I think the only thing the new and old 5.0s have in common is displacment and badging. I just skimmed the article in this months Muscle Mustangs about it but couldn't find any worthwhile information. All in all though, this isn't old reliable, this is wolf in sheeps clothing if you will.

well, i was referring to the e46 m3. they have tons of issues... the most major being the subframe cracking, vanos issues, smg issues, etc...

Depends on what you're looking for. I've had modded fox bodies, a 97 and 99 Cobra and an 05 Mustang GT with upgrades. If you want straight line power take the Mustang. If you want a combination of power and handling take the Z. I haven't been sorry. I've had it almost a year now with no regrets. I also looked at the Camaro before I bought the Z, and laughed at the salesman. The interior is a joke. Prior to the Z I was a Ford fan. Still am but the Z has my attention now.

For what a GT 500 costs it shouldn't have a solid rear axle, thats been the drawback for the mustang for years and ford seems to think that throwing more power into the car will make up for it. IMO the mustang should have independant rear suspension at this point in the game.

The Mustang preforms just fine with the solid rear axle, Mustang owner don't seem to complain much. Also if I remember correctly the 2010 Mustang GT out handled the Challenger and Camaro. People seem pretty quick to jump on the Mustangs solid axle, but hey if it ain't broke don't fix it. If Ford wanted an IRS on the thing I'm sure they would of put in on. I have a feeling that theres a reason it doesn't have one, other than cost.

Well curb weight might have something to do with that since the challenger is about 500lbs and the camaro is about 300lbs over what the mustang weights. Thats alot of extra weight to throw around. Out of the three I personally like the mustang the best for a alot of reasons, I just think a IRS would do alot of good for the car and feel its a drawback on the currrent platform when compared to the Z and other cars. For the coin a GT 500 should have IRS though, especially with that much power. But to each his own.

Tough Choice
 

I have always liked Mustangs since my first '66 in '67. They have changed a bunch especially with the '05-'10. The new 2011 5.0 should be a winner in that the weight will not go up but a few pounds( hopefully) and will have 412 HP. One poster mentioned the nemesis of a totally new engine and that is a valid concern. Look at some of the issues though minor with the 3.7 engine. I would think that Ford or any manufacturer would really watch quality with the current Toyota issue. I too, am interested in the potential of the new 5.0and it has me waiting till the 5.0 is out to decide. I recently drove a 370 and was impressed with the speed and handling. I have talked with many who know cars and have been told that the Mustang will never have the steering feel of the Z however, it can be made to handle as well or better with a few grand. I talked to a national champ in Auto X who drives Mustangs and Cameros. He has driven the Mustang against good drivers in the 370Z and has beat the times of the 370. However, he says that the feel of the 370 is better and you have to know the Mustang to get great times. Again, being a great driver is important in whatever you drive. As many have said here, it depends on what you want. Mustangs are easier and cheaper to mod then the Z and about 50% of those who buy the Mustang mod them. You almost have to mod them to be an individual because they are so common. The Z impressed me very much with a drive and it is a great car. It was very easy to drive and run through the gears. It pulled hard up high but it is noiser then the Mustang on the road but a whole lot of fun. The Mustang will have more grunt especially with 412 HP and 390 TQ but will never have the feel and controlled handling of the 370. The 5.0 is said to have even better handling and be much quicker then the 4.6. Can a Mustang stay with a Z? Sure but not with the same feel. Mustangs can be made to handle much better then stock and have a not bad feel but not llike a Z. Again, They are different cars and have different attributes. I would say to drive both and buy whichever one puts the biggest grin on your face.

Old Chuck- I can only hope the 5.0 will have very few issues like the 3.7. The reason for my concern with that is, Ford hasn't had a slam dunk in new engine reliability lately, speaking of the diesel engines though. I came from a 6.0 Powerstroke which had nothing but issues, as with a large majority of them. The 6.4s which replaced them had just as many issues. Granted these engines were designed by Navistar (International). I'm just extremely hesitant about a new engine offered by FoMoCo. You are totally right though with everything you said in your post!

the 2011 mustang is the return of the ford 5.0litre v8!

Fullmonty
 

I agree about the Ford diesel issues. I was a big fan of the 7.3 but after that, it has been a disappointment. Given that the 5.0 is new from the pan up and only a few bolts are common between it and the 4.6, could lead to buyer's issues. It will be interesting to see what the engine does as they hit the market and get thousands of miles on them. I am sure we will see some comparisons between the new 5.0 Mustang and the 370Z in a couple of months. They were close with the 4.6 so may be interesting to see how both stock cars compare. The new 5.0 is said to have better handling with stiffer bars and sticky summer tires but the stock shocks have always left much to be desired. Anyway, will be interesting to see if the competition helps both cars in years to come...The Z is hard to beat for the price. Not a Cayman but for the price, it shines....

outhandling a challenger or camaro is not exactly something to brag about :ugh2:

and if not for ford's cheapness, then for what purpose does the solid axle continue? maybe it offers great handling! maybe ford discovered something gm, chrysler, bmw, vw, audi, porsche, ferrari, lamborghini, renault, peaugot, fiat, honda, acura, hyundai, kia, nissan, infiniti, toyota, lexus, aston martin, maserati, bugatti, mercedes, jaguar, bentley, rolls royce haven't discovered yet! :stirthepot:

Really? How many times are you going to post this BS in every Mustang thread?
It is because Mustang owners wanted it, Ford asked in 2004 before the new retro style started what they wanted, and guess what the people wanted? Yes, IRS will do better in the corners, but Mustang owners like having the solid rear axle.

so highly modded mustangs can run faster than stock 370z? is this supposed to mean anything?

i believe it's actually a completely new engine design. other than displacement size, nothing from the older engine has "returned"

the mustang is a muscle car built more for generating lots of power and accelerating quickly. the 370z is a sports car built more for track speeds and swift cornering ability. completely different classes. completely different performance targets, and even different target demographics.

the 370z is actually faster than the cayman. only the cayman s (preferably with pdk) that outruns the z.