“Identity Crisis” but a Happy Article by The Atlantic: A Classic American Car Is Having an Identity Crisis

[Rt1AWD]

why this is a mustang

and this is not

 

[Screwtape]

Do you consider the Mustang IIs to be real Mustang? What about 4-cylinder turbos? Or the hatchback Fox Body Mustangs?

I'll point out that Bill Ford, huge Mustang collector, gave his blessing to call the Mach-E a Mustang. Had he not, they would've called it something else.

The Mustang is a sports car, some iterations have fallen short of the mark for various reasons but have mostly stayed true to a certain formula but at least they all have two doors, a rear drive platform, and are a CAR.

The opinion of Bill Ford, I don’t know anybody outside of the FoMoCo corporate structure that cares about it.

 

[MacherAWD]

An older generation would say if it's not a P51D it's not a mustang, even older would say if it ain't a horse it ain't a mustang. I say, "do people still call rwd ice mustangs? I thought they needed 4drs, optional AWD and a battery, else it's not a mustang.

 

[MacherAWD]

AI seems mixed also, here is Bard's take:

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a battery-electric SUV that was first released in 2020. It is the first all-electric vehicle from Ford, and it is based on the Mustang nameplate. However, the Mach-E is not a traditional Mustang, as it is a crossover SUV rather than a sports car.

Some people believe that the Mach-E is not a true Mustang because it is not a sports car. Others believe that the Mach-E is a good representation of the Mustang nameplate, as it is a powerful and stylish vehicle. Ultimately, whether or not the Mach-E is a real Mustang is a matter of opinion.

Here are some reasons why some people believe that the Mach-E is not a real Mustang:

It is not a sports car. The Mustang has always been a sports car, and the Mach-E is an SUV.
It does not have the same performance as a traditional Mustang. The Mach-E is not as fast or as agile as a Mustang GT.
It does not have the same styling as a traditional Mustang. The Mach-E is a crossover SUV, and it does not have the same sleek, sporty look of a traditional Mustang.
Here are some reasons why some people believe that the Mach-E is a real Mustang:

It is a powerful and stylish vehicle. The Mach-E is a powerful electric SUV, and it has a stylish design.
It is based on the Mustang nameplate. The Mach-E is based on the Mustang nameplate, and it shares some of the same features as a traditional Mustang.
It is a good representation of the Mustang nameplate. The Mach-E is a good representation of the Mustang nameplate, as it is a powerful and stylish vehicle.
Ultimately, whether or not the Mach-E is a real Mustang is a matter of opinion. There are valid arguments on both sides of the issue.

 

[devmach-e]

The Mustang is a sports car, some iterations have fallen short of the mark for various reasons but have mostly stayed true to a certain formula but at least they all have two doors, a rear drive platform, and are a CAR.

The opinion of Bill Ford, I don’t know anybody outside of the FoMoCo corporate structure that cares about it.

So your only objection seems to be that the car has 4-doors? It's still a RWD car to begin with. It still has killer acceleration and handling. It even has a hatch-back like the Fox-Body Mustangs. But the fact that it has 4-doors is a weird hill to die on.

I'll say it again: Ford makes the car. Ford decides to get what the car is named. Not a bunch of aging enthusiasts who can't let go of the past. If you are okay with an '81 Mustang II being called a Mustang, then you can be okay with this iteration of the Mustang.

 

[Screwtape]

So, let me ask. Would you consider the 1981 Mustang a real Mustang with it's 120 horsepower?

Well, it’s a two door, rear wheel, sports coupe. Ultra low hp was an unfortunate result of the gas crisis and malaise era automotive production. It was a Mustang, a bad one.

 

[devmach-e]

AI seems mixed also, here is Bard's take:

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a battery-electric SUV that was first released in 2020. It is the first all-electric vehicle from Ford, and it is based on the Mustang nameplate. However, the Mach-E is not a traditional Mustang, as it is a crossover SUV rather than a sports car.

Some people believe that the Mach-E is not a true Mustang because it is not a sports car. Others believe that the Mach-E is a good representation of the Mustang nameplate, as it is a powerful and stylish vehicle. Ultimately, whether or not the Mach-E is a real Mustang is a matter of opinion.

Here are some reasons why some people believe that the Mach-E is not a real Mustang:

It is not a sports car. The Mustang has always been a sports car, and the Mach-E is an SUV.
It does not have the same performance as a traditional Mustang. The Mach-E is not as fast or as agile as a Mustang GT.
It does not have the same styling as a traditional Mustang. The Mach-E is a crossover SUV, and it does not have the same sleek, sporty look of a traditional Mustang.
Here are some reasons why some people believe that the Mach-E is a real Mustang:

It is a powerful and stylish vehicle. The Mach-E is a powerful electric SUV, and it has a stylish design.
It is based on the Mustang nameplate. The Mach-E is based on the Mustang nameplate, and it shares some of the same features as a traditional Mustang.
It is a good representation of the Mustang nameplate. The Mach-E is a good representation of the Mustang nameplate, as it is a powerful and stylish vehicle.
Ultimately, whether or not the Mach-E is a real Mustang is a matter of opinion. There are valid arguments on both sides of the issue.

So, was that generated by an AI?

 

[MacherAWD]

So, was that generated by an AI?

Yes, that is Google Bard's response to is it a mustang

 

[nvabill]

Ok, I say the Mach E is a Mustang in name and it can be argued it is indeed a real Mustang. But, with that said please explain to me why the current ICE Mustang is a gen 6 and Ford says the upcoming 2024 is the gen 7. Where exactly does that put the Mach E. Link to Ford press release for your reading pleasure.

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2022/09/14/2024-ford-mustang-reveal.html

 

[Screwtape]

I'll say it again: Ford makes the car. Ford decides to get what the car is named. Not a bunch of aging enthusiasts who can't let go of the past.

Okay, that is your opinion. Most people who care of such things will disagree though.

The Mustang as a sports coupe will remain the Mustang the world knows long into our future. The MachE will always be the MachE.

If you tell someone you drive a Mustang, they will never picture an electric SUV, I promise you. THAT is what makes a mustang. Culture, zeitgeist, romance, American automotive heritage (the stuff of global legend), that’s what decides a Mustang, not a team of marketing execs who are beholden to shareholders alone.

 

[nvabill]

Per Ford Motor Company, 7 generations of Mustangs, no mention of Mach E. I’m not saying Mach E not a real Mustang but where does this leave it?

 

[nvabill]

So your only objection seems to be that the car has 4-doors? It's still a RWD car to begin with. It still has killer acceleration and handling. It even has a hatch-back like the Fox-Body Mustangs. But the fact that it has 4-doors is a weird hill to die on.

I'll say it again: Ford makes the car. Ford decides to get what the car is named. Not a bunch of aging enthusiasts who can't let go of the past. If you are okay with an '81 Mustang II being called a Mustang, then you can be okay with this iteration of the Mustang.

I’m not saying you are wrong as it is definitely called a Mustang. But, why doesn’t Ford classify it as a generation, this is confusing to me.

 

[devmach-e]

Okay, that is your opinion. Most people who care of such things will disagree though.

Those people don't make the decision of what a car is called. That's up to the manufacturer. Plain and simple. You can disagree with Ford's decision, and a vocal minority have, but the rest of the auto enthusiast world has moved on. The sales numbers don't lie. Were it not for the Mach-E sales boosting overall Mustang sales numbers, the Mustang would be an also-ran behind the Camaro. Or the Charger.

The Mustang as a sports coupe will remain the Mustang the world knows long into our future. The MachE will always be the MachE.

If you tell someone you drive a Mustang, they will never picture an electric SUV, I promise you. THAT is what makes a mustang. Culture, zeitgeist, romance, American automotive heritage (the stuff of global legend), that’s what decides a Mustang, not a team of marketing execs who are beholden to shareholders alone.

They may not envision the Mach-E as a Mustang right now. But they will in 5 years time. Just as people not believing Mustang IIs or Fox Body Mustangs weren't true Mustangs now accept them as Mustang.

Before you decide that the Mach-E isn't deserving of the name, try driving one. It blows the doors off of most Mustangs on the road. Better handling, better acceleration, better in a lot of other ways.

 

[devmach-e]

I’m not saying you are wrong as it is definitely called a Mustang. But, why doesn’t Ford classify it as a generation, this is confusing to me.

Well, they did tweet this out Thanksgiving 2021:


I can't speak to why they don't consider it a new generation. You'll have to ask them that.

 

[nvabill]

Well, they did tweet this out Thanksgiving 2021:


I can't speak to why they don't consider a new generation. You'll have to ask them that.

Like I said it is indeed a Mustang because Ford gave it the name. But, there does appear to be an asterisk there as it didn’t qualify for the generation. In my opinion there is credence to both sides of the argument, real/not real.

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