Its relative, but the operating phrase for any hot rodder is "I can go faster cheaper", thats one of the biggest reasons the fox 5.0 made it so big. Fast cheap fun. Way back in 87 what was a GT 15 or 16,000? it had 225 HP and 300 Ft/Lbs. of torque and weighed 3100 lbs versus an IROC which was a coupla thousand more and had 245 hp with what 350 ft/Lbs of torque and weighed about 100 to 200 pounds more. Then there was the vette, same 245 hp and weighed about the same as a stang. Sure it handled better and was marginally faster, but for about twice the price.
Thats a recipe for success and it works for imports just as well.
Okay you go out and buy a civic and it goes 16s or cracks the 15 second barrier. you've spent 18,000 dollars. In my neck of the woods a GT goes for 25 to 26,000 dollars. thats a 7,000 dollar deficit right there in the eyes of supa ricer. Wings and Wheels will suck up 4,000 of that (requisite items for the average ricer) that leaves 3,000 for mods, maybe some super-charging, an intake and some exhaust (or just an S/C and some exhaust). and I'm sure ricer has just upped his performance a notch past factory stang territory. doesn't have to be much a car length is all that is needed to get a rep.
So what happens. A whole generation of people are lured away by low price and easy speed (worked for the mustang all those years ago). Then after a while. When the Mustang has lost its sales value, it either is morphed into something the establishment feels can be a seller with profit or is shelved until the nameplate can be slapped on something else (FWD Mustang anybody)that will supposedly gain value due to the Mustang "heritage" (e.g; FWD Impala or FWD Nova
)