Killed a Mustang...
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
From: Parkesburg
I traded in my '98 Cobra with 82,000 miles for a S2000 a couple of months ago. Considering my 82k miles of experience, I feel that I'm qualified to make several comments regarding Mustangs.
First, my '98 Cobra was flawless over the time I owned the car. I took it to the track, drove it to work, slid through the snow...you name it, I did it in that car and it NEVER let me down. The Mustangs have proven to be very reliable and are among the best built with the Ford emblem.
In my opinion, the Cobra hand-built, quad-cam powerplant is among the best in the world. The import crowd beats the horsepower-per-liter spec to death to no avail. What's more important is the lb/ft torque-per-liter spec which no import guy ever talks about. While the displacement of the (1998 model) 32 valve V8 is 4.6 liters, it's 300 lb/ft torque output nearly matches it's 305 horsepower rating. This spec translates into a rewarding driving experience with gobs of torque and hp available at nearly any rpm. The same cannot be said of the S2000 F20C motor.
In my opinion, the best engine designs are those which have the flattest torque and hp bands. While I believe that the F20C motor is a masterpiece as well, it's low torque and high rev nature leaves a bit to be desired. The real benefit with Honda's design is its low weight, which improves response and handling.
While the Cobra powerplant is a masterpiece, the rest of the car is absolute slop. The handling, chassis, brakes, paint, seats, interior, etc. all suck, in my opinion. Not to mention the lousy resale value. For $34k, the new Cobra 'verts are an absolute rip-off.
My point is this:
1. Look beyond hp-per-liter specs and respect the successful designs of the domestics.
2. Understand that for $33k, you are truly driving a phenomenal machine that's a steal compared to the competition.
First, my '98 Cobra was flawless over the time I owned the car. I took it to the track, drove it to work, slid through the snow...you name it, I did it in that car and it NEVER let me down. The Mustangs have proven to be very reliable and are among the best built with the Ford emblem.
In my opinion, the Cobra hand-built, quad-cam powerplant is among the best in the world. The import crowd beats the horsepower-per-liter spec to death to no avail. What's more important is the lb/ft torque-per-liter spec which no import guy ever talks about. While the displacement of the (1998 model) 32 valve V8 is 4.6 liters, it's 300 lb/ft torque output nearly matches it's 305 horsepower rating. This spec translates into a rewarding driving experience with gobs of torque and hp available at nearly any rpm. The same cannot be said of the S2000 F20C motor.
In my opinion, the best engine designs are those which have the flattest torque and hp bands. While I believe that the F20C motor is a masterpiece as well, it's low torque and high rev nature leaves a bit to be desired. The real benefit with Honda's design is its low weight, which improves response and handling.
While the Cobra powerplant is a masterpiece, the rest of the car is absolute slop. The handling, chassis, brakes, paint, seats, interior, etc. all suck, in my opinion. Not to mention the lousy resale value. For $34k, the new Cobra 'verts are an absolute rip-off.
My point is this:
1. Look beyond hp-per-liter specs and respect the successful designs of the domestics.
2. Understand that for $33k, you are truly driving a phenomenal machine that's a steal compared to the competition.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Wisconsin S2k
S2000 Street Encounters
33
May 18, 2002 09:49 PM