Why I Like Engineers and not Accountants
As I mentioned in the episode, my first performance car was a 1994 Mustang GT that I spent a year turning into a very close replica of a Cobra R. Mine, however, had over 400 ponies and would give a C5 Corvette owner something to think about, courtesy of at 347 stroker kit, Saleen Level III suspension, and a good bit of weight reduction. It was a shame when the moron I eventually sold it to totaled it that very day.
After that, I wasn't really a fan of Fords for a while. I was disappointed with their quality and realized that I only had my Mustang for its modding potential, which to this day is still impressive. But after spending some time with the SVT guys, I started to like Ford again, or at least its performance division. SVT is a small operation, they only have about 60 employees. They work hard, and often times they are given a decidedly non-sporting platform to work with, and they must improve it. That's what I never really thought about before, the fact that they have to take something existing and turn it into something else.
Case and Point: The Z06 is faster than the GT500KR, for less money. Well, the Z06 started as a $50,000 Corvette that is already faster than 90% of the cars on the road. It's aerodynamic, low, wide, and its platform was designed specifically for a small-block V8. The GT500KR started as a Mustang. The Mustang platform is designed to be flexible, and work with everything from a V6 to a Supercharged V8, which means that some compromises must be made. Not to mention, the GT500KR also has usable back seats and a much more versatile ride, unlike the Z06's hard-edged sports suspension.
I learned something else important at SVT about the GT500 and KR. Originally, the SVT engineers built the "base" GT500 with the same 540 HP that comes in the KR, but the execs wanted the engine quieted down and a more restrictive air intake was used to keep the whine of the blower at bay. By going back to the original design in the KR, and without running any additional boost, the engine picks up an easy 40 HP. The supercharger whine becomes much more audible too, but I like it.
Often times, when performance versions of cars are released, people can be disappointed when they don't perform to the absolute maximum of their potential, but it's generally not the engineers who got lazy. Some bean counter somewhere put down the hammer and said that 30% of the possible customers don't want to hear the blower, so let's just tone that down, or that another 30% of potential customers want a cushy ride, so let's tone that down too.
At the end of the day, I'm glad the SVT engineers work so hard to make horsepower the way that they do, and if the bean counters decide to tone it down too much, I'm glad I have Jamal's cell number so I know the areas that can be tuned back up out of the giant Mustang parts catalog.
Lastly, it's important to mention that when the SVT designers were given a blank slate on which to design the ultimate performance car from the ground up, this is what they came up with:
You know this is something that needed to be said. I have been thinking along these lines myself. The trend towards pleasing the lowest common denominator makes me sick. What about the 30% who want more horsepower or better handling our needs are cast by the wayside. I enjoyed you drive of the Kr it was the first mustang that I actually wanted that I have seen in quite a while. I remember when the new Mustang came out with the hood scoop that pretty much did nothing. That was when I lost all respect. maybe if more people voice their disgust with the current state of affairs some thing will change, but I doubt it
There used to be a time when auto manufacturers didn't give a fiddler's fornication about public opinion / taste. I wish we could conjure up the great designers - Gordon Buering, Virgil Exner, Harley Earl, etc. And ask them if tey ever considered what the people thought on any of their designs. They dictated the tastes of the masses with their creations. Arrogant as it may sound, it was the reason why there was so much uniqueness and style during the golden era of the automobile. The same applies to guys like Enzo Ferrari. He was interested in racing only, and everything else supported that goal. I wonder what he thought of the 30% that complianed about the clutch being too tough, or the lack of an automatic transmission...
A bean counters goal is make sure you can sell the car to the masses, as well make a ton of money doing it. Designers and Engineers make the car look and drive great. The mustang started a some what of a car that can appeal to the masses, until some engineers and Carrol Shelby said we could race these cars. Make them go fast and sell cars/parts to the sports car fanatics. Which is where the mustang and sports cars in general owe their legacy to racing. When people are asked to define what makes a sports car and what makes a passanger car they cant agree on what sport really means anyway.