Question of the Day: Which Pony Car is Your Favorite?
The flurry of pony car spy shots has the WINDING ROAD staff discussing all things Camaro, Mustang, and Challenger today. We’re willing to bet any of the aforementioned cars will be a hoot to drive, but there’s probably only room for one in your personal fleet. Which pony car would you choose based on the pre-production rumors and speculation? Let us know in comments.
Comments
Reilly
Mustang.
Son of a Beach
If the G8 is an accurate gauge, then the Camaro should be the best of the three.
Bryce
Until Ford updates the Mustang with better engines (like the 3.5 liter for the V6 and a 5 liter version of the new Boss engine) I would have to say the Camaro
Zelman
Mustang. There's a reason it's the only pony car that hasn't died. And the Camaro wouldn't be so retro-inspired if the current Mustang wasn't. Yes, it has a smaller engine, but it's doing what it was intended to do: be a low-cost and fun car.
phd_engineer
One of each please.
Pete
Mustang. I also want to see the Boss engine and not a supercharger.
Jonathan Fung
After watching Transformers, it has to be the Camaro.
fstst56
Without a doubt it would have to be the Challenger. It looks like a Challenger. Ford did a good job with the Mustang too. I had a 67 Camaro when I was a teenager and am greatly disappointed in the new Camaro. It doesn't look like anything. Lutz could have done much better.
SAAB95JD
Mustang. Cheap, upgradeable, Cheap, Cheap, Cheap
Son of a Beach
The fact that the Camaro doesn't strive to be a carbon copy is a plus, not a minus. If we expand out choices I would have to say that the Audi R8 is the best muscle car available.
Rusty2007
Mustang is my favorite -
1. any moron with 5 grand can get 500 horsepower out of one.
2. and of course they come with these new "disc brakes" you hear the kids talk about
3. Solid rear axle - easy gear swaps and sideways hoon action!
4. No jersey shore / revere.lynn.saugus jokes ;)
5. Anything else is just a copy. MOPAR has always been an also ran, and well if you like FORDS...you'd never, ever consider a Camaro!
Son of a Beach
There's a reason they call them Fix Or Repair Daily.
JPos
Mustang, Its the original and still the best! Boss 5.0 N.A. would be cool!
Steven T
None of the entries represent a serious attempt to recapture the spirit of the original pony cars. This new generation is too big, fat and expensive.
I'm disappointed that once again each of the Big Three played the "me too" game of copying its rivals.
Kennethm3
1969 Pontiac Trans Am Convertible, white with blue stripes, red line bias ply tires, white vinyl interior. I'd switch it out for a Pontiac 455 Tri-power motor and an automatic transmission. 8 Track mandatory!
Jack Maxwell
Mustang,Challenger and Camaro- in that order.
I want to see all of them in a new Trans Am series. Real pony cars like the original T/A, not tube frame cars with funny car plastic body work.
Dave
Tough choice. I'm a Mustang fan so I would naturally gravitate toward that. But I must admit that the Challenger and Camaro are very impressive in the prelim specs.
GM has been on a tear of late, so of the three, I'd say the odds favor the General over the Challenger and the refreshed Mustang.
It all depends on content. Not so much raw HP, as they have the means to generate plenty. But GM, with the 'vette motors in their hip pocket, have a proven NA engine - that has shown to get impressive mileage on the road.
Rumors are strong on the net that the Challenger and Camaro will have an IRS. Unknown what Ford has in mind. Good suspension, drivetrain, interior, driveability, and reasonable mileage will define the best.
I believe all three will do fine, but the short term winner is the design that sends the bean counters on a cross country trip in a Yugo. Following a Pinto. With an Audi 5000 close behind. ;)
Scott
71 Dodge Challenger, definately
But I did see that concept up close at the Vancouver Auto Show last year, pretty good for a "retro" car, certainly better than the new mini....ugh
VII
Sad to say, the new Mustang seems to be the best all around effort of the group, as it is pulls off the pairing of old and new seamlessly without looking awkward. The Challenger is close behind though. The new spy shots make me think it should actually come out quite intact (for the most part) in production trim...maybe not even too plastic-ed up. I absolutely LOVE Camaros...incidentally this is why I never really too much enjoyed how they styled the new car. It's not very...Camaro. It's way too...GM...and that's bad. Real bad. Seeing as how they can't seem to do too much right nowadays (other than the Vette and I guess the new CTS). That crazy future styling is ok for the Caddies, but not appropriate for something that's supposed to be a tribute to the past. I actually preferred Bumblebee (in the transformers movie) in his "rustic" Z28 form...
VII
P.S. : Oh, and you can't trust GM to not give every each and one of their cars a go-go-power wheels plastic interior (the newest spy shots confirm this)...especially the ones that matter the most (CORVETTE!!). I mean the new ZL1 is awesome and all, everything is pretty much on point; exterior, suspension, monster engine, braking system...but only diehard Vette fans are going to want it because the interior is just SOOOOOO parts bin. So grey...so plastic. So unappreciative of the consumer. You're not going to win over new customers with cruddy half assed jobs like what GM is accustomed to settling with. Oh well...Toyota will be on top in a couple years and it's not like it'll be a surprise...there's plenty other problems with the general...
Jeff
New? Camaro. Used? Firebird. About a '92 with an LS2 swapped in.
JohnZ
Mustang!
I say that not because of the technical specs of any of the cars, and if I were to look carefully at those, I would likely find that Camero leads the Mustang in several ways. But that's not the point.
For me, it's not about me and my pony car. It's about the community and the context in which I enjoy my pony. For Mustang that is a huge community, and the current Mustang is designed to serve that community of Mustang clubs and enthusiasts.
Ford and the Mustang serves that community very well, and has done so continuously for almost 45 years. Any new Mustang should be evaluated within that context, and the Camaro and Challenger have nothing to match that spec.
Garfield134
Mustang!
The Stig
As much as I dislike Fords, I have to say I'm impressed with the current Mustang. For overall package, it can't be beat. And anyone who complains about its lack of IRS, just pony up (no pun intended) a couple thou more for the Roush suspension. That'll change your mind quick. Of course I'd like to see some big improvements in 2010 to keep it competitive with the newcomers.
I like the Challenger, but the specs tell me it may be a boat. Camaro I could take or leave - closer to leave judging by yesterdays shots of the interior.
Jaymez
Mustangs are the only pony cars. Challengers and Camaros are Muscle Cars. At this point, I'm picking the Silverado SS.
Joel Ulsh
Mustang!!! Find another car in it's price range that is as much fun. It's not just about big V-8's, try out a V-6! The only car on the road that everyone knows by just looking at it!
jsharnik
After reading the 2008 Consumer Reports reliabilty evaluations of new Ford/GM/Chrysler cars, why choose a pretender? Get a Mustang.
Richard Scroggs
Great. More Boomer nostalgia, except in car form. Let me spell this out, the 60's weren't THAT cool. The Beatles were over-rated, the Stones stole their entire act from poor black people, JFK, when not schtupping actresses, nearly got us all vaporized, and pony and muscle cars were poorly built and cornered like cows on skates.
The only "muscle" car that interests me is the Evo X.
Chris W
Dan Gurney drove a Cougar for a while, I think that's my favorite. The Mustang is a close second. :)
Jim S.
New Trans Am if it happens. Other wise the Camaro
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