With long-anticipated halo cars like Ford's GT, the "S" in MSRP carries significantly less weight compared to the other letters. Manufacturers' suggestions are as meaningless as a zen koan in light of the compound interest added to dealers' asking prices that results from high market demand. When demand drops, or more likely, supply increases, the prices fall back toward the MSRP. It's a cycle that repeats itself every time a car like the GT moves from hype to product. We'd never even pay attention if it weren't for the online. We found out, for example, the the MSRP of the GT is rising $10,000 to around $163,000 for 2005 models, likely in anticipation of updates for 2006.
Related:
Caveat Emptor: Ford GT Buyer Sues Over Five-figure Markup [internal]