sorry bout the caps but needed to make a point that these are questions and not facts or anything that anybody could get excited about

1) this one has puzzled me for a while, and i sort of can see both sides of this: i've heard the new mustang base and gt will get live rear axle while the cobra gets a irs (someone correct me if i heard wrong) so how does that make sense? i mean, i can see tacking on an irs because it is a nice option and raises the price on just the high top end model, but shouldnt the cobra cater more towards the drag strip guys, since i'm guessing that they buy more of them than just the casual mustang owner? i can see that they wouldnt want irs on the base and gt because of costs, but some of the irs costs have to be included in them, plus wouldnt the average everyday base and gt buyer want irs and not live rear axle?

2) is the rear end on the new camaro going to be different? i mean, i know the 10 bolts are pretty weak and tend to give, so if they're making new higher horsepower engines...wouldnt they need a stronger rear to take the power? and, is a tranny being developed (manual) for the new vettes and camaros (assuming the camaro comes back of course)?

sorry to package 2 questions into 1 topic, but might as well save some server space

 

Craig....I wil smoke you....haha

 

Ford is trying to get the public to percieve the Cobra as a Vette competitor, and hence more of an all around "sports car" than a "drag car." That is why they give the Cobra a 390hp, IRS and fancy brakes etc. That said, though many people do drag race their Cobras, I believe the last thing Ford wants you to think is that their flagship sports car is 1 dimensional.

It is cheaper to put a solid rear in a car and thats why the lower model mustangs will come with one standard. Someone posted a Ford survey a while back which hinted towards the idea that IRS may be optional on the next Mustang GT but I guess we will have to wait and see.

Truth be told, your average car buyer doesnt know the difference between IRS and a solid axle so as long as whats under the Mustang rides smoothly and handles well, for sales sake it wont really matter. Where it matters is for the small percernt that are enthusiests. Ford has been good at making the enthusiests happy as of late so I really dont expect them to disappoint. There will probably be BOSS, Mach 1, Cobra, Bullit and other versions of this car with everythign from solid to IRS and every other performance option you could ask for.

As for the next Camaro. No one knows yet.

 

1) As pointed out, the live axle on the base & GT models are due to last minute cost cutting by Ford. Can't blame them either. They are supposedly spending bank on the interior design & quality (directly from J. Mays himself: the new Mustang interior will have Lincoln LS quality!), and after their financial meltdown a couple of years ago, they need to carve out as much profit per car as they can. Also, Mustang as it is, is already the best selling coupe in the US by an insane margin, so it's safe to say the buying public isn't very concerned about live axles except Cobra buyers (typically knowledgeable gearheads like us).

Cobra isn't Ford's "Drag Racing" car. Cobra is an all-round high performance car where handling is every bit as important as acceleration. Fords Drag Racing car is none other than the live axle Mustang Mach1, which will be back when the new Mustang returns.

2) If nothing else, GM knows their engineering. They aren't going to put out a powerplant that the rest of the drivetrain can't handle, and neither is anyone else. That's what durability testing is for. The current rearend is perfectly fine for normal driving and abuse, but it's only when you add slicks or other high grip tire, then go off trying to do burnouts, or do substancially increase the engine's torque then go do burnouts that the rearend grenades.

As far as transmissions, it's probally safe to say that GM doesn't develop manual transmissions for these types of cars anymore. It gets it's transmissions from companies that specialize in this.

Trivia Fact: The 6 speed in the Dodge Viper & Corvette are from the same company.

 

that's what i thought about the mustang, cost and i guess i overlooked the comparison they're trying to make to the vette, which makes sense also

thanks for the answers

 

Harris's dakota r/t would get you....and so would McNeil's tibby....

 

Um... what's going on here?

 

ha I'm just screwin around with Craig...he's a friend of mine from school..ha

 

Oh.

 

So does the 03 Cobra and the 6speed Camaro's. And every transmission that goes into a Mustang GT.

Ford and GM are sticking with automatics.And leaving the manual's to TREMEC for the most part..