I just picked up a copy of this months Car&Driver. How in the world did the Mustang Cobra rate higer in the skidpad than the track model? I can understand the go cart I mean the S2000 rating higher. But for a ford to do it something don't look right.

 

I don't know about the new Cobra, but the 00 Cobra R introduced the IRS suspension, which has gotten rave reviews. I wouldn't be suprised if the new Cobra was using this setup now.

 

I'm no fan of the Blue Oval, but I have to give Ford some props for the new Cobra. For a while now, they've reserved the use of their fully independent rear for use on the Cobra, and from what the car mags say, it makes a world of difference over the live axle setup.

There's more than enough reasons to keep me from buying a Cobra, but strictly by the numbers, it would appear that Ford did a nice job.

 

Those skidpad numbers can be all over the place even with the same car tested at different times. I am still under the impression that the Z will be signicantly better than .88 G

Sep 99 C&D had the previous M3 ($43K) doing just .84 G but this is a car that had won the "best-handeling" car shootout in 1997. so I'm not too worried about that one number.

 

I agree with rai...skidpad numbers vary so much it's not even worth worrying about. From what we've read by people who've driven it, we know the Z will handle great.

 

please dont argue, this subject is a dead horse...

you can put nice big fat wide sticky tires on a caprice classic and still get .88g. This has nothing to do with how the car takes turns and "handles."

 

Speaking of "turns", I wonder how many heads the Cobra will turn compared to the Z?

 

I guess it has a car driving around a tight circle (perhapse a circle painted on the ground) on a smooth surface. The faster you are going the more lateral acceleration your car is producing, remember when you take a fast turn your body wants to slide out of the seat in the direction of the outside of the turn. This force acting on your body is lateral acceleration. Now the test has the car going faster and faster in a circle until the tires break loose and they are no longer able to continue holding the line of the circle.

This may be considered a steady state test of the suspension because the only change involved is the acceleration, no stearing or side to side motion is involved.

 

I really, really, really want to see slolam numbers.... I really hope the next mag will have them.

 

Here's how to calculate it:
(2 x pi)² x (RADIUS ÷ TIME²) or
1.227 x (RADIUS ÷ TIME²)
The radius of a circle is the distance from its center to its outer edge, and “time” refers to how long it takes for the vehicle to travel completely around the circle's circumference once at the highest possible speed. The standard skid-pad radius for a full-size car is 150 feet;

 

The new cobra does have IRS and 275's in back and front. All other things being equal it follows it should have better skidpad numbers. It is heavier, and does have more weight over the front axle, but wide tires like that deliver outstanding traction.