Watch Out - It Can Get Away From You

Watch Out - It Can Get Away From You

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High-Horsepower Mustangs and inexperienced drivers seem like a match made in the salvage yard. At least that seems to be where to pair often winds up. You know the story; someone buys more car than they can handle, they decide to put on a show, and destruction ensues. I first noticed the phenomenon becoming more common when the 2007 SVT GT500 Mustangs started hitting the lots.


Those cars tended to bring a less performance experienced buyer into the showroom than the previous generation Terminator Cobras. In fact, one of the first GT500s that I remember seeing on the street nearly ended up in the wall at the Myrtle Beach Speedway during Mustang Week over a decade ago. Since then we've seen technology progress to the point that building an 800RWHP Mustang is beyond simple. Just make a phone call to the likes of VMP Performance, Lethal Performance, Team Beefcake Racing, or TPS Motorsports and could have a blower kit with all the trimmings.


The options are plentiful; be it a VMP TVS, Whipple Twin-Screw, Procharger or Vortech Centri, or a Hellion Turbo System. All of them can wring power levels out of a Gen 3 Coyote that would put a 4.6L 2V owner's jaw on the floor. If you're not used to it, that kind of power can have a quick romp on the throttle end with the car pointed in the wrong direction. The car will steer in the direction the wheels are pointed, and inexperienced drivers have a tendency to over-correct when the rear-end breaks loose. The result is often a collision with a stationary object (like a curb) or a crowd if they're leaving a car show.


I have no idea what happened to the car below (which I found while browsing Craig's List), but it has a lot of the telltale signs of what we've been talking about. Newer car, low mileage, Whipple blower, and curb smashing'ish damage. What do you think? Have any interesting pics/vids of things going sideways on over-powered drivers? Post them up.


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You think a SVT engineer is going to read the manual?
Good point, but the summer tires do lose grip at cold temps.

It was 2011 with my Mustang GT 5.0L (the year of the first modern 5.0L) when Ford first introduced the summer tires.

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It was really good in 2011.

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You think a SVT engineer is going to read the manual?
Good point, but the summer tires do lose grip at cold temps.

It was 2011 with my Mustang GT 5.0L (the year of the first modern 5.0L) when Ford first introduced the summer tires.

2011Mustangb.jpg


It was really good in 2011.

2011Mustang-1.jpg
 
I was at Mooresville dragstrip the other night and a guy almost put a new '18 gt into the wall. Still had the paper tags. I guess that's a way you learn. He kept it straight and fast the rest of the night.
 
That's simply amazing
Why is that amazing? A soft compound summer tire won't handle cold temperatures well. At 45 degrees, a summer tire's performance is dramatically reduced. As the temps dip below freezing.....dangerous!

Genesis gave me the same warning with my G70 Sport, which has Michelin summer tires.
 
I've been driving civics and corollas my whole life and this year picked up my Terminator whippled 600rwhp. I've never been above 85mph before. First thing I did was a 5,000rpm drop clutch and then followed with a run through the gears. I looked down and I was doing 140mph at the top of 4th gear.

It was so good.
 
I've been driving civics and corollas my whole life and this year picked up my Terminator whippled 600rwhp. I've never been above 85mph before. First thing I did was a 5,000rpm drop clutch and then followed with a run through the gears. I looked down and I was doing 140mph at the top of 4th gear.

It was so good.
Watch out, it can get away from you...

Sent from a Chevy S10+
 
Only problem with the 13-14 GT500’s for me was going “back” to a solid rear axle car after my last 3 modded IRS rides. My shelby is sweeter by far when carving at part throttle or cruising. Even burning em’ off in a straight line on good, even pavement. But my supercharged 2017 mustang GT and other recent rides were more predictable and stable under WOT or while laying rubber down thru 3rd and 4th gear. I could drift the 2017 GT with good control and confidence. Mainly because of the IRS. What gives us all a bad rep as muscle/sports car enthusiasts is the ability of the masses to just go and buy/finance a 600+ hp ride for those who have never even driven a high performance car. Agree with an above poster. Ability to buy muscle does not make a good driver. I am gonna start chassis mods and a good watts link next on the mod list.
 

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