wow...my experiance exactly! +2

 

I like em both. The Terminator has great looks, performance and IRS. The GT500 has good looks, more performance out of the box and a hydraulic clutch. I wonder if Ford has in the works an IRS for the s197. That and a diet on the GT500 would made a HUGE difference.

 

I'm not totally sure I understand why so many think IRS is so great.

 

Ever taken turns like say like a long curved on ramp and hit bumpers or holes int he road and felt the whoe rear end jump and shimmy over? Or going straight and hit a pothole on one side yet the whole rearend feels the effects? Thats what happens with a solid rear.

Soild rear works pretty darn well on say a smooth race track but in real world an IRS is superior in ride, handling, control.

There is a reason that the mustang is the only car in the world that still employs a solid rear.

 

I'm aware of the one benefit of IRS but unless I'm crazy, there's a whole lot of posts on a whole lot of Mustang forums by Cobra owners voicing a whole lot of negative comments about their IRS. Hell, there's a ton of Cobra's that have been switched over to live-axle right? Why would they go to all that trouble, if IRS was hands-down the superior setup? And why did Ford specifically NOT use IRS on the GT500? The answer to both is that a whole lot of Mustang guys told Ford they didn't want IRS on a high-output Mustang. To be honest, every time I dump the clutch in my Mustang, I'm VERY GLAD I don't have IRS. Also, I've driven plenty of cars with live-axles that managed to handle high-speed sweepers just fine so I'm very sure it's quite possible to improve the handling characteristics of the Mustang w/o having to install IRS.

 

The rambling of the sn95 IRS is rightly so. It was a far then less ideal design since they were forced to use solid axle mounting points. They did the best they could but it was no where near any other manufactures IRS.

There would not be those complaints since the new chassis is designed to use a well designed IRS.

 

One would hope so but to be honest, there's more than a few other examples of high-power cars with IRS, that were designed for it from the ground up, yet STILL have significant "issues" with it. Perfect example would be the Cadillac CTS-V. You could write books on the problems they've had with those cars.
While I agree in theory with your position, I still think a "pony-car" like the Mustang is probably better off with a live axle, especially since most owners are more interested in straight-line performance anyway. Plus you have to figure that a large number of owners will mod their cars (some significantly) which will throw most if not all the OEM calibrations out the window. So again, why bother?

 

CTS V is not a good example as the car was not designed as a RWD IRS car. it was a FWD car that they redid best possible to make a RWD car out of it.

The new RWD CTS won't have problems.

There are tons of cars that do well in a straight line with IRS, Corvette, Viper, Supra.

And the amount of people that mod mustang in perspective to that amount sold is prob around 1%.

 

The CTS was in fact, designed from the start as a RWD. It utilized the RWD Sigma platform right from the start.
If not that car, how about the GTO? Same issues, and as far as I recall, it was designed as a RWD as well.
And I have to say I doubt your 1% figure on how many Mustangs get modded.
Also, think about the cars you're using as examples, these cars are not in the same league as a Mustang.

 

Terminator guys replaced the IRS for drag racing purposes which suits a live axle better. The GTO's IRS has no major issues I am aware of unless some serious mods are involved and drag racing use. Even then a set of drag bags and DR's and 1.5 60's are possible on stock GTO IRS's. They are generally stouter than the Fbodies live axle setup. Pull a 1.5 with an Fbody on DR's and you will say bye bye to the rear (even though the Fbody 10 bolt is a joke).

 

+1 for the Terminator

What a great name, much better than the condor, how cheesey is that?

 

Any questions?

 

LOL at 9 integras vs 3 cobras.

 

Also equals just TWO of these:

 

I suspect its much higher than that, that would only be 1,000 people out of every 100,000 - The S197 has certainly eclipsed the 1/2 million mark by now so that would mean that about 5,000 people have modified thier Mustangs - slim pickings for the aftermarket to even consider messing with.

I also suspect the number is probably near or at a double digit in regards to people modifying the car.

 

I agree. Many of the Mustangs around here have some sort of modification on them, specially the older ones, since they become more affordable to many enthusiast. The mayor part of the new ones are stock, but 3 out of 10 i've seen have at least Shelby or other stripe and/or performance exhaust.
Mustang=fun
Mustang+mods=double fun

 

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/H...SVT_163963.htm

Just addin a lil fuel to the fire. Great vid though!

Here's another just for fun. '08 GT500 vs 66 Restomod:

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/H...-66_172235.htm

 

Heh, so much for an objective score.

 

I know huh? I looked at some of their other head to head comparisons, and it doesn't matter which car performs better, its what THEY like better. It's retarded, but I just like watching the cars.

 

I wonder how that Cobra would do against a Z06. I think George is over a pony for the bowtie Me 2

Jed