From a GM Guy - I Hope the Suspension is Better Damped This Time Around

[Michael]

I have always owned GM cars, Camaros, Firebirds, and Corvettes. I got a chance to drive a couple 2013 Mustang GT's for literally hundreds of miles on winding back roads, and loved the car, other than the suspension. It seemed way under damped and even a little under sprung. It just did not feel planted. Randy Pobst mentions this in the Motortrend videos, too. I am hoping they get the suspension competitive this time around. I'm strongly considering buying my first Mustang ever.

Michael

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[Tony Alonso]

It's a whole new ballgame with the independent rear suspension. One can surmise, based on what the engineers have shared, that they have more "tunability" now. I believe you will see not only better ride quality and less hop-skip-bounciness, but less pronounced weight shifting when accelerating or stopping quickly.

That's the promise anyway...

 

[Michael]

That's a good point about the IRS, Tony.

I will say, to Ford's credit, they did an outstanding job of "hiding" the fact with suspension tuning that the prior version had a solid axle.

Michael

 

[w3rkn]

I have always owned GM cars, Camaros, Firebirds, and Corvettes. I got a chance to drive a couple 2013 Mustang GT's for literally hundreds of miles on winding back roads, and loved the car, other than the suspension. It seemed way under damped and even a little under sprung. It just did not feel planted. Randy Pobst mentions this in the Motortrend videos, too. I am hoping they get the suspension competitive this time around. I'm strongly considering buying my first Mustang ever.

Michael

Nothing in mustangs past, will prevalent in the new car's ride quality. 100% new, all the way around.

Many people are anticipating this car, & the reason is this new suspension.

 

[WestRace]

With a live-axle with so much unsprung weight, making the suspension stiffer and more damped will make the ride quality probably not acceptable for street use and Ford knows that. You pretty much have the entire suspension including the diff. moving up and down. With the new IRS, it will be a whole new different ball game. And it's just not any IRS. It seems like the new rear IRS will be highly optimized.

I can't wait to see how the new car will turn out. Improved V8 on what was already a great engine, and based on what I've read, the weight distribution will be much better as well (hoping for at least 52/48), optimized front and rear suspension tuning, lower weight due to computer simulated optimized chassis construction and more usage of aluminum material ... with these ingredients at least on paper, that sounds more like a BMW 435 than a Mustang.

 

[w3rkn]

With a live-axle with so much unsprung weight, making the suspension stiffer and more damped will make the ride quality probably not acceptable for street use and Ford knows that. You pretty much have the entire suspension including the diff. moving up and down. With the new IRS, it will be a whole new different ball game. And it's just not any IRS. It seems like the new rear IRS will be highly optimized.

I can't wait to see how the new car will turn out. Improved V8 on what was already a great engine, and based on what I've read, the weight distribution will be much better as well (hoping for at least 52/48), optimized front and rear suspension tuning, lower weight due to computer simulated optimized chassis construction and more usage of aluminum material ... with these ingredients at least on paper, that sounds more like a BMW 435 than a Mustang.

Don't you mean an M4 ..?

:usa:

 

[WestRace]

Don't you mean an M4 ..?

:usa:

In term of performance, the 2015 GT will probably be the same or almost the same as the M4, but in term of the level of sophistication, I don't think the GT will have the same type of upscale hardware as the M4. The M4 can afford that because of the 65K base price.
If you had a chance to drive a 328 vs. a M3, even though they are based on the same chassis, the driving characteristics are very different.

 

[w3rkn]

In term of performance, the 2015 GT will probably be the same or almost the same as the M4, but in term of the level of sophistication, I don't think the GT will have the same type of upscale hardware as the M4. The M4 can afford that because of the 65K base price.
If you had a chance to drive a 328 vs. a M3, even though they are based on the same chassis, the driving characteristics are very different.

I owned a 330ci w/lsd.. manual. I know all the nuances & differences between that & your M3. Those differences weren't due to sophistication, but parts and manufacturing. Vanos & engines aside..

I think Ford bring an upscale product with this s550. Their engine technology doesn't make their suspension less. If the Boss already beat an e9x, & this new 5.0 already out handles that..? at $35k...?

If you feel the need to go "upscale", there will always be the GT350, Mach1, & GT500... etc. Obviously, we'll have to wait to see what type of interiors are offered in the them, but I think the Mach2 might impress.

 

[c3po]

Mach2?

 

[Whiskey11]

With a live-axle with so much unsprung weight, making the suspension stiffer and more damped will make the ride quality probably not acceptable for street use and Ford knows that. You pretty much have the entire suspension including the diff. moving up and down. With the new IRS, it will be a whole new different ball game. And it's just not any IRS. It seems like the new rear IRS will be highly optimized.

I can't wait to see how the new car will turn out. Improved V8 on what was already a great engine, and based on what I've read, the weight distribution will be much better as well (hoping for at least 52/48), optimized front and rear suspension tuning, lower weight due to computer simulated optimized chassis construction and more usage of aluminum material ... with these ingredients at least on paper, that sounds more like a BMW 435 than a Mustang.

That's a load of fooey in my experience. I've run my car on 4 different sets of spring rates: stock, 200/175 (Steeda Sports), 440/200 (GC Coilovers) and 550/275 (GC Coilovers) and the 440/200 setup was barely worse to ride in than stock, it was marginal. I've also run it on 3 different dampers: stock, Tokico D-Specs (dreadful dampers), and my custom valved Koni's in the GC Coilovers. My father has a hyper sensitivity to stiff ride (he hates long drives in their new Fusion and his F150 FX4) and he didn't mind my car at all. MANY folks going to aftermarket lowering springs and Koni dampers, heck better dampers in general, on the S197 chassis and experiencing better ride quality. Ford just did a shit job with the S197's damper package and it shows when you switch to an aftermarket setup that provides proper control of the suspension.

With the new spring package the ride is noticeably firmer but it still isn't harsh on most streets in Nebraska. My father noticed it but didn't say it was intolerable. This experience is especially true with good coilovers with matched spring rates and matched damping.

Also, my 2009 Mustang GT has a front/rear weight distribution of 52.6/47.4 with an 1/8th tank of gas. It's probably even further rearward now with the torque arm out back. All things considered, that isn't bad for a front engine V8 car. Ford had better be able to accomplish lower weights and a better weight distribution with a "new" chassis.

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