not true the srt-4 neon comes only in stick
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in reply to my own post who cares anyway its a neon

 

not true the srt-4 neon comes only in stick
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...I knew that!

 

Listen I would rather have a semi-auto, i live in l.a. and would hate shifting that beast in traffic here!!!!! But i plan on getting one regardless..

 

I was included in a survey about 2 years ago. Ford had an outside company polling persons who had purchased an svt vehicle new. Mine was an '01 Cobra... anyway... there were a number of questions about the paddle shift style transmissions that ferrari uses, and would I like to see that in the new Cobra, and how much horsepower would I like to see in the new car, should it have IRS, and how much would I pay for this combination or that combination, etc? The survey took over an hour to complete and it was pretty comprehensive. Oh yeah... and they sent me a $500 check for participating. I guess I shouldn't reveal that I would have done it for free. Needless to say, I feel pretty good about Ford's marketing department and about the future of the mustang Cobra.

I feel like if Ford does put an auto in the Cobra, it will be a paddle style.

As far as the rest of the car is concerned, I have to admit I was a little bummed when the new Cobra didn't have IRS. I thought that Ford's bogey for the Cobra was the BMW M3. The impression I'm getting is that Ford doesn't think people will pay the extra money for an IRS Mustang, but I think they underestimate people's loyalty to the Mustang and people's ability to recognize content over nameplate. I could buy an M3, but I never will. Just as I would never buy a Corvette, even though I think the new C6 is a beautiful car and a performance bargin (with IRS). I would, however, pay in the $40-$45k range for a Mustang with equal content as these cars. Why should I buy a Cobra, though, when I can get essentially the same car for $25K? I know the interior is a little nicer, but the GT premium is nice enough for me. Put on a whipple, some cobra suspension bits and brakes when they become available, and for somewhere in the neighborhood of $33k, I have for all intents and purposes, the same car. Not quite as fast, not quite as nice inside, but just fine for a daily driver. I guess my point is: SVT, if your going to make a special edition, then really make it special. You're not making a silk purse from a sow's ear anymore.

As rhomb (I think) pointed out in another thread, John Colletti's team was able to bring the '03-'04 Cobra to market at a $35K price point with IRS in a car that was not designed to accept it. What's up with the new team? They need $5k more to put IRS into a chassis that started out with IRS? And it's going to weigh more? I thought I read somewhere about a year ago that the IRS in the new mustang would weigh less than a straight axle. Of course, this was before the final decision about which rear the Mustang would get had been made public. Something just isn't adding up for me.

I'll still be buying my '05 GT with the straight axle and loving every minute of it because in 90% of the driving you get to do on the street, it doesn't matter anyway.

 

I bet Ford will offer IRS in a few years after the frenzy dies down. They don't need to put it in now. The car will sell, and it will sell well. In a couple of years it will die down and they'll have to spiff it up a little (with IRS, paddle shifters, recaro seats, 19" wheels, etc. They don't want to let all the goodies out at one time.

 

Darn double post. Real one is below.

 

Phil, I agree with many of your points, except that I think the sum of the parts added to a GT premium will exceed the cost of a Cobra, asuming you can get one for appox 35k. A 6-speed Tremac trans would be over 2 grand, a Whipple kit is approaching 5-5.5k, and a built bottem-end without labor is 4k+. This is an additonal $12k not including labor, the lack of a warranty, the larger rims, and upgraded suspension parts, the larger displacement 5.4, the 32 valve heads, custom tuning, etc. There is also the inability to recoup your investment should you ever decide to sell or trade the GT with the mods in. Many of the parts on the stock GT are marginal at the 450 hp level, and it really comes down to the amount of risk you're willing to take.

I think the Cobra is a better platform, and with the exception of changing out the airbox for a few horses, you wouldn't have to do much to it. I'm still on the fence trying to decide whether or not to wait for the GT500, since I've been waiting long enough.

 

I guess heated seats are out of the question

 

Louis, I here what you're saying. For me, however, the GT + mods makes more sense. I don't think the Cobra is going to be $35k...probably closer to $40k. I'm fine with the 5-speed and I think the GT will live a long life conservatively tuned to make around 400rwhp. That is about the useful limit for a daily driven street car, anyway (IMO). Obviously, I'll need better brakes and I'll upgrade the suspension and wheel/tires. I'll install most, if not all these items myself (one of the reasons I love mustangs) and have a great time doing it. With just those changes, I'd guess I'm at around $8k in mods. By the time 3 years/36,000 miles roles up, the bugs should have long been worked out of the whipple, and it may even be a little cheaper than 5k somewhere. I'm not concerned about recouping my investment because it's a hobby and the only thing I spend money on for myself. Besides, a car is not an investment, anyway. It's just a way to keep everybody working.

I agree that the Cobra is a better car from the get-go, but it's the same platform. I also agree that I wouldn't do much if anything to the GT500. For me, though, a GT500 is not a daily driver. That's why I'm waiting to see all the other toys SVT will unveil in the next 5 years or so. Heck, I've had 7 mustangs so far, not counting the one on order. I'm looking forward to these next 2 being the best and probably last (for me). Good luck with your decision making. It's hard to wait.

 

Why? I had them in my svt focus.

 

You are a wise man.

 

You are a wise man.
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My question is, given the current attitude at Ford about IRS (i.e. we don't need it) what reason would they have to ever offer it. Don't get me wrong, if Ford does offer IRS in the Mustang in the next couple years, I'm all over it, but frankly, there's nothing that indicates to me that Ford has any willingness to do that.

The thing that gets me is how Ford seemingly talk about the superior driving dynamics of IRS out of one side of the mouth, then says it's totally unnecessary in their halo performance car.

 

It's just that it doesn't take a genius to include in the options list IRS and a SemiAuto tranny: the Cobra will be the ultimate Mustang, a car with the performance of a supercar or exotic or whatever you wanna call it at a very affordable price compared to the other manufacturers top sport cars.
I believe I can safely say that on average if you want this type of car, you'd like it to be as fast as possible (if instead it's just looks, buy a v6 'stang) and as glued to the road as possible (after all it's got TONS of hp...gotta use them the best and control them the best possible way, isn't it right ?), therefore SemiAuto (shifting in 150 or 200 milliseconds ? A dream !) and IRS (more efficient on turns than SRA: out there not all roads are straight...) ought to come in the picture FIRST.
After all for a 450+ hp car, these are the first things that should come into the mind of a performance oriented buyer, which it's the image of the average buyer of this car in my opinion...not how many cupholders or any other gizmo of the same sort...
Therefore, the geniuses at Ford should really start understanding what priorities this car needs as far as options !
IMHO

 

No, they are neither, modern Ford slush boxes aren't noted for thier strength and it is my understanding that the current 5 speed is weaker than the 4 speed auto it replaces. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1994 I can tell you that a Ford authorized rebuilt automatic (which was the only way to get one from Ford) was 1800.00 dollars minus installation (I can imagine the cost of the 5 speed auto today). The Shelby GT500 would grenade factory automatics faster than 03+ Cobras chew on axleshafts.

I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that if I were to have this car right now, I would be replacing the auto tranny every 6 months without fail.

 

My question is, given the current attitude at Ford about IRS (i.e. we don't need it) what reason would they have to ever offer it. Don't get me wrong, if Ford does offer IRS in the Mustang in the next couple years, I'm all over it, but frankly, there's nothing that indicates to me that Ford has any willingness to do that.

The thing that gets me is how Ford seemingly talk about the superior driving dynamics of IRS out of one side of the mouth, then says it's totally unnecessary in their halo performance car.
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They say they don't need it now, because, they decided not to offer it and the car will well without it. In a few years, when the sales die off, they will need to find ways to make it more attractive. I doubt they are going to be able to go much higher in power.

 

No, they are neither, modern Ford slush boxes aren't noted for thier strength and it is my understanding that the current 5 speed is weaker than the 4 speed auto it replaces. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1994 I can tell you that a Ford authorized rebuilt automatic (which was the only way to get one from Ford) was 1800.00 dollars minus installation (I can imagine the cost of the 5 speed auto today). The Shelby GT500 would grenade factory automatics faster than 03+ Cobras chew on axleshafts.

I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that if I were to have this car right now, I would be replacing the auto tranny every 6 months without fail.
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Which brings me back to my original post; how is it that Daimler Chrysler can provide heavy duty A/T's in their SRT products? Ford needs to get on the bandwagon! This is the 21st century!!!

 

I think the Shelby would work well with a slightly modified 4R70W. Paul's High perrformance is installing them in highly modified 03 & 04 Cobras, and getting outstanding peformance. I know it would grenade a 5R55S, but Ford should develop a 5-6speed auto that will handle the torque. The technology is there and customers like me, want it.

 

What about the 5 speed autos in Powerstroke diesels? They obviously can handle ALOT of torque. The question is whether they would fit in a Mustang.

 

I saw one of SVT websets that Ford will have 5speed auto. it is one had photoshop the black Cobra is on.

 

Torqueshift 5 speed is easilly up to the task. Used in 5.4/6.8, and 6.0 vehicles able to tow up to 17,000 lbs, and in the 450/550's. Ford can also source SMG's from Aston.