What is the S550?

[Mustang Convert]

To me, muscle car and pony car are terms that were relevant in the 60s and 70s, not so much today. Grand Tourer connotes expensive two-door Bentleys or V12 Ferraris, not ~$30,000 domestic vehicles.

I think of it as a performance-oriented coupe.

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[OppoLock]

if yall really want to know what it is....and what ford calls it. this is exactly what it says on the window sticker

what say ye? lol

4 passenger sports car right on the sticker!

And the Germans call their four door cars coupes, and their SUVs "sports activity vehicles" or "sports activity coupes."

 

[Khyber]

so what? lol... end of the day it's a mustang gt, v6, or ecoboost

 

[MagneticA]

GT
1. is a performance or luxury automobile capable of high speed or spirited long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement.
2. a high-speed, two-door model of a four-door sedan.
3. a high-performance luxury sports car with a hard fixed roof, designed for covering long distances

Muscle Cars
1. are a product of the American car maker between late 60's and the oil crisis in the 70's. Those car featured enormous gas hungry engines producing over 500 horse power. Handling was poor but price was cheap and design was aggressive.
2. a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving

Sports Car
1. generally it is used to refer to a low to ground, light weight vehicle with a powerful engine.
2. a small, usually two seater, two door automobile designed for spirited performance and nimble handling.
3. engineered to go around corners and straight lines as fast as possible. They are usually expensive, dangerous and so much fun that everybody wants one.

Pony Car
1. an American class of automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964.[1][2] The term describes an affordable, compact, highly styled car with a sporty or performance-oriented image.


...as taken from some various "definitions"

 

[OppoLock]

GT
1. is a performance or luxury automobile capable of high speed or spirited long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement.
2. a high-speed, two-door model of a four-door sedan.
3. a high-performance luxury sports car with a hard fixed roof, designed for covering long distances

Muscle Cars
1. are a product of the American car maker between late 60's and the oil crisis in the 70's. Those car featured enormous gas hungry engines producing over 500 horse power. Handling was poor but price was cheap and design was aggressive.
2. a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving

Sports Car
1. generally it is used to refer to a low to ground, light weight vehicle with a powerful engine.
2. a small, usually two seater, two door automobile designed for spirited performance and nimble handling.
3. engineered to go around corners and straight lines as fast as possible. They are usually expensive, dangerous and so much fun that everybody wants one.

Pony Car
1. an American class of automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964.[1][2] The term describes an affordable, compact, highly styled car with a sporty or performance-oriented image.


...as taken from some various "definitions"

I like those summaries. Then you have complimentary labels, like sports coupe, sports sedan, hot hatch, track car/track toy, supercar, hypercar, and exotic. Some are category labels and others can be umbrella terms.

A lot of it is subjective and changes with time and advancements in standards and technology (rising performance bars, chassis ride tech making previously stiff vehicles more useful with each successor), but other stuff is traditionally categorical.

Take the current 3-Series. A base 328i, running on standard kit, would pass for an "entry level performance sedan." A 435i coupe shares the same chassis with some hotted up powertrains and running gear, and it's basically a "sports coupe." An M4 is based on the same car, but it's essentially a faster version of a "sports coupe," often called a "sports car," and boasts some "super car" beating numbers in certain categories. And then you have limited run models, like the old E92 M3 GTS; it was stripped of its rear seats and a lot of creature comforts, had some beefed up internals and running gear, and that's essentially a "sports car" or "track toy" depending on who you ask.

It's easy to keep certain things categorical while using all of the niche labels as descriptors.

 

[oilfieldtrash]

I think my ecoboost would be best suited for long cross country trips. My car gets great mpg, has the 18" wheels, and has a soft ride. Now if you got a base gt with pp you're probably looking at more of a muscle car.

 

[DarkSubRosa]

100% NOT a sports car by definition. I've owned a sports car and this isn't one. Pony car yes. GT ... ehhh sorta. Muscle car, never has been one.

 

[cush]

I have to say WOW to this thread! It seems like too many folks are way too opinionated and excitable here! Too many folks think their definition is the only one possible, and don't give me that Webster's BS either, it fits your want, so you use it like it's absolute fact.... There is no absolute fact in this case... but I'm sure someone will refute me on that as well.

 

[DarkSubRosa]

There's nothing wrong with it not being a sports car. It doesn't make it any less fun or any less of anything. Some people will loosely call it a muscle car or loosely call it a sports car, but when you want a factual definition amongst actual enthusiasts or professional industry people, it's going to be called a Pony car.

 

[Alloye]

GT. Mine even says so right on the trunk lid.

 

[Ecoboosted]

According to the window sticker it calls the Mustang a 4-seater sports car.

 

[Rhys]

Kind of obvious what kind of car it is with that big pony on the grille!

 

[OppoLock]

According to the window sticker it calls the Mustang a 4-seater sports car.

Does this look like a coupe to you? The window sticker says it is.

Aston Martin calls their Rapide "every bit a sports car" despite it being absolutely titanic. It's a huge sedan that looks nice and goes like stink; a sports sedan or GT at best.

Point being, your OEM will call their sporty car a sports car whenever they can, because it sounds good to your potential buyer. And I wouldn't doubt a lot of people here want to think the Mustang is a sports car because they think it feels sporty. Just driving a real one would have you knowing the difference.

 

[10splaya22]

no need to be rude


i guess my county is wrong then because it says sports 2dr coupe on the registration then >_>

people will call it whatever they want... it's a sports car, muscle car, pony whatever. it doesn't matter any way... it's still a car.

i'll call it a sports car and apparently 31 other people do too currently in the poll...where sports car is winning by 14 peoeple currently lol

31 people that are misinformed like you. And I wouldn't trust anyone in your county government to know how to properly inflate their tires...I definitely don't trust them to classify your car correctly. But they aren't far off. I would call a Mustang a sports coupe which is different from a sports car (like a 370z, Corvette, Cayman, F-Type). There is no way you can say the Mustang is in the same class with those cars.

But yes you are right its whatever people want to call it. Doesn't mean it's right.

 

[10splaya22]

Point being, your OEM will call their sporty car a sports car whenever they can, because it sounds good to your potential buyer. And I wouldn't doubt a lot of people here want to think the Mustang is a sports car because they think it feels sporty. Just driving a real one would have you knowing the difference.

+1. Exactly. If its sells them 200 more cars they will call it whatever they want.

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