[Mr 5 0]

Good points from all, especially KiltedBanshees93GT (Jorge) who recognizes the very distinct difference between the Chevy-Ford rivalry and the domestic-import rivalry. Let's face it: a stock Chevy Camaro V-8 and a stock Ford Mustang V-8 are really two styles of the same basic car. Same size, weight, engine configuaration and technology - with a host of modifications available that can make either one a 10, 11 or 12 second car with the right parts. Even faster if you want it.

The imports, mostly Japanese, (hence the slang label of 'ricer') are basically the same (in stock form) 4 cylinder econocars that have been heavily modified and almost always turbocharged and/or nitroused to the max to perform at the same level as an American V-8. That's fine and in the tradition of 'hotrodding' that began when California tinkerers started playing around with primitive Ford flathead V-8's in the 1930's and '40's and transplanting early Caddy and Oldsmobile OHV V-8's into old Chevys and Fords in the early 1950's.

The big difference is that we are seeing a revolution in 'hot-rodding' that has the folks that want speed now going into (mostly) foreign econocars to modify while the good old American 'muscle car' is often looked at by the young guys coming into driving age as a 'relic' and a 'throw-back' to their father's era. Not that the Mustang isn't a performer anymore and can't be modified to run with any foreign 'ricer', (nitrous is available to Mustang V-8's, too) but it's no longer the automatic choice of the young guy or gal that wants to run 12's all day.

I agree that the 'Fast and Furious' movies probably have fueled the craze for imports running ridiculous wings, wheels and paint jobs with little to back up the 'racer' look but a fartcan exhaust. Apparently, 'Gone in 60 Seconds' didn't do as much for the Mustang. Of course, there are more than a few Mustang 5.0's on the street with little more than Flowmasters, a wing, 18" wheels and a huge tach on the dash, too and many of the late-model 'Stangs we see around are basically stock, so the game is played by both sides but the big difference is that the near-stock Honda Civic (equipped with a fartcan, a big wing and oversized wheels and tires) is running 17's in the quarter-mile and the near-stock Mustang V-8 is running 14's - and sometimes better if it's got a few mods (or is a late-model Cobra).

I can't quite agree with those that say: "a car is a car" and think that 'it doesn't matter as long as it's fast'. We all choose our cars carefully and those who pick the Mustang (or Camaro) are making a statement of sorts: American car, V-8 power, muscle-car history, etc. Those that choose a foreign car as their performance vehicle are making a different statement and much of it is simply following-the-herd mentality, in my view. Yes, I know that American cars are partially built in Canada and elsewhere and Japanese cars are built mostly in America but it's the perception that counts - and no one thinks of a Honda or Toyota as 'American' - but a Mustang is nothing but 'American' to most folks. I can agree that in a drag race it's the lowest et that counts and foreign four-bangers can run fast, as we all know. I respect that, even if it's not my choice of vehicle. I also respect that a Mustang V-8 is still the Gold Standard that a majority of 'ricers' want to beat, which is telling. For my money, I still prefer the heavier and sometimes less technically sophisticated but very 'American' Mustang V-8, 5.0 or 4.6 (well, mostly 5.0 - to be honest about it) but I understand that in a revolution, even a revolution where no one gets hurt, things change and the 'Stang (and/or Camaro) is no longer the automatically dominant car on the streets these days and that punk kid with a silly-looking Corolla or Civic making farting sounds as he revs it at the light may actually be driving a 12-second machine that can take any near-stock Mustang V-8. That's reality - sometimes.

I hate that - but I also accept that the field has changed and turboed, nitroused foreign four-bangers are probably here to stay on the street racing scene while the Mustangs, Camaros and other American V-8 cars are diminishing somewhat, but will never go away entirely, I'm certain. I still personally prefer a Mustang V-8 any day and probably always will but the days of Chevy vs Ford and other domestic rivalry battles are a less-dominant part of the fast car scene in 2004 and a new day is here. The Mustang V-8 can deal with the imports and will prevail into the future, I'm sure, but while many of us won't ever look at a four-cylinder import as a 'real' performance car - a lot of folks can - and will - and that, whether we like it or not, is the reality, today.