AWD and turboed four-bangers? Call me snobbish, but that ain't to my taste, and SVT just would not be the same if they ventured into import territory. I've got nothing against high-performance Foci and the like, but I was glad when they dropped it. SVT means MUSCLE

 

It still amazes me how many people are ignorant about IRS Vs live axle. This has been beaten to death.

Front engine rear drive cars work quite well without IRS. SCCA Trans-Am cars are all solid axle. NASCAR works pretty good on road courses. I have many years racing experience at Lime Rock Park in CT which is one of the roughest tracks in North America. A good solid axle setup works great here.

I hope SVT offers a 9" rear so we can put some real power in the new Cobra. 600HP+

 

It still amazes me how many people are ignorant about IRS Vs live axle. This has been beaten to death.

Front engine rear drive cars work quite well without IRS. SCCA Trans-Am cars are all solid axle. NASCAR works pretty good on road courses. I have many years racing experience at Lime Rock Park in CT which is one of the roughest tracks in North America. A good solid axle setup works great here.

I hope SVT offers a 9" rear so we can put some real power in the new Cobra. 600HP+
[/b][/quote]

And an IRS setup works even better. Any serious race cars from LMP's, Formula Fords, Champ cars, and F1 cars use IRS setups. Nascar's are near the bottom of the ladder in terms of professional race cars.

 

Here we go again.... B)

 

How many of us are going to road race them anyway? Track events and drag races are about the extent of competition we get into. Most of the driving will be cruising. The drag racers like live axle to get the power to the ground.

 

wow this rocks. Amy's pic is confirmed now :w00t: and whats all this about not likeing the hood.

first of all, i kinda like it. it gives that bare bones, no fluff performance car look

and plus, sadly for me, its prolly not gonna be like that neways. just a mule. but i like that hood

hmmmm


and

 

For sure, on a race track the live axle will probaly handle to your predicted abilities. But does everyone just drive their cobra on the track? No. In the real world, where the road is not pool table smooth and level, the stiffly sprung spruce log is gonna jump around and ride like heck. For 40k there is NO excuse for not having IRS, which is a SUPERIOR technology(when properly implemented). If the cobra is truly about "going fast and performing well", well, the SVT boys need to get with the program.

To think of it from another point of view. This one as a prospective consumer (who is not a mustang addict who bleeds blue and white ). When he is about to make his decision he will inevitablely read magazine, online, and various other reviews. They will all list this as a detriment to the car, and will consider this a negative aspect of the cobra. Like it or not, alot of people put ALOT of faith in those reviews, and could potentially buy another car because of it. From a business perspective and from a enthusiast perspective, it seems it would make much more sense to raise the price that extra 2-3k to not be considered "backward", especially if ford wants to have a cutting edge(or at least with the times) image carved from its flagship SVT model.

I know this is kind of a rant, but with the GT, i was cool with the spruce log, because despite its dated tech., it still handled great (and it cost 25k). The last time i read about the expectations for this new cobra, i heard comparisons between it and the M3. Well, if the cobra keeps the live axle, it will be essentially shooting itself in the foot before the race even starts, and thats just not enough to take down the M3 giant.

Jason

 

You have to look at what the competition is doing though. All of the Cobra's competition uses an IRS setup. IRS's real advantage for the vast majority of drivers is a smother ride and more predictable handling. I read an article that stated that SVT wanted to become similar to BMW's ///M division and focus on the total package; power and handling. They aren't doing this by going with a live rear axle.

 

I'm sure you could get the metal shop at your local high school to fab one of them scoops up for you. They might even pop-rivet it to your hood for free!

 

You have to look at what the competition is doing though. All of the Cobra's competition uses an IRS setup. IRS's real advantage for the vast majority of drivers is a smother ride and more predictable handling. I read an article that stated that SVT wanted to become similar to BMW's ///M division and focus on the total package; power and handling. They aren't doing this by going with a live rear axle.
[/b][/quote]
Don't get me wrong, I want IRS. I'm just fueling the debate and admitting that I probably won't get much use out of the suspension or the engine. But, I'll have it just in case.

All of its competition uses IRS, but, how many of them use SC V8 power? The Cobra takes an engine first, the rest later approach. I like the muscle car mentality.

I think it will be optional this time. SVT was never big on options, but, they are run by new people now and there are 2 groups of buyers. The road guys and the drag guys. I wouldn't be surprised to see optional SMG as well.

 

assuming i get a car anytime soon

plus im PO'd tha our skool doesnt even have a metal shop. or heck, a car shop class!

BTW am i the only one who likes the rivets? :hiding: here i go again, choosing to like something that everyone hates...

the niners, my 'fro, my sideburns, a mustang (for my family and some friends at least), furthermore a Fox mustang (see last parentheses), blink 182, and now this. hey, sometimes it pays to be different

 

assuming i get a car anytime soon

plus im PO'd tha our skool doesnt even have a metal shop. or heck, a car shop class!

BTW am i the only one who likes the rivets? :hiding: here i go again, choosing to like something that everyone hates...

the niners, my 'fro, my sideburns, a mustang (for my family and some friends at least), furthermore a Fox mustang (see last parentheses), blink 182, and now this. hey, sometimes it pays to be different
[/b][/quote]

Well, it would certainly be different to be the only forum member with a reproduction of a Cobra test mule.

 

It still amazes me how many people are ignorant about IRS Vs live axle. This has been beaten to death.

Front engine rear drive cars work quite well without IRS. SCCA Trans-Am cars are all solid axle. NASCAR works pretty good on road courses. I have many years racing experience at Lime Rock Park in CT which is one of the roughest tracks in North America. A good solid axle setup works great here.

I hope SVT offers a 9" rear so we can put some real power in the new Cobra. 600HP+
[/b][/quote]

I couldnt agree more. A properly setup solid axle is better than a budget IRS.

IRS and Aerodynamics are the two most misunderstood aspects of cars.

 

How much you want to bet that the new Cobra will run the slalom faster and with a higher MPH than the outgoing Cobra?
[/b][/quote]

Probably a pretty safe bet since the new 05 GT runs it faster.

 

EXACTLY! We can call it the Spruce Snake...in the spirit of the Spruce Goose!

But has everyone forgotten the recent MT article that stated clearly the new Cobra was going to be a Shelby, and that the SVT name would no longer be used on it?

Now we have this article from Autoweek.

How can two high-profile magazines get such wildly different information from Ford sources. Something smells - like maybe dis-information being deliberately leaked out to fuel interest and discussion.

First it was SVT and a certain IRS. Then it was Shelby and no IRS. Now it's SVT again and no IRS. Get what I'm saying?

 

No what are you saying?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Motor Trend is FOS. They have nice pictures to look at. Thats all. They are usually the ones to drop a story, but a lot of inaccuracies. On TLC last night, "Million Dollar Cars" was on and one of the guys @ MT was interviewed for the segment. I laughed at a lot of his comments about the Saleen S7, Ferrari Enzo, Maybach, etc. MT is about as accurate as politicians' promisies in this country.

My $.02, one Shelby Mustang w/ the Ford GT engine and "beefed-up" rear axle, and one SVT Cobra Mustang w/ a 5.4 s/c'd at 400+ hp w/ stronger SRA.

 

I hope that the 450hp # is underrated just like the 03-04's

 

Ummmm .. I know quite a few Cobra owners that race their current vehicles on ORC ..... Including me ..... There are very FEW Cobras at the drags that I have seen .... GTs go drags .... Cobras go ORC .... because of the IRS ...

 

How much you want to bet that the new Cobra will run the slalom faster and with a higher MPH than the outgoing Cobra?
[/b][/quote]
The GT already does that.

 

You forget that SVT has it origins in Special Vehicle Operations, the group that gave us the Turbo four-banger Mustang SVO. I think it'd be neat if Ford introduced an AWD DOHC Turbo 4 cylinder called the SVO. Not to replace the Cobra, of course. It would be in an entirely different market niche than the Cobra.