There was a GREAT article in Mustang Times (rag of the MCA) by the president of the MCA. In that article, he cited several sources that showed recent trends in Muscle/ponycar buyers. Unlike before, age is HUGE with this market now.

I'd have to go home and scan the article (acces is for members only at website), but from a jagged memory, something like 60% of the muscular ponycars (like Mustang GT's, Mach 1, Cobras, and the like) are bought by folks over 55! The guy goes through the generations and the appeal for each, and how their buying habbits play into the economics of car buying.

As it turns out, baby-boomers drove the intial musclecar and ponycar markets in the sixties - they were in their 20's, had a little money, economy was alive, and the cars were right. Millions of Mustangs, Cougars, Camaros, Firebirds, Cudas, and the like were sold in just a few years. The next generation of kids (the Gen X crowd) was born during this same musclecar era. 18-22 years later, these kids do it again, Mustang 5.0's, Irocs, Daytonas, etc. Ironically, their moms and dads that owned an original '66 Mustang decided to not only show their '66, but buy a new one to tool around in (since the '66 is concours restored now) - adding even more demand in the segment. We are now seeing TRIPLE generation influx into the SAME MARKET. The internet generation is now at driving/wage-earning age and are buying V6 Mustangs and GT's, their mom and dad are restoring the '86 Fox body 5.0 for show duty, and buying a new Mach 1 to drive, and even grandma and grandpa are retiring the '66 from show duty and buying Mach 1's and Bullitt cars. It does make sense.

I'll say this much, at the last show I was in, EVERYONE around my car was in their 50s to mid 70's, and I was surrounded by a '96 mystic Cobra, a 2004 Mach 1, a '93 teal Cobra, and a '68 Convertible. I see FAR more gray-heads driving mach 1s and Cobras than I would have ever thought. But heck, I hope I am one of those "cool old farts" too in a few more decades!

My point is, I think OEM's need to keep the basic cars appealing to everyone from 16 up, but have no problem including the more affluential and senior buyers in the top-line models like Cobras or (new) Z/28s that may demand a buyers premium ($35k or up).
Just don't start [i]gouging[i/] because you think they are all old and wealthy... VALUE is still a priority to any ponycar. Z06, Viper, or GT - well the sky's the limit there.

Around here, I see more 40-somethings in CTS, LS, and 300 cars, and see more gray-heads in Mustangs and Camaros. a "second" mid-life crisis I suppose!

 

Well you're right on the prices. The '04 is $34300 with rebate and Lightning is $32K. But we all know the GTO was until a month or 2 ago a $38K car. So yes today, the GTO is an affordable option. With no trunk. Small back seats or no usable trunk is a wash in my book. The Cobra will smoke the GTO six ways to Sunday for about the same price. And of course, you conveniently leave out the '05 stang GT, which is going to outrun a GTO with no compromises in utility or chassis refinement for about $7K less.

PLEASE stop with the 3800 FWD stuff as a viable performance option. It's not. I don't care whether Ford ever has an answer to the question that no one is asking.

Trailblazer SS .... Hmmm what's that gonna be? Based on the Silverado SS experience I would say a stock 5.3 with striping package. MEANWHILE, Ford is mulling a SC Expedition with the current Lightning motor.

As far as the DC quality, it's better to get the car out there and steal the market and worry about the loose ends afterwards. GM or Ford have no answer for the 300C and Magnum. This is why I never buy first year models anyway.

 

Ummm....I like the new 2005 Mustang GT, but its going to have its hands full with the 2004 350 HP GTO, to say nothing of the 2005 400 HP GTO.

Can't say anything for sure, as the 05 GT isn't here yet, nor is the 05 GTO....but I wouldn't be making the sort of statements in your post.

 

Well of course I'm counting the chickens based on "reports" heard around the web that the 300hp is grossly underrated and driving impressions by testers who say it pulls at least as hard as the current Mach1.

If the GT comes in at only 300hp and is modestly faster than the current GT, well then there's going to be a boatload of ex-Ford fans looking for something else.

 

Isn't the current Mach 1 rated at 305hp? So it stands to reason that it would pull about as hard as the Mach 1

 

Which is about 20hp underrated. They dyno from 270-280 at the rear wheels which figures out to about 320-330 flywheel. All is well and good if Ford continues its latest run of underrating hp in the Cobra, Lightning, and Mach1.

Supposedly, '05 mules are dynoing ~290rwhp at Roush and such.

 

Sounds reasonable, Ford has been underrating their higher hp cars a lot, especially since that whole 99 Cobra scandal. Plus, look at how much good press GM got for the underrated LS1s