I've often posted (with a fair amount of justification) about the number of young people I've seen tragically hurt or killed in V8-powered Mustangs over the years, particularly in GT, Mach1, Boss, SVT, Shelby, and Cobra models. Also, as a group, they probably the most aggressive drivers I have come across in a single make or model of vehicle, although those in BMW Ms and 3-series come close. (some of the most aggressive BMW drivers I've seen are on the new jersey Turnpike). But, even though there are definite and unmistakable patterns, I don't believe in stereotypes per se, and that does not mean that there aren't any sensible Mustang or 3-series drivers, even in V8 models....there are indeed.

Today, as I pulled out on the main road in front of my condo-development, I got quite a surprise. I didn't have my cell-phone camera with me, or I would have tried to get a reasonably shot of it under safe conditions, but there was a recent Mustang (a GT, I think, but I wasn't sure.........you can tell the 2015-and-later models by the very low-stance and slanted-out triple-taillights). An older guy was driving it, in the right lane....couldn't guess his age for sure, but clearly not a young adult. It was painted the classic aggressive Arrest-Me-Black, and had a sticker on the rear end....."I FOLLOW THE SPEED LIMIT".

And......guess what? He was following the posted speed limit....he nailed a perfect posted-35 MPH, until I turned off on another road to my destination and lost sight of him.

There's some hope for the world yet....and for Mustang insurance premiums.

 

And for every one of these drivers, there's 10 of these...... Today around Chitown.... The dashcam footage wasn't pretty.

 

Hey, no arguments there....at least from me. I've seen a lot of that for myself. Something about high-powered Mustangs, even more than with rivals Camaro and Challenger, just seems to just invite dumb things behind the wheel.

Here....this video captures at least some of it. Warning.....there are four-letter words in this video....hit the mute button if you don't want to hear them.

 

is that you clarifying how volume works?

 

That's how my own volume works. If I don't want to hear something, I simply mute it....which I also ended up doing in this case, after the first minute or two. It's just common courtesy here on Car Chat, that, when we post a video that has four-letter words, we let listeners know in advance. Or, sometimes we just use the term...NWS.

 

Oh man I really like these mustang crash compilations! They will never get old

 

I've seen some happen in real life....along with one involving a 90s-vintage Nissan 300ZX that almost took me and a friend of mine out as I was walking along the side of the road.

The problem, of course, is not the car, but the immaturity, carelessness, recklessness, and lack of driving-skill of those behind the wheel.

Of course, there are careful Mustang drivers as well. They tend to be older, have lower-powered V6 versions (some newer Mustangs even come with a turbo-4), or, in some cases, are simply careful teenagers like I was. I sampled several different American muscle-cars when I was in high-school.....in a sensible manner, that's all.

 

That video was great lol Whats hilarious is some of them are V6 Mustangs.

What I find amazing is people give these things to their kids to drive.

 

Ha. Never mind Mustangs. Parents, these days, are giving their kids BMW Ms to drive that cost two and three times what a typical Mustang does. In my part of the woods, you see it in high-income McLean/Great Falls, and, across the river in your area, in the Potomac/River-Road area.

 

To be fair, its both. A car like that is very difficult to drive in certain situations, especially when they are modified. The power routed totally to the rear can get the better of you as a driver quick. The only purpose of buying a car like that is to utilize that acceleration and that power, otherwise why would you buy one? Issue is young kids buy them and even older people who have a lot of experience driving, but don't have a lot of experience driving something like that.

EVERY one of those accidents is 100% because of loss of control due to the car's quick spinning RWD nature.

 

Oh sure, I had a friend in high school that had a 3 Series coupe (not an M3), I gave him 6 months before he totaled it, he surprised me and did it in 3. Rolled it into some guy's yard driving way too fast on a residential street shwoing off for 3 buddies in the car, all they said afterwards was that the CD never skipped lol.

Its not about the cost of the car, its about keeping kids safe. Kids should not be driving cars that lend themselves to behavior that could get them in trouble. They aren't mature enough to not show off the acceleration in their Mustang GT or the high speed handling of their M3 and without the skills necessary they have accidents...and a lot of them die. A car is just a thing that's insured, but you can't replace your kids lives or their futures.

 

Yep, if you aren't going to practice with it you will get bit when you try and push it.

I also agree it's pointless to get a powerful car and not use it, just buy a fusion or something if you aren't getting at least the base V8. That's one of the reasons I got an LS and not an ES after all.......I actually use the RWD and extra power vs a ES 300/330 and it has helped give me a very positive experience with the brand that will lead to a much newer car from them.

My issue now is picking, I am having issues between just replacing my LS with a much newer one optioned to the hilt, or keeping it and adding an LC500 or GSF alongside it. The GSF would be the highest performance and I would add forced induction but that would kinda be a regression in overall quality. A LC would be super high quality and finish while still being nice to drive but doest have too much room for improvement and would require another car since I would be adverse to using it every day.

Oh well, it's just money and all that.

 

Until recently, all but Cobra-Mustags came with a traditional live-rear-axle, which did not handle as well as an IRS, but, in general, was much tougher (which is why they are still used in work-trucks). Ford used a live-axle not only because it was simpler (and maybe cheaper) to produce, but because they knew that the kids driving these cars would do repeated burnouts. You can only do that so much with an IRS before things start to break or wear out....and these cars were under warranty for several years.

 

One must also keep in mind that, while the videos primarily show low-speed spinouts mostly from the idiotic use (or non-use) of one's right foot, too much torque, and the steering wheel, the real killers in Mustang crashes come mostly from drag-racing at higher speeds. Losing control and spinning at 30-40 MPH is one thing.....losing it at triple-digit speeds, on public roads, is quite another.

 

I would think many guy's that own a V-8 powered Mustang have alot more tread on the front tires than the rear.
In the rain that makes it very easy to spin out.