Since when is the 350Zs performance better than the GTO? This Woman is smoking crack! They should assign her to minivans not performance cars. Who uses their foot to open a door anyway?

 

Even if you're not talking about racing, I think 85% of people are not going to realize this new Mustang has a solid rear axle unless you tell them. For that matter, I doubt many of them know the difference between a solid rear axle and IRS anyway.

IRS is overrated in many ways, but it's still nice.

 

Technically, I suppose you are correct, I would have to agree that 85% of the buyers would not know if the car was IRS or solid axle... however, the ride quality itself it the difference not actually knowing or caring what equipment is there...

If people actually test drive a solid axle Mustang, and then go and test drive a 5th Gen Camaro with IRS (assuming that happens), I'm pretty sure most would say the Mustang "rode like a truck", or "was so hard and bumpy" or something like that, and say the Camaro rode so much "smoother".

IMO, Ford REALLY left an oppourtunity for GM to pounce on here. It's been how long since either of these cars has been re-built from scratch... so this could really be a key thing to set the Camaro ahead.

 

My 99 came with an IRS. The very first mod I made was a live axle swap (yes, I'm drag race oriented). Drag racing, strength, and weight loss aside, there was very little noticeable difference in daily ride via my butt-o-meter. That doesn't mean that others would have just hated the difference, but I hardly noticed.

My 04 will almost certainly have a live axle under the chassis sometime this winter. To each their own.

 

IRS is overrated IMHO.

Before you accuse me of being a neanderthal, I have owned 2 Thunderbird SCs, and I'm about to buy a 3rd. I also have owned 4th gen Zs and at least 6 5.0 Mustangs.

On a smooth track, you can't beat a live axle. It weighs less, is stronger, and as one certain Camaro rep likes to point out, live axle 4th gen Z28s can outhandle early C5s on the track.

However, a well engineered IRS system won't sidestep or threaten to bite you if one of those rear tires hits a rough spot while you're cornering near the limit.

I loved my Mustangs, but I have a healthy respect for what they couldn't do. Camaros are the same way, they just have a higher limit. By my SCs with just a set of good 245s are pretty unflappable on any road, yet can keep up with damn near anything.

Then you have the ultimate IRS-live axle comparison, the Mach1 and Cobra. Cobra has over 100 horses and torque over the Mach 1, yet the Cobra can't clearly run away from the Mach on the strip. Cobra's IRS adsorbs heaps of power. Sure, Corvette has IRS, and is hella quick. But it's underweighet for it's size, and it would even be quicker with a live axle (as if all a Corvette buyer wanted was drag strip acceleration )

IRS doesn't mean better handling, and it isn't the magic cure-all. It simply means better control over a wider range of road conditions. It can seem to handle better because it's not as easily unsettled as a live axle. But it iosn't automatically a better handling suspension.

 

The biggest and most important advantage IRS has over a live axle is packaging, not performance.

Too bad automotive writers aren't smart enough to recognize it.

Present company excepted.

 

IRS does give you the ability to run some camber back there which is a nice thing if you track the car. (doesnt balance out the typical weight increase imho)

Other than that, it ranks as a Car and Driver type thing to me...right up there with DVD players and cupholders.