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.
[/b][/quote]
So what's wrong with an AWD fully independent setup with a Turbocharged V8?

 

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.
[/b][/quote]


The type of race cars that you mention have rear mounted engines, they must use an IRS system.

So a NASCAR & SCCA Trans-AM cars are not serious race cars? I raced an ex Mustang Trans-Am car in SCCA GT-1. 2450lb with 650HP. You have no idea what your talking about.

 

[/quote]
So what's wrong with an AWD fully independent setup with a Turbocharged V8?
[/quote]

Nothing wrong with it, just would not be an SVO.

 

They're serious, just nowhere near as sophisticated. Comparing an F1 car to a NASCAR vehicle is sort of like comparing a Rolex to a Timex.

C'mon, no one uses solid rear axles in cars anymore. Why do you suppose that is? Cause it's troglodyte technology. It's like going hunting with stone knives and bear skins instead of a rifle and a Goretex jacket. Sure, you can do it, but why would you?

 

Why not? To me, that would be considered into a special vehicle operations category. The reason SVO introduced a turbo-charged four banger was because of the times. Regan era a decade after the fuel shortages of the Carter presidency. Big fuel consuming engines were not that desireable. Ford developed a limited run "gizmo" that proved to be a success. So in conclusion, as the times and technology change, why shouldn't the vehicle or "label" change?

 

Those are both old mules.

 

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 ...
[/b][/quote]
I'm sure there are a lot of ORC racers in Cobras. If you go read SVTperf. several of them have or want to change to live axle for drag racing. My point is, most of us will do neither (at least not very often). The majority of Cobra owners drive them on the street and never see the potential of the cars.

 

They look like blacked-out FR500 wheels to me. It looks pretty good with 18's and a body drop.

 

The Fusion and 500 are both avail with AWD so these are probably in the pipeline. As for the S-197 Snake as long as SVT truly remembers "Performance,exclusivity,value and substance" I have started moving the money I set aside into more liquid areas.

 

Thats a big scoop... Note sure I like it much. I guess Ford wants to keep the difference low-key outside of the scoop.

 

Ahh.. the IRS vs. Live Axle debate will never die

 

The type of race cars that you mention have rear mounted engines, they must use an IRS system.

So a NASCAR & SCCA Trans-AM cars are not serious race cars? I raced an ex Mustang Trans-Am car in SCCA GT-1. 2450lb with 650HP. You have no idea what your talking about.
[/b][/quote]


Yes, I know they have rear engines; my point was that the most technologically advanced cars use IRS. There are a bunch of front engine race cars that use an IRS suspension. A NASCAR or SCCA Trans-Am car is no way near as serious of a race car as say Williams BMW's F1 car. Arguing that a live axle "works great" disagrees with the engineers at Ferrari, BMW M, team corvette, etc. I am sure you know more about suspension design/technology then they do

 

Yes, I know they have rear engines; my point was that the most technologically advanced cars use IRS. There are a bunch of front engine race cars that use an IRS suspension. A NASCAR or SCCA Trans-Am car is no way near as serious of a race car as say Williams BMW's F1 car. Arguing that a live axle "works great" disagrees with the engineers at Ferrari, BMW M, team corvette, etc. I am sure you know more about suspension design/technology then they do
[/b][/quote]


Your argument is ridiculous & bogus. How can you even compare F1 technology with what we are talking about here.

Ford is building a 450HP car with a solid axle (maybe IRS) for 40K. Its a bargain.

NASCAR, sprint cars, drag cars, road race cars, all use live axle in one form or another. I may not know as much as Ferrari about suspension, but I can tell by your comments I know a lot more about it then you do.

You say you have an 05' in your avatar. What don't you like about the way the car handles?

 

Just to point something out, for a time Trans Am racing allowed racers to run IRS or live-axle rear suspensions in their cars. The live-axle cars were generally every bit as competitive as were the IRS cars, with suspension/chassis guru Herb Adams often explaining in his publications that on a smooth surface IRS offers little real handling advanatage.

IRS has it's advantages, but like I said earlier in the post to many people it wont matter how well the car handles or what it out-handles if it comes with a live-axle, they will simply complain that it does not have IRS. If the car delivers the goods I could care less how it gets there.

 

The GT already does that.
[/b][/quote]

That's what I was getting at. People were stating it was a step backward yet the new suspension with its "ball-has-been dropped" SRA outperforms the best the old suspension has to offer (the Cobra with IRS). The question was rhetorical and slightly sarcastic if you have to know. B)

As far as I'm concerned Ford didn't drop the ball at all given how well new suspension works. When the IRS eventually arrives (and I believe it will), performance will only get better.

 

That's what I was getting at. People were stating it was a step backward yet the new suspension with its "ball-has-been dropped" SRA outperforms the best the old suspension has to offer (the Cobra with IRS). The question was rhetorical and slightly sarcastic if you have to know. B)

As far as I'm concerned Ford didn't drop the ball at all given how well new suspension works. When the IRS eventually arrives (and I believe it will), performance will only get better.
[/b][/quote]
Sometimes that doesn't translate to well online.

 

Your argument is ridiculous & bogus. How can you even compare F1 technology with what we are talking about here.

Ford is building a 450HP car with a solid axle (maybe IRS) for 40K. Its a bargain.

NASCAR, sprint cars, drag cars, road race cars, all use live axle in one form or another. I may not know as much as Ferrari about suspension, but I can tell by your comments I know a lot more about it then you do.

You say you have an 05' in your avatar. What don't you like about the way the car handles?
[/b][/quote]

Again, I wasn't comparing an F1 car to a factory car, rather other race cars. A live axle race car isn't the most technologically advanced vehicle. You are arguing about live axles, which are an inferior technology. Yes you can make a live axle to handle well, but an IRS setup is better. Heck the 125CC CRG kart I race doesn't even have a suspension, but will pull roughly 2.5 g's in a corner. Again, you are going against the wisdom of experienced engineers.

 

These are not spy shots of the real car. They are powertrain mules. The car will not have that rediculous scoop.

 

Let's stop all this quoting madness. The gasoline powered engine is an inferior technology, but I don't see anyone asking for a hybrid or fuel cell. Lets just let this IRS vs. SRA rest. No one is changing anyone's mind.

 

Sometimes that doesn't translate to well online.
[/b][/quote]

True. I gues I should have used one of these: