I'm always shocked by how not impressive the gas mileage is on feather weight sports cars with tiny engines usually is - probably because they have to be geared so short to be fun to drive that top gear at highway speeds has the engine turning 4000 RPMs. City mileage isn't much to crow about for most of them either.

re: 5th gear

A diesel doesn't create vacuum in the intake so if they were power brakes it had a vacuum pump, either mechanical or electric, so it wouldn't run out of power assist the way a car with a vacuum accumulator running off of intake manifold vacuum would. It's possible they were non-power brakes since the car was pretty…

Yes, brakes are more powerful than the engine but it's not as simple as that in a real world situation.

Yeah, I live in Alabama so we have long strings of 100 degree weather and high humidity and most of the year it gets really freaking hot in the car parked outside with the windows up.

Weird, I saw one of these for the first time in forever this morning. It was a little chilly this morning but the guy still had the top down so hats off to you random stranger for actually dropping the top on your 'vert, even if the windows were rolled up.

Speaking in generalities as a 6'5" tall person, Japanese cars are the worst and German & Swedish cars are the best for tall people. American cars are usually fine but the ergonomics are goofy compared to the Europeans.

I'm 6'5" and drive a '96 Mustang - I guess I'm used to it so I don't really think about it much anymore but yeah, getting in and out takes some practice. My right foot gets caught on the pedals when I get in and pivot it sometimes and you're right on about the pushing off the seat getting out - I have become aware…

When these AMC Eagles were still on the roads in numbers I thought the were hideous and an affront to automotive aesthetics. Nowadays I recognize them for their sheer genius and AMC's unabashed awesomeness for putting such a vehicle on the market.

I think they'll finally stick one in there for good. I would like to see an IRS as standard with a live axle a no-cost option for folks who want to tear up the drag strip.

A/C

And so much torque that I'd only need a one speed overdrive transmission.

I'll take one turbocharged Boss 6.2L to go please.

NP but a V6 just seems wrong. A big 4, straight 6 or a Rover V8 are the only acceptable options for a proper British sports car. Big American V8s are the only acceptable choices for an proper improper British sports car.

At least its not beige. It's not my thing but to each his own.

BRB, I'm off to Costco to buy a pallet of Silly Putty to patch the holes on my commute. On second thought, I'm going to need a tractor-trailer load.

Yep, they fold down in the coupes. The proper method for a Mustang would be to fold down the back seats, lay the passenger seat all the way back and insert it through the trunk from the driver's side at an angle so it goes into the passenger footwell - I've transported plenty of too long items like that in mine.

Something along those lines would be my guess too - VVT and/or dual runner manifold crossover.

Went to a small local show this weekend:

Mustang fans are in for a fun year as Ford ups the ante on the special editions and tuner cars for the current lame-duck Mustang bodystyle to keep them moving while building anticipation for the 50th anniversary all new 2014 model.