of brake cooling ducts , slotted rotors and upgraded pads actually made the biggest difference in terms of fighting brake fade and warped rotors and allowed me to stay on track longer w/ the stock diameter rotors and single pot calipers. Manufacturers fit continually larger brakes to cars so they can get great first shot / panic braking performance and to that end apparently the '15 GT w/ PP pulled a 60-0 braking number that was within EIGHT FEET of the C7 Corvette which weighs almost 600lbs less!

The reality is that open tracking a production vehicle is kind of an extreme proposition that apparently falls outside of the typical design ethos even for the modern sports coupe. That's not particularly surprising given the vast majority of these cars are never gonna see a race track and may ever only occasionally see a spirited drive on a twisty back road. Over engineering a car to cater to the 1% of us who do that sort of thing would just add even more unnecessary than the track pack which is a pretty good start on that sort of thing anyways. If you're gonna use a car in a more extreme manner as this you just gotta be prepared to do a little of your own prep work.

The problem with most of these OEM Brembo setups are the pads. They choose pads for low noise and long wear. Put a set of proper track pads on them (and some good fluid) and they completely transform the braking and hold up just fine on a track.

williamwally said:

Yea, I'm sure most mild track day guys would be fine with SS lines, pads, fluid swap, per the norm.

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Bingo