I agree with the original poster.

They are the new pony cars. They may not fit the definition of what you and I call a pony car, they are filling that place in the market along with the Civic and a few others.

I love Camaros... but the youth market can't afford them.

Please also remember that both Camaro and Mustang liberally borrowed from the econo-car parts bins.

 

That neon is very tempting. A dirt cheap car that can do 0 - 60 in 5.5 and the quarter mile in 13.9. Wow.

 

More simply:


(Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang) : 1960s-1980s :: (Focus SVT, Neon SRT-4) : 2000s

Cheap little fast cars based on cheap little slow cars.

 

You might hesitate to call them "pony cars," but as others have stated, that is exactly the hole they fill. And that isn't a bad thing. The way I see it, the more variety in performance cars, the better--especially at the lower end of the price spectrum. Really, the Mustang/Camaro market is a rung up the ladder, appealing to an older segment with more income.

RE: SVT Focus
The only SVT model you'll see new is the '06 Cobra (no Lightning or Focus). While a nice handler, I'll also attest to the SVT Focus being short on power.

 

Calling the Cobalt/Neon/Focus a "ponycar" is just as valid as calling the GTO a "ponycar".

 

Next gen SRT-4 wont be for a couple years. Focus SVT is done, but they have the new model which does produce as much as the SVT model did. Cobalt SS/Ion RedLine are essentially the same, but the RedLine has slower gearing and has been doing 14.9s @ 99.9mph according to quite a few magazine tests. The SS is supposed to have quicker gearing which will probably push it in to the mid-low 14s seeing as the RedLine is trapping that high.

 

The limits of FWD will catch up on these cars soon, but i agree the are the new bang for you buck cars.

 

Uh, yea... sure.

Cobalt/Neon/Focus may be the younger generation's version of the modern musclecar, however, they cannot and should not be called "ponycar".

The original ponycar was the Mustang. As long as the Mustang lives and breathes, to be called a ponycar, it must be Mustang-like in concept. By definition the new GTO fits all the criteria. (You knew I could resist saying that again. )

 

Not true. I remember looking at the 2000 figures a year or so back, and Ford sold over 100,000+ to the consumers. Hence why you see them on EVERY block.

They sold well, and will continue to sell well with or without Hertz. You must have it mistaken for the Taurus.

 

Mustangs sold more because they appealed to girls more than F-Bodies. Thats the MAJOR reason. Theres WAY more female Mustang drivers than there are female F-Body drivers.

 

So what happened to the 100,000 or so rental Mustangs througout the country? Did Ford recycle them for 2001?

 

Ummm, the GTO was NEVER a pony car. There is a clear diffrence between muscle and pony cars.

 

Any links? 14.9 is a good figure, agrees with what I've seen thus far. But 99.9 mph doesn't. Are you sure it isn't 93.9 or something like that? If that car trapped near 100 mph, it would be running low 14s.

 

As far as the Camaro and Mustang not being affordable to the young generation...I just have to ask have you looked at the prices for these hot rod economy cars?

SRT-4=21k(or is it 22?)
SS Cobalt=20k
Scion tC=22k for the supercharged version
If the hipo version of the Civic ever comes back it'll easily be low to mid 20s.

The Mustang GT is 25k with a better interior, a better platform, and better performance. That's pretty close price wise in my book at least close enough I don't think these things should be classified as the new "pony car".

Heck when you take into account the sport compacts that REALLY perform like the Evo and STi those things are more expensive than the Stang and the Camaro.

 

Cobalt's interior is much better.