2011 convertible 1000% stiffer ???
12/11/09, 12:26 PM
#21
Mach 1 Member
Back on topic:
Car and Driver review of the 2006 convertible:
Same quote can be found in a 2005 Canadian Driver review:
Apology please
Car and Driver review of the 2006 convertible:
Same quote can be found in a 2005 Canadian Driver review:
Apology please
Top safety marks expected
Mustang's technological advances are also incorporated in the structure of the vehicle to improve safety. The 2010 Mustang coupe earned the U.S. government's top five-star crash-test rating, a designation the 2011 model is expected to achieve.
The Mustang's considerable body stiffness contributes to the coupe and convertible's driving performance and has a parallel benefit in accident protection. While the coupe's body structure is approximately 31 percent stiffer than the previous Mustang platform, the convertible's is more than twice as stiff – creating a structure that helps protect the cabin from deformation and intrusion
Last edited by Cdvision; 12/11/09 at 12:57 PM.
12/11/09, 03:16 PM
#22
FR500 Member
Join Date: July 1, 2008
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think we agree that even in their latest press releases Ford appears to be restating the numbers with respect to the 2004 model year.
I checked around the web to find a site besides Jalopnik who had been making the 1000% claim, but found none. However, there are interesting details in Jalopnik's article that make me believe there are indeed improvements for the 2011 model year. Yet there are other details that could be 2010 related. To wit:
I have yet to find a reference to Mustang and structural foam anywhere on the Net that comes from a source other than the Jalopnik article. So maybe this is the first use of it in the car.
However, both the 7% aerodynamics number and its sources were listed as improvements for the 2010 model year. The 7% number is mentioned in this R&T article:
Here's another interesting quote on the 2010:
I checked around the web to find a site besides Jalopnik who had been making the 1000% claim, but found none. However, there are interesting details in Jalopnik's article that make me believe there are indeed improvements for the 2011 model year. Yet there are other details that could be 2010 related. To wit:
Originally Posted by jalopnik
Standard now are GT disc brakes all around, optional 19 inch wheels, stiffer bushings, bigger stabilizer bar, dual exhaust standard, low rolling resistance tires, and 7% better aerodynamics because fascia tuning, an underbody tray and wheel spats. Anyone who's been in the convertible knew cowl shake was a problem, and as such Ford's stiffened things quite a bit, the 2011 is over 1000% stiffer than the 2010. That's not a typo. The improvements come in underbody and cowl cross-bracing and structural foam injected into the door pillars. 1000%, pretty impressive.
However, both the 7% aerodynamics number and its sources were listed as improvements for the 2010 model year. The 7% number is mentioned in this R&T article:
Here's another interesting quote on the 2010:
"We've reduced the drag coefficient, which measures the ability of the Mustang to slip through the air, by 4 percent in the V6 models and 7 percent in the GT models," said Product Design Engineer Steve Parks. "In addition, we reduced the front aerodynamic lift for the 2010 Mustang by 37 percent for V6 models and 23 percent for GT models, which significantly improves steering feedback and driver confidence at higher speeds."
12/14/09, 03:24 PM
#24
Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
Join Date: November 14, 2007
Location: Pacific NW USA
Posts: 3,652
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes
on
6 Posts
2011 Mustang Convertible Enhancements
• Lateral stiffness improved by a projected 12 percent
• Strut tower brace standard on all convertibles
• “V-brace” design stiffened with additional gussets
• #2 crossmember stiffened
• Additional front “Z-brace” connecting the #1 and #2 crossmembers
• A-pillar stiffening foam
• Lateral stiffness improved by a projected 12 percent
• Strut tower brace standard on all convertibles
• “V-brace” design stiffened with additional gussets
• #2 crossmember stiffened
• Additional front “Z-brace” connecting the #1 and #2 crossmembers
• A-pillar stiffening foam
12/14/09, 04:13 PM
#26
FR500 Member
Join Date: July 1, 2008
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
12/14/09, 04:29 PM
#27
FR500 Member
Join Date: July 1, 2008
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2011 Mustang Convertible Enhancements
• Lateral stiffness improved by a projected 12 percent
• Strut tower brace standard on all convertibles
• “V-brace” design stiffened with additional gussets
• #2 crossmember stiffened
• Additional front “Z-brace” connecting the #1 and #2 crossmembers
• A-pillar stiffening foam
• Lateral stiffness improved by a projected 12 percent
• Strut tower brace standard on all convertibles
• “V-brace” design stiffened with additional gussets
• #2 crossmember stiffened
• Additional front “Z-brace” connecting the #1 and #2 crossmembers
• A-pillar stiffening foam
12/14/09, 05:42 PM
#28
Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
Join Date: November 14, 2007
Location: Pacific NW USA
Posts: 3,652
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes
on
6 Posts
Sorry, there weren't any pics to go with that list. Ford is just now starting to feed info on the 2011 to us here at the dealerships. The blurb I found was in an online product manual that is stilling being built and updated for dealer use.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post