[blackcloud50]

Does the GT500 come with HID lighting? Or is it an option.

[Cman]

It doesn't appear that the Shelby has HID lighting or is even an option, it will be just a hdlt that uses bulbs (like the industry standard 9003 or 9007's) for its lighting.

Tony

[dhjones]

It always seems that American car companies are not forward thinking in technology. The Japanese seem to have that cornered. For instance, white face gages are standard on Japanese cars, yet we still have the same gages from 20 yrs ago.

[Kyle F]

Originally Posted by dhjones

It always seems that American car companies are not forward thinking in technology. The Japanese seem to have that cornered. For instance, white face gages are standard on Japanese cars, yet we still have the same gages from 20 yrs ago.

Since when was painting the gage face white High Tech

I always like Pontiacs Amber Gages.

[dhjones]

Originally Posted by Kyle F

Since when was painting the gage face white High Tech

I always like Pontiacs Amber Gages.

It is not high tech, but it is modern. The same way that hid seems standard on a lot of Nippon cars. The interior of the Nippon cars are way ahead of Ford. The dash and layout of the Ford cars are the same as they were in 1999.
I travel to work early in the morning. I notice the Japanese cars have modern and interesting dash layouts as we pass. I look at my tired layout and wonder why we can't come up with more modern interiors. Just my $.02. Evidently the market wonders also. Ford's market share has dropped from 25% to 17.5% in just 5 years. Something is clearly wrong.

Doug

[dhjones]

deleted the post resend. I rcvd an error msg and resent.

[Rock36]

I'm not convinced modern has anything to do with it, the retro Mustang is decidedly anti-modern....in appearance of course. Inside and out.

Though I agree with the HID opinion. But that isn't being modern it is being higher tech like you originally said. HID lights are clearer and closer to natural light than regular head lights.

[srothfuss]

The car on display at the Autoshow in detroit had regular lamps in it. There are lots of pictures posted in a thread a little ways down.

[05MGT]

Originally Posted by dhjones

It always seems that American car companies are not forward thinking in technology. The Japanese seem to have that cornered. For instance, white face gages are standard on Japanese cars, yet we still have the same gages from 20 yrs ago.

white faced gauges =/= high tech

My Color gauges = high tech

[Henceforward]

Originally Posted by Kyle F

I always like Pontiacs Amber Gages.

Pontiac gauges are red.








Now Infinity does have Amber Dash Gauges.





HID lighting should be standard on most cars by now, they use less wattage, and last longer. Just like LED running/brake lamps in cars, HID should take over as the headlight standard in a few years.

There is no doubt that HID is superior.


As for the ShelbyCobraSVTFordMustangCarwithtoomanynames...

HID should be standard on a car that cost that much, they are Standard on the lower priced STi and Evo MR, and countless other cars that are of a lower standard, 2006 MAZDA6 Sports Sedan comes to mind...

And to put Ford and GM to shame once more is Audi, they are pioneering the LED daytime driving light. They are using a cluster of High intensity LED lights as the primary daytime headlight, followed by a switch to HID at night.

Technology Ford/GM will drag their feet on for decades...

"Lumileds’ Luxeon LEDs Blaze New Trails with Audi A8 6.0,
the First Production Vehicle with LED Daytime Running Lights
World’s Brightest LEDs Pave the Way for Future Development of All-LED Headlamp
SAN JOSE, CA (January 8, 2004)"

http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publi...icle_602.shtml

[dhjones]

I put white face gages on my 97GT to make it look modern as current cars and I thought it looks a lot better. Evidently, other people do also as there are a lot of kits sold.
I really like my Lincoln LS but it has the same tired instrument display as it has for years. When a Lexus, BMW, G35 go by I always look at their dash and wonder why Ford can't do the same.
Speaking of failure to lead in technology. Why is that Honda, Toyota, VW have taken the lead in high mpg vehicles while Ford, GM, Chrysler have nothing to compete? When I see a Ford/Lincoln commercial all they are pushing is SUV's for which the market is dying like a shot duck. Why hasn't Ford developed a diesel engine for its midsize vehicles like the Passat that gets 44 mph? Except for the hybrid Escape which only gets 31 mpg they have nothing.
Where has the R&D dept been for the last 10 yrs.

[Kyle F]

Originally Posted by Henceforward

Pontiac gauges are red.

My 86's were Amber... and so were my Grand Ams I had.

I did notice when I sat in the new Solstice, they were red.. and also in a new G6. It didnt seem right

I guess I should say I liked the old Pontiac warm Amber Glow

[03 SVT VERT]

Personally, I like that they didn't put it in. No HID, no nav system, no electronic four zone climate control, ect. Personally I would still have crank windows and manual locks. The Cobra is about the closest thing left to a car made for driving. I'm paying for a car and what it can do, if I want another computer, i'll buy one. Most cars today already have too many distractions in them. The wifes Lexus RX330 is a nightmare to drive, it takes a rocket scientist to figure out how to adjust the darn A/C.

But that's just me.

[blackcloud50]

Originally Posted by 03 SVT VERT

Personally, I like that they didn't put it in. No HID, no nav system, no electronic four zone climate control, ect. Personally I would still have crank windows and manual locks. The Cobra is about the closest thing left to a car made for driving. I'm paying for a car and what it can do, if I want another computer, i'll buy one. Most cars today already have too many distractions in them. The wifes Lexus RX330 is a nightmare to drive, it takes a rocket scientist to figure out how to adjust the darn A/C.

But that's just me.

I can understand you with the tons of extra electronics etc. but c'mon, manual windows and locks??

[03 SVT VERT]

Originally Posted by blackcloud50

I can understand you with the tons of extra electronics etc. but c'mon, manual windows and locks??

Why not? Doesn't bother me, all my dump trucks and other heavy trucks have them. I like roll windows better (it's usually faster), weighs less too. With non-power locks and no chip all I need is a regular key (no clunky buttons or transponder keys) and I could make all my Ford vehicles have the same key. I bet one could get an '05 stang down to 3,000lbs if it was set up the way my fleet trucks are:

No power locks or windows, no 6 disc cd changer (just a radio), no my color, no chip in key, no power adjustable seats, no spare, no day/night mirror, no rear window defroster, ect.

I know most people wouldn't like it, but I know quite a few who would want to be able to option a car like that. I remember years ago you used to get a book full of options you could pick out when you were ordering a car/truck. Now you basically have a choice of two or three packages that you have to choose and maybe 4 options. You don't even get to pick your rear gearing anymore, even when I ordered my personal truck in '95 I had a choice of atleast three ratios.

[Henceforward]

If the Toyota Prius has HID lighting standard, SVT should SERIOUSLY design an HID lighting system for a 475-horsepower icon in automotive engineering.

Prius Option code HK: [4], High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps and integrated fog lamps...

That is sad, when a granola bar, birkenstock, greenpeace mobile is offered with a better option than that of a car that costs twice as much.

Prius $21,000

2007 Cobra $40,000~

I think the bean counters could have winged that one.

And if anything HID should be considered a high performance option because it does just that, lights up the road multiple times better than standard halogen lighting. Night time visibility on a car with that kind of speed, and acceleration should be a very important design element. A consideration to this cars purpose was not taken into account when they failed to design an HID lighting system.

Or they might have it on the books already, release HID lighting Next Year and use it as a leverage tool to get buyers to purchase the next (2008) Cobra.

[matm347]

The very first car I ever saw with HIDs was the Mark VIII, it was years before more cars started using them. But I agree, it should at least be an option on Fords high end 'stang. I'm sure the aftermarket will provide something.

[03 SVT VERT]

The Lincoln Marks (and Lincoln in general) were always Fords "new tech" vehicles. My '73 Mark IV has stuff Mercedes didn't even put in their cars back then. Now Ford doesn't really do that, they just wait for everyone else to come out with new stuff and copy it.