“It is, bang for the buck, one of the best cars for the money,” says Terry Fair of Vorshlag. “I compare it with the C5 Corvette, which is a good performer for the money. Unlike the C5 Corvette, it’s much newer and it fits people taller than 5-foot-9. Nothing else compares for that price range.”
If height or money …
Hey, it’s Terry!
Fair is awesome--miss seeing his posts since the demise of the pro-touring movement . . .
Well I wasn't shopping for S197 Mustangs but now I have a new car to put in my marketplace watch list. I always liked the look of the Boss 302 cars.
I love S197's - they're one of the best bang for buck cars out there, and they're easily the best option for us tall folk (I'm 6'5").
Something that is underrated are how cheap parts are. I bought reman'd S550 6-piston Brembo calipers from Motorcraft for $250 each (seriously - LINK and LINK) - those paired with GT500 rotors gives you MASSIVE brakes for minimal cost. Seriously, look at these things...
Suspension is easy with tons of options, they're modern without being overly tech-y, and frankly, they aren't that heavy compared to other modern cars. 3500lbs these days is nothing out of the ordinary. They fit tons of tire (I was previously running 11" wheels with 305 square tires), and they're really reliable. Mine I turned into an "RS" style build, with Boss 302 Recaros (awesome seats) and the LS rear seat delete. It's the perfect dual duty weekend car that you can occasionally take to the track.
There's some benefits to the 13-14 over the 11-12, and newer tends to be better if you don't mind the looks. The track pack is better than the Brembo pack on the earlier cars, and the Recaros are some of the best factory seats that I've been in. The S550 is a better car, sure, but for the price, it's tough not to love the S197.
Biggest downside - the constant Mustang crowd jokes from your friends.
TL;DR: You should buy an S197
I'll add if you are not into being competitive and just want a solid dual purpose road and track car don't overlook the 4.6 cars. I personally think the 05-09 looks better, they are marginally lighter, reliable and sturdy.
I'm right at that that 330WHP limit of reliable performance with out a supercharger or wild cam. Added the GT500 brakes, Torsen, springs dampers, bars, etc made a solid and fun ride.
There are two camps on suspension on these, stiff springs and softer sways or stiff sways and softer springs, I went with the latter for ride comfort. GT500 wheels are 9.5 wide, relatively light and cheap, next step for me are some 18 x 10 or 11's.
In reply to rustomatic :
Did the pro touring movement die? I didn't notice.
We're still doing plenty of S197, S550, and S650 Mustang development these days. :)
My 128i was objectively the better car... But I liked, enjoyed, and miss my 4.6 S197 more. I have little interest in any more BMW's, but would definitely be open to getting another S197.
Hello Terry!
Always enjoy your posts on TMO. You camber plates are next on my list. Drilled out the shock towers last weekend.
My comments about the 4.6L 3V engine come across as a bit harsh. These engines that came in the 2005-10 GT aren't bad, just down 100 hp over the Coyote cars.
With the right mods they can still be competitive. One of my former employees Jon B had this 2006 GT and added MCS coilovers, 18x11" wheels, 315mm tires, and a handful of the other mods we mentioned in JA's article. He dominated CAM-C class locally for an entire season, winning every event in Texas Region SCCA. He even ran well in Optima with it.
This was the same car before the coilovers - with popular lowering springs and the K-branded adjustable dampers. Well after 6 months two shocks were blown and it was a rolly polly mess. The spring rates and soft dampers just killed it.
The spring rate (and damper) change was DRAMATIC - it always is. Even with much more mechanical grip from the 315mm tires the car cornered flatter and didn't do the extreme brake dive thing that stock S197s do. Again - don't throw your 4.6L GT away if you have one, they can still be fun. 
I'm not gonna deny that I'd have liked to have had a Coyote car, but I was able to find a super clean 4.6 car for the same money I sold the Boxster for, whereas to get into a 5.0 I would have had to dip into my savings a bit. For me, personally, it wasn't worth it. The 4.6 is still quick and makes good noises. And I'm too old and slow to care what's competitive anymore. I just want a fun weekend car.
I'm a huge fan of the S197. Will probably be the newest car I own. Great looks and a mostly modern, non-Fox chassis make it a car decently capable of many things. I bought my V6 (yes, a GRMer bought a V6) as a daily. I did take it on track one time just out of curiosity and was very impressed. Bone stock aside from some track front pads.
Criticisms: too quiet--couldn't hear when to shift. Seats offer no support for track g-forces. Needs more sway bar. Needs a short throw shifter. Otherwise, it was easy to drive and didn't embarrass itself other than on the front straight where the speed limiter kicked in. So if the 210hp V6 is this good, the 300hp V8 would be an absolute delight.
Currently at the bottom of the depreciation curve (1st styling cycle) they are a bargain waiting to be snapped up. Just have to be cautious of boy-racer prior owners and some of their dubious 'mods'.
This thread needs to stop. It makes me want to open my dusty wallet.
Why do I suddenly NEED an S197? But a S550 would be even better, and then all the stuff I can do to it...my wallet hurts
Do Eeeet, this could be you!
Now I just need a V6 Pony package slightly scruffy winter beater.
Fueled by Caffeine said:This thread needs to stop. It makes me want to open my dusty wallet.
That's pretty much me every time we post a fresh buyer's guide.
Here's my build thread. Doing minor suspension upgrades, basically replacing all my worn-out factory bushings with GT500 stuff, doing Ford "P" springs, Bilstein dampers, and Whiteline bars and panhard. Goal being to tighten things up a bit without a huge ride or NVH penalty. The car will see the track, but not very often.
I'm also doing the S550 6-piston brake upgrade. Partially because more brake is always a good thing, partially because giant rotors and Brembo calipers look cool, but mainly because it's so freaking cheap and easy, I might as well.
In reply to Colin Wood :
Also happens every time we do a track review for me.
In reply to akylekoz :
I really liked my 2011 V6 Mustang. But there are better cars for fun winter beaters. I drove year round in the midwest, but even with winter tires rear traction could be an issue. A couple sandbags helped.
My V6 stick Pony Pack was my daily for several years in PA winters. 4 snow tires and a bag of water softener salt in the trunk made it pretty unstoppable. It was vastly superior to the E36 M3box Focus it replaced which was too light to gain traction.
What if the track events have spectators? Is there a setup trick to keep it from pulling in their direction?
I know it's low hanging, but in our group, we haven't found the bottom of the well yet when it comes to berkeleying with our one mustang friend. And honestly, his car is pretty sweet. As has been mentioned, it fits some huge rubber without a lot of effort. I think he's got 315s in the rear.
Absolutely great article and I absolutely love my 13 GT Track Pack. Has served as an incredibly reliable track car for many years and is still very comfy and practical for highway trips (have gone from IL to FL and FL to NC/TN for Tail of the Dragon trips a few times, loved every minute).
I do have to respectfully disagree with the assessment of at least the later V6 cars (11-14, can't speak to the earlier ones as I've never had one). I had a 2012 V6 base 6spd Mustang which, after buying a lightly used set of Steeda springs/struts and camber plates, then bolting on a Pair of reman 4-Piston Brembos from O'Reilly, the car did great on track and was shockingly well balanced. The Cyclone V6 is a great motor and does very well with boost if anyone cares to spend the money. In NA form, it's not the fastest thing out there but absolutely not slow, certainly much quicker than any non-boosted Miata or non-M, non-turbo 3-series. Just my 2 cents
LukeGT said:I do have to respectfully disagree with the assessment of at least the later V6 cars (11-14, can't speak to the earlier ones as I've never had one). I had a 2012 V6 base 6spd Mustang which, after buying a lightly used set of Steeda springs/struts and camber plates, then bolting on a Pair of reman 4-Piston Brembos from O'Reilly, the car did great on track and was shockingly well balanced. The Cyclone V6 is a great motor and does very well with boost if anyone cares to spend the money. In NA form, it's not the fastest thing out there but absolutely not slow, certainly much quicker than any non-boosted Miata or non-M, non-turbo 3-series. Just my 2 cents
Yeah, those Cyclone cars can put a scare into my 4.6 car, as well. Similar horsepower, less torque, but lighter, too. Too bad they don't make V8 noises, though.
All respect to Terry, who has forgotten more about these cars than I'll ever know, but his priority is how to make these cars go around a track as quickly as possible. If you want to do that, you need the Coyote. I think that's why he was a bit dismissive of the V6 and 4.6 cars. I think he would agree that any of them can be fun, though. As long as the goal isn't ultimate lap times.
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