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OMG Ford Mustang GT500 at Nurbugring....


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GM just did it better.

Jury's still out, IMO:

 

 

Also, the GT500's shifter protested aggressive 1-2 shifts, sometimes rejecting 2nd gear altogether — a problem we've had when testing previous versions of the Ford Shelby GT500.

 

For its part, the ZL1 proved easier to drive in every measure. Its shifter snaps rapidly from gate to gate, encouraging the flat shifts Chevy engineers programmed its engine calibration to accommodate.

 

vs.

Additionally, the Tremec six-speed transmission's shifter isn't the crispest; its throws are long, causing slow but at least consistent shifting.

...

 

the gate is clumsy and difficult to engage from second to third gear. At least once a lap I miss a shift, flailing to get the car into third. I found myself cursing at its inability to shift smoothly

Your Mileage May Vary.

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I'll always be stuck in second place at best in that contest. I wasn't the one snapping at posters for not "celebrating" the new Fusion's 30 hp lack compared to most competitors...and I'm not the one marginalizing the buzz created by 'Ring times, something that far predates Caddy CTS ads and seemingly forgets that Mustang sales territory is looking to become global.

 

I can't tell if it's knee-jerk "thou shalt NOT criticize the Oval" reactions, or you've decided that Ford performance enthusiasts are somehow undesirable. In any case, you've been bizarro in threads regarding Ford and performance this year.

 

I dunno what it is, maybe an old hopped-up Maverick Grabber ran over your toes on the way to the office recently. In any case, your hacking on 'Ring-Mustang enthusiasm and marginalizing Porsche's efforts are just the latest head-scratchers in the series.

 

And Zan, I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but you're just a thorough ass these days.

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I'll always be stuck in second place at best in that contest. I wasn't the one snapping at posters for not "celebrating" the new Fusion's 30 hp lack compared to most competitors...and I'm not the one marginalizing the buzz created by 'Ring times, something that far predates Caddy CTS ads and seemingly forgets that Mustang sales territory is looking to become global.

 

I can't tell if it's knee-jerk "thou shalt NOT criticize the Oval" reactions, or you've decided that Ford performance enthusiasts are somehow undesirable. In any case, you've been bizarro in threads regarding Ford and performance this year.

 

I dunno what it is, maybe an old hopped-up Maverick Grabber ran over your toes on the way to the office recently. In any case, your hacking on 'Ring-Mustang enthusiasm and marginalizing Porsche's efforts are just the latest head-scratchers in the series.

 

To me anyway, better that reviewers are celebrating "Ring," Willow Springs, Gingerman, or whatever road course times than the traditional straight line drag racing times that really don't say much about the vehicle other than it accelerates well. It takes more engineering know how to get a high performance vehicle to do everything well other than pass just one dimension. Same with driving ability....more to high performance driving than just anticipating a Christmas tree light well. A review wtih just 0-30, 0-60, 0-100, and quarter mile time is incomplete at best. And even those times are all over the map depending upon what reviewer is doing the timing. Reviews are getting a lot better as of late with lap times at local road racing course more the norm than exception. No wonder Brembo is experiencing a sales boom and is building new plants and hiring many more people. Lap times are becoming the new norm in testing. The "Ring" and Laguna Seca are the new Holy Grail. Bring it on.

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To me anyway, better that reviewers are celebrating "Ring," Willow Springs, Gingerman, or whatever road course times than the traditional straight line drag racing times that really don't say much about the vehicle other than it accelerates well. It takes more engineering know how to get a high performance vehicle to do everything well other than pass just one dimension. Same with driving ability....more to high performance driving than just anticipating a Christmas tree light well. A review wtih just 0-30, 0-60, 0-100, and quarter mile time is incomplete at best. And even those times are all over the map depending upon what reviewer is doing the timing. Reviews are getting a lot better as of late with lap times at local road racing course more the norm than exception. No wonder Brembo is experiencing a sales boom and is building new plants and hiring many more people. Lap times are becoming the new norm in testing. The "Ring" and Laguna Seca are the new Holy Grail. Bring it on.

Agreed. Richard simply has a vendetta against the Nordschliefe... An armchair vendetta at that ;)
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And you've been?

 

I guess, I just don't see how Ford takes a back seat to a smaller company that has notched significantly fewer victories in significantly fewer series (Porsche)--or the Germans generally when it comes to performance.

 

I mean, I guess you can call me old-fashioned, what with my emphasis on, you know, races won, series competed in, and all that empirical nonsense.

 

Which also is why again, disgusting empiricist that I am, I refuse to consider the Nurburgring anything other than another race track. Maybe I should buy into the hype that is so easily manufactured, seeing how there is absolutely no standards whatsoever regarding record times outside of competition events. But there, again, I guess I don't consider an unsanctioned unsupervised 'wowza' time at the Nurburgring to be any more interesting than an unsanctioned and unsupervised 'wowza' time at Laguna Seca, Road America, or a fast-lap at the local K-mart parking lot.

 

It's not sanctioned, it's not supervised, it's not repeatable, it's only marginally verifiable, and somehow it's meaningful?

 

Yeah, I guess I'm just too old-fashioned to get that.

 

(oh, and for the record, I am more than conversant with the history and the outsize mythology of the Nurburgring. Is it a nice track? Yes. Does its reputation far exceed a reasonable estimation of its character? Absolutely.)

Edited by RichardJensen
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If anything conquering the ring is more about the driver than the vehicle. The driver has to memorize over a hundred turns - each one different. Miss a few key corners and it doesn't matter how good the car is. It's a great place to tune and test a car against itself. But comparing times from different vehicles run at different times with different drivers is worthless if you're trying to make objective comparisons.

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I'll always be stuck in second place at best in that contest. I wasn't the one snapping at posters for not "celebrating" the new Fusion's 30 hp lack compared to most competitors...and I'm not the one marginalizing the buzz created by 'Ring times, something that far predates Caddy CTS ads and seemingly forgets that Mustang sales territory is looking to become global.

 

I can't tell if it's knee-jerk "thou shalt NOT criticize the Oval" reactions, or you've decided that Ford performance enthusiasts are somehow undesirable. In any case, you've been bizarro in threads regarding Ford and performance this year.

 

I dunno what it is, maybe an old hopped-up Maverick Grabber ran over your toes on the way to the office recently. In any case, your hacking on 'Ring-Mustang enthusiasm and marginalizing Porsche's efforts are just the latest head-scratchers in the series.

 

 

WTF happened to you? You used to be one of the sane posters on this forum, then you suddenly left for a while. Now you're back as a total whiney ass.

 

Head wound? Hanging out with P71? Spill the details.

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That's a perfect example of what's wrong with touting Nurburgring times:

 

Who is Versa-Tech to deem that this thread has "officially" run its course?

Looking back to the countless other nurburgring threads, Richard is scheduled to argue that Leguna Seca is more viable as a benchmark, to which I will argue back about the greater diversity of tarmac conditions at the nurburgring, to which Richard will reply that a dedicated proving ground trumps both...

 

... :D

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And then the pissing match starts up when times at the 'Ring were not under the exact same conditions,

different temperature, air, track grip ect....

Really, it creates more arguments than it settles.

 

Unless the runs are done in fine dry conditions (weather dependent), it's all just bench racing anyway...

Edited by jpd80
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