How would you rate the Mustang VS Porsche, M5 etc.?

[IceGamer]

The world car awards are out and the Mustang has already won the “World performance car of the year” category (https://www.worldcarawards.com/web/eligible_vehicles.asp?cat=1).

If you do some research then apparently the Mustang did beat the following cars in its class:

“The 2025 World Performance Car had 17 cars competing in the category. The top five finalists are: - Bentley Continental GT Speed –
BMW M5 -
Ford Mustang -
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS -
Porsche Taycan Turbo GT”

According to the creators of the award the criteria in this category read as follow:

“World Performance Car

Vehicles eligible for World Performance Car must be produced in volumes of at least 1,000 units/year, must be overtly performance-focused in overall character, and must be “on-sale" in at least two major markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, USA) on at least two separate continents within the period January 1, 2024 and March 30, 2025. Substantially revised variations of existing models, specifically designed to enhance overall performance characteristics, may be eligible, at the discretion of the organizers.”

Digging deeper the specific citeria are:

Occupant Environment​

Performance​

Value​

Safety​

Environment​

Market Significance​

Emotional Appeal​

Innovation​

Everyone can vote for themselves but according to the given criteria I don’t understand how the slowest of them all by a landslide wins this category. Also, I don’t understand why the M2, released in April of 2023, was listed for the 2024 award while the ’24 Mustang with its 2023 release is in the mix for the 2025 trophy…

Anyhow, let’s do our own list, here are my voting’s (the EV is excluded and the official BMW M2 scores are for reference – not my voting! Last year the BMW M2 came in second behind the Inoiq N (EV) and the XM… )

​	Occupant Environment​	Performance​	Value​	Safety​	Environment​	Market Significance​	Emotional Appeal​	Innovation​	Score​
Bentley​	10​	8​	6​	9​	2​	5​	6​	4​	50​
M5​	6​	9​	4​	8.5​	5​	4.5​	4​	8​	49​
Mustang ​	3​	6​	9​	7​	4​	7​	8​	2​	46​
911 GTS​	7​	9​	8​	7​	4​	3​	9.5​	8.5​	56​
M2 2023 for refference​	7.2​	8.9​	7.4​	7.7​	6.1​	6.9​	8.7​	7.3​	60.2​

So, how would you rate the Mustang compared to its four contenders?

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[Zengineer]

Awards like this are not the same as a road test shootout.

Was anyone here cross shopping a Bentley before they bought a Ford?

 

[rijndael]

I got my GT for 48K. Other than the M2, what else on that list can be purchased for even 2X or 3X that?

I did consider an M240 before I bought the GT.

 

[drive_55_not]

Mustang GT vs that list ?? Not just that the Mustang is not in the same ZIP code, not even the same State.

I never heard of the Bentley Continental GT Speed before, But, Whoa, talk about sticker shock, seeing people on here complaining about the GTD priced at $325K ...

.

 

[IceGamer]

Mustang GT vs that list ?? Not just that the Mustang is not in the same ZIP code, not even the same State.

I never heard of the Bentley Continental GT Speed before, But, Whoa, talk about sticker shock, seeing people on here complaining about the GTD priced at $325K ...

.

Absolutely noone would put them into the same bowl but yet here we are and apparently some 90ish journalists from across the world handed in their voting.

Now, technically anyone can be among them as any blind and deaf YouTuber with a range would probably be invited but nonetheless, the Mustang did beat every car on the list. How? Was it rigged? It wins in the value department although if one would consider resale Porsche might win this one. It might as well win the market significance as it is the only Pony car left so 10/10?? It might as well win the emotional appeal but on my list that still puts it dead last or at least not not in front of the 911...

Am I missing something?

 

[NegativeMultiplier]

So, how would you rate the Mustang compared to its four contenders?

I'd start by dropping the M5 and the Bentley.

The latest rendition of the M5 is effectively a hybridized, German Charger Hellcat which can seat five people. The two aren't comparable in my eyes.

The Bentley is in an entirely different tax bracket. For that money you could get a GTD, but at that point if you're cross-shopping those two you likely don't have a modicum of understanding of the differences between the two.

I'd be likely to to drop the 911 from the list as well. At $165,000 MSRP - which is triple the MSRP of a base GT - it better do everything better than the Mustang. And it does.

That being said - if I'm trying to decide between a 911 GTS and a Mustang, and I have that kind of money to spend, I'd just go custom-order a fully loaded Z06 and be done with it. I know the Mustang has the 911 in its sights, but let's be real - someone who can buy a 911 probably isn't considering a Mustang. A 911 is a luxury sports coupe, and a Mustang is just a sports coupe. The Mustang (non-GTD) has a long way before it can compete with the likes of that.

This leaves the M2 as the only remaining, reasonable competition against the Mustang.

I'm assuming for the driver environment that you rated it a 3 because of the admittedly minimal updates the interior received for the S650. It's harsh, but I agree with you. There could have been a lot more done to it to bring the interior into the present.

I would rate the performance of the Mustang as a 7 instead of a 6. Maybe I haven't driven it hard enough, but the car feels a lot more solid in corners than the S550 did, and sharper. I don't like how the steering just feels heavier in the more sporty modes though, and I really don't like how when you launch it there are those mini-hops. The Steeda kits will fix that, but that should have been standard from factory.

I'd rate the value of the Mustang just about the same. Overpriced? Yes, just enough to make me uncomfortable. But when you look at the cost of all other new cars on the road, and what this car would have cost a decade ago versus what you get, it makes sense - at least to me. Where else are you getting nearly 500 horsepower from a N/A V8 and a manual for under $60,000?

Agreed on environment.

I think I'd rate the market significance closer to an 8, or higher. The Mustang is involved in just about every racing organization it can touch, and the car itself has also got the world talking. If the Mustang wasn't significant, it would not have anywhere near as much of a market as it does, even if sales are down. The only thing that could have made it higher was if the nameplate had as much prestige as something German, which, on that note, makes me question why the 911 is a 3.

Emotional appeal I agree with, for the same reasons above.

I don't think much innovation went into this generation of Mustang either, given what we could have had, so I think that rating is accurate.

Overall the Mustang still loses to the M2 IMO, but that doesn't mean I would buy an M2 over a Mustang. To me this comparison just doesn't make sense. We're comparing a red apple to a British carbonara, a boat, a German wine, and a green apple. It really just comes down to what do you want to spend, and what do you want the most right this moment.

Whose idea was this anyway??

 

[IceGamer]

I'd start by dropping the M5 and the Bentley.

The latest rendition of the M5 is effectively a hybridized, German Charger Hellcat which can seat five people. The two aren't comparable in my eyes.

The Bentley is in an entirely different tax bracket. For that money you could get a GTD, but at that point if you're cross-shopping those two you likely don't have a modicum of understanding of the differences between the two.

I'd be likely to to drop the 911 from the list as well. At $165,000 MSRP - which is triple the MSRP of a base GT - it better do everything better than the Mustang. And it does.

That being said - if I'm trying to decide between a 911 GTS and a Mustang, and I have that kind of money to spend, I'd just go custom-order a fully loaded Z06 and be done with it. I know the Mustang has the 911 in its sights, but let's be real - someone who can buy a 911 probably isn't considering a Mustang. A 911 is a luxury sports coupe, and a Mustang is just a sports coupe. The Mustang (non-GTD) has a long way before it can compete with the likes of that.

This leaves the M2 as the only remaining, reasonable competition against the Mustang.

I'm assuming for the driver environment that you rated it a 3 because of the admittedly minimal updates the interior received for the S650. It's harsh, but I agree with you. There could have been a lot more done to it to bring the interior into the present.

I would rate the performance of the Mustang as a 7 instead of a 6. Maybe I haven't driven it hard enough, but the car feels a lot more solid in corners than the S550 did, and sharper. I don't like how the steering just feels heavier in the more sporty modes though, and I really don't like how when you launch it there are those mini-hops. The Steeda kits will fix that, but that should have been standard from factory.

I'd rate the value of the Mustang just about the same. Overpriced? Yes, just enough to make me uncomfortable. But when you look at the cost of all other new cars on the road, and what this car would have cost a decade ago versus what you get, it makes sense - at least to me. Where else are you getting nearly 500 horsepower from a N/A V8 and a manual for under $60,000?

Agreed on environment.

I think I'd rate the market significance closer to an 8, or higher. The Mustang is involved in just about every racing organization it can touch, and the car itself has also got the world talking. If the Mustang wasn't significant, it would not have anywhere near as much of a market as it does, even if sales are down. The only thing that could have made it higher was if the nameplate had as much prestige as something German, which, on that note, makes me question why the 911 is a 3.

Emotional appeal I agree with, for the same reasons above.

I don't think much innovation went into this generation of Mustang either, given what we could have had, so I think that rating is accurate.

Overall the Mustang still loses to the M2 IMO, but that doesn't mean I would buy an M2 over a Mustang. To me this comparison just doesn't make sense. We're comparing a red apple to a British carbonara, a boat, a German wine, and a green apple. It really just comes down to what do you want to spend, and what do you want the most right this moment.

Whose idea was this anyway??

I agree with most of what you said.

I gave the Mustang a 3 for the driver environment because compared to every other interior on the list the S650 has by far the lowest quality. Considering the price of the Ecoboost it’s decent but the “premium” version is only premium in name. There just simply is a difference between Ford leather, Mercedes leather and Bentley leather – in that order. The screen looks cheap, the interior feels mediocre at best and it’s just far worse than any other interior on that list. Again, considering the price it’s acceptable.

Performance could’ve been a 7, I agree.

Market significance should’ve been higher. But context matters. Considering it’s the only Pony car left it’s a 10/10. Considering its media presence and such it might be an 8.5. I gave the Porsche a 3 because the 911 GTS is so rare and hardy anyone cares about that trim in Germany... For most it's 'just another 911' and I couldn't have told you the difference between a 911 GTS, a 911 S/T, a 911 T, a 911 S and all the other 17-24 variants of the 911 one can buy before writing this post.

Considering ‘innovation’ one could argue that innovation is split between the car and the infotainment these days but then it would be 0/5 for car, 1/5 at best because nothing really changed and a 5/5 for the infotainment but who buys a Mustang because it uses the Unreal Engine 4… F* that. I asked myself “Does the car bring anything new/innovative to the table?” and I answered that with a 2/10.

 

[Bikeman315]

Honestly it was a fun read. It’s always interesting reading different points of view. But is it anything to be taken seriously? Not on this planet.

 

[Crew4991]

All of these are completely different price points.
I think of it as the more you pay the more you get. At the same time the mustang, even in its most expensive form, will about deliver 80% of the entire experience the other more expensive options may deliver and still be enjoyed with pride for like 70% of America... that's a lot of satisfied people.

Few, if any, are cross shopping these cars new.
On the used market, that might be a different conversation.

 

[Upacurb]

I have seat time in many high end exotics and I'm sorry but the base model GT in stock form is not even in the same stratosphere performance wise...

If you think the handling on the base GT is excellent... there are a few cars you should drive that would change your mind ...

 

[RLE55]

Since I've never owned or driven a Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, etc.... and really have never had the desire to, except maybe owning a Bentley Continental GT, I'd rate the Mustang GT 9 out of 10.

 

[Bikeman315]

Since I've never owned or driven a Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, etc.... and really have never had the desire to, except maybe owning a Bentley Continental GT, I'd rate the Mustang GT 9 out of 10.

You need to drive a Porsche!

 

[drive_55_not]

If you think the handling on the base GT is excellent... there are a few cars you should drive that would change your mind ...

I have a base 300A and the suspension's terrible, handling is horrible and the 4 pot BREMBO's are barely serviceable, but I still wouldn't;t trade it for that 911 GTS, mainly due to me not being able to do my own maintenance.

Unless the dealer is offering free service, I never see a dealer service bay.


.

 

[Upacurb]

I have a base 300A and the suspension's terrible, handling is horrible and the 4 pot BREMBO's are barely serviceable, but I still wouldn't;t trade it for that 911 GTS, mainly due to me not being able to do my own maintenance.

Unless the dealer is offering free service, I never see a dealer service bay.


.

Understand completely.....there is only 1 dealer I let touch my car ....the rest are garbage.....the one dealer has specialized staff that only work on certain cars.....

I will say this.... the service experience is MUCH different going to a Lamborghini/ McLaren/ Porsche dealer (also MUCH MUCH MUCH more expensive lol) but I was amazed at how these guys handle customer cars with white glove treatment.... (Ive taken my buddies to drop off/ pick up cars before) I mean dont get me wrong you pay for it though!!!

 

[Upacurb]

Idk, I’ve drove gt500 cftp and a gt350R, my 300a GT basically handles exactly the same…

Even more power out of the hole than the 350R to boot, the 500 is a monster 100 plus though, but handling… same enough.

Or are you referring to Miata’s or something else?
Edit, what exotics are you referring to?

On the 500 I can feel the extra weight of the blower over the front wheels/ the additional weight...I had a PP1 and I can tell the difference between it and the 350R .....but lighter wheels on these cars make a huge difference .....that and tires....

I should also mention that on the street - not a huge difference between a Mustang GT with a little suspension work and the right tires .....you really need to get them on a track to tell the difference (I had both my PP1 GT with HRE wheels and a few suspension mods and my 350R on the track)

On the other cars - NSX, NSX Type S, Huracan Technica, Huracan 570-2, GT3, and also some time in a McLaren 570...never had any of these on the track- but definitely back roads and yeah ....but for the price they better be lol

and yes I know in a drag race your car would beat all of them lol

The only one I think that would put up a fight against your car in a straight line was the NSX Type S - but its not stock either : ) all the other cars are probably trapping low 130s

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