yeah i forgot about that one. wasnt it the only mustang to ever have irs? even if it had irs its still nothing compared to the vette. its heavier, the cog is up higher, and it doesnt have as even of a weight distribuition. the suspension on the c5 is much stiffer too along with the frame. a vette just looks way better too.

 

there was a statement made about about nothing comparable to vette for the price. I gave you an example of a car that can literally walk all over vette, including handling department (given a few tweeks). Mustang is not that heavy at all as a matter of fact, it has right about 100 ponies more (conservatively speaking) and has a suspension that is actually more up to date than the vette. Ah yeah, that leaf spring in vette is quite an accomplishment in 21st century, LOL... You should really drive one of those cars to make these statements. I do agree that vette is better looking though and this is the only reason why I have one, not because of its performance or build quality. If performance (not just in straight line either) were a deciding factor, I would not have a vette. BTW, if GM did not plagiarize Porsche's torque tube design, there would be really very little to brag about vette in performance department. This is the brutal truth.

Also, your comments should be directed at last gen of Fbody cars, Camaro and Firebird, these are the ones that exhibit the vices you just described about Mustang Cobra, LOL... Cobras had IRS since the 90s BTW... If you ever had an Fbody car in its "muscle" form, you should quickly conclude that there are quite a few similarities between C5 and last Fbody. Personally, I had to check what car I was in, the first time I drove C5 vette...

 

Superior Performance and Killer looks... Mod it and it only gets better from there

 

My answer is always "why not?"
And that since my first ride in a 58 when I was just 8, I have lusted for my own vette.

 

actually the supercharged svt cobra produced 390hp (only 35 hp more than stock vette). it only performed at .87gs on the skid pad as well in comparison to the .93gs from the c5 with the run crap tires.

 

LOL, you are quoting skid pad number for Z vette, not base. Base skid pad number is 0.89 vs. Cobra at 0.88. Stock cobra comes with 17in rubber and narrower tires. The horsepower for Cobra comes from rear wheel dyno not from flywheel like the Vette. It is very easy to improve Cobra handling and for little money, same with horsepower (at the wheels) and brakes. This is very good for a car costing considerably less than the vette and with four seats and with ancient platform. Even early 2000 Cobra R would routinely break that magic 1.0 g on the skidpad. Nevertheless, vette is still a better looker

 

I didn't know that Porsche uses the torque tube design, but if they do they plagarized it from American cars of the 1920's and '30's.

 

I buy Corvettes for the same reason I used to date beautiful and intelligent women (and most other guys didn't).

Corvettes have both the sexy look AND the power one would expect.

And a big plus over my ex-girlfriends is that I can get the Corvette repaired when is loses its mind! In both cases when things don't feel quite right I always check out my DIC first for clues!

 

more like 30 and 40 I think you meant? No, the old american designs and later eropean like Volvo used torque tube for different reasons, either due to inadequacies of suspension or to gain flatter floor. Porsche was the very first one to advertise the torque tube as a handling solution to front mounted engines with rear wheel drive. Their 924/944/968 cars used that solely due to improved weight distribution. I think Aston Martin did it but interestingly enough, when C5 first appeared, it was advertised as extremely innovative way to bypass the effects of front mounted engine on weight distribution. How innovative indeed Ironically enough too, vette seeems to have the same input shaft rattle symptom old Porsches showed quite, hehe... Seems like C5 and C6 may be just GM's takes on those Porsche cars? Not a bad thing at all, except the suspension is not as good...

 

From the time I was a little kid My dad took me to the local dirt track,,so I ALWAYS had the car bug.If it was hot I loved it!!Always loved the vet,,and at 18 got to drive a year old 64 fast back coupe!!Really had the bug after that!! Took me a long time,,mortgage,wife ,kits and so on. About 11 years ago finally got my first one,,my BB shark. Still have her!! Quite a dramatic difference between my two girls,,but I love them both!! They each have their own distinctive charms!!!

 

I bought my first Vette in 1964. Since then I had 9 of them, and looking for my 10th one. It's called VETTE FEVER

 

To those that get it, no explanation is needed. To those that don't get it no explanation will do.

 

I bought a Corvette to get the babes.

-Alex

 

Please fill out your profile so we can figure out what planet you came from. I do admire your moxie. Your argument is not horrible, but a few facts:

• That 390 HP rating for the Ford is indeed at the flywheel (source Wikipedia and R&T 8/02)
• The Vette leaf spring is actually a brilliant engineering solution which provides IRS at reduced weight and cost and takes up very little space. It is not comparable in function or performance to the leaf springs in the old solid axle cars (remember, in 1983, when Mustangs were delivering, maybe, low .7's on the skidpad, the new Vette generated 1.0 on those "primitive" leaf springs -- at the risk of ruptured disks, of course).
• In performance and handling, SVT Cobra in no way "walks all over" the Vette. They are pretty much equivalent with a slight edge to the Vette stock for stock (Source -- R&T, MT, etc.) Interestingly, the Cobra's fuel mileage stinks, probably related to supercharger, MUCH more weight (see below), and a bit more air resistance.
• Your parenthetical "(given a few tweeks)" is ridiculous. I suspect overall the Vette has higher upside largely due to less weight and stiffer structure -- at worst we could play the "tweeks" game all day long

We might all benefit by reviewing this presumably neutral comparison -- Vette wins, but at a cost: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...son/index.html

Ultimately it is a matter of preference. One is a reasonably sophisticated sports car, fairly conservatively tuned. The other is a 20 year-old ponycar developed to its maximum potential. Take your pick.

 

I am from planet Earth, for sure... The question is, where are you from?

Do you know why stuff like this is out there for the vettes?

http://www.corvetteguys.com/eibach-coil-overs-c5.html

I bet it is because that leaf spring is still so innovative

GM like Ford, they both are cheap. The lack of profit would cut into necessity of updating suspension on the vette. On the brightside, at least lowering the car ain't that tough... (think of this as equivalent of raising trucks with those traditional leaf spring set ups).

I gotta congratulate you for quoting MT horsepower ratings as the ultimate authority. Where do you think MT gets their figures? I did not see a dyno sheet in the article. Did you? MT gets the figure from the factory, and it just happened that Ford got a lot gun shy after their fiasco with horsepower ratings of the 1999-2001 Cobra so they decided to go conservative this time and supply the dyno rear wheel number instead. The dyno sheets for supercharged Cobra are easy to find on the net, just search a bit. If you think vette is a sophisticated sports car of today, you do exactly what corporate minds want you to think.

Complicated tweeks to Cobra? not unless you consider installing some subframe connectors, upgrading suspension bushings and lower the ride plus upgrade wheels and tires something impossible to do. Seems like it may be a toss up considering the cost of bringing vette suspension into 21st century

Nevertheless, I like vette, it is a very nice looking car-as long as you do not kid yourself too much about its performance potential after corporate minds tried to make it more or less cost effective

 

Good way to resolve the question.

 

I always wanted one since I was 8 years old...

Now the rest of the story... I'm 37 and have a half full head of gray hair... wanted to look good again... not that gray is bad at all... Now my friends call me Mr. Vette and not silver streak or touch of gray!

besides the wife and I decided not to have a second child - what else could I have spent the college fund money on besides a vette!

 

Why are you here?? Because you want to look at good looking Vettes?? Go hang out at a Cobra Forum.

 

Uhm, why are you here? I have a vette too... and I never said I actually liked mustang, my comments were related strictly to the performance aspects of vette vs. its cost. Is there a problem with a different perspective at things?

 

I'm getting scared too