GT vs EB vs V6 suspension

[FireBird]

In the base version, would the suspension be the same for all of these cars?

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[Whiskey11]

In the base version, would the suspension be the same for all of these cars?

The overall layout is the same but springs, swaybars and dampers (shocks/struts) will most likely be different due to the different weights and performance goals of the various models.

 

[Spartan]

If you go to the order guide you can see what the difference is if any.

 

[Malikona]

I'm willing to wager that the equipment is virtually (if not completely) identical on all Mustangs. Even the PP's just say they have different suspension 'tuning'. I wondered about this in the unfavorable GT+PP to SS+1LE comparison by MotorTrend. Does the 1LE actually have different shocks and springs than the base setup? It was certainly way tighter than the GT+PP on the road and on the track (just watch the handling course comparison shots) - if the extra $1000 for the 1LE package gets you a bona fide performance suspension along with the more aggressive rubber, that explains the difference right there.

Based on that comparison alone I am leaning away from getting the PP and just putting that money towards more substantial aftermarket upgrades. The K brace and larger radiator are nice, but not sure if they are worth $2500, especially if the upgraded tires and suspension tuning still aren't really track ready.

 

[e30og]

I'm willing to wager that the equipment is virtually (if not completely) identical on all Mustangs. Even the PP's just say they have different suspension 'tuning'. I wondered about this in the unfavorable GT+PP to SS+1LE comparison by MotorTrend. Does the 1LE actually have different shocks and springs than the base setup? It was certainly way tighter than the GT+PP on the road and on the track (just watch the handling course comparison shots) - if the extra $1000 for the 1LE package gets you a bona fide performance suspension along with the more aggressive rubber, that explains the difference right there.

Based on that comparison alone I am leaning away from getting the PP and just putting that money towards more substantial aftermarket upgrades. The K brace and larger radiator are nice, but not sure if they are worth $2500, especially if the upgraded tires and suspension tuning still aren't really track ready.

Are you ACTUALLY going to track your brand new 2015 Mustang?

If you actually are, is it going to be serious competitive track sessions or a few laps every so often?

Finally, auto-X sessions favor driving ability over sheer hardware which is why you can see miatas lapping vettes; it all depends on how much experience the driver has. Are you seasoned and experienced enough to demand more than what a Mustang GT has to offer on a track as-is?

I understand your concerns with it in comparison to the 1LE, but you are not Randy Pobst and also he is only one person. Is one subjective youtube video based on a single driver's racing style honestly going to push someone out of contention with the features of a vehicle that FAR exceeds what one needs to be a weekend track-star? Not that I totally doubt your plans for this car or your driving ability, but I am just baffled at the amount of people ready to write this car off because of one video when 90% of the people commenting have never even completed a single lap, and that a GT is still more powerful than what most people auto-X on. Nothing personal to you, just food for thought. If this is a DD, why does that matter so much?

Also $2,500 is a STEAL for what you get; the K brace, Torsen rear diff, rims and rubber (despite some picky subjective feedback), 15" 6-piston brembos, and suspension bits (stiffer front springs, slightly larger rear sway bar). Imagine how much that would be to add yourself; you would spend $2500+ just on upgrading the brakes. No, this isnt a true track pack or it would have competition brake fluid and a racing harness. Here is more on the suspension:

"That track package eliminates all rubber from the front suspension links responsible for transmitting lateral forces from the tires to the chassis, replacing them with metal-to-metal ball joints. The suspension cradle to which they are attached is also un-isolated, all of which makes for more immediate reactions to steering inputs, and (theoretically) more feedback through the adjustable electric-assist steering. (It’s supplied by the same folks who made the Boss 302’s rack.) "
http://sections.latimes.com/performance/2014/06/#?article=2261628

If you are a track junkie, you should be ordering a Base model, strip out the interior, put a roll cage, slap on lightweight 17's with wide slicks, and go from there. No one seriously races a 3800lb Grand Tourer with creature comforts still in it, and no matter what performance package it has, this will seriously shorten the life of ANY car. On the other hand if this is a weekend toy, who cares? the upgrades would be good enough for a few laps and you still have a compliant comfortable suspension for the ride home and the entire weekly commute

again nothing personal, just IMO. good luck with your decision

 

[DeColores]

To the original question:

V6 and i4 base is the same, the V8 base is the same as PP i4.

Be sure to check out Wiki at top of page.

DeColores

 

[yokozuna0134]

I totally agree with your post e30og. One set of data from one driver on one track means nothing. I need a much bigger sample before I can convincingly say that the 1LE is faster than the new PP. As far as I'm concerned they are very close, and the mustang looks 10x better, inside and out.

 

[DeColores]

I totally agree with your post e30og. One set of data from one driver on one track means nothing. I need a much bigger sample before I can convincingly say that the 1LE is faster than the new PP. As far as I'm concerned they are very close, and the mustang looks 10x better, inside and out.

Same Goodyear tires on both cars would tip it the other way?

 

[Malikona]

Are you ACTUALLY going to track your brand new 2015 Mustang?

If you actually are, is it going to be serious competitive track sessions or a few laps every so often?

Finally, auto-X sessions favor driving ability over sheer hardware which is why you can see miatas lapping vettes; it all depends on how much experience the driver has. Are you seasoned and experienced enough to demand more than what a Mustang GT has to offer on a track as-is?

I understand your concerns with it in comparison to the 1LE, but you are not Randy Pobst and also he is only one person. Is one subjective youtube video based on a single driver's racing style honestly going to push someone out of contention with the features of a vehicle that FAR exceeds what one needs to be a weekend track-star? Not that I totally doubt your plans for this car or your driving ability, but I am just baffled at the amount of people ready to write this car off because of one video when 90% of the people commenting have never even completed a single lap, and that a GT is still more powerful than what most people auto-X on. Nothing personal to you, just food for thought. If this is a DD, why does that matter so much?

Also $2,500 is a STEAL for what you get; the K brace, Torsen rear diff, rims and rubber (despite some picky subjective feedback), 15" 6-piston brembos, and suspension bits (stiffer front springs, slightly larger rear sway bar). Imagine how much that would be to add yourself; you would spend $2500+ just on upgrading the brakes. No, this isnt a true track pack or it would have competition brake fluid and a racing harness. Here is more on the suspension:

"That track package eliminates all rubber from the front suspension links responsible for transmitting lateral forces from the tires to the chassis, replacing them with metal-to-metal ball joints. The suspension cradle to which they are attached is also un-isolated, all of which makes for more immediate reactions to steering inputs, and (theoretically) more feedback through the adjustable electric-assist steering. (It’s supplied by the same folks who made the Boss 302’s rack.) "
http://sections.latimes.com/performance/2014/06/#?article=2261628

If you are a track junkie, you should be ordering a Base model, strip out the interior, put a roll cage, slap on lightweight 17's with wide slicks, and go from there. No one seriously races a 3800lb Grand Tourer with creature comforts still in it, and no matter what performance package it has, this will seriously shorten the life of ANY car. On the other hand if this is a weekend toy, who cares? the upgrades would be good enough for a few laps and you still have a compliant comfortable suspension for the ride home and the entire weekly commute

again nothing personal, just IMO. good luck with your decision

Thanks for the response; I did not know that about the suspension upgrades with the PP. And I am far from writing off the Mustang, based on Randy's review (or anyone else's) - I intend to buy the car. And I would rarely, if ever, track the car during the warranty period. For me the decision is between the EB with PP and the GT without it, due to cost, so for my needs it is just becoming evident that the PP is not worth it (for me). I will rarely be able to push the limits of the base setup on the street anyway. The main reasons I would want the PP are not for track work, but for braking power and roadholding during spirited mountain driving. The impressions from track pros like Randy are all I have to gauge the PP by however.

For me, if the PP gave the car noticeably more confident turn-in and mid-corner stability on the street, it might be worth it (because that opens up whole new worlds of fun with the car). If the PP doesn't do that, it doesn't make financial sense to me. Based on what I've seen and heard so far, the base model is so well composed that it will probably be all I need from a suspension and braking standpoint (esp considering the non PP cars are governor limited to a lower top speed I believe). Plus the base GT gets the brakes from the EB PP anyway.

Honestly if I wanted a track car I wouldn't buy a Mustang, or a new car generally. I'd probably get an old Miata. But I do think that looking at a car's performance on the track in the hands of a seasoned professional - no matter how many light years away from that I am - is illustrative of how it will behave when any individual driver pushes it to his or her limits. FWIW I did not think the Mustang looked like it was that far behind the 1LE on the track. It just rolled more and broke loose easier. Like Randy said - it's all about what you want out of a car. That's precisely why I am picking the Mustang over anything else - it's the best bang for the buck on the market IMO. I'm just trying to figure out just how much the PP really improves the performance of the car based on the available evidence. Would love to see Randy track the base versions.

 

[e30og]

Thanks for the response; I did not know that about the suspension upgrades with the PP. And I am far from writing off the Mustang, based on Randy's review (or anyone else's) - I intend to buy the car. And I would rarely, if ever, track the car during the warranty period. For me the decision is between the EB with PP and the GT without it, due to cost, so for my needs it is just becoming evident that the PP is not worth it (for me). I will rarely be able to push the limits of the base setup on the street anyway. The main reasons I would want the PP are not for track work, but for braking power and roadholding during spirited mountain driving. The impressions from track pros like Randy are all I have to gauge the PP by however.

For me, if the PP gave the car noticeably more confident turn-in and mid-corner stability on the street, it might be worth it (because that opens up whole new worlds of fun with the car). If the PP doesn't do that, it doesn't make financial sense to me. Based on what I've seen and heard so far, the base model is so well composed that it will probably be all I need from a suspension and braking standpoint (esp considering the non PP cars are governor limited to a lower top speed I believe). Plus the base GT gets the brakes from the EB PP anyway.

Honestly if I wanted a track car I wouldn't buy a Mustang, or a new car generally. I'd probably get an old Miata. But I do think that looking at a car's performance on the track in the hands of a seasoned professional - no matter how many light years away from that I am - is illustrative of how it will behave when any individual driver pushes it to his or her limits. FWIW I did not think the Mustang looked like it was that far behind the 1LE on the track. It just rolled more and broke loose easier. Like Randy said - it's all about what you want out of a car. That's precisely why I am picking the Mustang over anything else - it's the best bang for the buck on the market IMO. I'm just trying to figure out just how much the PP really improves the performance of the car based on the available evidence. Would love to see Randy track the base versions.

true, its still worth considering and he's a beast behind the wheel

I wish I had the chance to drive a GT and PP back to back, but fwiw the '14 track/brembos are the same size brakes as the stock '15 GT, also 4 piston. i guess $2500 is still $2500 at the end of the day

 

[FireBird]

Thanks DeColores

 

[Lagformance]

so in theory, if i put on the gt shocks and struts and swaybars front and back on my base v6, it will be a bit stiffer and handle better than oem.

Good, because just got my hands on some gt shocks and struts and swaybars.

SIde note,
Are all the oem shocks and struts twin tube? or are some Monotube. Swore i saw a writeup on this once but cant for the life of me find it again...

 

[BmacIL]

so in theory, if i put on the gt shocks and struts and swaybars front and back on my base v6, it will be a bit stiffer and handle better than oem.

Good, because just got my hands on some gt shocks and struts and swaybars.

SIde note,
Are all the oem shocks and struts twin tube? or are some Monotube. Swore i saw a writeup on this once but cant for the life of me find it again...

The PP dampers are twin tube fronts and monotube rears for EB and GT (different tuning for each though). The non PP cars are twin tube all around.

For OEM parts, you'd get the best results with EB PP dampers, springs and bars, as they have very similar (within a few pounds) weight distribution.

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