Can you smell that in the air? I'm not talking about the acrid stench of bailout and bankruptcy talks, but the scent of burnt rubber and the real return of the muscle car wars of yore. Even as the Big Three struggle to make ends meet, they are all engaged in a competitive battle-royal for reclamation of the muscle car market. After five years as the only competitor, the newly redesigned 2010 Mustang faces stiff competition from the Challenger and soon-to-be released 2010 Camaro. Ford has priced their pony car lower than either of the competitors, maintaining the Mustang's image as an affordable muscle car.
The V8-equipped Mustang GT will start at $27,995, compared to the $30,545 for the Challenger R/T and $30,995 for the Camaro SS. The V6 Mustang model will start at $21,495, while the Challenger SE costs $22,545 and the 300 horsepower Camaro costs $22,995, sporting nearly as much horsepower as the Mustang GT.
To break it down even further, with the Mustang you pay about $89 per-horsepower for the 315 horsepower GT. The 375 horsepower Challenger comparably costs about $81 per horsepower, and the 400+ horsepower Camaro costs about $77 per horsepower, depending on whether you got the six-speed slushbox or manual transmission.
All the cars are competitively priced in their own right and you really can't go wrong with any of the Big Three's muscle car offerings. If you want a convertible however you have to buy a Mustang, since both GM and Chrysler have nixed developing a droptop version of either the Camaro or Challenger.
Thanks to
Autoblog for the pricing comparison.
Linear Mode
