Hot info on the GT500 Cobra

[E. Green Cobra]

heh- they can keep that car- I'll stick to my '99 until they decide to build something worthy of the rest of the world.

Oh and all you anti irs guys- how many of you are actually basing you dislike of irs, due to the problems of the compromised units that appeared from 99-04- in other words don't you think with a proper chassis and a proper irs that we could have our cake AND eat it too. All the shortfalls of the current irs can be blamed entirely on the compromised design- this car was supposed to get an engineered irs from teh ground up- so we could expect the performance and durabillity to boot. Would you guys all swap to an SRA if the irs could drag without breaking or wheelhopping down the track? probably not- Ford had the chance to build that irs- instead we get another bandaid- and similar performance my a$$ oh and let me guess iron was used over aluminum because the al couldn't handle it right FORD? :rollseyes

 

[Whitten]

I really feel like we might be jumping down Fords Crawl a bit to much here. The reason I say that is due to the fact that there have numerous hints to future vehicles that will fit different niche groups.

If you look at the Gt-500 objectively it is really nothing more than a nod twords the past Shelby's and has effectively rekindled the nostalgic muscle car feel that so many have been craving. The Shelby will be a little front end heavy, it will have the older more Drag Common Rear end design in it, and it will be a bit more uncouth than a your average road or touring car IE the M3. The reason is that it was never intended to go head to head with the touring or road cars. It was intended to be exactly what people were craving as far as a muscle car went.

Now, that doesn't mean that Ford has turned deaf ears on it's road handling and corner carving crowd. I would not be the least bit surprised to see a Boss 302, or some sort of lighter weight car much like the Mach 1 was during the 03 Cobra's run. I have a feeling that they will make a car that will have their 302 Cammer, as well as an IRS. I just think they are trying to satisfy the lust for Muscle cars that is very obvious right now. Don't get down, their will be something for everyone...Ford has said so, and so far they have delivered good on their word with this new mustang. Just expect to wait another year before you see what you are looking for. In that time they can bring the price down a bit.

 

[Whitten]

Sorry where are my Maners? Hey SpdfrkFL Thanks a whole bunch for the pics man. I am very excited to find out new info any time I can, and really appreciate you doing a bit of detective work, and taking a couple pics in the mean time. Thanks again man, and keepem comming if you have them.

 

[Joes66Pony]

I really feel like we might be jumping down Fords Crawl a bit to much here. The reason I say that is due to the fact that there have numerous hints to future vehicles that will fit different niche groups.

If you look at the Gt-500 objectively it is really nothing more than a nod twords the past Shelby's and has effectively rekindled the nostalgic muscle car feel that so many have been craving. The Shelby will be a little front end heavy, it will have the older more Drag Common Rear end design in it, and it will be a bit more uncouth than a your average road or touring car IE the M3. The reason is that it was never intended to go head to head with the touring or road cars. It was intended to be exactly what people were craving as far as a muscle car went.

Now, that doesn't mean that Ford has turned deaf ears on it's road handling and corner carving crowd. I would not be the least bit surprised to see a Boss 302, or some sort of lighter weight car much like the Mach 1 was during the 03 Cobra's run. I have a feeling that they will make a car that will have their 302 Cammer, as well as an IRS. I just think they are trying to satisfy the lust for Muscle cars that is very obvious right now. Don't get down, their will be something for everyone...Ford has said so, and so far they have delivered good on their word with this new mustang. Just expect to wait another year before you see what you are looking for. In that time they can bring the price down a bit.

While I would love to share your optimism, I doubt Ford will do any of those things. I'm not saying Ford won't release special editions in the future, I think they will. But whether they will be tape specials or actually performance improvements is another matter.

My dream would be to see a lightweight, normally aspirated, IRS Mustang in the tradition of the Boss 302, I doubt Ford will do it. I mean if Ford feels that the GT500 is not worthy of IRS, what incentive (or in beancounter speak, what business case) is there to install it in anything less than the GT500. If IRS is too expensive for the GT500...why would it all of a sudden palatable for a GT Plus (or whatever). The GT500 is justifying their reasoning that IRS isn't needed in order to work the faithful into a lather.

Let's face it Ford cheaped out. I don't think we're going to see IRS in the Mustang in this generation, if ever. And if we do, like JWFisher said, it will be another compromised set-up that will give people even more fodder not to include it. I just wonder how long Ford plans to ride the S197 chassis.

 

[rphinney]

I think we should also consider the possibilty that after one or two model years we see IRS, as justification for a 5K increase in price and to keep sales healthy.

 

[V8Mustang]

It the fuel line hoop over the supercharger that is ugly! (it is a fuel line isnt it?) Oh well I can deal with whatever the motor looks like for all the power it makes!!

This is not completely done and there will be many changes once it hits production. The oil filter on this one hangs way down below everything and I joked with the SVT rep about it. They will clean things up a bit.

 

[Whitten]

Joes, I really hope for you that I am right. Well I know that I am, and I know that we will be seeing an IRS in other varients just maybe not the GT-500. Hell for that matter it may be that we see the IRS in the next year as an option. To be honest I know that it will be on a Mustang due to reliable sorces and the fact that they aren't going to develop it to the point that they did, and then not follow through. Honestly I think the lack of it being on the Shelby had alot to do with the fact that they aren't making the GT-500 a road car....that was never the point. The Gt-500 was never a road car. Howver the GT-350 was. I really believe from my own sources, and also my own optimism that SVT will follow through with a car for everyone. I can honestly see it being an all aluminum 5.0 Cammer, with an IRS, and maybe a basic interior. I just don't see Ford missing the boat on trying to make a car for everyone especially since the GT's can't meet demand right now. They will give us the cars we want because they know they can make a large profit on the cars, and that is mutually beneficial. Don't get down on em yet. They have given us so much more than GM has and that is commendable. Unfortuanately it can't come all at one time. Just look at it this way, I am a huge muscle car fan, and all I have from my buddy the General is a lousy GTO wanna be, and no hope for an F-bod....Ford has given it's fans a 500 HP Shelby with a warranty...and I still can't buy a damn Camaro.

 

[Joes66Pony]

Joes, I really hope for you that I am right. Well I know that I am, and I know that we will be seeing an IRS in other varients just maybe not the GT-500. Hell for that matter it may be that we see the IRS in the next year as an option. To be honest I know that it will be on a Mustang due to reliable sorces and the fact that they aren't going to develop it to the point that they did, and then not follow through. Honestly I think the lack of it being on the Shelby had alot to do with the fact that they aren't making the GT-500 a road car....that was never the point. The Gt-500 was never a road car. Howver the GT-350 was. I really believe from my own sources, and also my own optimism that SVT will follow through with a car for everyone. I can honestly see it being an all aluminum 5.0 Cammer, with an IRS, and maybe a basic interior. I just don't see Ford missing the boat on trying to make a car for everyone especially since the GT's can't meet demand right now. They will give us the cars we want because they know they can make a large profit on the cars, and that is mutually beneficial. Don't get down on em yet. They have given us so much more than GM has and that is commendable. Unfortuanately it can't come all at one time. Just look at it this way, I am a huge muscle car fan, and all I have from my buddy the General is a lousy GTO wanna be, and no hope for an F-bod....Ford has given it's fans a 500 HP Shelby with a warranty...and I still can't buy a damn Camaro.

To be honest, I'm not really concerned. Not getting GT500 or not seeing IRS in the Mustang isn't going to stop from buying Ford products. Despite my protestations about the Mustang and the GT500. I love the Freestyle, and my girlfriend and I plan on purchasing one when it comes time to trade in the Explorer. And if Ford doesn't offer me a Mustang with IRS in it, that's fine, I still my have 2000 GT to have fun with, my 66 that I can build into what I want to, and GT40 replicas are plentiful. Besides, I've been having my eye on an F350 XLT Sport, and I know that if I buy an F-Series pickup, then I'll be buying without a doubt the best pickup truck in the market. :-D

However, you can understand my skepticism and cynicism when we've been promised ad naseum that the next-gen Mustang and Cobra was going to have IRS, and nothing came of it. I just have a hard time believing that Ford will all of a sudden have a change of heart, when their top of the line model doesn't have it.

 

[Whitten]

Oh I totally understand where you are comming from and I appreciate you opinion on the matter, that is the only way Ford would know what we want from them is to show our opinion...I am just glad that they are listening to most of us...unfortunately it seems that someone always gets left out. Lets hope they can not let that happen and take advantage of the demand to its' fullest.

 

[Paleoc]

This is not completely done and there will be many changes once it hits production. The oil filter on this one hangs way down below everything and I joked with the SVT rep about it. They will clean things up a bit.

Was there an oil cooler on the car?

 

[V8Mustang]

Was there an oil cooler on the car?

Yes. What I saw was a finned oil filter mount that was about 3" tall. I did not look hard enough but I would guess it had some cooling lines going in and out. It was actually toward the front of the car but, like I said, they will change things around a bit.

For those wanting IRS for handling, I would say judge the car after you have driven one or seen a test on one. Jay O'Connell has a ton of experience in suspension design and real racing experience - the man is an entheusiast and I would say a genius (I was at a presentation he gave in Sebring and the following day, he was my driving instructor). He will do the best he can with this and I am confident it will impress you.

 

[earl lee]

Now that I think about it, the reason there is no IRS is simple. Ford cant make a sports car that is 2 tons starting out. Didnt removing the old IRS in the old platform shed like 250 pounds. The thing is already going to be a pig anyway. Guess they were really trying to save weight. The main questions is why does this thing weigh so damn much. It weighs more alot of cars design with 4 doors.

 

[TORQUERULES]

If you doubt the new solid axle 3 link set up look at the success on the '05 FR500C in Grand Am racing. Kicked those M3's a**es.

 

[TORQUERULES]

The solid axle vs. IRS issue, IMHO, is about cost. Plain and simple...