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Essay _ Hey, a Father Can Dream

Cornog, Evan

2006

Overview

Muscle cars were pony cars (a generic term derived from the Mustang and applied to its many imitators, like the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Charger) into which large V-8 engines were dropped, like teen- boy manna from heaven. They were best for pulling up next to another hot car at a stoplight and drag-racing down innocent suburban streets. Preferably straight streets, since the muscle cars' suspensions were often taxed by turns. All of which has, oddly, brought me back to the world of car magazines. The proximate cause was the new Ford Mustang in particular, the announcement last year that Ford would be bringing out a new Mustang muscle car, the Shelby GT500, this summer. The Shelby comes from Carroll Shelby, who helped hot up some of the great Fords of the 1960s. The car is beautiful, and wicked fast 0- 60 in about 4.5 seconds, with a top speed limited electronically to 150 mph. So I've been reading all about the new Mustang. This is not hard to do the July issues of Road & Track, Car and Driver, and Motor Trend all feature tests of the new GT500, and all three (in spite of some quibbles) give the car a rave. Road & Track calls it an \"instant classic,\" Car and Driver says it gives \"the best bang for your buck\" for four-seat performance cars, and Motor Trend concludes, \"The greatest Mustang ever? No question.\"

• Publisher: Newhouse News Service