2K6 Mustang Order Guide

[JST]

Available here: http://forums.bradbarnett.net/index.php?showtopic=25365&st=0

Biggest news seems to be that there will be two new 18" wheels. That's good. However, both will come only with 235/50 18 all season tires (presumably Neros, like the 17"s). That's bad--I was expecting to see a bump in tire width on the 18s. The fact that they run the same skinny 235 tire as the 17s means that they are unlikely to be 9" wheels--much more likely that they are 8" wheels, like the 17s.

So, the bad news is that monster tire widths still won't be available in stock autox classes. The good news is that 2K5 Mustangs aren't instantly obsolete in stock classing.

Also, there are two new colors (vista blue and tungsten grey).

[lemming]

well?

what's holding you back then?

[clyde]

till next year when 9" happen

and in the meantime we'd get to fight with everyone else (all the johnny come lately RX-8 guys) that needs the nearly nonexistant 245/35-18 V710s. Think about that for a second. A <2900 lb car like the RX-8 will be wearing the same shoes as the the umpteen thousand pound Mustang GT.

I just might have to buy one.

[JST]

till next year when 9" happen

and in the meantime we'd get to fight with everyone else (all the johnny come lately RX-8 guys) that needs the nearly nonexistant 245/35-18 V710s. Think about that for a second. A <2900 lb car like the RX-8 will be wearing the same shoes as the the umpteen thousand pound Mustang GT.

I just might have to buy one.

What was that someone said somewhere about not understanding why people make decisions not to buy things now based on what will be available later?

This month's C/D has a feature on the GT500. It'll be piggy--they estimate 3850 lbs. It'll be nose heavy--they estimate 57/43. It'll have monster tires--they say 285s in the back. And they are guessing 475 hp with a 0-60 time of 4 flat and a 1/4 mile time in the mid 12s at 116 mph.

Honestly, I think I'd rather have a Mustang GT.

[lemming]

till next year when 9" happen

and in the meantime we'd get to fight with everyone else (all the johnny come lately RX-8 guys) that needs the nearly nonexistant 245/35-18 V710s. Think about that for a second. A <2900 lb car like the RX-8 will be wearing the same shoes as the the umpteen thousand pound Mustang GT.

I just might have to buy one.

What was that someone said somewhere about not understanding why people make decisions not to buy things now based on what will be available later?

This month's C/D has a feature on the GT500. It'll be piggy--they estimate 3850 lbs. It'll be nose heavy--they estimate 57/43. It'll have monster tires--they say 285s in the back. And they are guessing 475 hp with a 0-60 time of 4 flat and a 1/4 mile time in the mid 12s at 116 mph.

Honestly, I think I'd rather have a Mustang GT.

i just got C&D today. i scanned the article, but i was going to wait for someone else to bring it up.

those numbers are pretty unflattering.

the Cobra R was heavy and nose-heavy but it only weighed some 35xx pounds.......i think it was 65/35, though, wasn't it?

anyway. while the car is fierce on the straightaways, the mustang GT or GT evo versions will be much more balanced, i would think. an iron block with a blower. gawd. that's heavy.

[clyde]

till next year when 9" happen

and in the meantime we'd get to fight with everyone else (all the johnny come lately RX-8 guys) that needs the nearly nonexistant 245/35-18 V710s. Think about that for a second. A <2900 lb car like the RX-8 will be wearing the same shoes as the the umpteen thousand pound Mustang GT.

I just might have to buy one.

What was that someone said somewhere about not understanding why people make decisions not to buy things now based on what will be available later?

hence the last line of my post. :eeps:

This month's C/D has a feature on the GT500. It'll be piggy--they estimate 3850 lbs. It'll be nose heavy--they estimate 57/43. It'll have monster tires--they say 285s in the back. And they are guessing 475 hp with a 0-60 time of 4 flat and a 1/4 mile time in the mid 12s at 116 mph.

Honestly, I think I'd rather have a Mustang GT.

Honestly, I'm not sure which I would rather have, but I do have a little time to think about it.

[JST]

More Mustang wheel info, for the one or two people that care:

From the press release (as posted here: http://forums.bradbarnett.net/index.php?showtopic=26487)

Mustang GT also enters the 2006 model year with two new 18-inch wheel and tire combinations – the largest tires ever fitted to a production V-8 Mustang since the 2000 SVT Cobra R model – and unique suspension tuning calibrated to the larger treads. Customers who order Mustang GT with the larger wheels and tires receive recalibrated shocks and struts to compensate for the unique handling characteristics of Mustang’s shod with 18-inch rubber.

Mustang GT customers can now choose from the following four wheel and tire combinations:
Standard P235/55 ZR17 Pirelli "PZERO" tires on painted aluminum wheels
Optional P235/55 ZR17 Pirelli "PZERO" tires on bright machined-aluminum wheels
Optional P235/50 ZR18 BFGoodrich "Touring TA" tires on polished aluminum wheels
Optional P235/50 ZR 18 BFGoodrich "Touring TA" tires on premium aluminum wheels


Interesting. I sort of assume that the "recalibrated shocks and struts" are actually less stiff than the 17" wheel versions, in order to retain ride quality--not sure what other kind of recalibration would be necessary.

17" wheels are probably the ones to get. Get a nice set of 18s" for your day to day driving and use the 17s" for autox/snow use--that way, you could avoid the weird 18" size for V710s.

[clyde]

I wouldn't be too sure about the shocks being softer. Without hearing anything to the contrary, I would assume that the 18" packages will be heavier. Generally, you'd want stiffer shocks to better control their motion (slow the rate of up/down movement).

It doesn't really matter, though, since you'd want stiffer shocks for autocrossing anyway. What needs to be learned is if the springs change with the wheel options. If they do, the optimum setup becomes harder to figure out on paper and would preclude the use of a wheel size the car didn't come with to be Stock legal in autocross use.

[JST]

I wouldn't be too sure about the shocks being softer. Without hearing anything to the contrary, I would assume that the 18" packages will be heavier. Generally, you'd want stiffer shocks to better control their motion (slow the rate of up/down movement).

It doesn't really matter, though, since you'd want stiffer shocks for autocrossing anyway. What needs to be learned is if the springs change with the wheel options. If they do, the optimum setup becomes harder to figure out on paper and would preclude the use of a wheel size the car didn't come with to be Stock legal in autocross use.

Good point; I hadn't considered the spring/wheel tying issue with respect to Stock eligibility.

[clyde]

This is an issue that could potentially affect some E46s out there. If a car is competing with a wheel size different than what it was originally equipped with, even if the wheel size was a possible factory option, the springs might be different. Same goes for any option package conversions. From what a number of people have posted about seeing a plethora of spring part numbers for a single model car, I'd be a bit concerned if I was concerned with staying Stock legal.

[JST]

Pics of some of the 18" wheels are now up:

http://bradbarnett.net/mustangs/timeline/05/06/index.htm

[blee]

I like the Torq-thrust wheels on the Mustang. I always have. I just wish these weren't so chromey. Polished aluminum would've been better, IMO.

Yummy....someone take good care of one of these. I'll come a knockin' later. (Maybe)