2015 Mustang (s550) shots
#3
Looks a bunch like the rear of a 1999 Cobra from here. Then again, the current Mustang probably handles notably better than that did, with live axle. All this hype about IRS is going to end with perhaps millions of disappointed "Mustang lovers" in America and elsewhere and hundreds of happy automotive based writers being elated and not even really knowing why in any way they can literally explain(and we'll see this in their "reports" forthcoming). IRS is so pathetically overrated, it would be nearly impossibly to describe. I mean, for the average driver who simply never will experience that ragged edge feeling in the handling department. The general vehicle owner doesn't even know what IRS means, or if their car has it, let alone whether or not it's helpful. For most people, it's never really going to be helpful, at least in even the slightest meaningful way. It will always be more expensive, however.
#4
TECH Addict
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: HOU - yeah, you know the rest.
Posts: 2,959
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Looks a bunch like the rear of a 1999 Cobra from here. Then again, the current Mustang probably handles notably better than that did, with live axle. All this hype about IRS is going to end with perhaps millions of disappointed "Mustang lovers" in America and elsewhere and hundreds of happy automotive based writers being elated and not even really knowing why in any way they can literally explain(and we'll see this in their "reports" forthcoming). IRS is so pathetically overrated, it would be nearly impossibly to describe. I mean, for the average driver who simply never will experience that ragged edge feeling in the handling department. The general vehicle owner doesn't even know what IRS means, or if their car has it, let alone whether or not it's helpful. For most people, it's never really going to be helpful, at least in even the slightest meaningful way. It will always be more expensive, however.
#7
Wrong. The first thing I noticed when switching over from live axle car like Mustangs and Camaro's to GTO's and Corvettes, is that the ride quality was greatly improved and they just handled better in every situation. IRS cars feel more planted. Even from a dead stop they tend to get better traction on street radials than live axle vehicles. The only advantages live axle cars have is they can be cheaper and launching at the drag strip on slicks/drag radials. IRS will benefit the driver in 99.5% of their driving experience. I don't know about you but I drive my car every day, but I only go to the drag strip about once a month if that. I can tell you for fact a vast majority of drivers go to the drag strip a lot less than I do.
I have had an IRS vehicle since 2006 and I still don't see the big deal. If IRS was so much better, it would've been used on essentially every car for the past 50 years. That's not been the case, for reason. It's expensive by comparison, it's not notably nicer to anyone who doesn't think it is(I promise my old 2004 Grand Marquis rides smoother and more comfortably than your GTO or Corvette) and most people still don't know what IRS stands for, let alone what it actually IS!
If IRS is so great in every situation, why can the current Mustang out-handle nearly every 4-wheeled vehicle ever created, INCLUDING the aforementioned GTO(in any variant ever offered) and the 2010-2013 Camaro, prior to ZL1, with its lowly solid axle? Again, it's NOT about opinion! It's about known fact. Fact is, solid rear can indeed be, not only quite useful, but quite successful as well. Which of you absolute geniuses can explain away that TRUTH AND REALITY???
The ONLY times IRS has proven better at all, is when driving limits are factored or when running through something like a pot hole. Most people never come close to the limits.
Trending Topics
#8
TECH Senior Member
You are comparing the ride of two performance oriented cars (one being a sports car, the other being a GT) to a large, heavy, softly sprung luxury/grandma car?
Why don't you compare how a BMW 7 series rides to a fox body mustang? Thats valid too right?
Want to compare apples to apples?
and most people still don't know what IRS stands for, let alone what it actually IS!
If IRS is so great in every situation, why can the current Mustang out-handle nearly every 4-wheeled vehicle ever created, INCLUDING the aforementioned GTO(in any variant ever offered) and the 2010-2013 Camaro, prior to ZL1, with its lowly solid axle? Again, it's NOT about opinion!
Apples to oranges dude...
Which handled better and rode better, an 03 Mustang Cobra or an 03 Mustang GT?
It's about known fact. Fact is, solid rear can indeed be, not only quite useful, but quite successful as well. Which of you absolute geniuses can explain away that TRUTH AND REALITY???
The ONLY times IRS has proven better at all, is when driving limits are factored or when running through something like a pot hole. Most people never come close to the limits.
Most people never use their brakes to their fullest, so we should all switch back to drums on all four corners.
Get real, we a talking about a purpose built performance car, whether or not "most people" don't use it to its fullest is completely and totally irrelevant. What is relevant is Ford is bettering the car and keeping up with the competition.
#9
TECH Addict
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: HOU - yeah, you know the rest.
Posts: 2,959
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Every great sports car in at least the past 20+ years has an IRS: Viper, Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Lamborghini, GT-R and Koenigsegg. Try listing the great solid axle cars: Mustang, 2002 and older F-bodies and Grand Nationals - not exactly on the same level. Modern IRS cars are running in the 7's and 8's. Not very many people running faster than that.
#10
TECH Resident
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Eau Claire-ish, WI
Posts: 853
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The only arguments you can make for SRA is weight savings and drag racing. The weight savings concerns me on this new Mustang seeing as a solid axle swap on a 03/04 Cobra was good for around 200lbs in shaved weight. But if they can make it a 3300lb car with IRS everyone wins. Honestly there is no reason they shouldn't be able to hit that mark. There are a lot of sports cars out there right now that are making even the lightest new muscle car look like a fat pig!
#12
Every great sports car in at least the past 20+ years has an IRS: Viper, Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Lamborghini, GT-R and Koenigsegg. Try listing the great solid axle cars: Mustang, 2002 and older F-bodies and Grand Nationals - not exactly on the same level. Modern IRS cars are running in the 7's and 8's. Not very many people running faster than that.
Who's running 7's with IRS? An AWD $400,000 before 50k in modifications, Lamborghini? It's not about what's possible, really. It's about what's plausible. The Mustang isn't supposed to be a high end sports car with the greatest everything. It's a car meant for the masses, like Camaro. Either could sell better if they were still cheap and reliable with decent power and handling characteristics.
Look, I'm not saying there's something wrong with IRS or that cars shouldn't have it, including the Mustang. I'm saying it's ENTIRELY overrated, generally by people who truly have no idea when or where the benefits really do show themselves, like yourself. You have your opinion and that's fine with me, but you seem to refuse to simply state the facts as opposed to your opinion. IRS is ONLY best in some circumstances. Any set up has its good and bad points, including IRS. For IRS, the problems are fairly simple: It's overly expensive, overly heavy, has too many pieces, is harder for most people to repair or replace and doesn't actually produce much in the way of benefits to the vehicle or driver. Plus, it also has a tendency to break more easily under duress than a good SLA(which costs hundreds or thousands less). It's best when the driving limits are being reached, as it has higher limits(road course stuff) than SLA. It can't really carry the load an SRA can either.
#14
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (6)
I think there are good points on both sides of the argument here.
Cons:
Cost (replacement parts, plus more pieces)
Weight
Not a huge handling advantage
Pros:
Better feel over uneven surfaces (95% or more of everyday driving is on uneven paved roads - especially in Canada where winter kills our roads and highways).
Better handling at the limit.
A "step" forward. Must compete in it's class where both of the other domestics already run IRS - magazine writers rejoice, lol!
I doubt the new Stang will weigh in at 3300lbs w/IRS. Don't they weight 3500 already?
Cons:
Cost (replacement parts, plus more pieces)
Weight
Not a huge handling advantage
Pros:
Better feel over uneven surfaces (95% or more of everyday driving is on uneven paved roads - especially in Canada where winter kills our roads and highways).
Better handling at the limit.
A "step" forward. Must compete in it's class where both of the other domestics already run IRS - magazine writers rejoice, lol!
I doubt the new Stang will weigh in at 3300lbs w/IRS. Don't they weight 3500 already?
Last edited by NW-99SS; 06-07-2013 at 08:09 PM.
#15
#18
I digress... you're not entirely stupid. You just have so much "GM IS THE GREATEST AND EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE PLANET SUCKS *** FOREVER" that you come off as that much of an idiot. One day you'll wake up and realize that, for example, nearly any 10yr old or newer car is plenty better than your old Camaro. When that happens, you'll be a better person. Good luck with that being prior to your 40th birthday.
#19
10 Second Club
iTrader: (8)
Not very good. Of course, since you're known as a dunce in general around here, and have been for 10yrs or so, I'm not surprised. It's not that I have superior intelligence in general. It's that you're so friggin' stupid, you make me look the part of a genius. It must really suck to be tiny AND stupid all in the same package.
I digress... you're not entirely stupid. You just have so much "GM IS THE GREATEST AND EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE PLANET SUCKS *** FOREVER" that you come off as that much of an idiot. One day you'll wake up and realize that, for example, nearly any 10yr old or newer car is plenty better than your old Camaro. When that happens, you'll be a better person. Good luck with that being prior to your 40th birthday.
I digress... you're not entirely stupid. You just have so much "GM IS THE GREATEST AND EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE PLANET SUCKS *** FOREVER" that you come off as that much of an idiot. One day you'll wake up and realize that, for example, nearly any 10yr old or newer car is plenty better than your old Camaro. When that happens, you'll be a better person. Good luck with that being prior to your 40th birthday.
Got to get her cleaned up a bit now.
By the way I'm 41....so if you looked at my profile to try to figure out my age you just proved your math skills are not what they should be.
Are you done looking like a retard?
#20
I didn't look at your profile to try a thing... I haven't looked at it in a very long time and I have trouble believing you're 41... Seems as if you've missed out on a large amount of education, but then... Where you're from....
Yeah, I know you bought a Mustang... Can't beg borrow or steal a way to beat 'em, may as well join 'em... Whatever. The real question will come in when you find out of it actually runs like it should. My bet is, it won't until you get a serious builder involved.
Yeah, I know you bought a Mustang... Can't beg borrow or steal a way to beat 'em, may as well join 'em... Whatever. The real question will come in when you find out of it actually runs like it should. My bet is, it won't until you get a serious builder involved.