So I was reading the latest MT last night and the Mustang GT vert is #5 on their "must have" list. GR-1 is #1 BTW.

In the writeup they mentioned that the vert's suspension has been "softened" because of the car's main purpose of being a "cruiser". They also couldn't give any factual performance numbers for the vert as they haven't officially tested it yet.

Does anyone know if this is true? I couldn't find anything about it around here.

I'm going to be turning in my leased Mazda6 S in about 2 years and plan to drive a 2007 GT vert off the lot the next day. All I ask for is that the Mustang handles the same or better than the 6 and I'll be a happy camper. Otherwise I'll have to take a harder look at a coupe or SE if one is available at the time.

One other thing, I'm assuming the rear seats do not fold forward in the vert. Right? It would be pretty cool if Ford managed to work that in somehow.

 

Road & Track March 2005 issue says the same thing in their review on the vert.

"Spring rates and shock valving have been softened somewhat, and the rear anti-roll bar diameter has been reduced by 2mm to 18, while the front bar remains a sizable 34 mm.

Predictably, the result is a little more understeer and a chassis that feels a little floppier in transitions..."

The vert also weighs 160 lbs more than the coupe, so that might contribute to the slightly softer feeling as well.

 

Makes perfect sense, those looking for performance go for the coupe, those that want to just cruise around town go with the vert.

 

In theory though, rear suspension of a convertible is normally harder than a coupe's to take account of the extra weight over the rear axle.

 

I think they have only changed the rear anti roll bar on the V6. The GT remains the same as the coupe.

 

tell that to my uncle and his 500 HP to the rear wheels in his 1997 Cobra Convertible...........

 

tell that to my uncle and his 500 HP to the rear wheels in his 1997 Cobra Convertible...........
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okay, where is he?

 

okay, where is he?
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my guess? about 5 car lengths ahead of your coupe at about 75 MPH's.......... :nono:

 

my guess? about 5 car lengths ahead of your coupe at about 75 MPH's.......... :nono:
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Not if I had a 500 hp '97 Cobra coupe, I would be the one in front.

 

Not if I had a 500 hp '97 Cobra coupe, I would be the one in front.
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I'm waiting on a vert and I'll certainly be modding the you know what out of mine.

 

Either that or the suspension staying the same is what I would have thought they'd do. Doesn't seem to make financial sense for Ford to add another rear suspension assembly to the mix either.

So no one has any proof that the suspension is softened?

What about the folding rear seat backs?

 

I agree with hodlerca1. With the same HP the coupe is the way to go for performance and handling.

 

Automotive News reports that Ford is going to soften the suspension across the board for '06. The softened '05 convertible is probably just the first step in the process (Why start out stiff, if you know you're going to soften it later?) To the poster above who said that the V6 rear roll bar would be made smaller, no way! It doesn't have one to begin with.

By the way, this suspension softening after the introduction year isn't unusual. GM softened the Z28 and Trans Am after the '82 debut and the Corvette after the '84 debut. Evidently, the engineers get to tune the suspension on the first year cars, and the customers get to tune it from the second year on.

 

Well, according to Ford, and I quote from their press pack

"By nearly halving the weight penalty, engineers only made one significant suspension changeā€”a smaller rear anti-roll bar on the V-6 models (from 22 to 18 millimeters). That means the driving experience of the 2005 Mustang convertible is closer to that of the coupe than ever before. "

I think the GT has a further seperate anti-roll bar.

 

Current Car and Driver has a blurb about the 05 vert, if I remember correctly they were claiming a 7% softer suspension, and more weight, leading them to predict a 1/4 mile time of 14.0, a little slower than the coupe at 13.8.