Equus -- Detroit’s newest muscle car?

[38P]

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/equus-unveils-detroit-newest-muscle-car-250-000-194128946.html

http://www.equus-automotive.com/en_US/

The 2015 BASS770 is born of an abiding passion for genuine 1960’s and 1970's era muscle cars. The rare seductive power of those legendary beauties, brought on by their unique fastback signature . . . .

Okay, somebody's got to say it . . . The Equus Bass 770 is simply an ugly, pointless, overpriced ripoff of vintage Gen I Mustangs. It's the answer to a question that only folks with buckets more money than brains would ever ask.

Anyone disagree?

[JOES66FURY]

I like certain aspects of it, its obviously a knock off of a Mustang...that doesnt bother me...The mirrors are awful as is the grill, headlights and front facia...the interior looks confused...is it modern, is it vintage...they didint meld the two together very well...the price tag is downright insane....200K for a halfbreed mustang...I could build a nice fastback and stil have money left over to put a down payment on a house....

[RockJustRock]

Move on, no conspiracy here. They DID try to get Ford to let them call it a Mustang. I think that was after they thought they could just BUILD a Mustang like you or I and not even bother talking to Ford. I wonder about emissions and safety testing as well. When I was 13 I thought I could build a business around kit cars too.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/equus-unveils-detroit-newest-muscle-car-250-000-194128946.html

http://www.equus-automotive.com/en_US/

Okay, somebody's got to say it . . . The Equus Bass 770 is simply an ugly, pointless, overpriced ripoff of vintage Gen I Mustangs. It's the answer to a question that only folks with buckets more money than brains would ever ask.

Anyone disagree?

I see Camaro hood (69) mustang sides(64-67) barracuda roof line (66) and charger header panel (72)

[Dan Barlow]

Did they start with a dynacorn body and just come up with their own dog house.. Seems this is the third time we've gone over this car. They must be doing something right.........except the price.

[RockJustRock]

The price is courtesy of the EPA and the NHTSA I assume, or at least hope it has gotten that far. Not a lot of money spent on public relations. Don't they realize there are a million jokes about Bass? Saturday Night Live, Bass-O-Matic? All the good macho names CAN'T be taken.....


And oh yes... Equus is a famous Play and Movie about a mentally ill man in uh.... love with horses, STRIKE TWO!

[Barry Donovan]

what has ford got to do with it.

Equus, however, created its frame from scratch out of superformed aluminum lined with carbon-fiber inner panels. This helps the Bass770 tip the scales at just 3,640 lbs. — 480 lbs. lighter than a Camaro ZL1.

and 6.2 L gm..

I like the front, the lower part in center with the lights. I hope there is air getting by like an 84 grand prix.

I really like it.

[38P]

I see Camaro hood (69) mustang sides(64-67) barracuda roof line (66) and charger header panel (72)

I strongly suspect the Equus "breeders" are cribbing as much styling as they can without paying any licensing fees to any of the Detroit 3. They seem to want customers from those flabby oldsters who drop ridiculous coin every year at the January Scottsdale auctions.

However, the knock-off resemblance and profile -- not to mention the "horsey" name and emblem -- surely seem "inspired" by the original Pony Car . . . . The design is completely derivative . . . even somewhat generic.

That gaping "mouth" . . . vaguely reminds me of the loop bumper on '71-'72 Plymouth Satellite/Road Runner coupes, melded with sleepy new Camaro "angel-eye bulbs.

[38P]

And oh yes... Equus is a famous Play and Movie about a mentally ill man in uh.... love with horses, STRIKE TWO!

And why is it that Hyundai hasn't sent a cease and desist letter yet . . . Did they license that name?

This whole thing stinks like the proverbial dead horse-head.

[mlcraven]

Fargin homely from this armchair

[RockJustRock]

Wikipedia by way of Top Gear:

Equis Automotive an American automobile manufacturer was formed in 2009 as a corporation in the State of Georgia and is currently based in Rochester Hills near Detroit. It produces one model for the Model Year 2014, the Bass 770, which can be ordered for a base price of $250,000. The almost 5 m long fastback is designed like a traditional muscle car. It has a Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer and aluminium car body on an aluminium frame and a curb weight of 3635 lb. The 6.2 litre supercharged V8 engine, which derives from the General Motors Corvette produces 640 bhp and 605 lb ft torque and propels the rear-driven car via a double clutch 6-speed gearbox from 0-62 mph in 3.4 seconds and to a top speed of 200 mph.

The founder and President of Equus is Bassam Abdallah, who partenered with Dan Panoz in 2009. According to http://www.ponysite.de/equus_MR.htm, the Equus "is the re-incarnation of a legendary car that will commemorate the recent Maharaja's Road Event that took place in India." So, while the company is located in the United States, it is not exactly an "American" company in the sense that it was born from or for Americans. It is a company that copies the classic Ford Mustang styling, while providing substantial technological updates, and intends to sell it primarily to overseas purchasers, not particularly to or for Americans. Note that it's own press release indicates that it already had/has overseas buyers, prior to even being unveiled in the U.S.

The Equus appears to be modeled after classic American muscle car styling. Much like the cars in video games (GTA, Driver, etc) Equus has ensured that it is not infringing on the past or current Ford Mustang trademarks or brand names, in spite of it's similarities to the Ford Mustang styling, emblems, and icons.

Maybe Al-Anabi will run some in Pro-Mod.

My question would be with that aero, or lack of, how high will it soar when it runs over a marble at 200 MPH?

[RockJustRock]

I expect a comparison road test between the Equus and the street version of this:



No, that isn't a Gen 5 Camaro that was overcooked and melted, that is a Martin M4.

[Supersport350]

A cooworker asked me about this car yesterday. He's into luxury cars, I'm into classics. I think the car is garbage, not in the sense that it's not put together well, but in the sense that....I wouldn't pay no $200k for a car that is meant to look like a classic. I would rather buy 8 $25K classics instead. There just isn't an extra $175K of meat on the bone with that car in my opinion. It's caught in a transitional state in my opinion. I don't look at it as a classic or a super car, though it obviously based on the 1st gen Mustang with super car pricing. I have to question, is there a market for such a car? Who would it appeal to?

[moparmaniac07]

A cooworker asked me about this car yesterday. He's into luxury cars, I'm into classics. I think the car is garbage, not in the sense that it's not put together well, but in the sense that....I wouldn't pay no $200k for a car that is meant to look like a classic. I would rather buy 8 $25K classics instead. There just isn't an extra $175K of meat on the bone with that car in my opinion. It's caught in a transitional state in my opinion. I don't look at it as a classic or a super car, though it obviously based on the 1st gen Mustang with super car pricing. I have to question, is there a market for such a car? Who would it appeal to?

Apparently they sold 7 of them already, so a market's there. How big, probably not very.

[Supersport350]

I'm not sure I would consider 7 cars sold as having a market. More likely the "gotta have it" crowd. One was probably Jay Leno.