you have OBVIOUSLY never flown with the eagles

so take it easy.
http://blogs.995themountain.com/file...e-Eagles_l.jpg

Even with a bad driver I still don't see how this happened, unless it was from a dig. I mean these 5.0's dyno 395 stock, which is over 110 whp more than a Z, and they're only 200-300 lbs heavier. Something is amiss...


Finally saw one today in person on the highway. It looks a sh!t ton better than in pictures, but still not my bag.

And it certainly appears the US economic recession has been a godsend to car enthusiasts. Ford could have easily released this beefed up 5.0 years ago. And now they're finally bringing a real Focus to the states that will compete with (and likely beat stock vs stock) Evo's and STI's...

Ford can build performance cars. Look at the GT, Shelby Cobra's, some of the limited edition Mustangs of the past and present...But given the milieu of the past 40 years in America, they were able to get bye with large displacement V8's that were underperformers out of the box, handled like crap, and garnered a reputation for being unreliable straight line only cars. Now they are finally showing off what they can do with production cars.

No, it can happen. I've had some BAD runs where I just spun forever and a day and maybe ended up with a 13.40 @ 110-112. Yes, I would be closing in on a Z fast at the big end of the track, but the Z's are capable of very high 12s to low 13s stock in ideal conditions, so in a scenario like that the Z could win.

Not to mention if you are going from a dig you need to take reaction time into account. In heads up racing that is usually the deciding factor along with the 60' time.

Now, usually if I have a bad launch I will just kill the run right there. I can tell in the first 60' if I'm going to have a good or a bad run. I used to just coast until track officials yelled at me for taking too long to get down the track. :icon17: So now I just leisurely complete the run... 14.xx at 90 mph or something. :)

The key with the 5.0 is it has a huge traction issue stock. The car is under-tired for it's level of power. With a better tire on the car... game over, I'm running sub 12.5 every time.

I have seen your mustang driving around with Z's in front of it, so I know it can happen. :icon17:

:icon18:

Yeah I had suggested in another thread that Ford could have cut a deal with American Racing or someone to offer a "sport" wheel/tire package out of the box, or just give it the Boss 302 set-up, but I think that's such a high aftermarket category that they just figured the buyers would assume they're getting wheels/tires as their first mod. I mean, the Z has 275's in the rear and nowhere near the torque of the 5.0 and I chirp the 2-3 shift at WOT. The GT NEEDS at least 285's in the rear, and that should have been OEM. However, perhaps said Boss set-up would have bumped the price of the car to the point where market research could have suggested it would not attract as many buyers?? After all, 11-12 " wheels and 305 tires are not cheap. Even with a crap wheel you're looking at $4-5k for that set-up.

I read FORD will add the 6 dct transmission to every car by 2013 and they will focus on better performance with every vehicle they make. Even SUV's. I'm dying to see what a mustang with a 6 dct would feel like? With the extremely quick shifts of dct trannies I'm guessing that 4.4 second sprint to 60 will shrink further. Maybe 4.2 and 12.5 quarter time?
I'm also dying to see camaros answer with the 2012 camaro to the current mustang
As far as tire setup. No matter the cost. They should put the proper shoes. It may cost 4k to a consumer but they buy wholesale and extremely high volumes. They can work some sort of deal that would only affect prices by maybe an extra 1200. If they were able to lower msrp by 500. They must be makin some killer profits anyway.

I'm not sure what the deal is. I think a lot of it is price and keeping the car attractive to all. I know some people don't like the thought of a $300 tire.

My GT has the Brembo package which comes with the performance wheels... 19x9 all around with 255 Pirelli PZeros. Good tire but just not enough of it. I think 275 all around would have been a good setup for the Brembo cars.

With the 255s you really need to baby it. Launch off idle and even then it spins like hell in 1st and 2nd gear no matter what you do. Third can be iffy. If you shift a little too hard you're just going to light the tires up. It's definitly a challenge.

yes its definatly is easy to spin, when i first got to drive the the 5.0 i drove it like a Z and it just wasnt happening :icon17:...the 5.0 just has to much power to soon. Once i got the hang of it though its awesome...its easier to master than the Z. It feels like you really got to be on the ball with a Z to take advantage of it. This weekend I actually get to take it to the drag strip...my best in my Z is 12.82@109 w/drop ins/test pipes/y pipe...i live at the drag though...i know i can push that 5.0 better then my bro in law:stirthepot:

Yeah, the next generation Mustang will get the 6speed DCT for it's automatic option.

FWIW, the Boss is tested at 3.9 0-60.

The 2014 Mustangs will likely weigh less than 3400 lbs, have about 450 hp, and the 6-speed DCT will be the automatic option. If they give the car enough tire I think you're looking at low 12s right out of the box.

Also, the V6 is going to be replaced by an Ecoboost I-4, which could be interesting. The V6 Mustangs are running solidly in the mid 13s stock right now and mod potential is pretty good, but a turbo 4 could make them even more interesting.

Is that 3.9 0-60 in the Boss from the tire or the extra hp with "race key"?

Probably a combination of both. The race key introduces a nice launch control system. I know the MT testers felt the car would have done even better on a better test surface.

FWIW that car was quicker than the M3, Z06, and even the R8 around Laguna Seca... pretty intense!

M3 is a tempermental car and you need a good amount of seat time to get used to its intricacies and where you need to keep the revs to get the torque you need. What's really incredible is the time against the Z06 and R8. Was this the V8 R8 model? I can't imagine it beat the V10

My guess is it was the V8 R8, but I'm not sure.

The Boss lapped in 1:40.2. From the article:

The interesting thing to note is that this was just the standard Boss 302 model, not the faster, meaner Laguna Seca version.

I'm interested to see how much quicker the LS version is, and to see how both Boss' shake out in the C&D Lightning Lap competition.

I think Ford really hit a home run here. Without AWD, it becomes a VERY subtle comparison when production cars are at 400-450 hp and above around a track, even with professional drivers (this is assuming the car isn't a full out race car, gutted with a role cage, one racing seat, no interior, etc). Traction is an issue even with the largest of tires. So, to be able to offer the base Boss at around $40k and the Laguna Seca at a little more, and be able to compete/surpass cars that are AT LEAST twice the price out of the box, is astonishing.

The boss 302 should be the mustang. I hadn't liked mustangs since the old hatchback sleepers till right now and the 302 BOSS is what made me give mustang full props. Even mustang haters gotta luv the BOSS.:tup:

The Boss is as much a "Mustang" as the Evolution is a "Mitsubishi". Both companies have engineers with PhD's making the cars, they just chose not to exercise their muscle for some time (in the case of the evo) or go dormant (with the Mustang - aside from Cobra's, Saleen's, etc). Look at Nissan. The same company that makes the Z and the GT-R makes a minivan. And it's the minivan's and the Sentra's that dominate the market for Nissan, which is why they can make the Z and GTR "affordable". For companies like Lambo and Ferrari, they only deal with one market, and as expensive and exclusive as they are, the end buyer is paying for all the R&D costs that aren't deflected by the revenue the company could be taking in by offering other auto's that cost less than $180,000.

(drooooooooooooooool)

I want a 5.0 so badly :roflpuke2:

I've seen it driving around behind a Maxima, and I have pictures to prove it.:inoutroflpuke:

I've seen it getting an HJ from a red 370 behind the Starbucks and I have video to prove it. :ugh2:

I've seen it getting a lot more than an HJ from your old car....:ohsnap1:

Same with a GTR.

Implicating yourself yet again, I see. :yum:

I've seen it be challenged by a Scion TC with an exhaust. I have to admit, the TC was pulling away from it quickly and easily :roflpuke2:

:bowrofl::bowrofl::bowrofl::bowrofl::bowrofl:

You're quite the good sport, Steve! (although I totally believe the Scion story).

To be fair, he left the Z's in the dust as well. Had to be pushing at least 1000whp.

Thanks, Dave! The Scion story is real. A guy in a Scion TC with a fart can was trying to intimidate us at our meet two weeks ago. :bowrofl:

Traded my 370 for a a 5.0 a few weeks ago and as much as I miss the Z, the 5.0 amazes me everytime I drive it.

As for the Boss - Ford Racing just released the Boss 302 intake manifold for purchase. One of the regular 5.0 guys installed it and got a 50 hp gain on the top end. These cars are just beasts.

I know they're in the same price range, but I just don't see how so many people are going from a Z to a Mustang. It's a performance upgrade for sure, assuming you go with the Brembo's etc, but it's a transition from a small, Japanese, 2-seater "sports car" to an American Muscle car (that now has handling capabilities). To me that's as similar as switching from a Z to a Jeep.

I'd make the switch to a Jeep that could lap the Z around a track the way a mustang does.

I heard from a forum source that the SRT8 Jeep will do this. :stirthepot:

The Mustang was equipped with the "Parked at a starbux with the driver inside getting coffee" mod, iirc.

Well it really is pretty simple. The 5.0 carries itself like the Z does. It is extremely nimble and has gobs of power to boot. The engine really is a wonder... i've never driven one as smooth as this. No matter what RPM you are at you always have power... from idle to 7k+ the thing just pulls.

FWIW, the Mustang never was a Muscle Car. It was a Pony car that was designed to do everything well, not just go in a straight line. With the 5.0 Ford brought that formula back and that's why the 5.0 forums are filled with all sorts of converts from platforms you never would have expected.

My 5.0 takes on the corners as well as, and in some areas better than, my 370. It is a blast to drive all the time.

yeah yeah!....yeah??!!!! shiiiitt

I'd still love to SEE this with "guys like us". Pro drivers for sure, but have you ever been to a track day? Have you driven a car like the 5.0 around a track? People have trouble with it in a straight line. I'd LOVE to see some of these owners with it around a track. Unless they're experienced they will be oversteering into the infield and causing huge pile-ups. This paper racing is great but I'd just love to watch some of these owners of cars with such impressive specs drive them competitively and ATTEMPT to replicate the published lap times, acceleration specs, etc.

You drove an s2k...the same way you need to keep car above 5500 rpm to get anything out of it, you need to be very careful with something like the mustang. You can't just mash the throttle coming out of the turn. There's so much power and torque throughout the entire rpm range that you'll lose traction. Hell, you cant even mash the throttle in a straight line. It's all well and good quoting performance numbers of what a pro driver can do in your car, but who's the one ultimately driving it?

I hear you BLM, I was actually never a Mustang fan, but this car changed my whole perception. As much as I loved the Z, the Mustang outperforms it in almost every metric, which is impressive. Plus, I needed something just a little bigger than the Z and the Mustang fits the bill.

:icon18:

I heard the mustang was equipped with the " driver busy nailing his cousin" mod.