Well I wasn't expecting it but I recieved an e-mail today. And I have his permission to re-print what he sent me here on our site. So for your reading enjoyment I present the the response.. (I'm working on a return letter now. I'll keep you all posted..
RE. Mustang Bullitt
Steve: Thanks for your letter.
You're right -- and wrong -- about several things. First, the color.
Sorry about that. There's a template we use for specs that has a number
of embedded defaults in it. The Steel Grey is one of them. That will be
fixed, along with a few other screw ups if we can verify them. The
biggest being the 0-60 time, which came from the Ford folks. As for the
seat adjustment, I do not say that THESE seats only have a rake
adjustment. If you read carefully you'll note that I was referring to
classic buckets and that these seats "don't adjust well enough." It is
still my opinion -- and it is shared by many other automotive experts
and consultants who I have spoken with -- that Mustang seats are
uncomfortable and that even less expensive cars like the Focus get
better support. As for the suspension spec, our listing says: Front:
MacPherson struts with gas shocks and coil springs, stabilizer bar.
Rear: Four-bar link with coil springs and stabilizer bar. Ford's own
material says: modified MacPherson strut with separate spring on lower
arm and stabilizer bar/ Rear: Four-bar link with coil springs and
stabilizer bar.
As I said, the 0-60 time I'm looking in to and we will republish when we
get the straight skinny from Ford.
Finally, why the hell shouldn't I drive this car? You apparently have a
bias against Subarus (and I daresay, every Japanese car ever built--even
though, as I'm sure you know, Hondas now have more American content, not
to mention labor, in them than many Ford cars assembled in Ontario and
Chryslers and GMs made in Mexico), so who better to tell Americans
what's wrong with Subarus than you? Scratching your head? You say
McDonald's I say Burger King. Who's right? Neither of us. This is
America, damnit, and we have the right to disagree. Could I be perfectly
unbiased? Hell no. I think Ford should follow through on this car and
truly make it great. Scrap the antiquated rear end that makes this car
so rough and lose a few hundred pounds in the process. Hell, look at
what they did with the T-Bird (and if you think I'm some commie
un-American, read what I said about that car here:
http://www.forbes.com/2001/05/28/0528test.html
<http://www.forbes.com/2001/05/28/0528test.html> ) and repeat that job.
I by no means favor "rice burners". I favor quality, and cars that don't
feel like a hodge-podge thrown together to suck your wallet dry while
Ford scrapes together a lousy five more hp. Look, YOU'RE the one who
should be mad, not me.
The thing is, most Americans won't ever drive a Bullitt, there aren't
enough of them for sale. But most wouldn't anyway because the punishment
(for most of these folks-- and obviously I'm talking the Forbes crowd,
which is exceedingly well-to-do) isn't worth it. Most people want about
half that much performance and twice as much ride quality. The Mustang
just doesn't have the latter, and for the vast majority of people (the
number one selling car in the world is a Ford Focus), a sporty ride
sometimes but a smooth ride all the time is the goal.
Please, beg to differ. I don't mind if you disagree or say I'm full of
it or that I don't know what I'm talking about (for the record I've
owned twice as many American cars as anything else; I don't want to talk
about what I'm driving now, but it was built in the U.S. and it has a
U.S. brand on the hood). You happen to love what you drive and will
continue to study it, research it, know more about it than I ever could.
I can't do that. I have to write three auto stories a week (sometimes
more) so I will screw up. I am human. Call me on it. I'll fix whatever I
can and hopefully get better. But again, my job is to be a critic, not
the weather man. I won't tell you pure facts because you can get that
from a corporate website. I'll tell you what I think, from my gut.
That's my job. Tell me when I blow it. I'll be more than happy to
listen. And since you seem to be plugged into a fansite of some kind
(unless I'm mistaken; I got scores of Bullitt lover/Michael Frank hater
e-mails this past week) feel free to post this there. I'm sure people
will get a kick out of it. And then they'll come back to kick me some
more.
Sincerely,
Michael Frank
RE. Mustang Bullitt
Steve: Thanks for your letter.
You're right -- and wrong -- about several things. First, the color.
Sorry about that. There's a template we use for specs that has a number
of embedded defaults in it. The Steel Grey is one of them. That will be
fixed, along with a few other screw ups if we can verify them. The
biggest being the 0-60 time, which came from the Ford folks. As for the
seat adjustment, I do not say that THESE seats only have a rake
adjustment. If you read carefully you'll note that I was referring to
classic buckets and that these seats "don't adjust well enough." It is
still my opinion -- and it is shared by many other automotive experts
and consultants who I have spoken with -- that Mustang seats are
uncomfortable and that even less expensive cars like the Focus get
better support. As for the suspension spec, our listing says: Front:
MacPherson struts with gas shocks and coil springs, stabilizer bar.
Rear: Four-bar link with coil springs and stabilizer bar. Ford's own
material says: modified MacPherson strut with separate spring on lower
arm and stabilizer bar/ Rear: Four-bar link with coil springs and
stabilizer bar.
As I said, the 0-60 time I'm looking in to and we will republish when we
get the straight skinny from Ford.
Finally, why the hell shouldn't I drive this car? You apparently have a
bias against Subarus (and I daresay, every Japanese car ever built--even
though, as I'm sure you know, Hondas now have more American content, not
to mention labor, in them than many Ford cars assembled in Ontario and
Chryslers and GMs made in Mexico), so who better to tell Americans
what's wrong with Subarus than you? Scratching your head? You say
McDonald's I say Burger King. Who's right? Neither of us. This is
America, damnit, and we have the right to disagree. Could I be perfectly
unbiased? Hell no. I think Ford should follow through on this car and
truly make it great. Scrap the antiquated rear end that makes this car
so rough and lose a few hundred pounds in the process. Hell, look at
what they did with the T-Bird (and if you think I'm some commie
un-American, read what I said about that car here:
http://www.forbes.com/2001/05/28/0528test.html
<http://www.forbes.com/2001/05/28/0528test.html> ) and repeat that job.
I by no means favor "rice burners". I favor quality, and cars that don't
feel like a hodge-podge thrown together to suck your wallet dry while
Ford scrapes together a lousy five more hp. Look, YOU'RE the one who
should be mad, not me.
The thing is, most Americans won't ever drive a Bullitt, there aren't
enough of them for sale. But most wouldn't anyway because the punishment
(for most of these folks-- and obviously I'm talking the Forbes crowd,
which is exceedingly well-to-do) isn't worth it. Most people want about
half that much performance and twice as much ride quality. The Mustang
just doesn't have the latter, and for the vast majority of people (the
number one selling car in the world is a Ford Focus), a sporty ride
sometimes but a smooth ride all the time is the goal.
Please, beg to differ. I don't mind if you disagree or say I'm full of
it or that I don't know what I'm talking about (for the record I've
owned twice as many American cars as anything else; I don't want to talk
about what I'm driving now, but it was built in the U.S. and it has a
U.S. brand on the hood). You happen to love what you drive and will
continue to study it, research it, know more about it than I ever could.
I can't do that. I have to write three auto stories a week (sometimes
more) so I will screw up. I am human. Call me on it. I'll fix whatever I
can and hopefully get better. But again, my job is to be a critic, not
the weather man. I won't tell you pure facts because you can get that
from a corporate website. I'll tell you what I think, from my gut.
That's my job. Tell me when I blow it. I'll be more than happy to
listen. And since you seem to be plugged into a fansite of some kind
(unless I'm mistaken; I got scores of Bullitt lover/Michael Frank hater
e-mails this past week) feel free to post this there. I'm sure people
will get a kick out of it. And then they'll come back to kick me some
more.
Sincerely,
Michael Frank
