mmarshall

With all due respect, I don't agree with that argument. One does not have to drive high-powered cars, even those with RWD V8s, in an overly-aggressive or dangerous manner. Power can (and should) be used wisely, with safety always being paramount. I've driven many high-powerd cars in my lifetime...remember, I went to high school with some of the most powerful American muscle-cars of the late 1960s. Yes, I had some fun here and here, but never in an irresponsible or overly-dangerous manner....and, unlike some of my classmates, I lived to tell about it. More recently, I've reviewed cars, like the supercharged Jaguar XKR and Mercedes E63 AMG, that pushed close to 500 HP and had equivalent levels of torque....some of them published here in Car Chat. And I haven't wrecked one yet.

The most recent Mustangs have anything BUT an ancient suspension. In fact, the road manners of the Boss 302 Mustang of just a few years ago, before it was dropped, was compared to the BMW M3...a halo car for enthusiasts for many years. The Boss 302 name, of course, was a retro-designation that was first used in the late 1960s, and brought back several years ago.

Stroock639

well if there's anything we know about the sort of person who buys a high powered mustang, it's that they value restraint above all else

you don't have to stuff your face at an all you can eat buffet, but it's not exactly an atmosphere that favors moderation. you don't go to one because you're in the mood for a garden salad, just like you don't buy a V8 mustang because you love taking it easy. of course you don't HAVE to drive a mustang hard, but isn't that sort of the point?

also only the very most recent generation has independent suspension. as much as ford may have optimized the design, there's inherent flaws with a solid axle, as mr. farah explains here at 4:03

mmarshall

Driving hard, under the proper circumstances, doesn't have to be dangerous. You simply don't do it in heavy traffic, around schools or hospitals, around construction zones, around blind corners, or any other place where common sense tells you to slow down.

Of course a solid axle affects ride/handling and can cause axle-hop....that has been known for a hundred years. But a solid axle is also durable....which is why it is also seen in most pickups and heavy-duty SUVs designed for hard work. Ford persisted with solid-axle Mustangs for decades for a reason....and not just simplicity and lower cost, because a RWD solid axle uses a lot of cast iron. Ford knew ta the solid axle would stand up to the abuse that many Mustang owners give it doing high-RPM clutch-drops, brake-torquing, and burnouts on Friday and Saturday nights.