Why is the Mustang easy to drive?

[BoostRabbitGT]

Why is the Mustang easier to drive? Confidence? We all know how important confidence is since the 2012 Skyline launched, and expected to be terrible on paper but confidence was not consider, which is why it is one of the fastest around the Nurburgring.

TLDR: Mustang is not AWD, and they come with narrow tires (even all seasons). The Mustang is also heavier than the Camaro. How is it light on its feet? Anyone have an insight to this?

From the EcoBoost perspective, I'd say it's easier to drive having the torque available at lower RPMs as opposed to waiting a bit or more than a bit with NA vehicles. For me though, it's having the options to drive with or without "nannies" and learning slowly but steadily how to enjoy my car. Case in point for me, learning how to smoothly apply throttle in Sport or Sport+ mode so my 10A doesn't jerk me around from a complete standstill (admittedly I'm still learning how to do this consistently even on Normal driving mode). Having outward visibility at pretty much all angles definitely inspires confidence as well, along with feeling engaged and connected with the steering/handling as I turn. (Man I hope if I ever get a GT in the future, I can have as much fun or more turning the car with speed and [cautious] enthusiasm as I do with my EcoBoost.)

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[Norm Peterson]

What are some forgiving tires?Also, what are their characteristics such as threshold and sticky qualitity? I am guessing they'd be good for novie track goers like myself. I'm on Fore Hawk Indy 500s.

If you go to Tire Rack's own testing there are three pages of information. The first is mostly text (worth reading), the second has both objectively measured data and subjective evaluations for both street (Real World Road) and Performance Drive (dry and wet) ratings. The third page shows how the tires tested stacked up against each other with respect to specific attributes. Best way to use that information is to decide which aspects are more important to you and which may be less so.


Norm

 

[Norm Peterson]

From the EcoBoost perspective, I'd say it's easier to drive having the torque available at lower RPMs as opposed to waiting a bit or more than a bit with NA vehicles.

For sure with a turbocharged engine it's preferable to have the torque come in earlier, or at least with less lag. What you want here is 'predictability', which NA engines have in spades. No guessing as to where in the corner you need to start feeding throttle in order for response to show up where you want it to. No surprises like when the torque curve rapidly swells due to combined effects of both rpm and boost psi that takes a bit to come in.

If/when you do get a GT, you'll probably be in for a bit of re-learning as far as when (and how much) throttle to be feeding in as you accelerate toward track out.


Norm

 

[Shadow277]

I've been on that website reading a few reviews. They have good stuff but I always leave with more questions than answer, ha.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I think what you want to pay the most attention to is Tire Rack's own testing and commentary. After that, reviews from customers who either autocross or do track days - those are the people who are in a position to rate tires for performance-oriented driving behavior.


Norm

 

[Avispa]

These are writers for magazines. They write dumb, unsupportable baloney, and repeat that month after month, year after year. It's almost predictable., like a comparison of a C8 with a Porsche, with every objective measure being on side of the C8. But they like the Porsche better. I stopped reading. It never changes.

 

[Bit_the_Bullitt]

I've taken my Bullitt to a track in OH (Nelson Ledges) a month ago. It's my first RWD, it's completely stock, but it was fantastic on the track. I kept it in Sport + mode (I wasn't confident turning of the TC yet). Sound was glorious, brakes great, tires good.

It is a heavy car though. You can feel the inputs pretty well, but there were times when it was pushing me to the doors sometimes, but still wouldn't get the Recaros, as it's my daily and will see track 1x-2x a year probably.

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