clintoris

They might have....

I just get tired of hearing the pissing match about which is better.... IRS or SRA... The bottom line is, there are different strokes for different folks.. and If someone doesn't like the fact that the Mustang doesn't have an IRS, then BUY ANOTHER CAR.

This argument is as cliche as saying 'put up or shut up'.

rhumb

New post on Autoblog confirms the production of the new Camaro by early '09. And yes, it will be IRS. Wanna bet that suddenly, Ford does figure out, again, how to make an IRS Stang for less than 5 trillion dollars and that, revelations, it does ride AND handle better than a cheap buggy axle?

Guess in two some years, there will be other pony car option to choose from and the Stang's salad days of competing in a class of one will be gone. Will it be up for the challenge or will Ford have grown fat and complacent by then.

Quite interesting and a boon for us enthusiasts.

clintoris

I'm happy to see it back, though... as I am the Challenger. Competition is what pushes everyone to develope a better car.

Jack Frost

Saw the release about the Camaro having an IRS and thought the exact same thing

Will the forthcoming Challenger have an IRS?

Yes indeed, perhaps the end of the dreaded, stupid SRA is near. Can't come soon enough for me...or Ford. They may very well be out of business by 2009.

hi5.0

I repeat, the decision to use SRA was mainly driven by cost considerations. The other points made were/are some things enthusiasts wish the GT500/Mustang had as standard. Not all 'Stang enthusiasts go drag racing nor are all Mustangs used for drag racing. (GT350,BOSS,IMSA Mustangs, FR500C,AI,AIX...)

1. Yes, iron is stronger - someone should tell Lightning owners not to consider upgrading to a converted Ford GT Al block after blowing up their stock one. The company offering it must be making some mistake. Ford (Racing), Shelby, Dart, World Products, SHM, and others that make Al replacement blocks must be wrong. BTW, not all new BMW's have iron blocks.

2. I first became aware of CF driveshafts used for drag racing applications... Any forum members with Al/CF driveshafts who take their Mustang to the track should go back to the stock one, since their aftermarket one will "snap like twigs."

3. That wasn't mentioned anywhere. Tell me when there is a 4-spd trans. offered for the Mustang available. Like the aftermarket engine block manufacturers, D&D and companies like it are just wasting time and money offering 6-spd conversion kits for the Mustang.

4. You're right, based on Ford's track record one will more likely die of suffocation before that happens. One can only hope/dream that the rumored "Hurricane" OHV engine development will lead to a return to modern pushrod-powered Mustangs in the future.

Bullitt995

I think you really missed the boat. 6 speeds are nice for gas mileage and all but that's it. Having an extra overdrive gear doesn't help drag racing. Who said anything about a 4 speed?

Hollywood_North GT

All very, very true. The "our drag racing customers told us they wanted it" argument was merely a convenient rationalization that Ford trotted out to explain away the bean counters' decision.

IRS is superior. Period. It's why the world's foremost automakers use it almost exclusively...and particularly in sports coupes.

It's why Chevy will use it in the new Camaro, and rest assured, Dodge, too, in the forthcoming Challenger.

It's why Olympic sprinters don't run with their shoelaces tied together.

I could go on and on...

nynvolt

Personaly, I don't care. And 98% of people looking to buy this specific car don't either. Lets face it, it'd be like adding mayonaise to a McDonalds cheese burger. Sure it would be better but would so many more people buy them to cover the added cost? I doubt it. I drive my car to and from work, or for what ever errands I might need to do. I use it for long trips also and have yet to think, even for one instant, "gee sure wish this thing had independant rear suspension!".

Granted I'm no profesional race car driver hoping to compete in my off the counter Mustang, I don't use it only on sundays for drags or auto cross. To me, I understand the concept, people love Mustangs, we're lucky they bothered to improve it in any way, because fact is, people would have still been buying them. Enough to keep it a viable product. For the money, theres not much out there that satisfies quite like a Mustang GT. And if it leaves you wanting for more, theres tons of aftermarket companies vying for your dollars.

Hollywood_North GT

"Dr. Smith...Dr. Smith to the ER, stat! Segment elevation myocardial infarction imminent!"

Tony Alonso

Have you ever done a back-to-back comparison of the Mustang with an IRS-suspended car? There are times when an IRS car can buck over bumpy surfaces. I experienced that in my previous Nissan 300ZX, depending on the roads. There are a number of variables in suspension tuning to consider. That said, I like IRS and would have loved to had it in this car.

Both of them have it as a virtue of the platforms that will be used.


Really, if you have not driven the car to test how much it really is impediment, I would strongly urge you to do it.

bigaloz

It seems to me that you would like to see Ford go away.

Jack Frost

Not at all. This is my 2nd Mustang. And I also own a Focus.

I grew up with my father owning exclusively Fords: Galaxie 500, Cougar XR7, Linconln LS, and currently a Jaguar S-Type R (yeah, yeah...but Jag is still owned by Ford).


Having said that, decisions like going with SRA in the latest Mustang speaks volumes to why the company is in the pickle it is today.

Ford needed this car to reach out to new buyers and reverse it's dwindling market share.

Instead, Ford sold a lot to repeat Mustang buyers (like myself). But the car will fail miserably in it's intended goal of bringing in young people who were then hoped to later by more upscale Fords with bigger profit margins.

Anyway, as mentioned earlier...as soon as the Camaro is in production with an IRS, Ford will counter and finally put IRS on the Mustang. And all those of you delusional enough to believe the SRA on the current Mustangs was a result of 'listening to the wants of customers' will be nothing more than a mild curiosity in the long road of the history of the Mustang.

Tony Alonso

I see quite of few younger owners driving the V6 models. I do think the styling of the car has probably won some over.

At any rate, competition will force the issue for the next Mustang update.

TomServo92

I also see alot of younger people driving Mustangs around here.

Jack Frost - do you have some actual buyer demographic data to back up your assertion or is this just a theory on your part?

rhumb

All depends on how well they're engineered. Most 500+hp cars on the market today have AL blocks.

Same as above, appropriate engineering required. CF especially is several times stronger than steel by weight, but requires specific engineering techniques to take full advantage of the immense strength.

Fewer gears can be a benefit in the very narrow confines of drag racing from possibly reducing the need for a shift, and ensuing shift time, before the end of the quarter. But this possible benefit is very specific to the esoteric considerations of drag racing. In the real world, generally more gears the better to suite the broadest range of driving needs and conditions.

Doesn't mean they can't build a decent pushrod or (D)OHC motor. Haven't heard yet whether the Hurricane will be OHV or (D)OHC though either configuration can make a fine big V8 powerplant. Now, given Ford's glacial engine development pace, whether we'll see it in our lifetimes...

Bullitt995

Coming from an aftermarket guy like me, I want an iron block, they are stronger. Iron is stronger than aluminum YOU CANNOT ARGUE THAT SO DON'T EVEN TRY.

I actually have a serious question about this...Do any cars from factory, besides super exotics of course, come with a CF driveshaft? I really havn't looked into it, I want to know lol.

I was talking about drag racing specifically here. A traditional 5 speed is no different from a 6 speed in the drag racing world. The extra gear is just an overdrive gear so it doesn't matter. In the real world, yeah 6 speed might be better for gas mileage. I say might because the extra overdrive gear might put the car below it's optimal RPM for gas mileage so a 5 speed could be better in the end for gas mileage.

Oh they can build a forced induction DOHC motor, no question about it. I think Ford abandoned pushrods LONG ago. I don't really have a problem with that. Less rotating mass, more revs, fine by me.

hi5.0

Nissan 350Z/ Infiniti G35 have CF (reinforced) driveshafts.

The main point of this thread was to ask why an IRS wasn't used on the Mustang - the other stuff brought up are tied into the point made about cost-cutting and Ford supposedly listening to what the majority of Mustang owners wanted in regards to the rear suspension. Besides, the 8.8 and the rear suspension isn't exactly bullet-proof perfection from the factory either. I won't try to speak for anyone or everyone who is pro-IRS... I still loved my Mustang despite the SRA and its quirks out in the "real" world of potholes, uneven pavement, etc. and this new one definitely is a step above. IMO, it would've been nice if Ford saw fit to bring the rest of the car into the 21st (heck even 20th) century in terms of suspension design. The pending arrival of the Camaro and Challenger (w/more hp and IRS) will hopefully make Ford reconsider. If not, I'll settle for a Watts link...

Hollywood_North GT

Wow, and I thought I was harsh. You really are "frosty."

Of course, you're also right, but that's beside the point.

Hollywood_North GT

I think we're practically swimming in "demographic data" regarding Ford's perilous situation right now, so he hardly needs to provide any MORE. But to summarize: It's been too many years of bad planning, bad products and cost-cutting measures - the latter of which Ford engaged in long before the ink ran red. This is a company that is now paying for its greed and short-sightedness, and unfortunately, as great as the new Mustang is, evidence of cost-cutting abounds in the car.

Fortunately, they've managed to package and market the car in such a way that it's possible to overlook some of these shortcomings - that is until you're riding shotgun in your new Stang, with your friend driving, and he takes the corner too hard, and you reach up with your right hand for the "oh sh*t!" handle only to discover it isn't there because Ford was pinching pennies...again.

TomServo92

Uh, thanks for the voluminous post but you didn't answer the question I asked of Jack Frost, which is does he have any demographic data that backs up his assertion that young people aren't buying Mustangs?