S650 v S550 Mustang GT front end comparison

[Arthonon]

Not a perfect layout, but I tried to set up a comparison for the different versions (I had to flip the '18GT and S650 to get them all facing the same direction). To me, the '18 GT and '18GT350 have the most similar shape, and both seem to slope more than the other two, which I prefer. The '15-'17 nose always looked thick, flat and blunt to me, and not as sporty looking. The S650 looks somewhere in between to me. Headlights and grille layouts are of course another factor, not shown here, but this is the reason why I prefer the '18 vs the '15-'17.

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[DRB]

Yeah, I felt the same way about the front of the 15-17s. The headlights were rather generic for the time, which was a bit of a comedown from the s197. And the front end in general was a bit of a lump. The oldest 550s would have benefited from headlights more level, like the 650.

 

[Ace]

Not a fan of the deleted lower indicator etc lights, and not sure what to make of the taller, blunter and seemingly less aerodynamic front end.

The lower indicators always looked really cheap and outdated to me. There were not even LEDs for non-export markets, just these old yellowish bulbs. I'm glad they integrated everything into one headlight unit, makes the frontend much cleaner and gives way more freedom to aftermarket bumpers.

I noticed during the reveal that there aren't any fog lights on the GT's and up, what's up with that? That's always been a Mustang thing.

Modern LED headlight usally don't need extra fog lights but just adjust the brightness of one of the LED units

 

[62Telecaster]

The S650 looks like what the 18+ refresh should have been...absolutely can't stand the 18+ front/headlights. Ford had the goal of lowering the front and walking back the more classic gen 1 "straight line" look/stance for more of a wedge shape and just sort of tacked/hacked at the front hood and quarter to make it happen. Just doesn't match the rest of the car at all and has zero flow to it. It could have worked had they been able to change more of the car itself. But overall, it's just a hodgepodge and way too "Darth Vader" and odd.

The S650 looks like what they wish they could have done with the 18+ but didn't have thr means to do at the time. I love the 15-17, but the S650 basically is a modernization of that and works for what Ford wants it to be...just not as big of a fan of it overall versus the original S550 design, which is way more classy/mature versus aggro/video game looking. Sadly, I 100% like the Ecoboost front end and lip spoiler so much better than the GT. Just not a consideration for me until maybe the final update/refresh before going electric for Gen 8.

WOULD LOVE TO SEE AN S650 VS 15-17 S550 FRONT END MASHUP *COUGH*

 

[fordmustangnerd]

The S650 looks like what the 18+ refresh should have been...absolutely can't stand the 18+ front/headlights. Ford had the goal of lowering the front and walking back the more classic gen 1 "straight line" look/stance for more of a wedge shape and just sort of tacked/hacked at the front hood and quarter to make it happen. Just doesn't match the rest of the car at all and has zero flow to it. It could have worked had they been able to change more of the car itself. But overall, it's just a hodgepodge and way too "Darth Vader" and odd.

The S650 looks like what they wish they could have done with the 18+ but didn't have thr means to do at the time. I love the 15-17, but the S650 basically is a modernization of that and works for what Ford wants it to be...just not as big of a fan of it overall versus the original S550 design, which is way more classy/mature versus aggro/video game looking. Sadly, I 100% like the Ecoboost front end and lip spoiler so much better than the GT. Just not a consideration for me until maybe the final update/refresh before going electric for Gen 8.

WOULD LOVE TO SEE AN S650 VS 15-17 S550 FRONT END MASHUP *COUGH*

Well according to Jim Farley, we're not going electric in gen 8, at least not completely electric

 

[62Telecaster]

Not a perfect layout, but I tried to set up a comparison for the different versions (I had to flip the '18GT and S650 to get them all facing the same direction). To me, the '18 GT and '18GT350 have the most similar shape, and both seem to slope more than the other two, which I prefer. The '15-'17 nose always looked thick, flat and blunt to me, and not as sporty looking. The S650 looks somewhere in between to me. Headlights and grille layouts are of course another factor, not shown here, but this is the reason why I prefer the '18 vs the '15-'17.

100% noted and agreed. The Original S550 design was meant to mirror the "linear" design and stance of the 1964/1965 Mustang, which is where that front end makes sense. Ford totally dropped the retro-modern stance with the 18+ redesign in favor of trying to go for something more modern and edgy, which the S550 just isn't, which in my opinion just killed all that it had going for it. The funny thing is that the 18+ with it's big pedestal spoiler/wing and new front end/vents actually takes the car from the 64/65 theme to a literal 72/73 big ol' wedge fastback inspiration...use the spoiler as a reference point for the shape and you'll see it lol.

But yeah, the S650 is nice in that it sort of allowed Ford to go back and redo every panel properly to do the wedge/sporty makeover versus the original VERY retro scheme of the 15-17, which afterall was the 50th anniversary design and meant to harken back to the first car. The S650 is what Ford wants and a nice sort of bridge to where the car would be going within the future; just not quite enough for me to care though at the moment...maybe after a refresh and some tweaks that further separate it from the S550 and hopefully some interior changes or, along with the final power bump.

 

[Arthonon]

100% noted and agreed. The Original S550 design was meant to mirror the "linear" design and stance of the 1964/1965 Mustang, which is where that front end makes sense. Ford totally dropped the retro-modern stance with the 18+ redesign in favor of trying to go for something more modern and edgy, which the S550 just isn't, which in my opinion just killed all that it had going for it. The funny thing is that the 18+ with it's big pedestal spoiler/wing and new front end/vents actually takes the car from the 64/65 theme to a literal 72/73 big ol' wedge fastback inspiration...use the spoiler as a reference point for the shape and you'll see it lol.

But yeah, the S650 is nice in that it sort of allowed Ford to go back and redo every panel properly to do the wedge/sporty makeover versus the original VERY retro scheme of the 15-17, which afterall was the 50th anniversary design and meant to harken back to the first car. The S650 is what Ford wants and a nice sort of bridge to where the car would be going within the future; just not quite enough for me to care though at the moment.

I know that there was a desire to reference some classic styling cues, but the S197 embodied the classic look a lot more than the S550, so I felt the S550 is where Ford started trying to push things to be more modern - hence the IRS as well. You must have disliked the GT350 too, as it had similar sleeker lines to the '18. I don't really get the 72/73 similarities, though, because other than the spoiler, the back of the '18 was shaped the same as the '15-'17s. To me, that spoiler was more like the ones on the '69 Boss 302. The GT350 also added a large spoiler, so again, it was similar in that regard.

In addition to that, I think that the whole retro look thing had pretty much run its course. After the 2005 Mustang, 2010 Camaro, VW Beetle, Plymouth Prowler, PT Cruiser, Fiat 500, Mini Cooper, Ford Thunderbird, Jaguar S-Type, Chevy SSR, Chevy HHR, and more, it just seemed like it was time to move on, and the '18 did a good job of that, in my opinion.

 

[62Telecaster]

I know that there was a desire to reference some classic styling cues, but the S197 embodied the classic look a lot more than the S550, so I felt the S550 is where Ford started trying to push things to be more modern - hence the IRS as well. You must have disliked the GT350 too, as it had similar sleeker lines to the '18. I don't really get the 72/73 similarities, though, because other than the spoiler, the back of the '18 was shaped the same as the '15-'17s. To me, that spoiler was more like the ones on the '69 Boss 302. The GT350 also added a large spoiler, so again, it was similar in that regard.

In addition to that, I think that the whole retro look thing had pretty much run its course. After the 2005 Mustang, 2010 Camaro, VW Beetle, Plymouth Prowler, PT Cruiser, Fiat 500, Mini Cooper, Ford Thunderbird, Jaguar S-Type, Chevy SSR, Chevy HHR, and more, it just seemed like it was time to move on, and the '18 did a good job of that, in my opinion.

The GT350 is a gorgeous car...but yup, I didn't like it lol. True story...the 15-17 front is a shark, the GT350 is a cobra/snake, the 18+ is Darth Vader's helmet lol. I thought Ford did a much better job at doing what they did to the GT350 though than what they did to the 18+; same as the GT500 and the Mach 1. The front/hood of the 18+ is total 72/73 stuff, and if you take the height of the spoiler and use it as a triangular reference point, well there's your big ol' wedge shape done in a not so tacky way lol. Don't forget that the 15-17 GT didn't have a pedestal spoiler. Maybe consider it as a design easter egg type of thing where it's there, but not exactly meant to jump out at you. It's actually pretty imaginative and sneaky.

But I actually feel like the S197, which I liked a lot as well, was more of its own thing and a retro caricature more than actually looking like the actual 60s Mustang designs. People like to call them retro and all because it was so blatantly "try to remind everybody of something old" when it came to the sheet metal. The S550 was modern in that it represented its time period well, but it REALLY was as if somebody took a 64/65 and maybe a little of the 69's silhouette and then made it into a modern car for 2015ish. It's weird, but I really get what they did/were trying to do and for me at least it's all there.

 

[MustangMac67]

I cleaned up the rear diffuser a little, I honsetly like it alot.

 

[because_murica]

I cleaned up the rear diffuser a little, I honsetly like it alot.

Roush, Saleen, Shelby - take notice. Less is more.

 

[JWS]

The Rear Spoiler Lip on the 15's was great for the time and allowed a good looking Spoiler Delete, but complicated the addition of the Wings.

The 650's Flat Trunk Lid and Wedge Shape look great on its own, plus makes for a simpler, better looking merge of Fender/Trunk Lid Wing.

I think Ford realized this and the Flat Trunk Lid was Manufactured in 2 Pieces to allow for the Wings and Other Mods to Blend Better with the Base Design.

 

[JWS]

Would also like to see a "Pony Package" of this Car with Chrome Window Trim.

 

[Arthonon]

Not to beat a dead horse, but when talking about Mustang design, and what fits in with the Mustang heritage, I saw this article, and while I don't agree with a lot of what's said, I thought this made a good point:

Article

So that’s where we’ve been ever since, Ford like Dodge and Chevrolet deciding that the first versions of these pony cars are the definitive ones. Translation: this is what these cars are and this is how you will remember them. No new Fox-body or pop-up headlight Camaros, no reinvention to keep up with the times; we’re selling you nostalgia rather than a contemporary update of the muscle car formula.

Some quick checking shows that the Fox body Mustangs were sold for longer than any other version, which could almost make it the "primary" representation of a Mustang, but people focus on the nostalgia of the original. I think part of this is because immediately after the original (which went through a lot of evolution itself), performance cars took a real hit, so the originals were looked at fondly for years as the "real" performance cars. So even though the past several years of Mustangs generally far outperform the originals, the originals have this mythical status in people's minds.

Looking at the history of the Mustang, it has constantly changed and evolved - again, even in the first generations - so I don't see why it can't continue to do that, and why making it more modern looking is always bad.

 

[Arthonon]

I don't have strong feelings about this work either way, but thought I'd post it here in case some folks find it interesting:

 

[JWS]

Thanks to Arthonon and “The Sketch Monkey” for doing this!

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