quote:
Another observation: Most people responding to thid thread were born in the 60's ('67 myself, still 39 though).
Having owned both body styles, I have an opinion on both. I was born and raised in NYC, and negotiating rush hour traffic in Manhattan is a sick enough thing to do in itself, but doing it in a 450hp bumperless narrow body was sheer bliss! It's like being a lean and in-shape prize fighter in the midst of a riot of fools! Everybody is racing, but I was the only one in a race car. I could wend that Pantera in and out of the tightest spots! The car needed paint too, which added to the bravado. I was probably the only one there who was thoroughly enjoying himself! I swear I should've painted that Pantera taxi cab yellow and picked up passengers (only the pretty ladies, of course!). I would've made a small fortune zipping up and down Manhattan.
Needless to say, I wouldn't dare try that in my 5-S. That puppy is wider than my brother's full size pickup! The 5-S is a highway cruiser, not a boulevard bruiser. (Any pretty hitch-hikers out there?) It feels more stable, accurate, and responsive at high speeds than did my narrow body Pantera. It also stops better from high speeds.
This is just another perspective other than the 'looks' issue. I personally like the clean look and crisp lines of the original. Sometimes I wish my 5-S were a narrow body. But then I go out and look at it, and damn, it IS one sexy bitch! (I know I'm not alone in just staring at my Pantera for what seems like hours at a time!) I think the narrow bodies come across better in most pictures. They capture the timeless essence of what a Pantera is. When they are side by side in person with a 5-S, I think the wide body just has more presence. This opinion only came about after I bought my 5-S, I guess it grew on me!
Michael
It's great seeing your car on this website again. Beautiful.