Lightning and Thunder

Still Crazy After All These Years: Volkswagen Beetle

2010-02-27T22:24:00.000-08:00

I was watching NBA All Star a few weeks back. In the slam dunk contest, between dunks when there's not much happening, the camera would show celebrities who were present at the arena. As the camera panned around, for a second I thought I saw someone but couldn't tell for sure. After a few minutes his face reappeared on the screen and this time the commentator verified his identity, Paul Simon was in the building!

I remember way back in the day when I was 6 years old, my dad used to play Paul Simon songs with his guitar and I loved to sit around and listen to him sing. There was his collection of Simon & Garfunkel tapes, along with Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary neatly arranged on a waist high piece of shelf he made himself out of plywood. And even though he would play and sing a lot of different songs, those few that stuck in my mind were of Paul Simon.

Volkswagen Beetle, just like the one we had

Back in those days we lived in a small apartment on the eleventh floor of a complex building in the big city and we had a Volkswagen Beetle. It was white, sounded like a grumpy old tank and had red leather worn-out seats. The coolest thing about it was that the engine was located in the trunk, and the trunk was actually under the hood. And boy, did that impress my friends! I was the only kid on the block whose dad owned a rear-engine car.

Adding to my popularity was the rumor that my dad would actually let me drive the car occasionally. This rumor (which I'm sure you can guess where it came from), got around for some time and became more solid, with new details being added every day. Within a few weeks it was a known fact that I would drive my dad's car any time I liked and I could drive it in such high speeds that it was even faster than the cops.

The Beetle had a 1.3 L four cylinder engine in the rear

They say If you repeat a lie long enough, it becomes the truth. And of course the wild imagination of a 7 year old needs little repeating. One weekend my dad was out of town on business, my mom busy talking on the phone and my little sister playing in her room. It was my golden opportunity. I knew my dad kept the car keys in the top drawer of his work desk, and so I picked the keys, told my mom I was going out to play football and off I went.

By then I knew how to start the car and how to shift gears (my dad had showed me once with the car running idle in the parking lot). I got in, closed the door, turned the key and it started, already it was a triumph. I turned on the cassette player, Simon and Garfunkel were singing Mrs. Robinson.

Although it was called a sedan, it had only two doors

I had to sit on the very edge of the seat to reach the pedals and so I pressed the clutch with my left foot as far as I could (which wasn't far enough) and engaged reverse, the gearbox made a loud angry sound but accepted the shift, I started to back up slowly. everything was going good and my confidence was building up, I turned the wheel and the car gently came out of its parking space, I couldn't turn to look back so I just hoped there was nothing in my way.

I heard a thud from the back and the car shook ever so slightly, it wasn't too loud or too hard so I thought nothing of it. It was time to get out of the parking lot and into the street. I pressed the clutch and shifted into 1st gear, slowly pushed down the gas, expecting the car to start moving forward but nothing happened, car was standing still. I pressed on the gas once more, engine got louder, yet the car wasn't moving.

Then I realized something was wrong and my heart started pounding, I didn't know what to do. I pulled the handbrake and got out to inspect the surroundings, I looked at the back and there it was, the rear bumper was stuck behind a tree, how did that happen I had no idea, the car was stuck, I couldn't back up, I couldn't go forward, and I had to do something quick because sooner or later one of the neighbors would see me and that would be disasterous.

I have no idea how I got those rear bumpers stuck behind a tree

I was scared and on the verge of tears, you see, even though I knew my dad would never beat me. I knew he would get very very very angry and he was known to yell so loud it was heard six blocks away and he would punch walls and break stuff, no one could stop him when he was mad, not even my mom.

After five minutes of standing still fighting back tears I decided the only thing I could do was to press the gas all the way down and break away from the tree, the worst case was that the rear bumper would detach completely but maybe I could screw it in place so that no one would know. So I got in the car, engaged first gear and floored the gas. It must have taken only one or two seconds, but it felt like a long time, as the car vibrated violently trying to break free, the engine was roaring and smell of burned tire filled the air.

Finally, the car jerked forward and broke away, I braked hard, turned off the engine and jumped out to see what had happened. Rear bumper was still attached to the body but it was crooked. And I had no idea how to fix it. The only way for me was to put the car back exactly where it'd been and pretend nothing's ever happened. So I did.

And all this time, Paul Simon was playing his music.

The trunk was located under the hood!

My dad came back and saw the car, he asked about the bumper, I shrugged innocently and said I had no idea. He got a bit upset but that was it. Years later when I confessed what had happened that day, he told me he knew all along. A few months later in the summer I asked him to teach me how to drive and he did. He would drive to a deserted road out of city, let me take the wheel in the driver seat and we would just drive around at cruising speed as I happily changed as many gears as I could. I was on top of the world.

When I think back about that summer and my driving adventures, there's always one image that dominates everything else. It's me and my dad in our white Volkswagen Beetle, windows all the way down, warm wind blowing our hair as we drive down a country road with Paul Simon singing his songs. I couldn't figure out the meaning of those songs then, they talked about lamp posts, troubled water and sound of silence, but I knew I liked them.

Eventually my dad sold the beetle and bought another car, and another car after that. Yet the white Beetle remains my childhood car. The first car I ever drove and the first car I ever crashed.

W7SP3TP4FFY4

Best used car for $10,000

2010-02-24T11:22:00.000-08:00

An email found its way to my inbox a few days ago from a reader who had read my blog and wanted to buy a car. His question was: "What is the best used car for 10 thousand bucks?" So, I decided to investigate this matter. I set a few ground rules, spent a weekend searching through used car websites and visited three dealerships in my area. The answer, when I found it, was surprisingly simple.

Ground Rules

The car has to cost $10,000 or less
Car should be in a "clean" condition, both mechanically and physically.
Car shouldn't have more than 50,000 miles on it.

Online Research
With the set of rules in my arsenal, I started going through websites with used car listings. Most of these sites act as an inbetween to connect the seller and buyer and would then take a sale commission upon a successful deal. There are two types of online sellers, an individual or a dealer. As I learned, there are pros and cons for both types.

Individual seller. This type of listing comes from a person who wants to sell his/her car. The price is usually cheaper compared to a dealers because the individual doesn't have to pay for overhead and you will be dealing with someone who is not trained to empty your wallet. However, if the car has any hidden problems that come to your attention after the purchase, there's usually no way to get the seller to pay for repair.
Dealer. this type of listing originates from a dealer, someone who runs a dealership and uses internet to attract more buyers. Price will be higher, and unless you're a very good negotiator, chances of getting a sweet deal are zero to none. On the other hand, if the car shows any issues afterwords, you can always go back and either with words or with fists make them to fix your car.

The car I picked has good ratings at Cars.com

After a few hours of online headache, I was forming a good idea of a few makes and models to shortlist. On one occasion I called a dealer in New Jersey to get a quote for one of their vehicles, the price she gave me on the phone was several thousand more than the price on the website, when I told her about the much lower price they had online she replied "Oh that's just for advertisement!"

So beware, this is a dirty tactic that some dealers use, they advertise a low price online to lure the buyer in, then use their sweet-talk techniques to collect more.

Under Cover in the field
My next step was to go under cover as a potential buyer and navigate the tricky waters of used car dealerships. There are 5 dealerships in my area and all of them sell both used and new. Of these five, two have bad reputation, one is new and two are known to be reasonably fair. I decided to start with the new one.

The profile of a winner, wouldn't you agree?

I parked my car two blocks away and walked to the dealership, at the lot I was greeted by a young man who was very polite and asked what make and model I was interested in, I told him I wanted a clean used car with no more than 50K miles on it. He offered a few suggestion but most of them were out of my budget, I then asked for a specific make and model that I knew from my online research I could afford. They had only one and I took it for a test drive. The car seemed fine and I couldn't find any problems, when we got back I asked about the price and he said it was $11,500. If I was to buy the car I could probably shave off 700 bucks in negotiation. So that would make it almost within our budget.

I visited two other dealerships and verified what I had learned about the car and the price.

So what is the best car for 10 grand?
In my humble opinion, at the time of this writing, the best car you can buy for $10,000 is a 2007 Mazda Mazda3 i. Bar none.

Attractive design with a touch of athleticism

It looks good, has a sporty feel, interior is very well laid out and of acceptable quality. It has a relatively powerful 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine with 148 horsepower and as I found out is very fun to drive. There is no contest really. A slam dunk verdict.

Your thoughts?

Mystery Deal in New York

2010-02-20T07:33:00.000-08:00

Can you tell which car this grill belongs to?

I got a text from an old friend who is a very successful lawyer in Manhattan, we go back to middle school and we both share a passion for sports cars. He wanted me to go down to New York to consult him on buying his new car. This process happens many times through out a year because he is very rich and because he gets bored with his cars after two weeks. So I called him and said I was coming, mind you, he didn't tell me what make or model he had his eyes set upon, so I was in no way prepared for the shock that was followed.

Anticipation
I arrived at 12 pm on a Saturday afternoon and we went straight to the dealership. A big grin appeared on my face when I saw the sign that said "Manhattan Aston Martin". I've never driven an Aston before and I just couldn't wait to get behind the wheel. We parked in the dealership's parking lot and he told me to stay, I said why, he answered "you'll see". He disappeared inside and was back within 5 minutes with another guy, his name was Mr. Lanigan and happened to be an assistant manager with the dealership. With Mr. Lanigan giving us directions, we drove to another place that as it turned out was their warehouse where they keep their fleet of cars.

I wasn't allowed to take a close up shot of the warehouse

I was thinking to myself, okay, we're gonna get the Aston here, probably because they didn't have one at the showroom. We all got out of the car and Mr. Lanigan said he would be right back and went in. After a few minutes I heard the sound of an engine coming to life from the inside, it was the sound of a big one, probably an 8 cylinder or maybe a 12. The sound got louder as the car was coming out, David said "you're gonna love this" and then I saw her.

The Shock
A Bentley Continental GT coupe, with a twin-turbo W12 engine! A huge car. Think a small luxury yacht and you wouldn't be far from the truth. One has to be physically standing where I was to fully appreciate its size.

Bentley Continental GT Coupe

So Mr. Lanigan stopped the engine and got out, I was trying my best not to show that I've never seen a Bentley up close, it was time for the test drive and apparently my friend's reputation with these people was very high because they would let him drive away with a very expensive car unsupervised.

The Drive
As I found out later, David had already test drove the car so he climbed into the passenger seat and I got into the driver seat. My first impression was as if I had entered a Boeing 747 cockpit, there are so many controls and all of them are of highest quality materials and everything is wrapped in hand-stitched Italian leather.

The interior makes you feel like a million dollars

I first adjusted my seat, then pushed the button and the engine started, purring like a sleepy tiger. Inside the cabin was very quiet, perhaps too quiet because after all, I didn't mind hearing more of that exhaust note which comes from a 6 liter W12 engine.

Engine Start/Stop button plus some other controls you may never use

I was a bit nervous as I turned the corner into a busy street, this car was worth (I was just guessing at the time) about $180,000 and one scratch would cost me a few thousand bucks, so I drove very carefully as we went around the block a few times.

One of the best-designed shift levers in a luxury sport car

Now this car is very heavy and it feels heavy, as impressive as the brakes were in stopping this 5,200 pounds monster, I could still feel the heaviness when I pressed hard on the brakes.

Sexy hips with a tattoo showing the distinctive Bentley wings

There was not enough road for a full acceleration, speed or braking test but I managed to floor the throttle at one occasion and man! The engine gave out an angry roar and sent 600 horsepower to the four tires, what a sensation! For a moment I felt like the car might take off in the air like an airplane.

The Experience
We got back to the warehouse, David took the wheel and I drove his now-lowly Jaguar, we dropped off Mr. Lanigan at the dealership and went back home. Later I learned that it was a 2008 model with 7,000 miles on it, she sure looked brand new when I was driving, but perhaps I was too excited to inspect the details.

6 liter twin-turbo W12 engine. 602 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque

As I am writing this review three weeks after I hold the wheel of a Bentley Continental, I can sum up my experience in a few words: Brute force and head-crushing power wrapped in extreme luxury.

Remember that grill? It helps the monster breathe

I will wait a few weeks for my friend to get bored with his Bentley and borrow the car to do a full test drive. Until then, let us rejoice in the fact that sometimes, even filthy-rich lawyers aren't rich enough to afford a brand new Bentley!

Zorro has a new ride: Nissan 370Z

2010-02-17T03:15:00.000-08:00

Nissan 370Z

In an attempt to find inspiration to write a review for this blog, last Sunday I rented a 2009 Shining black Nissan 370Z for one day. I had checked with the rental office two days before to make sure they have the car ready, and they did. I arrived at 9 am and after some paperwork which went smoothly I got in the car.

Interior
The first thing I noticed when I first sat in the drivers seat was the quality and the overall feel of the interior, very richly done, it's way beyond the call of duty for a car that costs $34,660. The controls have a chunky sporty design which works well with the rest of the layout.

Center Console, Engine Start/Stop, CD/Radio and A/C

The wheel, in my limited experience, is one of the best wheels for a sports car, not too slim and not too fat, it's just the right size to make you feel in complete control, it's also detailed in hand stitched leather.

Oil Temperature, Battery Voltage and a Digital Clock

The bucket seats have a reasonably good lateral support, although not enough when cornering in high speed. Center console is laid out okay, but the controls for the navigation screen aren't the most user friendly, I'm sure it needs more time to get used to but for one day, I couldn't get the hang of them and had to pull over and give it my undivided attention.

Engine
What can I say! Awesome power and acceleration. I had picked out a stretch of road before and was hoping it would be empty on a Sunday morning and luckily it was, first I drove once to make sure there weren't any cops lying in ambush, then returned and came to a stop.

3.7 liter V6 motor producing 332 horsepower

I Put the gear in one, and floored the gas, Tornado (the name I gave her) lunged forward with great force, I had to change gear into second before hitting 60 mph, and the gearshift vibrated a little after 5,500 rpm, nevertheless, she cleared 60 mph in what I thought was 5 seconds, on the second run however I used the stopwatch and it was 5.2 seconds.

9:25 am at the rental company parking lot

For a coupe with a V6 engine, it's an impressive time, to give you a comparison, a Mustang GT with a V8 engine goes from 0 to 60 in 5.3 seconds.

Exterior
The only thing I didn't like about this car was her fat butt, it doesn't go very well with the sporty image that she's trying to get across.

Is it only me or do you think her ass is too fat?

The head lights and front grill have a mean "get out of my way or I'll chew off your ass" look that works well and of course the best feature of the car is her profile: built for speed.

Price
The Nissan official website has the price of a base 370Z at $29,990. My car had the Sport and Touring packages which would up the price to $34,430, comparing this to other V6 coupes, you'll find that it's on the expensive side, a Hyundai Genesis Coupe with a 306 hp V6 costs $30,375 and the feature set is somewhat the same.

Interior is stylish and luxurious with leather and faux suede upholstery

Final Word
It's 3 in the afternoon and time for me to return my Tornado, I had a very pleasant day driving around with this car and even though I'm not a big fan of Japanese imports (I prefer American muscle) I was duly impressed with the performance of the VHR engine (VHR stands for Very High Revving) and with the top quality materials used in the cabin.

Zorro was here!

So if you like your women with big butts, like them to be fast and handle with precision, I'd say this car may be the right choice for you, as I'm sure Zorro would approve seeing that he's already left his signature on the wheel.

The world is not enough: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

2010-02-12T06:58:00.000-08:00

2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

You sit in the sport bucket seat, buckle up the seatbelt as tight as possible, set the Magnetic Ride Control dial to Sport. Give the gas pedal a few nudges, engage first gear and floor the accelerator. You feel like you've been punched in the chest and stomach by an invisible giant.Your heart starts pounding and adrenaline pumps in your veins.
The needle sweeps past 60 mph in 3.4 seconds before you even think about shifting into 2nd gear. You remind yourself to breath as you keep the pedal all the way down and change into 2nd... 90 mph... 3rd gear... 115 mph... needle is at 6500 rpm redline as the quarter mile flashes by in 11 seconds at 131 mph.

Inside the cabin, not much is different from the Z06

If there is enough road left and if you are brave enough to keep it floored, you can reach 205 mph top speed. I haven't had that experience myself but talking to a few drivers who have achieved that speed in a ZR1, they say it feels like everything outside is a blur, and it doesn't feel real, almost as if you're in a movie.

ZR1 unique feature, You can see the top of the engine through the hood

Finally, there is an American car that can actually challenge European exotics like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche. At least performance wise, while the interior is still very basic, even after spending an additional $10,000 for the luxury package which includes hand-stitched leather, full-power/memory seats and a Bose navigation/audio system. That being said, this is a true performance car, it won't give you an expensive luxury feel, what it can and will give you though, is acceleration, speed and handling beyond anything you've experienced before.

Engine On/Off button and Selective Ride Dial

GM gave this monster a 6.2 liter V8 engine that with the help of a supercharger, produces 638 horsepower and 604 pound feet of torque. The car weighs in at 3350 lbs which would result in 5.2 pounds of weight per one horse power. Comparing that to a Lamborghini Gallardo (priced at $219,800) with 5.5 pounds of weight per one horsepower and a Ferrari F430 (priced at $187,925) with 6.6 pounds of weight per one horsepower, it's obvious the ZR1 has them both beat in power per weight ratio and of course in price.

6.2 L Supercharged V8 motor. 638 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque

The Chevrolet official website has the price for a base Corvette ZR1 at $109,130. It's certainly a lot of money to pay for a car. With that money you can buy a BMW M6 (priced at $102,350) or a Porsche 911 Cabriolet (priced at $106,100) and if you're looking for an everyday car with rich interior, good behavior and gentle manners perhaps you would be better off with one of those. But if you have the blood of a true rider in your veins and if you consider yourself a warrior, the Corvette ZR1 is the perfect ride for you.

True Cost of Ownership

2010-02-10T01:43:00.000-08:00

You're driving by a dealership and you spot that hot new car shining under the lights. You take a closer look and it's love at first sight. The price tag says $28,000. You start mental calculations and decide you can afford it. Sounds very simple, right?

Wrong!

Owning a car has many hidden costs that even thought not substantial, would add up over time. Let's examine our case study, A 2010 Ford Mustang GT (priced at $28,395) For the first year of owning the car, you will have to pay for

Insurance, Of course this depends on many factors, such as where you live, your driving history, your credit history and so on, but for our study, we'll just take the one year average which is $2,000
Maintenance, Scheduled maintenance recommended by the factory at periodic mileage and/or calendar intervals. For one year it would be $61
Fuel, Based on a 15,000 miles per year average, it would add up to $2,000
Taxes and Fees, This consists of the base sales taxes, license and registration fees. These taxes and fees are often based on a percentage of the purchase price, and generally decrease as the vehicle ages and loses its value. For our Mustang these would be $2,400
Depreciation, This is the amount by which the value of a vehicle declines from its purchase price to its resale value. Assuming the vehicle will be in "clean" condition and be driven 15,000 miles per year, this would be $2,600

The total cost of ownership of a 2010 Ford Mustang GT for one year amounts to $9,061. Which would be $755 per month. Something to think about when buying a new car.

Dodge Challenger

2010-02-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

Pros: Powerful engine, athletic handling, comfortable cabin

Cons: Too big, too heavy, not a very communicative steering

If you're old enough to remember the 70's, you can surely recall the movie Vanishing Point: a car delivery man named Kowalski rises up against the establishment as he drives from Colorado to San Francisco with half the police force of two states on his trail. And the car he drives is a 1970 Dodge Challenger.

The current Dodge Challenger was introduced in 2008 as the SRT8 only. Two years later and the SRT8 is the flagship of the Challenger fleet. With a 6 liter V8 engine that produces 425 hp and a 0 to 60 of 5.5 seconds, it's one of the most inspiring and muscular performance cars made in America. Dodge official website has the price of a 2010 SRT8 Coupe at $41,230. It's not the most affordable muscle in town, nor the most refined, you can buy a BMW 335i (priced at $40,600) with that money or a luxury Korean made such as Hyundai Genesis (priced at $39,500). But none of those cars will give you the sheer satisfaction of driving a pure muscle car and none of them can match the thundering acceleration of the Challenger.

So if you have 40 grand and want to buy a car, be bold and be brute, say no to German's perfect machinery, say no to far east's self driving bedroom and challenge the world in your SRT8 tire-smokin', asphalt-blazin' Dodge Challenger.

How to buy a car

2010-02-07T00:10:00.000-08:00

Buying a car, whether used or new, can be a nightmare. You're up against the dealer, an opponent who's sole purpose is to get the most money out of your wallet, and he's good at it too. Truth be told, there are a few car dealers out there who have ethics, and are content to a fair commission of the sale, and if you're lucky you may run into one every once in a while, but for the rest of us, it comes down to a one on one battle of wits, us against them.

In order to get ready for battle, there are a few things that you must do. Without these preparations you don't stand a chance

Research. Get on your computer and open your internet browser of choice. You have to get a good idea of how much others are paying and asking for the car you want. You can check out sites like cars.com, autotrader.com and kbb.com. Make sure you enter your zip code (price varies from one state to another), make and model and in case of buying a used car, the mileage and the year of production. Then write down the average price.
Get Quotes. Still on your computer, find at least three dealers in your area that have the car you want, email them and write the exact make and model you want, ask them for a quote. Do not give out your phone number or they would be calling you day and night. Write down the quotes they give you.
Decide. Based on your research, decide on a price that you'd like to pay for the car.

Now you're ready for battle, go to the first dealership, find one of the dealers and tell him you want to go for a test drive. While driving, just get an overall feeling of the car, the detailed inspection will come later. When you get back to the dealership, you will be directed to the man's office to close the deal, here you begin negotiation. Start with a low price (a reasonable one) and gradually sweeten the deal, sometimes the man you're dealing with might not have the authority to accept a price lower than MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price). In that case, tell him to go check with his supervisor. Remember though, if you can't get the price you want and he kept asking for more than you'd like to pay, just get up and walk out (sometimes this walking out tactic has been known to make them agree to the deal) you head to the next dealership and start the process from the top.

When you get a price you're happy with, tell the man it's a deal, but before you sign anything, go out and check the car thoroughly from top to bottom, head lights, turn signals, tail lights, air conditioning buttons, radio, CD player, etc., leave nothing unchecked, when you're satisfied, go back and sign the contract. After this, the dealer will try to sell you a lot of junk that you may never need, like extended warranty, anti-theft devices and emergency roadside kits, say no to all of them. If you later change your mind, you can always get them online and usually for a lower price.

In a perfect world, buying a new car should be a fun experience, one that would leave you and the dealer happy and satisfied, but we're stuck in our imperfect world and as a result, buying a car is a battle which requires you to be prepared, focused and smart. Try these pointers in your next skirmish and you will get a better deal.

Ford Mustang 2010

2010-02-06T00:49:00.000-08:00

Ford Mustang GT 2010

Pros: Great looks, powerful engine, affordable price
Cons: Uninspiring interior, live rear axle

Bullit: a detective film starring Steve McQueen set in 1968 San Francisco. The movie gave life to one of the most well known car chases in recent history. Steve McQueen drives a dark green Ford Mustang in pursuit of the bad guys. For a muscle car enthusiast the scene is sheer ecstasy.

Gone in 60 seconds: Nicholas Cage with his 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500 "Eleanor," jumps over a football field length of cars and outspeeds a helicopter in addition to a high speed cat and mouse car chase in downtown Los Angeles.

After watching those films, there comes to mind one word and one word only, Mustang! Ford launched the new redesigned Mustang in 2005 and it was an instant success, people just couldn't get enough. It was affordable, looked like a million bucks but cost only $24,000, and had a muscular engine that cranked out 300 horse power and 320 lb-ft of torque with a loud unmistakable exhaust note. Since then Ford has made minor adjustments to the Mustang every year, as a result of which the 2010 Mustang GT has a good interior with better quality materials that doesn't make you feel cheap. But still it has a live rear axle, which has been a constant point of criticism and hate letters to Ford company. But one thing you should keep in mind is that Ford wanted to keep the price of this car down and make it accessible for more people. They could give it an all independent suspension but that would have upped the price by five thousand, so they decided against that idea. The 2010 also has better creature comfort additions that would make your driving experience much more enjoyable

The official Ford website has the price of a 2010 Mustang GT at $28,395. It features a 4.6L V8 engine making 315 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque (which you can up to 550 hp by installing a turbocharger kit priced at $6,383), a 5-speed manual transmission, 18" aluminum wheels, two-way adjustable seats, driver/passenger front and side airbags, manual air conditioning, AM/FM stereo with single CD and remote keyless entry.

At the time of this writing, Ford Mustang is the most affordable American muscle car in the market. It's not the most powerful and the interior, despite the recent upgrades, still leaves a lot to be desired. But man-oh-man! If the doctors told me I had only one more day to live and one day only, I would want to spend that day driving a Mustang with the windows down, listening to the masculine note of the exhaust, burning out tire and leaving bystanders with their jaws on the sidewalk as they think to themselves, What the heck was that!