Three months experience with my "hated" S650

[NewGuard]

Geez I love your S650 color combination! Is yours the 60th aniversary package in Wimbledon White? And yes, my GT350 is the Heritage Edition, it is 2020 in Wimbledon White with Guardsman blue stripes. I paid through the nose to get it, since it is already very expensive in the US and all the duties and taxes I had to pay to get it to Europe made it virtually impossible to sell without a loss if I need the money quick, but I consider it a collectible...

...

Enjoy your great color combo, I love it!

EDIT: just noticed in your profile it says Oxford White, but nevertheless, it looks gorgeous!

Yeah, it's Oxford White, not Wimbledon, but my blue stripes also aren't quite Guardsman blue - more like slightly electric blue. So I'm just considering it a modern evocation with a slightly brighter palette. To be honest, I do love the classic colors, and on the GT350, they're super great, but the 60th anniversary gives me the vibe of being more of a cruiser. Maybe it's the wheels? I'm happy to have the performance pack.

I also considered a yellow GT PP when I was shopping - yours looks great!

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[MUSTANG V8 SPAIN]

I think the S550 was really bad. I reset the learning tables via diagnostics, it was a bit better for a while, but then it was bad after a while again, constantly under revving the engine. Even my attempts to teach the tranny to downshift early did not help. It was very stubborn in the way it kept low RPMs... :-)




Unfortunately no, in Europe you cannot disengage the lane keeping system. In the menu, there is only the option to select "Aid and alert" or "Aid". You cannot turn it off completely. You can turn it off for the current ride by pressing the button on the steering wheel, but it re-engages for the next ride.

But may be onto soemthing regarding the keyless locking. I just realized that it always works fine when I go to the trunk first, pickup my bag and then lock the car. It always struggles when I try locking the car immediately upon exiting the car. I will keep observing this...



I will take my Explorer to that hill and check the incline. That hill is really scary and it was super dumb from me to go that way that day. It was fresh 3 inches of snow in the morning, no maintenance, so I was literally going through the snow as one of the first cars.



Unfortunately, that is not how it works here in Europe. One press activates a message on the screen that says "Press again to turn the lane keeping OFF". When you press again, it deactivates the lane keeping system, but only for this ride. Once you kill the engine, it re-engages again.



Same here, in Europe only Performance package is available, so we have all the goodies as standard.



Me neither, I was a BMW guy. But then I sold the 5 series after the warranty ended and decided to go for a Mustang, which I always considered a "show off" car. Boy was i wrong. It is one of the best cars in the world! Comfortable, fun to drive, reliable. It is literally one of the best. And that comes from someone who has already more than a million miles under his belt and who has driven almost all the mainstream cars.



I fear that as well. If the screens start glitching, it is going to be an expensive repair...



I think the yellow is the best collor, combined with the black package...

Hi Czech mate! Im from Spain owning as well S650 GT Premium Pack. Very agreed with you. Both having EU version we have to unblock US power to 480hp. What a crazy&stupid rules here in Spain, Im going to legalize by 500 eur engineer the stage 1 to charge US map with +30hp and balance the electronics with already installed complete K&n filters&admission pipes plus H pipe going to around 500hp legal by 500 eur..... when Ford needs to modify the car to sell it in EU.... Can you legalize in Czech Rep the stage 1 to get US map with higher power? Its curiosity...

 

[CzechMate]

Hi Czech mate! Im from Spain owning as well S650 GT Premium Pack. Very agreed with you. Both having EU version we have to unblock US power to 480hp. What a crazy&stupid rules here in Spain, Im going to legalize by 500 eur engineer the stage 1 to charge US map with +30hp and balance the electronics with already installed complete K&n filters&admission pipes plus H pipe going to around 500hp legal by 500 eur..... when Ford needs to modify the car to sell it in EU.... Can you legalize in Czech Rep the stage 1 to get US map with higher power? Its curiosity...

The rules are stupid across Europe, we are in the same boat. We are all living in this globalist hellhole. We eastern europeans are a bit luckier, as the culture here is not yet completely corrupted with stupid woke green ideology, but the west, probably Spain included, is fully corrupted. Germany being the worst probably.

While I can legalize a tune here (if it is done by homolgated tuner), I don't see a reason to do so. I use my GT as a daily driver, so 450ish HP is plenty for that purpose and for more spirited driving, i can jump into my Shelby. Also, I dont want to void warranty on the powertrain by doing so. Are you not worried that you will void your warranty?

 

[Trella]

The rules are stupid across Europe, we are in the same boat. We are all living in this globalist hellhole. We eastern europeans are a bit luckier, as the culture here is not yet completely corrupted with stupid woke green ideology, but the west, probably Spain included, is fully corrupted. Germany being the worst probably.

While I can legalize a tune here (if it is done by homolgated tuner), I don't see a reason to do so. I use my GT as a daily driver, so 450ish HP is plenty for that purpose and for more spirited driving, i can jump into my Shelby. Also, I dont want to void warranty on the powertrain by doing so. Are you not worried that you will void your warranty?

Dear CzechMate. It amazes me the number of different countries that have Mustang enthusiasts. Just out of curiosity, do you know if the Camaro has the same popularity? Also 3 Mustangs, I'm jealous, only have 2!! Take Care.

 

[CzechMate]

Dear CzechMate. It amazes me the number of different countries that have Mustang enthusiasts. Just out of curiosity, do you know if the Camaro has the same popularity? Also 3 Mustangs, I'm jealous, only have 2!! Take Care.

Dear Trella,

It's no surprise that Mustangs have such a global following — the car is truly iconic. If anyone can point me to another vehicle that combines legendary status, instantly recognizable design, and around 450 hp at this price point, I might reconsider... but since the S550 generation arrived, the Mustang has easily become one of the best performance cars you can buy for the money.

Here in Czechia, we have a solid community of Mustang enthusiasts, organized into clubs with regular Mustang Parades. Hundreds of Mustangs often gather to cruise through castles, historic city squares, or other scenic spots, giving everyone a chance to admire the stunning design and hear that magnificent V8 roar. The Mustang is an absolute ICON, right up there with Porsches or the GT-Rs.

As for the Camaro — not nearly as much. Chevrolet doesn't have an official sales network here (only the Corvette is officially available through specialized dealers), so sourcing a Camaro or getting proper service is a real hassle. The ones you do see are usually imported individually by dedicated enthusiasts — just like my GT350. Challengers seem to have a bit more visibility here than Camaros, but let's be honest: nothing beats a Mustang.

Whenever I'm out driving any of my Mustangs, it's an everyday occurrence for people to point and shout, "Hey, look — a Mustang!" Girls show a lot of interest, and boys often come up to me in parking lots asking for some crazy revs or burnouts... and yeah, I sometimes oblige.

About my three Mustangs:

• My 2025 GT (technically a 2024 model in Yellow Splash — that color wasn't available for 2025, but it was first registered in October 2025, so it's legally a 2025 car). This one's my daily driver.
• The 2023 Cyber Orange GT — my previous daily, but I crashed it in October 2025 with just 6,000 miles on the clock. It's currently being repaired and will be sold to a local Ford dealership once it's fixed. Why only 6k? I bought it from a guy who kept it in a garage for 2 years, never driven.
• And of course, my GT350 Heritage Edition — that's my prized collector piece.

Here is my 2023 GT after I parked it next to this tree. It is Cyber Orange wrapped in stealthy dark grey.

Lastly, here is what started my passion for Mustang. This was my first Mustang it was 2021 GT (everything here in Europe is Premium, we do not have base models). I sold it after 2 years of owning it with 60k miles on the odo. No issues with the car whatsoever, absolutely bulletproof car:

So once the 2023 GT is repaired and sold, I'll be down to two... same as you!

Take care, and keep enjoying those two beauties of yours!

Best regards, CzechMate

 

[Frogdog1]

Yeah, a Camaro just isn't a Mustang. Glad other countries know that.....LOL!

 

[Trella]

Since the inception of the Mustang in 1964, when I was 17, it was a young man's dream car (and now an old man's reality). They dropped the ball in '73-'78 with the Mustang II. My younger sister had one and it was an embarrassment, I think it was a 4 cylinder, and they should have called it a Non-Stang. I'll admit that I did go Camaro for a few years in the early '80s and to be fair they were decent rides. Then I got back on track with Mustang. Whether you Love 'em or Hate 'em, You Gotta Have One.

 

[MUSTANG V8 SPAIN]

The rules are stupid across Europe, we are in the same boat. We are all living in this globalist hellhole. We eastern europeans are a bit luckier, as the culture here is not yet completely corrupted with stupid woke green ideology, but the west, probably Spain included, is fully corrupted. Germany being the worst probably.

While I can legalize a tune here (if it is done by homolgated tuner), I don't see a reason to do so. I use my GT as a daily driver, so 450ish HP is plenty for that purpose and for more spirited driving, i can jump into my Shelby. Also, I dont want to void warranty on the powertrain by doing so. Are you not worried that you will void your warranty?

Spain is green-woke 2030 fully invaded at big cities, however at the countryside we try to remain the same.
Im having the GT near 2 years so warranty will finish within 1 year, I use the Mustang only weekends. Manual gear, improved with Dark Horse rear wing, Steeda IRS pack + g trac front brace + dual rate springs and the sound of H pipe + K&N kit filters with pipes is music.
I would be worried if being a turbo downsized european latest design, but being the well tested V8 Coyote, simply US map charge+ balance with H pipe and K&n no fear. I will go to top tunners 200km far to home. I know them. Just remove European shitty mode and balance with the installed things and naturally boost from 446 to 490-500 hp.
Regards

 

[Starship Enterprise]

So it is confirmed: the keyless locking works 99% of the time if I go first to fetch stuff from the trunk, while roughly 50%-75% of the time it does not work if I try to use it immediately after getting out of the car. So there is probably some delay programmed in for reasons I dont understand.

IT must take a few seconds for the computer to set the door for locking. I close the door, count to three and the handle will always be ready to lock by then.

Since the inception of the Mustang in 1964, when I was 17, it was a young man's dream car (and now an old man's reality). They dropped the ball in '73-'78 with the Mustang II. My younger sister had one and it was an embarrassment, I think it was a 4 cylinder, and they should have called it a Non-Stang. I'll admit that I did go Camaro for a few years in the early '80s and to be fair they were decent rides. Then I got back on track with Mustang. Whether you Love 'em or Hate 'em, You Gotta Have One.

I had 4 Camaros and now 3 Mustangs. I loved every one of them!

72 Camaro 307!!
91 Camaro RS
91 Camaro Z28!!
98 Camaro Z28

79 Mustang 5.0
06 Mustang GT!!!
25 Mustang GT!!!!

 

[Trella]

IT must take a few seconds for the computer to set the door for locking. I close the door, count to three and the handle will always be ready to lock by then.



I had 4 Camaros and now 3 Mustangs. I loved every one of them!

72 Camaro 307!!
91 Camaro RS
91 Camaro Z28!!
98 Camaro Z28

79 Mustang 5.0
06 Mustang GT!!!
25 Mustang GT!!!!

Had an '82 Camaro Sport Coupe 305 ci and an'84 Berlinetta 305 ci. Both had 4 speed automatics with overdrive, and with all the emission controls in the '80s I think that they barely made 200 horsepower, taking a toll on enthusiastic driving. I did enjoy owning them and would never bad mouth Camaros. They are both American Iron and it's just a matter of personal preference!

 

[Frogdog1]

Since the inception of the Mustang in 1964, when I was 17, it was a young man's dream car (and now an old man's reality). They dropped the ball in '73-'78 with the Mustang II. My younger sister had one and it was an embarrassment, I think it was a 4 cylinder, and they should have called it a Non-Stang. I'll admit that I did go Camaro for a few years in the early '80s and to be fair they were decent rides. Then I got back on track with Mustang. Whether you Love 'em or Hate 'em, You Gotta Have One.

Did any car maker not have problems dealing with the EPA in this time period? No point in banging on Ford. All car makers has issues.

 

[MidwayJ]

Did any car maker not have problems dealing with the EPA in this time period? No point in banging on Ford. All car makers has issues.

In response to the EPA restrictions of the 70s, both GM and Ford downsized certain models and released small cars with 4 cylinder engines like the Vega and Pinto. However, GM continued with the 2nd generation Camaro throughout the 70s while Ford downsized the Mustang to a glorified economy car.

 

[CzechMate]

Steeda IRS pack + g trac front brace + dual rate springs and the sound of H pipe + K&N kit filters with pipes is music.
I would be worried if being a turbo downsized european latest design, but being the well tested V8 Coyote, simply US map charge+ balance with H pipe and K&n no fear. I will go to top tunners 200km far to home. I know them. Just remove European shitty mode and balance with the installed things and naturally boost from 446 to 490-500 hp.
Regards

Well, please chime in here and let me know how that tune changed the car. I can't really compare the Shelby and GT, as the Shelby is manual (of course) and GT is 10R80, so the difference between 533hp and 447hp translates to the rear wheels differently. Let me know please, I am keen to learn what difference did it make.

Also, do you have a picture of the mods you have done to your car?

I did enjoy owning them and would never bad mouth Camaros. They are both American Iron and it's just a matter of personal preference!

Camaro was on my list before I bought my first Mustang. But after that, I have ZERO reason to look elsewhere, Mustang is THE car that makes me really happy. While steering probably leaves much to be desired compared to Camaro (reviewers say), everything else is a perfect match to my needs. The car is fun to drive, comfortable, reliable, economical (who would have guessed that, right? but if your Mustang is your daily, you sometimes also look at the consumption:-) and most importantly sooo sooo cool looking, compared to anything else on the streets. Whenever I park the car and am on my way to the store, or home, I always have to look over my should and I just cant get enough of it...

 

[CzechMate]

I’m really starting to hate certain aspects of the S650 with a passion :

• Lane keeping system – I absolutely hate this thing, and I hate the fact that on EU versions it cannot be switched off by default.

• Keyless locking / unlocking – both are quirky at best. Just when you think you finally understand how they work, they make you fish the key fob out of your pocket anyway.

• Frontal collision assist – yesterday I was merging into ongoing traffic. Everything was completely safe, no drama, no risk. And yet the system went absolutely bananas, slammed the brakes, and initiated an evasive maneuver for ZERO reason. The guy behind me got a nasty surprise, and I nearly shit my pants, because you really don’t expect the car to intervene in a perfectly safe situation.

• Auto high beams – if the transition were gradual, this would be fine. But in the current setup, the high beams go full blast instantly, and the system is really bad at detecting cars in edge cases. Most of the time it looks like I’m flashing other drivers. The car stays on low beam for a passing vehicle, but then fails to detect another car about to appear from a curve, a crest, or a corner. It switches on the high beams when that car is already well within range — and then immediately shuts them off. To the other driver, it looks exactly like I just flashed them. If the transition were gradual, nobody would even notice.

 

[Westphal]

I’m really starting to hate certain aspects of the S650 with a passion :

• Lane keeping system – I absolutely hate this thing, and I hate the fact that on EU versions it cannot be switched off by default.

• Keyless locking / unlocking – both are quirky at best. Just when you think you finally understand how they work, they make you fish the key fob out of your pocket anyway.

• Frontal collision assist – yesterday I was merging into ongoing traffic. Everything was completely safe, no drama, no risk. And yet the system went absolutely bananas, slammed the brakes, and initiated an evasive maneuver for ZERO reason. The guy behind me got a nasty surprise, and I nearly shit my pants, because you really don’t expect the car to intervene in a perfectly safe situation.

• Auto high beams – if the transition were gradual, this would be fine. But in the current setup, the high beams go full blast instantly, and the system is really bad at detecting cars in edge cases. Most of the time it looks like I’m flashing other drivers. The car stays on low beam for a passing vehicle, but then fails to detect another car about to appear from a curve, a crest, or a corner. It switches on the high beams when that car is already well within range — and then immediately shuts them off. To the other driver, it looks exactly like I just flashed them. If the transition were gradual, nobody would even notice.

I'm glad we can leave the lane keeping system off as I always do. I just don't like how reacts. We haven't had an issue with the keyless locking/unlocking, but I always use the key fob to lock as a habit. Frontal collision assist is finicky, even at the lowest following distance. Lately I've been switching the low beams to the On setting from Auto since I prefer to control the high beams myself.

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