S550 Torture Test Complete: 5 days, 2k Miles, 10k Feet Mountain Passes, 10hrs "Track", 4hrs @ 120mph

[Roadway 5.0]

I've done it in a motorhome!

That is pure insanity and awesomeness!!! I really can’t imaginge; that road leading to the Stelvio (Umbrail Pass I believe) was SO thin and the drop-offs were like peering off the top of the Empire State Building. Well done!

Great write up! I went with Steeda Ultralite springs and Pro Action dampers after reading one of your reviews and they sure are great on the twisties.

Glad you like them @Bull Run! This setup was perfect for this trip and you’re right: great in the twisties!

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[RaceHorseV8]

Thanks for the nice write up. I would add a second vote for the Firestsone Firehawk Indy 500s. I've had them on 2 mustangs and they are a great tire, especially in the wet. Slightly better wear rating than the PS4S. Not an extreme track tire but checks most of the boxes for an excellent road tire and the price for 275 35 19 is almost half as much as the PS4S. Not knocking the PS4S as I have them on my 19 GT and like them a lot.

 

[RaceRed5.0]

So what didn't stand up to the test? The factory Pirellis. I had about 8k miles on them when I left, with nice tread, but the intensity of the 2000 mile trip turned these tires into rubber paper weights. I suppose I can't knock the tires too much; the amount of heat and grip used was well out of spec for what most PP GTs see. Either way, it's time for new tires.

Haha for 120 mph for 4 hours + a 2000 mile trip through hills and mountains your going to be losing your tires really almost no matter what tires your using. Haha

That is pretty awesome trip though I would love to do something like that one day here in the States.

 

[Austinj427]

At altitude I wonder if the Ecoboost might show the GT a clean pair of heels.

Eh..

I had my Focus RS up 2 different 14ers and the 2.3 still struggled pretty bad at altitude. I don't think it would roll with it.



Also, the Indy 500s are a pretty good tire. If I were you though, I would get a set of 18x10s and square up 275s. It really helps with the balance of the car.

 

[Roadway 5.0]

Thanks for the nice write up. I would add a second vote for the Firestsone Firehawk Indy 500s. I've had them on 2 mustangs and they are a great tire, especially in the wet. Slightly better wear rating than the PS4S. Not an extreme track tire but checks most of the boxes for an excellent road tire and the price for 275 35 19 is almost half as much as the PS4S. Not knocking the PS4S as I have them on my 19 GT and like them a lot.

I’m really starting the like the sound of these Firestones. The reviews are great and they are built in the USA. I’m also liking the company’s history; a longtime Ford partner back to the Henry Ford days (though they are owned by Japanese Bridgestone now).

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/tires/where-are-tires-made

These Firestones are front-runners now along with the PS4S and Continentals. Thanks to you and @NoVaGT for the intel,

-Mike

 

[aileron]

My '19 Bullitt came with Michi PS4S, and these have proven to be great tires on our M550 and 440xi Bimmers. I ran the 440 vert from Munich, up and down the Stelvio , through the Dolomites, back to CZ, and left it in Frankfurt. Great tires, I can't recommend them enough! The problem is low temps; they need to come off when the temps get down to ~ 5C. The 440 vert was big car to push through some of the Italian villages; can't imagine doing so in the larger S550. Nice report OP !

 

[wanted33]

Well Mike, if you were trying to make me jealous......you certainly succeeded.

What a beautiful drive, and a fun way to really enjoy a Mustang.

 

[NightmareMoon]

A turbo car can compensate for altitude ... to a degree. The turbo won't be as efficient at higher altitude, but it can at least work a bit harder to make up for the thinner air.

Twisty mountain roads are not really equivalent to "track" driving, sorry to say. You can push a lot harder on a known course without oncoming traffic. Sure twisty roads are fun, and its closer than commuting in traffic, but still kind of apples to oranges.

 

[Roadway 5.0]

I ran the 440 vert from Munich, up and down the Stelvio , through the Dolomites, back to CZ, and left it in Frankfurt.

@aileron Your trip sounds great! Do you have an Instagram account with photos? I'd love to see them! My family and I will be hitting the Dolomites next summer (along with the Slovenian Alps); any recommendations for roads, hotels, or sites to see?

What a beautiful drive, and a fun way to really enjoy a Mustang.

@wanted33 It really was a great way to enjoy the Mustang. Frankly, I'm surprised more 'stang guys don't do long drives (in comparison to Porsche enthusiasts especially). Maybe now that the S550 has an IRS and a/c seats we'll see more?

Twisty mountain roads are not really equivalent to "track" driving, sorry to say.

@NightmareMoon Totally agreed, no need to apologize!

 

[Coyote Red]

The Conti's are a great tire and cheaper than the Michelins. I had Bridgestone pole positions and burned them down quickly. I ended up getting Firehawk's and am very pleased.

 

[REDFOX]

Wow sounds like a great time! In late September my fiancé and I took a trip to Colorado, in which we rented an orange fury twin turbo 18' Mustang. We drove it to Aspen not-knowingly using Independence Pass as our route which I later read was one of the highest paved roads in North America. The car performed amazing and we didn't die but I will admit that was a crazy experience! I absolutely despise heights and it didn't help some spots did not have guard rails.

 

[Benjj]

Looks like a hell of a road to drive, very scenic

 

[Holmes]

Mike,
Very nice article and really liked your YouTube videos. My wife and I hit some of those same passes this past September although we were in a rented 2018 Porsche 911 Carrera 4. I’d love to do that again in a Mustang GT but I think I’d need at least Performance Pack 1 at a minimum. Those curves in the Alps are nothing like we have here in the U.S. Grossglockner makes Tail of the Dragon look like a drag strip. The Porsche worked well and seemed to be engineered with those roads in mind. 3.0 Turbo handled the altitude well. Any suggestions on where to rent a Mustang GT in Germany??

 

[aex90832]

I would recommend the Continental Sport Contact 6! They are also usually much cheaper than PSS/PS4S's, especially in larger sizes. The ExtremeContact Sport is an excellent tire but it not available in the EU market, so you'll have to go through Tire Rack, and play the APO shipping game.

ALSO: https://reifen.check24.de is a great place for looking for tires in Germany.

 

[triox]

This is a great write up and I love the videos, but... Like others already alluded to: a true torture test would be a track day where you're trying to set competitive lap times. With everything being strain to the max - from tires, brakes, liquids, to transmission and engine - lap after lap, session after session... you learn your car's limits very quickly on the track.

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